I Paid £50 For A Broken 1980s Grandstand Astro Wars Game! Can I FIX IT?

[@Doyle69]

Fixed one today. Its most likely the 140v Zener diode under the screen that has blown, use 3 47v zeners in series, I also replaced the transistors and its all up and running.

[@dobbs.]

That takes me back to when I was a kid I got one of these for my Christmas played it all the time. It was great seeing you at least having a go at fixing it not enough of that these days!

[@leeheggie7043]

I fixed one of these a few months ago the dc jack is reverse polarity.

[@hunterzero2634]

Don't give up! There's another transistor on that board at S03, take a look at that. The black blob in the bottom right of the vacuum fluorescent display is normal, and I doubt the screen or ICs are bad.

[@TheCod3r]

I could take a look but I doubt I'd be able to figure it out. I'm not as smart as Stez 😅

[@Mark_C1]

⁠​⁠@@TheCod3r you’re certainly smart enough to fix this just a little out of your comfort zone here it seems to me. Maybe put it on the back burner and tinker when you have the inclination. Applying your fault/short finding techniques should at least bring you to a definitive conclusion. IMO start with the likely suspects, caps (one looked to be bulging) and after that check out that zener diode for a short. If nothing, this is a good learning experiment. Richard over at LER has some fantastic videos on bipolar junction transistors, fets and mosfets FYI. Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the video a lot !

[@TheCod3r]

Here's a link to the seller who i bought the components for this video from: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/countrywill Yes I know Stez's video wasn't this exact item too lol. I thought it was at the time of recording 😅

[@krzysztofstokosa9786]

DId you check the eletrolytics? This being an 80s device it's pretty likely there's caps in the power section which are gone and need replacing. Always worth to remove them and test out of circuit.

[@cjh0751]

I used to have one of these as a nipper in the 70s. Its basically a Galaxian game in Vacuum Florescent Display. Loved that game. Then i got an Atari 2600 and have been gaming ever since.

[@ghost-retro3733]

The black bit on the VFD is called a getter, and it’s supposed to be there. If it wasn’t then the VFD would be punctured and therefore dead.

[@TheCod3r]

Fair enough, I know nothing about them lol

[@adamdavies163]

@@TheCod3r The getter would likely go white if the vacuum was compromised.

[@ghost-retro3733]

@@TheCod3r No probs.

[@ghost-retro3733]

The chances are the problem is the zener diode, for the VFD high voltage. Retro Tech Repair has done a video or two on these.

[@bloodmines]

yes that s06 140v zener diode like 1N5275B or similar

[@ghost-retro3733]

@@bloodmines I wasn’t sure of the voltage, Good to know.

[@sawdust2556]

❤ Checkin’ in 🎉 Grandson’s PS5 is still working! Now, he’s got the Oculus VR too. Hope you and your wife are well!

[@jonathaningram4672]

I had the Firefox one and back then it was really cool, everyone wanted a look a go on it. I'm 52 but now I feel well old lol Do agree things back then were better built easier to have a gander and maybe fix them, would all be leaded solder to that's a bonus.

[@TheCod3r]

Yeah these things were a beaut, looks like loads of fun. Just shows our age lol

[@MK-qo1rz]

I took one of these apart years ago, like when they were still being sold in shops! I remember thinking how small the solder points and components were 😅

[@riversunhawk6192]

Challenge Steve to fix it! Lol

[@TheCod3r]

Haha I could do that 😅

[@biggtiming4220]

Very refreshing to see you expanding your horizon sorry to see it couldn't be fixed you are correct for the price its not worth it but the value you gave your channel made it worth the money.

