Another Amplifone Issue...Flickering

[Jedidentist]

I picked up this Star Wars a couple of months ago and was fine for the first few weeks, then I started noticing this flickering issue:

It's not always there, and it's not always consistent. Sometimes it's just when there's text on the screen and it plays fine. Sometimes, I'll also get it with the X-wing laser guns. Sometimes the score in the upper left has the issue. It doesn't seem to matter if it's been on a while or if I just start it up. Just the other day I also noticed the whole screen attempt to "collapse" for a second and then it was fine. It also seems to take at least 25-30 seconds to warm up and screen to come on.

As for anything diagnostic...I've done nothing and don't really know anything. I can see that the flyback is red...here are the pics of what it looked like when I first got it:

And disregard that board on the side...it's attached now. Any initial thoughts? Thanks.

Derek

 

[Deadly]

Most likely either you have a flakey pot on the deflection board or a cold solder joint on the long blue resistors that reside on each side of the deflection board.

While it's possible a pot on the AVG board could be bad - not likely though.

 

[Jedidentist]

I'll pick a day when it's really flaky, pull it out and maybe just wiggle a few things to try to pinpoint it. Thanks for at least giving me a place to start!

 

[Jimjaycee]

I don't see the notorious "Red your dead Flyback", at least from the angle shown in your pictures. Which is on the HV board on the left side of the cabinet. This board should slide into the support at the top and secure in with the screw on the bottom. Very possible as stated before just needing a re-flow of solder to the connectors. It may also be time for a capkit as well. Great game I hope you get it figured out.

 

[Mongo]

In the pics provided you do NOT have the red flyback. You have the recent (but now discontinued) replacement High Voltage replacement board that ArcadeShop used to sell. The flyback is white...

 

[Jedidentist]

I may have dug up the answer to my problem. Haven't tried it yet.

" 9.1) STAR WARS Vector-Generator PCB
9.1.1) Shaky Video
PROBLEM: Some games may have shaky video after a 15-minute warm-up. The video will start to shake in the high-score screen. The words PRINCESS LEIA'S REBEL FORCE will start to flutter and then worsen to an up-and-down movement of about 1/8 inch. In its worst state, the scores will also move back and forth.

SOLUTION: Change the 10K Ohm resistor R83 on the Vector-Generator PCB to a 20K Ohm resistor. "

Found it here while researching a new weird bright white dot issue that's recently popped up.

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_VAtari3.html

 

[m_mcgovern]

Before you do anything major, you may want to swap out the Big Blue if it has not been replaced. I recently had some stability issues on my Star Wars, and a new Big Blue later, all is fine. You can test it by setting your meter to AC and measure the 10V on the AR2. If you are getting close to 0.3V, it may be close to dying.

 

[Mike Doyle]

Keep in mind there are a handful of "W" zero ohm resistors on both the deflection and HV boards that are extremely failure prone, and tend to reside in a twilight zone of partially working condition. They all should all be discarded and replaced with solid wire. I usually use a scrap leg from cheap resistors.

Replace all those, and reflow the solder at the connectors as already mentioned. Throw in a cap kit while you're at it.

That's the bare minimum that should be done on every Amp before chasing other issues.

 

[Jedidentist]

To bring closure to this. I mailed my deflection board off to ArcRevival and he fixed it for me...unbelievable service. There's a separate thread on that. I believe my HV board is good for the time being. It's one of the repro ones from 2003. My deflection board had been "upgraded" by the previous owner, but Dave still found some issues. As he stated...

I am pretty sure the problem was the XY pots and cold solder joints. I did not find any components that tested bad. I did replace several components anyway but I am pretty sure it was the XY pots and bad solder joints causing the problem.

I haven't had anybissues yet, but I've barely used it. He tested it for several hours on his machine, so I'm hoping I'm going to be good to go!

Derek