Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle

General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: Superully on December 21, 2011, 09:57:48 PM

Title: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 21, 2011, 09:57:48 PM

let me start the thread by saying this :arrow:

(http://linuxscrew.com/files/wallpapers/2009/HappyHolidays.gif)

the christmas holidays have started today :) which gives me a lot of time to start new restorations (zoo keeper), continue with old ones (jungle king, rally) and finish off restorations which have been on hold for quite a while!

amongst them is gran trak 10, the first EVER driving game from 1974 - created by atari. i bought this cab on ebay a little more than three years ago (november 2008) for 12.50 euros. it was such a steal because it was listed in a totally wrong category (electronic toys). furthermore, it was listed as non-working because the seller said it was running on 110 volts and he had no step-down converter to test it. turned out that the game was set to run on 230 volts without a converter AND it was working - at least from what i could tell!

back in the days, i didn't take any roadtrip pictures and was very "economic" when it came to taking restoration pictures in general. therefore, the only photos of its exterior are the following ones :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6550444407_f8706397f5_b_d.jpg)

as you can see, the cab is in pretty good condition, it only needs a good clean and the sideart some touchups. control panel looks fine as well, just a few scratches here and there :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6550443853_eb6548c065_b_d.jpg)

identity stickers says 115 volts

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6550443429_86aeaa3ccc_b_d.jpg)

however, there's another sticker inside which confirms the cab's shipment to the uk and its conversion to 220 volts

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6550520973_c507db1104_b_d.jpg)

when i plugged in the game, this is what i got on the screen :-\

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5300849262_76839217e8_b_d.jpg)

much too bright and distorted! in order to (hopefully) fix the picture, i did a cap kit (https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=2283.0) almost one year ago and the results almost blew my mind :arrow:

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5307032228_d20794905a_b_d.jpg)

up next i turned my attention to the coin door, because it had some scratches and a little rust. i removed it from the cab to have it powdercoated, but i was having a lot of trouble getting one of the coin reject levers off the cab!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6550447699_3a37111a17_b_d.jpg)

why was it so difficult to remove? well, it turned out that obviously someone else had removed that lever before because there was a hole drilled into its side and a roll pin hammered in instead of a tiny headless screw. that construction only worked partially, because while the lever itself couldn't be removed it was pretty loose and dangling around. i tried my hardest to get it off! unfortunately, i obviously tried too hard, because it broke into three pieces (no picture, too frustrating) :shock: :'(. damn!!!

for the last year i've been trying to find either a replacement coin door or a coin reject lever assembly like the one on the following picture (the intact one i still had), but everywhere i asked (videogameparts, quarterarcade etc.) i got the same answer: sorry, never seen anything like it! :-[

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6550448535_38e498f5a5_b_d.jpg)

the last weekend i sat down and thought, "you cannot let your beautiful gran trak 10 sit in the corner because of a stupid coin reject lever!", so i took out the 2-component glue and put the puzzle pieces together as good as it was possible :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550447461_3ba74c9262_b_d.jpg)

doesn't look too bad so far

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6550446893_5246822154_b_d.jpg)

took out the putty to fill the imperfections

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6550446019_24aa7a37e9_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6550445541_6ae6ca7247_b_d.jpg)

sanded everything down with a very high grit (320) ...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6550444821_faa743446d_b_d.jpg)

... and shot everything with a couple of black layers! woho, looks almost perfect :spaceace:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6550446453_9af63fc1b3_b_d.jpg)

after more than a (broken) year, i could finally re-install the levers on the (dusty, sorry) coin door! i don't know how durable my fix is, hopefully i won't have to use them at all

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6550445099_92c3ab4eb4_b_d.jpg)

now that the restoration has been set into motion (again), i'm motivated enough to tackle the sideart next :)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: ataritoobin on December 21, 2011, 10:09:10 PM
I love it!  Nice work  :) !
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: PaulSwan on December 21, 2011, 10:15:40 PM
Is your adjustment of the monitor correct? Many driving games of this era were black/white/grey, with the background grey, white for the track and black for other objects (e.g. oil slicks). Check the pictures on KLOV to see what I mean (not the last one taken with flash) :)

Great save for a very old game.

