Space Invaders power transformer problem :(

[JamieJamieBrown]

Got my new Bezel lights through the post on Monday and rushed to my space invaders cab to install them.

BIG MISTAKE. Plugged them into the rear light socket by accident. All 5 bulbs blew immediately and the middle fuse on the main power in blew too!

I have brought a new fuse today and installed it but Im getting NOTHING. The rear lights work but nothing on the monitor at all :(

Question is, where do I go from here? Is it the monitor that blew? Is it the power? Is it the motherboard?

WHAT DO I DO?? I love my Space Invaders cabinet and now its dead :(

[sixteenbits]

yikes, sorry to hear!

do you get any game audio?

[JamieJamieBrown]

yikes, sorry to hear!

do you get any game audio?


No audio..a slight flckering on the monitor screen..its so sad :(

[XYXZYZ]

Got a multimeter? The first thing I'd suspect is the power supply. I'd check if you're getting the usual 5V and 12V outputs. (Assuming arcade games from 1978 used those voltages)

Shouldn't be too hard to replace if that's the problem.

Oh, and KLOV has an arcade game repair forum. I'm sure you'll get more help there-
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14

[JamieJamieBrown]

There are fuses on the monitor chassis, as well as the 2 main fuses in the bottom of the machine. Check all of those before going any further. The only damage that should have happened was 1 or more of the fuses popping since you were basically shorting out a 120VAC connector.

I was thinking this myself. There is no way the motherboard should have anything to do with the same curcuit as a the main strip light, far too much voltage. Then again, the main fuse obviously did not protect the 5 bulbs before they blew.

Thank you. I will check both the fuses in the monitor and the power supply next time I go round and visit her (shes housed at my mates house right now)

Fingers crossed. Keep you posted.

[JamieJamieBrown]

It lives! Changed the fuses and the monitor fuse and it sprang back to life ... ish. The machine takes a little while to 'settle down' after being moved. All sorts of weird things happen, monitor mess, random sounds, counter clocking over..until, after about reboot no 5, it sorts itself out.

Any ideas why it would do this? I would like to turn it on and it spring to life first time everytime..why all the nonsense??

[JamieJamieBrown]

First check to see if you have all 3 voltages in tolerance

Thanks for help again Mr helpful skeletor (as my mates call you now). Being an absolute novice but in possession of a voltmeter, how do I go around doing that?

[JamieJamieBrown]

Sounds like you have either a voltage issue, a problem with the boardset, or a connection issue. First check to see if you have all 3 voltages in tolerance.

Also, Space Invaders by now usually have problems with the socketed chips on the motherboard. The metal on the IC legs oxidized, sometimes to the point that 1 or more legs will break when you remove them. If the board is that bad, it might be worth it to send to Alex Yeckley at elektronforge.com and have them refurbished.

You are the very best! I checked my voltages with some instruction from elektroforge. The 5 v can out alright as did the -5v and 18v but the 12v was reading about 10. Adjusted the pot up to 12 and its working an absolute treat. Comes on first time everytime and after adding a blacklight at the same time looks gorgeous.

So its getting those bezel lights working now and the project is near complete. :dance:\\^_^/

[JamieJamieBrown]

So, i have been having a few issues with my space invaders cab. Sometimes it works lovely, sometimes its takes reboot after reboot to get going.

My recent work involved trying to install the 5 bezel lights. When I hooked them up I got nothing. Checked the power nothing. Worked it all the way back to the transfor where its connects to the 12v output - nothing. Theres two lines coming out of that 12v transformer output. Whats the other wire going to?

Anyway 12v to netural is dead on the transformer..where to go???? Help :(