New Project: Robotron Guts... Defender Glory!: Spring Cleaning !

[RetroACTIVE]

Basically I've been struggling with my control panel design for my Mame(tm) cab.... How to put in Defender/Stargate layout without dorking up the panel?  The solution...

Build a Multi-Williams "Defender" cabinet and remove those games (Robotron, Stargate, Defender) from my Mame(tm) cab!

So I have begun...

Here is my "stuff" so far:

   Williams Robotron/Joust components:
   - Rev D CPU board
   - Sound board
   - Rom board
   - I/O Board (even though it is not really needed for the setup)
   - Transformer
   - PSU PCB

   Miscellaneous:
   - 2 Wico 4 way's
   - A bunch of 74 and 74LS series logic devices.
   - I've ordered a multi-williams kit

Status:

The CPU board needs some work.  I've scrubbed it clean.  It looks like it has been debugged to death... many parts have been replaced...however sockets have been added to each IC that has been replaced... BLEH!  I will be removing all non-essential sockets and replacing the appropriate IC's...

I am still on the fence as to how to handle the cabinet portion... Should I get an old Defender and restore it... even though the guts won't really be Defender?  Currently, I'm leaning towards building a replica since it really isn't a Defender... leaving restoration of a a Defender to someone who wants to do just that!

Anyway... I'll be posting pics as I restore and bring up the hardware.  As of now... I'm not plugging a darn thing in just yet.

[RetroACTIVE]

Here are a couple of pics of stuff everyone has seen before:

I paid 20 bucks for the CPU board and 19 bucks for the ROM and I/O boards together.

So far I've removed every single socketed part on the CPU... I'm doing it @ work because we have good tools there.  I discovered most of the chips in the sockets were the chips that were previously soldered in the board... you can tell somebody definitely shot-gunned the thing to try and get it working...

[nostrebor]

Original Williams cabinets are plentiful, light, and easy to work on. They were plywood, so water damage is easily fixed. I have picked up a few that were converted for $20 - $25 complete minus boards. I would never scratch build a Williams cabinet because of those things... they are just too easy to find in decent shape.

[RetroACTIVE]

Original Williams cabinets are plentiful, light, and easy to work on. They were plywood, so water damage is easily fixed. I have picked up a few that were converted for $20 - $25 complete minus boards. I would never scratch build a Williams cabinet because of those things... they are just too easy to find in decent shape.

Thanks... I've never actually set out to purchase a cabinet, empty or functional for that matter... its good to know that they are easily obtainable

[RetroACTIVE]

Here is some of the work I've done...

Before I attempt to suck the solder away... I always apply paste first because it helps the flow... Then I used the handy-dandy solder sucking tool in the lab... that way I dont damage the pads.

[RetroACTIVE]

Once the chip/socket is removed, I then flip the board over and apply flux to the top side and gently rub each pad to get it to reflow nicely.

The last pic shows the IC location clean and shiny ready for the new chip.

BTW: Any damaged pads... not my fault... previous owners butchered this poor baby.

[RetroACTIVE]

I'm replacing all of the passive components that show signs of thermal stress as well...  this is R34

[RetroACTIVE]

Most of the chips removed were previously used... most likely the very ones that were removed... good old shotgun approach to debugging... as you can see in my crappy photo...

And finally the board with all sockets removed!  Ready for new logic and sockets (Decoder ROMS and CPU only!)

When I am done, I will give the board one final cleaning with flux remover and take a nice shot of it... hopefully in focus!  I don't want to keep cleaning it after each piece I add or remove because the board is very old and delicate.

[RetroACTIVE]

Close-up shot of brand new shiny IC's and CPU socket... The 4 in the rear of the shot are originials... the 4 towards the front are mine.

Almost done...

BTW:  Figured out how to do the close-up shot thing with the camera... You know that little pic of the flower.... DUH!

[nullb0y]

nice

[RetroACTIVE]

Took a break from rework on the CPU to clean up the sound board...

...see before and after shots

[RetroACTIVE]

Check out the arc/burn marks on these sockets...   When I feel like it... I'll be pulling out all 24 of these bad boys...

[RetroACTIVE]

CARNAGE!!!!!

[RetroACTIVE]

Before and after dust-off of the x-former assembly...

[RetroACTIVE]

And lets not forget... nice shiny new Wico's....

[Havok]

OK, so it's clean, but does it work?

 

[RetroACTIVE]

OK, so it's clean, but does it work?

 

Good Question!

After I get the thing cleaned up and all of the old caps replaced and such... then I will bring it up... 

FWIW: All of the pieces individually were sold to me in working condition with the exception of the CPU board.

[nostrebor]

Original Williams cabinets are plentiful, light, and easy to work on. They were plywood, so water damage is easily fixed. I have picked up a few that were converted for $20 - $25 complete minus boards. I would never scratch build a Williams cabinet because of those things... they are just too easy to find in decent shape.

Thanks... I've never actually set out to purchase a cabinet, empty or functional for that matter... its good to know that they are easily obtainable

I would spen some time on KLOV looking at the williams classics. Robotron, Joust, Bubbles, Sinistar, Defender, etc... Learn their "shape" and their "tells". You will probably have a really hard time finding one with Williams sideart intact, but spraypainted black ones with "Rough Rangers" or some such conversion crap are plentious. The speaker grille and the shape of the control panels really give away these cabinets. The last two I bought both had been Puzzle Bobble cabinets. $20 and $25 respectively, complete except boardsets. Both were base water damaged though.