Let's Bring Back a Black Widow

64B1T

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Figured I'd actually make a thread to see if I can get this project moving (and hopefully soon completed, I feel like I'm most of the way there)

I've been trying to complete the set of Atari Vectors, and recently I ended up with an extra Space Duel upright. No worries I thought, I'll just turn it into a Black Widow. And then, this Black Widow cabinet cropped up on FB near me, and a local friend was kind enough to pick it up for me.

1762652254470.jpeg1762652247134.jpeg1762652262939.jpeg

The bad news: It had been Jammaified and comverted to Silk Worm, but overall in decent shape. Unfortunately the control panel was pretty severely drilled out. For the extra buttons. They didn't even decide to keep the original Start buttons and drilled those holes out too. Also received a nice big lockbar. Sad.

The good news: The service panel and color vector brick are still there. The AC harness and LV harness to the AR is still (mostly) intact. But it's missing the board harness, everything to do with the 6100, the marquee, and obviously the PCB (when I got it).
 
So, to start with, I bought a PCB off of fellow KLOV'r @Olexo2424.

USPS really mangled that box, but Olexo was a class act, and all ended up well. PCB worked when I plugged it into my Space Duel, so that was one element of the puzzle out of the way.

And today, I pulled a 6100 out of the stash and fixed it up. It was kinda rough, I hadn't tested this one before. Looked like the resistor right next to R918 had exploded at some point and burned a hole right through the HV PCB, but I ended up fixing it anyway.

Great picture now!

1762652626613.png1762652648306.png

So where does that leave me? I should be able to install the 6100 into the game as soon as I get the cabinet up to scratch. Bondo that lockbar hole, clean it out, etc.

I am missing the following parts:
  • Marquee
  • Populated Control Panel
  • Harness
As for the harness, if I can't find one, I'll pull the harness out of my space duel if I have to. I'd rather not, but it's there.. The control panel might be saveable, but the drilling out of the start buttons really, really sucks. I wish they hadn't done that. In a pinch, it might be playable as it is though, until I can get a real control panel in decent shape put in.
 
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You can always make a second harness using your SD as a pattern.

Just saying.

APAR for the win on the wires.
 
GoldenAge makes the BW harnesses.

Our Reproduction Black Widow Wiring Harness
This set comes with:
Main Harness
AC Harness​


Treat the game with the respect it deserves and put in at least a confirmed repro harness set.
 
So, to start with, I bought a PCB off of fellow KLOV'r @Olexo2424.

USPS really mangled that box, but Olexo was a class act, and all ended up well. PCB worked when I plugged it into my Space Duel, so that was one element of the puzzle out of the way.

And today, I pulled a 6100 out of the stash and fixed it up. It was kinda rough, I hadn't tested this one before. Looked like the resistor right next to R918 had exploded at some point and burned a hole right through the HV PCB, but I ended up fixing it anyway.

Great picture now!

View attachment 860626View attachment 860627

So where does that leave me? I should be able to install the 6100 into the game as soon as I get the cabinet up to scratch. Bondo that lockbar hole, clean it out, etc.

I am missing the following parts:
  • Marquee
  • Populated Control Panel
  • Harness
As for the harness, if I can't find one, I'll pull the harness out of my space duel if I have to. I'd rather not, but it's there.. The control panel might be saveable, but the drilling out of the start buttons really, really sucks. I wish they hadn't done that. In a pinch, it might be playable as it is though, until I can get a real control panel in decent shape put in.
I donated my black widow harness to golden ge arcade parts



He makes really good harnesses
Top
Notch
 
You can always make a second harness using your SD as a pattern.

Just saying.

APAR for the win on the wires.
I make harnesses. It's a huge pain in the ass. Lol.
Space Duel harnesses are out there. I'm not sure it's worth my time to repro one.

I have done accurate harnesses/templates for Food Fight, Dig Dug, Inferno, and I Robot.
I'm gonna miss wirebot. They close Nov 30.
 
