SoCal Arcade Repair Shops

GeesArcade

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Donor 2024
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Hi there. I'm hoping to obtain some leads, from you, the KLOV Forum Family, regarding shops that will work on arcade games (general repairs) and/or specifically, one that specializes in vector monitors.

If you know of any in the Southern California area (i.e. Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, San Diego) I would appreciate any leads in way of:
  • company name,
  • cell/main number,
  • address,
  • email,
  • website
  • and even a contact name that you may have dealt with.
Your testimony on your experience with them is welcomed, too.

Thanks in advance.
 
You'll have better luck sending the monitor boards to someone here who refurbs them, than going to some retailer (most of whom don't know anything about vectors, and mainly care about taking your money.)

Vectors are picky things, and require TLC and specific knowledge to fix and *maintain* properly. They aren't something you can take to a 'repair guy', throw a bunch of money at, and expect them to work forever. You most likely WILL have problems at some point, many of which can have very simple causes. But it's important to know what do do when that happens, to not make things worse.
 
Stay the heck away from PNL is my advice.

I'm not sure if they do vectors, but Sharp Image in Vegas is excellent with raster monitors at least. Even weirdo models that places like arcadecup (also legit) pass on even looking at.

And don't worry about places being local. Worry about how good places are instead. It'll cost you $35 to ship a monitor chassis round-trip, there's no real reason to consider local/not local. Just quality/reputation.
 
If you don't feel comfortable working on it, send the deflection and HV cage to @andrewb for repair. The problem is, how would you send out the monitor frame to service the transistors?
 
If you don't feel comfortable working on it, send the deflection and HV cage to @andrewb for repair. The problem is, how would you send out the monitor frame to service the transistors?

He would have to test the transistors himself. It's documented and easy in my 6100 bring-up guide, which walks you through it:

 
He would have to test the transistors himself. It's documented and easy in my 6100 bring-up guide, which walks you through it:

I share this with people even for B&W, the whole procedure for testing the frame transistors was pretty eye opening for me years ago. emphasis also on "bringing up", you don't kitchen sink a vector monitor you just fixed, you have to plug in/test sections one by one.

also I think you're supposed to just remove the sockets from the frame for Wells-Gardner monitors, but I'm not sure how you go about that with the G05, I think those are riveted on, is there a way to replace them with new ones?

related: @andrewb do you have a source for new TO-3 sockets?
 
There are several people in SoCal that have repair talents. But no real "arcade repair" shops to my knowledge. The few of us who have some skills have families and day jobs so taking on repair work is just a side hobby and only really to help other friends out from time to time. There are several active arcades in the area and I'm sure they have repair techs so you could always network through them. But most of those guys are only interested in cutting corners and doing the bare min to get a monitor or game up and running. Understandable for a place of business where keeping the game running for profit. But it's not to the level of a private collection IMHO. But they have a vast knowledge of what needs to be fixed so listen to them when you can.

This hobby is very much a DIY kind of hobby. You'll need to embrace the self help side of it if your going to last and enjoy these machines. You can horse trade for parts and services as well. Bring something to the table and trade for things you need will get you further down the road as well.

Good luck
 
Send the boards out to @andrewb for a full refurb. Testing and replacing chassis transistors is a simple task that just takes patience and attention to detail.

I can come help out if you are not comfortable working on monitors.
 
also I think you're supposed to just remove the sockets from the frame for Wells-Gardner monitors, but I'm not sure how you go about that with the G05, I think those are riveted on, is there a way to replace them with new ones?


You don't need to remove the sockets from the frame to test the transistors. For WG's, the sockets will come off if you remove the screws, like if you want to change the micas for silpads. But for G05's they are riveted to the frame. However that's not a bad thing, since you rarely need to replace a socket.

The worst thing that happens to sockets is 1) people use too much thermal grease if they use micas, and it gets down into the socket contacts, and/or 2) the socket contacts can get stretched out from years of thermal cycling.

Either way, the solution is to either clean the grease out of the sockets (with Goof Off/acetone, and toothpicks), or take some needlenose pliers and GENTLY pinch the contacts closer to each other, so the socket grabs the legs more solidly.

Doing those two things will fix just about any original socket. There is no need to replace them.
 
You don't need to remove the sockets from the frame to test the transistors. For WG's, the sockets will come off if you remove the screws, like if you want to change the micas for silpads. But for G05's they are riveted to the frame. However that's not a bad thing, since you rarely need to replace a socket.

The worst thing that happens to sockets is 1) people use too much thermal grease if they use micas, and it gets down into the socket contacts, and/or 2) the socket contacts can get stretched out from years of thermal cycling.

Either way, the solution is to either clean the grease out of the sockets (with Goof Off/acetone, and toothpicks), or take some needlenose pliers and GENTLY pinch the contacts closer to each other, so the socket grabs the legs more solidly.

Doing those two things will fix just about any original socket. There is no need to replace them.
yeah that's what I thought with the rivets. and silpads are one of the most underrated and awesome inventions of our time for the reasoning you outlined.

the Wells-Gardner sockets form cracks in them probably because people tried tightening them down when they didn't fully have the nubs in the frame holes lol
 
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