MODERATORS:Can we get a DIY repair sticky??? Pretty please??

sohchx

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MODERATORS:Can we get a DIY repair sticky??? Pretty please??

I was wondering,with all of the new members signing up here is there a chance that noobs that are new to arcade collecting and have no clue how to troubleshoot or work on a cab can get a DIY sticky to help aid in repairs ,possibly with step by step photos on how to do things such as.........How to change a flyback,cap monitors etc. Maybe even general troubleshooting for things like a dead monitor with sound or vice versa. I am sure allot of people, myself especially,would appreciate the immense amount of knowledge that most of the members have here. I was very surprised to not see a DIY thread here and it may be the first time I have not seen one on a forum. I am a member of a few automotive forums and they have nice step by step DIY's with photos for things like engine rebuilding,brakes, and suspension. I have gained a wealth of knowledge and saved allot of money on repairs by not taking cars to a shop. I am in the opposite situation when it comes to repairing my games,I have to call someone to come do my repairs which gets expensive and I want to end that by gaining more knowledge and doing the repairs myself but I never know where to begin and it's frustrating. I see myself getting very frustrated with this and quitting the hobby in the future if I can't fix things on my own.
 
I second this!

Thank you!!! I pray to god that we can get this done. I have a speaker volume issue as we speak that I have no clue how to fix. I also keep having to avoid buying games that I really,really want because they have an issue that I know I can't fix. I would own allot more cabs if I knew what I was getting into.
 
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for the most part the entire repair section here is based in the DIY mentality. Or asking for help with the intent of doing the repair yourself rather than sending a board, component or machine off for repair. As for videos or step by step walk throughs of how to replace a fly back, cap a monitor ect. there are very few if any of these available. Kind of hard to sticky what doesn't exist. Not that this isn't a good idea. It's been discussed before but I think the reality is someone needs to collect, organize and sometimes create the content you are asking for. Despite the loyal members of this site it has been a very slow and go process getting elements of the site upgraded or updated. Just out of curiosity which tutorials would you like to see?

For now the best thing is probably to read the repair section daily. Probably even dig back a year or two when there was a lot more activity in the repair section.
 
And for goodness sake, if you have a monitor problem post it in the monitor section. Pinball problems go in the pinball section. Jukebox problems in the jukebox section.

Seems like lately people are lumping everything into the repair section.
 
for the most part the entire repair section here is based in the DIY mentality. Or asking for help with the intent of doing the repair yourself rather than sending a board, component or machine off for repair. As for videos or step by step walk throughs of how to replace a fly back, cap a monitor ect. there are very few if any of these available. Kind of hard to sticky what doesn't exist. Not that this isn't a good idea. It's been discussed before but I think the reality is someone needs to collect, organize and sometimes create the content you are asking for. Despite the loyal members of this site it has been a very slow and go process getting elements of the site upgraded or updated. Just out of curiosity which tutorials would you like to see?

For now the best thing is probably to read the repair section daily. Probably even dig back a year or two when there was a lot more activity in the repair section.

One thing is,and I completely understand why, is that when someone here does do a simple repair they may not think to themselves......hey,maybe I should take some pics of my self doing this repair, and that's because they just wanna get it done and over with and this thought never crosses their mind that it could possibly help someone out that may have the same issue. It happens all the time no biggie. I also figured if the DIY was done it would eliminate the chance of the same question or problem being brought up numerous times. As far as what I would like to see, I would like to see a step by step tutorial on how to freshen up everything inside a cab from the board to the monitor. Perfect example, I have two machines that don't save high scores but I have no idea where the battery is to fix it, if that indeed is my issue. I have the equipment to do pretty much anything that needs done,issue is I don't know where to start. I would like to see how a monitor is discharged, monitor recap,flyback testing and replacement or repair,which caps to replace on a PCB depending on the boards problem,how to identify the type of monitor your machine has, I could go on all day but I won't. The only other option for my problems that I found was to spend $250 on a CDrom set on everything needed to know about repairing arcade games and who's to say that it will even be worth the money? I am litterally afraid to buy it because it may be worthless. I can't even find books on repair, I checked everywhere.
 
And for goodness sake, if you have a monitor problem post it in the monitor section. Pinball problems go in the pinball section. Jukebox problems in the jukebox section.

Seems like lately people are lumping everything into the repair section.

It's amazing how some people just won't read the thread title lol
 
I would like to see how a monitor is discharged, monitor recap,flyback testing and replacement or repair,which caps to replace on a PCB depending on the boards problem,how to identify the type of monitor your machine has, I could go on all day but I won't. The only other option for my problems that I found was to spend $250 on a CDrom set on everything needed to know about repairing arcade games and who's to say that it will even be worth the money? I am litterally afraid to buy it because it may be worthless. I can't even find books on repair, I checked everywhere.


