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Starhawk, an enigma


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Dusted off the Starhawk for resurrection and found that it's not the usual Cinematronic but a japanese cab with a Vectorbeam board. The cab is made by an seemingly obscure company, Yachiyo Electric Co. The Cp has japanese graphics as well.Although Vectorbeam made their own versions of some of the Cinematronics games, Starhawk is not one. No history on this one yet.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/sh4_zpsrom3tv3u.jpg

 

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/sh5_zpsukzzfpl7.jpg

 

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/sh2_zpscgvfmue7.jpg

 

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/sh1_zpsrocae2ev.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little disappointed with this one. Front door is not original, metal plate over a poorly made wooden door with a Canadian coin door. Top panel of CP is Cinematronics with a cut off Japanese joystick panel but missing speed controls?. Joysticks don't appear to be original with wiring hacks and two boards.

CPU dead, awaiting new IC sockets- some corroded.

Monitor blank but now ok with replacement of transistor in spot killer circuit.

Tested with Ripoff CPU, surprisingly working although with intensity issues- not sure yet whether monitor or board.

Internals are all Vectorbeam. Monitor and PS differ slightly from Cinematronics.

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Similar Art theme Brad but I can't find anything that matches.

Monitor died again; suspect analogue switch LF13331. Interesting to note that 10 years ago, these were rare being quoted $70 from America. Now the Chinese have them for $13 for 5, posted..

 

 

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/Starhawk%20ws1_zpsgh4ahl9p.jpg

 

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/BOSUN57/starhawk%20ws3_zps1jwlqz2j.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Ater a couple EMs, I dusted this off again.

Replaced the analogue switch and added ' strongly recommended' mods to protect this IC.

StarHhawk board is dead. no reset LED.

I have a Rip Off board that came with this lot.The boards are essentially the same, different ROMs of course.

Reseated all socketed ICs. Image came up, attract mode but with intensity and brightness wrong. Very bright points, dull lines and visible retrace lines.

 

StarHawk board. Clock at test point 5 but nowhere else. Traced to Link block at D8, new socket and now reset LED is permanently on- should flash momentarily and turn off.

Checked all socketed ICs, F14 missing leg and now there's bus activity.

These boards will run in attract mode with nothing connected other than +5V. I am using the Rip Off board connected to the monitor for comparision and verification. Plus the sound of yoke chatter is curiously comforting.

Plugged StarHawk into monitor. Image is missing parts, broken lines and same intensity/brightness problems as Rip Off.

The monitor had a spot killer problem before, so I started around there and traced back to the board I/P. Both boards have the same problem.

Spoke to the Gods about always starting at the wrong end of the fault.

 

Interval.

 

Traced Rip Off O/P to IC H6. Rip Off now works perfectly in attract mode.

Traced StarHawk O/P to IC J2. Brightness OK but still broken image.

 

Interval

 

Powered up StarHawk, brightness/intensity problem again. Swapped boards, still same problem, checked O/Ps on both, TOK.

Traced back through the monitor to the IC 7406, replaced and TOK.

Spoke to the Gods again about always starting at the wrong end of the fault.

 

Interval

 

Powered up StarHawk, just a very bright, phosphor burning, stationary dot, randomly positioned by turning off and on.

Deflection circuits are OK, just not drawing lines.

'Enable Timer' static, traced to G6 and H8.

Now have almost all the image as well but still static.

 

shawk2.JPG.7833284c1f676e78915c8a09a4c6c31d.JPG

 

Verified main ROMs , TOK.

Whilst probing, a loud 'crack' from monitor. Image way oversized and dull. F**king great, symptomatic of low EHT.

Could not find smoke, fire, blackened remains anywhere. Checked components passively, found faulty cap on Focus line, replaced with greencap for now but no difference.

View with EHT cover removed:

 

shawk1.JPG.9329f6d8721612da17360a823081cf75.JPG

 

 

Checked voltages: EHT 8.6KV (15KV), Focus 0V (400V) and brightness 45V (90V). Suspect flyback.

