John gets an ATARI FIREFOX! Arcade Laserdisc Game 1984 - Part 1

[@compamac]

I might be picking up a Cruis'n USA Sit-down arcade this friday!

[@Bearcade]

Heck, I have one and love it

[@davidelvin1236]

Thanks John for answering my question and also thanks to those who have given great suggestions. This is what the community is all about. We'll hopefully be having another look at it soon and I'll let you know if we fix it! Dave

[@Electronuclear1]

Hey John, looks like you have a ground in your system if it is dropping the voltage to zero when the molex connector is connected. You can narrow it down to a board by unplugging/disconnecting each connection to the board. Once you have it narrowed down to the board, you can isolate the component by removing each one until the ground clears. Most likely culprits are capacitors, usually the diaelectric (stuff that gives them the capacitance leaks out). A lot of times you can usually see this on visual inspection. Hope this helps.

[@ddpaul22]

What an amazing find! I remember this game looking amazing with the video and audio from the laserdisc meshing well with the actual dynamics of the game (at least for its time). I can't wait to hear the cheesy cold war heroic music playing once the laserdisc is back on its feet. It was an interesting direction for laser games and a good keeper for in the basement. Awesome!

[@vintageceilingfans]

I've worked on Laser Discs players before, when they start up the motor gives the disc an instant big push, if the disc slips, they will just stop.. I would try cleaning with alcohol and Qtip the rubbery material on each spindle that locks the disc in, both top and bottom, then try again.. If there is no laser disc in the player, the spindle will do exactly what you saw..

[@neilloughran4437]

Another game I would regularly see in Blackpool UK in the 80s. Was quite an expensive game at 50p a go and it just seemed really difficult to know what was going on and therefore spend any time on. There were quite a few laser disc games around like Astron Belt, MACH 3, etc... but this one always stood out due to the cabinet design, visuals and sounds. Good to know there are options for replacing laser discs with USB solutions.

[@Realmasterorder]

Heyy Johny ! I played this game back at the time and loved it,it was pure dope and The Cabinet is out of this world !!! You can probably imagine how any Kid back at the time would feel back then when he first saw and played this. I really Loved this Video Keep em coming m8

[@sockcutter]

Just a stab in the dark but could the spindle be stopping after a split second because there is no disc present?

[@uhfnutbar1]

the video feed to the monitor from the disk player have you try hooking up something ell with video out feed just to see if the monitor working ?

[@JackKirkpatrickVideos]

Looks like something may be wrong with the laser. I believe those spun up the disc and then activated the laser, so I would check there.

[@carlperkins1452]

Great find John! What a blast from the past! I loved playing that game. Looking forward to the ld solution. Wish I could be there at Fun Spot this weekend. Rock on!

[@JeffWaldronArcade]

Congrats John! I loved this game BITD and played it all the time at Aladdin's Castle in the local mall.

[@noagendasevenseven1231]

Is it possible that your missing voltages could be due to the fact that the lid safety switch was not down?

[@jerodpark5929]

Firefox??? I 'thought' this game, while complete, was a prototype that died with the video game crash. Lost with the planned LaserDisc arcade titles of Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider. (Along with others.) Never knew 2,000 were actually out there, some where. What a find!

[@jongittus2279]

Pacman wobble: Just a guess but is the isolation transformer mounted close to the monitor? Had a similar issue in a Lordsvale Neo Geo once. Stop by at jammaplus, if you're still stuck.

[@davidelvin1236]

Many thanks, I'll have a look and see!

[@johnsheetz6639]

I remember this game. I didn't know it was that rare. My mom's was working at a hotel and it had this in their game room. They had a few good ones. Defender tempest lunar lander Star wars and a cocktail Pac-Man. In today's money those things cost seventy-five cents to play.

[@chuck12-82]

John, get yourself a weightlifting/gym belt when you go to pickup or move games. The extra support will help your back.

