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Arcade & Retro Repairs & Mods, all new recipe, with no added MSG...

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Comments

  • #502
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    keithgeo wrote: »
    Nice work!

    Meant to ask you actually, i have a CPS2 street fighter 3 alpha game. i opened it up and it looks like it has a battery on it still. what do i have to do here, isnt there something called phoenixing or something? if the battery wastes the game is wiped? i think i might have brought it up somewhere before i cant remember.

    You've two choices:

    1) Replace the battery. This will keep the game safe for about five years, in which case, you do the same again. This keeps the board as original as possible, though you do run the risk of a battery leaking & destroying the board {no real risk if you maintain the battery}

    2) Get the board 'Phoenixed'. This is basically when you remove the few socketed eproms on the board, send them off to someone like Razoola, who will wipe them & reprogram them using hacked roms that don't require the security info that the battery is used for. You can then remove the battery & forget about it maintenance wise.

    Some people view phoenixing as making the board a bootleg, but personally I think thats rubbish. The board is fully stock, & uses tweaked security info is all. I had all mine done when I owned them, all through Razoola.


  • #503
    Optimus Prime
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,391 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Can you remember how much that lad charges? where can i get in contact with him? thanks by the way.


  • #504
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    keithgeo wrote: »
    Can you remember how much that lad charges? where can i get in contact with him? thanks by the way.

    Anyone can do it who has the correct rom burner, I think there's a lad here is it Cathal-Dublin?

    Anyway, razoola@cps2shock.com is Razoolas email address, he will give you a quote for the cost. I can't remember I think it was roughly €30 or so?


  • #505
    Optimus Prime
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,391 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Thanks a lot!


  • #506
    Dr Bob
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 3,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dr Bob


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Dr Bob's Amiga 600 was sick. Two IDE pins broke off the header, meaning the CF hdd & adapter wern't working. I prescribed two new pins & 50mg of solder

    Two missing pins

    2rxk26q.jpg

    Underside of the pin header, I desoldered the broken stubs, & soldered in two new ones
    1fafjn.jpg

    2w6hq4l.jpg

    Its now comfortably resting, & out of danger
    Nice one :) glad to see she pulled through:)


  • #507
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Anybody know what to use to get congealed kitchen grease and dust off of a plexiglass screen cover?

    My arcade cab has become encrustulated with globules of feces (covered in sh*te) from being too close to where cooking was being done in my kitchen/dining area for a while. I've moved it now, and i want to clean all the crap off it, but i need to be very careful of splashes and drips, because anything that leaks down the screen plexi will drip straight into the motherboard below it, and liquid+electricity=toasted arcade.

    I've used dishwashing liquid and a wrung out hot cloth to get rid of most of it from the paintjob, but the plexi seems to be a magnet for grease, and is still covered in it. Is there anything i can use to get it back to a nice shine without damaging the plexi or causing a lot of dripping? Any active cleaners I've seen are not recommended for use on plastic because they're corrosive.


  • #508
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    Open the cab and throw a few towels or crappy xmas jumpers over the motherboard first.
    Use the orangey citrus acid based kitchen cleaners, any supermarket should stock it. It'll get rid of the grease easily enough and shouldn't damage the plexiglass - obviously don't go at it with scouring pad or anything abrasive.


  • #509
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Deleted User wrote: »
    My arcade cab has become encrustulated with globules of feces (covered in sh*te) from being too close to where cooking was being done in my kitchen/dining area for a while.

    If you ever hold a beers, remind me never to eat anything there! :p


  • #510
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    The Last Bandit wrote: »
    Open the cab and throw a few towels or crappy xmas jumpers over the motherboard first.
    Use the orangey citrus acid based kitchen cleaners, any supermarket should stock it. It'll get rid of the grease easily enough and shouldn't damage the plexiglass - obviously don't go at it with scouring pad or anything abrasive.

    Thanks, will try that. I was thinking also that a vinegar & water solution might do the same job.

    One orangey citrus-ey smelling cab coming up :P
    EnterNow wrote: »
    If you ever hold a beers, remind me never to eat anything there!

    Lol, it's not from my kitchen, it's a quote from Beavis and Butthead:

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ePvmPst_6g&feature=player_detailpage#t=55s

    .


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  • #511
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I got this sorted. Nothing else worked, so I ended up using white vinegar neat. I poured it straight onto a cloth, wrung it out to prevent drips, wiped it all over the grease and give it a good rub around, then left it for a few minutes, and wiped the whole lot off with a sudsy sponge with some fairly liquid.

