The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Arcade Collecting => Restorations & repair => Topic started by: Level42 on August 14, 2007, 04:54:30 am
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EDIT: To do list:
1) make test prints of the CPO that is FINISHED. Need to make test-prints to check sizes but I need a laser printer :S
2) Install the joystick on the CP
3) resolder all the leaf-switches on the joystick
4) change over pins on the CP connector (amazingly, the bootleg connector is exactly the same as the Midway Pac joystick connector, but the wire settings is different)
5) Install a working PCB. I'm afraid this one will get a 48in1 (do I dare to write that here ?)
6) Drill hole in CP and install extra button (will be done _very_ tastefully)
7) Probably more to do but I forgot....
OK I've been running on the bids for this, but since I just bought the SW and have to invest money to restore my other cabs as well, I'll have to let this go, with A LOT of pain in my heart:
This is one amazing cab. Look at the side-art, like new !!!!
Link removed, not longer available....
I hope it will go to someone who will carefully restore it :'( :'(
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I've never seen this particular version by the way.....
http://www.puckman.net/cabinets.html
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That joystick scares me...
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Yeah it looks horrible. Wonder if it's original. Would replace it anyway, if I had enough money to get it....
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Oh man, I'd so grab that beauty.
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It seems like it has some kind of logo in the green field of the marquee. The cab seems to be Taito, logo dunno :dunno. If it's a clone, I would guess a very very early one.
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It seems like it has some kind of logo in the green field of the marquee. The cab seems to be Taito, logo dunno :dunno. If it's a clone, I would guess a very very early one.
It's not a Taito, and Puck Man isn't a clone. It's the original. Pac-Man is just what they renamed the game to once they exported it from Japan. The amazing thing about this particular cab is that the marquee and sideart haven't suffered the usual fate of Puck Man machines in the English speaking world; the P hasn't been modified into an F. (..and now you know why they changed the name!)
I actually played one of these, in the wild as a kid. It was in a grocery store in a small town in Northern California- durned if I know what it was doing there. At the time, I thought it must be some kind of bootleg myself!
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Lol, I meant Namco. Just a quick fly-by post that I made. I know the Puck-man was the original name, but it was made by couple of companies for different locations, so it's probably licensed and with original boards. If we could see the logo more clearly (if it's a logo). In the other link cocktail table Namco Puck-man has a Namco logo on it, but it's possible it came out bit later than the standup.
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That thing is bloody awesome! :D
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Level42, never post bids in advance, as there is always going to be someone who will "nibble" on your bid with incremental bid increase. Always bid (your maximum bid) in the last seconds (snipe) to save $$$.
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Level42, never post bids in advance, as there is always going to be someone who will "nibble" on your bid with incremental bid increase. Always bid (your maximum bid) in the last seconds (snipe) to save $$$.
Hey Torez, you think I'm stupid or something ;)
Read my initial posting again....
I STOPPED bidding because it had reached my max. At this point in time I can't afford more, and also will have a problem with my lovely wife ....... Also, this is not a true bidding site in the sense of Ebay (although Ebay did buy this site). This site is more like an "advert in the paper". There is NO obligation to make the deal when you've bid....happens a LOT.
Anyway, I'd rather see one of my fellow Dutch/Belgian/German friends on this board get it then anybody else...so I'd still have a chance to at least see it/play it once in a while.
This is definitely a real Namco cab. It has exactly the same profile as the original Galaxian cab. [Comment: this turned out not to be so when I actually got the cab]
I won't mention what I think i't's worth, but it's a LOT.
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O my God....... I cannot believe myself.........
Pucking.....uhmm Picking it up tomorrow :cheers:
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AHHAHAH heck yes way to go level did you get it for a reasonable price??
Neil
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...so does your friend storing the cockpits have room for your cot too, or will you have to sleep inside one of the cockpits? ;) :laugh2:
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Whahahaha, well I'm going to move all my uprights to my loft/attic pretty soon. Won't be using the stairs though, because they don't fit through the bends....
That indeed leaves my cockpits......I am thinking about completely disassembling the cabs, but I'm also really scared to do that.
Thing is, I will be lifting the cabs up with a ladderlift. Don't know how you guys call it, but it looks like this:
(http://www.indumat.nl/programma/images/3000.jpg)
The uprights will fit through the window (that I can remove completely) but the cockpits won't fit through for sure...
About the Puck: I'm now not sure if it's original Namco. However, I compared the profile of the cab to the Japanese Namco Galaxian cab and it looks exactly the same. However, all the arwork is compleltely different.
I also tried to identify the PCB but the picture is really blurry. However it looks pretty much like my Galaxian PCB and the regular Midway Pac Man PCB, which could mean it's original....
We'll know more tomorrow at this time, also wether or not my wife will finally divorce me... :laugh2:
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Look at the logo on the marquee ! :cheers: :laugh:
(http://www.retrogames.info/files/arcade/pacman_cl.jpg)
NAMCO !!