[@steve24822]

You cannot diagnose faults with electronics without an oscilloscope. I know you are probably thinking that it is too advanced or you wont understand them but honestly, you will learn so much so quickly as soon as you start playing with an oscilloscope. Checking voltages is fine at the power supply but once you are in the circuit the circuit is about signals. You should get a cheap scope and give it a go. It will change your life, I promise.

[@Johnsarcade]

Nevets I plan on attempting this level of debugging soon. Maybe with the Computer Space. I would love to learn how to use a scope. I agree!

[@steve24822]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech The great thing about using a scope is it is less about learning to use one and more about learning how things work because of the oscilloscope. Start at the output of the player, no signal, move back one step no signal?, back another step, signal! Found the problem.

[@Scythe42]

John definitely needs a scope in the longer run working on stuff beside voltages. Then we all can send our board to him for fixing xD

[@flyguille]

Nevets osciloscope is not needed at all for troubleshooting DC regulation/psu, and include if it were some switching PSU , the osciloscope is not needed because you has ear on both sides of your head.

[@steve24822]

flyguille Most people only have one ear on each side of their head.

[@galacticgames1649]

One way I clean carts with is with regular 409 with a Q-tip and boy it cleans it and work after that.

[@Sypthv8]

Pacman boards use a different type of sync, it's negative composite sync, whereas newer monitors and boards accept positive negative sync. Bob Roberts has a page detailing such, and that might help out.

[@davidelvin1236]

***** Many thanks, I'll let my buddy know!

[@lionneko]

Nice grab John. Hopefully you can get it running

[@joepoutine4969]

Hey John, Robertson screws are not security screws I'm a Canadian and in Canada when we buy screws most buy Robertson screws. If you get a good quality screw and the right size Robertson screwdriver you can put the screwdriver in the screw and carefully hang it by the screw in your hand and the screwdriver should not fall out. I know Americans use mostly Phillips screws but Robertson screws are a much better screw. I helped build a big deck once we used over 1500 screws and used only 2 screw bits on the hole deck on my drill. Anyway found your show about a month ago love it I grew up in the 80s so lots of memories seeing your arcade wish I could have one take care look forward to more videos and byeeee

[@lilretrobrothers]

is the door switch keeping continuity pressed down,it should limit voltages to the board if its not working correctly

[@lilretrobrothers]

I only ask because we bought a auction lot from a school that had laser disc players in it and one had that same issue with momentary spin up and when I jumped the door switch it worked .. That's a awesome pick up btw

[@Johnsarcade]

Seems like as soon as the motor spins it takes the power supply out.

[@lilretrobrothers]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech that's exactly what this Panasonic model I had would do , it would spin ,the eye would move for a second as if it was reading and then I would lose it .

[@Johnsarcade]

i tested the switch and also bypassed it to be sure. switch is good.

[@Johnsarcade]

how did you fix?

[@WomblingFreely]

Hi John, not sure if this has been mentioned before, but for the guy with the shaky Pacman monitor I would suggest he disconnect the degaussing loop thats around the edge of the tube. A failing posistor on the chassis can cause it to be constantly in light degauss. If disconnecting the loop cures the problem then its a $2 fix.

[@davidelvin1236]

***** Many thanks, I'll mention it to my friend!

[@bobbyjack8033]

On firefox, maybe something is shorted on a board after the plug killing the voltage??

[@ArcadeDude44]

Wow, congrats John. You could always send the ld player out for repairs. Or, just employ the Dexter. I wish you could make it out to cax this year, its quite awesome!

[@googleboughtmee]

Awesome looking cab. Game must be rare at least here in UK, I've never seen or heard about it before.

[@JackKirkpatrickVideos]

I would see how many amps the laserdisc player is drawing. There should be a label on the unit somewhere giving how many watts/amps it uses. Set your meter to amps and put one end in the hot of the laserdisc plug and the other in the hot terminal on the power socket. Then, connect the neutrals together and apply power. If it's drawing too much or too little you probably have a bad power supply. Actually, if you have a kill-a-watt meter you could just use that as well.

