Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: Superully on April 13, 2014, 03:17:46 PM
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as one restoration comes to a close, another one is just around the corner - or has already started!
i've decided to bring Gottlieb's Reactor down into my mom's basement for a complete makeover - for various reasons:
(a) it's a game you don't see every day with an unusual gameplay
(b) awesome cabinet design and color scheme
(c) nothing beats the attract mode music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0evDACU9g) - NOTHING!!!
let's start with a quick inspection of the game! it looks ok at first glance (apart from being damn dirty), but the bottom part is pretty rough (more on that later)!
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/13820987354_af59fdb192_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/13820988774_3c01c44e66_b_d.jpg)
artwork is still nice and original (just a few minor cracks around the edges), the magic eraser should work its magic on it!
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3766/13820704113_4684468ebe_b_d.jpg)
the power supply pcb is missing, but that's not important, because those mcr based games always developed issues with the power supplies
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/13821020134_d2f2ab8ce7_b_d.jpg)
inside, some kind of conversion has already been done, but this doesn't look like a nice job, so i'll have to redo some of the wiring
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/13820708303_32b075240f_b_d.jpg)
what's striking is the poor condition of the transformer unit - look at all that dirt and rust. in fact, all the metal parts are extremely rusty and will need to spend a few hours in my nice comfy anti-rust bath ;D
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/13820698933_370971bcfc_b_d.jpg)
looking much better after complete disassembly, cleaning and repainting!
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/13820661375_974efe4025_b_d.jpg)
another photo before ...
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/13821001054_ce8e29c55b_b_d.jpg)
... and after! :)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/13820992294_7a4f24628a_b_d.jpg)
still a lot of work to do, but i can't wait to smash the atoms, cool the core and escape the vortex!
(http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/flyers_video/gottlieb/72452902.jpg)
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It is another power supply, cant be the same. :D
Never saw the arcade version of Reactor, only played on Atari 2600, it is in the cool Parker Brothers collection.
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Ditto here, I remember I rented the 2600 cartridge BITD and If memory doesn't trick me I rather liked it.
Never played the real thing though....nice work on the power brick !
Oh, and all Reactor cabs came in orange/red.........just that you don't mix things up ;););) ;D
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you tease, showing just a little bit of Sinistar cockpit and Food Fight UR :o
Cheers, Marco
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you tease, showing just a little bit of Sinistar cockpit and Food Fight UR :o
hehe, unfortunately neither of these are mine, the pics were taken when Reactor was still at the previous owner's location. i was offered the sinistar cockpit though, but was stupid enough not to take it. asking price was 500 euros - damn, not so super, ully! :-[
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Has anyone ever played Food Fight on an arcade cab. I played the Atari 800 version (of course) and though it sucked.....but maybe this was one of the very rare bad arcade conversion on the A8 ?
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I play on a Euro Food Fight cab regularly, I'd never heard of the game before my friend showed it to me and I was hooked after a few credits. The special stick the game uses is a big part of the game and I shouldn't think there is a good way to emulate that at all.
It means you can stand still yet also be able to fire in all directions. It's a great game and definitely one to own ;)
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WOW, thats a major overhaul on that power brick !
LOVE IT !
Great job so far ! :spaceace: :spaceace:
if you have the opportunity and you have the cab dissasembled, please scan that artwork ;)
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you tease, showing just a little bit of Sinistar cockpit and Food Fight UR :o
hehe, unfortunately neither of these are mine, the pics were taken when Reactor was still at the previous owner's location. i was offered the sinistar cockpit though, but was stupid enough not to take it. asking price was 500 euros - damn, not so super, ully! :-[
ah hehehe! Cockpits are very cool, but they're also just too big!
Cheers, Marco
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WOW, thats a major overhaul on that power brick !
thx, i was impressed myself, didn't think it would turn out that well. btw, for all you guys restoring cabs, i've found out that if you hit those old stickers with a hot air gun at around 200 degrees and carefully use a putty knife / scraper, you can get the sticker off without damaging it. ever since i found that out, i haven't damaged / destroyed a single one. just make sure you don't get too close or it'll get some burn marks!
if you have the opportunity and you have the cab dissasembled, please scan that artwork ;)
may i ask why? artwork has been reproduced already!
