Author Topic: Marble Madness problems - advice appreciated!  (Read 2401 times)

chubsta

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Marble Madness problems - advice appreciated!
« on: September 08, 2012, 10:22:24 PM »
I recently picked up a System 1 Atari Marble Madness cab in great condition. As it came with a pedal i guess it was origionally a Road Blasters so not sure if that is the root of my problems...

Basically, the marbles do not move fast enough. I used to play it in the arcade and know they go better if you use 2 trackballs at the same time but that doesnt help here - whatever i do i cannot make the jumps etc, the ball just falls off the edge!

So far i have done the following:

Checked voltages to the sys1 board using the points towards the bottom right - rock steady +5V
new rollers and bearings - much smoother but still no actual improvement.
Cleaned the optical sensors on the trackballs
Cleaned the legs and reseated the LETA chip.
Gone through the internet over and over again without finding anyone else with this problem...

Is it possible that because the cab was origionally a RoadBlasters that the sys1 board is not interpreting the trackball signals correctly and therefore just registering movement without seeing the 'velocity'?
Could the LETA chip be the issue? I know there are 2 versions this one is the *****-002 chip.

Any and all advice greatly received as i did find that at least one member here has done a RB to MM conversion - any similar problems?

Cheers,
chubs

chubsta

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Re: Marble Madness problems - advice appreciated!
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2012, 09:22:35 PM »
Still looking for any and all advice on this baby - I have received a brand new LETA chip and fitting that has not helped, the marbles still move but only up to a certain speed, which is not fast enough as if it was i could clear a jump!

Basically you can roll the marble as slowly or as fast as you like up to a point at which it wont go any faster, so that to me says that it is registering the trackball movements ok, and the trackballs themselves have been completely serviced although i have not replaced the optic boards themselves, could they be the issue (although as it is the same with both trackballs i cant see all 4 optics going bad, unless they are the wrong ones fitted...

It has got to the point where i now want to sell the cab but am still looking for a way to resolve the problem as i was after one of these for ages and just really want to play the thing!

One last thing, could it be a rom issue at all, any thoughts on that?