pls help fix this centipede PICS AND VIDEO

sircrunch

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Bought this as is and it has never worked since i've had it. I tested each and every fuse with a multimeter, and they are all good. When you power up the machine it sounds like its firing up good, you get a red light on the pcb, the monitor powers up and has a dim glow from the flyback. There is no picture on the monitor and its a strange puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puh sound coming from the speaker. When you add credits no difference in sound and the game does not play blind or anything. The marquee light works and the coin door lights work as well as the little cone 1p 2p buttons on the CP work. Notice on the 3rd pic there is a green wire hanging going to nowhere. Maybe that is a problem? I do have a multimeter ready to go. I am interested in fixing this game, and if I can't fix it I'll have to sell it as its taking up space. If i can fix it i'll definetly keep it along side my neo geo, ms pac, and 10 yd fight. Please help resurrect this classic from the dead! I've got pics and video here:
video click here:
http://www.firstgenmc.com/album/KevinW/arcade/cent/MOV04500.MPG









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DSC04493.JPG

DSC04494.JPG

DSC04495.JPG



video click here:
http://www.firstgenmc.com/album/KevinW/arcade/cent/MOV04500.MPG
 
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That green wire should just be a ground to the monitor chassis. If your start lights on the control panel stay on and dont blink and the game doesn't play blind, then its probably your pcb board.
 
I've got some more info hoping it would trigger more help.

I checked the voltage at the lugs on the PCB

-30v tested at 32.0v
+15v tested at 17.98V
-15v tested at 17.72V
-22v tested at 29.8V
+22v tested at 28.9v
+5v tested at 5.72



then i tested at the regulator/audioII board

and there i have:

36VAC tested at 22.3
36VAC tested at 22.3
-22DC tested at 30.2
+22DC tested at 30.0
+12DC tested at 14.2
-5DC tested at 6.2
+10.3 DC UNR tested at 15.4


a self test gives one single loud beep.
 
Your A/R II needs to be rebuilt it is bad. Test the diodes on the right hand side of the board and you should find that one or more is bad.
 
Those are way too high. Dokert is right, looks like you need a rebuild kit at least. The voltages need to be within about 10% before you should plug a good working board back in.

Just curious, where are you setting your black probe for ground?
 
Just curious, where are you setting your black probe for ground?

on the arII board i put the black probe for the ground on the lug marked (grd) at the top right corner for all arII readings

on the pcb i put the black probe on the lug marked (grd) at the top right (when the edge connectors are facing right) again for all the pcb readings

is that right, did i do it right?
 
Wouldn't argue with any of the advice above.

I would add though that the AR2 supplies only the +22, -22, +5, -5, and +12.

Of these voltages I think that the +22 / -22 are used for the High Score retention functionality, so not sure what the effect on the game operation might be with these voltages being so high. They clearly are way too high though and this needs addressing at some point, as others have already said.

The -5 and +12, I think, are used for the audio. You give the readings off the AR2 for these voltages (and they are a bit on the high side) but not for the PCB (not sure there are test point lugs for these on the PCB or not). Not sure these slightly high voltages would be enough to prevent the game runing.

Finally, the +5, which is key, is too high at 5.7VDC. I'd be suprised is your Centipede would run at 5.7, I think much above 5.5VDC is asking for trouble. The good news is that you can trim this right down to the required 5.0VDC very easily. There's a trim pot on the AR2 for the +5. I'd give that pot a twirl and dial in a nice steady +5 and see what happens. It'll cost you nothing and its worth a punt.
 
i turned the dial to the right and it went down slightly, so i turned it again and it is as far as it will go! its reading at 5.6 and thats as low as i can get it.
The machine is acting much differently now. If i press the fire button i'm definetly getting the firing sound, also a strange loud low beeeeep if i press a credit button, and the credit buttons lights are coming off and on depending on what order i press the different buttons in. the puh-puh-puh-puh sound has gone away.. still no game play on the screen, just a black screen. am I still looking at rebuilding the ARII????
 
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with the game off, how's your edge connector? making a good tight connection? all the pins look good? solder pads ok and not burnt? i'm not well versed here on atari stuff, but if they're flakey they can cause problems on the ar2. (not saying you shouldn't still rebuild it.)
 
i'm working on a deal with someone on a 100% tested arII board right now.

the whole pcb is in great condition, the pins and all are nice on it. no bad spots, and the edge connector appears to have a good tight connection.
 
Looking at your fifth pic, your centipede is much cleaner than mine. What I noticed is...your coin door interlock is pointed upward & is open. Besides your other problems, this may be adding to your trouble.
 
Looking at your fifth pic, your centipede is much cleaner than mine. What I noticed is...your coin door interlock is pointed upward & is open. Besides your other problems, this may be adding to your trouble.

The interlock is in the correct position for game operation.
 
ok my ar-II from a known good working millipede game came in the mail today. i unplugged the pcb so as not to damage it (or damage it any further maybe), then installed the ar-II. I fired it up and took the following voltages at the ar-II.

36VAC tests at 18.7
36VAC tests at 18.7
-22 VDC testss at 25.5
+22 VDC tests at 25.5
12 VDC tests at 12.14
-5 VDC tests at 7.06
10.3 VDC UNR tests at 13.97

i'm not a professional but these figures don't seem good. whats going on here?
 
ok my ar-II from a known good working millipede game came in the mail today. i unplugged the pcb so as not to damage it (or damage it any further maybe), then installed the ar-II. I fired it up and took the following voltages at the ar-II.

36VAC tests at 18.7
36VAC tests at 18.7
-22 VDC testss at 25.5
+22 VDC tests at 25.5
12 VDC tests at 12.14
-5 VDC tests at 7.06
10.3 VDC UNR tests at 13.97

i'm not a professional but these figures don't seem good. whats going on here?

All numbers look good for not having the board plugged in. You are taking your AC readings incorrectly which is why you are only getting half of the expected value.

Looks a lot better, plug in the board and fire it up.
 
ok i just plugged in the board and fired it up.

here are the results
still no picture, still have the puh-puh-puh-puh sound coming from the speaker, nothing really has changed from before play-wise, except these voltage numbers at the game pcb board are now different:

+5V on the pcb is 5.32
-22V on the pcb is 25.0
+22V on the pcb is 24.6
-15V on the pcb is 15.01
+15V on the pcb is 15.19
-30V on the pcb is 27.0
+12V on the pcb is 12.04
-5V on the pcb is 5.17
 
well, i dont know exactly if my monitor works. the neck is glowing and i'm getting some vertical orange streaks at the extreme left edge of the monitor. other than that the picture is black. i haven't messed with any of the contrast/brightness/holds etc. on the monitor... a self test still gives one loud beep. crediting up or pressing buttons does not effect sounds or picture.
 
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