Most liked posts in thread: Bally Arcade (Montgomery-Ward edition) full restore

I found everything I need through this link: https://console5.com/wiki/Astrocade

 

Ok, when I plugged the PSU in, it shorted out and the opposite plug prong wire disintegrated, so the transformer is damaged internally, which is why the other prong wire must have blown in the first place. So, it's back to the drawing board with building my own PSU for this unit. In the meantime, I will continue to restore the case and replace all the capacitors on the mobo with new ones, just in case any are already bad or go bad after the restoration so it doesn't have to be done later anyway. And I'll start tracking down some PSU units I can use for my DIY PSU.

 

Well, I've put aside the motherboard and shielding for a while and jumped back on case restoration. I did another deep cleaning, then a rub-down with orange-glow wood rejuvenation oil which also rejuvenates old plastic. I also cleaned off all the ruined and badly done metal trim paint on the outer case edges, I will try a quality gold paint job on them with quality gold paint, but if it doesn't look good enough (it's not going to be chrome shiny) then I'll eventually redo it with some proper gold chrome trim. The gold trim around the keypad area is also in rough shape, and not really salvageable, so I'll attempt the same there as well.

The keypad is looking pretty good now that it is cleaned, it has some minor scratching on it's metal surface, but polishing it up helps to hide it. The wood grain motif is in great shape over-all, there are some worn and scratched areas that are hardly noticeable along the bottom edge, but not enough to attempt any repairs, you can't see it unless you go in close for a look. So the next post will show the gold trim work I've done and dirty and cleaned controllers, and probably start the body repairs too.

On the tinted clear plastic cover, it looks great after the orange glow and I can make that shine permanent later with the WIPE-NEW product I used on my XL and 800 cases that worked so well. The Montgomery Ward name stamp cleaned up nicely as did the Bally metal name badge.





I still have to clean the controllers and they will also need some gold trim restoration on the Bally name logos that are on them. The controllers will also need some minor body work done on them around the top where the joystick/paddle protrudes where pieces have broken off on both controllers. I will be using J.B. Weld for the body work as I always do, but it will also be necessary to paint the controller handles afterward to hide the body work. They are a black semi-shiny plastic so some semi-gloss black paint should do the trick, with clear coat to protect it.

 

After sitting overnight, the orange glow oil has reconditioned the plastic and soaked in or evaporated away, so the plastic has been rejuvenated to it's original color and sheen. I'm especially impressed with the results on the tinted cover, and I don't think I need to bother with wiping it down with Wipe-New either. I'm happy with the results as-is, except for restoring the gold trim which I attempt today. I'll post pics later...



EDIT: Well, I thought I had an artist's gold paint pen, but apparently I mis-remembered and I have two of Silver that have different size pen tips. So, finishing the case will have to wait a few days until I get around to getting some paint or maybe find so true gold chrome decal type material I can put on it...I wonder how much real Gold Leaf would cost, if I could even find a place that sells sheets of it or whatever, and if I could successfully apply it having never done it before? Hmm...

 

Well, well, looky what popped up for me as the very first choice on Amazon when I put in the search for "Gold Chrome trim tape leaf decal." This will be the perfect replacement and easy to apply. I may have to do some trimming, but there are two size pinstripes and I believe the larger will be good for the out case and the smaller for the trim around the keypad/cart area. So a totally proper restore it is and no compromising needed! And there will be extra for repairs down the road and other projects too!

https://www.amazon.com/Pinstripe-ZA...me+trim+decal+tape+leaf&qid=1582222538&sr=8-1

I'm ordering it now, so this restoration of the case will continue when it arrives! For now, I'll jump back on the motherboard and start replacing caps, though I don't have ones to replace the 2 largest yet. I'll order them at the same time I order new PSU's.

I also may have found the power supplies I need to build my dual-PSU, but I had to ask questions and am awaiting answers. One doesn't say if output is AC or DC and I need AC and the other that outputs AC doesn't include amperage, so I have to see if it meets minimum requirements...

