Just got a Baby Pac, need to fix

Tighe

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I drove up to Plattsburgh Sunday to get that Baby Pac-Man off coyote640. The cabinet is in awesome shape, but there are things that need to be fixed before it is up and running.

Here is a video of its current state (before I did anything)


I found this page which seems to have really good info for repairing it:

http://www.marvin3m.com/bally/babypac.htm

But I am hoping that you guys might also advise me, I don't want to screw this one up as it is one I have always wanted.

Could you tell me what I should focus on fixing first? I haven't worked on any pinball games before.

Also in the video the monitor has no blue, but I adjusted the neckboard a little and got the blue showing up.

2010-06-15-time-22-27-26-day-2.jpg


I figure this will need a cap kit, but I really want to focus on the vidiot/mpu issues first. I can always get another 13" monitor.

Please advise. Thanks! :D
 
Well, for starters, what's wrong with it?

-Ian

I did ramble on in the video :D, but I get to that at 3:16, you can skip to there.

I believe that the issue is communication between the MPU and Vidiot. Vidiot LED blinks 10 times, I didn't count how many times the MPU LED blinks. When you power it on the it plays the pac man audio and never finishes booting. If I press the video test button twice I get the color bars.
 
I can't view the video from work but it sounds like you have the most common problem that these Baby Pacs have, worn out wiring. You need to replace the connectors and repin the boards in order for this cab to work reliably.
 
I can't view the video from work but it sounds like you have the most common problem that these Baby Pacs have, worn out wiring. You need to replace the connectors and repin the boards in order for this cab to work reliably.

Do you mean replace the headers on the board? How does the wiring get worn out? The wires break? Or is it just the connectors?
 
Do you mean replace the headers on the board? How does the wiring get worn out? The wires break? Or is it just the connectors?


Just the connectors not the wires themselves, sorry. This is a common problem in pins of that era as well. The factory used IDC (insulation displacement) connectors and they tend to get weak over time. As they weaken they build resistance and eventually overheat and fail. When the connector has been through one of these heat cycles they damage the header pins as well. It all snowballs until the connector completely fails, hopefully though an open but sometimes through a localized fire that damages more of the wire as well as the board. However, before the final failure the signal loss through the connectors gets bad enough that it causes communication problems between the boards.
 
Just the connectors not the wires themselves, sorry. This is a common problem in pins of that era as well. The factory used IDC (insulation displacement) connectors and they tend to get weak over time. As they weaken they build resistance and eventually overheat and fail. When the connector has been through one of these heat cycles they damage the header pins as well. It all snowballs until the connector completely fails, hopefully though an open but sometimes through a localized fire that damages more of the wire as well as the board. However, before the final failure the signal loss through the connectors gets bad enough that it causes communication problems between the boards.

WOW! Would I be able to see this with visual inspection?
 
If it burned, yes. You will be able to see discoloration, sometimes the connector has even fallen apart. If it has simply opened a visual inspection will not be as good as a resistance check with a meter. The problem with using a meter, though, is you will move the wires around some just putting the meter on the wires or board and this slight movement may be enough to give you a good reading that will go away when you remove the meter (or at some point later in time when the wire shifts back). Replacing all of them is best, though it is time consuming.


BTW, the repair guide you linked to should really be used after completing the repairs, or at least looking over the problem areas, in these two other guides first:

http://www.pinrepair.com/begin/index.htm

http://www.pinrepair.com/bally/index.htm
 
I think its a misconception that the connectors and wiring are the cause of the issues in these. Its usually caused by acid damage which will corrode the headers and IDC connectors. You should also bit the bullet and replace all the sockets on the mpu and videot boards. I have seen many times where they look pefect but when you desolder the socket the legs are corroded off under the socket.
With the info on the Marvin3M site you can get that machine up and running in no time. Its a very good site and tells you everything you need to know to repair these. I built a bench harness to work on the videots, it so much easier on the bench.
 
I think its a misconception that the connectors and wiring are the cause of the issues in these. Its usually caused by acid damage which will corrode the headers and IDC connectors. You should also bit the bullet and replace all the sockets on the mpu and videot boards. I have seen many times where they look pefect but when you desolder the socket the legs are corroded off under the socket.
With the info on the Marvin3M site you can get that machine up and running in no time. Its a very good site and tells you everything you need to know to repair these. I built a bench harness to work on the videots, it so much easier on the bench.

I am lucky that the MPU battery on this baby pac has not leaked. Wow i have never seen a socket where the legs have corroded off! Seems like I have a lot of work to do. I wonder if it is worth it to me to build a test harness, since I am only fixing on baby pac.
 
I've had a Baby Pac for a couple years in the 'stuff I need to fix before I die' pile, it's in pretty much the exact same shape as Tighe's... I've gotten the boards repaired and know they work, replaced the headers on the PCBs, but the cabinet wiring is about shot. I've had mixed success playing with the connectors, like pushing them 1/4 of the way on the PCBs, etc, but it results in working for a couple hours/days tops depending on the temp and humidity level of the house.

Is there any type of 'aftermarket' wiring harnesses or connector rebuild kits out for the Baby Pac? I'm admittedly lazy and would rather pay a couple bucks more for a connector rebuild 'kit' than hunting through Mouser catalogs for part numbers.

Congrats on getting a Baby Pac. When mine is having a good day, I love playing it!

-mb
 
I've had a Baby Pac for a couple years in the 'stuff I need to fix before I die' pile, it's in pretty much the exact same shape as Tighe's... I've gotten the boards repaired and know they work, replaced the headers on the PCBs, but the cabinet wiring is about shot. I've had mixed success playing with the connectors, like pushing them 1/4 of the way on the PCBs, etc, but it results in working for a couple hours/days tops depending on the temp and humidity level of the house.

Is there any type of 'aftermarket' wiring harnesses or connector rebuild kits out for the Baby Pac? I'm admittedly lazy and would rather pay a couple bucks more for a connector rebuild 'kit' than hunting through Mouser catalogs for part numbers.

Congrats on getting a Baby Pac. When mine is having a good day, I love playing it!

-mb

I am depressed now. :( I hope that I can get it working without your problems!
 
Congrats on getting the Baby Pac. I know you've been wanting one of these for a while now. I'm sure you'll get these issues sorted out.
 
I am depressed now. :( I hope that I can get it working without your problems!

Ha. Don't worry. Look at what I am starting with (picked up this past February)...


See... it could be worse... and I assure you I WILL get this baby restored and operational.. and so will YOU!
 

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Congrats on getting the Baby Pac. I know you've been wanting one of these for a while now. I'm sure you'll get these issues sorted out.

Thanks! I missed out on quite a few recently, I was glad I was able to get one in such great shape! WOO HOO!!
 
I've played Baby Pac a few times recently and also played back in the 80s. I never knew you could earn power pellets in the pinball part. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I never really got into it. I always thought the video part was lame because it was just a simple maze and the pinball part was okay but mediocre compared to full-out pins. The fact that you earn stuff in the videogame part by playing pinball completely redeems the game for me (and makes me feel like an idiot for not figuring that out). I'm sure its probably somewhere in the intstructions but have a bad habbit of not reading that sort of thing until after I've played a game 30 times.

Nice game. Good luck on getting it running!
 
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