Paul.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 21, 2011, 10:33:01 PM
Is your adjustment of the monitor correct? Many driving games of this era were black/white/grey, with the background grey, white for the track and black for other objects (e.g. oil slicks). Check the pictures on KLOV to see what I mean (not the last one taken with flash) :)

thx paul, i agree, probably too dark! once i'm done with the sideart i'll put the monitor back into the cab and try to adjust it a little bit. no matter what, the picture is now steady and crisp - which it wasn't before!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 22, 2011, 09:18:24 AM
Love the way you repaired it, after all, you will probably never use the lever, so its just cosmetics that count in this case.

And 2 component glue is pretty sturdy, so i think you wont have problems with it.

Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on December 22, 2011, 10:44:52 AM
That is a beautiful cab... my taste in graphics, wood, simplicity... gorgeous and appealling!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 22, 2011, 11:50:28 AM
Yeah that is in gorgeous condition for such an old game !!! love the stylish bend on the front of the sides....
Interesting that it has the old Atari logo on the serial plate but the fuji everyewhere else...very cool...
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 26, 2011, 10:20:46 AM

in between stuffing christmas food into my belly, i continued working on the gran trak 10! :D

the game originally came without any leg levelers at all, because you can't lift the cabinet up too much from the ground, otherwise it would be difficult to operate the brake and the gas pedals. however, i wanted something "slideable" underneath the cab just to give it some protection during the usual "moving procedures". for reasons too complicated to explain (it has to do with the cab design itself) i couldn't just screw in normal levelers, instead i removed only the caps on four of them and grabbed some other tools for the operation :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6573747181_499fbb09d1_b_d.jpg)

put in screws with washers ...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6573747653_efb39d7a45_b_d.jpg)

... and "super-glued" the levelers' caps onto them!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6573746521_36b4c34929_b_d.jpg)

works like a charm: still flat enough to play the game effortlessly, but effective when moving the cabinet around!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6573746799_7245e1bf3e_b_d.jpg)

i also replaced the marquee lights (don't you just love that old lamp stuff, no fluorescent tube in sight)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6573746285_f99379a142_b_d.jpg)

i wonder who "1" was? 8)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6573745951_af599e58b6_b_d.jpg)

perhaps this guy? :P

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6573847631_a90b2f7e6b_d.jpg)

up next i started fixing the damages on the sideart. as you can see, there are some ugly scratches and color flaking on the sides!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6573744441_1c1a9bb43c_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6573744899_e5c8738597_b_d.jpg)

out come the sharpie pens

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6573743989_8787b90e0c_b_d.jpg)

let them work their magic!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6573744201_d1b427c43a_b_d.jpg)

nice!!! :-*

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6573745279_e62c3e4dfc_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6573745505_5ed160fee7_b_d.jpg)

the left side is worse - and there are some damages to the wood itself (not pictured) which someone has tried to fix / cover before. he also tried to cover some scratches within the red part of the artwork (also not pictured) with a much too dark red pen. i'll try to fix / hide this as good as possible, but it will be visible in the end for sure. for now, let's start with the black letters :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6573744679_f7f85ab4ef_b_d.jpg)

as you can see i could re-create the letters completely, but under a certain viewing angle it is still visible. after all, the layer of paint is still missing, it has only been covered by thin colored pencil lines!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6573745089_954b32b375_b_d.jpg)

nevertheless, i'm extremely happy with the outcome, i'll show you some long distance shots later on - the cabinet looks kickass!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 26, 2011, 11:03:04 AM
Man that looks great ! I still haven't used my Sharpies and I want a reason to use them !! ;) ;)

I really like that basic side-art .....it screams 70's all over :)

Quote
i wonder who "1" was?

