repairs on these old games!!

Kyle Dracup

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How often are you guys repairing you games and how are they holding up. do you have many issues after you refinish them. and do you do the repairs your self or do you have somebody else repair them for you. does it seem like a hassle some times!!
 
i have a bunch of broken games at the moment but they are all ones that either worked when i bought them or just had little things like sprite issues or off color and i ignored it. now those problems are compiling into alot of dead games.
i have had very little trouble with the games ive rebuilt or restored but most of those are not in my possession anymore.

everything on a game is fixeable so i know eventually i will get them going when i really want to. i had some family members over tonight and had about a dozen games on. some have not been turned on in about a year. they all came on exept for mousetrap even armor attack worked!
 
Seems like a constant battle with some and others you can just set and forget, I would say Tron seems to be my most temperamental game, whereas Atari games seem to run like battle droids.

I'm a self fixer for sure, I get help when I need it from a local friend but mostly I learn on the fly and take lots of notes incase it happens again.
 
All of my games have been extremely reliable since I have had them. Each game has their own issues that are inevitable and should be addressed. Examples are fuse holders on pacs, big blue cap on Atari games, etc. Stuff like that should automatically be on the fix list before putting the game in your row. Another preventative measure is to rebuild the monitor before there's a problem. Alot of arcade problems are monitor related. Recap the monitor and replace the parts like flyback and width coil on GO7's before they fail.
 
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As with anything antique or "classic" (cars, electronics, arcade games, old console games etc) always be prepared to spend more time repairing them than playing them. If you don't ENJOY repairing games, you don't want to start collecting old arcade games or pinball machines.
 
Most issues I ever have is monitor adjustments. Seems like they need adjusted every now and then. If your setup is solid with good connections, rarely will you have issues down the road on a stationary game. I have moved games around and had issues before, always something so obvious that you seem not to find it, lol :) Games I have seen where people had issues every now and then was ALWAYS ground issues. They didn't have proper earth/true ground in the cab.

Kevin
 
Fixing is part of the deal and part of the fun. I find it's also important to keep up with any repairs. As soon as a game is broken or not acting right I address it immediately. The last thing I want is a room full of broken games. So, be prepared to work on them and keep up with it!
 
Like the others I fix one and another takes a crap. I have more trouble with monitors than anything. My game from hell is Spy Hunter and with me not real good at fixing the games I have to hire a guy at times to look at them. This sight and the members here have been more helpful than you can believe! Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!
Bill
 
If you go through a game pretty well it should hold up. If you nitpick at it and just replace what you absolutely have to, it will be never ending.


Well said. Also, if you do repair something do it correctly. If you half-ass it and hold a ground on with electrical tape instead of a proper fitting you are just asking for the problem to return.
 
I rebuild all of my games before they come into the house, so they have been very stable. Right now I have a RAM issue with my Mystic Marathon, but I just need to pull it out and replace one. I think it got damaged when the power was unstable at the game show. Otherwise, they have been very stable.

Fix them right up front and you will be rewarded in the long run. Remember these were workhorses running 24x7 in arcades getting abused all the time. The little bit of play they get at home must seem like nirvana for these machines.

ken
 
Unfortunately I never repair my games because I don't know how and I have no one to teach me, so if something goes wrong with a cab I just sell it and buy something in place of it. My loss their gain I guess.
 
Trial and Error is a great way to start (for your own games).

Kevin


Unfortunately I never repair my games because I don't know how and I have no one to teach me, so if something goes wrong with a cab I just sell it and buy something in place of it. My loss their gain I guess.
 
Unfortunately I never repair my games because I don't know how and I have no one to teach me, so if something goes wrong with a cab I just sell it and buy something in place of it. My loss their gain I guess.


I was the same way. It's amazing how easy it is to learn yourself once you get ripped off a few times and the budget tightens.
 
Unfortunately I never repair my games because I don't know how and I have no one to teach me, so if something goes wrong with a cab I just sell it and buy something in place of it. My loss their gain I guess.

If only you lived in the Denver area... ;)

You'd be surprised how easy it is to fix some. I picked up an Astron Belt cab a few weeks ago that the seller could never get to function properly. Astron Belt used a Laser Disc player, and the drive had a shipping screw securing the drive. No wonder it didn't function. Put a few hours into it before you let it go. Just unplug your machines before messing with them, and avoid the monitor completely until you know more about how to handle it safely. (look up how to discharge a CRT just in case)
 
It all depends, I tend to get games, and get them up and running pretty quick. Those will tend to have problems, as I haven't spent any real time on them.

Games like my Pacman(s) or any game where I have restored it, everything get's a through going over, forums read for common problems, and those areas paid special attention too. Those are the games that once done, I have no problems with. Which means I'm up to 7 solid games out of 14 atm. But my Galaga is almost done, and I think Tempest will be the next in line.

My Tempest that is tempermental, needs a new interconnect, and an Asteroids that still has a strange monitor problem, and some sound issues on my BZ. I tend to look at those problems when I get a chance, but once I re-furb, or restore them I should have no major issues.

I find taking the time to go over the areas of common problems, helps tremendiously.
 
Thanks KLOV

This site has been extremely helpful, have to say thanks to all the KLOV'rs out there. In the past month I have managed to find a source for cap kits (thanks Bob Roberts) and an additional source for flybacks to replace the flyback and the caps on a Neotech 2701. Now my Guantlet Legacy has the best picture it has ever had - still has slight pincushion but much better picture.

Once my Gauntlet was repaired I powered up my faithful Ms. Pacman to find a garbled monitor. Again KLOV stepped in with tons of information. I cleaned the fuse sockets, replaced the power cable, cleaned the PCB sockets, and bada bing -- its alive.

Thanks again,
Mike

NoVA
 
Some days everything works like a charm and other days it seems like all of the games are possessed. I've kind of acquired what I want, now I am in the restoration and "bullet-proofing" phase. My goal is to have an extra PCB or other high failure part on hand so if something goes down I can be up and running quickly.

Bill
 
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