Project : Space Invaders

I picked up a really cool item this weekend off of Craigslist, a Space Invaders cocktail arcade machine. In the last couple of weeks I have been visiting a lot of arcades which got me itching to own a machine. So after days of scouring Craigslist listings I finally found the perfect deal for me. Although it wasn't working I was more than happy to take it off of the guys hands.

The guy told me that the game had been working up until about a week ago and that he wasn't interested in trying to fix it. He showed me that the problem was when you turn on the game all get is pixelated garbage on the screen. After a little research I found that this particular problem is common and that it can be caused by a few things. So I guess at least I had a some places to start at when troubleshooting the issue. Most of the info I have found points to the problem being the reset line on the power supply. So I tested all the voltages on it which seem to be in range. With no obvious culprit causing the screen garbage I guess the next step is to rebuild the power supply. A few people said this corrected the problem right away. Ordered my parts last night so now I'll be waiting anxiously for them to come.

From what I understand about collecting arcade games is that there are two ways to collect. One, to buy working machines in good condition $$$. Or two, buy non working or in less than favorable condition machines for way less and fix them $. I like a good challenge and to tinker with stuff. I think I'm more of the number two type. Hopefully I'll have the game up and running soon.