Who else can it be then Nolan Bushnell himself !!!!! COOOOOOLLL ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 26, 2011, 11:08:58 AM
Man that looks great ! I still haven't used my Sharpies and I want a reason to use them !! ;) ;)

I can "accidentely" scratch you SW if you deseprately need a reason  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 26, 2011, 12:54:15 PM
Man that looks great ! I still haven't used my Sharpies and I want a reason to use them !! ;) ;)

I can "accidentely" scratch you SW if you deseprately need a reason  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Better not if you want to remain friends ;););)

But......you did give me an idea !!!  THANKS ! :)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 26, 2011, 03:10:22 PM

i'm done with the cabinet restoration part of my gran trak 10, the pcb is having some issues though, but more on that later, first some money shots of that beautiful cab :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6574779335_8fb9a4063d_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6574777771_04479c0728_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6574778827_25b803c841_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6574789793_554b472421_b_d.jpg)

the score card attached to the back of the plastic monitor bezel: you'd better get a nice score going or your license will be revoked ;)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6574790801_5c4c22102f_b_d.jpg)

don't confuse the brakes with the gas pedal!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6574788583_ac5ceb349e_b_d.jpg)

a closer look at the control panel

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6574781471_cacd5f9ed3_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6574782945_3ccfeb0443_b_d.jpg)

as you can see some wear around the shifter assembly, but nothing major. all in all great condition after more than 35 years!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6574787091_e0742145c0_b_d.jpg)

some shots in the dark

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6574783761_7270322069_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6574780235_e946746809_b_d.jpg)

as paul had suggested, i had to crank up the monitor brightness so that the oil slick(s) and the "score detection points" are visible. unfortunately, this also brought out some severe screen burn, but somehow it adds to the coolness & age factor of the cabinet

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6574784821_fbf525af48_b_d.jpg)

kudos to atari for creating the first EVER driving game!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6574786001_efda0bdcc9_b_d.jpg)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 26, 2011, 03:23:56 PM
It really looks great !  :spaceace:

Its lovely !
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: scr33n on December 26, 2011, 04:25:42 PM
Fast resto Ully  8)

Nice cab and in great conditions  :spaceace: Love it !!!  :-*

Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Belike on December 26, 2011, 07:20:00 PM
Looks awesome, congrats!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: DarthNuno on December 26, 2011, 08:24:54 PM
Great pictures for a great game...but, from you I expect a funniest one  ;)

...trying to reproduce the flyer picture for example  ::) :D  :arrow:

(http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/flyers_video/atari/11007701.jpg)

 :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 27, 2011, 02:12:29 AM
Great pictures for a great game...but, from you I expect a funniest one  ;)

...trying to reproduce the flyer picture for example  ::) :D  :arrow:

man, did you read my mind? once the game is fully operational (which it isn't right now, but more on that later), i'll try to re-inact the flyer - that's a promise!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 27, 2011, 09:20:48 AM
LOL !! Can't wait !!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Q*ris on December 27, 2011, 10:31:54 AM
GREAT looking cab.
Can't wait to see you with that mini skirt, Ully!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 27, 2011, 10:34:59 AM
GREAT looking cab.
Can't wait to see you with that mini skirt, Ully!
LOL x 10 !!!

And hire "The Stig" for the driver !!!!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: zapposh on December 27, 2011, 01:23:07 PM
Great resto! What a catch to have the daddy of racing games.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 27, 2011, 01:50:49 PM
Can't wait to see you with that mini skirt, Ully!

:D don't know if you wanna see that ... :P

And hire "The Stig" for the driver !!!!

"The Stig"? fortunately, google was my friend!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 27, 2011, 04:00:46 PM

alright, now to the serious stuff. i've already told you that the pcb is having some issues, let me explain (and show) you what i've been talking about :arrow:

problem #1:
i can add credits and starts a game (although you don't see anywhere that credits have been added - don't know if that's normal or not because i've never seen a working gt10 or a video of it in action). once i've pushed the start button the race car is set to its starting position and i can guide it around the course BUT the clock doesn't count backwards (which means: unlimited gameplay for one token ;)).

here's a video i took of the warm-up lap. note that i'm NOT going any risk here because :arrow: see problem #2. anyway, (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5676583954_30302ec558_t_d.jpg) click on the following picture to see the game in action for the first time :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6574901195_2bfe106cd1_z_d.jpg) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4aFdMcQODI)

problem #2:
as i've already said, you see me going around the race course pretty slowly because i didn't want to crash into the pylons? why, you may ask. well, normally when you crash into something you shift into first gear (or reverse) and continue racing, but when i hit an obstacle, the game gets stuck in an endless loop (with the annoying crash sound playing continuously). the race car doesn't react to any input at all, no gear, no gear, no nothing. all i can do is turn off the game and start again. :'(

wanna see what i'm talking about? (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5676583954_30302ec558_t_d.jpg) click on the following picture to watch a formula 1 hi-speed crash :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6574900841_e366155132_z_d.jpg) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lpf1gxN_nk&feature=youtu.be)

let me sum it up:
- counter doesn't work
- collision ends game

before i continue any further, i'd like to hear from you. any first thoughts?

Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Laschek on December 28, 2011, 01:05:18 PM
This game has a playtime adjustment pot which controls both the total play time (counter going slower/faster) and the "crash time period". Maybe this pot is defective and "stuck" on some infinite settings?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 28, 2011, 01:33:43 PM
This game has a playtime adjustment pot which controls both the total play time (counter going slower/faster) and the "crash time period". Maybe this pot is defective and "stuck" on some infinite settings?

folowing this lead, i read this in the manual:

(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/crashplaytime.jpg)

what happens when you use the test switch ?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 28, 2011, 02:51:59 PM
thx for your input, guys, i didn't have the schematic manual yet, just downloaded it 8)

let's start with the TEST switch: i don't know where this is supposed to be. there is ONE switch on the pcb which says 1/P and 2/P next to it (but GT10 is one player only). is this supposed to be the test switch? have tried both variations though, nothing has changed. have a look at the following picture to see where it is located (i've also circled a couple of potentiometers, i'll soon talk about them) :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6587708447_bce08d8d80_b_d.jpg)

on the left you see those two potentiometers sascha has been talking about: one labeled SPEED, the other one PTIME. I have turned both potis in every possible direction without any result at all. :(

on the right there's another potentiometer (circled in yellow), but i can't remember what how it is labeled on the pcb (and i don't have a picture from a different angle here on my computer). i'll have to go to my mum's place to check it out.

what would you suggest to do now? i don't want to buy a replacement pcb (don't know IF i'd even manage to find one), i'd rather fix this one because it's almost working!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 28, 2011, 04:08:23 PM
how about the voltages ?  did you check those already ?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on December 28, 2011, 04:37:43 PM
Those caps are screaming for an ESR meter.....
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on December 28, 2011, 05:04:15 PM
Those caps are screaming for an ESR meter.....

its like you can read minds  ;D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on December 28, 2011, 05:15:59 PM
how about the voltages ?  did you check those already ?

i think i did :-\

Those caps are screaming for an ESR meter.....

i know, that's what i've been thinking as well. need to get one of those esr thingies myself!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 02, 2012, 03:50:41 PM
back to this one! i went to my mother's place to examine the board a little bit closer (and look for that test switch which is supposed to be there somewhere). let's examine the only switch on the board in detail: as i've already said you can read 1/p and 2/p next to the switch, but GT10 is a single player game. what could the function (if any) of that switch be?

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6620193101_5b28982795_b_d.jpg)

up next, i examined the time potentiometer closer and realized that it is broken - literally!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6620194521_a159eb6b97_b_d.jpg)

however, all of the contacts seem to be good, so if i'm not mistaken it should work, but nothing changes at all when i turn being turned!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6620190919_92b03f800b_b_d.jpg)

on the back of the board i found some burn traces ...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6620189957_73acc23fed_b_d.jpg)

... coming from those little bastards :twisted:! what type of component are they?

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6620191557_aa587bc04f_b_d.jpg)

conclusion: i didn't find the famous test switch, so here's a complete shot of the GT10 pcb - some kind of hidden picture puzzle! where's the test switch?

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6620192673_1444c89910_b_d.jpg)

a close-up shot of the interesting board side (not just chips and circuit tracks i mean)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6620194047_1ca61cfa89_b_d.jpg)

suggestions?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 02, 2012, 04:53:31 PM
Sure. Buy some glasses my friend.....

Look again at this pic:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6620194047_1ca61cfa89_b_d.jpg)

I see the word "TEST" and 6 solder islands in two rows. MMMMmmmmm, maybe they "forgot" to solder in the test switch ? ;)

AND I see a wire bridge across two solder islands. This is probably there to "fake" the normal play setting of the test-switch. I see some more stuff on the other row but can't really see it.
Anyway, if this bridge is still intact it is still strange that it doesn't work as it should. I mean this seems to be a permanent "setting" for the "switch"....if it had broken, that would explain it. Maybe there is supposed to be a 2nd wire on the other row and that is broken ?