I make harnesses. It's a huge pain in the ass. Lol.
Space Duel harnesses are out there. I'm not sure it's worth my time to repro one.

I have done accurate harnesses/templates for Food Fight, Dig Dug, Inferno, and I Robot.
I'm gonna miss wirebot. They close Nov 30.
If I were you, I'd order what I need before they close.

Carpe Diem.
 
GoldenAge makes the BW harnesses.

Our Reproduction Black Widow Wiring Harness
This set comes with:
Main Harness
AC Harness​


Treat the game with the respect it deserves and put in at least a confirmed repro harness set.
Know what they charge? Everything on that website says "contact for quote."

I feel like if I source a second Space Duel harness that'll also work just fine if a Black Widow harness doesn't show up, because a "Black Widow" harness is basically just a bodged Gravitar harness anyway, as they were all conversions. If there was a factory Black Widow harness, it probably would have had one connector for the control panel rather than the Gravitar one plus an additional 3 pin connector.
 
I've been trying to complete the set of Atari Vectors,....

Humm, this got my old brain working again.
What is the complete Atari Vector portfolio?
And do I have them all? LOL

ANSWER: Yes. (not all uprights, cabaret, cocktails and cockpits, but one of each game-title at least - where both my SW (UR/CKPT) are multigame SW/ESB).

AtariVectors.jpg
 
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Humm, this got my old brain working again.
What is the complete Atari Vector portfolio?
And do I have them all? LOL

ANSWER: Yes. (not all uprights, cabaret, cocktails and cockpits, but one of each game-title at least - where my SW is a multigame SW/ESB).

AtariVectors.jpg
I am missing Quantum and Star Wars for the color vectors. Red Baron for the B/W. But I go either way on that one. Not a game a I like that much, so I may skip it and just do the color vectors :)
 
Know what they charge? Everything on that website says "contact for quote."

I feel like if I source a second Space Duel harness that'll also work just fine if a Black Widow harness doesn't show up, because a "Black Widow" harness is basically just a bodged Gravitar harness anyway, as they were all conversions. If there was a factory Black Widow harness, it probably would have had one connector for the control panel rather than the Gravitar one plus an additional 3 pin connector.

I'm sure the price is reasonable. Just ask.
A long time ago I purchased my Quantum and I,Robot harnesses from him. No complaints - good quality. Good dude to deal with.
But given where you live, you'll probably be also paying considerable tariffs on them. So keep that in mind. :(
 
I'm sure the price is reasonable. Just ask.
A long time ago I purchased my Quantum and I,Robot harnesses from him.
But given where you live, you'll probably be also paying considerable tariffs on them. :(
Ugh, you're right. That's probably why they have the contact for quote sign then. But that's a rant discussion for a different sub forum.

Brings me back to square A. Anyone got a Grav/BW/SD harness loose? 😅
 
I am missing Quantum and Star Wars for the color vectors. Red Baron for the B/W. But I go either way on that one. Not a game a I like that much, so I may skip it and just do the color vectors :)

Missing Star Wars?
And not liking Red Baron?

swgoh-star-wars.png

Quantum gets no luvin' here, but I think it's a fun game and should be part of any reputable vector collection.

LOL
 
I know, I know.

Unfortunately this has been my experience thus far trying to find a Star Wars.
I've only paid more than $2K for one vid in my collection. I'd rather be patient and find one under that mark. Hopefully by a decent margin.

1762654937564.png
 
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I make harnesses. It's a huge pain in the ass. Lol.
Space Duel harnesses are out there. I'm not sure it's worth my time to repro one.

I have done accurate harnesses/templates for Food Fight, Dig Dug, Inferno, and I Robot.
I'm gonna miss wirebot. They close Nov 30.

Damn..why are they closing?

Edit, found his thread on Pinside. Thanks for the heads up, just ordered 1000 feet of wire...such a shame, he had great pricing.
 
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