Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Technical Area => Topic started by: petieken on December 21, 2009, 01:22:25 PM
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When you look at the video I posted here: https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=1193.msg11273#msg11273
you can see that the left side of the second monitor is very dark, you can barely see the TO from TAITO. Would a capkit solve this problem, or is the monitor just to far. It has a good burn in of the high scores and 1P, 2P & Zone "A". But it doesn't disturb because the burned letters never dissappear in-game.
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As a first test to identify the cause of the problem you can try swapping the two monitor electronic chassis if they are the same.
Matteo
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Yes, they are both the same (Wells Gardner K7000). I'll swap them but I'll order two capkits for both monitors anyway, they'll probably need it, as the manufacturing date is 1988 :)
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Have you thought about adjusting the brightness ? ;D
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That's the problem, 2/3's of the screen is bright enough. Only 1/3 of the screen is darker. When I turn op the brightness the colors on the good 2/3's get washed out.
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You have to search really good for this special 'one-third screen brightness knob'. It's a special cab, it must have it. ;)
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You have to search really good for this special 'one-third screen brightness knob'. It's a special cab, it must have it. ;)
Haha, unfortunately it doesn't have such a knob ;D
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Wait a minute. If I understand correctly, this baby has THREE monitors. Two next to eachother,and a third half-mirrored to make a seamless overlap, right !?
Great concept, I'm surprised I never learned about one of those machines earlier...guess it's just not from the Golden Era.
Anyway, could the mirror be dirty or flaking perhaps ?
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No, there are only two monitors, the three monitor Sagaia is only the Japanese version (Darius II) and the first Darius game. Plus, these games are pretty rare, even in the US & Japan.
The first monitor is OK, but the second monitor has about 1/3 of the screen dark. This is also when looking directly at the monitor, so it isn't related to the mirror.
Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvkc3ua3wFU
When the TAITO logo comes up only TAI is visible, 'TO' is on the second monitor but isn't visible on the video. In real life you can see the 'TO' a little. It's also visible when SAGAIA is on the screen, 'SAG' is on the first monitor and 'AIA' on the second, the first 'A' of 'AIA' is darker than the letters 'IA'.
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Yeah I saw the video, but what is the mirror used for then ?
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To create a seamless image (when standing at P1 or P2 position). The left monitor has it's screen vertical, and shines it's image THROUGH the 'half-mirror'. The right monitor is mounted with it's screen horizontal and projects it's image ON the 'half-mirror'. This half-mirror has 50% reflection (mirror) and 50% regular window properties. When you would mount 2 crt's next to each other there would be a 10cm seam between them, with this setup it's seamless.
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9gqw_UFJfIw/Sy9mXq-ym_I/AAAAAAAAA84/tXZvXFDHkus/s800/IMG_1243.JPG)
The first monitor sits where the screwdriver is with it's screen pointing to the front. The second monitor is on the right side of the bracket with it's screen pointing upwards.
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9gqw_UFJfIw/Sy9mWp12yuI/AAAAAAAAA8s/VXkkkV7fY0A/s800/IMG_1240.JPG)
Here you can see the first monitor, and the 'half-mirror' is supposed to be where the wooden lath is (covering the whole width of the cab). So the first monitor shines through that half-mirror and the other monitor reflects it's image on the half-mirror to the player. Both monitors overlap a bit so the seam is unnoticable after careful adjustment (which I haven't done yet :D)
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Wow, clever set-up ! Thanks for the explanation.
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Today I was with my friend again to work on the cabs and I've taken both monitor chassis with me to give them new caps. I'll see how that works out. It'll be probably after new year when I do this and re-install the pcb's again, because I have to order all caps now...
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Great!
Than darius will be ready in the new year!
Mav
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I am straining my brain to understand how it works LOL. I guess I would need to see it in person to be able to understand it completely haha. Guess my lack of experience keeps me from "getting" it haha
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Yeah, it's not so easy to explain either.... The most important part to understand is that the half-mirror means you can look through it and it is a mirror at the same time.
You need to look through it to see the first monitor and it needs to be a mirror to see the second monitor.
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IT totally sounds cool. I will have to see if I can find someone that has the same type of setup so I can "see" how it works.
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The problem would most likely be the CRT itself. This is common when CRT dies, or leaks. This isn't a cap-problem.
What CRT is this? Do you have the label number somewhere on the back of the CRT please?