Donkey Kong 3 - found it on the curb, full size stand up arcade.  Now what... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 04:25:54 am
content: Found a "Donkey Kong 3" a few nights ago...sitting on the curb, ready to out with the rest of the garbage the next morning. I grabbed it...of course.Full size, stand up, arcade machine. Surely one of the less popular games...meh...the price was right.Looks like it's all there...main board, CRT, power supply, coin slots, etc.Don't know dick about full size arcade machines other than they're just machines with building blocks. Looking for direction before I go plug it in and blow something up.Model Number: TKG4-UP-USSerial# 156720Pictures to come, when it's daylight out.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 04:29:14 am
content: Pop the back off give it a good smell before you plug it in.No I'm not joking.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 04:47:50 am
content: Well, I meant besides the usual sight & smell checks...stuff like common problems with this particular arcade machine or arcade machines in general.Looks like this thing has been sitting and not plugged in for quite awhile. I found it last Thursday night, so it's been unplugged for at the very minimum 6 days. It'll be this weekend before I get a chance to really get in there and dig around. Should be plenty of time for the monitor and cap's to bleed off.Yes, I'm going to give it a good dusting, and run my eyes over everything, looking for the typical domed electrolytics, smoked diodes & resistors, maybe touch up any suspect solder joints, maybe even get a bit froggy, unplug the power supply from everything, plug just it in and hook up a light load on each voltage rail and see what they measure out at.

author: BloodyCactus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 12:36:59 pm
content: see what monitor burn in is like, recap monitor, check board fingers for burns. come visit us over onhttp://www.johnsarcade.com/forum/youll find lots of experience nintendo arcade fixer guys (and its more friendly than KLOV)

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 12:55:23 pm
content: Quote from: Skimask on August 13, 2015, 04:47:50 amA better story would be to tell us you discharged everything safely.

author: nixxon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 04:34:34 pm
content: Check out Randy Fromm and his 25 year old, technical and practical videos regarding arcade machines on YouTube! He knows and shares lots of useful information.

author: SoundTech-LG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 04:40:51 pm
content: Having worked on 7400 series boards on the same shift (graveyard) as Steve Jobs, back when Atari was around 2 years old (73-75 era), I could have some useful input. I have some documentation. not sure about Donkey Kong, I think they were just starting up with that about the time I left. Still have 2 Pong boards, maybe a World Cup Soccer as well... somewhere

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2015, 08:37:25 pm
content: Quote from: Shock on August 13, 2015, 12:55:23 pmAn even better story would be that I plugged it in, turned it on, THEN removed the anode cap off the monitor with my bare sweaty hands and flew across the room...and had uploaded a video.Thanks for the links. Checking them out now.

author: SoundTech-LG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2015, 03:22:35 pm
content: It might be funnier if you left it turned off a day, and then pulled the anode cap, because you might still get an interesting video out of it!

author: SoundTech-LG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2015, 03:55:07 pm
content: Not sure if Steve ever got any more technical at this juncture in his life or not. But he could draw some basic schematics by hand. The other Steve was helping him alot at this point I think.

author: tec5c
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 08:38:08 am
content: Quote from: Skimask on August 13, 2015, 08:37:25 pmIs this true? Link??

author: RogerRowland
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 09:09:04 am
content: Quote from: Skimask on August 13, 2015, 04:25:54 amIt must be daylight by now - no pics yet?

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 04:29:24 pm
content: Work happens...Duty calls.I'll be getting to it sometime yet today.

author: eetech00
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 10:47:14 pm
content: Quote from: Skimask on August 13, 2015, 04:25:54 amHiHave you seen the new movie "Pixels"?Earth versus Atari characters!!And who is the character that the earthly hero's have to beat? Guess who...Donkey Kong!!Qubert plays a significant role too...:-)It a cool movie...

author: Aodhan145
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 10:59:03 pm
content: Quote from: eetech00 on August 15, 2015, 10:47:14 pmThat film looks like they needed money desperately.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 02:21:40 am
content: Got to it this afternoon...Cleaned it out, checked it out, plugged it in. No vertical deflection. Checked it out further. Found all 3 wires going to the Vertical Size pot were broken, 2 of them still in their respective holes but broken nonetheless. Fixed those.The damn thing works! Even if it is a cheesy game, the price was right.Made a short video of it all. Rendering now. Upload it later.

author: bills
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 02:36:03 am
content: Great, one less cool thing heading for the landfill(junk pile)

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 04:08:26 am
content: Roger that...https://youtu.be/O68IfYh0tOU

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 05:45:05 am
content: Got to be happy with that, looks a really clean cabinet as well. Is that large iron a 1:1 transformer?

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 03:20:40 pm
content: Looks that way, isolation transformer at least. If it's not 1:1, it's like .9:1 or something. Schematics say 120 in, 100 out. Whether that's true or not, no matter. It works.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 03:46:34 pm
content: Transformer is there to handle worldwide voltage supplies. The secondary is 100VAC, the common Japanese supply voltage (50 or 60Hz depending on the area), and the primary is tapped to handle 100, 110, 120, 127, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250VAC as a supply voltage, and is sized so it will operate with low loss on 50 or 60Hz mains. The isolation is there to reduce the chance of injury to the public if the top light cover is broken by accident by an over enthusiastic player ( common thing) or the CRT is broken while powered and somebody falls inside or shoves a hand inside. Does mean you have to be careful in replacing the lamp, and starter as you need to use an Osram ST151 or Phillips S15 starter, otherwise the lamp will not light, and the ballast choke has to be the right one meant for 100VAC operation.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 04:58:57 pm
content: Aside from the 'vertical' squish, everything works, including the overhead lamp.Re-Cap kit is up next. I got into the schematics for the Sanyo EZ-20 monitor last night and took a measurement on the CRT PCB. The 16V rail (runs over to the vertical deflection transistors) is low and noisy, likely caused by C407, which also happens to be really crusty on top.The game play REALLY sucks, but again, the price was right.

author: orion242
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 17, 2015, 09:35:03 pm
content: If all else fails and the game sucks....gut it and replace with lcd & pc or rasppi running mame. You can find hundreds if not thousands of game images for that easily enough.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2015, 10:45:42 pm
content: Yes, the gameplay does in fact suck.But there's way more cool points in an original, functional, full size stand up coin op arcade machine.Any dipstick with half an ounce of Google-Foo can build a MAME cabinet.