Tempest Troubles

saltbreez

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Just picked up a new Tempest; was told that she was not working [sounds like my X :rolleyes:] but I popped a fuse in her and wham she sprang to life [if only life could be so easy]

When she warms up sometimes the green spikes are way off; sometimes off the screen. Some of the screens come up wrong; not closed at one point. The screen has jitter once warm.

This looks like the monitor she has never even been capped.

Just aksing where to start looking, this is my first Tempest tour.

Thanks,
Saltbreez
 
First thing you should do is check the voltages at the AR board.

Sounds like the math box is freaking. You may have some luck by reseating the interconnect cable and the chips on the math board (the smaller one).

RE the monitor: Capping the monitor might help. Make sure you cap the HV unit too. You should also reflow the solder on all the headers on the deflection board. If you're missing the cover on the HV, that can contribute to shake. You'll want to check the HV when it's warmed up.

Capping the AR board may also help with the shakes.

Remember. Owning a Tempest is an exercise in joy and frustration!
 
Are the spikes way off when you view it on the scope? If not, cap the monitor and adjust the B+/HV.

The pots on the Tempest board have gone bad on quite a few boards. Bob Roberts has a kit to replace them all if you need it.
 
Pics

See the Monitor section for a thread on the WG6101 that came with her.

picture.php


picture.php


picture.php
 
Original?

So, from the look of these pictures will you agree that this cab has had very little work through the years? That appears [to my eye] to be an original 'Big Blue' capacitor on the power block.

I come from the 'service her if your gonna open her up' philosophy as opposed to the don't fix it if it ain't broke philosophy; so I am contemplating a complete rebuild kit from Bob Roberts; wanna know what the Tempest people think?

Saltbreez
 
So, from the look of these pictures will you agree that this cab has had very little work through the years? That appears [to my eye] to be an original 'Big Blue' capacitor on the power block.

I come from the 'service her if your gonna open her up' philosophy as opposed to the don't fix it if it ain't broke philosophy; so I am contemplating a complete rebuild kit from Bob Roberts; wanna know what the Tempest people think?

Saltbreez

I would put an LV2000 or LV6100 on the monitor and cap it if the caps look old. I wouldn't do much else other than checking that voltages are correct everywhere you can adjust them, etc. Oh, and find a new spinner knob. :)

Seriously though, congrats! Looks pretty clean. I would also vacuum out the dust and clean it up.
 
Yeah, I tend to fix only when broke, but on a Tempest you should at least cap the monitor paying special attention to capping the HV unit. EVERY cap in the HV unit. You'll find that even Bob's kit doesn't have all the caps. You'll have to source a few of your own. I'd also, as VJ said, put in an LV unit or replace every component in the LV section.

I also have replaced the big blue cap in most of my vectors, although I've never had one fail either.

If you're really motivated, I'd look at replacing the caps in the AR board as well.

Other than that, I'd just wait until the vector output section of the gameboard dies... heh heh.
 
I would put an LV2000 or LV6100 on the monitor and cap it if the caps look old. I wouldn't do much else other than checking that voltages are correct everywhere you can adjust them, etc. Oh, and find a new spinner knob. :)

Seriously though, congrats! Looks pretty clean. I would also vacuum out the dust and clean it up.


OK, Thanks for the initial feedback, did you ead in my monitor section posting that the 6101 is blowing both fuses?

Who has LV2000 or LV6100 kits for sale?

Who has spinner knob 4 sale that look like Tempest knobs?

Saltbreez
 
OK, Thanks for the initial feedback, did you ead in my monitor section posting that the 6101 is blowing both fuses?

Who has LV2000 or LV6100 kits for sale?

Who has spinner knob 4 sale that look like Tempest knobs?

Saltbreez

You can get the LV2000 from Arcadeshop or the LV6100 from Mark Spaeth. Both are for the Low Voltage section so you only need one.

Daviea is doing a full repro spinner controller mechanism including the spinner knob. I'm sure he will sell just the knob when they are done, but don't know where that will be. He has a thread going on right now about that. Someone else might have them as they do come up for sale, but what you have is close enough to wait one out.
 
Any comparison bettween these 2 kits, or are they substantially similar?

Thanks,

Saltbreez

Substantially similar. Mark's is a little cheaper and he uses through-hole components so that if something did die, you could actually replace it. Plus I don't think you have to adjust the voltage on Mark's board where as the LV2000 you have to adjust the voltage levels. I have two LV2000s right now, but I did buy both of those before I knew that Mark made the LV6100. I will probably try one of Mark's in my next 6100.

Here is a picture he posted before.

PICT0434.JPG


Here is the LV2000 in my Space Duel.

IMG_0233.jpg


-VJ
 
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