Should I pay someone to fix my game?

aboy1411

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This may be a silly question. Some of you may have read in my threads that I have a gauntlet legends that is not working. It seems to be the hard drive or the graphics card. Of course I'm not positive thats the problem.

I found a local guy who sells the hard drive and graphics card for $100. My concern is that I buy these parts and it does not fix it. The guy selling the parts also works on them. So now I'm thinking just take him the boards etc. and let him figure out the exact problem.

There is a $45 diagnostic charge and then $75/hour plus parts. The diagnostic charge will be applied to the repair if I decide to have him go ahead with it.

I figure this is my best option?
 
If you just want it fixed, I don't see a problem with letting someone do it. These things are old and often cantankerous though, so if he can at least let you know what he did or show you basic things to check if you ever have a problem again, it'd be good info for you.

I think most of the hard drive games have diagnostic menus that will help you troubleshoot, though naturally in some instances (no video) it won't help you.
 
So, the guy you woule buy the parts from has a board set and it may not work. But you are willing to let the guy work on your entire cab for what is likely more money than just buying the board set that he currently has but doesn't know if it will work?

If he is a competent repairman his spare boardset should work. You should test your power supply to ensure it is good and then buy his boardset. Ohterwise you are likely to end up spending anywhere from $200 to $350 dollars to have him just swap boards anyway.
 
This may be a silly question. Some of you may have read in my threads that I have a gauntlet legends that is not working. It seems to be the hard drive or the graphics card. Of course I'm not positive thats the problem.

I found a local guy who sells the hard drive and graphics card for $100. My concern is that I buy these parts and it does not fix it. The guy selling the parts also works on them. So now I'm thinking just take him the boards etc. and let him figure out the exact problem.

There is a $45 diagnostic charge and then $75/hour plus parts. The diagnostic charge will be applied to the repair if I decide to have him go ahead with it.

I figure this is my best option?


Is the graphics card a relatively standard one? Have you ever worked on a PC before? I totally understand your wanting to get this fixed but if it's a vid card you could pick up at Best Buy and stick in yourself, I think you're going to be bummed that you shelled out all that extra cash (that could be going towards another game)!

I would at least do a check yourself to see what the innards are of that game, especially if you're going to stick around in this hobby. These things always need some TLC so with a game that has a vid card in it, it might be a good one to break the ice with.
 
If you just want it fixed, I don't see a problem with letting someone do it. These things are old and often cantankerous though, so if he can at least let you know what he did or show you basic things to check if you ever have a problem again, it'd be good info for you.

I think most of the hard drive games have diagnostic menus that will help you troubleshoot, though naturally in some instances (no video) it won't help you.

Yeah I cant get anything on the screen to see a diagnostic menu.
 
So, the guy you woule buy the parts from has a board set and it may not work. But you are willing to let the guy work on your entire cab for what is likely more money than just buying the board set that he currently has but doesn't know if it will work?

If he is a competent repairman his spare boardset should work. You should test your power supply to ensure it is good and then buy his boardset. Ohterwise you are likely to end up spending anywhere from $200 to $350 dollars to have him just swap boards anyway.

His board sets work but Im not sure which exact one has the problem. I could buy the graphics card and hard drive but there is no guaranty that will fix it. What if its the monitor and I just bought a new hard drive? My power supply is good that has been checked.

I have done quite a bit of digging and asking on what the problem is. This is one of the
few games on KLOV that does not have much info.

THis guy is a 20 year atari/midway tech.
 
Is the graphics card a relatively standard one? Have you ever worked on a PC before? I totally understand your wanting to get this fixed but if it's a vid card you could pick up at Best Buy and stick in yourself, I think you're going to be bummed that you shelled out all that extra cash (that could be going towards another game)!

I would at least do a check yourself to see what the innards are of that game, especially if you're going to stick around in this hobby. These things always need some TLC so with a game that has a vid card in it, it might be a good one to break the ice with.

It is not a standard graphics card. It has to be an exact match. The guy sells the graphics card for $75. No PC experience. Hell I own a mac. Computers are not my gig. I can do cap kits and basic stuff like that.

Like i said i have done some digging on this game and there is not much info on it out there.

I threw up the thread to see if there is a viable "plan B".
 
His board sets work but Im not sure which exact one has the problem. I could buy the graphics card and hard drive but there is no guaranty that will fix it. What if its the monitor and I just bought a new hard drive? My power supply is good that has been checked.

I have done quite a bit of digging and asking on what the problem is. This is one of the
few games on KLOV that does not have much info.

THis guy is a 20 year atari/midway tech.

Buy a graphics card and a hard drive, don't open the hard drive. I doubt a hard drive prob would make the diagnostics menu not come up (I would have to think that would be in a BIOS or CMOS somewhere on the boards).

If it's the vid card, you just resolved an issue yourself. If it's not, you already have a vid card and won't have to pay the tech's price for "his" version of the vid card.

Just my .02.. If you think you've exhausted all you can in troubleshooting, then let the other guy do it.
 
This has me interested.. I'm gonna yank my hard drive off my board tonight and boot my legands to see how it acts. I know with Blitz games if you have a bad HD it will not boot at all. Nothing on screen zilch. Well, a solid green screen actually. I'm wondering if Legands acts the same. Differant board sets I know, but I'm still curious. I'll report my findings later tonight. You may just have a bad HD which I could send you one pretty cheap.
 
