Gulp...OK...here we go....Tempest running blind...I'm jumpin' in.
I'm gonna need some help in trying to figure out what's wrong with the Tempest monitor. Keep in mind this is my first arcade game, I have extremely limited soldering skills, and absolutely no experience working on PCB's....should be a piece of cake, right? heh heh.
So the Tempest runs blind....Here's a few posts with some info on the backstory of the Tempest and what has been done so far.
This first two are from Kalan, the guy who gave me the Tempest.
And the next couple are from Dean (herbersmart), who picked it up from Kalan and brought it out to Phoenix...he checked it out a little.
So keep in mind, that I know nothing about nothing about the tempest...I've been doing a little internet research, trying to learn a little bit more about what I need to do. I do appreciate any help in pointing me in the right direction though.
So...from my perspective, it plays blind, the buttons work and no problem with the sound. The monitor is blank. I do hear chatter (or at least my interpretation of what "chatter" sounds like)....I don't see the "neck glow" which Dean said he saw....I'm not exactly sure what "neck glow" is other than I imagine I should see some orange (?) type of glow from the back of the monitor.
I don't see that. No neck glow as far as I can tell (and I checked last night in a dark room....nothing glowing)
I don't know the correct terminology for all of the components yet...but occasionally the red LED lights up on the lower PCB on the left of the montor (is that the spot killer?). The PCB in the metal enclosure has an LED, but that one does not light.
I've already played around with the connectors and haven't seen anything obviously wrong. I haven't pulled out any of the PCBs at this point.
I probably will try to find someone to do any circuit board type of repair due to my lack of experience, but I'd like to try to figure out where the problem is, if I can, to build up some troubleshooting experience.
So that's about where I'm at and what I know.
Any helpful hints or tips to point me in the right direction would be appreciated.
Thanks all,
I'm gonna need some help in trying to figure out what's wrong with the Tempest monitor. Keep in mind this is my first arcade game, I have extremely limited soldering skills, and absolutely no experience working on PCB's....should be a piece of cake, right? heh heh.
So the Tempest runs blind....Here's a few posts with some info on the backstory of the Tempest and what has been done so far.
This first two are from Kalan, the guy who gave me the Tempest.
I put a zanen kit in the high voltage and deflection area of the monitor. I had the monitor working for awhile but the red was not coming up. The only part of the monitor I did not touch was the transistors on the chassis. There is deflection chatter and the spot killer was not on when we checked before the game left my house. I reflowed some of the pins on the tempest boards where the interconnect harness is. This game is very close to working. The boards may have a graphic issue though also. I had a lot of time wrapped up in trying to get that machine going. The monitor was out of a gravitar and had excellent color when it was working.
I believe it did have a harness issue, I tried 3 different ones and it came back with 3 different problems. I just got over working on it.
And the next couple are from Dean (herbersmart), who picked it up from Kalan and brought it out to Phoenix...he checked it out a little.
Yes the monitor neck glows and you can hear the deflection. I'll check the monitor board for the LED tonight when I get home. IIRC Kalan said it might be something with the harness???
Checked the connector last night and it did have one pin kind of sticking out the back so i pushed it back down, and it didn't seem to make any change. Didn't see the led light up on the monitor board? Any more ideas?
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So keep in mind, that I know nothing about nothing about the tempest...I've been doing a little internet research, trying to learn a little bit more about what I need to do. I do appreciate any help in pointing me in the right direction though.
So...from my perspective, it plays blind, the buttons work and no problem with the sound. The monitor is blank. I do hear chatter (or at least my interpretation of what "chatter" sounds like)....I don't see the "neck glow" which Dean said he saw....I'm not exactly sure what "neck glow" is other than I imagine I should see some orange (?) type of glow from the back of the monitor.
I don't see that. No neck glow as far as I can tell (and I checked last night in a dark room....nothing glowing)
I don't know the correct terminology for all of the components yet...but occasionally the red LED lights up on the lower PCB on the left of the montor (is that the spot killer?). The PCB in the metal enclosure has an LED, but that one does not light.
I've already played around with the connectors and haven't seen anything obviously wrong. I haven't pulled out any of the PCBs at this point.
I probably will try to find someone to do any circuit board type of repair due to my lack of experience, but I'd like to try to figure out where the problem is, if I can, to build up some troubleshooting experience.
So that's about where I'm at and what I know.
Any helpful hints or tips to point me in the right direction would be appreciated.
Thanks all,
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