    It came up very well, like new in fact, and hasn't done any damage to the paintwork or plastic.


  • #512
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    Deleted User wrote: »
    I got this sorted. Nothing else worked, so I ended up using white vinegar neat. I poured it straight onto a cloth, wrung it out to prevent drips, wiped it all over the grease and give it a good rub around, then left it for a few minutes, and wiped the whole lot off with a sudsy sponge with some fairly liquid.

    It came up very well, like new in fact, and hasn't done any damage to the paintwork or plastic.

    But the whole place smells like a chipper ? Glad to hear you got it sorted.


  • #513
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    The Last Bandit wrote: »
    But the whole place smells like a chipper ? Glad to hear you got it sorted.

    Lol. That's what the fairy liquid was for. To get rid of the smell.


  • #514
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Quick and easy mod on the US Snes to allow PAL/SFC carts to fit - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81087626#post81087626


  • #515
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    So I've been playing around with that iMac G3 I traded for the other day. It's of course very weak by today's standards but the little CRT on it looks really nice when running MAME.
    I wonder if I mod it with a more modern PC or even a Raspberry Pi can I connect up to the CRT or have Apple hard wired it or used a weird connection for the iMac?

    Anyone Know? I haven't opened up the case as of yet so I've no clue.

    Here's a video of it playing Last Blade 2 on a very old version of MAME. A few dropped frames for sure but not bad for 400Mhz and 128MB RAM. You cant really see how nice it looks on the video with the flickering etc but the screen does look really well in person.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTrQyg-yEMM


    Bonus pic:
    dsc2918d.jpg


  • #516
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    I'd say your best bet is to pop the back cover off & take a look at how the video signals are delivered to the screen. It would make a pretty neat all in one solution if you could wire up a more modern spec'd pc inside it & still make use of the screen. iCab city :cool:


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  • #517
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    EnterNow wrote: »
    I'd say your best bet is to pop the back cover off & take a look at how the video signals are delivered to the screen. It would make a pretty neat all in one solution if you could wire up a more modern spec'd pc inside it & still make use of the screen. iCab city :cool:

    I've only opened the little flap at the back that you can stick more memory and a wireless card in so far.
    I'll open it up in the next week or so and have a good look. MAME on the Raspberry Pi is coming along nicely so that's an option or maybe just some PC guts to do it proper.
    A nice all in one iCab would be very nice indeed :)


  • #518
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    You would need to do a decent amount of case modding to get a PC motherboard in there as the motherboard in those things are horrendously shaped. Getting at the TV requires a bit of disassembly but actually it's not terribly bad inside so I don't think it would be difficult connecting something to it.


  • #519
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Sounds like you have a project on your hands Steve, I must admit, if you were able to get a decent enough {mame level} spec pc running in there using the screen, I'd be very tempted to get one for myself & do the same.


  • #520
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Sounds like you have a project on your hands Steve, I must admit, if you were able to get a decent enough {mame level} spec pc running in there using the screen, I'd be very tempted to get one for myself & do the same.

    Bit of quick research on Youtube and it looks like the monitor connects directly to the motherboard by some non standard (almost IDE cable looking) connection.
    Looks like its easy enough to strip out all the guts leaving the monitor and PSU but that monitor connection might be an issue.


  • #521
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    Is it a slot loader or drawer CD drive ? Slot loader has a custom cable which I can't find the pinout for yet but the drawer loader uses the old style mac 15 pin cable.

    http://pinouts.ru/VideoCables/MacVideoToVGA_pinout.shtml


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  • #522
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    The Last Bandit wrote: »
    Is it a slot loader or drawer CD drive ? Slot loader has a custom cable which I can't find the pinout for yet but the drawer loader uses the old style mac 15 pin cable.

    http://pinouts.ru/VideoCables/MacVideoToVGA_pinout.shtml

    Yeah, its the slightly newer slot loader type. It seems to have an RGB cable in there somewhere according to the teardown.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/103447/iMac-G3-Disassembly-Guide

    62095445.png


  • #523
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    This guy has a pin out for the video header here.
    Now you're going in the opposite direction to his mod so not sure if you need to drive all the lines on this or will get away with just the RGB/Sync lines.


  • #524
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    The Last Bandit wrote: »
    This guy has a pin out for the video header here.
    Now you're going in the opposite direction to his mod so not sure if you need to drive all the lines on this or will get away with just the RGB/Sync lines.

    Cheers, I'll need to brush up on video connectors and wiring them etc before I have a go at it.


