New "proud papa" needs some Jamma / PCB advice!

[Dangerboy]

Hey All,

So, after *years* of wanting one, a sweet chance auction got me a barely used Super Gun / Super Nova unit with a MVS board and some Neo Geo games.

The Neo Geo stuff I'm fine on, since I've been using a Phantom converter - it's the Jamma side I'm a newbie on.

So long as the game says "Jamma" on it, it should work fine with a SuperGun, yes? Obviously there would need to be extra stuff for the gun games, etc. but I'm looking more at snagging some old school fun stuff. Things like UN Squadron, maybe a Street Fighter or 'II', etc.

My questions, for current Jamma owners are:

a. How do you properly store them when not in use?
b. Best way to clean dust off of a board (dry cloth?)
c. How hot do Jamma boards get? The SuperGun is large enough to sit the board on, but I want to know not to grab it and move it after a 3 hour play session.
d. How bad are the CPS2 'suicide' battery issues? Would capcom fix them?
e. Is there an online resource for manuals? I'd love to know how to access dip switches where possible on each game.

Finally, what are the preferred locations to buy Jamma boards? Online, locally (South Suburbs of Chicago area), or preferred online members.

My unit is currently in shipment, but I'm already quite giddy. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Jason

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

Hey All,

So, after *years* of wanting one, a sweet chance auction got me a barely used Super Gun / Super Nova unit with a MVS board and some Neo Geo games.

The Neo Geo stuff I'm fine on, since I've been using a Phantom converter - it's the Jamma side I'm a newbie on.

So long as the game says "Jamma" on it, it should work fine with a SuperGun, yes? Obviously there would need to be extra stuff for the gun games, etc. but I'm looking more at snagging some old school fun stuff. Things like UN Squadron, maybe a Street Fighter or 'II', etc.

My questions, for current Jamma owners are:

a. How do you properly store them when not in use?
b. Best way to clean dust off of a board (dry cloth?)
c. How hot do Jamma boards get? The SuperGun is large enough to sit the board on, but I want to know not to grab it and move it after a 3 hour play session.
d. How bad are the CPS2 'suicide' battery issues? Would capcom fix them?
e. Is there an online resource for manuals? I'd love to know how to access dip switches where possible on each game.

Finally, what are the preferred locations to buy Jamma boards? Online, locally (South Suburbs of Chicago area), or preferred online members.

My unit is currently in shipment, but I'm already quite giddy. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Jason
A: Anti Static bubble-wrap inside nice durable boxes.
B: If you don't have too much a hard water issue, you can wash the pcbs in a dish washer, but remove them before the heat dry kicks in. Set them on a towel leaning against the wall with a nice fan blowing on them, and let them sit to dry for a day or two. If your water tries to do the calcium build up, scrub it off well with alcohol and a tooth brush. Light dust issues, or spot cleaning, can be done with a air can, alcohol and q-tips.
C: Boards heat will depend on the cpu/parts involved. Typically they don't get too hot though out in the open.
D: Its very bad. You can find people to phoenix your boards though, so you wont have to rely on batteries. Im honestly not sure if Capcom USA will still service them. If so, they would probably want too much.
E: Ebay and online on sites like Klov can turn up manuals. Buying games, Ebay is one source, another is Vaps forums. You can also check your yellow pages for amusement vendors. Check in Amusement,entertainment, and video game sections.

[Ed Oscuro]

Don't forget to mount your PCBs properly when you swap them into the cabinet. I'm not sure what most people do, maybe you can get a little board to screw them into without damaging the back of the cabinet constantly placing or removing screws.

On the PCB washing front, I just do it by hand. If at all possible keep water away from things that'll rust and don't get it get under small chip packages where it'll stay. For that I use a hair dryer (low heat) to blow it back out into the open. I wouldn't wash a PCB unless it was really dirty; normally it's fine to have a little bit of dust.

[Ken Layton]

Manuals can be found here:

http://www.crazykong.com/

http://arcarc.xmission.com/

http://www.ionpool.net/

To clean a board use a clean, dry 1" paint brush and a can of air. Be careful as some paper labels on the chips can come loose.