Need a macro-shot of that spot.....
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 02, 2012, 04:56:26 PM
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6620191557_aa587bc04f_b_d.jpg)
Those are all diodes. The one's on the left are old-fashioned style one's, the two on the right modern style.

You can also see they printed the diode symbol ( |>| ) on the PCB on those locations (including the direction. )
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 02, 2012, 05:02:37 PM
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6620193101_5b28982795_b_d.jpg)

Looks like a 1 player/ 2 player switch. Remember there was also a Gran Track 20 which was 2 player and probably they simply used the same board.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 02, 2012, 06:08:38 PM
Sure. Buy some glasses my friend.....

thanks, andré, just did that and guess what, the word TEST is printed on the pcb!!! :P stupid me, i was looking for a switch all along ...

I see the word "TEST" and 6 solder islands in two rows. MMMMmmmmm, maybe they "forgot" to solder in the test switch ? ;)
Need a macro-shot of that spot.....

coming up tomorrow! can you tell from the manual how this was supposed to work / be wired?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 02, 2012, 06:09:53 PM
Those are all diodes. The one's on the left are old-fashioned style one's, the two on the right modern style.
You can also see they printed the diode symbol ( |>| ) on the PCB on those locations (including the direction. )

would you replace those because of the burn marks underneath?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 02, 2012, 08:38:24 PM
would you replace those because of the burn marks underneath?

Use the DVM in diode mode (beep)  to see if they work, if they do, no need to replace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbSi_X7Ew3Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbSi_X7Ew3Y)

Here a vid of how a diode works...  ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJdGYtU7OZc&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJdGYtU7OZc&feature=related)

back to this one! i went to my mother's place to examine the board a little bit closer (and look for that test switch which is supposed to be there somewhere). let's examine the only switch on the board in detail: as i've already said you can read 1/p and 2/p next to the switch, but GT10 is a single player game. what could the function (if any) of that switch be? suggestions?

RTFM  ;)

(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/rtfm-ully.jpg)


up next, i examined the time potentiometer closer and realized that it is broken - literally!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6620194521_a159eb6b97_b_d.jpg)

however, all of the contacts seem to be good, so if i'm not mistaken it should work, but nothing changes at all when i turn being turned!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6620190919_92b03f800b_b_d.jpg)

suggestions?

Yes you are mistaken  ;)  the pot is using the contact on the wheel that is completely cut off.

the 3 connections dont have any contact with eachother so the connection is "open"

Replace the pot and try to crash again (withing the time that also will work again i think after replacing the pot)


coming up tomorrow! can you tell from the manual how this was supposed to work / be wired?

(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/gtswitch.jpg)

when i see those solderpads, i think there should be the same switch on that board as the P1 - P2  switch.

This is a switch that connects pin 1 to pin 2 and pin 4 to pin 5 in the "test" position (see my blue lines)  and for normal  position it connects pin 2 to 3 and pin 5 to 6 (see my red lines)

be sure to remove that "fake switch" if you want to try the test switch, otherwise it will not work, and i dont know what the consequences are when they are all connected by that.. (i mean pin 1, 2 and 3 will be all connected, and pin 4, 5 and 6 also)

I would start with the pot, my guess is that that is the source of your problem.

Goodluck !

Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 02, 2012, 11:28:16 PM
Dont bother measuring the diodes, they are fine because else your board wouldnt be working and/or the fuses would be blowing.... In these early arcade days, they thought it was a good idea to convert the AC Supply voltage into DC on th game board itself. All manufacturers did it. Later they moved the AC to DC conversion to seperate boards or PSUs.
One of the reasons why you see here. Heat. I wouldnt call that a burning, its just a matter of these diodes getting very hot during use. Atari already knew that, that is why they installed the diodes so high above the PCB so they have more airflow around them to dissipate th heat.

