Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
This mod will increase the overall speed of your asteroids game.
You will need some 30 gauge wire and a switch.
1. Clip and lift pin 4 of C5 (74LS161)
2. Wire switch as follows:
* Common to lifted pin 4
* Normally closed to pad where pin 4 used to be connected
* normally open to pull up resistor next to C5
NOTE:
1. Be sure you wire the end of the pull-up resistor *not* tied to +5V.
2. Clipping any other pins besides pin 4 may have adverse effects on
Audio, Video, and/or coin discrimination.
--
Also from QuarterArcade I picked up a 4th edition of the Asteroids manual that came with a hand-written instruction on speeding up the game by cutting pins 3+ or 4 on C5. Ok, so which one is it, guy![]()
So what I now have is probably the more annoying scenario to diagnose: Game plays blind, neck glow, spot killer is off, no display chatter from the tube or static buildup on the front.
Reflow the headers on the deflection and HV boards of the monitor.
Amazing! Jeez, so clean. Putting my Asteroids Deluxe to SHAME!!!!!
Finally got the video to work!
After 2 weeks of troubleshooting, reading over schematics (I have at least a revision 5 game according to the schematic packs), determining which revision deflection board I had, and countless hours of voltage testing... the culprit turned out to be the coin door I connected from Asteroids Deluxe.
With the door connected to put the game in test mode, the voltage for the heater off the block at pins 8 & 9 read a health 7 volts. Up at the molex connector at pins 9 & 12 had .2 volts. It took a good while to narrow it down to this. I was going off the wrong version of my board and reading the wrong pins.
So what's sucking up the power? Oh, there's also a couple blue wires off pins 8 & 9 running to the coin door. Alright, let's disconnect that... again. Because this isn't the first time I tested the game without a coin door. Or another door, I have 3 now. I'm assuming from all the testing and minor fixes I did along this long process of troubleshooting, I fixed something that made a difference.
Oh well, I won't complain, it's working pretty damn nice. No controls in place outside of player 1 & 2 buttons, I need to clean the leafs and fix a broken connection there. But hell, this is what I needed to have accomplished to start on the wrap up process to have this game completed.
Today was a good day.
![]()