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Oh, okay, i did not know that :D
in that case, never mind ;D
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Oh, okay, i did not know that :D
no prob, very thoughtful of you. it was reproduced by phoenixarcade - and is DAMN expensive!!!
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more metal parts cleaned: before ...
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/13997895354_cc46bff12a_b_d.jpg)
... and after! note that i put that nice inspection sticker on top of the coin counter
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/13994270161_d2d4b9c9ea_b_d.jpg)
now on to something that i've really been dreading: the restoration of the bottom of the cabinet :(! it didn't have any water damage, but the leg levelers were installed not high enough and therefore the entire cabinet rested on the mdf wood. and we all know what happens when mdf gets dragged around over and over again ... AND OVER AGAIN!!!
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/13994257572_12a8a4b0fc_b_d.jpg)
believe me, it is even worse than the pictures make you believe! normally, the mdf plates have a width of 2 centimeters, but with the cabinet having been dragged, pushed and pulled around so many times in the past, you can double that measure in many places. :shock:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/13994255422_0ab19c2395_b_d.jpg)
it is literally coming apart :'(
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/13997451925_7278281dd4_b_d.jpg)
i thought about how to tackle that for a long time and at one point i wanted to cut off the entire lower section and replace it, but as i've said many times before, to me the cabinet itself is the heart of an arcade game and the more of it you can keep, the better! therefore, i decided to give it a try by roughly cutting off the worst sections ...
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5288/13994243162_81682dca2a_b_d.jpg)
... and then cleaning it up nicely!
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/13997449915_4d3f8db647_b_d.jpg)
this is just "a tiny selection" of the wood i had to remove
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/13974340366_aa9336dd8a_b_d.jpg)
with that being done, i dug out "ye good olde wood hardener" and brushed the exposed mdf three to four times! this stuff smells like hell :twisted:, but soaks deeply into the wood and basically works like a glue from the inside out, making the brittle mdf plates pretty sturdy again!
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/13994250012_e7c55b4308_b_d.jpg)
but just to make sure, i nailed and glued thin (but strong) wooden planks to the inside of the base to give it a little more stability!
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2909/13974338606_1327e955fb_b_d.jpg)
but "just to make even surer" ;), i have one more twist in my bag of tricks - stay tuned! 8)
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... and after! note that i put that nice inspection sticker on top of the coin counter
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/13994270161_d2d4b9c9ea_b_d.jpg)
Did you clearcoat that bare metal ?
if not, i think it will rust / oxidise again even if its in a dry enviroment, i mean there is Always moisture in the air.
Good job on the MDF, better that you clamped it down, otherwise it might be swelling again
Is is not 18 mm. mdf ? i never seen 20 mm. around here, seems like a odd size to me.
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Did you clearcoat that bare metal ?
if not, i think it will rust / oxidise again even if its in a dry enviroment, i mean there is Always moisture in the air.
i polished it with some kind of fluid which is supposed to give it a protective coat - let's see ...
Is is not 18 mm. mdf ? i never seen 20 mm. around here, seems like a odd size to me.
not 100 % sure, but believe it or not, there were indeed parts which looked pretty untouched and they measured in at 2 centimeters. i could be wrong though, but it wouldn't be the end of the world 8)
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(c) nothing beats the attract mode music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0evDACU9g) - NOTHING!!!
I gotta disagree with you there, Ully. The attract mode music is indeed awesome, but there's another that's right up there with it - the music that plays when you are entering your initials for a high score. No Youtube video of it, but play a game and check it out.
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i know the music, but while i think it rocks as well, it's still slightly behind the attract mode - imho of course!
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Ully, does your Reactor have the alu serial sticker ?
I al looking for the game code.