What I WOULD do is renew those solderings. They look pretty dull and I think I can even see some circles which indicate a bad soldering. Again the cause is heat, the heat is slowy "desoldering" the part itself....
So suck away the old solder (add a bit of new tin to get it flowing) completely and make a new solderering on both legs of all thiose four diodes. Also check any big resistors as they can show the same issue.

Definitly replace the pot like Etienne says ! Can never work this way.....
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 03, 2012, 08:26:03 AM
Definitly replace the pot like Etienne says ! Can never work this way.....

oh and in case you still did not RTFM, its a 1M ohm pot  ;)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Muerto on January 03, 2012, 02:26:49 PM
[off topic mode ON]
i just looove those macro soots!!!!!
[off topic mode OFF]
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Q*ris on January 03, 2012, 10:27:40 PM
[off topic mode ON]
i just looove those macro soots!!!!!
[off topic mode OFF]
+1
Now I shut up and learn.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 03, 2012, 11:03:18 PM
[off topic mode ON]
i just looove those macro soots!!!!!
[off topic mode OFF]
+1
Now I shut up and learn.

LOL !  :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 04, 2012, 12:57:04 PM
oh and in case you still did not RTFM, its a 1M ohm pot  ;)

believe it or not, ripley, i was able to deduct that information from the schematics myself, but thanks for confirming, it's always good to know that i got one thing right :P.

anyway, will that potentiometer (http://de.rs-online.com/web/p/trimmer-potentiometer-rheostate/6916730/) work? it's smaller than the original one, but at least it looks almost identical (and it's one megaohm in value)!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 04, 2012, 01:38:33 PM
Youll have to check if it will fit physically. My first hunch is that this one is smaller.
Check the datsheet for the sizes between the legs and compare with the one on the PCB.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on January 04, 2012, 01:58:31 PM
I love this thread... the cab design is beautiful.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 04, 2012, 08:14:59 PM
Yes, Andre is right, it does not matter what it looks like, as long as the value is 1M Ohm and it fits in the hole, your all set.

or you can do as i did with my zacc powersupply:

(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/crazykong/fase1/49.jpg)

But it sure looks much more authentic with an "onboard" style pot  ;D

The point is to have something that can regulate that 1M ohm of resistance..  i mean if you know the value of the resistance it has when the pot is in the correct position, you could even use a regular resistor with that value.
(thats what was in my CK powersupply..)

(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/crazykong/fase1/40.jpg)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 05, 2012, 01:20:59 PM
Youll have to check if it will fit physically. My first hunch is that this one is smaller.
Check the datsheet for the sizes between the legs and compare with the one on the PCB.

i'm having a hard time to find a fitting potentiometer. the ones i've checked on rs online all seem to be too small (if my understanding of those datasheets is correct). here are the rough dimensions i would need :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6640710623_b9b0167567_b_d.jpg)

any other sources (in europe) i could check?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 05, 2012, 02:36:45 PM
I would just bend one or two legs, and solder a new bridge from the hole to the leg

the third leg can be in the existing hole.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 11, 2012, 07:23:49 PM
yesterday night i finally decided on a potentiometer to use as a replacement for the pot repair and once again rs online's delivery was lightning fast. here's the new potentiometer which (hopefully) will fix my coundown problems :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6679830279_0ca0d4778a_b_d.jpg)

I would just bend one or two legs, the third leg can be in the existing hole.

as suggested by etienne, i bent two legs to make it fit into the pre-existing holes

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6679830723_f07f31d231_b_d.jpg)

looking good on location, doesn't it?

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6679831253_6f9de96bce_b_d.jpg)

time to put this to the test - let's turn on the game, coin it up and press the start button!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6679831701_f31206773e_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5676583954_30302ec558_t_d.jpg) click on the following picture to see what happened :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6679865815_141ea2bc11_z_d.jpg) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUa-HGoSc0&feature=youtu.be)

YES, BABY!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

anxiously i hit the gas pedal and drove the car into the pylons! a loud crashing sound, a quick spin of the car, that's it. put the gear shifter into reverse and drove back onto the track!

