How to start on an Asteroids machine

[toolguy]

You sound board is also the high voltage board. It looks like this if you are not familiar with. If so, forget this.

I too am restoring an Asteroids, so I cannot fully comment on a sound issue, but checking this board or rebuilding it, is probably a starting place.

 

[Dokert]

You sound board is also the high voltage board. It looks like this if you are not familiar with. If so, forget this.

I too am restoring an Asteroids, so I cannot fully comment on a sound issue, but checking this board or rebuilding it, is probably a starting place.

That is the A/R I (Audio Regulator) it is the power supply, but it is not a high voltage board by any means. It is possible that the audio amp has failed.

Yes, you can use a powered computer speaker as an amp.

 

[Thom]

That is the A/R I (Audio Regulator) it is the power supply, but it is not a high voltage board by any means. It is possible that the audio amp has failed.

Yes, you can use a powered computer speaker as an amp.

Ok, I hooked some powered speakers up to J7-8 (Audio 2) and J7-9 (Audio 1) - I just inserted jumper wires in the back of the plug, and had alligator clips on the other end to connect it to the speakers. I did get all sounds this way. There was also quite a bit of hum in the speakers...

Then I did what I probably should have done in the first place - I hooked a speaker (no power) directly to "Speaker 1" and "Speaker 2" - and got sound this way too!

I assume that this means that I probably either have a bad speaker in the cabinet, or maybe a problem with the volume pot? I'll fiddle with it some more in the morning, if I have time....

Thom

 

[Thom]

My audio problem was simply a bad speaker. I wired a temporary speaker in for now; 'audio works fine, the volume control works fine.

Now I'll start on restoring it. Overall, it's in pretty good shape. I've ordered some stuff from www.arcadeshop.com; I'm waiting to hear back from him now.

Can anyone tell me where to get a fairly inexpensive, 8" 8Ω speaker? I would have thought that this would be a very simple thing to get, but everything that I'm finding is either a ridiculously expensive ceiling speaker, or a car sub-woofer.

Thanks again to everyone that put up with my novice questions while I was getting this up and running! I'm so glad that I posted here, rather than just assuming that this machine was a lost cause...

Thom

 

[KorbenD]

http://www.fadfusion.com/selection.php?product_item_number=40106800689

There's a fairly cheap one.

 

[Thom]

http://www.fadfusion.com/selection.php?product_item_number=40106800689

There's a fairly cheap one.

That looks perfect - thanks!

Thom

 

[Thom]

The new lamp holder for the coin return light arrived here today - all the lights on the machine are working properly now.

But yet another new problem - I purchased a new grounded cord from www.therealbobroberts.net (I found one properly grounded outlet in the room that my Asteroids machine is in). When I use the new grounded cord, I immediately blow the cartridge fuse on the Power Supply. I put the old cord back on (with the ground plug cut off) and everything is fine. I have verified that the wall outlet is wired correctly (using one of those light-up plug-in testers).

'Any ideas?

Thom