Galaxian Service Bulletins (NOT the regular Opertion Manual etc.)

[Level42]

As some of you may have read in my Galaxian No.815 thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62784.0), I received a number of Service Bulletins by Midway with the Operation Manual that I won on e-bay.

I hadn't seen these on the internet before and thought they might be interesting for other Galaxian owners or people just interested in them...

I promised to scan them and make them available so here they are !

http://www.arcadecontrols.com/files/Manuals/Galaxian-Service-Bulletins.zip

Thanks to Saint for hosting the file 


Here's a copy of what I wrote about these Service Bulletins in the 815 thread:
- the WG 19k4500 monitor has only been used in the upright cab.
- the cocktail was equipped with an Electrohome G07901
- adapters to put WG in cocktails and Electrohomes in uprights were made by Midway
- there is mention of a Electrohome G02-25" for the upright !!!!! It doesn't become clear if they were installed from the factory or used as replacement. Very weird, is seems to be hard to put a 25" inside the cab. Has anyone ever seen this ?
- the first dated Service Bulletins were from february 11, 1980 (one is not dated)
- a feb. 11,1980 Bulletin explains how to wire a up a Galaxian logic board to a b/w monitor for bench testing. (Remember that Galaxian was the first with a full color monitor, so most workshops probably only had B/W monitors.....)
- very often the name of the game is misspelled as Glaxian
- from april 15, 1980 the Electrohome monitor was also put into the uprights due to "supply problem".
 The mounting brackets had to be altered for this. (This means my cab is from before that date, which figures seeing the very low serial no.)
- the four controls contrast,brightness. color and tint are not used. These controls are located in the upper right side of the monitor panel. (Should have known that earlier, I already wondered why they didn't do a thing )
- April 16,1980: Serial No. #101 to #8400 (includes mine  ): Apparently the machine sometimes lost credits. This modification explains to put a 100mf 10V capacitor over (one of the) coin switches. (This later caused other problems...read on) Mine didn't get this modification...
- April 29,1980: Apparantly, there were problems with static (Static condition causing a false RAM and ROM test) as this SB explains about an Anti-static kit. It's a PCB that went between the excisting wire connector and the Galaxian PCB and a really big fat wire from the new PCB to one of the mounting bolts of one of the transformers (a ground point).
- (Here comes my favorite) April 29, 1980: quote:
WHEN PROGRAMMING THE GLAXIAN GAME FOR 50 CENTS PLAY, CHANGE THE COIN DOOR WINDOWS TO 50 CENT TYPE.ORDER WINDOWS FROM MIDWAY PARTS DEPARTMENT - PART NUMBER - 0090-00902+4600
unquote

DUHHHH !!!!!    (Aparantly the game was popular enough to raise more money per game ?)

- from serial no. 11500 the program was changed (3rd program). New bonus values: (Depending on DIP switch settings), 7000, 10000, 12000, 20000 (apparantly the players got better, or were underestimated in the first place
-jun3 5th, 1980: Upright serial #101 to #1570 and cocktail #101 to #1970: because of the added capacitor on the coin switch (see above) it was apprantly possible to gain free credits by pounding on the coin door (  ).
This SB explains how to add a tilt switch (it's a slam-switch imho)

So far the SB's. Notice they indicate serial number ranges from #101 to #xxxxx. I think we can conclude from this that the production runs started at #101 and that serial numbers #1 to #100 were reserved for prototypes, maybe demo machines etc.

Something else from the Manual itself: There's a complete drawing of the TL-light fixture for the marquee. However, the partslist mentions:
Incandescent light assemlby - used after game no. 3000. So the first 3000 got a TL lighting, and then they switched to using normal bulbs. The strange thing is they indicate 12V lamps, is that true or is that a typo ? (They should be 25W by the way.....i case you need to replace yours ?) From seeing pictures of these lamp fixtures I'd say they were regular 120V bulbs....

OK, I hope I didn't bore you guys with this trivia....

Gee, I'd really like to talk with the guy who's name is under all these Service Bulletins. He was Midway's Service Manger then. I bet he could tell lots of interesting stories from that time.

[RobinHolland]

THANKS !!

[Ken Layton]

They were already available and here they are:

http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Misc/Midway%20Service%20Notes%203.pdf

http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Misc/Midway%20Service%20Notes%201.pdf

http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Misc/Midway%20Service%20Notes%202.pdf


The originals said "Midway Service Bulletins" on the front cover. I think the first bulletin binder had a blue cover and the second bulletin binder had a red cover. I have the original binders stored off site at a friend's house since I no longer have the room here in my apartment.

[Level42]

Hi Ken,

Well just when you think you might have helped someone

O well.... I wasn't aware of them being available but the odds were that they indeed were already of course.

Thanks for those links, interesting stuff. I wasn't even aware of that site. Just found a great color  copy of the SW Cockpit manual there