Games in space, with rocks and saucers......Atari Italy Asteroids

[level42]

Ohh....one thing I forgot to tell......I did a small modification to this game that allow me to shoot quicker.






Noh, I didn't fiddle with EPROMs or the game PCB....... I removed the button springs !!!!

Those springs were STIFF AS HELL even after all those years ! They make playing a nightmare for your fingers. I have noticed this on many other Asteroids machines I've played. And I can't live with it.

So .....I thought I might cut them in half or so.....but now they are out......I love to play as it is ! It's VERY light, some might not like it like this....but I do

With the fire button, I can put 2 fingers on the edges of the button and tap them alternatively (one after the other)....this allows some great "fire bursts" which are great to reduce a large asteroid to maybe 2 or even 1 tiny one....

I'll see if I can make a video of it...

[Luigi]

Awesome machine, sir!

I will check that firebutton without spring next weekend

[level42]

Awesome machine, sir!

I will check that firebutton without spring next weekend

Gracie mille !

Heheh.....it's not just the fire button....it's all of them

[Etienne MacGyver]

Nice job !

I checked the zaccaria speaker grill last week, and its exactly like this, its identical.
Micro holes indeed !

I never looked at it that way 

[level42]

Hah yeah....I think we "arcade archeologists" can safely conclude that this machine was built by Zaccaria.

It's also safe to say it was their masterpiece 

[Laszo]

I have been looking for years for replacement T molding, goodluck finding that...

and yes, its pretty flat

found this, maybe they can help:

http://www.cn-nova.com/Product.asp?ClassID=35

[Robinholland]

I have been looking for years for replacement T molding, goodluck finding that...

and yes, its pretty flat

found this, maybe they can help:

http://www.cn-nova.com/Product.asp?ClassID=35

that looking good !

[Etienne MacGyver]

hmmm looks indeed promissing !

[level42]

Ready to order 10 kilometers guys ? 

Site says you can send in a sample....

[Laszo]

nice eurocade conversation topic 

[level42]

Guys....while working on this beauty I've noticed that it gives me lots of "small" shocks....

Even when the machine is off that is. F.I when inserting the PCB and still touching the solder side, I feel some electricy going on....

Also sometimes when touching metal parts with my arms f.i. this happens. The ground is connected (I replaced the mains wire) so.....what can cause this and.....could this also be a cause for the resets happening ?

[level42]

Something else.....

I decided that this baby is going to get the NOS/NIB B/W tube I have here.

What good is it to keep that new tube in a box for the next 20/30 years while I can enjoy it now ?
It's not like it's going to burn in again with the few running hours it gets in home use.

Instead, I will put the Italian tube in that box and keep that as a spare for "just in case".....

Swapping a B/W tube is a piece of cake anyway

[level42]

Sometimes I hate myself so much.....

The monitor developed a problem with the H size in that it was "jumping" a bit.
Unacceptable of course and I was pretty sure pots were the cause.

So....today I bought a full set of pots for it and replaced everything.

Powers up ok, works but picture is pretty big. I had set the pots as much as possible to the original values but even so you still usually need to adjust it a bit.

I started with checking the 30V on the HV cage. this was way too high at 44V so I tried to adjust it down with RV1. Couldn't get it below 40V though.

So I figured I'd have to adjust the pots that regulate the frequency of the 555 IC output.....now....the original pots were "sealed" with some glue....I know why now.

I tried adjusting the pots and suddenly I could hear the HV collapse (the cracking sound when you power off/on a monitor) and of course no picture anymore...

I decided to put the original pots back in...without improvement.

Now I have TR3 heating up like crazy and I'm sure it would burn if I kept it powered on.
It starts too smell wrong too...


I checked about every diode and transistor and resistor but I can't find any shorts....

My worst fear is that the fly-back is dead.....impossible to get that

Any help would be greatly appreciated.........damn I regret doing those pots, should have done only those on the deflection board......aaarggggggggggghhhhh.....<bangs head on wall>

[level42]

Mmmmm, looks,like TR5 is dead.....this is a transistor with diode built in....

I measure between 14 and 18 ohms in all directions/combinations of pins, can't be right.

Now....since this HV design is quite similar as the Amplifone HV design I know they use a similar transistor/diode combo to drive the fly-back...only smaller.

Compared specs and I don't see why the Amplifone (BU406D) wouldn't work, after all the Amplifone needs for generate a higher HV than the B/W and specs are at least comparable...

I should have some on stock......somewhere.....

[level42]

Ok replaced TR5 with a BU406D temporarily.....the good news is that TR3 is not overheating anymore, the bad news is still no HV and I don't see any neck glow either but I think the Fly-back produces that voltage too....strangely.
Checked HV with my HV meter, nothing

I fear the Asteroids is not going to make it after all......