Now it is GORF's turn...

[chubsta]

Im sure many of you remember me throwing all my toys out of the pram last weekend - after yet another cab failure - Burgertime which turned out to be a very easy fix as it was just a loose wire

- I decided to sell up! Well, my other half told me to not be an idiot and to give it a few days without messing with anything to try to get a bit more perspective on everything.

I have been dead busy and working all week so it was easy to ignore the cabinets but today decided to have a little play - i was feeling much more positive

Turned on my ultra-reliable GORF and it is now playing up - who could have ever seen that coming

So, as usual, any and all advice appreciated...

It is a weird issue - when i switch the cab on the attract screen comes on and it says 'Long live GORF'. The screen then flashes and it does it again - it is like it is resetting during the attract mode. However, if at any time i press a button to play a game it goes straight into the game and works fine - i have just played it through to Space Warrior with no issues at all, the actual game works fine. When i lost my last life and go back to the attract screen it then starts the issue again.

I am not intending to start desoldering chips or anything but obviously would like to nip this in the bud! The boards have heatsinks fitted and a fan running so as it happens so quickly after switching on it is not an overheating issue.

cheers,

chubs

 

[cliff_poole]

I'd try re-seating the ROMs first. Failing that, try checking them in an EPROM programmer.

If the program is crashing in exactly the same place every time, it stands to reason that there is a problem with the code at that point, or at least a problem reading it.

 

[shep]

It could be a ROM gone bad. When the CPU reaches a bad part of the ROM it will often crash. Try reseating the ROMs or verify them using an EPROM programmer if you have one.

 

[shep]

Oops just saw Mesmerics post. At least we were thinking the same thing.

 

[chubsta]

cheers guys, don't have an eprom programmer though, but will try reseating them

 

[DanP]

It's also worth cleaning and reseating the cards in the card cage. Take the rom card out, clean the edge connector(with a rubber) and reseat it.

Dan

 

[bbz149]

All of the above, but def the roms 1st. I have a load of spare boards if any are needed

 

[chubsta]

reseated the roms, put the boards back in, now it doesn't boot at all...

one thing i noticed though, as i pulled the chips a pin on GORF B was bent tight round, to the point where i doubted it had been in the socket. When i touched the pin it fell off!

anyway, looks like another broken machine to add to the list...

on nights again tonight so off to bed...

 

[bbz149]

reseated the roms, put the boards back in, now it doesn't boot at all...

one thing i noticed though, as i pulled the chips a pin on GORF B was bent tight round, to the point where i doubted it had been in the socket. When i touched the pin it fell off!

anyway, looks like another broken machine to add to the list...

on nights again tonight so off to bed...

Re solder new leg to the old rom, I've had to do a few this way, also take the Roms out 1 by 1 and gently sand the outer legs with something like 1200 grade sand paper. Well worked for me ever time! Or just get somebody to burn you a new set of Roms

 

[chubsta]

any idea who could do a new set of roms?

 

[mission65]

Chubsta your gonna have to change your name to lucky at this rate, great to see you fighting on, also you will become an arcade repair wizard with all this fixing . if you need any help or another set of hands just holla as I am not too from you, but unfortunately not very knowledgeable

 

[chubsta]

I try but to be honest am fed up with the cabs now. I am selling some over the next few weeks, the first, star wars, will be up later if th original owner doesn't want it back, but I won't get rid of all my cabs, but it's time to take a long break.

 

[IndyJones]

What a shame but at the same time I do see where you are coming from, one of mine has packed up over the past few weeks & it is gutting, I'm only new to all this but find if you switch on what cabs are running fine & have a few goes & sit listening to the attract sounds you get your buzz back, sadly it sounds like you are beyond that though.

 

[andrew96]

You do have to remember how old the tech actually is!! after all how many mobile phones have you got through and that technology is fairly new while old pcb's stay just that, old!! how often did you have to get that lamp bulb replaced in your VHS recorder as when that went the whole thing never worked..... these things are now gone, but 30 year old cab and electronics just don't run forever.

I recently was trying to buy 68b09p New Old Stock processors, loads i tried none would work! I even emailed the manufacturers and they told me yep they was genuine chips, but Hitachi made ones only had a shelf life of 2 years from manufacturer to have the guaranteed datasheet speed specifications! and there is me trying to get them well after 20 years of them last being made! so that's why they never worked at the intended speeds!

so yes its disheartening from time to time when old tech goes wrong, but then would you want to own a 30 year old car and all its troubles it would have now!

its a labour of love and money!

 

[chubsta]

I understand that the tech is fragile and not designed to last but that doesn't really help when it breaks and i have no means to fix it.

The clear out has commenced...chubsta2013-11-02 19:01:43

 

[ben76]

I understand that the tech is fragile and not designed to last but that doesn't really help when it breaks and i have no means to fix it.

The clear out has commenced...

I know where you're coming from and it is sad to hear

as long as you're keeping Sinistar then all is ok

On a side note I am slowly making progress with my Spy Hunter

- Ben

 

[chubsta]

I understand that the tech is fragile and not designed to last but that doesn't really help when it breaks and i have no means to fix it.

The clear out has commenced...

I know where you're coming from and it is sad to hear

as long as you're keeping Sinistar then all is ok

On a side note I am slowly making progress with my Spy Hunter

- Ben

Pretty certain sinistar is going too - the strategy is to keep cabs that seem reliable but which won't hurt me if they do break. Unfortunately sinistar fits in the same bracket as star wars in that oddly I like it too much to keep

 

[Purity]

I think if you are doing this it is a good strategy. Sell the dedicateds, and keep the more generic cabs. Your less likely to have problems and if you do then they are easier to get fixed

 

[chubsta]

I think if you are doing this it is a good strategy. Sell the dedicateds, and keep the more generic cabs. Your less likely to have problems and if you do then they are easier to get fixed

that is exactly my reasoning - if i have just jamma cabs then if the monitor dies i can get it fixed easily, if the board dies i swap it for another one - no stress, just gaming...

chubsta2013-11-02 19:47:38

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I think if you are doing this it is a good strategy. Sell the dedicateds, and keep the more generic cabs. Your less likely to have problems and if you do then they are easier to get fixed

that is exactly my reasoning - if i have just jamma cabs then if the monitor dies i can get it fixed easily, if the board dies i swap it for another one - no stress, just gaming...

I love the old time dedicated cabs, but I'm too much of a mong to actually keep them running, until money becomes no object I'll be passing them up