Vectrex repairs anybody?

[landsmarra]

Hey guys,

I just got two Vec consoles. One came loose with an older version Sean Kelly multicart and was soaked in cat piss but cleaned up fine and seems to work well. Just some flicker which I believe is normal. The test program on the cart indicates that some screen adjustments might be in order. Anyone know how to do this? Also, when looking at the menu on the multicart, some of the game names seem to slant to the left. Is this normal? Lastly, on the title screen on the Vec multicart, the Kelly and Taft copyright near the bottom of the screen is a little compressed and slanted left. Is this normal?

The other boxed Vec I got was in better shape physically but has bad burn-in. Can anything be done for this short of replacing the tube (that's assuming it can even be done)? Does anyone out there do this knid of thing?

I've also read somewhere on how to reduce the hum but can't find it now. Anyone got the link?

Well, I now have a complete US Vec cart collection including light pen. I have 3D glasses/games coming. So now I'm going after the homebrew stuff. Anything else I should look for?

Thanks,
Steve

[chadtower]

Why are old items always soaked in cat piss? Do cats just seek out every item in a closet or garage and piss on it constantly?

[FABombjoy]

The test program on the cart indicates that some screen adjustments might be in order. Anyone know how to do this?

There are several screen adjustments, all of which are detailed in the service manual. Notably, there are 2 thumbwheels that control slanting & vertical size, and there is a DAC offset adjustment that affects centering. If the HV is off, that my produce undesired display results. You can find the service manual here, and a troubleshooting guide here. Some adjustments require a keen eye, others require an oscilloscope and VOM capable of measuring 5-10k volts.

Also, when looking at the menu on the multicart, some of the game names seem to slant to the left. Is this normal? Lastly, on the title screen on the Vec multicart, the Kelly and Taft copyright near the bottom of the screen is a little compressed and slanted left. Is this normal?

It's normal if the adjustments are off. The system may also need a cap kit installed.

The other boxed Vec I got was in better shape physically but has bad burn-in. Can anything be done for this short of replacing the tube (that's assuming it can even be done)? Does anyone out there do this knid of thing?

Short of writing a program to burn the un-burned portions of the screen, only a tube swap will fix it.

I've field-stripped a Vectrex down to the boards, and I have to say that it isn't fun. Be prepared to spend some time carefully pulling it apart. The Vectrex really wasn't meant to be serviced.

I've also read somewhere on how to reduce the hum but can't find it now. Anyone got the link?

There are 2 versions of the buzz-reduction procedure. One involves boosting up the audio signal before the amp, and the other removes the ground loop issues. The ground loop fix is the easiest. I'm not sure if either fix will fully get rid of the buzz. I did the ground loop fix, and my console still buzzez, although nowhere nearly as bad as it did before.

You can read/see my experiences here.

[Zaxxon]

I had the exact same problem with the two I owned. The game graphics looked fine, just the text would be warped. It's really not hard to fix at all. No service manual needed. You're better off doing it yourself because if you sent it to someone the bumps and vibrations in shipping would probably make it become uncalibrated again. Just unplug the unit. Unscrew the back of the case and remove the back. Inside, behind the vector tube there are a a couple thumbwheels or screw adjusments. Look around, you'll see them. I used jewelers screwdrivers to adjust them IIRC so I wasn't sticking my bare hand in there while it was on, to avoid getting a shock. Plug in the multi cart and let it go to the menu or the title screen of a game that has messed up text. Start slowly adjusting those dials till you get the right results. IIRC one dial would stretch the text out vertically and adjusting the other too far would cause the text to become backwards.

I never heard of a Vectrex that had burn in. Are you sure the brightness isn't just set too high?