How long can we keep this up?
- Thread starter OregonPacman
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- thats what she said
I think maybe if I had fond memories of that I wouldn't need a shrink! LOL
MaximRecoil
Well-known member
Yes, but the problem is, a much bigger demand is needed to justify CRT production than is needed to justify e.g. chassis production. Small time individuals have gotten custom PCBs built, even things like flyback transformers (e.g., the Sanyo EZ flyback reproductions), but you would need some serious capital to get any company to gear up for CRT production.
Where, and by whom?
MaximRecoil
Well-known member
Any U.S. retailers, or retailers that will ship to the U.S. for less than a fortune?
It looks like Wei-Ya doesn't make 19" monitors (by far the most needed size for classic arcade games); 21" being the closest I see listed on their site.
Alva Amusements in Florida I do believe still work with Wei-Ya.
I'm not sure about their website, but they DID produce 19" monitors.
I'm not sure about their website, but they DID produce 19" monitors.
+1 on that, for sure. As we (the late Baby Boomers and early Gen Xers) find ourselves in our mid life crisis stages, we will divert our disposable income to this hobby. Demand for monitors will climb, and SOMEONE will undertake a new prodution run of CRT monitors. Will they be almost prohibitively expensive? Of course. Will we buy them anyway? Of course.
BIG +1 on the 'keeping spare parts around' strategy. For your car buffs: how many of you have a 'spare engine' just laying around "just in case?" Most, I'd bet. I'm in the middle of a Ms Pac Man restoration, and I bought a clone Ms Pac to aid in my restoration efforts. Initially I had planned on selling it after my restoration was done, but I've already decided that I'm going to keep it as a donor cab for parts.
I don't see this hobby going ANYWHERE but growing for at least another 40 years. That's how much longer I plan on collecting for. And there's at least 10 years behind me (I'm 35) in the generation that will keep going. That's at least 50 more years of hobby growth.
As for semiconductors, as long as companies like Digi-Key or Mouser can keep making 1000% profit on onsie twosie sales of them, they'll keep up production runs on these parts for a LONG time.
I'm already hoarding monitors myself. When I get a chance at a decent chassis, the first thing I do is start swapping tubes until I get a perfect rebuilt, burn-free monitor. Then 'up on the shelf' it goes. Guys here are right, the monitor market is already pretty fierce, and it's only going to get tighter, until someone lays out some big ka-ching to do another production run of G07 clones. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wells Gardner do it (overseas, mind you) and sell underground to other re-sellers here in the US.
MaximRecoil
Well-known member
I wish Bill Gates or some other multibillionaire was into classic arcade games. He could, for example, using his own money, call Sanyo and order a run of 100,000 brand new EZ monitors, and it wouldn't be any more of a financial hit to him than the average guy spending a few bucks at McDonald's.
i definitely agree. jonsey and i were talking about this a few weeks ago - mainly the topic of what happens when bob roberts gets to a retirement point and isn't around businesswise anymore. i'm gonna start stockpiling what i can when i can as far as cap kits, spare parts and whatnot, because you never know. better to have stuff around and not need it than the other way around, or needing that one part you can't find anywhere anymore.
Level42
New member
Cap kits are just a selection of caps for a certain monitor. You can get caps by the truck-loads everywhere.
The only real issue will be the CRT's..... but with home use, I think I'll be able to last long enough.
I'm more worried about not being able to shift around those machines in about 20 years....
But maybe I lost interest in the hobby by then. It could happen, or it couldn't.
Let's not worry to much, enjoy the moment...
The only real issue will be the CRT's..... but with home use, I think I'll be able to last long enough.
I'm more worried about not being able to shift around those machines in about 20 years....
But maybe I lost interest in the hobby by then. It could happen, or it couldn't.
Let's not worry to much, enjoy the moment...
yeah, but still, it's a pain in the ass elsewhere. i know you can get that stuff off of mouser or wherever, but if i need something in a pinch, i have 2 choices.
1. radio shack - who won't have it unless it's a real common value
2. fistells (local component shop) - who will definitely have it, but will have a ridiculously inflated price on it. case in point, needed a 2n3055 price a couple weeks ago, they wanted $16 a piece.
I'd bet a lot of the stuff will be up and running for years yet.
You can still get tubes (from russia and china, but you can still get them). Many of the boards are TTL chips - and those aren't going away. In fact, they are very prevalent in education. As long as people are around to fix the old stuff, it can/will be fixed.
