Recent content by andrewb

  1. andrewb

    Has anyone used AI to aid in repair?

    ChatGPT is not a replacement for knowledge.
  2. andrewb

    Can this be fixed.

    Yes, the tube is ‘necked’, meaning someone or something put enough force on the neck board to break the glass neck, letting the vacuum out of the tube. It’s like breaking a light bulb. The tube is trash.
  3. andrewb

    FS Game: Original Williams ringer arcade game

    Damn fun game. GLWTS.
  4. andrewb

    Dragon's Lair Restoration

    FYI, a 24-hour soak in white vinegar, followed by a scrub with a brass brush will remove rust. Everything can be restored.
  5. andrewb

    Star Wars vector monitor

    Yup, that’s what a bad flyback looks like in one of these. It’s not common, but when they go, you’ll see clear melt marks in the side. (Often they’ll have a nickel-sized hole melted into the side, lower down). But when you’re rebuilding these, if it isn’t melted, you can generally always...
  6. andrewb

    These games have survived over 40 yrs. Will they make 40 more?

    People act like CRT’s are evaporating or disappearing. Or they’re fragile things people need to worry about. There’s no reason the CRT in any game today can’t last as long as the original Mullard tubes I have in my ST-70. If you’re only running your games a few hours a week, you aren’t...
  7. andrewb

    Pots for a Tempest main PCB

    Yep, I still use the 3386's. (And yes, Kapton tape and leg bending is still required. But that's easy.) There are ones out there that are a better fit for the footprint. But they aren't the style I like, as they have the thumbwheels, and are bigger, so they sit higher on the board, and just...
  8. andrewb

    Super glue as wood hardener

    All very good points. I was just going by how it smelled and acted. It made me want to try to mix the two, just to see what happened, but I didn't have enough CA on hand. But yeah, maybe the CA recombines once the acetone dries up? Dunno. The fact that they don't seem to be very clear...
  9. andrewb

    Super glue as wood hardener

    In which case it made me wonder at the time if you could make your own. Only because the Varathane is expensive (like ~$20 a bottle, IIRC. And one bottle doesn't cover much if you need to do many parts of a cab. I think I used three bottles total.)
  10. andrewb

    Super glue as wood hardener

    I've always thought the Varathane wood hardener you can get at Home Depot was actually just a diluted form of super glue (cyanoacrylate). I used two cans of it restoring my Avalanche cab, which is particleboard, and mine was falling apart from moisture damage. It worked well and fully...
  11. andrewb

    Missile Command Power Questions

    It really shouldn't matter which power supply it has, as they basically do the same thing. As long as the wiring isn't hacked up, it should be fine. Start by inspecting all wiring, and testing all voltages. Also, see this post for how to bring up an unknown-condition Atari game...
  12. andrewb

    SOLD - PARTS GO5/V2000 Deflection Boards

    I'll take them all. PM incoming.
  13. andrewb

    Asteroids wild northern lights halo?!?

    - Try turning the brightness down on the deflection board. You may also need to adjust the contrast to compensate. - If you still see the retrace lines even with the brightness turned down, it's a problem with the Z axis signal, which could be on the deflection board, or the game board. If...
  14. andrewb

    I need help understanding the operation of the video processing circuits on a pacman upright arcade board

    Use Kester 245 no-clean solder, then clean any remaining flux off with a Qtip and acetone. Or better yet, use Kester organic flux (aka water wash) solder when replacing that many sockets, then just rinse the board under hot water to remove the flux, then stick in front of a fan to dry...
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