Couple of WG questions

dahnz

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Hi all

I am trying to get two WG monitors to work - a 4900 and a 4613. When I turned the 4613 on, I saw some smoke near the windings and heard a horrile crackling burning sound. I immediately turned it off and as a first step I am thoroughly cleaning it because it is absolutely filthy. All the boards have a layer of grime on them. But there are two connector thingys on the sound/power board I need to know how to undo (see pic). It's probably simple, but I don't want to damage them for the sake of asking an obvious question. So, do these just pull out, do I squeeze the bottom halves together and pull, or what? They don't seem to unscrew, but the top part pulls up a quarter of an inch while still remaining attached to the bottom part.

Next question: having read the thread about cap kits putting a strain on other, older components, would you do cap kit on this after it's been cleaned or reassemble it and try it and see if the burning sound was just some of the crap (I haven't found any signs of burnt components yet)?

Final questions (for now): when I tried the 4900 without the game boards plugged in, I got neck glow and I got a whole lot of pretty purple sparks coming out from under the anode cup but no sign of anything on the screen. I should still see the screen light up even without the boards plugged in, right? If so, and after applying dielectric grease to the anode cup, where can I jump to on the Randy Fromme 4900 flowchart? Should I install a cap kit as the first step?

Thanks very much, Dominic
 

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Hi all


where can I jump to on the Randy Fromme 4900 flowchart?

Did you mean where's the nearest garbage can that i can dump the Randy Fromm flowchart into?

Your chassis have more issues than his chart is gonna help you with. Do you have another tube to try the 4900 on, sounds like you have a short.
 
On the 4600 power board, the two plastic buttons only pop up about a 1/4" to release tension. Now you can lift the power board assembly out of the monitor. Be advised that if it's never been out before, the Wells-Gardner factory secured the board with a beaded wire tie near the connector to keep it from bouncing out during shipment. You'll have to snip this beaded wire tie and discard it. Looks just like the little plastic ties that hold a new pair of socks together from the store.
 
Thanks, Ken. I'll watch out for the tie.

And Chris25810, no, I don't have another tube and spares and the like are extremely hard to come by in New Zealand.
 
Chris25810 is right in saying that you are beyond the Randy Fromm flow charts.

Discharge the 4900, remove the anode, clean around the anode hole, clean the suction cup, replace the anode and test it again.
 
Hi all

When I turned the 4613 on, I saw some smoke near the windings and heard a horrile crackling burning sound.

Maybe someone plugged the yoke wires in backwards....(I'm assuming by "winding", you're talking about the yoke).

Edward
 
That crackling and/or burning could also be the regulator and/or the HOT shorted out. If it's shut down fast enough your fuse wouldn't blow. Not that I'm a fan of the flow chart either - but follow the part where it says the fuse is blown.
It describes how to test these two components with your DMM.
 
I've already tested the fuse on the 4613 and it's good. I haven't tested the HOT yet, but I'll do it tonight. The "smoke" I saw was the merest wisp, which I could have missed if the lighting wasn't just right. It's not like there was heaps of smoke pouring out. And, yes, Elutz by "windings" I meant the yoke (sorry). The monitor was working before it went into storage and no one's touched it since, so I don't think the yoke wires are backward. I really can't over-emphasise how dirty this monitor was/is, so I figure cleaning it's got to be a good first step.

And thanks again Ken for the tip about the tie - if you hadn't told me I doubt I would have found it quickly (or at all) and that was what was holding it in.

Talking of the fuse, here's another basic newbie question - how do you remove that plastic cover to replace it if it's blown or do you just replace the whole unit?

As for the 4900, I'll get some di-electric grease and clean the dust from around the anode (after discharging, of course) and I'll get back to you then. I probably won't have much time for that tonight, so it will be a couple of days away yet.

I do appreciate the help - the closest tech I know of is in another city and I don't know how familiar he'd be with these monitors anyway. Plus, I'd like to do what I can myself before sending it to him.

PS. Why is everyone so down on Randy Fromm? I thought he was "the man" when it comes to monitors (at least, that's what his website would have me believe).
 
I agree with Dokert - however at this point you don't have much to lose. The plastic casing is removed by de-soldering the fuse. It's a piggy back fuse. "A leg soldered on each end of it" otherwise a standard 4a 125v fuse.
 
Update on the 4900: After cleaning the anode cup and applying di-electric grease, there were no more sparks escaping from under it. It was probably not seated very well in the first place - it practically fell off when I slid the screwdriver blade under it to discharge it. On powering up, however, it still looked dead, until I hooked up the game board and I saw the Williams rug pattern in all its glory. Looks pretty damn good for a monitor that hasn't been powered up for a decade or so.

As for the 4600, I'm still cleaning it. Is the degaussing coil the spring running across the lower half of the back of the tube or is it the thicker cable running along the top? If it's the latter, then what's the spring for? Mine was so rusty it started falling to pieces when I touched it. Can I get replacements anywhere?

Also, seeing as how cap kits can put a strain on the flyback and there are no replacement flybacks currently available for these monitors, would you recommend I do a cap kit on either of them?
 
The spring is the DAG grounding wire. It is a ground and should be connected to the neckboard by another wire. The degaussing coil is usually black and wrapped around the back of the tube, but I have seen them coiled on top of monitors as well...
 
Thanks. It seemed a little lightweight for a degaussing coil. So, can I just replace it with any old piece of wire? If so, why do they use a spring? (And, yes, it is connected to the neckboard.)
 
They use the spring to ensure it has contact with the black conductor on the back of the picture tube. I wouldn't suggest using any old piece of wire unless it is stripped and you can find a way to connect it the same. The best place to find a replacement is on an old TV. Some things are virtually universal and the DAG and degaussing coil are two of those things. If this ground is broken in any way I wouldn't power up the monitor - the power return has to go somewhere...
 
... and I don't want it to go through me. Thanks for that. Now I have to find me an old TV.
 
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