Power Up Trouble

barrysfarm

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First off - This is my first post on the board. I've taken about a 7 year hiatus from anything arcade, and just very recently gotten back into it. I'm excited!

I got a Double Dragon machine the other day which I knew had a bad PCB — previous owner said that he got a ROM error on startup. I've got a new PCB on the way. However, when I plug it in, the machine doesn't seem to be powering on. Not even a little bit.

When I plug it in, absolutely nothing happens. The monitor doesn't turn on, the marquee light doesn't come one (the bulb itself is fine though - I tested it in another machine), and (as expected) nothing happens to the pcb. Also, the power supply doesn't make a sound, though that could be how it's built - I'm not sure.

I used a multimeter to test voltage, and there is power coming into the cabinet, though i'm not sure it's getting to the power supply.

This could be something really simple that I'm missing. I found 3 switches. One by the PCB and another two in the back. I think one of the ones in the back goes to the marquee light, the other two I'm not sure. Maybe there is a fourth one I'm missing.

A machine without a working board still should do something when it's plugged in, right?
 
It sounds like you're referring to the interlock switches and the main power on/off switch. Also from your description of a switch being near the pcb, I'm betting you have a dedicated Double Dragon with the full Taito side art.That main on/off switch should be located on the top of the cabinet. That would have to be in the on position of course for the game to work (assuming it's not been bypassed by a previous owner). The other 2 switches should be your safety interlock switches. You either have to have the back door and PCB drawer closed, or you can pull the nobs of those switches out until they click and lock into place.

BTW welcome back to collecting! Double Dragon machines are nice JAMMA cabs that make it easy to swap out boards. :)
 
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@SuperGunGuru

That makes a lot of sense. The locations of the PCB switch & the switch on the back are in just the right place so that if the PCB drawer and the back isn't closed, then the switches would be off. The third switch is a metal on-off switch that kind of just dangles.

I'll check it out in a little bit.

Thanks! It is an original Double Dragon. It's got the Taito side art. It's got a few scratches, and the control panel needs to be rebuilt, but the plan is to restore it to it's 1987 glory.
 
@SuperGunGuru

That makes a lot of sense. The locations of the PCB switch & the switch on the back are in just the right place so that if the PCB drawer and the back isn't closed, then the switches would be off. The third switch is a metal on-off switch that kind of just dangles.

I'll check it out in a little bit.

Thanks! It is an original Double Dragon. It's got the Taito side art. It's got a few scratches, and the control panel needs to be rebuilt, but the plan is to restore it to it's 1987 glory.
If checking those switches doesn't work, it's possible the switches themselves are bad. You should be able to get some sign of life from this thing. You said your marquee bulb is good, but what about the starter? You could always borrow it from that cab you tested the bulb in. There are also other places to check for power to see if the game is doing anything. You can meter for 120 volts AC at the 2 position connector that goes to the monitor.
 
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It was the interlock switches! It seems the back panel doesn't actually hold the switch down. When I pulled it to open it, everything turned on. The monitor turned on, the bezel turned on, and the PCB turned on and it brought up the ROM error.

I knew it was a simple solution.

Thanks, everyone!
 
It was the interlock switches! It seems the back panel doesn't actually hold the switch down. When I pulled it to open it, everything turned on. The monitor turned on, the bezel turned on, and the PCB turned on and it brought up the ROM error.

I knew it was a simple solution.

Thanks, everyone!

Awesome! Glad you got it figured out. You could move the interlock switch if you wanted so it makes contact with the back door. I've also seen many times where someone will purposely move the switch so the door can't push it in.
 
Here's some pics of the cabinet all lit up. Just noticed that I'll need to get a new coin slot bulb.
 

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