I know that Q-bert = GV-103A and Krull = GV-105
I wonder what Reactor is.
oh and while you are at it, does your Mad planets also have a decal ?
also wonder what the code of that is ;)
EDIT
Never mind, i found already some info ;)
* GV-100 Reactor
* GV-102 Mad Planets
* GV-103 Q*bert
* GV-105 Krull
* GV-109 MACH 3
* GV-113 Three Stooges
* GV-119 Q*bert's Qubes
* GV-122 Juno First
* GV-134 Curveball
source:
http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/spies.cgi?action=url&type=info&page=Gottlieb-info.txt
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Wow, very nice cab. I've never seen one.
You're doing a great job!
:spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
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time to post some progress on the reactor! as you might remember, the bottom was badly damaged from dragging the cabinet around, but i managed to save it. in order to make it durable, i installed metal rails to the bottom and the inside all the way around the base. they aren't visible at all once the cabinet is standing upright!!!
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/15562449561_834ac4ab03_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5597/15562448821_4d4fd1e1c6_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15378978668_88aab007dc_b_d.jpg)
bottom part repaired - TICK!!! now that this is done, let's turn our attention to the front where someone drilled a gigantic hole for a credit button. filled this with a dowel ...
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5615/15565118235_6ab7a5bcb0_b_d.jpg)
... and some bondo on top!
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15565954482_a2864e5748_b_d.jpg)
finally, a fresh coat of vinyl and the front is as good as new :)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15541405986_3ab6a07a72_b_d.jpg)
up next: the sides! bondo all the way for a nice smooth finish
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15379478900_3161c07e3b_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/14944944053_2ba05849af_b_d.jpg)
then some coats of orange as a base
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15378973288_5809d93543_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15379100647_2c5d06d8b3_b_d.jpg)
and finally fresh orange vinyl on top!
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5605/15378971598_0455fa6bb5_b_d.jpg)
still missing: the sideart! i would have loved to show you some pics of the cabinet with the artwork installed, BUT disaster girl struck!
(http://fullscreenmemes.com/wp-content/themes/blankslate/images/memes/meme-disaster-girl.jpg)
i bought the silkscreened sideart from phoenixarcade quite a while ago. it had been sitting in its original shipping tube for some time now, but when i unrolled it for the first time i immediately realized there was something badly wrong with it. you could already feel the wrinkles through the protective layer and when i removed it i knew that this was totally unusable :arrow:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15565111655_46ca1903ea_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15565948122_43cb66416f_b_d.jpg)
of course i contacted darin about this, after all the silkscreened reactor sideart had cost me A LOT OF MONEY, but i have yet to hear back from him ... :-[ >:(
unfortunately, the sideart doesn't seem to be available anymore on his website, so i guess i'll have to try my luck somewhere else. it really is a shame, because i'd like to finish this restoration asap and start working on something else - and of course play the freaking game. DAMN IT!!!
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Bummer for the art man !
For the rest, i am happy there are some superully restaurations to read, it has been too long ully ;)
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while waiting for the t-molding to arrive from the usa (damn, didn't know i was out of black one), i thought i could already check the electronics to find out where i stand. i was somewhat scared of tackling that part, because (a) reactor uses quite a few boards and (b) working board sets are F***ING EXPENSIVE these days :shock: :shock: :shock: :arrow:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5604/15601873792_de14ae411d_b_d.jpg)
925 dollars - holy shit :o! but let's see if i can dodge that bullet and set up a temporary installation
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15601796672_b5c8e9a56b_b_d.jpg)
boards and the monitor are still disconnected, the switcher is getting power ...
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/15415360060_a94890a376_b_d.jpg)
... and the voltages for the monitor are good!
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5605/15598284061_7e98908d40_b_d.jpg)
so let's give this a try by hooking everything up and powering up the machine - first attempt after being in hibernation for a few years :ghost:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15598292181_1b5ddcd854_b_d.jpg)
damn!!! as you can see apart from some HEAVY screenburn there's nothing on the screen - nothing at all. i didn't hear the typical high voltage monitor crackle either, which is never a good sign. let's walk around the cabinet and have a look at the monitor to see if there's neckglow. well, hard to tell because there's tons of dust on the neck :P
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15415357310_b64ae1e8e4_b_d.jpg)
ok, this doesn't help, let's try something different: starting a game! the dip switches are set to free play which means pushing a button should produce at least something ...
