Asteroids Deluxe w/801 monitor wavy picture-fixes?

[keithlee]

I have an Asteroids Deluxe that works nicely except for a pronounced wavy image, as in dynamic wavy. It looks like the image is projected on water. I tried to post a video but the file is way to large.

What is the likely culprit/what do I test first?

Thanks,
Shawn

 

[andrewb]

There are literally hundreds of threads here about Asteroids and Deluxe repairs here, including the issue you are describing.

Please search first before asking the group. Use the Advanced Search tool, here:

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/search.php

 

[keithlee]

There are literally hundreds of threads here about Asteroids and Deluxe repairs here, including the issue you are describing.

Please search first before asking the group. Use the Advanced Search tool, here:

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/search.php

Feel free to berate my searching skills, but don't accuse me of not trying. I spent the better part of an hour on advanced search and google search and couldn't find a clear instance of what I am experiencing.

 

[VectorCollector]

Without a picture or video, it will be difficult to help you.

"Wavy like water" sometimes implies an AC 60Hz ripple issue ... but could be many things ... many many many many ...

 

[andrewb]

Feel free to berate my searching skills, but don't accuse me of not trying. I spent the better part of an hour on advanced search and google search and couldn't find a clear instance of what I am experiencing.

There are certain default things that should be done for any b/w vector monitor issue.

Have you done those things first?

 

[fcjim]

Have you made your way through this document yet? It's a good place to start.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/AR...XY (Version 1.1 dated 7 Feb 02) [English].pdf


"Symptom: Image Has Ripples Or Zigzags. Vectors Are Wavy.

Either of these symptoms could point to either regular wirewound resistors being used instead of the non-inductive wirewound resistors in the yoke feedback circuit (yoke to ground) OR a bad filter capacitor allowing high- voltage power supply noise to get back into the deflection circuits. If your deflection board does not have R100 and R101, then there is probably too much ripple on the power supply for the monitor's deflection circuit. Check the small filter caps on the monitor board (C102 and C103)."

 

[keithlee]

Have you made your way through this document yet? It's a good place to start.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/AR...XY (Version 1.1 dated 7 Feb 02) [English].pdf


"Symptom: Image Has Ripples Or Zigzags. Vectors Are Wavy.

Either of these symptoms could point to either regular wirewound resistors being used instead of the non-inductive wirewound resistors in the yoke feedback circuit (yoke to ground) OR a bad filter capacitor allowing high- voltage power supply noise to get back into the deflection circuits. If your deflection board does not have R100 and R101, then there is probably too much ripple on the power supply for the monitor's deflection circuit. Check the small filter caps on the monitor board (C102 and C103)."

Thanks! That is a very helpful document.

Here is a link to my issue: https://youtu.be/Dhk2GNXWhpE

 

[VectorCollector]

There are certain default things that should be done for any b/w vector monitor issue.

Have you done those things first?

Agreed. Have you done all the initial steps - capkit, resolder, reseat etc.
And measure voltages - DC and AC ripple check.

 

[G Partch]

Thanks! That is a very helpful document.

Here is a link to my issue: https://youtu.be/Dhk2GNXWhpE

+1 from another guy learning on these. thx

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

What Andrewb said.

Try to check your AC ripple on the 5 volt rail. If it's over 0.5 VAC, you have a bad big blue on the power brick - replace it.

Start there and checking voltages.

 

[keithlee]

What Andrewb said.

Try to check your AC ripple on the 5 volt rail. If it's over 0.5 VAC, you have a bad big blue on the power brick - replace it.

Start there and checking voltages.

I checked the AC ripple on the 10v tp on the AR board and it was 150mV. This my assumption is that big blue is not the issue. Also it has been replaced at some point in the machines lifetime. I get essentially no ripple on the 5 V test point on the game board.

I bought a cap kit for the monitor and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I do have an issue with removing the monitor. It looks like someone hacked the cabinet. Tell me if this looks stock. It looks like I will have to remove the wood blocks to get the monitor out.