Arcade games are industrial standard equipment, and if you've spent any time in industry, you will know that whatever works; stays. It isn't necessarily the best product/part that survives, it is the one that is working and available. There are still factories running DOS! It is true that we will probably switch over to LCD screens over the next 10 years, but the rest of the arcade industry is pretty much stagnant. They still use switching power supplies with the same voltages as always, and most of the accessories/buttons/etc are pretty standard. When LCD screens get to be $100 for a 19', people won't complain too much.
Just look at some other obsolete stuff - like nixie tubes. They aren't readily available in the US, but people get them in from russia now. They may be a very small market, but they are still around.
You can still get tubes (from russia and china, but you can still get them). Many of the boards are TTL chips - and those aren't going away. In fact, they are very prevalent in education. As long as people are around to fix the old stuff, it can/will be fixed.
Arcade games are industrial standard equipment, and if you've spent any time in industry, you will know that whatever works; stays. It isn't necessarily the best product/part that survives, it is the one that is working and available. There are still factories running DOS! It is true that we will probably switch over to LCD screens over the next 10 years, but the rest of the arcade industry is pretty much stagnant. They still use switching power supplies with the same voltages as always, and most of the accessories/buttons/etc are pretty standard. When LCD screens get to be $100 for a 19', people won't complain too much.
Just look at some other obsolete stuff - like nixie tubes. They aren't readily available in the US, but people get them in from russia now. They may be a very small market, but they are still around.
MaximRecoil
Well-known member
I wouldn't use one in a classic arcade machine if they were free.
gorfchampion
New member
Keep right on going until death! I think the true test of time for these games(as far as their survival goes) has already passed. Look how many games were thrown into the trash by operators 15-25 years ago.
Now there's a great number of people that find and restore the games; and these games had a better chance of being junked forever if it hadn't been for collectors like the folks here on klov.
The games are surprisingly durable. BITD, a lot of games were on for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Maybe even more in some cases. But now, we have our games on for an hour or two every now and then, maybe for 8 or 9 hours in one shot for an arcade party. This is a lot easier on the games.
They'll be around 50+ years from now because of people like us.....
Now there's a great number of people that find and restore the games; and these games had a better chance of being junked forever if it hadn't been for collectors like the folks here on klov.
The games are surprisingly durable. BITD, a lot of games were on for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Maybe even more in some cases. But now, we have our games on for an hour or two every now and then, maybe for 8 or 9 hours in one shot for an arcade party. This is a lot easier on the games.
They'll be around 50+ years from now because of people like us.....
sosage
Well-known member
I agree about CRTs. That monitor's glass fish bowl is going to be the thing you need to take extra special care of in the future. In our lifetime, I don't see it being a problem. 50 years from now when most of the used CRT tubes are all crushed or difficult as hell to locate, an unburned original tube is probably gonna be rare. We're talking about a future, however, where they give a shit about our old ass machines.
I'm more worried about not being able to shift around those machines in about 20 years....
But maybe I lost interest in the hobby by then. It could happen, or it couldn't.
Let's not worry to much, enjoy the moment...
I keep getting younger people interested in old arcade machines. They are more than willing to help to move the games for an evening of pizza and gaming. I teach them how to tinker, How to build. Now it's not a skill you can make a living at but it's a nice skill to have.
Nothing Like keeping and interest strong by involding others in it.
kencinder
New member
Meh, I'm not interested in vids anymore anyway...pins are where it's at!
Seriously though, when things REALLY do dry up, people like on here WILL organize something to get a part fabbed...ANY part.
It's already happening, and will continue to happen as things are REALLY needed.
You have 20 guys posting every once in awhile they need the same thing, someone will eventually step up and make it happen if it's something obsolete and non-existant.
People wind up with factory/commercial gear in their homes once stuff is no longer viable. Need a certain chip 50 years from now? Betcha some dude has the shit needed to make it in his basement or something.
Seriously though, when things REALLY do dry up, people like on here WILL organize something to get a part fabbed...ANY part.
It's already happening, and will continue to happen as things are REALLY needed.
You have 20 guys posting every once in awhile they need the same thing, someone will eventually step up and make it happen if it's something obsolete and non-existant.
People wind up with factory/commercial gear in their homes once stuff is no longer viable. Need a certain chip 50 years from now? Betcha some dude has the shit needed to make it in his basement or something.
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