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Galaga video machine needs fixing


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Hi All

 

My name is Mim and I have been trying to help my sister out. She has a Galaga II & III video machine but it is not working. Someone came to have a look at it 5 years ago and quoted $300 to fix it. As she is a single mother of three children, she could not afford to fix it. I am putting it out there, if anyone loves tinkering to get this machine going we would greatly appreciate it. She lives in North Ryde. Her 14 year old son would be over the moon if he could play it once more. My email address is mimvarga@gmail.com

 

Regards

Miriam Varga

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Hi All

 

My name is Mim and I have been trying to help my sister out. She has a Galaga II & III video machine but it is not working. Someone came to have a look at it 5 years ago and quoted $300 to fix it. As she is a single mother of three children, she could not afford to fix it. I am putting it out there, if anyone loves tinkering to get this machine going we would greatly appreciate it. She lives in North Ryde. Her 14 year old son would be over the moon if he could play it once more. My email address is mimvarga@gmail.com

 

Regards

Miriam Varga

 

Welcome to Aussie Arcade…

 

Tinkering is all well and good. We love to tinker. But if it needs hundreds of dollars in parts to repair, what then?.

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hey guys; I received an email from Miriam a short while ago about this via VAPS so I suggested she login to AA to seek some help since this is in NSW, north ryde.

 

thinking about her post above, could it be one of the clone boards with a switch on it ? like some of the other early boards you guys were recently discussing ?

if so it may be an easy (or hard) fix - so the question is who in nsw does 80's pcb repairs of galaga games ?

 

and hi Miriam!

 

in the meantime it might help if you can tell me some additional info

about the game itself; maybe send some pictures ?

- of the outside showing the screen

- the inside showing the main circuit board if you can

- the symptoms of what is wrong (is the screen dead ? does the screen

show anything ? can you hear any sound ?).

 

can you also answer the following questions ?

what sort of game is it ? (you mentioned GALAGA II & III)

is it an original dedicated arcade game from the 80's ? (does it have artwork on the sides, and the header at the top with Galaga or similar ?)

 

and do you know where she obtained it from ?

 

answers to these might help us to work out the nature of the problem and who may be able to help.

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hey guys; I received an email from Miriam a short while ago about this via VAPS so I suggested she login to AA to seek some help since this is in NSW, north ryde.

 

thinking about her post above, could it be one of the clone boards with a switch on it ? like some of the other early boards you guys were recently discussing ?

if so it may be an easy (or hard) fix - so the question is who in nsw does 80's pcb repairs of galaga games ?

 

and hi Miriam!

 

in the meantime it might help if you can tell me some additional info

about the game itself; maybe send some pictures ?

- of the outside showing the screen

- the inside showing the main circuit board if you can

- the symptoms of what is wrong (is the screen dead ? does the screen

show anything ? can you hear any sound ?).

 

can you also answer the following questions ?

what sort of game is it ? (you mentioned GALAGA II & III)

is it an original dedicated arcade game from the 80's ? (does it have artwork on the sides, and the header at the top with Galaga or similar ?)

 

and do you know where she obtained it from ?

 

answers to these might help us to work out the nature of the problem and who may be able to help.

 

I did do 80's PCB repairs in NSW, but I'll be in Qld soon. Personally, I think the best option would be to convert the machine to JAMMA and install a 60 in 1. The machine will be more playable and reliable.

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

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As these people are not old boys reliving the arcade glory days like me then yes you are right such a scenario is probably the best way forward for them. They may actually prefer the inferior picture of an LCD as that is what they are used to and they would never have seen an original arcade game to compare and thus groovymame on a CRT would be wasted on them. They also probably would only notice the very worst of the bugs on the 60in1 and just play a different game when they encountered them. Obviously maintenance is not a strong point here either so the setup and tweaking required to get arcade perfect would not be their desired path.

 

So yes boys I agree in this case.

 

That does not mean I think it's a better setup, it also doesn't mean I think PCs are unreliable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

just got some photos from Miriam and i'll post them up shortly.

 

what we know so far:

==============

- the game is an upright cab (maybe either a gottlieb or a hankin upright ? photos don't show enough of the cab yet so waiting for extra pics.

- game pcb is a Namco Vol I PCB with Mappy, Xevious and Galaga. (looks like jamma)

- the girls managed to turn it on and the screen looks good with the game board menu up on the screen.

- coin mech is missing - looks like it has a slot for similar coin entry plate as lowboy.

- coin mech cabling looks like a 7 pin white single row in line plug (small white) so coin mech may have had an electronic comparator mech installed, therefore game wont coin up as no coin entry plate or mech!

edit:

- free play has not been set (does this board have one ?)