 

By the way, remember that picture in the third post of this thread showing a few broken pieces of plastic that fell out of the case when I opened it? Well there is nothing broken on any part of the case. I don't know where those pieces came from, maybe they broke off a cartridge and fell in at some point? But that's good news as far as I'm concerned, it makes it easier to restore.

 

It turns out I have 6 of the 9 capacitors I need, but I knew I had to order two anyway. 5 capacitors are identical, but I only have four on-hand, I thought I had more...as per usual, I have plenty of what I don't need.

So, until the needed parts get here to complete the restoration, I'm setting it aside and having another stab at trouble shooting my 1200XL over the next few days. I've also still got an Indus GT and 1050 on the fritz I need to finish trouble-shooting too that I've been putting off.

 

The gold chrome auto trim arrived as expected. It looks like the thinner trim will be a perfect fit around the Bally Arcade keypad area and I'll us the larger trim for the top perimeter of the case, however it will need trimming. I still need to do something about the reset and eject buttons, reset is completely missing it's gold and the eject is damaged. I may have to just resort to gold paint there. Though I'll attempt just a touch up on the eject button since the original chrome is still mostly there.

But first, a few more close-up shots of the Bally's keypad area, as I don't think any previous photos have accurately captured the actual damage to the gold chrome trim. Even these photos below, aren't the best, and you would expect to see black where the chrome has worn off, as it was with the top case outer trim. But it's actually a light pinkish-tan color left under the worn off chrome. And in all the photos here, the light areas are where it is worn off, it's not just caused by light glare. It will be a huge difference once new gold trim is in place.

 

I was just noticing that the eject button isn't original gold either, it was redone with silver paint, so I'll be getting a gold paint pen to redo both buttons. They didn't do too bad of a job on the eject button, assuming the damaged areas have worn off again since, but why they used silver on it instead of gold, and the same with the outer case trim too, I have no idea. If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right.

I was just searching for and studying some other Bally Astrocade/Pro Arcade system images to make sure I'm right about the original look, and I believe this photo below is one of the better ones, showing all gold trim and highlights.

 

That one looks absolutely immaculate, fella.

Showroom condition from back in the day, I guess?

I can feel the nostalgia from here and soon yours will glitter like gold too.

I might have to get mesen a gold chair for the next time I go and sit out in the street...

With an illuminated nasal passage.

As you do.

 

I have to wait until this coming Friday to order the needed capacitors and PSU/transformers. So this project isn't getting finished this week. I could go ahead and start installing capacitors since I have some that will work, but they are radial style capacitors and the originals that fit the motherboard are axail. Friday I'm ordering two capacitor sets, each with 500+ capacitors of the most common sizes (including what I need), one of axial and one of radial.

Capacitors is about the only thing left in my electronic parts store that I haven't bought a set of dozens or hundreds of pieces, I've been buying in quantities of 5 or 10 as I need them, but it's hugely more economical to buy in quantity with the sets they sell on Amazon. Extras of all the common types is also what I need since I never know what I'll need until I need it too.

Back on point, I've decided to wait and use proper fitting axial capacitors.

So after finishing the case (actually, it's on hold until I get a gold paint pen to finish the buttons and that will be ordered Friday as well), I will continue with clean, and restoring the controllers. IIRC, I can test them out for functionality on an Atari, it's just they are wired differently so the trigger button might be up on the joystick and up on the joystick might be right, but I think I can still test all directions and buttons and paddles for functionality at least, before the Bally is up and running.

But the controllers will also not be completely finished either, until the gold paint pen I will order arrives to repair the logos on them, and I get some black spray paint to repaint them after doing body work on broken parts. So...I'll probably get started on the controllers today, and have done what I can, with pictures by this evening. It's another lousy, rainy day here anyway.

 

A small update on this restoration.

