Asteroids Delux (G05) experts needed, screenshot inside....

[Pipercub]

Ok, after powering my Asteroids Delux up last month after moving it booted up with all sorts of small lines connecing the graphics that were supposed to be there. There were also bright dots at some intersections. A few folks suggested turning down the brightness. To me this failed the common sense test. If the dot in the center and the ones at the junctions were brighter than the lines then they would fade after the lines had but I figured that since so many people suggested it I would give it a try. The user adjustable brightness had no effect on this problem. The pot that  adjusts the brightness on the EHT board was noisy and after hitting it with a shot of cleaner it became pretty smooth in it's range. However, adjusting it does just what I thougth it would. The graphics fade away before the bright dots. So, something isn't right.

What I have done so far. I had a spare defelection board on hand and after swappin it in the image was pretty much the same although a line accross the monitor (horizontal) seemed more pronounced. Adjusting the brightness made the image fade as a whole, bright dots fading after the dimmer lines. The spot killer LED is not lit. There are what appear to be neon bulbs on the connector  to the EHT section, they are not glowing.

The blurring in this photo comes from trying to get a good exposure with the brightness lower to prevent the dots from being too bright and causing damage. The monitor was on the bench next to the machine so the image is inverted of course.

[menace]

Isn't there a spot killer function in vector monitors? (just trying to get some dialogue going here as I really have no experience with them)

[Ken Layton]

On the deflection board, turn down the CONTRAST control slightly.

It's also possible that the contrast control has gone bad (these do fail).

[Pipercub]

There is no way that the contrast, or any other controls, were moved when the game was moved to the new house. Still, I did attempt to adjust the contrast and brightness on both deflection boards and I do get about the right response but on the image as a whole, ie the dots  dim in proportion to the lines, the dots remain proportianatly brighter.

[Ken Layton]

I have seen several instances where the brightness and contrast pots were bad internally.

Really, they only cost about 50 cents a piece to replace.

Have you reseated all the socketed chips on the game board? Have you cleaned the gameboard edge connector?

Have you resoldered and capkitted the monitor?

Have you read the Asteriods Troubleshooting guide and the vector monitor faq at ionpool.net yet?

[Pipercub]

On BOTH deflection boards BOTH contrast and bright work smoothly within limits however they affect the image as a whole.

Edge connectors have been cleaned.

Chips reseated.

Capkit from Zanech, Zantech or whatever was installed on one of the two deflector boards I have and no difference.

I reflowed traces on BOTH deflector boards, but both giving the same fault tells me that the likelyhood of it being that board is very low.

[Ken Layton]

It's possible for the brightness signal "Z" from the game board to be bad. Read the Asteroids troubleshooting Encyclopedia for repair details.

[ChadTower]

It's definitely still drawing to the screen between images.  Those trace lines go from one image to the next, so Z is a good place to start.

[Pipercub]

Fixed it! The audio/rectifier board was "bad'. I had a Bob Robert's rebuild kit on hand from when I replaced big blue and that cleared it right up. Both deflector boards are just fine.

[delta88]

ok ok, I just picked up an Asteroids deluxe and it plays great only catch is no video.. after poking around I made some led light up on the monitor chassis after wiggling part of the harness... read around and found that the LED on meant something bad.. all I can say at the moment is no high voltage whone but I duuno anething about vectors... Yet......