[@wessagussett1]

looking forward to seeing this through completion!!

[@jpreville]

did you check all connectors and card on other side of player? was just thinking. if the guy said it was moved. maybe something came unjarred. through my 2 cents in. good luck!

[@bobbyjack8033]

Said this before, going need a outside shed to clean the basement closet out.... SO you can expand the arcade!!

[@KonjonoAwesome]

I'm guessing you have either a mechanical or electrical issue with the spindle motor that is swamping the power supply. I'd measure the current draw of the motor and compare it to the rated current consumption. A bad bearing or shorted winding could cause the issues you're describing

[@MrTBoneSF]

Now if you can get a Star Rider (before their values skyrocket), you'd have all the "must-have" laser disc games.

[@MattJohnsonhikes]

I played this game back in the early 90's at my local laundry mat. It really was my favorite laser game because it was an actual video game. It's repetitive but not too bad, there are alternate routes if I remember correctly. Wanted to download the MAME but the video size was too damn big. Would love to have one.

[@bneyens]

Why not try unplugging each sub-component to try and isolate where the voltage drop is coming from? Unplug all the components, then Plug them in one at a time. Once you determine which component is causing the drop, focus on that component.

[@k001daddy]

I loved the movie and dropped many a quarter in the game. Holy grail.

[@DergEnterprises]

This comment may be premature at 34:00, but I have a portable 12/120V freezer that had weird power issues like that. The company sent me a new power supply and that didn't fix it. I ended up mailing it back to the company and they fixed it. Why I mention this is because I think it was something else besides the power supply, but the company would not admit to me what the exact problem was.

[@70sroomreviews14]

Great video and one of my favorite video arcade games in the 80s. Sorry it took me 7 years to find this awesome video. Did you ever get the laserdisc to work, if so, do you have a follow video?

[@pinballdan]

Wait until you play with headphones..Its AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tigheklory]

For the guy who asked about replacing the battery in a MVS, I did it as well, but I installed non chargeable button cell battery. Here is the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oam1n4OZnaxkf5o

[@andybaldman]

John, your next investment should be an ESR meter, so you can actually test and find bad caps, in-circuit. (If you love the Hakko, you'll love an ESR meter, too. Equally useful tool.) I'd say there's a very good chance you've got some high-ESR caps in the PS, given the age, and you won't find them with a regular cap meter.

[@alonzochurch3778]

You saying "dont look at that" reminds me of the classic scene from Ghostbusters where Ray says "dont look directly in the trap" and Egon says "I looked at the trap Ray" :)

[@thepirategamerboy12]

I actually own the Firefox movie on Laserdisc. lol Good stuff. Firefox was a pretty fun little Laserdisc arcade game and I play it a lot when I go to Funspot. The hardware is interesting, too, as the player is able to skip frames near instantly unlike most other players which makes the gameplay seamless.

[@silverbankruptcy]

why not send 12V directly to that connector and see whether the motor spins, and the problem is with the Power supply under load, or with the Motor Mechanism itself.

[@Riz2336]

It is a cool looking cab. I don't know much about the game. I've never played it.

[@darktetsuya]

I was looking up some videos of the game on youtube, yeah it definitely looks like a fun afterburner-style shootemup! I think that's definitetly one of the best uses for Laserdisc were games like that where they could have fancy videos or CG background and you just overlay the graphics on top it, a pretty cool idea!! (mostly because I'm not that great at stuff like Space Ace or Dragon's Lair, hehe) Also definitely looking forward to more on the Jump Bug restore, that looks like it's really coming together!! love your arcade videos, great stuff man keep em coming!

[@Johnsarcade]

DarkTetsuya Thanks pal! Yeah, this game needs to be played! I can't wait. :)

[@thomascampr]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Saw Firefox back in the 80s at a drive-in in Wheeling Illinois. Drive in closed but there's another where I live now. Game looks awesome. Just watched some of it on KZbin . Def make room for that in your basement.

