RE: Tempest Question

Typical XY problems.

1) You have one or more bad deflection transistors. Replace them all, along
with the mica insulators.

2) You have cold solder joints on the monitor board(s). This may have been
the only problem originally, but now w/ the pop, one or more components
probably are fried. Carefully inspect the monitor boards and reflow all
cold or suspicious solder joints, especially the joints around the pin
connectors. I've yet to find a board that doesn't have several broken
joints -- this problem is extremely common.

After the above, you will need to carefully inspect and test each component
on the monitor boards. These boards are more susceptible to problems w/
opens and taking out several components what there is an open. Slamming the
door was just enough to cause a temporary open and pop. The LV2000 helps
address some of these problems by not letting run away current flow through
the board in cases like this.

As for monitor safety, there are numerous sites that details proper
procedures. Try http://www.randyfromm.com for starters. You will need to
learn how to discharge the monitor -- typically this is done by connecting
an alligator clip to the metal shaft of a long-shafted insulated-handled
flat-bladed screwdriver, the other end of the clip to the grounded monitor
chassis, and gently sliding the screwdriver blade under the thing that looks
like a suction cup on the side of the monitor, waiting 5 minutes and doing
it again. Again, check out several sites on how to do this to get a good
feel.

Good luck.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-vectorlist@synthcom.com
> [mailto:owner-vectorlist@synthcom.com]On Behalf Of Duff Gray
> Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 7:42 AM
> To: vectorlist@synthcom.com
> Subject: VECTOR: Tempest Question
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I recently purchased a non-working Tempest cocktail game. Upon
> power up I have (had) video tracing in the upper right hand quadrant
> of the game. Thinking that maybe the boardset was OK, I tried to
> get the game into test mode to listen for beeps on test mode 4.
> Well after
> pressing the slamtilt a couple of times, something popped below the
> monitor and the video is now competely gone.
>
> I have ordered the zanen kit and the LV2000 kit and will install them
> upon arrival. When working on the monitor, how long do I need to wait
> before high voltages have bled out of the monitor? Or, how do I
> discharge
> the high voltage portion of the circuit? I have worked on electronic
> pinball
> machines for years but I am new to video games - esp. monitors.
> Any safety tips appreciated.
>
> Finally, any thoughts on what is wrong with my Tempest?
>
> Thanks...
>
> Duff
>
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Received on Tue Sep 19 12:01:49 2000