I found plans online for creating a substitute PSU for the Bally Arcade, using two transformers from Jameco. It requires replacement of caps to higher voltage ratings, but I was planning on replacing all the caps anyway, and I ALWAYS use larger rated voltage caps than required just in case, "over engineering" so there is much less chance of capacitor failure in the future, so that's not an issue at all for me. But this is easier than my attempts to find alternate transformers with identical voltage and above minimum amperage requirements, which I did find, but they would have cost me over $50 for both and these Jameco transformers are only $6.95 each. Of course I will also need some other components to complete the PSU, but all in all, I'll still be spending far less and probably have at least some of the needed components on-hand.

But, due to budget constraints, I have to wait another week (this coming Friday) to order the parts, so it will still be a couple of weeks before this restoration is continued and completed.

 

Many thanks once more for the extensive "tear down" pics and discussion going on here with your thorough revamp and full restore, Matt.

Big thumbs up and credit once more for what looks like a great restoration job making great strides forward.

Wonderful to see this grand old rare bird taking super shape once more.

 

The large caps arrived Saturday, so I think I have everything I need, for the moment to get this show on the road again. Hoping none of the custom IC's are bad. I will start on the project again today, as we've got nothing but rainy days this past few days and the next couple. I had intended on starting this weekend, but I pretty much spent it all napping, worn out from working last week

 

OK, all motherboard main capacitors have been replaced. I'm ready to start on the new PSU.

 

The way I've always looked at it is that every console is a computer, because, well, they are! They are only missing a keyboard and other I/O that personal computers use, but they are all true computers and I personally treat them all as computers. There is no console or computer as far as I'm concerned, they are one and the same thing, only implemented differently. So yes, the Bally Arcade is a computer-console. That's your answer, as far as I'm concerned.

 

@Timothy Kline I completely forgot that we once had to text on the numeric keypad of our phones! But that just brings to the forefront the main reason why, if I do any programming on the Bally Arcade, I'm damn sure going to build a keyboard interface for it! I will NEVER program it from the keypad, so if I don't get a keyboard working with it, I guarantee I will never program on it! I remember trying that with the old 2600 and 'The programmer' package that came with two numeric keypads. Needless to say, after one day of trying to program something on the 2600 that way, I never touched it again! My ZX81 (T/S 1000) was a HUGE leap forward from that, for me, with it's membrane keyboard!

I remember being better off back in the 90's when cell phones were still out of my reach economically and I used a pager for business; at least with the pager I called up a person at a service and told them what I wanted to say in a text and they texted the other person's pager for me! The cell phone was a step backwards in that respect, for me.

 

Muncher, sold by Esoterica, was supposedly the leaked version of "Munchie", which of course was originally Pac-Man.

Pac-Man I believe was part of the Action/Skill series and had a number assigned as well. I've seen it listed on games list documentation, I believe it's on the same list with Kong (Donkey Kong).

Ultimately, Astrovision was going with "Munchie" which you can view in official brochures and at least one if not two really cheesy commercials (which are on YouTube). I have two protos of Munchie I picked up back in 2004 and I know of at least one other copy that was sold on eBay. Not sure what if any difference there is in the Munchie/Muncher code, it may be they just changed the name on the title screen.

I had not heard of the plan to release Gorf, or of the possibility of them using votrax chips in home carts. The Incredible Wizard would have been even more amazing if it had speech.

 

Amazing amazing work on your part and all the guys who restore machines deserve a round of applause..

Its painstaking work that I simply don't have the patience for.....

Well done Matt.....

 

I've got more time on my hands now, with several minor crisis over with now, but I'm taking a short break from finishing the Bally, in favor of finally getting my 800 upgraded with Incognito. This decision was made as I think my OS is bad in my 1200XL, but I need an XL compatible computer to make a new OS eprom with my XL/XE eprom burner, which I will be able to use with the 800 Incognito in XL/XE mode. 48k and other restrictions just don't cut it for long, for me, anymore. Once both of my Atari's are up and running again, I'll return to finish the Bally Arcade. So probably in a month or so, shorter or longer, depending on life.

 

Another sterling bit of work Matt, you cram so much into a day, don't burn yourself out though..