Hello All,

Wanted to start a topic for those of us with video arcades in addition to our pins. I would like to see this thread develop into primarily an arcade thread where folks like myself who have arcades and may need some help, have ideas, questions really anything regarding our video's to come to and have a unique topic where as we can all discuss and hopefully benefit. If its video arcade related, it goes!

Now please understand that I am aware that this URL is primarily about pinball machines. That's great and have no desire to derail the URL. Just want to be able to add a place, short of looking elsewhere (klov) where we pinheads who have videos can commiserate. Yes, I know the existence of klov. Yes, I know threes lots of experience over there. Yes, I know that videos are their emphasis. I am also aware though that there are many folks who are regulars on this site who have a wealth of information pertaining to video arcades and can share, and maybe learn some new stuff from others without the need to travel to another site.

I have taken the further step of checking in with one of the moderators (@forceflow) regarding this topic and they were fine with it. So with all the "legalities" out of the way, lets start and hopefully have a very productive thread whereas we can all benefit, at least those of us with videos!

Thank You

George...

OK, first post. Recently picked up a Centipede that I have been wanting for a while. needed to be the right price as I planned to do a makeover to the machine and realized that I would have about $300 into materials to do that. Found it and started the process.

One of the things that I did after doing some reading was to replace the 2N3044 bottle cap transistor on the ARII board as I read that that is an important item to replace as it performs most of the heavy lifting. For all intents and purposes, leave the caps alone. not necessary to change. Will probably do so at some point as I already bought them but for now there good. So I go ahead and replace the transistor. Game works great and I thought I did the right think by preventing issues going forward with the main logic board as I understand that if the 2N3044 goes, it can take the logic board and did not want that to happen.

A couple days go by and the game is working great!! I go down and try to start a game and through process of elimination, discover that there is no +5VDC. OK what the hell??? Was looking at edge connectors heavily as I know they can be flaky after years and years. Wiring, fuses etc. And by the way, no fuses were blown. After reading a bit more came to find ouit that I very well may have a defective 2N3044. Well by luck I saved the old one I took out and replaced the new with the old. Whammo baby! Back to life. I guess this is what they mean by an out of the box failure!! Second time I have made an attempt to make something have more longevity by doing some preventive maintenance and it bit me. Lesson learned.

Hope that this may be helpful to others.

G