[@TheCod3r]

Yeah I definitely will be doing more stuff in the future. Hopefully with more success lol

[@soluzaroi]

10 Days of fixing. Awesome to have older items looked at!

[@memermetalthemiddleagedaut99]

wow, I had a friend with one of these in the 80's, I had a grandstand "munch-man", the the grandstand games were somewhat popular back then

[@randyr.parker2698]

@TheCod3r This is 'old school tech' and you don't 'short' pins like you would with a computer to 'boot it up', you need to push the slide switch to the 'on' position to apply power. You may be shorting that transistor out when you're shorting those two 'power contacts'. Hope you can get it working! Also, best check that capacitor, it may be shorted, it IS old after all. 😉

[@davestationuk7374]

These were the best back in the 1980s ,great memories trading with mates for a few days of each others tabletop game

[@MikeGervasi]

Never saw one of these back in the day. Nice to see you take on out of the ordinary fixes. The tube is a fluorescent display. The round TY-33 is a transformer. Even IF the display was bad you would still have power and sound. Emitter to ground is called "Common Emitter" and is used for audio or power amplification. THink I'm really surprised at is the transistor has a hole for a heat sink but there isn't one on it. I don't think you're done on this one, mate. We fixed discrete component gear all the time because it all was :)

[@markbriscoe8526]

That part that you bought The 2SD882 is NPN silicon transistor suited for the output stage of 3 watts audio amplifiervoltage regulatorDC-DC converter and relay

[@HanCurunyr]

"Its the middle of the day" I think that is the 1st time I hear Phil saying a time that isnt very late night or very early morning

[@ku-sangkain8159]

I had this also pacman and donkey kong great to see again

[@rich35ukuk]

Hi mate I used to have this game I remember I was about 6 I think and my dad got me it for Xmas I remember pestering him to let me have it early lol he let me have it midnight I can still remember that brought back some memories

[@JonnyFix]

Since someone else has had a go at it there could be a chance the wrong transistor has been put in so you followed suit and ordered the wrong one again and I wonder if it should be PNP. Was it too hot to touch? I'd imagine it will run warm while it oscillates. Maybe a rainy day project down the line then

[@shaundolphin]

As said Below, The Display is basically a Vacuum Tube and the black part is a Getter, It's normal.

[@garrycowan4394]

Had that back in the 80's and invaders from space....happy daze

[@rickchowsr2532]

The dark spot on the vacuum florescent display is normal if it’s not there the display is bad (It would no longer have any vacuum )

[@Drew-Dastardly]

There are so few semiconductors on that board you could test them all with diode mode on your DMM in 5 minutes.

[@TheCod3r]

I did mate, couldn't find a thing:( I just removed it from the video because I wanted it under 30 mins

[@davidcooks5265]

I haven't seen one of these for year's a right time WARP should be easy for you 👍

[@eclecticstyle6181]

Was your speaker on when you tested? My Mate Vince couldn't see that the screen was actually on in the light. But could hear the beeps. He had the same problem as you with the transistor. Might want to check his video.

[@grandadgamer8390]

M8, u the most honest toober 😂❤

[@michaelthomas3646]

being born in the last 1/2 of the 70's I got to experience it all, Astro Wars, telling your parents where you were, no devices in your pocket that ring at the wrong moment, having to use the urinals, sorry the large red boxes to make phone calls!! paper maps, haynes manuals for car repairs, no internet, shops that closed at 6pm at the latest, having to walk 1/2 a mile or so to the nearest phone box if you went in the right direction when your car broken down. having to learn the green cross code, having snow during the Christmas period, quite often for Christmas day. having to clear the footpath for grandparents who were my age after ripping the paper off anything that didn't move!! I would say now is the best times, but too much technology and too many things that can go wrong. like car has been in and out of the garage for 3 months now with technology problems, and still not fixed, but got to get it fixed before it's MOT, as an instant fail, but garages that want to replace most expensive things first, rather than cheapest, and most unreliable.

[@littlebubbie726]

I had one of these when I was a kid. Anyone remember Billy blast off with the little space ships? I’m old 😢

[@Craiglish22]

I had one of those brand new as a kid. Absolutely loved it. Until I got my Spectrum 48k. 😊

[@TheCod3r]

And computers took over the world 😂

[@matthewpotter127]

Good work i dont think your far off. I have a nintendo switch that is broken do you fancy having ago at it for your chanel?

[@markbriscoe8526]

I believe that TDK component is a coil that flat speaker is called a Peezo speaker

[@danielrock3119]

them components get hot anyway mate, replace the zener diode below the display

[@adamdavies163]

I think that TDK device is some form of step up transformer for the VFD display.

[@adamdavies163]

Incidentally i've got an Astro Wars and a few other similar games all working.