So it's NOT a boot-leg !!!
The other logo indicates NSM. This is a German cab/game builder that still exists today !
http://www.nsm.de/
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http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=3286
But the upright looks like that last picture I put on.....the one I'm picking up today seems to be in a "real" Namco-Japan shaped cab..... weird.....
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level42 please check pm :D
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Puckman is rescued :)
The seller got it from a friend who owned a bar in the place where he lives. It's been in storage for a long time, but he claimed it worked not too long ago (yeah,yeah).....
The cab is actually somewhat smaller than the Midway cab. I'm not 100% sure if it has the Japanese Namco dimensions....check the pictures.
The seller thought that the cab would NEVER fit in my car....... HA ! Little does he know that I've already transported a much bigger Centipede in it !!
Fits easily AND the lid closes easily as well :)
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More pics...
Right side and close-ups...
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More...
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More...
Remarkable: English instructions !
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2nd pic: Dutch game importer sticker.
3rd pic: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwww !!! THAT is SO gonna move !!!!!!!!!! YUGH !
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And more....
The artwork on the CP seems to be directly silk-screened on it ::)
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Inside:
Hantarex monitor with a HUGE PCB set !!!! It's a motherboard with all kind of module-pcb's attached.
The CRT has been replaced according to a note..................in 1981 :( !
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Cool ;D
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(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=70069.0;attach=86240;image)
Dang! That stick isn't going anywhere with all of those bolts.
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Great André :applaud:
I'm happy it's on your hand now :applaud:
See ya soon my friend :cheers:
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PCB...no brand or anything. Just Pac M... (PAC ???!!!!)
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Thanks guys !!!
O and I paid €175,- :cheers:
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(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=70069.0;attach=86240;image)
Dang! That stick isn't going anywhere with all of those bolts.
O yes it is, it's going OUT ! :laugh2:
Don't you understand, those extra bolts are there to catch the diagonal pressure on the stick...........:P
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The PCB looks a lot like a regular Midway Pac PCB, but there ARE differences.....
There was a page that listed all Pac Man and bootleg PCB's, anyone still got the link ?
Thanks !
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The Puckman has the same connector (no. of pins) as my Galaxian.
I know that Midway Galaxian and Pac Man PCB's can be exchanged, with the limitation of sound and some controls changes.......
I wonder if I will be able to try the Puckman PCB in my Galaxian cab....
Gotta check carefully what goes where before trying....and I have no time until the weekend :cry:
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Monitor has been identified as a Hantarex mtc90.
http://www.vernimark.com/arcade/archive/monitor/mon_rc_mtc90.pdf
Thanks Grantspain !
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Well finaly had a chance to hook it up. First it was completely dead....then it powered up, I hear a loud hum in the speaker, and all kinds of incorrect "game" noises, squeeks, rattles etc.
Tried to do some basic measuring power seems OK. Monitor is completely dead. Main fuse on it is OK.
I took the PCB home, and was tempted to try it in my Galaxian, but I checked some PCB traces and compared to this: http://mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/spies.cgi?action=url&type=pinout&page=Pac.html
The power connections seem to be the same, but already at pin E I have a trace connected to a LM340T5 which is the same thing as a 7805 power regulator, while the schematics say it should be not connected.....maybe this PCB is capable of running both AC and DC ? I've gotta check more before I blow up something, but I'd sure like to see what the picture is showing....
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Interesting....at work we have an EPROM programmer, so I brought some PCB's today to read the ROMs, (at least, the one's I could get out without breaking pins !) and examined the results with a HEX editor.
The Puckman ROMs show the name PUCKMAN in them.....not Pac Man. But there's no NAMCO anywhere, as far as I can see....
Will need to compare the ROM files to the one's that are "floating around" to see if these are anything like the real thing....more later.
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I know this is a very old topic, but whatever came of this cabinet?
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I know this is a very old topic, but whatever came of this cabinet?
It's still in storage waiting for it's turn on resto....
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OK. The plans for this one are as follows:
I'm going to 48in1 it. Yes. At least for the time being.
I need to have at least one cab with that 48in1 in it as I want to be able to play a couple of games I don't own on it.
Also, everything in this one is bust. PCB, monitor. I think I will ask my friend Andreas to have a look at the PCB (bootleg or not) so I won't be doing irreversible things to it.
Main thing that I need a Pac cab to at least play Ms.Pac as I love that 100x better than the original.
Anyway, I've started some work on it. First was to drill out the lock (standard work) to open the coin door. Next I wanted top open the CP. Turned out this was mounted with four bolts instead of the usual two bolts and a hinge. However the bolts and the wingnuts had _completley_ grown together by rusting terribly. No way I could remove them normally. I used my dremel to cut off the bolts. Finally I could remove the CP. I was glad to see that they did use a molex connector for the CP.
