Help me fix my Vectrex!
Innovative Web Design
Hi. I just got interested in the Vectrex a few weeks ago. I've already
started to learn
how to program for it, and I just got my first real Vectrex today. It's
in wonderful shape and mostly works (the game plays, etc.), but all of
the vectors line up in one vertical line. It's not the dot thing like
people always talk about. It's drawing the vectors, but they're all in
a line. I have the copy of the service manual from the ftp site and
have been poking around it for the last 3 hours or so, but I just can't
get it straightened out. I've been turning R401 and R408. R408 (the
Y-Axis one) is doing it's job - the screen gets taller and shorter, but
R401 just moves the line back and forth about a half an inch and doesn't
un-scruntch it. Are there anymore pots I could try? The manual says
"adjust vertical and horiz hight. Try also R401 and R408" which makes
it sound like there's some other way to do it without using R401 and
R408. Do you know what this other thing is? What are all the possible
ways to adjust the screen? I've used the ring magnets, but, of course,
that just centers it. R302 (DAC Off-Set) does have some effect, but
still doesn't do what I need. I've also been fooling around with R525
and R526, but they don't so anything great, and I don't have a scope to
really do it properly. The first time I turned it on, everything was
squeezed into about a half inch, now it's just one line width wide.
When it was a little more wide, I could definitely see shapes (the
dotted lines of the startup screen, the ship on Minestorm). Is there
hope? Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Oh
yeah - I haven't tried re-soldering the four wires like the FAQ says.
I'm not that great at soldering, and I wanted to get someone's educated
opinion first to see if this might even help at all. I read in an old
post that solder dries out and turns gray, but all of my joints are
quite shiney. Plus, this isn't the dot thing. I'd like any replies to
be sent via e-mail since it's costly for me to use usenet, but I'll
check back here periodically to see if anyone has any ideas. I really
hope someone can help me because it's breaking my heart to see my poor
Vectrex sitting there not working. I'd also like to compile as much
repair information (as well as programming information) I can find into
a website so hopefully others can resurrect their broken Vectrex.
Thanks in advance.
-Ryan Quick
qui...@ripon.edu
John Dondzila
With the Vectrex open, and the screen facing
away from you, look at the right side of the
board, closest to you.
See those CMOS IC's ?
They control the deflection. I'm pretty sure the
one that controls your little problem is IC302. Beats
me what it is, I have a junk Vectrex which I used for parts
and that chip is missing, which I pulled to repair another
Vectrex with that problem. Also possible are IC's 301,303,304 and 305.
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Innovative Web Design
John Dondzila wrote:
> With the Vectrex open, and the screen facing
> away from you, look at the right side of the
> board, closest to you.
>
> See those CMOS IC's ?
>
> They control the deflection. I'm pretty sure the
> one that controls your little problem is IC302. Beats
> me what it is, I have a junk Vectrex which I used for parts
> and that chip is missing, which I pulled to repair another
> Vectrex with that problem. Also possible are IC's 301,303,304 and 305.
>
>
Hmmm. I'll give it a shot.
Now I have another problem. I was looking at the screen after it had
been on for about 30 seconds and all of a sudden it got REALLY bright.
I tried to turn the brightness down, but it had very little effect. I
turned it off and turned it back on, but it was still super-bright.
Then I noticed a rather off color dot. I turned it off immediately, but
it had already burned a very small dot into the screen. The dot isn't a
big deal, but I'd like to get the brightness to go back down. I'm
afraid to turn it on until I can take care of this. Like I said, it
just got bright on it's own -I wasn't even touching it. Any ideas?
BTW, if it was something I did with R525 and R526, which way should I
turn them to lower the brightness?
Thanks a bunch.
-Ryan
Innovative Web Design
John Dondzila wrote:
> They control the deflection. I'm pretty sure the
> one that controls your little problem is IC302. Beats
> me what it is, I have a junk Vectrex which I used for parts
> and that chip is missing, which I pulled to repair another
> Vectrex with that problem. Also possible are IC's 301,303,304 and 305.
>
>
Any ideas where I could get a replacement? Would spraying it with
something help maybe?
Sadly,
Ryan