I would like to see how a monitor is discharged - Search Youtube

monitor recap - Youtube, it is just simple component replacement...

flyback testing and replacement or repair - Search for LOPT tester, no repair other than sealing with RTV (usually not effective) and replacement which is again just a simple component replacement requiring soldering, search Youtube

which caps to replace on a PCB depending on the boards problem - This is too complicated and differs for every board, you need to understand how the board is layed out which requires understanding of the schematics.

how to identify the type of monitor your machine has - Check out Bob Robert's page entitled "What's My Monitor".


Actually, that last suggestion is the best one. Bob Roberts web site has pages that answer most of your question.

http://www.therealbobroberts.net/
 
Perfect example, I have two machines that don't save high scores but I have no idea where the battery is to fix it, if that indeed is my issue. I have the equipment to do pretty much anything that needs done,issue is I don't know where to start.

For this one you really need to post a specific question about your games and the issue in the repair section. Why? because different games have different styles of PCB's and the battery would be located in a different place on each one. So this is not a cut and paste type of answer. There are many possible answers depending on which game you are talking about.

I would like to see how a monitor is discharged, monitor recap,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX43sT0hMJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3EEPLjJeXg

how to identify the type of monitor your machine has
http://www.therealbobroberts.net/monitor.html


and if you didn't know about www.therealbobroberts.net it's a great resource not just for parts but also for info. Scroll down near the bottom of the page and you will see plenty of topics to read about. If you are new to this you should read them all!


The only other option for my problems that I found was to spend $250 on a CDrom set on everything needed to know about repairing arcade games and who's to say that it will even be worth the money? I am litterally afraid to buy it because it may be worthless. I can't even find books on repair, I checked everywhere.

Not sure which CD rom you are talking about. IF it's the Randy Fromm DVD's I thought his main focus was on monitors and little else. Although I may be incorrect and a lot of his monitor info is very good from what I've heard.
 
The only other option for my problems that I found was to spend $250 on a CDrom set on everything needed to know about repairing arcade games and who's to say that it will even be worth the money? I am litterally afraid to buy it because it may be worthless. I can't even find books on repair, I checked everywhere.

www.startechjournal.com

www.randyfromm.com
 
I find this completely unnecessary. Search the forum. Don't be lazy.

Ah I'm far from lazy when it comes to my games,they are my babies. Trust me, I use the search function more than anything else on here most of the time. This morning I searched how to wire up a coin mech and get the lights inside them to work, no dice.
 
Yeah, I'd jump on board for more "official" DIYs. I'm not afraid to try things, and "searching" only gets you so far. A basic question such as, when should your power be on when checking boards and power supplies? It seems stupid to most of you, but it's not "basic" to a lot of us. This isn't a request for someone to go right out and do it, but if someone happens to do a repair that they do a thousand times, take pics! Thanks.
 
For this one you really need to post a specific question about your games and the issue in the repair section. Why? because different games have different styles of PCB's and the battery would be located in a different place on each one. So this is not a cut and paste type of answer. There are many possible answers depending on which game you are talking about.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX43sT0hMJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3EEPLjJeXg


http://www.therealbobroberts.net/monitor.html


and if you didn't know about www.therealbobroberts.net it's a great resource not just for parts but also for info. Scroll down near the bottom of the page and you will see plenty of topics to read about. If you are new to this you should read them all!




Not sure which CD rom you are talking about. IF it's the Randy Fromm DVD's I thought his main focus was on monitors and little else. Although I may be incorrect and a lot of his monitor info is very good from what I've heard.

Thats the one, randy fromm $259.99
 
Yeah, I'd jump on board for more "official" DIYs. I'm not afraid to try things, and "searching" only gets you so far. A basic question such as, when should your power be on when checking boards and power supplies? It seems stupid to most of you, but it's not "basic" to a lot of us. This isn't a request for someone to go right out and do it, but if someone happens to do a repair that they do a thousand times, take pics! Thanks.

Wow! I'd like to know the answer to that myself, don't wanna kill myself from shock or blow something lol
 
Ah I'm far from lazy when it comes to my games,they are my babies. Trust me, I use the search function more than anything else on here most of the time. This morning I searched how to wire up a coin mech and get the lights inside them to work, no dice.

I'm pretty sure you can find the answer to your coin mech and light wiring question on Bob Roberts site. Or you could have just asked here.

As for the DVD's CD roms ect. I think both sources sited are good. Personally I'm cheap so I just read the forums here. Which have given me the knowledge to fix a lot of monitor issues, power supply and most general wiring issues.
 
So this IS a reputable source? I came across it the other day but since I heard nothing about before from anyone else I didn't know if it was worth buying.

Star Tech Journal has been around for 30 years collecting repair information for all kinds of coin operated machines. They also have a repair forum, but you must be a paid Star Tech Journal magazine subscriber to join.
 
Personally I'm cheap so I just read the forums here. Which have given me the knowledge to fix a lot of monitor issues, power supply and most general wiring issues.

X2 I do everything on a budget but I guess if I need an answer immediately without having to wait on a thread response I'll have to lay down some green.
 
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