Next was to remove the monitor. I removed the ancient (and from what I've heard, nightmare) Hantarex MTC90 chassis from the side of the cab.
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2541/web.jpg?ver=12367551760001)
Next was the tube. It's a "usual" slide-in set up but locked again by a completely rusted bult and nut. Again the dremel and some hammering got rid of that and I could remove the tube easily.
For the 48in1 board I found a great little power supply: one from an Atari 1040ST. Kinda funny to use that one. The 48in1 only needs +5V and doesn't require much power. This one can deliver enough amps for it and its really compact and cheap (has been in my spare parts section for a LONG time :)
Tested it and runs fine.
Now, of all things, that "joy"stick has to go. I discovered that this probably was not the original stick. The stick was mounted with the bolts that are "diagonally" placed. The one's on top, bottom left and right were not used at all by the stick. The holes for the new joystick had been drilled but they didn't bother to get rid of the drilling rests, so there are some really sharp metal edges there. The other holes are very neat. So this made me think it's not the original stick.
To my horror, I discovered the folowing text on the stick:
STC Rotterdam. :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy:
I can't believe that this POS comes from my beloved Suzo...... but it's true.
Must have been the budget model.
Anyway, pics:
Think I did most of you guys a favor with removing that joystick:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2597/web.jpg?ver=12371584390001)
The buttons are a really weird color, kinda red/pinkish. I first thought they'd been discolored by the sun, but the holders are the same color (!) and _still_ are the same color without getting any possible sunshine....:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2598/web.jpg?ver=12371584240001)
A dark page, in the history of Suzo:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2599/web.jpg?ver=12371589950002)
Proof:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2600/web.jpg?ver=12371589680001)
So, at least we know now why there were so many mounting bolts. I was looking at replacing the stick with another (great) Suzo Inductive, but the hole pattern doesn't match..... :angry:
Anyone got an idea about the mounting holes of a real Midway Pac joystick ?
The CP artwork is definitly silk screened onto the CP directly.....gotta scan this and I hope someone can touch up the artwork to make a repro.
I really think I will put a button at the big yellow dot between the ghosts (looks almost like it's supposed to be there.) for the games that need jump/fire.
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I'll get moving on my pac-man restore so I can get a joystick out to you ASAP.
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Well if you are going to play any of the games on the 48 in 1 on it other than 4 way games, I would go with a mag stik plus just for the ease of switching it from 4 way to 8 way. I can tell you though that playing any of the pac man games on my 60 in 1 with the mag stick is a totally different experience than playing Pac man on my dedicated Pac... it sure does feel different then those old leaf switch joytsicks (Wico's I'm assuming) and is just not the same. You didn't say how you were going to use the 48 in 1 (all games or just some) because that will dictate what kind of joystick and how many buttons you are going to need.
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Yeah, I was on the brink, but since Spyridon kindly will send me a real Pac Joystick, I think I will opt for 4-way only games. At least frogger would be playable and that's one game I need to have playable..... :D
The other option was installing one of the Suzo Inductives I still have around. It's easy to set it up so you can switch 4/8 way electronically, but I guess it still wouldn't give the "real" Pac joystick feel.
Need to figure out how to install the pac joystick on that metal CP. And I really don't need any more holes in there. Was thinking about some wood behind the panel.
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That's pretty cool of Spydron, he's a class act for sure! So the Puck man didn't have the wood underneath the metal control panel... that's interesting. Pac Man has it just like Galaxian. I wonder if someone removed it when they swapped out that joystick. I would guess that the holes are already drilled in your control panel. Didn't you say earlier that some looked like they were original holes? Another option you could do is to buy a Ms pac/ pac control panel in addition to your original panel and set it up with the typical 48 in 1 layout. That way you could swap them out when ever you wanted that authentic pac feel... I mean it would be a shame not to play some 1943!
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It's not pretty cool, it's ultra-extra-ordinary cool ! :D :notworthy:
No, no wood at all and it doesn't look like it was ever there but who knows :dunno
Check out the included pic, the holes I marked are the original holes that were now not in use. Just a bolt and two nuts through each of them holding nothing at all.
The others were the extra drilled holes for the current joystick.
The orignal holes are a pretty weird set-up for a joystick. I'm sure it's nowhere near the Midway Pac set-up at all. I guess I'll have to figure out a way to get some wood under the CP to mount the Pac stick.
I doubt very much that an original (Midway) CP will fit this cab. Compared with the Galaxian I've got (which should be about the same as a Midway Pac) the CP on the Puckman is much larger and is mounted differently. But I agree, it's a shame to be not able to play 194x, but I can always do that on my Mame cab (once I find the damn keys.....)
