Asteroids Cocktail, Screen and spot killer flashing

helipirate

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Asteroids Cocktail, Screen and spot killer flashing

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum but have been lurking for a while. I have two Asteroids cocktail machines, one works great and has a high score save kit but is otherwise original.

I picked up my second one two weeks ago from the classifieds for $20! It has problems though, the screen flickers at a very very fast rate, it has the test pattern and the game play and bright flashes and lines. It has the same problem in test or normal mode. The spot killer led (near the monitor) flickers quickly also. The red led on the main board is on steady, you cannot hear anything other then a hum and no buttons do anything.

Can anyone point me towards a solution or where to start?

Thanks!
 
Game board

The issue, at least in my experience, lies in the game board for this one. I'm not sure about specifics, but it sounds like the game board.

The nice part is, you have a nice working vector monitor there!!!
 
Try moving the high score kit over to the non working board - that will eliminate the ROMs as a source of the problem
 
The obvious thing to do is try the working board in the non working game. Chances are it is a board problem.
 
Thanks, I will give those all a try after I check the +5.. Its too cold out in the garage right now, hopefully I can get some help moving it into the basement in the next day or two. I will post an update then.
 
I'm sure you would know best but Braze's site does not say anything about the HS unit being a rom saver, it does for Battlezone but rom saver is not listed for Asteroids so I would really like to confirm that it does have the rom saver built in.


Try moving the high score kit over to the non working board - that will eliminate the ROMs as a source of the problem
 
Hi, been a while but I finally checked the +5 on this machine using the instructions on this site
http://usbdesigntech.com/asteroids/reference.htm and I get 7.9-8.0 volts which is way high. The adjustment knob for the voltage does not increase or decrease the voltage. The connections for the knob all look OK. Should I swap the regulator audio board with the good one out of my other machine or could that damage it?
 
I would start by checking the 5 in your "good" machine first then move the regulator to the other and check and see what it is there. You need to get the measurement with a board hooked up to the regulator. If it looks good, move your good PC board and see how it does. It should not damage the "good" regulator board. It there is much change between the 2 machines, check your edge connector and wiring really well. If it turnes out to be the pot, Bob Roberts has them for $1 each in his dollar store.

http://www.therealbobroberts.net/ds.html

1K Pot - Works Nicely On Atari A/R II Boards
Item DS141
 
Like Travis says, I would check the +5 in your working game, and set the +5, then move the working AR-2 to the bad game and keep the bad main board in there and check the +5 again and then see if by some miracle the bad board works ( i doubt it will, 8vdc is crazy high) and then move the good working board over to the non-working game.
 
Ok so I checked the voltage on my working Asteroids table and it measured 4.9 VDC. I removed it and put it in the non working machine and fired it up and it worked great! Everything worked correctly, I even got a couple games in before I remembered to check the voltage. The voltage was 4.9 on this machine also.

So I guess I will buy the 1k pot that Travis suggested and try switching that out? Unless anyone has a audio/regulator board for sale for cheap.
 
You more then likey need a new voltage regulater as well, It may just be a bad pot but I bet your voltage regulater is shot, check with ohms on that pot and see how well the range is but I would just order the rebuilt kit, pot & 2 new TDA2002's (Audio amps)from Bob R. and call it a day. Great deal you got on that Asteroids!!


Ok so I checked the voltage on my working Asteroids table and it measured 4.9 VDC. I removed it and put it in the non working machine and fired it up and it worked great! Everything worked correctly, I even got a couple games in before I remembered to check the voltage. The voltage was 4.9 on this machine also.

So I guess I will buy the 1k pot that Travis suggested and try switching that out? Unless anyone has a audio/regulator board for sale for cheap.
 
I forgot to update this thread with the fix.

A member here (TravisH) offered to repair my A/R board for cost of the parts just to help me out since others here had helped him out.

I sent him my board and he sent it right back all fixed, put it in the Asteroids machine and fired it up. Everything worked great!

So THANKS TravisH! and thanks everyone for all the help.
 
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