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5676583954_30302ec558_t_d.jpg) click on the following picture to see (or better: to hear) what happened :arrow:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15600943715_46ed730ceb_b_d.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygOZ3gMO0yY&feature=youtu.be)
:) hehe, that sounds great, looks like the pcb is working (well, at least the music is from what i can tell at the moment), so it only seems to be a monitor problem. for that i have one more "trick" up my sleeve: adjusting the brightness ;)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5598/15600949715_5dd0ff85e0_b_d.jpg)
a few steps around the cabinet AND ... :arrow:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15601787492_f6c2a8be66_b_d.jpg)
... holy freaking maccaroni!!! houston, we have a working reactor boardset :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
after playing it for a while i can say the following about it: it seems to be ok 99%, there are a few really minor graphical issues on the left of the screen, but nothing which disturbs gameplay. additionally, neither the coin door lights nor the button lights are working. i've exchanged the bulbs, but still got nothing. will have to investigate a little bit further, but for now i'm dancing around in joy!!!
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YEEEEES! :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
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Some guys have all the luck.....;)
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Some guys have all the luck.....;)
well, i guess you get what you deserve ;D
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:spaceace: I am very happy for you. Great music by the way :)
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Sweet moses, its alive, congrates Ully!!!!!
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Some guys have all the luck.....;)
well, i guess you get what you deserve ;D
but of course !!! love it !!!!! Can't wait to play it ! Maybe.....someday.......somewhere.....
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Niceeeeee !! That is the sweet sound of victory !
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Maybe the graphic issue is a bad conection in one of the ram/rom/ic....
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Wooow Ully, that's some nice work you have done there!
The power brick and other metal parts look great!
Love the wood work as well.
Do rust-bath products really work that well?
Can you give me a link to product you used? I am looking for something like that too :)
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:spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:
It's ALIVE!
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Nice work!
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Maybe the graphic issue is a bad conection in one of the ram/rom/ic....
pretty sure i know what to do to fix it, now i only need to find that damn tool i need for the job. i must have misplaced it somewhere - sh** :-[
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Wooow Ully, that's some nice work you have done there!
The power brick and other metal parts look great!
Love the wood work as well.
Do rust-bath products really work that well?
Can you give me a link to product you used? I am looking for something like that too :)
thx man! happy with the outcome myself :)
as for the rust remover, this is the stuff i'm using :arrow:
(http://picture.yatego.com/images/45374f1e3ca1a8.2/36_0-kqh/hg-rostlser-0-5-l.jpg)
when i started this hobby, i filled a big solid plastic box with 6 of those rust remover bottles (you'll have to add water as well). this has become my "RUST TANK" and after all those years i'm still using the same original stuff and it's still doing its magic. yes, it works perfectly, but of course you have to work on the individual pieces afterwards (e.g. polish them). nevertheless, fantastic stuff!!!
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About the PCB set prices......look how they will drop when Jrok releases his Mylstar board :)
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About the PCB set prices......look how they will drop when Jrok releases his Mylstar board :)
That would be great if they do, wouldent mind having 2 extra set for my Q*bert.. ::)
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Thank you for the info about your rust-tank!
I am looking for something like that for a while now. Will buy some bottles to fill up my own anti-rust-tank :)
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I like the idea of an anti rust tank as well, tx for sharing Ully :spaceace:
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no problem at all, the anti-rust stuff doesn't eat through the plastics, so it cann be stored for a looong period of time. make sure that you find a box with a lid that closes up as perfectly as possible, you don't want to have that smell in your apartment. i also have a collection of smaller boxes sitting on top of my rust tank and whenever i'm de-rusting smaller parts like screws i'll just fill up a smaller box with the stuff from the rust tank. would be pretty difficult to find tiny screws inside the giant tank again!