[@tigheklory]

That is an awesome find John!

[@jdenicola]

Awesome video!! Never stop doing what you like man, nice show!!!

[@SummerFunMan]

Whow, how exciting, because now you have two Laserdisc games! (Well, 3 if we count the switchability that your Dragons Lair machine has with Space Ace.) But now it sounds like you're planning on turning them into non-Laserdisc games. But why would they go to the trouble of removing the front-panel controls on this player?

[@Scythe42]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech It doesn't see a disc and therefore turns the motor off right away. Assuming the motor itself is working properly (test it), it should be problem wit the optical pickup. I'd check the photodiode array first. Basically check what is under the photocell (they "eye").. It can be as simple as a not properly seated connector, bad cable or a soldering joint that needs to be reflown. Most damage to optical players occurs here, especially when things have been moved. Also can be a pure mechanical problem near the motor. Check stuff there. It is probably a simple fix in any case. And as stupid as it sounds: does that player have some kind of hold switch? Not familiar with that players, so just guessing. My Pioneer had one. And as you said you got it from someone who never opened it, anything is possible here. As said on your Dragon's Lair post: it's not a laser disc emulator. It is a board that takes the serial command and then sends out the appropiate video stored on an SD card (if the serial command is Play Track 4, it will play track 4). No magic to it. Same thing, just video comes from a different source. Built one myself for my Dragon's Lair cabinet with a spare FPGA dev board as it didn't have a working LD player when I picked it up and not even a disc. But had a Dragon's Lair Anniversary DVD. Upgraded mine to support multiple games later back then. Don't have the machine anymore, but probably kept the files somewhere.

[@Johnsarcade]

Scythe42 Do you mean the actual laser eye itself? I tried the player with a disc inserted too and I got the same result. Turns off instantly.

[@Scythe42]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Some additional information how optical drives work in general. Does matter if these LD, CD or DVD. The principle is the same. To detect a disc the player wants to find a focus point, if it doesn't see anything the motor will not start. That the motor moves a bit when its powered on is of no importance here (only shows the motor in general works). Important thing to which I cannot see on the video: does the lens emit light? Means if it is actually trying to get focus. You probably could see a light if it tries to (don't look directly into it! looking through a camera could help to see it in about a few inches away from the lens). If you see a light then in general voltage and laser diode are ok. If you don't see anything, you could up the power of the laser and see if it changes things (there are some pots for it). But usually if you have to do this, the player is dying. This "focus check" should happen even when no disc is inserted everytime you try to start it (close the lid switch). You can measure if the switch stays closed. Check the service manual for some connector pcb diagram or something similar (usallay located under, or at the side of the "lens assembly"). If the signal for the switch doesn't stay the same, then you have your problem. The players thinks the lid is still open or was opened again. Often a bad cap. If there is some kind of connector board check the cables or reheat the soldering here that carry the switch or focus signal(s). If the switch is ok, and you see the light emitted from the lens, the next step would be to check if a high signal for focus is coming in (means: I have found a disc!). Only then the motor will start spinning the disc. And here comes the circuit diagram and probably a logic probe in. Common failure in general are the magnets on all LD players. Pain to replace and adjust this stuff manualy. Beside that repairing a laser optic is cheap. The adjustment is painful and you probably don't have the tools for it. In the long run I strongly recommend to use something like the Dexter board your mentioned. Also replace stuff in your Dragon's Lair. The LD player will die on you. And using a alternative storage medium will make no difference in gameplay. That's all I can help you with at the moment without more information. Keep us posted how it goes here. Too bad I am not located in the US or you could ship it to me for repair easily in exchange for a T-Shirt. That reminds me, have about 8 PCBs lying here that need fixing for friends.

[@Johnsarcade]

The laser is emitting light. I can see it turn on for a split second.

