Dead centipede arcade cabnet, help here?

[Silntdoogood]

I've been browsing the forums for well over a year, but I'm a noob to posting, this is my first.

 

In my travels stumbled across a 1986 centipede arcade cabinet. It's in rough shape, the power unit looks like a piece of machinery from WWII(that has been outside since then). I went over the wiring so it didn't blow up in our face when we plugged it in, it looked alright. The keys are MIA, so we are servicing it through the coin hopper door in the front because the lock there is broken. It has a basic instruction sheet, but there is no "book" manual, which the sheet alludes to existing. We were messing with it for about an hour. I tried fussing with switches & jumpers until I found a sheet of paper in the bottom under some cigarette buts that says "out of order". I guess it was dead by the time these owners got it. I thought at first it was a dead screen tube, because the system lights, and you can hear the high pitched CRT whine, but we also have no audio. I tried some of the screen and audio tests, nothing responded. None of the fuses are blown, every thing seems to be on. The system board seems to be fine(fine on the grounds the red LED indicator light lit, and there are no melted points, or scorch marks). I checked the connections to the board, and all seem to be fine. I have some pictures, I can link on request.

 

If anyone has any idea of why I have no sound or video, I'd appreciate the advice. I'd prefer to not get "your system board is dead, buy a new one". It would appear there are Red, Yellow, Blue and Green wires going into the actual tube, so I don't think I can test the screen with anything I have, but is there is a simple way, I'd love to know how. The screen has words burned into it, but the screen in mounted portrait, and the words are burned in landscape, so I think it's on it's second screen.

[Crimefighter]

Isn't there like a kit somewhere to run video output into a regular flat screen monitor?

[Silntdoogood]

Isn't there like a kit somewhere to run video output into a regular flat screen monitor?

Probably, but I want to be sure that it is a screen problem before I sink money into it, since there is also no audio.

[VectorGamer]

Your best bet is to pose this question to the message boards at KLOV:

 

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/

Edited July 17, 2010 by rmaerz

[Silntdoogood]

Your best bet is to pose this question to the message boards at KLOV:

 

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/

 

Thanks for the tip! Also, I have published a video on the query, for future reference to this post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCJYJZ73tJY

[Nesbroslash]

The Centipede is squished. (Sorry, really wanted to say that.)

[Crazy Climber]

My money is on a dead power supply. Many classic game monitors can be powered just from the ISO transformer (also the lights) but you need a working power supply to get sound and video. From what you are describing that is my guess, bad power supply.

[Crazy Climber]

So what was it?

[Silntdoogood]

So what was it?

Erm...I have yet to find a cause. I recently got my hands on a copy of the service manual. Now I know what all the little unmarked switches & jumpers do. Just today I found the volume controller. Probably inprobable, but the volume may be turned down. I found the knob initially, but it was seized in place. Mr. Benway (on youtube) was kind enough to give me an annotation at the end of a video today. This is shining a bit of light on the video I had up in front of the community of retro gamers he has gathered. I've gotten some new suggestions from them I will have to try. Thus far, all efforts have been unsuccessful.

[+pboland]

So what was it?

Erm...I have yet to find a cause. I recently got my hands on a copy of the service manual. Now I know what all the little unmarked switches & jumpers do. Just today I found the volume controller. Probably inprobable, but the volume may be turned down. I found the knob initially, but it was seized in place. Mr. Benway (on youtube) was kind enough to give me an annotation at the end of a video today. This is shining a bit of light on the video I had up in front of the community of retro gamers he has gathered. I've gotten some new suggestions from them I will have to try. Thus far, all efforts have been unsuccessful.

I had a similar problem with my Asteroids machine. I got nothing but the marquee light. I did notice a slight glow on the neck of the CRT and had no sound. I know the two are very different so I don't know if this helps. My problem ended up being a $3.00 transistor on the voltage regulator board (which I believe is the PCB at 2:17 in your video). I hope that helps but be sure to check the output of the power supply as well. You may also want to re-seat all of the IC's on bridges. That little trick got my BattleZone working. Just be very careful not to bend the leads on the IC's.

[Silntdoogood]

So what was it?

Erm...I have yet to find a cause....

...My problem ended up being a $3.00 transistor on the voltage regulator board...

I will defiantly have to look at that!

 

I won't be able to until after the 7th due to some other priorities...but I will look ASAP.

[UberArcade]

Start with a volt meter. Check that you have voltage leaving the main power block in the bottom of the cabinet. From there trace up to the ARII board. Check the outputs of that board for the correct voltage. If you are still good check the voltage on the main centipede board. I believe there are some spots labeled on the board for the purpose of checking that voltage.

 

Those ARII boards go out a lot and the good thing is you can get a working one for under $50. I would get the game board working and at least playing blind before you replace the monitor since you said it seemed to have power.

[98PaceCar]

Start with a volt meter. Check that you have voltage leaving the main power block in the bottom of the cabinet. From there trace up to the ARII board. Check the outputs of that board for the correct voltage. If you are still good check the voltage on the main centipede board. I believe there are some spots labeled on the board for the purpose of checking that voltage.

 

Those ARII boards go out a lot and the good thing is you can get a working one for under $50. I would get the game board working and at least playing blind before you replace the monitor since you said it seemed to have power.

 

This. Also, Atari boards of that era have cheap sockets on them, so a lot of times, just replacing the sockets will help move you along in fixing a board. But ensure you have proper voltages first as that will help isolate the problem.