Star Wars 1/2 screen collapse

Vongoosewink

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Well, as of yesterday I am now the proud owner of my first vector game -- an Atari Star Wars! This is a game I've always loved since I was a kid, but never even imagined it would be possible to own one. I picked it up from a Craigs List ad, but unfortunately there is a problem with the monitor -- it is only displaying the bottom half of the screen, and the top seems to have collapsed into a horizontal line across the middle.

I seem to recall hearing that this is a common problem, but I did a search and didn't find anything documented. Please keep in mind that I'm new to vectors, but I'm doing my best to solve that now!

Here are some pictures of the game insides, we need to start by identifying the type of monitor, right?

(I'll include one of the cab too, just to show it off a bit. Isn't she a beauty?)
 

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Here is a picture of the collapsed screen too.

Colors and sounds seem good, thought the red seems a little dim.
 

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Hey! Looks like an earlier owner left me a note -- caps changed 03/97, and diodes added!

How considerate!
 

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That's a Wells Gardener Monitor, probably a 6100 model. Buy a deflection transistor kit from Zanen electronics or Bob Roberts. That should fix it. I noticed in picture 2 that the deflection transistors have been moved to that big black heat sink on the side of the cabinet.

Well, as of yesterday I am now the proud owner of my first vector game -- an Atari Star Wars! This is a game I've always loved since I was a kid, but never even imagined it would be possible to own one. I picked it up from a Craigs List ad, but unfortunately there is a problem with the monitor -- it is only displaying the bottom half of the screen, and the top seems to have collapsed into a horizontal line across the middle.

I seem to recall hearing that this is a common problem, but I did a search and didn't find anything documented. Please keep in mind that I'm new to vectors, but I'm doing my best to solve that now!

Here are some pictures of the game insides, we need to start by identifying the type of monitor, right?

(I'll include one of the cab too, just to show it off a bit. Isn't she a beauty?)
 
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First off it is a Wells Gardner K6100. I would not worry about the red gun until the monitor displays a full screen since it is problem a neck board adjustment.

If you have a volt meter and know how to use it you need to check the transistors for diode drops and shorts that plug into the main (or deflection) board at J600 and J700. Then check the pre-driver transistors at Q703, Q704 and Q603, 604. These are the most common components and the components directly around them that will cause this problem. J100 would also be a transistor set that I would check.
 
First off it is a Wells Gardner K6100. I would not worry about the red gun until the monitor displays a full screen since it is problem a neck board adjustment.

If you have a volt meter and know how to use it you need to check the transistors for diode drops and shorts that plug into the main (or deflection) board at J600 and J700. Then check the pre-driver transistors at Q703, Q704 and Q603, 604. These are the most common components and the components directly around them that will cause this problem. J100 would also be a transistor set that I would check.

Ok, thanks for the advice so far. I have a multimeter, and I've been able to use it to successfully check power supplies and fuses so far -- just beginning, but so far, so good. What exactly would I be looking for at J100?
 
That's a Wells Gardener Monitor, probably a 6100 model. Buy a deflection transistor kit from Zanen electronics or Bob Roberts. That should fix it. I noticed in picture 2 that the deflection transistors have been moved to that big black heat sink on the side of the cabinet.

OK Mark, yes, I think this game has some post-factory mods that don't look original. There is a fan installed just under the big black heat sink, and another on the other side of the cabinet. I could be wrong, but they look like later additions.

Is the deflection transistor kit basically the same sort of thing as a cap kit? (Same skill level) I've done a bit of soldering so far, mainly chip replacement. Is it pretty straightforward?

Thanks for all the help, Chris
 
Its very easy to change those transistors. Those are the 'bottle cap' looking things mounted on the monitor frame. Just be very careful when you remove them because there are plastic wafers that help insulate the transistors from the frame. Also they usually need new heat sink grease. Very important that the leads do not touch the frame and ground out. You'll see when you take the monitor out of the cab and look at them.
 
J100 would be the last pair of transistors to check voltage drops from the diodes and possibale shorts inside the transistors. Typically if you have a J100 problem the 5 amp fuses would blow and ou would not have any video on the screen.
 
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Well, as of yesterday I am now the proud owner of my first vector game -- an Atari Star Wars! This is a game I've always loved since I was a kid, but never even imagined it would be possible to own one. I picked it up from a Craigs List ad, but unfortunately there is a problem with the monitor -- it is only displaying the bottom half of the screen, and the top seems to have collapsed into a horizontal line across the middle.

I seem to recall hearing that this is a common problem, but I did a search and didn't find anything documented. Please keep in mind that I'm new to vectors, but I'm doing my best to solve that now!

Here are some pictures of the game insides, we need to start by identifying the type of monitor, right?

(I'll include one of the cab too, just to show it off a bit. Isn't she a beauty?)


Before you do anything else, try reseating/cleaning the connectors to the deflection board from the deflection transistors. My Space Duel WG6100 sometimes does this exact same 1/2 screen collapse, and all it takes is a quick wiggle of one of these connectors to bring it back to normal.

Or if that doesn't work, try reflowing the solder for these connectors.

Jon
 
Before you do anything else, try reseating/cleaning the connectors to the deflection board from the deflection transistors. My Space Duel WG6100 sometimes does this exact same 1/2 screen collapse, and all it takes is a quick wiggle of one of these connectors to bring it back to normal.

Or if that doesn't work, try reflowing the solder for these connectors.

Jon

The Force is strong in this one!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, you guys all rule.

OK, I figured I should start with the easiest, so I unplugged and reseated the connectors coming from the deflection board. No change. Then I tried your 'wiggle' technique, with my wife watching the screen from the front. After a couple wiggles, I followed the wires from the deflection board over to the big black heat sink, and wiggled those just a tiny bit. Spark! A spark shot off the soldered connection of one of the wires that attached to the heat sink. Wow, that was a surprise! But just then my wife shouted 'we have picture'. Just for a second, then it was out again. I wiggled the same bundle of wires again, and bam, another spark, and the picture came back! 'Great, kid, now don't get cocky!" I hear from the other side. Ha ha, she thinks she's Han Solo. It looks like it is working correctly now, but the red is still a touch low compared to the brightness of the other colors.

I've attached a couple pictures for reference. The first is the heat sink with the wires coming off the deflection board, the sink is circled in red. The second is a closer shot, showing where the sparks came from, indicated by the red arrow saying 'HERE'. I am not sure which wire was sparking when wiggled, as after the 2nd time the screen came back, and I didn't want to play with sparking live wires any more than I had to! Last picture is the game screen, back to normal picture. Awesome, such a beautiful game.

My guess is that one of those solder joints has come a little loose? What do you guys think?
 

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