[@Chrisj-Pops]

Great video. And the magic smoke

[@tomabs8974]

Nice to see the wins and the losses unfortunately a loss this time enjoying the mix of content can’t win them all.

[@pmyhill]

Great to see you getting on to your big pile of to do stuff haha. Still looking forward to a megadrive video, I've seen them hiding in the background 😉

[@electron0002]

The screen black is the getter it’s like a vacuum tube ..common problem with then is the caps and the transistor

[@karlrowlands7492]

Great video as always

[@TheCod3r]

Thanks bud

[@andrasszabo7386]

That is an expensive collectible if you can get it working. I had one in the early 90's, and it broke once. Too bad, I did not keep it. I loved it very much. And I would like to have one in my vintage stuff collections. It is a Space Invaders clone, or something very similar, if I remember correctly.

[@ukmud6218]

You could always make it into a shelf ornament with some leds in it 🤷‍♂️

[@Samsemillya]

That looks like something Steve would repair / had repaired 😂😂😂

[@diYotamCh]

Send it to Stez... Want to see a CoOp with you guys...

[@qamarally7363]

Happy belated birthday to your boy🎉

[@TheCod3r]

Thanks bud

[@ajaks7636]

Better luck next time. Great Video! 😁

[@andytipping70]

tdk thing is a dc/dc transformer for high voltage to flourescent display

[@edwardecl]

I had one of those when I was kid, no idea what happened to it 😿

[@matthewdove3520]

Born in the 80s never seen one of these before 🤣

[@aceweb]

I had one as a kid , yes I'm old😀👍

[@philhulse5355]

I have one of them games somewhere I know it did work?

[@capthook26]

Awesome work 👏

[@philhulse5355]

If i find my game i will let you know in comments if the transistor is the same as on that board too.

[@markbriscoe8526]

That game is older than you, Bruv hands down😂 that was the game console of the day

[@andrewhenderson3593]

Magic smoke with 6v nice 😂

[@steve24822]

I had one back in the day...

[@EddiePedalo]

Why? I'm old enough to remember those from the first time around. 50 bob for something that was a meme in 1981? :o It's a lightbulb in a box. That Stez is a bad influence. I don't think you should play with him any more ;)

[@joshuabest100]

I've fixed one of these before someone plugged in a reverse polarity plug into it

[@treyreed1762]

Lol.i had all those desktop arcade games as a kid,wish i had keep them.

[@TheCod3r]

They'd be worth a fortune now!

[@Captain-Smokey]

shame you did not test the diode :(

[@tankzilla6785]

That black spot is normal

[@ldnguvnor6564]

Don't give up your day job mate

[@TheCod3r]

This is my day job 😂

[@hannescampidell]

the micro processor would also need the code

[@derekndclive]

I had that age 10 and Grandstand Munchman!!!

[@TheCod3r]

Nice man, I had similar but can't remember if I had that exact one. Probably not, my mom was a cheapskate 😂

[@mikethedigitaldoctorjarvis]

@@TheCod3r The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree does it ! 🤣🤣

[@TheCod3r]

@@mikethedigitaldoctorjarvis haha definitely not 😂

[@mikethedigitaldoctorjarvis]

@@TheCod3r 🤣

[@tariqmahmood7026]

Phil when are you coming back from holiday

[@TheCod3r]

I'm back mate

[@johndoe-vz6tb]

it is not SOLID

[@jakapuchino]

I had one - top score 9999 it maxed out

[@TheCod3r]

Haha nice

[@Plan-C]

I had that as a kid! You may have had to programe that IC anyway.

[@j.w.yarbrough9190]

its worth about a 100 to 225 dollars

[@frankurmom8741]

Im sorry its this a stezstix video? 😂

[@steverileyretired]

is a shame you could not fix it

[@matthewdove3520]

Loads of these on eBay so they ain’t rare

[@johndoe-vz6tb]

Thats why you fail, No rap

[@darrenletten909]

You’ve been beaten lol

[@no1be4me2]

You want to be rich then invent a remote control that works on a woman 😎 💰...

[@TheCod3r]

Haha good idea 😂

[@no1be4me2]

@@TheCod3r just saying hee...