Drive talkin'....

[level42]

@Polder:

About all manuals of all games can be found in the brilliant Arcade Archive:
http://arcarc.xmission.com/

The HD manuals and schematics are here:
http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Arcade_Atari_Kee/Hard_Drivin'/

and the 25K5515 monitor manual is under the monitors section:
http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Monitors/Atari%20Monitor%20TM-295%201st%20Printing%20WG%2025K5515%2025in%20Med%20Resolution.pdf

[level42]

I just desoldered and tested all the main PCB pots of both monitor chassis. The result was pretty shocking.

Only 1 tested OK ! ALL the others showed either a resistance value somewhere in the mega-ohms, others "only" showed crackling when moving/jittering the dial. (Remember those old radios when you heared crackling when turning the volume ? That's what is happening on these.

I must say that the pots on 1 chassis were in worse condition than on the other, but still they all showed problems except 1.

The pots for the colors on the neck board all tested out fine, so did the one's on the over-voltage PCB and the extra little PCB for Vertical Position.

I have very good hopes that "my" chassis's vertical deflection issue will be solved by replacing the pot, as the vertical size one showed mega-ohms values....

Pots ordered at RS !

[polderarcade]

So after this it’s almost a new monitor at least al the part’s  at the board

Also thanks for the links lot of useful info and not only for hd


Spare boards deal is also done now its waiting till they are here

Did you now the shifter also had a locking coil the same as the one that locks the seat?

[level42]

No I didn't ! What is the use of that ?
I haven't read the manual yet completely, there is SO much info in there.

Then again, this is one hell of a complicated machine !

- Gas, brake and clutch pedals, all with their unique mechanism with springs etc.
- steering wheel with a big-ass force feedback motor
- shifter
- moving chair with pot, locking mechanism etc.

Gonna be fun (I hope ) to get it all working OK again. It's so great we have two machines (as we already found out) so we can compare them.

For me, the goal right now is getting it up and running as good as possible. I'll do some basic cleaning and then it will be a "on hold" project. I will return focus on the Ms.Pac soon, really want to finish her. (mmm, that sounds weird )

[Muerto]

Looking good André!! Force feedback is gooooood 

[level42]

By the way, for the record, VR 351 is listed as 2k in the manual but it is 3k. There is a fixed resistor soldered in parallel which measures (in circuit) as 8k1.

[level42]

Looking good André!! Force feedback is gooooood 

Yup, and this is no "rumble" but REAL force feedback according to the responses of the car.

I think HD doesn't get a lot of love because few people know it from the real cab. This is one of those cabs that TOTALLY sucked on home conversions AND MAME because of the lack of the real controls....

[polderarcade]

I think ms pac can handle it
Before you got her already lots of people have taken a ride on her

I was a bit curios why my shifter doesn’t  work, decided  to take it apart
Then I found out there was  also a magnet coil in there, only mine is missing one wire totally.

Also know now that the sifter works with two pots connected together  so the value is combined
And it measured out oke sow think the problem lies some where else

[level42]

Ah, good work !!

I think I understand what the magnet is used for: It probably locks the shifter if the clutch pedal is not depressed. So like a real car it is impossible to shift (well to some extend) when the clutch is not pushed down.

Man they weren't kidding that this is a realistic simulation !


So....considering this, your shifter may actually be working correctly ? I mean you'd have to try a game and use the clutch ....

But I bet you'll need to fix the PCB set first ...

[level42]

Yep, he manual confirms this !

Also, the double pots work like this: one is for horizontal position of the stick, the other for the vertical position !
So....it's almost like a Star Wars yoke (electronically !).

Since they went through so much trouble to get this accurately (instead of using simple contacts for each gear) there MUST be something in software "measuring" the position of the stick, f.i. also between going from one gear to another. I bet this must have effect on the game. Why else would they have done it.

This amazes me more and more. I think I'll drop Jed an e-mail to ask about this....

[Jope]

You can yank the stick out of gear in manual mode, then the game complains in text that you should use the clutch.

I'm just headed out to the post office, your boards will be on their way soon!

[level42]

Ah ! But that means forcing it I guess ? By the way, welcome here !

[Jope]

Ah ! But that means forcing it I guess ?

Yeah, I guess it resists about as much as a real gearbox would (maybe a bit more) if you pull it out of gear without using the clutch.

By the way, welcome here !

Thank you!

[level42]

@Etienne, I think you will be printing on white adhesive soon right ?

Can you do a couple of these ?



Now......I know what your next question is: what is the size ? Well this time I am one step ahead for a change

Diameter is only 3,2 cm. ! (I had thought it would be bigger). I actually found a source for these NOS but since they are so small I can't justify the price they ask AND because of the size I'm sure it's going to look great with your repro's.

That is.....IF you're doing white adhesives of course

[level42]

@Polder: here's a video showing some of the technical stuff. I guess it's not enough detailed for "under the seat" info but....o well, it's a nice vid.....

http://youtu.be/dDGxDmTru38