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Buy a graphics card and a hard drive, don't open the hard drive. I doubt a hard drive prob would make the diagnostics menu not come up (I would have to think that would be in a BIOS or CMOS somewhere on the boards).

If it's the vid card, you just resolved an issue yourself. If it's not, you already have a vid card and won't have to pay the tech's price for "his" version of the vid card.

Just my .02.. If you think you've exhausted all you can in troubleshooting, then let the other guy do it.

The video card has to be an exact match. He told me the graphics card rarely go out on Gauntlet Legends.

I just don't know much about the computer side of this hobby. It's the restoring part of it that I know how to do.
 
This has me interested.. I'm gonna yank my hard drive off my board tonight and boot my legands to see how it acts. I know with Blitz games if you have a bad HD it will not boot at all. Nothing on screen zilch. I'm wondering if Legands acts the same. Differant board sets I know, but I'm still curious. I'll report my findings later tonight. You may just have a bad HD which I could send you one pretty cheap.

Yeah but like you are thinking they are very similar. I have a blank purple screen and there is no "ding" sound when I turn it on.

Your idea my help a ton.
 
I found a local guy who sells the hard drive and graphics card for $100.
There is a $45 diagnostic charge and then $75/hour plus parts.

So you'd be looking at a minimum of $220......

His board sets work but Im not sure which exact one has the problem. I could buy the graphics card and hard drive but there is no guaranty that will fix it.

What if you took your harddrive and video card to him and had him test them first ?
A good tech would try and verify your parts first if at all possible before just selling you parts.

Does your harddrive even try to spin up or have any noise at all coming from it ? (like it's trying to run)
 
So you'd be looking at a minimum of $220......



What if you took your harddrive and video card to him and had him test them first ?
A good tech would try and verify your parts first if at all possible before just selling you parts.

Does your harddrive even try to spin up or have any noise at all coming from it ? (like it's trying to run)

No it would be $175 if he replaced the HD and graphics card. Basically if I have him fix it the $45 is waved.

He said it is probably not the graphics card. That is what I am doing, taking him all the hardware so he can see what the exact problem is before he starts on the repair. He has not sold me anything yet.

Yes the hard drive is spinning.
 
Ok, I unhooked my HD on my legands and booted. Got a bing sound, and red writing stating that no blocks are found aka no HD. Next I removed the video card entirely from the board set and booted. No bings noises and not much on the screen at all. Just sorta grey.

Here is what I would do If I was you.. If you are savy enough to use a volt meter and check voltages that would be a good start. If not then do the following. Unhook the HD and boot it up to see if you get any further. I doubt you will. Anyways, leave the HD unhooked. Next Unplug the controllers cables from the board. Just leave the long jamma cable plugged in. We are taking the board to it's lowest level with operational functions. Boot, see what happens. If problem pursists, you should unhook the video cable, take screws out of video card and pull it away from the board set to seperate and remove it. Clean the connectors. Plug the video card back in attach the cable and boot. You might just need to reseat that vid card.

Still nothing.. Consult the manual, I think there are some error codes broken down in the book. You might be able to determine by the lights that come on the board as to what the issue is.

You really should check the power levels though.. you can get the manual here if you don't have it. http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Arcade_Manuals_and_Schematics/Gauntlet Dark Legacy 27in.pdf

Good luck.
 
Well I took it to the dude and he fixed it. Bad pcb board and graphics card. Now the power supply is shot. This is 2 weekends in a row where i put a game back together and it does not work.
 
sorry to hear that, it happens.. but kudos to you. You're taking the steps to get your game going. You're that much closer to achieving it, you're close now. Alot of people have non working games, doing nothing just taking up space. A crowd I was very much in until recently deciding to get everything fixed, even though I'm paying to have it done.

Tom
 
sorry to hear that, it happens.. but kudos to you. You're taking the steps to get your game going. You're that much closer to achieving it, you're close now. Alot of people have non working games, doing nothing just taking up space. A crowd I was very much in until recently deciding to get everything fixed, even though I'm paying to have it done.

Tom
Yeah Tom, really its pretty funny. This hobby is good for me. Im not the most patient person in the world and this kinda forces me to be. Like many have said to me, these games are old and can be very sensitive/cantankerous. I just have to sit back, relax and try not to loose it.

Having non working games makes you look a little silly when people come over to visit. But as for most its a money issue. If money were no object I would by games that were restored to like new condition.

I just wanted to play gauntlet real bad. It was not working when I got it.
 
I missed this thread until now, unfortunately.

> The video card has to be an exact match. He told me the graphics card rarely go out on Gauntlet Legends.

This is incorrect; they frequently fail. Read the forums here; many people have to replace theirs. I did and now I have a new card and 2 spares. :)

toplessz has them for significantly less than what you paid. I would have gone that route first.

If you want your new video card to last make sure that you keep it cooled with the fan or you'll be replacing it again before long.
 
My fans work. I really think my problem was the corrosion. Like I said i know its there.

To be honest I rushed to get the game going because my bro in law is coming next weekend. My donkey kong was supposed to be up and going a week ago and when putting it back together I realized there are some bad eproms. So when he gets here I have to have one game going. My Tron plays but there is no sound and that game is really boring. As you know GL is perfect for 2+ players.

BTW do you plug your NBA Jams into your GL?

I think Tron may be on the block soon.
 
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