Bally Arcade (Montgomery-Ward edition) full restore

Another early spring thunderstorm here today, which, on average, we have been having 5 days out of 7 per week the last couple of weeks. Flash flood warnings in effect, but I'm on high ground. So, at about 10 am local time, I've set up to get on with building the Bally Arcade PSU. First I'll follow the schematics on a bread board, and after testing I'll move it to the two green boards you see in the pictures. I've laid out schematics of the substitute PSU from the original Arcadian newsletter from the 80's and a recent update, along with the data sheets of transformers.

As I stated in an earlier post, like I did when I built the CA-2001 drive PSU, I'll be making a case and cords for the PSU out of a salvage Xbox 360 PSU case and cords. I'll be using both original input and output cords on this one, my intention being to build in a power input port on the Bally that I will salvage from one of a half-dozen broken Xbox 360's I have on hand. I showed a picture of the type of cord from PSU to unit in an earlier picture, and more will come when I get to that part of the project.

I'll add more pictures to this post as I build the test board.

 

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.....

 

Thank you for the compliment @Paul "Mclaneinc" Irvine , and you @128Kgames , for the information. A series of unfortunate events has left little time or desire right now to finish this or many other projects I've started or intended too. I planned this to be done weeks ago. But that's life and the country homestead I live on I do more work than I do at work, wether I'm working my profession or not, and these days have been hard and busy, regardless of the world-consuming-plague, I don't have time for it right now. But hopefully things will settle down for me and get back to normal in a week or two and I can enjoy the benefits of the epidemic like many of you.

 

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 of my projects I'm finally finishing up this winter is the restoration of my Bally Professional Arcade. It had pretty much been left cosmetically complete, full capacitor replacement and full cleaning inside and out. At the time I didn't have a PSU to even turn it on and test it with, and that was part of the restoration, building a new PSU for it I also had left the controller disassembled in a box needing a good cleaning, and re-assembly for the electro-mechanical parts, but the controller cases were broken and I didn't want to use them either until properly fixed and reinforced to prevent the same obvious stress point from breaking again (both controller are broken in the same spot, and I have been communicating with an avid Bally fan and restorer/seller of Bally Arcade/Astrocades and I' fixing a couple joystick cases for him too, broken in the same exact spot as mine. More on that later.)

Anyway, about a month ago I finally cut and pasted all my posts from this thread over on Atari Age, correcting, editing, adding more pictures and continuing the restoration until I finished in a Bally restoration blog. And when I had first published the ongoing blog, the person mentioned above contacted me offering advice and help and allowed me to borrow an original Bally PSU for testing, which he ended up selling to me for a reasonable price of $40 for one in mint condition, a steal considering the rarity since they are permanently connected to consoles they just aren't found separately except when salvaged like he has done, from console used for parts for other consoles. I searched on and off for over 15 years and never found one and finally decided to build my own a couple years ago as posted above in this thread somewhere. I still have all those parts and will save them in case this Bally PSU I have now ever goes dead, because they aren't really repairable or rebuildable.

He also sent me RESET and EJECT buttons that still had flawless gold chrome trim on them so I didn't have to resort to gold paint on the lettering and it's shiny like the golc chrome auto trim I used for the console's trim. And new controller numbered 1 and 2 paddle knobs since they have metallic badges on top and mine were also in poor condition. In return I sent him my old bits and I printed him Bally cartridge case and am repairing two of his controller cases.

Anyway, once I had a PSU for the Bally, I was able to test it out. There was no picture when turned on (the Bally has no power LED either). But I noticed that the Bally power switch would cause interference on the TV screen when jiggled, so it seemed like it needed cleaning or repair or replacement. Luckily it was just needing a good cleaning having tarnish buil-up on it's metal contacts.

Second, the RF module channel switch was very hard to move and I wasn't sure if I was getting it switched fully to one channel or the other (3-4). And I also noticed TV interference when the RF module was jiggled and the header on the motherboard where it connects moved and seemed to loose, possibly cold/broken solder joints.

So, after cleaning the power switch I cleaned the RF header teeth, resoldered all the solder points on themother board header and secured it all to the mobo with epoxy. I then removed the RF boxe's channel switch (which ended up breaking on me anyway) and permanently shorted it with solder to only work on RF channel 3. I then tested the system out again and it worked!

But the Bally in general, and it's ultra rare custom IC's are known to run hot, one of them had a heatsink connected between it and the RF shielding out of the factory! And mine all grew quite warm quickly and two poorly heat-sinked regulators were quite hot to the touch! So I ordered a bunch of several different sized IC heat sinks (I'm using them on my other systems too) and gave all the main IC's and the regulators heat sinks to keep them cool. It was also recommended to me by my new Bally friend to NOT put the top RF shielding back on as this is also part of the cause of over-heating issues. I couldn't if I wanted too with all the new heat sinks inplace anyway.