[@Scythe42]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech That means the overall voltages and laser diodes should be in general ok. That is good news if you can clearly see it. Question is now can it adjust focus at all? If not the magnets could have an issue and it cannot focus the disc at all. Next things would be to check with a disc inserted if the focus signals changes, meaning it detected a disc (signal will probably be switching from low to high then). Also check if the lid close signal stays the same. It could help to do some continuity testing here if some traces or connectors are broken around that part of the PCB where the signals come in (as said, should be some kind of small connector board probably) There should be some stuff marked FOCUS in the service manual. Probably more then one signal in general as it needs to "fine tune" the focus when trying to read the disc, though simpler in LD players then modern ones. If focus signals are ok, motor is next. Does it power up on focus behing high? Does it get a tacho signal and so on. But probably time now for a logic probe to see if you get some decent signals. Would be the next step in your hobby! I assume your engineer pal that helped you carrying the cabinet has the stuff to check what's going on there. Bribe him with an real life Ice Cold Beer to probe some stuff for you xD Keeping my fingers crossed. You figure it out!

[@coolastro]

awesome game and movie hope you get it running

[@oldskoolpaul77]

Awesome! Cant wait to see this in action!

[@gb.recordings]

It could be that the laser A simile went bad because I use to fix the Xbox 360s dvd drives and replace the DVD drives and 9 out of 10 thats the problem... Soon as you push the relay switch which is the safety switch for the power up and it's been for a couple of seconds in stock that's because delayed a simile is not getting any power because it's burnt out

[@CCGamesceo]

I just picked up a Popeye that has power supply issues. Any chance at doing a tech video on Nintendo power supplies? For example how to convert Nintendo cabs like Popeye to a modern power supply.

[@AdorationChapel]

Played this game back in '83. As the video affirmed the game did not work. All it did was eat your quarters. And did not stay long at the place it was displayed in trying to get it to work after several attempts.

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, it's a tough game. You can see in the later videos in this series that I got it working. It's kind of fun. :)

[@krunchyfrog]

That test point was labeled c something. Might be bad caps. Not storing a charge.

[@Johnsarcade]

yes. that's correct. the test point is labeled C but it is not a cap.

[@SteveJones172pilot]

Regarding the wavy pacman, I think you're right - I think it's a power interference problem.. I would look at whether there's power lines near the screen or even outside the case.. maybe fluorescent tubes nearby? can you move the arcade machine to the other side of the room or something and test to make sure it's not environmental? Is there a microwave nearby? It's GOT to be something like that..

[@davidelvin1236]

Steve Jones We have moved it and it made no difference. My buddy has about a dozen cabs (in the same area) which are all fine. We swapped over the monitor that was on a Pole Position II and the signal etc was fine which leads us to believe its a monitor issue. Since starting this the flyback has started hissing so that's about to give up at any point - who knows, maybe that is the issue?

[@crazygamingswede]

Question; How is the video quality on those Laser discs? In theory, with the Dexter board, wouldn't it be possible to switch out the original LD video clips for much more high-res ones now that storage space is not an issue? Then again that might take away a lot of the feel of the original game.. Maybe for a steam/iPhone remake or something. Anyway, love the style of your channel, the wobbly table and your rapid fire way of speaking!

[@MaximRecoil]

The only place you're going to find the correct video clips is on the LaserDisc that came with the game, so the quality is inherently limited to LaserDisc quality. That's assuming that the clips weren't taken directly from the theatrical release of the movie. If they were, then you could get the same clips from the Blu-ray release of the movie in order to get much higher resolution. However, the monitor in the Firefox arcade game is standard resolution, so it won't benefit from HD video, nor can it even sync to an HD video signal in the first place. It can benefit from video that's better quality than LaserDisc though. DVD quality, which is a step up from LaserDisc quality, pretty much maxes out the capabilities of a standard resolution monitor.

[@MrCiSaPiMp]

John if you don't mind me asking what state do you live in?

[@Beaps73]

Omg it doesn't get more 80's than this. Great game and great movie tie in. I know you say a few time 'Just look at this thing' but it's true, she's a beaut! The overall condition has to be a 9/10 imo. The thing I love is labels on the back all have Atari, like 3 in row, we get that lol My question is, is this a keeper and if so what's getting cut?

