Super Video Arcade BSOD

[SearsRoebuck]

Hey all, bought a Super Video Arcade recently and I am getting the dreaded black screen of death when turned on. About half the time when I turn it on I can hear a short low noise, a quick 'bummm' sound, but nothing else. The reset button seems to work properly though.

 

Taking it apart I don't see anything obvious. Any one have an idea? Asking around and I was told it could be a bad ram chip. Sadly none are available on ebay though. At some point I am going to send this off to Crossbow for modding but I wanted to see if I could get it working before that to save him the trouble.

Edited October 19, 2018 by dmaxwell

[mthompson]

I was able to fix my motherboard by replacing a couple of the transistors. Here's the thread than documents my repair. I also sourced replacement chips that I ended up not needing. They're listed in the thread.

 

I was able to swap some of the chips first from a good unit and eliminate them as the source of the problem. You should also check that you're getting the proper voltages at the various test points. There is also a cheap kit available to install new capacitors (link).

 

In all, fixing these requires patience and experimentation. Start with the cheap & easy stuff first.

Edited October 19, 2018 by mthompson

[mr_me]

Inspect and clean the cartridge port. Test multiple cartridges. Check that the different voltages are getting to the mainboard correctly. You can find the service manual here. https://console5.com/wiki/Intellivision

 

What do you mean when you say the reset button is working?

Edited October 20, 2018 by mr_me