Frizzy's Omega Race Repair Thread

FrizzleFried

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First off...

What is with this spinner?

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It sure looks different than the spinner shown on Billtonix website:

Omega_Race_upright_agc_installed_5_marked.jpg


My cab also has what I assume is an Analog/Digital converter on the side wall of the cab, but I was told by the seller they didn't think that was used anymore.

Can anyone give me the scoop on this? Is this a controller that I will want to be updating to the Billtronix controller?
 
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OR's were first released with a mechanical spinner that were notorious for wearing out shortly after the games were put on location. They then created a replacement that was just a pot that included the A/D converter board.

Looks like you have the original mechanical version, the one pictured in the ORDS picture is the replacement pot and A/D converter board.
 
Is this original version better or worse than the pot/AD converter board? I assume the new Biltronix version is better than both? Does anyone have an opinion on whether it's worth the price if the controller I have here is working? I actually have two panels and both have this same type of controller.
 
Is this original version better or worse than the pot/AD converter board? I assume the new Biltronix version is better than both? Does anyone have an opinion on whether it's worth the price if the controller I have here is working? I actually have two panels and both have this same type of controller.

I have the original and it doesn't have a dead spot like the complaints I hear of the pot/AD convertor.
 
The original grey encoder is a hard one to replace.. many are bad-- I know I had one myself Friz. I think I had bought Mylstar's last NOS one. Anyway, update it to the latter and get the ORDs system-- that kit just flat out rocks it!
Looks to me like they replaced your populated CP with an older one if you have the converter board in it. What's with those orange wires??
 
I have the same one as you Frizz, no dead spot on mine. I did buy the ORDS as well but have never installed it.
 
I have the original too !!!....No dead spots. I always prefer what was originally put on the machine if its at all possible. Not sure I would like an updated spinner that would give me any advantage over what the game was originally designed for. JMO
 
I have the original too !!!....No dead spots. I always prefer what was originally put on the machine if its at all possible. Not sure I would like an updated spinner that would give me any advantage over what the game was originally designed for. JMO

I don't think the ORDS provides any real advantage over the original spinner. It's just an nice smooth reliable replacement. It's a must-have for people who have the crappy pot-based spinner.
 
^^ Exactly!! and as soon as I get my Omega Race cockpit into its new home..I'm getting one of those beauties.
 
QUESTION: I'm getting intermittent "stray" lines appearing in game a bit. They do nothing negative (no dieing or other oddities)... just a stray line from time to time... if I had to guess it was associated with my "bullets"... but I can't be 100% sure.

Ideas? Should I clean and re-socket all chips, etc?
 
Every Omega Race board I've ever seen, and I've seen a few, have had random lines appear a few times per level. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's something in the game code.

I read somthing about it, maybe on vectorlist, and the consensus was that everyone had the random lines.
 
It looks slightly like lightening, right? Both of my sets do this and I don't worry about it. Great that you have a working board, how hard was is to get going? I had to send my spare off to Omegaman to get fixed.
 
Every Omega Race board I've ever seen, and I've seen a few, have had random lines appear a few times per level. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's something in the game code.

I read somthing about it, maybe on vectorlist, and the consensus was that everyone had the random lines.

I figured it may be so. I've not played Omega Race on authentic hardware in... well... lets see... 25 years or more. Hard to remember things like that... thanks for confirming though.

BTW - The PCB is getting 4.9v at a chip on the AUX board. Should I crank that up to 5V? Also, where is a good place to check voltages on the PS itself to make sure there isn't a ton of voltage drop between the PS and the boardset?
 
It looks slightly like lightening, right? Both of my sets do this and I don't worry about it. Great that you have a working board, how hard was is to get going? I had to send my spare off to Omegaman to get fixed.


Yeah... a bit like lightning... Seems to happen when there is a ton going on...rarely on the first screen...

How I got my boardset running? I plugged it in and fired it up.

:D

Sometimes good arcade karma comes in handy.
 
QUESTION: I'm getting intermittent "stray" lines appearing in game a bit. They do nothing negative (no dieing or other oddities)... just a stray line from time to time... if I had to guess it was associated with my "bullets"... but I can't be 100% sure.

Ideas? Should I clean and re-socket all chips, etc?

I spent a month trying to track down that stuff on one I built. It's a design flaw in the DVG so don't worry about it.
 
Every Omega Race board I've ever seen, and I've seen a few, have had random lines appear a few times per level. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's something in the game code.

I read somthing about it, maybe on vectorlist, and the consensus was that everyone had the random lines.

I agree. I've seen it on all the games I've played. I believe it is a hardware flaw.
 
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