Battlezone interconnect cable source ?

Check with the guys who repair BZs listed in the sticky thread "who repairs what" in the Technical - Videogames - General Repair And Help Forum.

You can build your own by ordering 22 gauge wire, some red MTA156 connectors and this T handle MTA156 tool:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity-AMP/59804-1/?qs=iXrEWqzBkTgEhfjQdsHCo20D/tU7hiXS

Which you might get on ebay for less if you are patient and can wait for a used one to be offered.

If you only need a handful, Elektronforge or anyone else is a pretty good deal at their price (they will discount for volume) as it saves you the time and hassle of locating everything you need and building them. They do take time to build correctly. Last tip - do not buy 24 position MTA connectors but buy and use smaller ones and use multiple (like 8 position connectors (build 3 assemblies) cable assemblies. Why? If you've ever tried removing these 24 position connectors, they are tough as you have to fight 24 contacts trying to hold onto the pins. Much easier to remove a lower position count connector. And most BZ or RB boards I've seen have bent pins as folks usually end up pulling the old 24 position connector off on an angle and bending the last couple of pins on either end.

Dokert has also built these on occasion but his should be even pricier and deservedly so as he uses individual (molex trifurcon) crimp connectors (48 hand crimps per assembly - his crimping hand should be twice the size of his other hand by now). Arguably a better connector system than the IDC version above but even more labor intensive to build.

For home games, the insulation displacement MTA connector system is fine as the connectors will not be routinely inserted and removed. For my test bench I use a longer interconnect cable with crimp connectors as I need its ruggedness.



Bill
 
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The MTA IDC connectors are just asking for trouble later. The amount of time I waste at work replacing those damn things.. ugh..
 
Bob Roberts sells one for $20.00
Atari Replacement Interconnect Cable - 24 Pos ILs .156

Just email him and ask him about it!

Steve
 
Bob Roberts sells one for $20.00
Atari Replacement Interconnect Cable - 24 Pos ILs .156

That's the longer one like Tempest uses. It'll work on BZ, it's just much longer.

He does sell the connectors and pins though to make your own. I bought and built 3 for my 3 boardsets. Tedious work, but I also soldered every pin to the wires (I was smokin' crack that day). Don't want to ever have to F' with them again!
 
seinologist sells them for $12. IDC though. Never had a problem with the ones I bought and that was several years ago.
 
Not sure if anyone's interested but I am looking at making Interconnect cables or both BZ and Tempest or custom length ones.
I started a interest thread http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=247978

These are Crimped Trifurcon ends which contact 3 sides of the header pins, instead of just one side.

I was making some for my games and figured i would see if anyone else was interested.
Thanks :)
Ken
 
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