[@MrTBoneSF]

Great find! Laserdiscs games are rare but the fact that they break so easily has kept their value (and desirability) down well below what their rarity would dictate. Now that there is a viable hardware replacement for laserdisc players, expect their value to skyrocket.

[@Johnsarcade]

it seems to me that many laserdisc games are pretty high up there in price and desirability.

[@MrTBoneSF]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Compared to common games like Pac-Man and Galaga, sure. But considering most laser disc games (excluding Dragon's Lair) had limited cabinet runs comparable to a rare, dedicated cabinet games like I, Robot or a Turkey Shoot, the prices generally haven't reached those high levels. As you pointed out, Atari only made one LD game. Williams has only one LD game. The same with Stern. If vector games are considered rare, fragile things, then LD games are almost unobtanium. At CAX, I saw many collectors balk at paying the same price for an LD cab that they would have no problem paying for a Williams Blaster or Bubbles. They rationalized that keeping them working was too much trouble.

[@CAsh4kiDZ]

Great Job John. I am looking forward tot he second video of it in full glory. I also wanted to ask if you knew anyone who has or could create a jamma harness for a Bump n Jump pcb I have. I have been having a hell of a time finding one. Thanks! AA

[@superpacman73]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Ms Pacman K4600 monitor I would say its that Damn xy video card causing wavy garbage. Every time ive had any trouble from that monitor it was that card...Re Flow Solder on everything .

[@davidelvin1236]

Many thanks! I'll try it and see!

[@davidelvin1236]

superpacman73 Hi. We tried at least 3 different XY cards which are working but it made zero difference which leads us to believe that part is fine... :-(

[@paulspydar]

have you tested the motor directly?

[@Johnsarcade]

paulspydar MOTOR!?!?!?!?

[@paulspydar]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech I just wondered if the motor on the laser disc was good? & so I would power the motor directly to see if it spins up, (I hadn't finished watching the video when I posted the question so I see how it made no sense)

[@danielcopeland390]

Love the cabinet!

[@D4ftChunk]

Another great find John I was crossing my fingers that the laser disc player was the power supply not plugged in like you thought ! I always see that super sprint in your garage and hope one day you will bump it up your "to fix" list I think your basement needs it you only have one driving game ... ......that you never play 😝 Steve from the UK

[@Johnsarcade]

i have teo driving games. :)

[@Realmasterorder]

Actually i believe this is not such a rare problem,i remember a similar problem in one of these machines a Long time ago,sry i cant help you with technical details here i just remember i saw one in similar condition all of a sudden the Laser Video would not play and it just had the foreground game controls running.

[@flyguille]

Supposing, that the PSU PCB don't have the shutdown some output lines feature on command from the microcontroller, is to say is just a normal PSU PCB with just DC REGULATIONS in it. When you have a psu pcb that unplugged the load, voltage appears, but not with the load. There is only two reasons. 1) The PSU pcb or its components, is not capable outputing the necessary amperage anymore, so, when the load is plugged, the voltage drops almost to zero. 2) The load have a short in some place, and that short is overloading the PSU and some kind of overload protection shutdown the PSU output. You needs to figure out wich one is, to follow the correct path of investigation. Figure out wich normal operation amperage it supply, and set up some dummy load with power resistor to simulate the load, then measure if the voltage drops or the resistor get warn. Simple. If the resulting investigation path is the load having a short, I would start looking for some protection zener total or partially in short, the protection zeners are used from +B to GND in reverse and only acts protecting the circuitry if the +B get higher than some voltage threshold, when protecting once, them become in short total o partially. ------------------------------- Supposing, that the PSU PCB have a ON/OFF input from the load's microcontroller, that shutdown the 12v and derivates lines on the microcontroller command. That PSU must stil supply the 5v permanently for the microcontroller. If that is the case, the reason why the microcontroller shut the PSU down, is NOT DETECTING THE LASER DISK, and that 1/2 second is the needed to test if the disk is present. Problems of not detecting a disk A), dirty laser lens (outside or inside), I found in 20 years of technician that some units just works perfect but dust accumulated in the inner parts like the 90º deflector prism, or the inner side of the lens got so dirty that the laser can't go through. Sometimes I had the task of dissasembly an unit clean it, and reensamble sucessfully, but that taks is for experts, requires so much steady hand, a clean workplace, magnifiers, etc etc. B) the disk spindle motor lifetime is expired, and the brushes are just in the bare metal

