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Post by sj on Sept 21, 2011 10:49:16 GMT -5
I went through a period recently where I had my Protector/YASI cart permanently plugged in for about a fortnight, trying desperately to get a respectable high score. That never happened... Anyway, when I finally gave up and put in another cart (Web Wars it was) I noticed the vector lines weren't meeting correctly. The hawk king was a disjointed mess. Also the mine laying ship on the minestorm intro didn't look too great either. I assumed my veccy was knackered. However having put in and played other carts the problem seems to have corrected itself. What's happened here?
I'm hoping I've got the console equivalent of Stephen Kings Christine.
Any theories?
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Post by VectorX on Sept 21, 2011 12:19:06 GMT -5
I'm hoping I've got the console equivalent of Stephen Kings Christine. Oh no! I'm not a technical person at all, but you might have to adjust to pots on your Vectrex. I wouldn't bother trying it on my word alone, since you would have to do that without discharging it (which is somewhat dangerous). Hopefully Vectrexmad on here will see this, although I'm waiting to hear back from him on putting one of my high scores up on his site, so I'll direct him over to this thread. He knows way more about this stuff than I do! |
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Post by sj on Sept 22, 2011 8:17:03 GMT -5
I've heard about the dangers of taking off the back of a vectrex and fiddling. Ever since I electrocuted myself by incorrectly wiring a lighting circuit about fifteen years ago I get a bit jittery around electrics.
Is the 'pot' obvious if I were to take the back off?... like a twiddly knob with the word 'pot' above with an arrow pointing at it?
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Post by VectorX on Sept 22, 2011 9:25:25 GMT -5
I've heard about the dangers of taking off the back of a vectrex and fiddling. Ever since I electrocuted myself by incorrectly wiring a lighting circuit about fifteen years ago I get a bit jittery around electrics. Yeah, shocks scare me...even just the innocent sparks from messing around with a car battery makes me nervous! Is the 'pot' obvious if I were to take the back off?... like a twiddly knob with the word 'pot' above with an arrow pointing at it? Heh, no idea, hence why it'd be good to hear from someone who's knowledgeable about the whole ordeal, rather than just going from a very minor summary from myself when it could be something else, especially if it's something less dangerous to try to deal with. Because as I thought about it, there were several other things to check on (that I read in this one thread) before trying to mess with the pots as a last resort. Also, if worse comes to worse, you can just try taking your Vectrex to a tv repair place, since they supposedly have many of the same, common off the shelf components that can be found in old tv sets. So one of them might be able to fix it. |
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Post by vectrexmad on Oct 9, 2011 16:53:16 GMT -5
Oh, just seen this. I'm no expert but have adjusted Vectrex screens using the pots in the past. Well,the display is driven by analogue electronics. The capacitors can start to dry over time and their charge/discharge times can change. This can can effect the placement of the vector lines on the screen. There are three pots you can adjust in the Vectrex. They are located on the logic board which is located at the base of the Vectrex. In the following image you can see the logic boards and the location of the pots i.e. R333, R335 and R302. homepage.ntlworld.com/pascual.nicholson/files/datasheets/Vectrex%20Logic%20Board.pdfWhen adjusting the pots, its best to have the test cart or program running on the Vectrex at the same time. This draws various patterns on the screen which you can adjust via the posts till you are happy. You can adjust without a test cart, but a test cart makes it easier. Use the test cart program in conjunction with the trouble shooting guide: homepage.ntlworld.com/pascual.nicholson/files/articles/Vectrex%20Trouble%20Shooting%20Guide.pdfOf course you should be careful or avoid doing this completely if you don't know what you are doing. You accidently touch the tube or other component and you could end up with a very nasty electric shock. Safer would be if you find a TV repair shop and maybe also give them the trouble shooting guide and test cart to assist them. If adjsutment of the pots does not improve then maybe your Vectrex is due a capacitor replacement. I.e. all the capacitors are swapped with new ones. Question is, are you still seeing the problem? If the problem has corrected itself, may be you were playing on a particularly hot or cold day? Or perhaps you noticed the problem after the Vectrex had been on for a long period? (also temperature related) |
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Post by sj on Oct 11, 2011 8:40:15 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the trouble to get back to me on this.  The problem is intermittent - perhaps 1 time in 20 start-ups. If I leave the unit running for 5 or 10 minutes it's fine, so I don't think adjusting the pots would solve the problem as most of the time there is no problem. The temperature seems more likely to be a factor. I certainly havn't got the technical ability to want to fiddle with it, plus I havn't a test cart. I guess as long as it gets no worse I can live with it... |
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Post by woodentulip on Nov 25, 2012 22:29:35 GMT -5
Heya SJ.
It is likely one of two factors. You could have a Higher than expected impedance / resistance connection on a ROM cart that could be affecting the Vectrex, or you could have temperature / Humidity issues. (Was it Cold/Damp when you see this?)
Also what happens when you press reset a couple of times ?
Cool / Dry is always best. Cold / Damp -- not so much. Avoid Hot at any time.
-sean
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Post by sj on Nov 26, 2012 9:06:42 GMT -5
Thanks for that. It's nice to note the old threads are still being looked at. A year down the line it still does it on occasion but it does seem to be when it's cold and maybe the air is a little damp. Certainly after five minutes play it's usually sorted itself. The cold/damp theory seems to be the issue. Why would that happen? |
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Post by sj on Dec 9, 2012 4:47:37 GMT -5
Bumped only to get an answer before it gets buried.  |
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Post by sj on Dec 15, 2012 7:25:28 GMT -5
Bumped only to get an answer before it gets buried. I keep getting the mental image of tumbleweed blowing across an abandoned wild west town... |
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Post by VectorX on Dec 15, 2012 10:07:29 GMT -5
Woodentulip isn't on very often, but I'll contact vectrexmad to see if he knows the answer (another tech person on here).
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ggg
Vector Runner
Posts: 13
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Post by ggg on Dec 15, 2012 17:01:02 GMT -5
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Post by sj on Dec 15, 2012 17:59:17 GMT -5
Hey! Nice one! I new I'd get an answer eve-n-shwallee. But my Veccy only has the problem very occasionally and generally when it's cold and/or damp (air). Why would cold/damp cause the issue? |
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Post by woodentulip on Dec 19, 2012 13:39:23 GMT -5
Sorry for the Delay; I was on Holiday.
Reason for the Vectrex suffering "Damp/Cold" issues is due to the components and Dust buildup internally, and/or solder joints / edge-connector issues. Make sure that the Cart slot edge connector is clean.
The Internals of the vectrex can get dust residue / Mould buildup, and when this gets damp, this can cause issues.
More likely however is that the Caps and Resistors are cold / old, and they change value with cold. I have seen this with electronics that were improperly stored in Cold Climates (Like Canada) and Large Electrolytics get frozen.
-seab
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Post by sj on Dec 21, 2012 12:47:28 GMT -5
You know your stuff. Thanks. |
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