mogrinz
Member
So, I've had this Tempest machine in my posession since 1989. It was actually my first purchase years ago when I was in college (back then, I would visit op warehouses and it was like Walmart for picking up machines)
Anyway, it's always worked fine.. usual maintenance issues with the monitor etc. A few years ago, I finally got around to installing the Clay Cowgill multigame kit I bought years earlier. And that's when the trouble started.. Around that time, it seems that the game decided to stop drawing some of the lines correctly. Sometimes if I let it warm up for a bit, things worked fine. I was sure I probably messed up something with Clay's kit; or that it was DOA and I had waited too long to install it.
I decided to finally get around to fixing it, so when barakawins listed a Tempest for sale, I jumped on it. Btw, John is a great guy so "good seller alert".
I played the game at his house and it was fine. My plan was to swap his boardset with mine, and put it back up for sale leaving the real debugging to a more skilled soul.
I brought it home, replaced my boardset with his: and still got the messed up lines.
Hmm.I think.. OK - maybe the power supply. I replace that. No difference
Hmm.. Maybe that other board (audio?) Replace that.. No change.
I recall that my wiring harness had some lines chewed by mice a long time ago that I repaired. Maybe that's the problem... I swaped my wiring harness: No change.
What the heck? I'd swapped everything from the new machine into my old one, and there was no change!? The monitor *couldn't* be the problem.. but I hook up a spare anyway. No change.
At this point, I have replaced every wired piece of the cabinet except 1 last thing: The power cord. Mine didn't appear damaged or frayed.. And if it was damaged, you'd think the game wouldnt come up at all.
You can guess the rest. I swap power cords, and the game plays fine again. Sheesh!
So looks like I'll be selling a fully working Tempest after all (fingers crossed). I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell my boards with the multigame installed though.
Oh - anyone got an extra power cord?
Mike
Anyway, it's always worked fine.. usual maintenance issues with the monitor etc. A few years ago, I finally got around to installing the Clay Cowgill multigame kit I bought years earlier. And that's when the trouble started.. Around that time, it seems that the game decided to stop drawing some of the lines correctly. Sometimes if I let it warm up for a bit, things worked fine. I was sure I probably messed up something with Clay's kit; or that it was DOA and I had waited too long to install it.
I decided to finally get around to fixing it, so when barakawins listed a Tempest for sale, I jumped on it. Btw, John is a great guy so "good seller alert".
I played the game at his house and it was fine. My plan was to swap his boardset with mine, and put it back up for sale leaving the real debugging to a more skilled soul.
I brought it home, replaced my boardset with his: and still got the messed up lines.
Hmm.I think.. OK - maybe the power supply. I replace that. No difference
Hmm.. Maybe that other board (audio?) Replace that.. No change.
I recall that my wiring harness had some lines chewed by mice a long time ago that I repaired. Maybe that's the problem... I swaped my wiring harness: No change.
What the heck? I'd swapped everything from the new machine into my old one, and there was no change!? The monitor *couldn't* be the problem.. but I hook up a spare anyway. No change.
At this point, I have replaced every wired piece of the cabinet except 1 last thing: The power cord. Mine didn't appear damaged or frayed.. And if it was damaged, you'd think the game wouldnt come up at all.
You can guess the rest. I swap power cords, and the game plays fine again. Sheesh!
So looks like I'll be selling a fully working Tempest after all (fingers crossed). I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell my boards with the multigame installed though.
Oh - anyone got an extra power cord?
Mike
