Ms. Pac-Man Status Update

[mrdude]

Ok, so here is the current status of the Ms. Pac-Man I got off of Craigslist not working. Now it is.

Here is the current update:
http://youtu.be/JMFnG-REgkY

I repaired the PCB edge and found $2.26 and a toothpick inside of the coin slot!


The previous update:
http://youtu.be/p-F0WC2fNLA

[P-feif]

You and I should stay in contact. I'm working on a Mrs. Pacman too and watching those two videos we have very similar problems. I just yesterday put my monitor back in after doing a full cap kit. I too had no red on the screen. I also replaced the three transistors on the neck board that control the color guns and most of the resistors the are in line with the color transistors. Also replaced the big filter cap on the main monitor board. After reinstalled the monitor yesterday I had nothing but a few blue "things" on the screen. Today I played around with it and now I have a picture and I now have red (which I didn't have at all before I started this) but the red is heavily skewed the bottom of the screen. I need to figure out if it's a convergence issue or a PCB issue. Most of the skewed red is the same shape as the maze except one small spot which is mirrored to the maze. I don't think that a mirrored problem is a due to convergence so I'm wondering where to go next.

Also I have the same hum that you have and I also get the bars scrolling across the screen too, so I'll be watching to see what you do.

[mrdude]

I will keep you updated. I had some crazy hum bars at one point...the hum bar literally looked like a light saber rolling across the screen...it was horrendous. I'm hoping to get the harness and fuse block done this week. Perhaps the cap kit will get done too but I won't be able to test it until I get that new ribbon cable in... I can't believe I knocked the pins off...I guess it's better they fell off outside the socket than in it. 

[P-feif]

Mine was modified at some point it the past. I don't even have the aux board/ribbon cable. Everything is contained on the main board. I'd like to get rid of the speed up like you did but with my board moded I need to make sure which chip I need to change. I think the chips are in the same location as they were but I'm not sure. It has a few extra chips that yours doesn't have due to the mod. I think you can see what I'm talking about in my pics.

It took me forever to get my monitor to this point just 'cause I don't get much time to work on it. With winter weather coming I won't be able to work on the out door projects so maybe I'll get back to the Mrs. Pacman. We've gotten some rain the last few days so it gave me time to stay in doors and play around with this thing. It was good to see a picture on it again even if it still needs more work.

Good talking with you...  

Here's a link to my project.

http://www.johnsarcade.com/forum/index.php?topic=1102.msg8970#new

[172pilot]

I repaired the PCB edge and found $2.26 and a toothpick inside of the coin slot!

That's funny - I got a MsPac cocktail last weekend which wouldn't accept coins, and I found $1.75 in mine..  No toothpick though - Mine was not working because someone had jammed the coin accepter in there without any of the screw nubs to line it up, so it was just kind of misaligned..  Working great now.. 

I'll have to take a look at your videos - Mine has the speed up which I'd like to get rid of too, and seems to be a modded PacMan because no ribbon..  Looks to have bigger EPROMs with some pins pulled out and bridged to some memory management chip ..   I'll have to take a better look when I get tired of playing it!  :-)

-Steve

[mrdude]

I HAVE RED!!!!
http://youtu.be/63JLEJZJU40

Turns out it was a bad solder joint on the red pin at the header on the monitor chassis. I thought by reflowing all of the headers I fixed it..but clearly I must have missed this pin or made it worse. After the cap kit I still had no red and it wouldn't even blink on like it did before the cap kit.  After doing the cap kit I also had to replace the horizontal width coil since it literally fell apart on me after I flipped the monitor chassis over.

I am starting to feel a little bit better about this hobby. I was having some crap luck with that DK cocktail monitor.... at least this is working almost as it should!!  Now to figure out why the coin slot lights aren't getting power.

[P-feif]

It's like anything. It can frustrate you until you learn it. Trust me I'm very frustrated but I know that in time I will learn this stuff and be more able to handle it.

[172pilot]

Now to figure out why the coin slot lights aren't getting power.

Has your machine been retrofitted with a DC power supply?  I read somewhere that the coin slot lights needed the AC supply and they wouldn't work if the board was modified for a DC supply..  I have no personal experience with that, but have been reading as much as I can, since I just got a cocktail MsPac myself.

Have you tested for ANY voltage at the coin slot lights?  I expect 14v AC there on an unmodified one, but if it's been modified, I wonder if there's an easy way to retrofit with 12vDC and just use one of the many LED retrofits for the #194 bulbs?

Speaking of those bulbs, I've been wondering what the allowable reverse voltage would be on the LED replacements..  Would it be safe to run them on 14vAC?

-Steve

[mrdude]

My machine is relatively original. They did rewire a couple of things like the power switch.  So it has not been retrofitted with one of those DC switching power supplies.  I am getting 0 voltage at the coin slot lights. So at this point it's just a matter of back pedaling from the lights and seeing if I can find them on my wiring diagram.

LED lights would need significantly less voltage I am assuming, so some modifications may need to happen to not burn them out. That would be a nice modification to do and to never have to worry about replacing bulbs again!  Perhaps if I actually get some power at that spot!

[mrdude]

So the bezel was starting to crack on me so I repaired it with some packaging tape and some Krylon Crystal Clear Triple Thick Glaze.  Next on the list is the control panel over lay and redoing that wiring harness edge connector...

Status update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebF22NizBZU

Detailed version:
http://youtu.be/58EhAvudSXE