First post & new cabinet project...

[SoundDoc]

Hi all, I've been lurking the message boards for about the last 2 years, never posted before though.
I've been seriously contimplating building a cabinet for about the last year, and yesterday, a Mortal Kombat II cabinet - complete, fell into my lap.

So I guess this is the start of my cab project, just got the cabinet downstairs and opened up, and low and behold, the monitors shot. Being a electronics engineer, the fact that I had the yoke in one hand, and the neck was broken told me this wasn't a simple fix...  

So, heres the question, I'm trying to decide between putting another arcade monitor in it, or putting a TV in it... The monitor is easier, as it just drops in, but its a lot cheaper to put a tv in it to. Is it worth it to try and track down a replacement tune, or to just toss the monitor completly and replace it? I'm not sure if the chassis is worth anything, or worth keeping without the tube. Also, does anyone think its worth it to try and sell the Mortal Board? or is there anyone interested in swapping a Mortal Kombat II board set for a fitting monitor?

Just curious to get some other opinions. Also, has anyone delt with Dons in Edmonton? Just curious if I should give them a shout looking for a monitor.

Time to start taking pictures and ripping this thing apart........  

[DaveJ-UK]

I would hang on to the PCB so you have something to test your new monitor with.

Personally, I would go for an arcade monitor. If you want to play games on a TV, buy a console!

I don't know a great deal about monitor tech, but if it is only the tube that's kaput, it is possible to replace it with the tube from a TV.

If you want to know the value of anything or sell anything, I sugest you search the completed items on eBay. Remember you will get a lot more for something if it is sold as working than if you sell your MK pcb, for instance, as untested.

[SoundDoc]

I've tested the board allready as far as to power it, and it does fire up with audio, but as far as video I havent hooked it to the scope yet to check it. I've got a few video waveform monitors here, so testing the video isn't a problem.

Has anyone here tried changing the tube with a match from a TV? I've tried to change tubes before, in other equipment, but the grid biasing is always different from tube to tube, and I haven't had that much luck in the past with getting it set up. If someone else has done this, and could give me a couple of ideas, it would be great!

After sleeping on it, I'm going to be replacing it with another monitor I'm fairly sure. One thing I haven't seen much of in the message boards: How do other games, PC games for the most part play on a origional arcade monitor? authenticity on the older games isn't what I'm after, so if this monitor can't be repaired should I be looking along the lines of a Vision Pro for ex. that can do 800x600? How would a game like Golden Tee PC, or the Daphne emulator, or Mad Dog McGree look on a classic Aracde monitor vs a higher res monitor like a Vision Pro.

On another note, Just realized how vague my subject was on this message, and hindsight being 20/20, I should have posted this most likely in a different forum, but the monitors all I've been thinking about.... I'll watch that in the future.

Oh! and Bonus! opened up the coin door last night, and low and behold, below the MB shelf was not 1, not 2, but 8 brand new Happ Super Joysticks, 20 or 30 new buttons w/ switches, and enough flourescent starters to restart a whole arcade... Not bad for a free machine...

SD

[SirPeale]

You can surely replace the tube; there's a guide in the forum somewhere regarding this.