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Oh yes, well excuse me, ultra-extra-ordinary cool he is indeed.... I think that might even classify as uber cool! 8) Your right, those bolt holes are not even close to the pac man configuration. The Galaxian and the Pac Man control panels are the exact dimensions. Knowing all that, it makes me wonder what kind of joystick the Puck man had originally. Good luck fining your Mame cab keys... don't tell me your one of those people who always looses their keys. Personally I would have taken a drill to the locks by now. But then again, I am not the most patient person in the world.
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Need to figure out how to install the pac joystick on that metal CP. And I really don't need any more holes in there. Was thinking about some wood behind the panel.
You'll have to play around with the joystick when you get it to determine the best way to mount it. In the original Pac-man, the joystick was mounted to the wood panel and then the wood panel was mounted onto the metal control panel.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh244/joeo42/Pacman/Pac-manjoystickassembly.jpg)
You can still mount it without the wood (height would be correct), but the holes won't match up with what you already have. You might be able to mount the joystick to some wood and then use the current holes to connect the wood. Not sure if that would work or not.
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The Pac joystick is on it's way :woot :woot :woot :woot
Big thanks and :notworthy: to Spyridon !! Good picture, thanks !! Didn't find that before (only the hole dimensions on the repro Pac stick).
The plan was indeed to mount the wood to the CP using the (4) original holes. (I'd like to close the extra holes, but that will also depend on how I could restore the CP artwork.) However, the holes are all in the area of the metal base plate of the stick so I may have to change plans. Best I have a look when the Pac stick is here.
I've removed the CRT of the old Hantarex MTC90 that was inside the Puckman and installed a Hantarex MTC900 in it's place. Monitor works, but needs a good degaussing and the picture is wavy at the bottom part of the screen. I bet a capkit will do much good for this one.
Original Hantarex tube:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2609/web.jpg?ver=12379642880001)
MTC900 installed:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2611/web.jpg?ver=12379642930001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2610/web.jpg?ver=12379642840001)
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Ding-Dong.....mail-man with a nice package from the US:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2663/web.jpg?ver=12382400810001)
:woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Big thank you to Spyridon !!! This will clean up very nicely. Even the player 1 and 2 leafs are included and the wiring.... It ways a ton and so shipping cost was pretty expensive. Can't thank you enough for this extremely nice present !
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Wow, that got there quick! It's got a bit of rust on it, but looked like it could clean up okay.
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Yep, I keep telling lots of US people that mail to our country is usually very quick and hassle free. :D
Hey, it's totally free, you're not going to get any complaints from me :) I know what they go for usually then the shipping....no worries, I will have this one look like new when I'm done with it :)
It already feels great :) !
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OK...there's been a little progress that I didn't document yet.
First, I scanned the CP:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2707/web.jpg?ver=12396534830001)
(YES, I am using a PC notebook here.....I can't help it, boss refuses to give decent laptops).
Well lucky me ! Under the buttons, believe it or not, there is still some protective foil that has been there to cover the CP at one time. The good thing is that under that foil there is the original unfaded colors, an ALL of them ! :woot
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2709/web.jpg?ver=12396535210001)
Ok let's have a closer look at the original Pac joystick that Spyridon so kindly donated to this project !
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2724/web.jpg?ver=12396535120001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2725/web.jpg?ver=12396535160001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2726/web.jpg?ver=12396535030001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2731/web.jpg?ver=12396534920001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2729/web.jpg?ver=12396535070001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2734/web.jpg?ver=12396535000001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2735/web.jpg?ver=12396534870001)
Well, even though the grommet still feels OK, there's a tear starting so I'll be ordering a new one with my next order of parts from the US.
Yes there's some rust all around, but nothing that can't be fixed ! Already simply cleaning things with soapy water improved a lot of parts (esp. the non-metal one's).
Since the bolts that hold the leafs are also rusted AND the biggest part of the metal frame is very hard to sand inside I decide to remove the rust the "Darth Nuno" way, so using "Roest-oplosser" from HG:
(http://nl.hg.eu/userfiles/product/image/medium/P051_NL_roestoplosser.jpg)
Basicaly this is phosphor acid and some other (nice) stuff. Have to mix 5:1 in water and leave it standing for a couple of hours ( I did overnight and it turned out that it not only removed the rust but also all of the paint.
I also included a single one of the chrome bolts. My advice: don't ! It's all black now. I guess the chrome has been eaten away. This is strong stuff !
I will upload some pics of how the parts look after the bath somewhat later.
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Hi Level42,
Reminds me of the condition of my joystick on the Pac 'Mini' cab project. ;)
If you can, try and get a 'used' grommet in good condition as I used a new one at Funspot on the Pac Man cab and had to get Gary Vincent to change it as it was VERY hard to move !
I've got another one on it's way from the U.S, which is in better condition than mine. I'm using the steel from the original joystick (because it's been shotblasted & powdercoated) then using the better leaf springs & gubbins from the other one.
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Here is where that joystick started it's life:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh244/joeo42/Pacman/IMG_6017.jpg)
As you can see, the rust was not limited to just the stick.