Must buy/build a flyback ringer one day.

Wound everything up for now and have a reasonable image, worry about it later.

 

Care must be taken with these monitors as HT supply is exposed at the bottom.

 

 

shawk6.JPG.10c981c092d6617fa864d7b0df1823eb.JPG

 

Interval

 

Powered up StarHawk, brightness. intensity problem back again with the broken lines, etc. Traced back to F2 (socketed) , the origin of the bright signal.

Was going to harvest an IC from another board but desoldering station died.

 

 

shawk3.JPG.8ba6895869590c3b5835027d28ef03e2.JPG

 

Almost back to stage one. Monitor is dull enough to not see the bright points.

This can go back into the corner until the next order.

Edited by arcadus
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  • 1 month later...

Back to this.... Replaced F2, brightness ok. The broken lines were due to dry joints on the connector. Now OK.

Image is still static. Probed everything and everywhere. All busy.

Decided to replace Address Sequencer Roms.

Big thanks to Skybeaux for programming these little 1K ROMs.

 

Success with replacing the first one. F14

 

In attract mode.

The picture is too big because of the faulty EHT.

Broken lines can be adjusted within the monitor but not bothered now.

 

1929338761_Starh1.JPG.1b9717f570ed17d72d3de35b77907cce.JPG

 

 

But, I found this . Never thought I would ever find one. NOS too.

A Keltron HV used in the later monitors. I should be able to adapt with a few component changes.

If not, I have another monitor which uses this but in poor condition with missing parts.

 

 

1959014251_Starh2.JPG.cf490e12ef5e2577791c464286a65079.JPG

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Connected Control Panel, no coinup.

 

Interface board not the best.

 

zstr2.JPG.3ef8633dd1c05a5eabaed2e6767875f4.JPG

 

A lot of track rot. Has been jumpered before. The red wires are mine.

 

 

zstr1.JPG.b4e62414b715ec648db02bcb2217aeb9.JPG

 

Player 2 has no up motion and intermittent fire button.

Decided to jumper all.

 

zstr4.JPG.ec9e3b37b9065b1c55e45c0c373c32d8.JPG

 

Control Panel all working now

 

On to the sound board

 

zstr3.JPG.89ae6a1ee757dca6fd2cf548b08df5a1.JPG

 

Volume control pot missing, replaced with PCB pot for now- small blue/white object to the right bottom.

Connected 'turn on' signal to Lo. There should be a low, continuous flying noise.

Not so, a rustling noise from the speaker and burning smell. Bottom O/P transistor is extremely hot.

Passively checked all components, suspect capacitor between transistors short circuiting to heat sink.

Turned on with no speaker, all OK. Connected speaker, still OK but with no sound.

Volume is controlled through feedback line to op amp.

Injected 10KHz signal into I/P of op amp.

Sound Ok but very loud. Adjusted pot- no difference initially but then lots of screeching then deathly silence followed by burning smell.

Bottom transistor extremely hot.

Speaker blown ( down to the op shop for another one).

All components test Ok again.

I have had this before with an audio amplifier. Replaced both O/P transistors and drivers to work.This is a push pull amplifier needing the O/P transistors to match mainly for distortion but also bias.

The transistors have been replaced, mounted sideways and then jumpered to the board, obviously not original.

The transistors used are BD587 and 2SB617, not that close.

I will try BD911 and BD912, (because they are easily available from WES).

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Finally found pics of the Japanese/Vectorbeam version.

Same side art as mine.

The marquee was missing but 12 years ago I bought one from the US unaware there were different versions.

 

953595330_StarhawkcabJapanese.thumb.jpg.804b5bcd8262e2099530e35f3ecda229.jpg

 

On mine, the top part of the Japanese CP was cut off and replaced with the US version.

The interface board in the previous post would line up with the player buttons on the back of Japanese version.

It appears speed control is not an option?

 

Japanese CP

 

425633324_StarhawkCPJapanese.thumb.jpg.715e4ed4dde3f320008656ebe46934f6.jpg

 

The US CP.

