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Where'd you get your knowledge?

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jam92102:
I am wanting to get into the hobby of collecting and restoring arcade machienes.  I was curious where you all got your knowledge of arcades as far as repairing and maintaining them.  Was it trial and error, a good website you'd recommend, a good book?  I saw that there's an arcade school you can go to but I can't afford something that expensive or time consuming.  How do you all suggest I get into the hobby?  Thanks for all your help!

pointdablame:
Sites like this are one of the best ways to learn. I've learned more here than I ever had in other ways.  However, just playing lots of arcade games helps, as does reading and user manuals or schematics you can find on arcade machines.  Also, getting a good base of knowledge on basic woodworking and circuits will help greatly.  An arcade machine really isn't all too complicated once you understand what's in the box.  Simple circuit and electrical knowledge, and a good lesson on how to troubleshoot will go very far in repairing these things.

I'm still pretty new to all this, and admittedly, I don't know half of what most people here know, but I've found these steps made me much more knowledgeable.  Good luck.

Ken Layton:
I have an extensive background in electronics, motion picture projector & theater sound system repair, and vending machine repair. Worked as senior repair tech for a local game operator starting in 1976. Repaired well over a 1,000 monitors, hundreds of power supplies, and done at least 300 game conversions over the years.

allroy1975:

--- Quote from: Ken Layton on April 19, 2004, 12:29:14 am ---I have an extensive background in electronics, motion picture projector & theater sound system repair, and vending machine repair. Worked as senior repair tech for a local game operator starting in 1976. Repaired well over a 1,000 monitors, hundreds of power supplies, and done at least 300 game conversions over the years.

--- End quote ---

Yeah, I can see how that might help out a little bit.....  ;)

But it's really not that complicated I don't think.  There are GREAT websites out there for restoring most popular games.  Well, at least the one's I've worked on.  I've repaired stuff on my Baby Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Mr & Mrs Pac Man, Black Knight 2000, and of course built my first Arcade Cabinet.  I haven't ever installed an electrical outlet, I've never replaced a light switch (I have howerver changed a bulb) I hardly know how to change the oil in my lawn mower!  But there are some fantastic web pages out there that go step by step on how to fix these things.  People have spent a LONG time creating GREAT documentation.  

http://marvin3m.com/fix.htm  Is a perfect example of where to learn.

Actually, I'm probably not qualified to answer this question, because I don't have any knoledge.  I have someone else's knowledge.  is it mine now?  well now I'm just being stupid so I'll wrap up this post.  

I got stuff, broke it, then figured out how to fix it by using the troubleshooting steps that people WAY smarter than me wrote.

Allroy

mahuti:
Tutankham.com has some good tips on painting.

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