Will an Asteroids Deluxe work with an Asteroids AR1?

modessitt

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Will an Asteroids Deluxe work with an Asteroids AR1?

Went on a service call to a dead AD and found the burnt resistor on the AR1. Further inspection revealed it has the 1000uf caps of the Asteroids AR1 instead of the 3300uf caps of the Asteroids Deluxe AR1. Not sure if it's worth fixing this one or finding the right AR1. Trying to get in touch with the customer to find out if it's ever worked for him...
 
An ARI with 1000uf will work, but the sound will be garbled. Install the larger caps and you'll be good. I have them here if you need them.
 
Got my info from Electronforge:

The "dash" numbers on Regulator/Audio and Regulator/Audio I boards are not marked, so it is not obvious which is which since they both have the same basic part number (A034485). An easy way to tell the difference between the -01 and the -03 is to check the pair of large capacitors near the SPKR 1 and SPKR 2 test points. If the value of the caps is 1000uF, then the board is a -01 (Asteroids). If the value of the caps is 3300uF, then the board is a -03 (Asteroids Deluxe). They are *almost* interchangeable - the sound will be slightly garbled but everything else will be OK.



The output cap is NOT the only difference between the -03 and -01 (Ast Deluxe and Asteroids) AR boards. See this post: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showpost.php?p=2214718&postcount=9

The most significant difference is, IMO, the resistor network (voltage divider) on the input, which affects the input level by a factor of 10.
 
Got my info from Electronforge:

The "dash" numbers on Regulator/Audio and Regulator/Audio I boards are not marked, so it is not obvious which is which since they both have the same basic part number (A034485). An easy way to tell the difference between the -01 and the -03 is to check the pair of large capacitors near the SPKR 1 and SPKR 2 test points. If the value of the caps is 1000uF, then the board is a -01 (Asteroids). If the value of the caps is 3300uF, then the board is a -03 (Asteroids Deluxe). They are *almost* interchangeable - the sound will be slightly garbled but everything else will be OK.

While that is all true, it is perhaps a bit misleading. You have assumed that the only difference between the two is the cap value, and that that alone is responsible for the garbled sound, neither of which is correct.
 
Just assuming what I thought was correct.. Guess I've been referencing an incorrect source.. That sucks


While that is all true, it is perhaps a bit misleading. You have assumed that the only difference between the two is the cap value, and that that alone is responsible for the garbled sound, neither of which is correct.
 
There's no need to rely on what Alex says (or what Matt says, or me). The schematics are shown in the post I linked--take a look for yourself.

And what's on Alex's page isn't incorrect. It may be misleading or incomplete, though. He says that the large capacitors are an easy way to tell the difference between the two--he never says it's the ONLY difference between them.
 
He says that the large capacitors are an easy way to tell the difference between the two--he never says it's the ONLY difference between them.

That is a very good point, and very useful to keep in mind well outside of this topic. Stress on the last portion of that quote.
 
I've got an ARII here with 3300uf caps on it, but unfortunately I don't have an AR1-03. Don't suppose half of an ARII would work?
 
I also have used an ARII in a pinch.. Think I read this on Bob's site at some point, where he took ARII-rev1s and put them on a chop saw.. Cut off the side with no components and then drilled a couple mounting holes..

I've actually done this for a couple customers, told them first.. But they couldn't tell unless they really inspected it :)


Yes, I've used and ARII with AD.
 
I've swapped between the two without issues.....though, generally for testing/repairing purposes. One thing, sometimes the speaker connector is different.....one uses a molex 4-pin "inline"...while the other uses a 4-pin "matrix".

Edward
 
Put in the ARII with the 3300uf caps, and the game worked. However, some of the sounds did not - firing, saucer, shield. Thumps and explosions did. I checked the Asteroids Encyclopedia, and it seems the issue may be the 12v regulator on the game pcb?
 
Interestingly, one Asteroids PCB has a slight hiss-hum but all sounds work. The other Asteroids PCB has no hiss-hum and the sounds are quite a bit louder. Time to change caps on the quiet one?
 
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