Hope it cleans up okay for you.
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No worries at all !
This will look like new very soon ! :)
Pacman83: I guess the rubber needs to be "kicked in" ? Actually the grommet seems to work fine and feels great. So maybe I just shouldn't replace it :)
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I will upload some pics of how the parts look after the bath somewhat later.
So...how does it look?
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At this moment I have to spread my free time between restoring my yard/garden and the practices of the drum/marchingband I'm in. We're practicing for Dutch national championships in which we will compete next saturday.
So I have very limited time to do any cab work.... :-\
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Coming weekend we will work on the yard. It should be completely finished in that weekend which will make it possible to:
a) start working on the hobby again :D
b) plan the official opening :D
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Yahoo !! The dad of a guy in my marching band is a really good metal worker and we talked about the Puckman CP and the bolts etc. and he's going to weld some threaded studs on the CP. He said it would show on the "good" side of the CP, but that will be replaced in due time anyway with hopefully a fully photoshopped and vectorized fresh CPO :) I should get the panel back next tuesday.....
He told me he can also have parts sandblasted and powder coated ! Yihaa :)
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:woot :woot :woot :woot :woot
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100027/DSCF2813/web.jpg?ver=12427971870001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100027/DSCF2814/web.jpg?ver=12427971960001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100027/DSCF2815/web.jpg?ver=12427972060001)
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Looks nice. How does the top side look?
Any status updates on getting the overlay reproduced?
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(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2828/web.jpg?ver=12428384720001)
You can see that the CPO has come loose at the welding spots. I removed the top left one to see how the metal was. Completely flat, may need some light sanding.
No updates yet but I know he's working hard on it :)
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That's going to look nice without the bolts detracting from the artwork.
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:woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/CIMG9127/web.jpg?ver=12466341120001)
:woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot
I'll tell the whole story later, but this is the marquee that originally belongs to my Puckman !
And it will be coming my way soon ! :)
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...this is the marquee that originally belongs to my Puckman !
And it will be coming my way soon ! :)
Interesting. That one seems to match the control panel really well, but the one you have in there now is a perfect match to the bezel.
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...this is the marquee that originally belongs to my Puckman !
And it will be coming my way soon ! :)
Interesting. That one seems to match the control panel really well, but the one you have in there now is a perfect match to the bezel.
Wait, nevermind. I was looking at the picture you posted a few posts into the thread. It wasn't yours. Now I see that the bezel matches as well.
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Wanna hook us up with some high-res (or scans) of that artwork for vectors and reproductions?
I'd hate to say it, but I like the artwork from Puckman better than Pac-man.
Nice find on the marquee!
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King Nerd: I already scanned the pac man logo on the side of the cab but according to Zorg who was going to do the vectoring my scans were not focussed enough. The problem is that I cannot lay my scannner totally flat to a large surface because the hooks for the lid are "bumps" that keep the scanner up a little bit.
I can do the marquee though. The CP I've already scanned. The bezel can be done too.
Anyway, you'll have to remember that this is a bootleg cab from Italy. It's definitely NOT a NSM-Namco licensed cab.
The story is that I was contacted through another forum by a guy from Italy who said he was interested in seeing my Puckman cab. I e-mailed him the link to this thread and he replied that he used to own exactly the same cab.
He told me it was probably a bootleg by an Italian company called Gewin. (Never heard of....)
Plus he told me that the marquee on my cab was not the right one. He e-mailed me these pictures of his cab:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/puck-man/web.jpg?ver=12466961430001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/CIMG5636/web.jpg?ver=12466961350001)
Totally the same except for the marquee indeed. The artwork on the marquee also matches the other artwork much better than the NSM-Namco marquee on mine.
He also told me he had the same PCB in there and that the monitor and PCB are "inverse video" just like the Nintendo machines.
He tried a Midway Pac Man PCB in there and it looked like this:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/CIMG4163/web.jpg?ver=12466961400001)
Following that he had to repair the original PCB.
The best news came a day or two later when he mailed me that he still had a spare marquee ! Well I didn't have to think long about this as this is probably a once in a lifetime chance to get my hands on it. The marquee is glass so I asked for some very safe packing ....
Anyway, I still love the wonders of the internet and forums like these..... brilliant that he contacted me and this came out of it !
Notice that the joystick on his machine had been replaced too. Apparently the original joysticks were some POS stuff :)
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Anyway, you'll have to remember that this is a bootleg cab from Italy. It's definitely NOT a NSM-Namco licensed cab.
If that's true, then are the ugly black/green cabinets official?
I really like the white cab better. Just personal preference, really. Not so much the maze on the side, but the rest is nicer.
That's a shame about the scanner, I really hope one day I can get this artwork. I really appreciate your efforts. Thank you.
I'll be watching this resto with baited breath. I'm very eager to see your work on it.
