Found a Space Demon mini - sort of
- Thread starter smalltownguy2
- Start date
OP
OP
Tempting....very tempting. Driving to WI any time soon??
Had some time to play with the monitor some more tonight.
First I tried hooking up another inverter board I had laying around. No change. The colors still appear over driven, and I can't adjust them down. Everything is bleeding. Funny thing is, when I take the inverter out of the equation, the backwards colors do not appear to be bleeding.
So, I decided to hook up a JAMMA board to this monitor to see what I could see.
I had a Police Trainer sitting on the shelf:
Perfect picture. Well, I guess that settles that. This monitor looks better with standard video.
WTF? I really don't want to have to 'un-do' the inversion circuitry on the board to revert this monitor back to inverted video, but I can't really use it with an inverter board. I'm kind of stuck.
Had some time to play with the monitor some more tonight.
First I tried hooking up another inverter board I had laying around. No change. The colors still appear over driven, and I can't adjust them down. Everything is bleeding. Funny thing is, when I take the inverter out of the equation, the backwards colors do not appear to be bleeding.
So, I decided to hook up a JAMMA board to this monitor to see what I could see.
I had a Police Trainer sitting on the shelf:
Perfect picture. Well, I guess that settles that. This monitor looks better with standard video.
WTF? I really don't want to have to 'un-do' the inversion circuitry on the board to revert this monitor back to inverted video, but I can't really use it with an inverter board. I'm kind of stuck.
Last edited:
Alfons-Z
New member
OP
OP
Well, in an interesting development in this thread, the owner of this mini cab contacted me finally - it seems he was in a near-fatal car accident 2 months ago, and has been laid up in the hospital for some time.
His family is throwing him a benefit at his retail store (skate and music shop) this coming Saturday, and he's asked me to bring some arcade games there to earn some quarters. I told him I had a few Dynamo cabs that I could bring over - a Marvel Super Heroes and a 60 in 1 cab. He asked me if I would sell them to him, and I told him we could talk about it when I drop them off.
Instead, I've agreed to give him the cabs, as a token of goodwill towards his benefit. The cabinets should earn him some decent money towards his benefit fund, and the kids that frequent his store should have fun with them in the future.
In exchange, he's agreed to let me keep this Space Demon project. He understood that it could seriously be YEARS before the cabinet's restore process gets completed, if EVER. The obscure parts, artwork and near obsolescent pcb make this a cabinet that may never get done. He was happy to finally get some working games back in his store, and he's happy that his rare cabinet is in the hands of someone who could (should!) restore it the proper way.
Now that the cabinet has transferred ownership to me formally, I can get started on some things with this restore that would have required substantial investment before, like reproduction artwork and finding an authentic Fortek pcb. The joystick assembly will be the toughest thing to find, but hopefully I'll be able to find someone out there who has saved parts from an old Space Firebird cocktail, as the joysticks appear to be the same.
So, some new life has been breathed into this project. Good for me, I was looking for my next quest since I've finished my Dig Dug restore.
Also, moving 2 cabs out of my arcade has opened up the room I need to move in the Dig Dug and the spot I need for my upcoming Ms Pac assembly. It'll be nice to get some DPtwiz and jpopson goodness showcased in my arcade finally.
His family is throwing him a benefit at his retail store (skate and music shop) this coming Saturday, and he's asked me to bring some arcade games there to earn some quarters. I told him I had a few Dynamo cabs that I could bring over - a Marvel Super Heroes and a 60 in 1 cab. He asked me if I would sell them to him, and I told him we could talk about it when I drop them off.
Instead, I've agreed to give him the cabs, as a token of goodwill towards his benefit. The cabinets should earn him some decent money towards his benefit fund, and the kids that frequent his store should have fun with them in the future.
In exchange, he's agreed to let me keep this Space Demon project. He understood that it could seriously be YEARS before the cabinet's restore process gets completed, if EVER. The obscure parts, artwork and near obsolescent pcb make this a cabinet that may never get done. He was happy to finally get some working games back in his store, and he's happy that his rare cabinet is in the hands of someone who could (should!) restore it the proper way.
Now that the cabinet has transferred ownership to me formally, I can get started on some things with this restore that would have required substantial investment before, like reproduction artwork and finding an authentic Fortek pcb. The joystick assembly will be the toughest thing to find, but hopefully I'll be able to find someone out there who has saved parts from an old Space Firebird cocktail, as the joysticks appear to be the same.
So, some new life has been breathed into this project. Good for me, I was looking for my next quest since I've finished my Dig Dug restore.
Also, moving 2 cabs out of my arcade has opened up the room I need to move in the Dig Dug and the spot I need for my upcoming Ms Pac assembly. It'll be nice to get some DPtwiz and jpopson goodness showcased in my arcade finally.
Tighe
Well-known member
Awe some!!
Rigel27
New member
great reading, just squandered the last hour reading through the whole thread.
never got a chance to play Space Demon, but the colours and sound in the videos dont seem as crisp as those in space firebird or am i missing something?
regards, R.
never got a chance to play Space Demon, but the colours and sound in the videos dont seem as crisp as those in space firebird or am i missing something?
regards, R.
OP
OP
Thanks! Even though I haven't posted much about it lately, I have been moving forward with this. I managed to get the CPO arrangements made with Phetishboy to get the CPO redone with Rich at This Old Game. Rich has already printed the marquee sticker for me, and I'm just waiting on the CPO design work to be competed before ordering them both up.
In the mean time, I have taken care of the issues with the Sanyo monitor I have. I managed to get my hands on a Nintendo AV-01 audio/inverter board from a Vs Unisystem kit for installation in a Midway cab. The picture I get from that inverter board looks great.
