Wow, haven't updated this for quite some time....
Well some time ago, once again, the Ms.Pac died. This time it went completely dead so I assumed a fuse had been blown.. The cause was also pretty obvious: The marquee lighting had long died (was blinking/light at the ends only) and the game took revenge on me for not fixing it earlier on....
So, ffwd a lot of time and today I had some time to work on it (huray !)
Replaced the ballast (bought at
http://www.cedermangameparts.be, excellent price) , the tube-holders. I even bought a fresh tube and when I installed everything I first had to get the machine running again of course. I had already put in a new starter a long time ago (first thing to try when you have a bad light from a fluorescent).
SOoooo, I wanted to have a quick look at what fuse I had to replace. The secondary fuses all "beeped through" and I was already expecting the mains fuse to have blown. So I removed the cover and measured the 2 fuses there. To my surprise both beeped !!!
I was totally puzzled. This was impossible !
So I put mains power on it. I had 230V input and 120 V output on the step-down. Checked the interlock switch, the top-switch all fine....
Checked the schematics again....went back and measured again....then I tried to measure the fuses OUT of their clamps and bingo, of course the mains fuse was blown !!!
SOooooo, HOW could I measure a short (or almost a short) across that fuse ??
The explanation is simple: Normally, when the plug would have been unplugged in the US, I would have found the open fuse. BUT, since I know have the secondary wiring of the step-down transformer hooked up on the 120V input, things are a bit different. I'm also measuring through the primary winding of the original transformer AND the secondary of the step-down !
For direct current (DC) coils are nothing more than a piece of wire SO it will give a "beep" (or a couple of ohms at most in resistance setting).
This _did_ get me confused in the beginning but I figured it out...
So, anyway after replacing the fuse the machine powered up just fine. However, I still had a bad marquee lighting (it was only on at the ends !!!) WFT ?!?!!?
Not sure why, but I removed the starter while the machine was still on and presto: we have a full functioning tube !!!! Put the starter back in: Only light at the ends.
Conclusion: back to the store for a new starter. Although I had replaced it before it probably went defective when things "blew up"....
New starter installed (another Made in Holland product, just like the tube, wow !
) and yes....finally a PERFECT lit marquee !!