After that I re-assembled her, cleaned her again and wiped her down with Rejuvenate and a micro fiber cloth. The RF image is surprisingly good on the Bally, I believe the cleanest I've ever seen and looks nearly as good as any composite video I've seen, so I'm holding off on making a video out board to replace the RF box for now. There are upgrades both internal and external for the Bally that turns it into a full-fledged Z-80 computer with keyboard, so I will do those upgrades one day, and add an RGB video board to it at that time since it does have component signals off it's graphic chip that can be made into RGB output.

Check out my blog in my profile on Atari Age for all the details and more pictures. Since it will be a full-fledged computer one day, I have given it space on my XL Command Center (full pictures of it still to come...I'm not finished yet!) desktop opposite the TRS-80 Coco 2. As I also have much more all around space since moving a few things along with the 800 out to my office/shop/lab trailer.

I tested it out on my big CRT TV.

 

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

 

Home improvements by day, masked modder by night...I'll be connecting electricity to my trailer today, just bought $150 worth of cable. Tonight continuing 7800 video mod...next on the agenda.

Thanks Paul, I'll try not to burn out, but I only have about a month to six weeks left before my business post-pones major personal projects until next winter again, so I'm in over drive trying to get as much done as I can. It'd be nice if next winter I can spend time on gaming and robot construction instead of repairs, restorations and upgrades. Hopefully I can get everything up and running this winter.

But until a couple years ago I didn't have most of my stuff, it was all in storage for nearly a decade and I've got a decade worth of repairs and restorations to catch up on now that I'm no longer living out of a suit case with possessions in storage. It's been since 2012 since I've been "unpacked" the way I am now...

 

Just trying to keep the Brotherhood safe

 

Great to hear that this wonderful grand daddy of the retro console world is just about 100% there now, Matt.

A wonderful tribute to the old gal - an excellent gold-standard renovation job (again).

 

Good work Matt. A true enthusiast!

 

You have got to love Matt's work ethic, I was brought up to start and finish a job, if possible do not stop for breaks, keep the focus. I always gave 101% and it had to be spot on. Matt is the same, but he compacts so much in a day knowing that he won't have that he probably won't time later.

Top man...

I wish I could say I'm the same these days, between my body and my head, things don't work the same now...

I can but try...And I do.....Hats off to Matt and anyone with the same passion on here..

 

I appreciate the sentiments boys. It is a lot of hard work, even though I love doing it, it's still work; people get payed or make money off of doing this, the electronics repair people do for careers. And yes, as Paul said, I was raised to have good work ethic and you finish any job you start, even if there is a hiatus in between the start and finish sometimes. And don't even bother if you don't plan on doing a top-notch professional job on everything you do. And knowing I'm going to be presenting my work to the vintage gaming/computing community drives me even harder for perfection and no compromise as I'm a best foot forward kind of guy and want to leave a good impression.

I get a great sense of pride and accomplishment for my reward on this stuff, as well as pristine machines, down to the last detail, to play with when they are done. Eventually I'll finish catching up on the repairs and restorations planned for years, most actually this season I think, and then all the time I've spent on them will become time to enjoy them for entertainment, some paper work and most importantly to me, start actually using the machines I've repaired to help with other projects, like my robot, and Wefax decoder project and back to learning to program them and get back into graphic arts on them, my own art, not just converting images to Atari's.

I'm not quite done yet though guys, I'm nearing completion with projects on the Coco 2, turning it into a first-rate vintage system with all the best upgrades like with my Atari's, I still have to repair and upgrade my Atari Lynx, though cosmetic restoration is complete. I still have to jump back on my 1200XL and get it running again, though I think I'll crack that brain-buster soon, I've eliminated a lot of possibilities and it's just down to a couple other things that must be the issue. Then finish my friends 800XL which is waiting on the 1200XL for it's eprom burner to burn new OS eproms. Then sort out the SDrive Max I'm sending with it with a fully loaded and sorted SD card of the current Atari library. Then I have 3 ram charger CP/M upgrades to install in my two Indus GT's and CA-2001, repair one 1050 which has a couple components that need replacing, some minor work on my 1010 and 1020, turn my 1030 into a Fujinet wifi modem, install new higher-res pots in my Super Sketch tablet to upgrade it's performance...that might be the end of the list fellows...

I should be caught up with projects after these last ones above, and I'm shooting to have them done before my lawn care season starts up in about a month, or at least my focus and efforts will have to turn to getting all my business equipment running and in top-notch order. Of course I am still working on house renovations through it all, a few hours a day. That should also finally be finished before spring too.