[@NotWatching666999]

Dude, if you can switch to SD card I would not even consider using the LaserDisc. It should reduce boot time by quite a bit!

[@uhfnutbar1]

Hay john take that laser disk you have with laser rot and put in that open player , what want to see is just because you close the lid or push the lid switch dose not mean it should keep spinning . maybe it stops spinning because the lase see nothing or the motor sens no load in the disk spindle,,, do you know what im saying test with a disk in it may spin then and feed power to it , kinds like pole position jacking up the current when there a bad eage connector to try to main tan voltage levels, it may need the disk to produce a centrifugal load :)

[@bertinouellet]

You have the manual for this game?

[@Johnsarcade]

I do.

[@bertinouellet]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech ok cool. The paper version? Because i have a copy here i could bring it to weenie fest. :)

[@Johnsarcade]

i have the paper manual. thanks!

[@SummerFunMan]

This is definitely not using a vector monitor because of the LD player needing a raster type.

[@Joe-te9jd]

I saw that game! I had never heard of it though... But the price was incredibly cheap!

[@MrJimmyRivers]

Way too complicated for me. I'll just stick with my mame arcade game and when it breaks, buy another one. LOL. Great channel John!

[@carlopepi]

I think i linked to dexter in your video of the warehouse you seen star rider there is a video on you tube showing dexter running

[@largeowl6024]

I would apply 12 volts to that point with a power probe and see if it runs.

[@largeowl6024]

If it runs than jump it

[@lordbemylight]

So Firefox is gonna come down into the basement? Where will you find the room for Jump Bug, Quantum, Computer Space, and the VS. Cabinet? You're gonna run out of room in the basement. :D

[@drifter848]

local pizza joint had this and bieng able to plug my Walkman headphones in was so cutting edge and cool back then lol also thanx was gonna go to bed then found your site there went my day

[@Johnsarcade]

+drifter848 yeah, pretty cool feature, that headset jack. Revolutionary! :)

[@TheUniversalEyes]

I thought about your power supply problem, it seems you have a dead short circuit situation. The motors, laser and other section of the video player is obviously needing high current, when you have the power supply disconnected the voltage is normal, when coupled the voltage drops. Large surges and/or draining at the capacity of the design typically results in depleting the storage of the filtering capacitors which typically results in reduced voltage output. Circuits employ current limiters as safe guards. Anyway, I would get back into that power supply and start replacing all capacitors like a mad man. Look for signs of heat dissipation (resistors, diodes) that will probably lead to the capacitors that are the culprit.

[@Johnsarcade]

Jer the Marvellously Miraculous and Mysterious man I think this is good advice. I am going to replace all of the electrolytic caps. I suspect one of them to be bad as it's one spot where the voltage goes away when the cable is plugged in.

[@Johnsarcade]

***** It's not the power supply. Check my Twitter.

[@paulspydar]

wow , nice,,is that this guys personal arcade in his basement?! fecking green with envy..& congrats in preserving history.(not too sure about not telling the seller , a bit naughty that)

[@Johnsarcade]

paulspydar Thanks, Paul! I love this hobby. :)

[@EEWW2006]

I'm the proud co owner of UR000343, boy is that a machine

[@dkohlcom]

yeah! cool intro man!

[@schweatty]

"In this episode of John's Arcade, John grows a beard"

[@pinballdan]

BTW I want one of these big time now that Dextor board is one the way....!!