YES, BABY - PART DEUX!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

from what i can tell now (didn't have a lot of time to inspect it thoroughly) everything is fully working! of course i'll have to drive a few test rounds, crash into tons of pylons and complete one lap in reverse, but my hopes are high that this is it!!!

one more (cosmetic) thing: taped directly onto the screen are a couple of glue strips to indicate the spots of the track where the player receives points (when reaching those spots). those glue strips are almost invisible to the eye, they must have lost part of their original color through the years. have a look, here's one of those glue strips photographed under good lighting conditions from the side, in reality they are difficult to spot :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6679829897_f41410d02d_b_d.jpg)

my idea is to replace those glue strips by (half-)transparent colored tape to make the "score-areas" more obvious, but i don't know which color to take! at the moment i lean towards yellow or red because it's the main color of the cabinet, but perhaps you have other suggestions / preferences ...
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Laschek on January 11, 2012, 07:36:20 PM

YES, BABY!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

anxiously i hit the gas pedal and drove the car into the pylons! a loud crashing sound, a quick spin of the car, that's it. put the gear shifter into reverse and drove back onto the track!

YES, BABY - PART DEUX!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

Cool! So it seems I was right, which is even cooler!  ;D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 11, 2012, 07:56:19 PM
Cool! So it seems I was right, which is even cooler!  ;D

totally! the right guy at the right place at the right time - thanks sascha!!! :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 11, 2012, 09:48:42 PM
YESS !!!!

Great to see it solved your problem, and the pot looks very neat !

not that anyone will see it since the cab will be closed, but i understand the analness in this details.

Its the details that count sometimes  ;)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Belike on January 11, 2012, 09:55:15 PM
Nice fix, great to see it is working. ;)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on January 11, 2012, 10:30:58 PM
Love this cab... the design... the colours... simply stunning. Ully, I would keep the transparent parts red. Yellow may look too washed out. Although on your first pic on page 1 they look yellowish. Si
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 11, 2012, 10:47:02 PM
Ully, I would keep the transparent parts red. Yellow may look too washed out. Although on your first pic on page 1 they look yellowish. Si

the yellow ones you see on that picture are the miles counter  (= score) sticker and the time sticker, the transparent ones are hardly visible. i'll probably go with transparent red on those stickers, haven't decided yet and i also have to find sticky transparent tape!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on January 11, 2012, 10:53:06 PM
Ully, you could try a glue instead of tape? Maybe something like UHU adhesive. It dries clear and won't damage the glass.
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 12, 2012, 06:50:34 AM
Ully, you could try a glue instead of tape? Maybe something like UHU adhesive. It dries clear and won't damage the glass.

thx for the tip, but i've found colored transparent stickers in the meantime. i'll have them send me some color samples and then i'll decide!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on January 12, 2012, 01:18:37 PM
Ully, you could try a glue instead of tape? Maybe something like UHU adhesive. It dries clear and won't damage the glass.

thx for the tip, but i've found colored transparent stickers in the meantime. i'll have them send me some color samples and then i'll decide!
Do you have a link ?
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 12, 2012, 01:43:20 PM
Do you have a link ?

yes i do, here (http://www.modulor.de/shop/oxid.php/sid/5917e62af1f8f7fa50f83309bfc4f3d7/cl/details/cnid/NVG/anid/NVGL) you go! what you see there are rolls of colored transparent tape in width of 5, 10 and 20 millimeters. they also sell bigger sheets of that stuff, but those are too big for what i need. i should have the color sample sheet tomorrow (saturday the latest) and then i'll decide which color(s) to take. if you are interested in that stuff as well and we need the same color, you can have some of my stuff since i will only use a couple of centimeters. if you need a different color, i can add it to my order (to save shipping costs for you)! looks like great, high-quality stuff!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on January 21, 2012, 12:04:07 AM
Ully, you probably have this already. Anyway, here's a link to the manual for this game:

http://www.cityofberwyn.com/manuals/GranTrak10.pdf (http://www.cityofberwyn.com/manuals/GranTrak10.pdf)

Si
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 21, 2012, 07:57:18 AM
i have an original manual here, but thanks anyway. however, my manual is only the "slim" version without the whole troubleshooting section!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 22, 2012, 03:27:32 PM
a couple of days ago, i received the sample glue strips i'd like to use as "on-screen markers" to replace the old invisible ones still stuck on the screen