 

5323251_starhawkUSACP.thumb.jpg.6412d3dfda9d816fe105800420fa934f.jpg

 

Mine...

 

1151024946_starhawkJapCP.thumb.jpg.0f93cd67b6de1cc6d4bd179992433d0b.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Back to this again. replaced output transistors with BD 911 and BD112.

Whilst marvelling at the 32V (should be 25V) on the collectors, probe slipped and shorted to emitter..

Well that took out both transistors with two resistors in flames...real flames..

Magic smoke leaves a nasty taste at the back of the throat.

Modified board with emitter resistors and diodes to help prevent thermal runaway. This mod is added to later boards.

 

soundboard.JPG.0b60ea8e10fe78bb76a5705058ce6401.JPG

 

The 32V is strange. Schematic shows 25VDC at the power supply. Transformer taps are shown as 21V -written on the taps. fully rectified, it has to be around 29.4V. Admittedly, my bench p/s is 110V not 100V as supplied by cab which would boost it by a few volts.

 

Awaiting parts..

 

The monitor.

Whilst probing around to pick up supply voltage for the new Keltron, I found the +18V rail was missing. Replaced regulator and EHT working!

Fooled me by partially working with only the -ve rail working.

Always check power supply and assume nothing. ( I need to tattoo this somewhere).

Working fine until I was adjusting focus then failed again.

 

Awaiting parts

 

This spare monitor came with the Ripoff parts.

It is the newer type monitor using the Keltron.

Although the tube is knackered , I will refurbish for justin.

 

1960764623_monitorold.JPG.c1f5fb1ddb0dd44d02c4464fb6a394cd.JPG

 

Cleaned and painted, it was very rusty and dirty.

 

Replaced a few missing components including the main deflection transistors substituted with MJ2501 and MJ3001.

 

1306145294_monitortrans.JPG.c54d0cda62a758c283483497a2aafd27.JPG

 

Horz drive ok, Vert drive pre-driver transistors u/s -will replace. Everything else ok until the NOS Keltron EHT died...

 

Had an old Keltron with an unpotted HT section. I did this years ago following an internet indicating fault within the potted section.

 

Good news, I found the schematic for Keltron in the Starcastle manual- unbelievable...

 

The old Keltron had a short between the collector of Q42 and heatsink (Eth). Replaced Q42, obviously worked by the sparks and arcs flying everywhere in the unpotted section. Filled with black silastic, hopefully will work long time.

 

Using schematic, found deadshorted capacitor in the new Keltron.

 

 

1317300928_keltronopen.JPG.e7e9c19bc66fa38732396dee0e09346d.JPG

 

Awaiting parts.

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Keltron EHT supplys.

NOS Keltron worked perfectly with new cap. 16KV, 400V and 90V.

Old Keltron not good. 4KV, 535V and 123V. This indicates that there would be a fault in the quadrupler (potted section).

The controller senses feedback from the HV and adjusts the voltages accordingly. I think the controller is trying to compensate for the low HV, driving the other voltages up as well.

I willl leave it for now- not needed.

 

The monitor had blown the +18V regulator again along with the oscillator driver, TIP 41C. Replaced but still not oscillating.

Checked primary side ok but secondary had a shorted diode on the grid 2 supply.

Test ok now.

 

Sound board. Two drivers, 18V regulator, two resistors later...

Replaced gingerly stage by stage. O/P of op- amp very high and clipping.

The volume is controlled by variying the feedback to the op-amp. The volume pot was missing perhaps broken off. When I replaced, I missed a broken track and missing through hole plate. The feedback track was O/C thus driving the O/P stage flat out

Sound board works now without scaring the cat.

 

All working.

 

ztar1.JPG.02cc83d9467ea60e4614d71858977712.JPG

 

ztar2.JPG.27f6d7f40a8f7f98d2c6cad8605eb6a3.JPG

 

The cab still needs a little work, but all working now.

 

 

ztar3.JPG.91a090e8d79d8b240e887d99af10abaa.JPG

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