WARNING LONG POST...

Sometimes you’re so happy, you just have to share your joy...  So here it is:

In Allentown, I saw a guy (TNT) selling art packages for Galaga.  Art was A+ and quality next to none!  So I pick-up a set (Cheap).  Why you ask???  Cuz I remembered that Jim (JVEGAS) had one at the meeting.  I also remembered it to be in nice esthetic shape...

Last week, I call him up and ask if he still as it?  Sure enough, he's got it.  I went to see it.  Not working, dead as a nail...  On site, I check PS sure enough no 5V present.  So I reach a deal with Jim and take it back home. THANKS JIM!

I placed it in my garage and my obsession to fix it begun.  I don't know if any of you guys are like that, but for myself, a non-working machine is an obsession.  I have trouble sleeping.  I think about the problems in my head all day till I go to sleep...

Anyway, I began troubleshooting the game last Friday.  I never worked on a Galaga board before  so I Google it to see what was available.  Read every post on PCB repair I could...

I placed a new Switching PS in the game (Thanks MIKE GRATTON FOR THE FREEBEE!!!!  Yes, the elevators those come back sometimes...)

Anyway, the game powers up but sticks on the CHECKSUM.  Giving me a RAM 4L error.  Now Jim said to me that the game was fully working prior to shipping...  I have my doubts about that why you ask?  In the coin box I find a piece of paper bearing sellers logo on it with writing RAM 4L bad...  Now, you don't have to be a seasoned cop to figure this one out...  How is this possible, all sellers on Ebay are honest right???  NOT!

So this is what I did;

Replaced ALL 2114 RAMS (6X) Sockets and chips
Combined the 8X 2147 RAMS in two 2148
Replaced all EPROMS
Updated EPROM 3J to a RAPID FIRE CHIP!!!
Replaced 2016 RAM at 1K
Removed and cleaned out all custom chips and replaced 3 sockets.

THANKS TO Steph SUYS for all RAMS and EPROMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After doing all that, I reseat my PCB and, and....  Garbage on screen, OK more garbage...  ALL ROM AND RAM OK!!!  Good sign then stalls...

I check the slam switch, all good
Check the test switch it was on operation mode but tiny wire unsoldered...  re-soldered wire.

Take 2, booting, ROM RAM PASSED  BOOTING TO GAME...

GALAGA!!!!!!!!!!!!  IS ALIVE!  What a feeling.

If any of you guys have a GALAG, Nebulous Bee or GALAGA dead PCB, I know feel confident I can repair them...

LMK

P.S. This awesome game will be FS as soon as restoration is completed...

Marty

awesome it is those kind of victories that keep most of us in the hobby.
nice work

great work.  wish i could do board work.  just good at getting lucky and clean up.

Whooohooo Way to go Marty.
Dam fine work allot of work but worth it at the end.

Phew.... my chips worked !    

Nice work Marty.

I know that feeling from the first time I got a Defender back from the dead.

I'll have to go check that puppy out now..

Salut,
Steph

Bravo Martin, Great job!
Great idea to use sockets under the replaced chips.
(I also use single in-line chip sockets when replacing chips or sockets).

...Usually not that many chips are bad at once... Flaky sockets are however
and unfortunately a common occurence. It is time-consuming to replace many
sockets...

Wonder what happened to this game...
The eBay auction for that machine clearly showed a working screen, I remember.
I have successfully bought a few parts from the same eBay seller in the past
(eccoinop). They seem honest, at least with my dealings.

...The note inside the cashdoor may actually have been left by me, I cannot recall,
as I tried to get this puppy working on-site before lunch just before jvegas101s'
March meeting. Indeed it always showed RAM 4L, plus the monitor's horizontal freq.
was unstable. At the time, there was +5 volt output from the power supply, I did
check. But had no time to pursue, as there were many other pins to fix instead


Haaa, fixing games is as much fun and rewarding as playing them !

Cheers,
- Sylvain

Nice work man!  That is one of my favourite vids of all time!

I knew you would never really get out!!!  Nice going!!!

Sylvain

Yep, I used single line sockets bought at Allentown 5$ a ton!  For the H freq, the problem was due to a flacky connector to the monitor chassis...

I tought about that note being one you had made cuz Jim said you had checked it out...  But because it was on a Ecocoin business note, I figured it had to be theirs...

Anyway, all and all everything was good.

Thanks all!

Marty

Quoted from Spacecadet28

I don't know if any of you guys are like that, but for myself, a non-working machine is an obsession.  I have trouble sleeping.

Yup,  Was up till 4:00 AM last night rebuilding pop bumpers and repopulating a PF; so I know what that's like.

BTW Great job on the Galaga.  Its always a good feeling to resurrect a classic like that.  Good timing on the side art.

Nice work on the Galaga.

Sylvain/Marty, why does one use the single line sockets (machined I guess) instead of a regular leaf socket?

Thanks.

The single line sockets have more contact with the chip's leg...  On regurlar sockets, only the inside part of the leg is making contact.   Old legs tend to corrode or pit and they are not easy to clean (Without braking) on the inside.  easier on the outside.

Because the single line socket offer contact point all around, the chances contact break is less...

Clear as mud?

Marty