Pitfall II Not Powering Up

AtariShag

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Hello all,

I just got an original Pitfall II by Sega but I'm a little stumped on this at the moment. It won't turn on - not even a buzz or a hum. What I've tested so far:

Coin door Switch
Power cord
power Supply

Those three seem to check out fine. The one component I'm not sure about is this "RFI Filter" where there is also a sticker on the inside of the cabinet above it that says "3 AMP Fuse" with a down arrow. I've not seen something like this before so I'm not sure where you can get a replacement. I assume that it can be tested the same as a fuse? It has two prongs on each side, as well as some ground wires that connect to a third prong sticking out the side (I don't have a multimeter with me at the moment so just checking on this for when I get one).

If that isn't it, what else could it be? Thanks!
 
Sorry, didn't have a camera when I made the post but here's the part I'm talking about. I'll be able to get a picture of inside the cabinet tomorrow but the power cord connects to some wires that go into this device so I'm assuming if its bad then power won't even get to the power supply.
 

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Sorry, didn't have a camera when I made the post but here's the part I'm talking about. I'll be able to get a picture of inside the cabinet tomorrow but the power cord connects to some wires that go into this device so I'm assuming if its bad then power won't even get to the power supply.

there is usually a switch on the back so when the door is off the game the power shuts down. It may need to be pulled out to power up.
 
there is usually a switch on the back so when the door is off the game the power shuts down. It may need to be pulled out to power up.

There is only one switch like that inside. It's by the coin door though. I checked it and it seemed fine although if I can get my hands on another just to be sure I will check.
 
That's a line filter. I have never had one go bad. You can test the voltage going in and out. The voltage should both be around 120vac in and out.

Brian
 
there is usually a switch on the back so when the door is off the game the power shuts down. It may need to be pulled out to power up.

I should add that I tried a regular cherry switch in the place of the coin door switch and there was no change, I imagine that the type of switch shouldn't really matter when it comes to testing this part out?
 
OK so I went and bought a 29-range digital Multimeter from RadioShack. Tested the RFI line filter pictured above. Both sides it beeps with a short. I test it on a working fuse and nothing happens, it just stays open which according to the manual means its ok. Not sure if this is what I'm supposed to get out of the line filter or not though so if anyone has advice, it would be appreciated.

I also spoke with someone who mentioned that it could be the isolation transformer. Are those just all the same or what do I need to be on the look out for?
 
No beep on a fuse means it's bad. You want it to beep to indicate a short/continuity.
 
I'm thinking it must be the way the meter was designed. I tested it on a new fuse. I am thinking of taking it back though, I would rather have a meter that behaves normally for these kinds of things.

I took the line filter to a electronics part shop, they tested it and another filter and both tested the same. So that's fine apparently.

Now about the isolation transformer. I don't know much about these. How do I test one out and figure out which proper one to replace it with?
 
Ok, SCRATCH that last post. I decided to take another look at the interlock switch near the coin door. I cut the wires and tied them together and the machine powers up! But now there is a new problem...

The marquee light is on (albeit dim) and there is a hum from the monitor. The neck is glowing but there is no response from the game. The board itself has an LED light that does not light up. So I am assuming that the board is bad. Could it be something else before I take steps to get that fixed or replaced?
 
Ok, SCRATCH that last post. I decided to take another look at the interlock switch near the coin door. I cut the wires and tied them together and the machine powers up! But now there is a new problem...

The marquee light is on (albeit dim) and there is a hum from the monitor. The neck is glowing but there is no response from the game. The board itself has an LED light that does not light up. So I am assuming that the board is bad. Could it be something else before I take steps to get that fixed or replaced?

Just a guess, but check all your fuses first before you assume it's a bad board.
 
Just a guess, but check all your fuses first before you assume it's a bad board.

I don't see any fuses anywhere, and have tried with two different power supplies with the same result. Will see about metering the harness connections to the board and see if it's getting any power though.
 
well I feel like a dunce. Turns out the only problem was the interlock switch. The issue with the board was my own fault, not wiring up the power supply in the right order of wires. But it's working now, its great to have this as I was a big fan of Pitfall II growing up. Thanks to everyone who offered advice and help!
 
Awesome, always good to get a game back up and running!

Absolutely. Especially this one, which I vaguely knew was in arcades back in the day but I had never stumbled across one. I was a fan of P2 before I was of Super Mario Bros so it's fun to play the arcade evolution of that from the 2600 to this.
 
I don't believe any of this until i see some pictures!







Jk, good job getting it up and running.





But seriously, how about some pcs!



:)
 
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