roothorick
Active member
Wells Gardner 27D9204 27" (Korean?) -- no blue
This board had previously been repaired by Happ (no idea if they outsourced it; never bothered to ask) for a missing green. Now a different color has failed, barely a year later. They charge substantially more; I can't justify paying their price AGAIN for a game that makes so little. I discovered that Wells Gardner themselves repair boards for substantially cheaper, so I sent it to them. Problem is, WG tells me the board is a Korean make, and thus refuses to repair this board. So, if I can't fix the monitor myself, odds are, the machine's getting sold, along with its partner. And this is my favorite game in the gameroom; I DON'T want that to happen.
It's a Wells Gardner 27D9204 (at least, the schematics match the board layout), which belongs to a San Francisco Rush 2049. But apparently, this monitor is special. It's a "Korean" chassis, and according to WG, it's impossible to source parts for it. (To be fair, the main board does proudly proclaim "MADE IN KOREA" but come on, what good are standards if you can't make parts work on boards made in different countries?)
The problem: The picture is normal for a while, but after a few minutes of being on, the blue goes out. Simply power cycling doesn't help; turning it off for a while brings the blue back for a little bit but it dies again. Sync is perfect, no flicker, but there's no blue in the picture.
A few observations:
PS. Why does WG insist on zip-tying the protective plastic to the back of the neckboard? Some aluminum or plastic screws+nuts would be nice
PPS. I think I screwed up while putting in the other board, the one they fixed. I turned it on, and after a little of the usual startup squealing, I see a spark and hear a loud bang. Damnit, I'm going home.
This board had previously been repaired by Happ (no idea if they outsourced it; never bothered to ask) for a missing green. Now a different color has failed, barely a year later. They charge substantially more; I can't justify paying their price AGAIN for a game that makes so little. I discovered that Wells Gardner themselves repair boards for substantially cheaper, so I sent it to them. Problem is, WG tells me the board is a Korean make, and thus refuses to repair this board. So, if I can't fix the monitor myself, odds are, the machine's getting sold, along with its partner. And this is my favorite game in the gameroom; I DON'T want that to happen.
It's a Wells Gardner 27D9204 (at least, the schematics match the board layout), which belongs to a San Francisco Rush 2049. But apparently, this monitor is special. It's a "Korean" chassis, and according to WG, it's impossible to source parts for it. (To be fair, the main board does proudly proclaim "MADE IN KOREA" but come on, what good are standards if you can't make parts work on boards made in different countries?)
The problem: The picture is normal for a while, but after a few minutes of being on, the blue goes out. Simply power cycling doesn't help; turning it off for a while brings the blue back for a little bit but it dies again. Sync is perfect, no flicker, but there's no blue in the picture.
A few observations:
- WG's troubleshooting guide tells me to check IC201. This chip is labeled "SAMSUNG S121A / S1D2500A01-00". I found plenty of datasheets, but no place to get a replacement chip -- I have two Rush cabinets with identical monitors, and can cannibalize an IC from the other for testing, but if it's really bad, where am I getting a replacement? Can I get one?
- They also say to check transistors 202 for red, 207 for green, and 213 for blue. All three are MISSING. 204, 209, and 214 are also missing, but these three spots have a jumper running across the outer two pins.
- The board is visibly browned around the contact pads for transistors 201, 206, and especially 211. These are big transistors, with their own heatsinks. I'm guessing these transistors get HOT, and the heatsinks aren't enough. It seems like a common enough part (KSC3502E, all kinds of hits on Google) but maybe the heatsinks aren't enough? Can and should I get bigger sinks? Could I fashion my own? Or is there even a better part that would last longer here?
PS. Why does WG insist on zip-tying the protective plastic to the back of the neckboard? Some aluminum or plastic screws+nuts would be nice
PPS. I think I screwed up while putting in the other board, the one they fixed. I turned it on, and after a little of the usual startup squealing, I see a spark and hear a loud bang. Damnit, I'm going home.
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