  • #525
    Dr Bob
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 3,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dr Bob


    Damn meant to post this but pop up shop near the dental hospital at top of nasdau st ( near the trinity gates) is selling sugru. Think its only open for a few more days though


  • #526
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    That non working Astro Wars I picked up the other day for 99p is now working.
    I'm glad I fixed it but I was looking forward to put a Raspberry Pi inside it so a little disappointed as well :o


  • #527
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Does anyone know if this is colour? There's a red and green but not blue. Odd thing is it came out of a B&W game.
    IMG_6203.jpg
    IMG_6207.jpg


  • #528
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Might be an idea to make up a few of these.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f__C_wDMmSw

    It's a single laptop style PSU which has been converted to power a Sega Mega Drive, 32x, Mega CD and Master System Mk1 simultaneously! It removes the need for 4 of those separate and stupidly bulky wall wart power adapters.

    I bought the PSU really cheap on ebay for £10 delivered. It's rated at 9V 4.0A and is perfectly capable of running all the systems. I dug around in my parts bin to find some suitable power cords and soldered everything together. I gutted and used an old cigarette car adapter as the housing to cover the connections and keep everything secure.


  • #529
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Excellent idea.


  • #530
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Excellent idea.

    I'd say you'd be able to make a few quid doing these.
    Perhaps have the cables that actually plug in to the consoles a bit longer than he does, a good bit longer.
    Off ya go EnterNow, I'll take at least one :D


  • #531
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Steve SI wrote: »
    Off ya go EnterNow, I'll take at least one :D

    I actually might do it at some stage, after my current project ;)


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  • #532
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    EnterNow wrote: »
    I actually might do it at some stage, after my current project ;)

    'project' - only one ? You should be ashamed of yourself.

    You need at least 3 on the go at the same time to make sure nothing ever gets finished !!

    You should definitely throw some of those PSU adapters together, using a modern switched mode supply you'll also be saving on electricity, saving the polar bears etc etc..


  • #533
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    The Last Bandit wrote: »
    'project' - only one ? You should be ashamed of yourself.

    Yeah the other two are a son & a girlfriend :D Doesn't leave much room for anything else :(

    As for the Polar Bears, I don't think there's any hope when you consider worldwide industrial/manufacturing levels of pollution...this 'green' buzz is but an illusion

    worlds-dirtiest-rivers-images_4389.jpg


  • #534
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    My new 72pin connector arrived this morning from Rewind Bits, happy times :)

    Here's an NES i prepared earlier

    sxgluc.jpg

    The new connector

    29fuh4g.jpg

    Top off

    6tftdz.jpg

    The shielding removed

    dnk9kg.jpg

    Cart holder unit removed

    2dt7l7n.jpg

    Motherboard lifted & 72pin connector slid off

    24kwb9d.jpg

    213p5s7.jpg

    Cleaned connectors of the console

    2430z8z.jpg

    New connector pushed into place

    11h9u87.jpg

    Oxidation of top row of connectors, they've changed colour compared to bottom

    hv0v83.jpg

    Hassle free gaming!

    30saayt.jpg

    2e0r9ms.jpg


  • #535
    Dr Bob
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 3,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dr Bob


    Aldi are doing Soldering Irons(tenner) and helping hands (4) again from thursday
    http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_24122.htm
    http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_24123.htm


  • #536
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    Those 'helping hands' are excellent !! Just add a bit of double-sided tape underneath.

    The irons though, might be ok for making up cables and heavy stuff like that but too hot and bulky for any fine electronics work. I doubt you can get a 0.5mm tip for them either :)


  • #537
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Those of you who have fit replacement 72pin connectors before, do you find the cart is quite hard to get seated with the new one? Its like the pin tension is very high & the carts are very tight fitting now...


  • #538
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Those of you who have fit replacement 72pin connectors before, do you find the cart is quite hard to get seated with the new one? Its like the pin tension is very high & the carts are very tight fitting now...

    Sometimes yeah. Not every time so it must be down to the individual 72 pin connectors I think.


  • #539
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Steve SI wrote: »
    Sometimes yeah. Not every time so it must be down to the individual 72 pin connectors I think.

    I wonder are they refurbed or something? The one I got requires quite a bit of pressure to get the carts to fit right. I wonder if I should leave a cart in it for a day or two to 'stretch' it to size


  • #540
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    EnterNow wrote: »
    I wonder are they refurbed or something? The one I got requires quite a bit of pressure to get the carts to fit right. I wonder if I should leave a cart in it for a day or two to 'stretch' it to size

    It'll loosen up over time anyway. But I suppose you could leave a cart in it for a while.
    I don't use my NES much any more and more or less stick to the Famicom with an adapter to play NES games on.