I can't wait to have a Pac/Puckman of my own.
Good luck!
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Anyway, you'll have to remember that this is a bootleg cab from Italy. It's definitely NOT a NSM-Namco licensed cab.
If that's true, then are the ugly black/green cabinets official?
Definitly:
(http://community.arcadeinfo.de/attachment.php?attachmentid=4063&d=1168768695)
I really like the white cab better. Just personal preference, really. Not so much the maze on the side, but the rest is nicer.
I agree !!
So, with some (intentional) delay because of our holiday in the Dordogne, France, a very nice package arrived at my home today:
Also, this is a good example how to package a glass marquee !!
First outer box filled with something like chips or in this case newspapers.
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3582/web.jpg?ver=12491382540001)
This has the advantage of getting a bit up to date with the local news, in this case the beautiful city of Milano, Italy :laugh: :
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3578/web.jpg?ver=12491382410001)
Then inside, a second box, here wrapped in loads of bubble foil:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3583/web.jpg?ver=12491382370001)
....and removed:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3584/web.jpg?ver=12491382680001)
...inside.....lots and lots more bubble foil:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3576/web.jpg?ver=12491382460001)
And there it is, a totally safe, unbroken lovely bootleg Puckman marquee :cheers: :cheers: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3577/web.jpg?ver=12491382610001)
....that travelled safely over 1000 km.
So after a little bit of cleaning:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3585/web.jpg?ver=12491382500001)
It looks G-R-E-A-T !!! Much, much, much, MUCH better than the NSM one. It's a clear match in artwork and color setting.
I am very pleased that I was lucky enough Stefano contacted me about this. The odds of finding a marquee of a cab that no-one even seemed to even ever have seen (let alone owned once) are slim, very slim, but I guess that once again, The Force was strong !!
Oh, and I've got an ORIGINAL, OFFICIAL NSM-Namco Puckman marquee for sale ! Extremely rare, mint condition (the lines you see are a reflection).
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3589/web.jpg?ver=12491382640001)
....or should I keep it and make a wall decoration from it..... ?
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....or should I keep it and make a wall decoration from it..... ?
Thats a neat marquee. I'd use it as a game room decoration. I've kept all of the marquees I've pulled off of machines and hung them around my game room as trophies of past conquests. Granted none of them were "back light-able" anymore so there was no real value behind them. Nonetheless, keep it and frame it or just hang it on the wall as is.
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(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF3585/web.jpg?ver=12491382500001)
That looks really nice! It's the same artwork, but I wonder why the did the shoes different colors on the bezel and marquee?
How is the CPO progress going?
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I bet the marquee factory was out of green ;) More likely is that the could only screen a couple of colors I guess ?
Did you notice the production error, the blue spot above the C ?
It all screems "bootleg" :)
The fun thing is that they indeed tried to copy the original Namco Japanese cab.
Dexter has been really busy moving house in Australia over 1000's of km's so I guess it got delayed a bit. He promised to finish it within about a week or so.
I just saw a picture of a Namco Puckman (this minty fresh looking one is at Namco's headoffice in Japen) and I noticed the yellow ball top and yellow t-molding.
(http://media.1up.com/media?id=3402686&type=lg)
What do you guys think ? I could go with the yellow balltop (if I could find one that fits on a Midway stick). I really like the yellow T-molding too on that machine. However, that wouldn't be original for sure but it contrasts so nicely to the black inside of the cab. The original joystick on my bootleg machine can only be guessed about because the only 2 machines I know about had them replaced.
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Just wanted to copy in this picture of the original Puckman marquee:
(http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/25/pm.jpg)
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i reckon a yellow ball top as the original would make sense
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I think that would require a complete handle because I think the ball top is not removable on a Midway Pac Joystick. It's not a big thing....just maybe something to do.
I've also received some parts from good old Bob. I had ordered his two different "colors" of yellow buttons. First I couldn't even see a difference and thought he had send two same buttons. But he explained the "pale" yellow one is only 8% (!) lighter than the regular yellow one.....We'll see which one fits best with the CPO when it's reproduced. The button will be mounted for the extra games. I'm still planning on running a 48in1 in it and hope to make it switchable with the original PCB, which I will give a JAMMA adapter.
Also got a brand new joystick grommet.
(http://www.therealbobroberts.net/grommet.jpg)
According to Bob these have been made stiffer on player's request. Copied from his site:
Since the NOS Pac grommets were at an age where dry rot was setting in I had a new batch made & they have arrived 6/12/2009... finally! Taking the advice of several gamers I had them made a little stiffer for a quicker return to center & a better feel when in use.
One of the welcomed benefits is after all expenses were covered we've lowered the cost to $10 each.
Indeed, it feels _much_ stiffer than the original.....I hope it's not _too_ stiff actually......
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Wanna hook us up with some high-res (or scans) of that artwork for vectors and reproductions?