So after this winter, business aside, I'll finally have a lot more time to relax and enjoy life and my hobbies and get started on the bucket list of hobby projects finally, but at a relaxed and fun pace. With only routine maintenance on the household and hobby machines from then on out. My other 2 1200XL's I think I'll put aside for a while, one will probably end up being a parts machine and the other I was going to give to Paul I'll finish repairing and upgrading one day, maybe to sell, maybe to keep as a third Atari with different upgrades than the other two, or something.

 

Well, I've been busy over at groups.io with the Bally Astrocade group with upgrading my Bally to full computer status, as I had mentioned before. I have a keyboard on the way for a keyboard project, adding a real keyboard to the Bally which currently has a 24-key calculator style keypad. But I have already obtained some new items for my Bally Astrocade that make it a real 32K computer, but just with only a keypad atm.

I have already started modifying the Bally for a keyboard and when I get the keyboard (an old-school, old-stock 54-key Jameco keyboard) I'll just connect the proper wires to a plug and plug it into the Bally! I'll have to make a case for the keyboard of course, most likely black with wood grain and gold trim like the Bally Arcade.

These include an item called The Lil' White Ram, which is sram, so there are switches on it referring to 2K and 6K, nothing to do with amount of ram for any given thing, but normal and alternate memory starting addresses so that data in extended memory is saved even if you plug in a different cartridge and hit the reset button. This basically plugs into the Bally's main Buss via a 50-pin edge connector, not unlike the Atari PBI, in this case, separate from the game cartridge port unlike the TRS-80's dual-purpose buss. It also plugs into the Bally Arcade's light pen port (yep, it has one! in addition to the four controller ports just like the 400/800) to receive it's power, apparently either there is no Power going to the 50-pin edge connector, or it is a different voltage than the +5V the memory upgrade needs. (The Bally also uses -5V, 10V, 12V)

Another item is the Machine Language Manager cartridge that goes with the manual I paid and showed in another thread.

And last, the Ulti-Multi cartridge with basically the entire Bally library on it. The I also got the Bally Basic manual and keypad overlay to go with the Bally Basic cartridge I already had. I might have already covered some of this stuff in other threads on here, but I thought it should all also be added to the Bally thread topic I started too.

 

I just found and purchased a vintage Sears cassette recorder that matches the motif of the Bally Arcade. It will need to be cleaned, repaired and restored, and I'll redo or add gold chrome trim to match the Bally's gold trim and wood grain and black colors. I think this cassette player might be brown plastic where there isn't wood grain, but it could be black, it's hard to tell until I see it in my hands. But if it is brown, I can paint it black in the solid brown areas to match the Bally anyway.

Now this is SERIOUS 70's styling with the Bally Arcade and this recorder, and wait until you see the keyboard I'm making for it!

 

I just noticed that this cassette recorder does no have a tape counter on it! I guess I'll have to steal one from another recorder and rig it to work in this one! Or I'll be limited to one program per side.

 

Your hard work never ends, Matt. Wonderful restoration work going on and improvisation seems to be your watchword at times. I mean this old beat up Sears tape cassette recorder beast, if it could talk, could tell some tales but not in a million years would it ever expect another shot of TLC from its owner. Amazing, mate.
This project deserves to be hailed as the Bally Arcade recovery of the year in terms of the attention to detail you've gone to.
Talking about beat up old beasts, no not me, Paul, hows about this brute I've found in the garage during today's spring clean...





WTF!?

Now if that thing could talk.

I would happily send it to anyone if I thought it would be of any use but seeing as though it weighs 2-3kilos, the postage would immediately rule this out but what a home-build retro brute this has been in its day.

What on earth would you fancy "marrying" this up to which would similarly reflect the equivalent aura and matching aesthetic?

As ever, answers on a postcard to the usual address and this behemoth makes your Sears look positively sleek and sexy, Matt.

GrrrRRz!

 

It looks to me like an old DIY kit one would order, assemble and install in your own case, most likely being made of metal or wood for the era. Nice find!

I wonder just how old the mechanism is since I think store bought recorders were relatively cheap for the consumer by the 70's if not sooner, probably 60's too. Maybe it was still a rich man's device in the 60's though.

I do have an 8-tack player (no recording), which I think I showed before with my JVC stereo system. It has a wooden case but I do think it was store bought.

It may be from late 60's or early 70's, could it be from earlier? It is made in Japan.It needs to be restored too, all the veneer on it's top has peeled off and it's missing a track light cover, I don't know if I have it or not. It does work still, though, last time I checked, been a few years now though. I have it with all my audio/video equipment in my entertainment center, but I haven't connected it up yet. My 8 tracks are still in storage somewhere if I have any left that weren't already lost.

 

I just noticed the serial number is 755...I wonder if this thing is worth something...I'm guessing the 755th made or maybe the fifth month of 1975 or the 7th month of 1955...what do you guys think? A Columbia Records product.