[@CrazyJoe]

Just found ur channel. So cool

[@AdorationChapel]

Certainly take your ring off for safety reasons when dealing with circuits.

[@joepoutine4969]

Hey John great show never played Firefox the movie sacked big time

[@ratman396]

John, You STILL have a bad power supply, It's not uncommon for PSU's to work when unloaded but die when a load is put on them

[@Johnsarcade]

ratman396 You might be right! I dunno. I might shotgun the caps on it.

[@ratman396]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech I would pull out the PSU board and talk to the guy in Tenn. Re do all the electrolytics and anything else on that board that he suggests. That power supply is not dead, but can no longer supply enough current to keep things running. A dead short on anything that PSU feeds can also cause this, but I kind of doubt that the spindle would be spinning if there was a dead short

[@tigheklory]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech I totally agree on this. Your PSU is bad. :-) BTW did you test the LD in another player just to check for laser rot? It would suck if you get the player working and the disc ends bad.

[@fantasiyagdcminc1735]

I played it. To me it could of been longer. It's alright.

[@MrJars1966]

For Dave ,the guy with the wavy screen in pacman ,check the power supply part of this site : lawnmowerman.rotheblog.com

[@davidelvin1236]

Cheers! I'll take a look and see!

[@johnbelmont455]

David Elvin Sent you a PM, external factors could also be causing it. It might be an internal issue with the pacman, but that's not certain. I once had a very similar issue with a crt and the cause was external, I thought the set was faulty but it turned out to be a nearby step down converter causing interference

[@davidelvin1236]

John Belmont Thanks John, sorry for the late reply - I didn't receive a PM. We've had the chassis out and tested the B+ which was giving some bizarre readings. Since then the flyback has started hissing so it's only a matter of time before that blows. It could be that - we just don't know. We have now got a new chassis so will swap out parts and see how we get on!

[@mcpit8493]

I remember Firefox! :o) Nice! (Please do a little more PINS though!)

[@noiXi]

I hope you won't have enduring problems getting erect ;) Take care of yourself!

[@ForeverLacey09]

You couldn't give this game to me.

[@doctorcrankyflaps1724]

Wow this man is loud.

[@AdorationChapel]

No metal should be worn when dealing with circuits. IMPORTANT SAFETY MEASURE.

[@TheCrulZ2348]

that cabinet look like a i robot cabinet

[@MakaveliTheDonKilluminati]

*rubs head in frustration* Please. Please. Fix the damn wobbly table!

[@compufood]

Heldagrif AGREED, IT'S IN EVERY VIDEO! John, seriously, just get a piece of paper and fold it in half a bunch of times and stick it under there please.

[@MakaveliTheDonKilluminati]

Please, damnit. Please! Dude is doing things to arcade machines I wouldn't even try to mess with, and out of all his fixing it up he cant make sure the damn legs on a table are proper!!1 ARRRRGGGGH I wanna come to his house and fix his tables...that I can handle.Cant do shit about his arcade machine firing up, but let me fix the damn table legs. AAARRRGH...can't....take....it....anymore.

[@Johnsarcade]

Heldagrif It's just a table. :)

[@MakaveliTheDonKilluminati]

I know lol. I'm mental I suppose... :/ dig your videos. Watched the low carb meal vid and the table upstairs was wobbly too. I think that's when I lost my mind

[@marcbollinger1116]

Heldagrif I don't think it wobbles enough - I'm waiting for stuff to start flying off of it.

[@IQofanEwok]

John is ignoring his own advice. "If an arcade game is obscure, it's probably because it sucks." I saw the youtube video of this game running and his rule holds up for Firefox. That game where he climbs up a burning building and save people was infinitely better than this game. Plus I loved all the clacking from the game when it was being played.

[@Johnsarcade]

Ha! Well, this game didnt seem rare when I was a kid.

[@compamac]

Awesome!

[@CaptAwesumNo1Zone]

Clint Eastwood