I'd hate to say it, but I like the artwork from Puckman better than Pac-man.
Nice find on the marquee!
Ditto. I spent a good fifteen minutes trying to figure out what was bootleg and what was not. I have a vague recollection many many moons ago of a once seen Puckman in the wild. I saw it while I was hanging around but didn't pop any quarters in. Next time I came by a month later, the location was closed and empty. Never thought about the cabinet until I saw your photos and the dredges of a long dead memory came back.
I'm not sure what I would do with the Puckman art though. I managed to obtain a Ms Pac-Man board and that will probably take precedence.
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Woohoo progress !!!
After waiting for about half a year on someone who promised to work on the scanned files of the Puckman CPO and not receiving anything but empty promises, I noticed this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=96410.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=96410.0)
So, I figured I'd take the opportunity and asked if GuyDanger could work on the Puckman CPO.
After only a short waiting time, he came up with these great files !
Fantastic work IMHO !!! Big thank you to GuyDanger !! :cheers: :cheers: :applaud: :applaud: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=96410.0;attach=133485;image)
The EPS version is attached for those interested.
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So, I finally got the joystick base back from the powdercoating so time to re-assemble it. The parts looks fabulous:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100675/DSCF4887/web.jpg?ver=12673030410001)
Now I neatly put all the parts into a plastic bag and into a box so not to loose anything. The thing is this time: I have MORE parts than expected. At least I have more parts than the manual shows:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh244/joeo42/Pacman/Pac-manjoystickassembly.jpg)
First of all part 3 seems to be not as long as the one I have but I guess it still goes in that spot.
But more important: Once assembled I still have a white plastic ring that is not shown anywhere on that drawing. I checked all my pictures but I can't see it....anyone have a clue where it should go ?
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Mmmm...this pic shows a ring shaped area.....maybe it should go there .....let's check....
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF2729/web.jpg?ver=12396535070001)
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Is that the white disk in the center of this pic?
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9899/1001841.jpg)
P.S. Time for you to change the main title of this thread. Every time it pops to the top, I think you sold it.
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Thanks Spyri, yup, that's exactly it ! It also matches with my presumption with the old picture that showed the "circle".
I re-assembled it like that now, but I remembered I ordered a new grommet from Bob.....gotta dig it up.
Man, the joystick looks SWEET now ! :D
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Update?
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Next week !
CPO is done, just need to finalize it with Rich !
PCB has been fixed by RobinHolland !
Have time to work on my games about the entire next week !
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Hey, who changed the title ?
;D ;D ;D ;D
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Couple of says ago, there was a package in the mail:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5906/web.jpg?ver=12846763710001)
Now what could that be ? ;D ;D ;D
Video Pinball V2.0 mmmmm, nice cards !!!!
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5907/web.jpg?ver=12846763510001)
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I LOVE IT !!!! BRILLIANT WORK RICH !!!!! (The Kiss patch is meant for a friend who's a big fan)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5908/web.jpg?ver=12846764140001)
Details, no flash:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5897/web.jpg?ver=12846763920001)
With flash:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5896/web.jpg?ver=12846763580001)
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More pics:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5898/web.jpg?ver=12846764010001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5899/web.jpg?ver=12846763770001)
Time to get out the original !
VERY VERY VERY NICE !
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5900/web.jpg?ver=12846764060001)
NOTE THAT RICH DID NOT HAVE THE REAL COLORS TO MATCH !!!! HE ONLY HAD SOME PICS OF MY ORIGINAL !!!
So....how do the colors match ?
Well, we have to check with the original and exactly UNDER where the buttons have been protecting it from sunlight. There was even still protective foil there when I removed the buttons so the colors there should be still almost 100% original.
Without flash:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5901/web.jpg?ver=12846763840001)
With flash:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5902/web.jpg?ver=12846763650001)
I think it is VERY VERY VERY well done. The blue and the red are as close as you can get IMHO. MAYBE only the yellow is slightly off, but as mentioned, this was done without any direct color matching. I am VERY happy with the result !
Now comes one of the favorite parts of this hobby: removing the old CPO, and they used VERY good glue on the original.....
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Found a new (to me) GREAT way of removing a CPO:
DSCF5912 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmqG5mMPQTA#)
This is a BRILLIANT idea if I may say so myself.
Previously I've been using a heat gun, knifes, putty knifes, wirewheels, sanding discs (loads of them) and combo's of these and it was ALWAYS a struggle.
I had noticed that after my friend welded the 4 studs for the original Pac Man joystick on the CP, the CPO had become loose because of the heat of the welding.
So.....I figured, let's try to heat the CP up VERY hot and see what happens.
It worked out GREAT. In the video you see I can only pull small parts, but this is because it was on an inside bend. The other bigger sides went much smoother. The very big plus is that there is NO glue residue.
