Share Your "Lessons Learned the Hard Way"

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Share Your "Lessons Learned the Hard Way"

We're recording another episode of the Gameroom Junkies podcast tonight, and one of our most popular segments is our "Lessons Learned the Hard Way" segment where we share stupid stories about things that happened to us or other collectors that made us suffer, but now we now know better.

An example I've shared earlier is that I learned the hard way during a cap kit repair that an Electrohome monitor's filter capacitor can still hold a charge. I put my hand on the solder side of the chassis and discharged the full force of the capacitor, burning my hand and making it numb for hours on end.

I have also learned the hard way that no matter how heavy you think an object is, you need to make sure it is secured in your truck. While I was still in college, I had to get rid of the very first game I owned, so I gave it to my friend. He came with his dad's pickup truck, we loaded it up, put it on it's back to distribute the weight, tried to wiggle it - it wouldn't budge. He didn't have ratchet straps or bungee cord, but we knew we should probably get some. We cautiously headed to Wal Mart and SLOWLY went down the hill, got to the bottom unscathed. WHEW! Dodged that bullet. On to Wally world! We get all the way there, slow down to stop at the stop sign in the parking lot and ...BOOOOOOM!!! The game slides and busts through the back window shattering the glass into a thousand pieces. Did I mention this was his Dad's truck? Ooops. Guess the free game my friend got just turned into a $300 game. LESSON LEARNED.


Anyhow, I've exhausted all the cool stories I have for the show, so I'd love to hear some of yours. Please share your stories here and I'll pick some of the funniest for the show. Heck, I may even have a prize for the funniest (or most horrible) lesson. If your story is long and you'd rather not type it out, feel free to call the Gameroom Junkies voicemail at 404-829-GAME and just leave your story as a message and we can put it on the show that way (don't worry hermits, you wont have to talk to anyone, just leave a voicemail). We'd love to hear from you!
 
Never have a monitor chassis resting in your lap......forgetting it's still plugged in to a power strip......plug your solder station into said same strip......and flip the POWER switch!

Edward
 
when your monitor goes out, check the yoke before spending a month rebuilding and troubleshooting the chassis
 
Never, ever, ever set a PERFECT burn free tube on top of a tall stack of old krappy cardboard boxes in your garage and turn your back.

Ive never heard anything "implode" so hard in my life. Im lucky some of those big glass shards did not kill me!
 
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Always search for troubleshooting tip before buying parts.

Never carry newly repaired monitor PCB's with tools down stairs, the newly repaired portion will quickly be reverted.
 
Never, ever sit a monitor out where the direct sunlight will hit it. It will heat the glass unevenly and that is a bad thing. I went to a swap meet to sell off a couple of medium res 19" monitors with touch screens on them (got them from a 8Liner shop that thought they were CGA's). I pulled the first one out of the box and went back to the car to get the second one. I unpacked the second one and set it down by the first. Looked at the first one only to see a brand new crack running corner to corner on the tube. While I was swearing about it, I heard a *tink* sound and saw a brand new matching crack on the second. Two $300 retail tubes for the dumpster (fortunately I paid a lot less than retail, but still, they were good tubes before the sun hit them and somebody could have used them).

ken
 
i didnt have to learn the hard way but here is a public service message:

IF YOU DONT WANT TO GET RIPPED OFF DO NOT AVOID PAYPAL FEES BY CLASSIFYING A PURCHASE AS A GIFT!!!!!!!!!
 
Always make sure the monitor is securly mounter before you tip the game on its' back to load it. There is no worse sound than a perfectly good tube taking a deep breath after you've snapped the neck.
 
When using cardboard to protect your hardwood floors near the top of the
steps as you begin to move a game down the steps (on a dolly) into the
basement, make sure the cardboard is not under your feet so you dont slip
and fall on your side while trying to hold onto the game (now a 1/3rd of the
way down the steps) hanging on by one arm

Second part of this lesson is to never move a game on a dolly down a set of
steps into the basement by yourself. You could fall on your side yell for
help for 10 mins and then have no other choice but to let go of the game
watching it slide down your steps and hit the basement wall at the end.

The game (Galaga) survived with just a couple scratches. My pride did not.

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When using a dolly to move a game:

- If you have access to a ramp, use it.
- Always use straps when possible.
- When moving a large cab, always have a second person spotting you on the other side.

Not following the above can result in a dinged/scratched cab or one that face plants.
 
These are great. If you've got some others to share quickly, please do so. We're recording right now and would love to add yours to the mix.

Thanks for the bloody hand pic, by the way. :)
 
If you buy a pinball and don't look at the MPU board directly in person first, you will find that it has acid damage when you get it home.
 
Never solder with open toe shoes or in your underwear and not expect to get burn marks.
If you use metal tools to adjust a live monitor, It is not a question of if your going to get shock but a question of when.
If you freshly paint a cab. Giving it time to air out is important. Paint fumes do need time to air out.
 
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