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Great topic (as always) and i like the game a lot
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ok guys, i'm at a total loss here and need your help / some input. when turning on the game, the two coin door lights should be on and the four transparent buttons on the control panel should be flashing when i push any button. however, neither of this is happening :( :'(. with that being said, let's start with the seemingly simpler issue first: the coin door lights!
the obvious choice for non-working lights are defect lamps. installed was a CM25 6.3V lamp, replaced it with a #555 lamp of the same value - nothing changed, still no lights. since the bulb sockets looked somewhat corroded, i removed it along with some wiring from the coin door to test the setup directly at the switching power supply. the result :arrow:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/14996040254_e1b7bfd93b_b_d.jpg)
ok, lamp is working, socket is usable, let's check the voltages directly at the two coin wires going into the socket. wires hooked up to the multimeter ...
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5611/15617623722_775b906c18_b_d.jpg)
... voltages are good and should power the lamp!
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3932/15430674588_db7fe0ba93_b_d.jpg)
so let's hook up the socket AGAIN, normally it SHOULD work :arrow:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15431201750_56b55ded74_b_d.jpg)
unfortunately, as you can see, the lamp stays dark >:(!!! and i have no freaking clue why that is the case ??? am i just plain stupid, am i missing something here or does this leave you guys puzzled as well? hope you can give me some input here on what to do ...
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what do you measure now when the bulb is connected ?
measure at the same spot and then on the two tabs of the bulb holder
remove bulb while measuring, see if it differs
but ii must say, it does looks strange indeed...
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Am I crazy or do I see two white wires on the lamp holder and a white and a red/white going from where you measured ?
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Am I crazy or do I see two white wires on the lamp holder and a white and a red/white going from where you measured ?
no, you're eyes (and your mind) are still working fine. that's the second ground wire running to the second bulb holder. but just to make sure i've also tried / measured without that wire - results were the same :(
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I would start with the checks Etienne has suggested.
It is very possible for a broken wire/ bad join to make enough contact to allow sufficient voltage to reach a DMM as they are low impedance. i.e. they have no real load of their own to offer the circuit. However, a bulb will offer load to the circuit and "break down" the broken wire and no real voltage will exist. Remember Ohms law ;) V=IR
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Am I crazy or do I see two white wires on the lamp holder and a white and a red/white going from where you measured ?
no, you're eyes (and your mind) are still working fine. that's the second ground wire running to the second bulb holder. but just to make sure i've also tried / measured without that wire - results were the same :(
Ow LOL, I was watching your pics on my iPad and didn't realize they were bigger than the screen, now watching on my iMac it becomes a lot more clear I missed the right side of the pics....was too sleepy to swipe them I guess ;D ;D ;D
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Hey Ully, just dug out this great thread.....any updates ? love your work on the cab....some good info for my Q*bert restoration. (Especially about the base).
i just love the shape of the Gottlieb cabs......for a U.S. cab it is so compact, yet the shape is AWESOME !
Your resto of the PSU makes my work look like child's play, then again yours was WAY worse to begin with....
You can convert the PSU to make it run on 230VAC, thanks to Jochen and Andreas' help:
https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=2937.msg89025#msg89025
What vinyl did you use ?
I guess Q*bert's side is vinyl too..... I never looked that close....
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i bought the silkscreened sideart from phoenixarcade quite a while ago. it had been sitting in its original shipping tube for some time now, but when i unrolled it for the first time i immediately realized there was something badly wrong with it. you could already feel the wrinkles through the protective layer and when i removed it i knew that this was totally unusable :arrow:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15565111655_46ca1903ea_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15565948122_43cb66416f_b_d.jpg)
of course i contacted darin about this, after all the silkscreened reactor sideart had cost me A LOT OF MONEY, but i have yet to hear back from him ... :-[ >:(
unfortunately, the sideart doesn't seem to be available anymore on his website, so i guess i'll have to try my luck somewhere else. it really is a shame, because i'd like to finish this restoration asap and start working on something else - and of course play the freaking game. DAMN IT!!!
Kriegst Du von mir.... (you get it from me....)