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End result without any further work done. There are some small places with some residue. I blame that on doing this method for the first time and the lot's of holes around the joystick hole.
Otherwise, the panel would be ready to put the CPO on, totally free of residue (but I like to paint my CP's for protection first).
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5913/web.jpg?ver=12848149910001)
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5915/web.jpg?ver=12848150030001)
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Time to fill up the ugly original AND non-original joysticks holes:
First I cover the back with some tape. Not sure if that is the best idea, but I had it around it was quick...
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5916/web.jpg?ver=12848855200001)
I've been using too little bondo in the past so this time I won't make that mistake:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5919/web.jpg?ver=12848855300001)
Now, I need to sand it of course. I will also paint the CP even though it originally never was painted. Although the size of the CP seems to be a perfect match, I don't want any metal to shine through on the sides AND the welding seems to have introduced some rust....
I also need to make an extra hole for the fire button. Yes the plan has always been to put a 48in1 in this cab. However, recently my friend Robin did what I never expected: he got the original bootleg PCB running !!
However, I had already decided to put a yellow button on the yellow dot (hence the cross-hatch on the CPO, it shouldn't normally be there) so now I will have to go on with this. So I decided to make this one switchable between the original PCB and the 48in1.
So....what I'll need to order is a Jamma switcher and a hole punch :) I measured the holes and they are 30 mm. I'm a bit surprised that this is an exact metric size. The yellow button I ordered from Bob fits exactly.
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That overlay turned out nice. I'm surprised that the overlay is a full cover for the panel including the black part. I would have thought this would have been similar to pac-man and only been the top part.
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OK.....well my friends........today it was great weather, the wife was away all day so that meant........hobby time !
Decided to finish the Puckman panel because....the wonderful CPO deserves so.....
First I sanded the CP:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSC00019/web.jpg?ver=12861378750001)
Since the panel was never painted before I completely sanded it all over...
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSC00020/web.jpg?ver=12861380700001)
2 layers of primer, 2 layers of black paint...
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSC00021/web.jpg?ver=12861380880001)
Applied CPO, went pretty well:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5928/web.jpg?ver=12861379740001)
Look how nice the color of the (fully restored !) original Midway Pac joystick matches with the CPO and buttons !!
Does it look great or what ? I'm so proud that all the sizes were EXACTLY right ! Pretty amazing considering all the variables possibly involved...
Soooooo....next step is creating the extra hole for the extra button. I had doubted wether I should make the hole before I painted and installed the CPO, but thought this way I could get an exact position....so pilot hole drilled, first 3 mm, then 10 mm.
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5931/web.jpg?ver=12861379800001)
Install the hole punch exactly in the center....
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5932/web.jpg?ver=12861379840001)
And then as I started turning in the hole punch............well words are not neccesary:
(http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts/100101/DSCF5933/web.jpg?ver=12861379890001)
[INSERT ALL THE WORST CURSE WORDS YOU CAN THINK OFF HERE PLEASE] :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
So....what went wrong ?
Well...the hole punch has two sharp "points". I thought they had "grabbed" enough so that they wouldn't turn.....but they did and doing so it tore the CPO around the projected hole .....
Sigh....
Madly I tore the complete CPO off. I did finish the hole though....at least I've got it at the right spot Ha-ha-ha..... :evil: :evil: :evil: :'( :'( :'( :'(
Well.....I guess rich still has the file....A costly mistake indeed.
While I removed the CPO I also discovered that the primer hadn't set very well to the metal. Most parts the metal was completely bare again when I pulled it off. This was an el-cheapo primer and I'm going to ditch it ASAP.
I do think I may have been a little bit too impatient to do all the steps pretty quickly after another. I should have allowed to let the primer, the black paint and the CPO to cure much longer. But I had time now and I was on a roll so....
O well...Rich is getting a new order.....
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This should go in the Wiki. ;)
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Yeah....
Learning from mistakes is what we do....
Anyway, Rich made two new ones (just in case he said..... ::) :laugh:) and soon they will be on their way...
In the mean time I can prepare the panel again and a bit more patiently.
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Hopefully he adjusts the yellow to more yellow than orange this time too!
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Mmm, I think he has already printed them and I'm really not that anal about it.
It's a bootleg after all....I'm crazy enough to invest so much into a bootleg ;)
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Ask him and if not then...
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I e-mailed Rich it and he's working on it !
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Thanks for the little push JustMichael....I guess I would have forgot without your suggestion !
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Hey, do you guys remember when Level42 used to post on this forum? Ah, the good old days. ;D
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Hey, do you guys remember when Level42 used to post on this forum? Ah, the good old days. ;D
Agreed.
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Heh.....thanks guys :)
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Hello
and sorry to wake this old thread.
I recently bought a copy of this same bootleg PCB.
Since you have the corresponding cabinet and wiring,
can you post the PCB wiring, please ?
Thank you very much for help.