- no push button for coin up.

 

Help needed:

============

- screen may need some minor vertical and horizontal adjustment to resize the screen (menu text dropping off the bottom)

- work out what coin entry plate/mech combo needed (prob visit to measure up unless mim can supply measurements)

- when mech has been purchased, install and wire up mech. add a push button for coin up as well

- test!

 

so how about it guys ? anyone in or near north ryde that could help out a single mum fix the issues for her son ?

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

PS mim had forgotten her password which is why she hasn't been back on so quickly. she's waiting for admin to supply a new password.

Edited by andykmv
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the pictures:

 

Coin door - missing mech & coin comparator - presumeably missing front plate entry as well. note the multipin connector under the coin entry. looks like it had some sort of coin comparitor there.

4b.jpg.285d7ed4d215e710fcf38bad90e47cb2.jpg

 

PSU and wiring incl power sw

3b.jpg.fa5cc9229c45bcdd94fe23973795b4cd.jpg

 

game pcb (Namco 1995). jamma.

2b.jpg.6da08ae1055ecc3a83019359fc74b258.jpg

 

game screen (needs minor vertical adjustment to resize)

 

1b.jpg.3056e05fd870ae13968914b949e66f73.jpg

 

as you can see this looks like an easy task for someone in the Sydney area if they are prepared to lend a hand!

it might be that setting freeplay is sufficient, mim may or may not want a coin mech installed (she hasn't said yay or nay), or maybe a simple coin up button ?

screen resize may be necessary to see the menu text or may not.

 

I am assuming mim or her sister would pay for any parts at the very least

 

so how about it guys, can someone lend her a hand ? I cant - I am in Victoria.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

if anyone can help, please send her an email message (her email is in the original post.).

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the pictures:

 

Coin door - missing mech & coin comparator - presumeably missing front plate entry as well. note the multipin connector under the coin entry. looks like it had some sort of coin comparitor there.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]74818[/ATTACH]

 

PSU and wiring incl power sw

[ATTACH=CONFIG]74817[/ATTACH]

 

game pcb (Namco 1995). jamma.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]74816[/ATTACH]

 

game screen (needs minor vertical adjustment to resize)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]74815[/ATTACH]

 

as you can see this looks like an easy task for someone in the Sydney area if they are prepared to lend a hand!

it might be that setting freeplay is sufficient, mim may or may not want a coin mech installed (she hasn't said yay or nay), or maybe a simple coin up button ?

screen resize may be necessary to see the menu text or may not.

 

I am assuming mim or her sister would pay for any parts at the very least

 

so how about it guys, can someone lend her a hand ? I cant - I am in Victoria.

 

Quick Google suggests the free play setting is accessed through the settings menu when you flip dipswitch 1 on the board. Anyone with basic computer skills should be able to sort this. Perhaps you can guide them through without someone going around there.

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Rod, you're missing the point. sure that could be done, but having already posted these notes:

 

Help needed:

============

- screen may need some minor vertical and horizontal adjustment to resize the screen (menu text dropping off the bottom)

- work out what coin entry plate/mech combo needed (prob visit to measure up unless mim can supply measurements)

- when mech has been purchased, install and wire up mech. add a push button for coin up as well

- test!

 

& also considering the following

- & check if freeplay can be set & close off the coin entry hole so a loose coin doesnt cause a 240v short or board damage by hittiing power supply wires etc

 

it really needs a visit by someone to help out.

 

so how about it guys ? anyone that could help out a single mum fix the issues for her son ?

 

or if no-one is interested in helping out someone, can anyone recommend to Mim an arcade repairer

or tv/electronics repairer that could help her out at a reasonable cost ?

 

ps dont reply to me, i have done what i can.

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Pretty sure that is an old Marsmech. Good luck finding a working one...

It looks like there will be a faceplate on the machine.

Block it up and set it to free play..

 

If this is a freebie job I dont see why you would go to all the effort of fitting a coin mech that wont get used after the 1st day or so

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I just sent her an email, if she's happy with setting it to free play then I can prob head over this weekend. Won't have time to order and fit a coin mech later as its a bit out of my way, prob not needed anyway as it looks like they just want to be able to play it

 

Also the hole that faceplate will leave is huge

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I'm in dundas close to north ryde, can bring a lowboy with the same PCB , got the switch wired to harness to access menu and set on free play , just pm me , happy to help out

 

Too easy, don't think we will need the lowboy lol but maybe send her an email as i don't think she's been logging in here

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