Dragon's Lair Restoration

PaulOglesby

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So I bought this DL1 together with a DL2, Space Ace conversion (Marquee, CP, disk, roms) and a Thayers Quest conversion (sold to somebody on DLP years ago) about 30 years ago. It all worked but the DL needed some love back then. I started a restoration in 2010 but work and life got in the way so it all ground to a halt. The DL1 has been stored all over the place and not always in the best enviroment. So now is the time to get it sorted out.
Back in 2010 I had stripped all the vinyl off the exterior, removed the damaged original control panel overlay and fitted a Quater Arcade reproduction. I had no intention back then of doing anything inside the cab but thats now all changed.
It was my intention to install a switched PSU but after pulling the old linear I decided to keep everything vintage. So here we go, ill keep updating if its of interest.
The interior is the home to many spiders and a lot of dead flies. Parts are oxidised and dirty.
I had purchased a Dexter years ago and just now got a Merlin-DX from Shaun (who has been very helpfull). Electronics are not my strong point so its a learn as you go sort of thing. I just last week now know how an isolating transformer works and how to test continuity and resistance so I'm at that level hahaha.
I started by pulling the main logic board which still functioned and removed it from its grounding plate. Cleaned off the rust and sprayed with galvanizing paint, bought new standoff bolts and nuts, cleaned up the spacers, ribbon cable and circuit board then re installed everything back together with the Merlin-DX.
 

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So I bought this DL1 together with a DL2, Space Ace conversion (Marquee, CP, disk, roms) and a Thayers Quest conversion (sold to somebody on DLP years ago) about 30 years ago. It all worked but the DL needed some love back then. I started a restoration in 2010 but work and life got in the way so it all ground to a halt. The DL1 has been stored all over the place and not always in the best enviroment. So now is the time to get it sorted out.
Back in 2010 I had stripped all the vinyl off the exterior, removed the damaged original control panel overlay and fitted a Quater Arcade reproduction. I had no intention back then of doing anything inside the cab but thats now all changed.
It was my intention to install a switched PSU but after pulling the old linear I decided to keep everything vintage. So here we go, ill keep updating if its og interest.
The interior is the home to many spiders and a lot of dead flies. Parts are oxidised and dirty.
I had purchased a Dexter years ago and just now got a Merlin-DX from Shaun (who has been very helpfull). Elecdtronics are not my strong point so its a lean as you go sort of thing. I just last week now know how an isolating transformer works and how to test continuity and resistance so I'm at that level hahaha.
I started by pulling the main logic board which still functioned and removed it from its grounding plate. Cleaned off the rust and sprayed with galvanizing paint, bought new standoff bolts and nuts, cleaned up the spacers, ribbon cable and circuit board then re installed everything back together with the Merlin-DX.
Most people leave the spiders as they kill the flies.
 
The linear power supply was next. Both transformers were rusted as were all the fixings. I cleaned up the transformers with a bronze brush then masked them off and gave them a coat of matt Krylon black. The grounding plate was likewise sprayed. I cleaned up all the bolts with a wire brush Dremel to remove all the rust then re blacked with Birchwood Casey Gun Blue. Made a new label for the Isolator and re installed everything back on the mounting plate. I flipped the isolator 180 degrees so you can read the label from the back of the cab. New fixings were installed where necessary too.
 

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Speakers:
I pulled the speakers and discovered that one had a torn diaphram that I fully intend to glue back. Thats sent me down the rabbit hole to try and discover who made the ones installed which are 8'' 8 Ohm.
So I ran the info on the back of them through ChatGPT:
S8B3079

137-8246

MEXICO

It turms out they were manufactured by CTS, 137 is the EIA manufacturer code for CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply) a major OEM speaker maker that supplied speakers to arcade, audio, and instrument manufacturers for decades.

Date code ("8246"), the "82" refers to the year 1982, the "46" refers to the 46th week of that year, around mid-November 1982.

Manufactured in Mexico.

Couldnt find any for sale on Ebay but you can get 1970's speakers from the same company that look almost identical but with a square magnet. Seems these are a vintage sound vibe thing.
 

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I like your work Paul, the project is coming along great.

Your main board looks to be all original and in good condition.
I like that you are keeping the original power supply. The touch up on the transformers look great, and the new label on the iso is a nice touch!

I'd just put a little glue on that torn speaker and call it a day. I think that is what you are planning.
Do you have a link to that square magnet speaker?
 
Her you go Shaun.

I do like the idea of having a vintage speaker thats closer in years to 1983 than moden day versions but as you said I'm just glueing mine. As you can see the chassis is near identical.
 
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"Dragosn Lair Restoration"

STEP 1 - learn to spell "Dragon's" :)

Looking forward to following this restore.
 
The extra power transformer:
So I think this cab was basically a grey import into the UK. Atari Ireland had the distribution and the marquees on those cabs were branded Atari amongst other things, but mine isnt.
The 110V supply to the LDV1000 has been cut and new wire soldered in that sends the 230V from the socket to an RS 207-071 500VA 230V to 115V transformer, its sole purpose is to power the laser disk player and its mounted on the coin box tray to the right, as viewed from the back. The return wires go into a standard USA 2 pin plug (likely the one the game shipped with).
 

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Pulled the harness today and cleaned all the wires and connectors. I removed the wiring to the RS transformer and reconnected the cut ends together. Im going to be installing a Dexter and its adapter can handle 230V so I dont need this any more. Found a series of amber retainers that were holding the BNC cable in place (they are also found in the coin door) so went down another rabbit hole.
Google lens image search found then right away. Propionate Loop Clamps of all things.
 

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Stripped the paint of the coin door today with its frame and sent it off for finishing. Fixed my torn speaker diaphram and re finished the power panel.
 

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