 

[fcjim]

I can't tell you whether those blocks are original or not but they are probably not a hack per se, they're there to hold the mirror in place. Although the manual pictures a metal bracket, I believe mine also had pieces of wood in that spot so I have a feeling they are probably original on some games... perhaps the metal bracket was chipping or breaking mirrors in transit so Atari started replaced them with wood blocks? Just a theory... anyway, if you take them out, be prepared for the mirror to slide out the back of the game.

 

[bakerhillpins]

I do have an issue with removing the monitor. It looks like someone hacked the cabinet. Tell me if this looks stock. It looks like I will have to remove the wood blocks to get the monitor out.

That is a hack. AD should have a thin metal "U" shaped bar with flat "ears" on either end that is the width of the cabinet. The U channel slips over the bottom of the Mirror glass and the ears allow the bar to be secured with screws to the wood where the unfinished/painted wooden block is now attached.

The U channel is designed to hold the glass against the rail under it so that it doesn't pop out during transport.

 

[andrewb]

What bakerhillpins said.

However you don't need to remove the monitor to get access to it. From the back, you can remove the lower aluminum plate of the monitor frame, and be able to remove the HV and deflection boards to work on them, without removing the whole monitor/tube assembly, which is a pain. (This is how I have my cab set up at home, for boards that I repair and test.)

However you should also remove the mirror if it's never been done, in order to clean the mirror, tube face, gel, bezel, and everything else on the front side of the monitor, as there are about 6 surfaces between your eyes and the tube that will accumulate dust and dim the picture. Also, clean off the blacklight bulb as well, as that will get covered with crap over 40 years.

You'll probably want to leave those blocks in there, as you need something to hold the mirror in, if you are missing the U-channel. Technically you could get away with nothing (as the mirror sits in a small detent, so gravity will hold it there), but I wouldn't want to try to move the cab that way, in any way that required tipping it on its side. But as long as it stays upright, the mirror isn't going to come out.

 

[tr6coug]

I checked the AC ripple on the 10v tp on the AR board and it was 150mV. This my assumption is that big blue is not the issue. Also it has been replaced at some point in the machines lifetime. I get essentially no ripple on the 5 V test point on the game board.

I bought a cap kit for the monitor and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I do have an issue with removing the monitor. It looks like someone hacked the cabinet. Tell me if this looks stock. It looks like I will have to remove the wood blocks to get the monitor out.

This is what mine looks like also but the block was not blocking the monitor chassis. I just removed the vertical bolt on either side and the whole monitor assembly slid out. I did not have to touch the mirror or the backside artwork.

 

[keithlee]

So, I recapped the monitor and reflowed the headers and there was no change. For fun I also swapped in a new Big Blue, even though the existing one looked as if it had been recently replaced. No change.

Where do I look next?

Thanks.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

So, I recapped the monitor and reflowed the headers and there was no change. For fun I also swapped in a new Big Blue, even though the existing one looked as if it had been recently replaced. No change.

Where do I look next?

Thanks.

Well, that makes it interesting. Have you re-capped the game board? You may have bad caps in the video output section (the corner of the board which is all silver)

There are several caps there that can cause problems. They are good caps, so they seldom fail, but they can.

 

[keithlee]

Well, that makes it interesting. Have you re-capped the game board? You may have bad caps in the video output section (the corner of the board which is all silver)

There are several caps there that can cause problems. They are good caps, so they seldom fail, but they can.

I haven't worked on the game board, though I had it serviced recently by El Dorado games.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

I haven't worked on the game board, though I had it serviced recently by El Dorado games.

Call them up and ask them what kind of picture they saw. I had them rework several boards - they did good work.

Is your harness original? If you get an AC line running next to your harness (perhaps someone trained it with the signal wires), you'll get a shimmy. My cables for the monitor are away from the other harness (think lighting, power to the monitor, ANYTHING with AC).

Maybe a picture of your wiring will help?

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

One more thing: In another industry, flickering fluorescent lights caused problems. Is your marquee light good, or broken? If it isn't working, fix it or replace it with an LED.