- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 25,896
- Reaction score
- 12,997
I got a service call (referral from another customer) at a pre-school in Omaha. The owner said she had some games that she needed worked on.
I started in the gym. Centipede Cocktail. I popped the lid, replaced one connector, and got it back up.
There are like 10 games in there.
Then I went to the basement.
There was a jamma Sammy Wacky Bowler. Someone had replaced the CRT with a LCD screen, and had the converter in. The previous repair guy said "something blew," and he never came back. I rang out the wires, replaced the duct tape on the connections to the video with wire nuts (economy job), and then tried to configure the converter board. After around 5 iterations, I found the right resolution, and got the game going.
There was a Pac World there - like a walking/running PacMan with Super Mario like moves (jump, bump). It had three images on the screen. I pulled the back and found the coil around the back of the monitor had cut loose the rubber bands and fallen off. I made temporary repairs with some handy Scotch electrical tape, which got the game back online. What do you replace those rubber bands with?
The next game was a Galaxian. Original artwork and everything. Someone installed a multi-kit - it plays 10 games including Black Hole.
What I couldn't figure out was how to configure the games for all free play. Some (Galaxian) go to free play, others don't. Does anyone know the secret to this? (The multi-game kit has 4 chips - one is installed in a socket in a socket, and overlaps the socket with some additional wires run.)
There is a race game, but the monitor was blown, and it was late. I'll stop in with my handy-dandy discharge tool, and pull the monitor chassis for a re-flow job.
I could work a couple of weekends there. None of the games are locked up, and people are messing with the wiring. I have a NBA Jam conversion kit with wires ripped off the mini spade lugs, so I'll be trying to figure out which wire goes where on my next trip.
I'm encouraging the owner to lock stuff up, so the games get protected from the kids. I'll probably pick up a few packages of momentary pushbuttons, and wire them into the coin mechs for those games that won't go to free play.
I started in the gym. Centipede Cocktail. I popped the lid, replaced one connector, and got it back up.
There are like 10 games in there.
Then I went to the basement.
There was a jamma Sammy Wacky Bowler. Someone had replaced the CRT with a LCD screen, and had the converter in. The previous repair guy said "something blew," and he never came back. I rang out the wires, replaced the duct tape on the connections to the video with wire nuts (economy job), and then tried to configure the converter board. After around 5 iterations, I found the right resolution, and got the game going.
There was a Pac World there - like a walking/running PacMan with Super Mario like moves (jump, bump). It had three images on the screen. I pulled the back and found the coil around the back of the monitor had cut loose the rubber bands and fallen off. I made temporary repairs with some handy Scotch electrical tape, which got the game back online. What do you replace those rubber bands with?
The next game was a Galaxian. Original artwork and everything. Someone installed a multi-kit - it plays 10 games including Black Hole.
What I couldn't figure out was how to configure the games for all free play. Some (Galaxian) go to free play, others don't. Does anyone know the secret to this? (The multi-game kit has 4 chips - one is installed in a socket in a socket, and overlaps the socket with some additional wires run.)
There is a race game, but the monitor was blown, and it was late. I'll stop in with my handy-dandy discharge tool, and pull the monitor chassis for a re-flow job.
I could work a couple of weekends there. None of the games are locked up, and people are messing with the wiring. I have a NBA Jam conversion kit with wires ripped off the mini spade lugs, so I'll be trying to figure out which wire goes where on my next trip.
I'm encouraging the owner to lock stuff up, so the games get protected from the kids. I'll probably pick up a few packages of momentary pushbuttons, and wire them into the coin mechs for those games that won't go to free play.

