Asterock your baby !

[speleo_de]

The +/-23V supply should work and as you are feeding it to a 'Bridge Rectifier' its really not relevant where you connect the + and the - ....
 

[level42]

Uh.....hah yeah, you're right !!! 

I'll upload the table I got so far, would you care to have a look at it Andreas ?

[level42]

Never mind...

[gyruss]

I don't understand everything you post (far to technical) but great work so far. Can't wait to play with this giant astray @ Eurocade.  

[level42]

.....but you won't be allowed to actually USE it as an ashtray Gyruss....

Thanks !

More technical stuff ahead, if you like it or not !!!

Installed a cap-kit on the G05-802 monitor this morning. Turned out I actually still had one laying around...also had ordered the big filter caps (C100 & C101) from RS, that was over 15 Euro's just for those 2 suckers....

O well, it's for a good cause It's funny how these big caps are often not included in any cap-kits, since they are often the most important....

Anyway, while I was soldering on it anyway I also checked out a lot of dull looking solderings, and redid ALL the solderings of ALL connectors on both the HV and deflection board.

Tripple checked all my work (again my son helped with a lot of soldering, took some extra time, but it's fun because he really enjoys doing it).

Sooo, hooked it back up, and no matter how much experience you've got, this is always an scary moment.

Power up and....no smoke.....good........we have neck-glow....good......we have no picture......no good !!!!

Tried fiddling with brightness and contrast, contrast doesn't do anything, when I turn the brightness WAY up, I get a picture but with a big fat bright white spot in the center and all the retrace lines.

Checked out the BW vector monitor FAQ and KLOV forum....

Read a tip about the LED  that indicates that the spot killer is activated can be the cause. Measured it and sure enough it was KAPUTT (short). Removed it and turned powered up and YES it's working normally again !!! Wahooo....

But removing the LED also disables the spot-killer circuit. We don't want that.
So soldered in a new LED and power up: no more picture and a bright LED indicating the spot killer kicked in, but WHY because there IS deflection going on normally. There is only one conclusion: the spot-killer circuit itself is KAPUTT !

Measured all the transistors, and yes Q502 (which is right "next" to the LED) is also showing a full short on all three legs, so this is also KAPUTT !!

It's a 2N3906 and yippie, RS online carries it. Ordered 5 (min. quantity but also nice if it blows right up again.... (Let's hope not).

Now, we wait....and do some other work....

[speleo_de]

... I'll upload the table I got so far, would you care to have a look at it Andreas ?

I took a look this evening. Not too much to add, I guess.

You may just want to use one Audio Output from the Asteroids and feed it via an electrolytic CAP to the input of the ASTEROCK Audio Amp, which is 19A. Then 19B of Asterock Connector needs to receive true GND of course. Which Atari Audio (1 or 2) you are using,doesn't matter. One is just the inverted of the other.
Interested to see how your sound will be finally. With the Asteroids AR1, these two AUDIO1/2 amplified signals alone drive the speaker, which is NOT connected to GND.

[level42]

Well spotted and something I indeed noticed as well...and was a bit worried about.

Thanks !

[level42]

There MUST be NOS CRT's in Europe, but WHERE ?!?!?

Indeed i have a quotation a few month ago for this one here in France

 Poste Qte' Designation                          Prix UHT   Total HT                Delai


   1      1 M47EAA5WS                              85.00             1 Semaine ARC

            CATHODE RAY TUBE

            Stock Etats-Unis

            

                                                   Total      85.00

 

            Frais de port en sus, expedition par UPS Standard, soit 69 euros

            HT.

            ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
If you want more information just let me know  

Any news ? I've been doing quite some digging and can hardly find anything better on offer (IF they already still have something...)

I found a picture of the LAI monitor that was in the Meteor that I used to have and it's a 19VFWP4 so that may be a good alternative too....if findable....

[level42]

@Speleo_De: gonna sound like dumb but should I put that cap between the audio signal and GND or in series ?
Please explain what we're trying to do, I guess "decoupling" the circuits ?

I've received the JB weld and remounted (glued, "cold-welded") one of the studs on the coin door (can't find the others, thought I put them in a safe place but well.....wives........but I'm sure they'll surface soon enough )

I guess for this application I should have bought the "Kwik" (quick) version though. I had to put the door-rim 100% flat to keep the stud standing upright in the beginning, the stuff hards out pretty slowly .....
Checked it this morning and it feels pretty sturdy already. Should be completely done this afternoon (takes 15 hrs. to completely cure).

[speleo_de]

@Speleo_De: gonna sound like dumb but should I put that cap between the audio signal and GND or in series ?
Please explain what we're trying to do, I guess "decoupling" the circuits ?

I meant it in series, any 10uF to 100uf/25 V, plus to Asterock output. This is to keep DC out.

BUT ... this seems to be redundant then, as the Asterock Amplifier PCB has a Cap already, just looked at it.
So its not needed, but wouldn't  hurt either.

Still, just use one of the Audio out and the real GND for GND

[level42]

Good news ! Started making the adapter to use the original Atari Asteroids PCB in the Asterock. I figured I'd to the "dangerous" stuff first and soldered the +5V, GND and "AC" voltages for the DACs and of course X, Y and Z. Of course the curiosity (and to see if I was on the right track) made me test it after that.

First test, nothing...no LED on the PCB, nothing on screen...but also no smoke/explosions or other really bad things....

Then I figured....maybe the -5V and +12V that run on the extra connector may be needed to be "loaded"...
I'm still not sure if that really is it, but after I put back in the Asterock board, connected that extra connector to it, but connected the Asteroids PCB to the main connector, it WORKED !

Wahoo, I see asteroids, ships and "copyright Atari"  

The screen is not as beautiful as with the Asterock board though, but I think I already know the reason for that, but more on that later...

At least the theory of inputting the DC into the AC pins works as we expected

Will have to finish the rest of the connections this weekend...

[Etienne MacGyver]

Congrats on the experiment Andre !

[Superully]

although i have no idea what you're talking about, it sounds cool

[level42]

Really ? Well, in "Jip & Janneke" language:
I have an original Asteroids PCB running in the Asterock cab. I'm building an adapter to make this possible

I now have done only the most essential wires to get it running and produce a picture. That's it.

Now I still need to do the wires for controls, sound, credits etc.

[Belike]

Really ? Well, in "Jip & Janneke" language:
I have an original Asteroids PCB running in the Asterock cab. I'm building an adapter to make this possible

I now have done only the most essential wires to get it running and produce a picture. That's it.

Now I still need to do the wires for controls, sound, credits etc.

Sounds much more familiar.