Could it really be this easy?

Syngefinger

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A couple months back I bought a Defender off of e-bay. I got it for a very reasonable price of $299.00. It was in good shape but the CP had some serious cigarette burns on it above the player 1 and 2 buttons. It was noted that the game occasionally reset itself during play, but very infrequently. When I got it home and fired it up it played fine for a few days, then it started to reset often. Then it got worse to where you couldn't even get through the first wave without it resetting. Needless to say, it was frustrating.

I asked on here what to check on and got a lot of ideas on what to check, as it sounded like a voltage problem among other things. As usual the board gave expert advice about what to look for. Things got hectic and I forgot about the game. I was having some company over tonight to play some games and thought I'd try it out again and of course it was just as bad as before.

It's always bothered me that the coin door is very loose, like it was pried open at one time and moves a good 1/2" or more, even when the lock is locked. I got to thinking that maybe when the door is jostled during game play that it might move enough so the white button that the door depresses might be affected. Don't some of these games have a slam switch detector?

Anyway, I decided on a whim to use electrical tape and tape the white button down as tight as I could make it. BINGO. The games been playing fine all day since. Hasn't reset once. I've played 25-30 games on it total today. Can it be as simple as that?
 
I think youre header pins are simply coming loose (the white connections on the PCB boards inside)

Simply reflow/resolder those and I can almost guarantee you will never have resetting problems for a long long time.
 
I think youre header pins are simply coming loose (the white connections on the PCB boards inside)

Simply reflow/resolder those and I can almost guarantee you will never have resetting problems for a long long time.

Hmm...sounds like he fixed it.

I had the same issue withba loose back door. A hard move of the joystick and the back door would shift and trigger the interlock switch.
 
Hmm...sounds like he fixed it.

I had the same issue withba loose back door. A hard move of the joystick and the back door would shift and trigger the interlock switch.

Yeah, I'd say, for the time being that it's fixed. Played it now on and off all weekend and it hasn't reset itself, even once. For now, I'm just enjoying playing it, even though I suck at it. If I start to have problems again I'll certainly be checking those header pins on the PCB boards, as thedrewster0 suggested.
 
Take that interlock switch, throw the thing in the damn trash where all interlock switches belong, and solder the wires together, then heat shrink some tubing around it, and you'll never have a problem with it again.
 
Take that interlock switch, throw the thing in the damn trash where all interlock switches belong, and solder the wires together, then heat shrink some tubing around it, and you'll never have a problem with it again.

Or just turn it sideways and pull the plug out. Quicker and has the same end result.
 
Or just turn it sideways and pull the plug out. Quicker and has the same end result.

To be clear... he means to pull the plunger out. If you've not discovered this, those interlock switches will "lock" in the "on" position if you pull the plunger outward rather than push it inward.
 
bought a frenzy for $75 said "as is" looked at the back door the switch was not pushed in used some tape and it worked fine.

I got my Centipede for $125 much the same way, previous owner couldn't get it to power on no matter how hard he tried, got it home and pulled the interlock-bingo came right on.

Yeah it could be that easy and fortunately for you on this one ;)
 
Only problem with pulling the plunger out and leaving it like that is if you sell the game down the line, and it pops back in, the new owner may not know what's up. Also the switches themselves sometimes go bad... Also if you move them sometimes it'll jar the switch closed again. Snip Snip
 
That actually happened to the Asteroids I sold last week. I deliver the thing... help the guy get it up his stairs to his loft... plug it in and... nothing.

Of course I knew it worked... so I ask him if his plugs are hot. Yup... test with a lamp. Damn... check the back and the switch on the back is fine... damn...

Nothing still...

I open the coin door and check the interlock switch there... Ah-HA! That was the problem.

:)
 
that makes me visualize a guy constantly cycling the on-off switch. then taking breaks and coming back.

Well to begin with the plug had one of them Home Depot replacement ends that fell apart as he first tried to plug it in, he looks around for a screw driver (this was all inside his public storage space) can't find one so he starts using his keys as a screwdriver, never really get's satisfied with his own work on the plug so he decides to just push the raw wires into the power strip, still no power to the game so he thinks maybe its the power srtip itself, picks up a needle nose pliers and inserts that into the power strip....POW....got juice there...., all the while I just stand there watching and wondering if he will turn to me and ask what I think, he had checked the interlocks quite a few times btw during this entire 30 min attempt to power on a Centipede....lol :)
When I got it home I noticed the back door was slightly loose and would easily move enough to trip the interlock......he lost about $175 more I would have payed for it due to his stubborness and general lack of knowledge regarding the interlocks....
 
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