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  • #541
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Well, after a little bit of soldering and cleaning of the internals I now have that faulty Astro Wars back together and working fine.
    It's been in pieces on my workbench for the last week and a bit but I decided that it needed to be put back together tonight(gotta stop putting stuff off :)).

    Anyway, I'll do up some sort of tutorial and stick it over on retrovia at some stage as I have a feeling most "non working" Astro Wars you see online can be fixed the same way I did it. It's dead easy and only requires the most basic of soldering skills and you're done. I took all the parts out and cleaned them (including the various layers of transparent plastic) but that bit is entirely optional.
    So for .99p and some cheap(ish) postage(would of been free if I'd used Parcel Motel) I have a nice working Astro Wars (it's actually up for trade at the moment).

    So if you see a non working one knocking around ebay or elsewhere grab it as it might just be a 2 min fix to get it up and running.

    Double the fun :)
    clickable
    dsc2976bb.jpg


  • #542
    Dr Bob
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 3,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dr Bob


    Steve SI wrote: »
    Well, after a little bit of soldering and cleaning of the internals I now have that faulty Astro Wars back together and working fine.
    It's been in pieces on my workbench for the last week and a bit but I decided that it needed to be put back together tonight(gotta stop putting stuff off :)).

    Anyway, I'll do up some sort of tutorial and stick it over on retrovia at some stage as I have a feeling most "non working" Astro Wars you see online can be fixed the same way I did it. It's dead easy and only requires the most basic of soldering skills and you're done. I took all the parts out and cleaned them (including the various layers of transparent plastic) but that bit is entirely optional.
    So for .99p and some cheap(ish) postage(would of been free if I'd used Parcel Motel) I have a nice working Astro Wars (it's actually up for trade at the moment).

    So if you see a non working one knocking around ebay or elsewhere grab it as it might just be a 2 min fix to get it up and running.

    Double the fun :)
    clickable
    dsc2976bb.jpg

    90% of the time I've had a non working VFD game , using a dremel/multitool to sand off corroded battery acid off the contacts has had it working within minutes.
    Astro Wars is great (sold my one off a while back :()


  • #543
    Steve X2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,886 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Dr Bob wrote: »
    90% of the time I've had a non working VFD game , using a dremel/multitool to sand off corroded battery acid off the contacts has had it working within minutes.
    Astro Wars is great (sold my one off a while back :()

    Yeah, that was the first thing I checked as I could power it via a PSU but not batteries. But it was an internal issue that was easy to fix.


  • #544
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    My arcade machine's screen, the lamp above it and the speakers... "flicker" at random but frequent times, anyone have any idea what could cause this?


  • #545
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Dale Parish wrote: »
    My arcade machine's screen, the lamp above it and the speakers... "flicker" at random but frequent times, anyone have any idea what could cause this?

    Common item would be the PSU?


  • #546
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Yeah I swapped that with another I bought from Mitch and that doesn't fix it :(


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  • #547
    Optimus Prime
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,391 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Steve SI wrote: »
    Yeah, that was the first thing I checked as I could power it via a PSU but not batteries. But it was an internal issue that was easy to fix.

    So whats the fix! :) I have a broken one here, it powers on for a second, makes a weird sound then dies.


  • #548
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Anyone have any idea why my Spectrum +2 PSU (rated 9v) is outputting 12v...?
    Smoke has emitted from the +2...... (having said that, I just bought it and it probably hasn't been turned on in many many years...)


  • #549
    The Last Bandit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,725 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    If its an unregulated power supply then you need a load across it before you can measure the actually voltage being supplied.

    Not sure if these supplies are regulated or not though but considering its Amstrad you can be certain that every expense was spared...

    That said, smoke is always bad...


  • #550
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Hi guys working on a pcb and I removed a cap I suspected was damaged. There's no visible sign of explosion but it's leaking a bit from underneath and smells a bit funny... Is this normal or does it need to be replaced?


  • #551
    MrVestek
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,242 ✭✭✭MrVestek


    Dale Parish wrote: »
    Hi guys working on a pcb and I removed a cap I suspected was damaged. There's no visible sign of explosion but it's leaking a bit from underneath and smells a bit funny... Is this normal or does it need to be replaced?

    Caps emitting a smell is usually a bad sign that either it's about to pop soon or has previously popped.


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