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6742131837_d1096d8eee_b_d.jpg)

i had asked for two different sample sheets: transparent and translucent :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6742133681_8608747497_b_d.jpg)

today i went to my mum's place and tested the sheets. it turned out that translucent was not transparent enough (i guess that's why it's called translucent :P), that's why you're only going to see "transparent pictures"! i turned on the machine and placed the sheet directly onto the monitor

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6742132695_05080266f7_b_d.jpg)

with the lights eventually turned off, the colors came out much nicer

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6742133013_574bda9755_b_d.jpg)

the decision has been made: i will use certain shades of yellow and red for the markers on the course and for the finish line!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6742132115_32b60ff241_b_d.jpg)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on January 22, 2012, 06:08:49 PM
Very cool !

Quote
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6742133013_574bda9755_b_d.jpg)

it almost looks like some spaceship control panel  :D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: simplesi on January 22, 2012, 07:31:11 PM
Like it!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Belike on January 22, 2012, 08:05:49 PM
I'm also looking for this stuff for my The Invaders cab, they make the B/W monitor red and green. :D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: DarthNuno on January 22, 2012, 08:15:13 PM
Same for me. I'll need that for my SuperBug. Did you get these sample for free?
I suggest to make them travel all across the Europe between collectors... First!  ;D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on January 22, 2012, 08:47:57 PM
Same for me. I'll need that for my SuperBug. Did you get these sample for free?

nope, i didn't, but they weren't expensive. paid around 5 euros for the two sheets including shipping, so i'd say that's acceptable and i knew that i would probably need them again in the future for old b/w games. i will gladly bring them along, bruno, if the "you know which deal" goes through!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on February 21, 2012, 04:51:02 PM

time to finish this - the transparent adhesive tapes have arrived! everything got delayed for some days because the only shop carrying those items has a minimum order limit and i had to do some serious negotiating to get what i wanted! ;D

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6916509365_b4becbe352_b_d.jpg)

let's see if this works the way i hoped it would: adding the mileage checkpoints ...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6916510259_018529829c_b_d.jpg)

... and the finish line(s)!

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6916510771_2612c0cb41_b_d.jpg)

man, this looks really cool with the lights turned off! 8)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6916508639_bbbc509371_b_d.jpg)

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5676583954_30302ec558_t_d.jpg) click on the following picture to watch some rounds on the world's first arcade video driving game :arrow:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6916508205_3bb86169c1_z_d.jpg) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPSnhHx1s5w&feature=youtu.be)

:spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

this restoration is finished, but i'm looking for a lemans pcb to put into the cab. why a lemans pcb, you might ask? well, the pinout is identical and can therefore be simply swapped with gran trak 10, but lemans features different race courses (which change automatically after each round) whereas gran trak 10 has just one course!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: level42 on February 21, 2012, 04:56:53 PM
AAAAAARGGGGHHHH I totally forgot about those transparent tapes !!!! 

I could have "upped" your order to reach the minimum...  :oops: :oops:

Looking great by the way !
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Belike on February 21, 2012, 05:36:10 PM
Ok, how long did you practice to make the first lap so perfect? ;D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Superully on February 21, 2012, 05:38:51 PM
that's far from perfect ;) - and i'm happy that i crashed into the pylons during the second round to show you that the game is fully operational!
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Muerto on February 21, 2012, 05:44:23 PM
Great looking Ully!!!
I really like the layout, and even the sound is great!, lovely bass!!! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: SeTTleR on February 21, 2012, 05:45:30 PM
And another nice finished and in MINT condition!! WOW this is really amazing! And that cab is wonderful! Great work, Ully!
Mmh that Le Mans courses will probably not fit with the transparent stripes on the screen?! Maybe you can use some kind of plastic overlay like on the vectrex or something.
Anyway, congrats to that beautiful machine! Now have fun playing :D
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on February 21, 2012, 06:41:46 PM
Totally Great !
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: scr33n on February 21, 2012, 06:48:33 PM
Good Job Ully!!! Love It  :spaceace:
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: Luigi on February 22, 2012, 08:22:29 AM
AWESOME!! :)
Title: Re: [Restoration] Gran Trak 10 - the first EVER driving game
Post by: vernimark on February 24, 2012, 05:59:39 AM
Yes, a really good job!!