 

I just found one on ebay, about the same condition as mine but with the top veneer still intact for less than $20 and $20 shipping. So I might as well keep it.

 

As far as "marrying" your garage [made] recorder (apparently literally) @Andy Barr , Maybe an old ZX80 or ZX81 with a keyboard upgrade in a DIY wooden case?

 

Lovely pic of your 8track - you've got some incredible retro audio as well as micro gear tucked away there in Oklahoma, Matt.

I think you may have pushed me down this aisle for the "wedding" of the year, Matt...

 

@Andy Barr If I had seen that ZX81 up for auction I would have bought it for $30 right away too. Shipping might have been steep if he got it from England of course, but unless it was more than $100 I would have gotten it. $100 total with shipping would have been acceptable.

Not even because I couldn't do as good or better making my own case, but for the keyboard and a job already well done. Knowing myself though, especially with the prep work of varnish and probably a clear coat already done, I would paint it and that cassette recorder of yours (after some surface prep work) gloss black and make a Sinclair ZX81 label or badge to apply on the face above the keyboard.

Just because wood or even wood grain never really appealed to me in conjunction with electronics. I accept the Bally Arcade for having it and I will continue with that motif, but there were also all black and even all white Bally Arcade/Astrocade models released. So I could have totally customized mine to another model (white is cool of course) but this was a restoration not a custom mod, since the wood grain paint was still in good condition and black and brown plastics don't show yellowing as much if at all like lighter color plastics.

If the one in the video were mine, I would definitely be arguing with myself to leave it a varnished wood or paint it though, it does look damn good for wood. I'd rather have it than the Timex/Sinclair 1500 in the silver/grey Spectrum case with a chicklet keyboard. But if I married it with your recorder, both would need to be painted given the different color woods used for it's case/

 

Matt, I think you are gonna need a bigger house...You keep buying all these items..

Just wait until you meet the woman of your dreams and she wants rid of it all...














Pin pulled, get behind the wall and wait for fallout

 

The woman of my dreams, at this point in my life, will remain the women of my dreams unless she litrally falls from the sky into my lap. Unfortunately the woman in my family and those my two brothers married, along with tiring of the dating game I had been playing for 20 years completely soured me on ever finding a partner by my mid 40's. I'm a bachelor set in his ways and I know a relationship would never work out, just on my part alone, regardless of how well said partner might deal with me.

I was never ready for a family until it was too late either. If only our lifespans were to 100 average or more, and not half of it in degrading old age, but more or less young until at least 75, then I might be ready to start a family at my age. I've devoted my free time to my personal gifts and talents and intend to use it all toward my electronics/computers hobby, writing and art, all of which will overlap to some degree as well. It's time for me to start on my bucket list and enjoy life as a bachelor of solitude.

Don't worry, I sowed my wild oats for twenty years, I didn't miss out on sex or a chance at relationships, but I never met a woman that didn't want to change me into who they want me to be, so it just never happened for me. It just wasn't in the cards for me. Time went by too fast. An it wasn't until the last few years that I had my own land and home and everything paid for and in a position to enjoy the things I want to do. I'll probably work until I drop dead, but it doesn't even have to be full-time, even if the business becomes full-time I have a partner and can higher help. So I'll enjoy the simple hermit life as a tinkerer, adventurer and writer, artist, like Bilbo Baggins. Or a combination of him and Sam anyway...being my own gardener.

As to space for everything, you are right, if I hadn't acquired my office trailer. But now with my electronics workbench and 3D printer and 800CX system all moved to the trailer, it gave me plenty of room on one side of my 1200XL for the TRS-80 Coco 2(what ever computer chance had allowed) and the Bally Arcade one the other side, which was going to be reserved for another micro like the C64 or Coleco Adam, but since I've found out the Bally was designed to be turned into a full-fledged computer, and always supporting the under-dog, I've decided it will be the third micro too.

The Bally also doesn't have enough peripherals to take up much room. The console, the tape deck and a keyboard that will be about the same size as a 600XL is all it will ever have. A 32K Z80 computer that does have three custom chips like some other 8-bit micros had (2 or 3 anyway beyond the CPU). And, I'm not being in the least redundant in my choices either, with all being one of the top competing 8-bit CPU's of the era; the Z80, 6502 and 6809. Three unique CPU's all connected to unique custom processors that I can learn to program as part of my bucket list.

If I start acquiring more than I have now, like a C64 which is at the top of the list now, I will be in trouble for room, but maybe I'll have all my work benches installed in the office trailer by then too.

All my consoles, besides the Bally, still fit on or on top of my audio/video entertainment center, and if I get another console at all, it will only be a Sega Saturn and I can make room for it too.

This is of course assuming no future home expansions or shop expansions.