At this point, there's really only two things that have this project halted at the moment:
As it stands right now...about every 3 months or so I do some googling to see if I can find any new leads on a Fortrek board set. So far my efforts have turned up empty.
I just have to be patient.
In the mean time, I have taken care of the issues with the Sanyo monitor I have. I managed to get my hands on a Nintendo AV-01 audio/inverter board from a Vs Unisystem kit for installation in a Midway cab. The picture I get from that inverter board looks great.
At this point, there's really only two things that have this project halted at the moment:
- No joystick
- No fortrek ESS sound pcb.
As it stands right now...about every 3 months or so I do some googling to see if I can find any new leads on a Fortrek board set. So far my efforts have turned up empty.
I just have to be patient.
Rigel27
New member
is the ESS board layout the same as the ESS board in space firebird and its just a rom issue? if not, where is the starfield generated from in demon?
OP
OP
The two boards are nearly identical, but the SDM board uses a few extra components. Yes, the 2708 eprom is also different too.
The starfield is generated on the ESS Sound board for both games, so if the board is absent you'll not only not have sound, but you won't have the starfield either.
Here's some additional info from the mameworld.info website:
http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=276497&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1
Tighe
Well-known member
I really should have bought the one off SRW. 
OP
OP
Sorry I missed this message - what measurements did you need?
Here's an image of the part I need:
OP
OP
Holy shit, 3 years have gone by already. Damn.
As an update to this thread, it looks like I've finally (FOR REAL) got some Fortrek boards headed my way. Forum member Alfons-Z has a board (from the cabinet he bought from SRW) and another board set popped up on eBay earlier this spring, which Alfons-Z also purchased. Both boards are supposedly coming to me in the next few weeks.
I have a complete working Space Firebird board set, and 2/3 of another board set, with the ESS board on loan to Tighe.
With Nintendo and Fortrek ESS boards finally in my hands, I should be able to compare/contrast differences to figure out how to convert the Space Firebird ESS board into a Space Demon ESS board. If I can't complete the conversion, I will likely just reproduce the Space Demon ESS board. That way anyone with a Space Firebird board set could theoretically convert a Space Firebird into a Space Demon.
As an aside, I've been keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Space Demon boards in the world. Here's what I know of:
That's it. Only 5 or 6 pcbs exist, that I know of. And only 2-3 are known working.
As an update to this thread, it looks like I've finally (FOR REAL) got some Fortrek boards headed my way. Forum member Alfons-Z has a board (from the cabinet he bought from SRW) and another board set popped up on eBay earlier this spring, which Alfons-Z also purchased. Both boards are supposedly coming to me in the next few weeks.
I have a complete working Space Firebird board set, and 2/3 of another board set, with the ESS board on loan to Tighe.
With Nintendo and Fortrek ESS boards finally in my hands, I should be able to compare/contrast differences to figure out how to convert the Space Firebird ESS board into a Space Demon ESS board. If I can't complete the conversion, I will likely just reproduce the Space Demon ESS board. That way anyone with a Space Firebird board set could theoretically convert a Space Firebird into a Space Demon.
As an aside, I've been keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Space Demon boards in the world. Here's what I know of:
- Todd Tuckey has a cabaret, with at least 1 board set, maybe 2.
- Forum member Seifer13 has a Space Demon cocktail, with a board set that's been repaired by Darthi8nt.
- Medi's Pizza in Tacoma, WA supposedly has a Space Demon cocktail, in unknown condition.
- Alfons-Z has a Space Demon cabaret, with 2 board sets, both non-working at this time.
- I have a cabaret, with no board set.
That's it. Only 5 or 6 pcbs exist, that I know of. And only 2-3 are known working.
Tighe
Well-known member
Awesome want the board back?
fizgig
Permanently Banned for constant cyber bullying. Ge
Would love to have an easy conversion for Space Firebird.
I could recreate the entire art package for Space Demon.
I could recreate the entire art package for Space Demon.
OP
OP
Once my conversion project is done, I'd be more than happy to provide you with the ESS board needed, free of charge.
I believe Rich has everything already done for Space Demon, except for the CPO, which Phetishboy is nearly complete tracing. Once the CPO is vectored, Rich will get that file too.
Art package includes:
- Marquee sticker - done
- bezel graphics (instructions, scoring) - done
- CPO - in process
fizgig
Permanently Banned for constant cyber bullying. Ge
OP
OP
Well, after many years of searching, I finally have a Space Demon boardset in my hands. Now, the project of reproducing the ESS sound board begins.
I've contacted Tronic via PM to assist with this project. His expertise with board repros from other projects will be helpful in getting this project off the ground.
Step 1 is to make a component list of all the components on the board. There's only about 100 components, so this shouldn't be too hard.
This will be a long project, and will likely take me into the winter or longer.
In other news, big shout out to djdns for hooking me up with a very nice condition Space Demon control panel, complete with correct buttons and wiring. You da man. Locating that controller was a huge deal for me. I think I pretty much have all the pieces I need to put this puzzle back together again.
I've contacted Tronic via PM to assist with this project. His expertise with board repros from other projects will be helpful in getting this project off the ground.
Step 1 is to make a component list of all the components on the board. There's only about 100 components, so this shouldn't be too hard.
This will be a long project, and will likely take me into the winter or longer.
In other news, big shout out to djdns for hooking me up with a very nice condition Space Demon control panel, complete with correct buttons and wiring. You da man. Locating that controller was a huge deal for me. I think I pretty much have all the pieces I need to put this puzzle back together again.
Tighe
Well-known member
Awesome Brad! Very excited!
HudsonArcade
Well-known member
Is the Space Demon ESS different from Space Fire Bird?
There's nothing overly technial about cloning a board....
There's nothing overly technial about cloning a board....
