Asteroids: some techie questions

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
Well, today it arrived - my long awaited Asteroids (which is in fact a converted Lunar Lander). Cabinet condition is very good indeed and the original Lunar Lander sideart is, as far as I can see, absolutely immaculate! I'm extremely pleased. Inside there is a fair amount of grubby dirt and dust but that can of course be cleaned.

Now before anyone acuses me of wibbling ( ;-) I'll ask my questions:

a) The coin door isn't the 'version' I was expecting - it has two circular holes (American style) for the coins as opposed to the slots I was expecting. Is this 'normal'? I was expecting red plastic slots which you press in order to eject any coins. This though has two vertical metal 'posts' by the coin holes which you press down to eject any coins (these are though somewhat stiff at the moment!).

b) The vertical part of the control panel (ie that which a player could lean against) has two sets of scuff marks near the base. What in fact appears to be scuffed is the 'lacquer' coating. I assume said coating is normal and can be re-sprayed or similar?

c) The tube has some burn-in but not much - maybe I'm being thick, but why is the text of the burn-in (e.g. the word CREDITS) reversed?!?

d) There are some faint scratches on the tube, it appears that there is a fine coating on said tube. Can this coating be 'replaced'?

If you don't want to fill up the group with replies to this message and maybe bug a few people then please email me directly.

I'll put up a web site in the next few days and post some pics.

Cheers,
Phil



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Phil Morris (phil@morris0.fsnet.co.uk)

 

[LukeWells]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
> If you don't want to fill up the group with replies to this message and
maybe bug a few people then please email me directly.

Technical answer to this sort of thing SHOULD be posted to the group as I am
sure that there are other people that will want to know

Luke

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
Answer to c)

The monitor was most likely in an asteroids deluxe in a previous life .. the image on the monitor is reversed because of the mirror. Or does lunar lander use a mirror, anyone?

Steve

From: "Phil Morris" <phil@morris0.fsnet.co.uk>
Date: Tue 11/Dec/2001 12:44 GMT
To: <ukvac@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions

Well, today it arrived - my long awaited Asteroids (which is in fact a converted Lunar Lander). Cabinet condition is very good indeed and the original Lunar Lander sideart is, as far as I can see, absolutely immaculate! I'm extremely pleased. Inside there is a fair amount of grubby dirt and dust but that can of course be cleaned.

Now before anyone acuses me of wibbling ( ;-) I'll ask my questions:

a) The coin door isn't the 'version' I was expecting - it has two circular holes (American style) for the coins as opposed to the slots I was expecting. Is this 'normal'? I was expecting red plastic slots which you press in order to eject any coins. This though has two vertical metal 'posts' by the coin holes which you press down to eject any coins (these are though somewhat stiff at the moment!).

b) The vertical part of the control panel (ie that which a player could lean against) has two sets of scuff marks near the base. What in fact appears to be scuffed is the 'lacquer' coating. I assume said coating is normal and can be re-sprayed or similar?

c) The tube has some burn-in but not much - maybe I'm being thick, but why is the text of the burn-in (e.g. the word CREDITS) reversed?!?

d) There are some faint scratches on the tube, it appears that there is a fine coating on said tube. Can this coating be 'replaced'?

If you don't want to fill up the group with replies to this message and maybe bug a few people then please email me directly.

I'll put up a web site in the next few days and post some pics.

Cheers,
Phil



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by (steve@coule.freeserve.co.uk)

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
How do you know the actual monitor wasn't in some
other cab that had space for the mirror? Hence
the reversed burn-in...

> I'm 99.9% certain that it doesn't as the
internal layout is the same as
> Asteroids, therefore the monitor is in the same
position and there is
> no
> space to put in a mirror.
>
> I don't mind being corrected though.
>
>
> Phil
>
>
>
>

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Vertigo (vertigo@ukonline.co.uk)

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
> Technical answer to this sort of thing SHOULD be posted to the group as I
am
> sure that there are other people that will want to know

Agreed. I'll leave it to the disgression of anyone who replies.

Phil



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Phil Morris (phil@morris0.fsnet.co.uk)

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
> Answer to c)
>
> The monitor was most likely in an asteroids deluxe in a previous life ..
the image on the
> monitor is reversed because of the mirror. Or does lunar lander use a
mirror, anyone?

I'm 99.9% certain that it doesn't as the internal layout is the same as
Asteroids, therefore the monitor is in the same position and there is no
space to put in a mirror.

I don't mind being corrected though.

Phil



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Phil Morris (phil@morris0.fsnet.co.uk)

 

[P-Man]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
> a) The coin door isn't the 'version' I was expecting - it has two circular
holes (American style) for the coins as opposed to the slots I was
expecting. Is this 'normal'? I was expecting red plastic slots which you
press in order to eject any coins. This though has two vertical metal
'posts' by the coin holes which you press down to eject any coins (these are
though somewhat stiff at the moment!).

the version you have is a standard 1970's atari coin door, some early
versions of asteroids had this type of 'coindrop' door. ALL lunar landers
had the coin drop type.

personally i prefer the coin drop door

> b) The vertical part of the control panel (ie that which a player could
lean against) has two sets of scuff marks near the base. What in fact
appears to be scuffed is the 'lacquer' coating. I assume said coating is
normal and can be re-sprayed or similar?

just paint it back. not much you can do about it.

> c) The tube has some burn-in but not much - maybe I'm being thick, but why
is the text of the burn-in (e.g. the word CREDITS) reversed?!?

the monitor has been robbed out of an Asteroids deluxe machine more than
likely. if there is a burned 'V' at the top of the screen, it probably came
out of a battlezone.

> d) There are some faint scratches on the tube, it appears that there is a
fine coating on said tube. Can this coating be 'replaced'?

scratches on the glass of the outer tube? use yer noggin, get a new tube.

if the 'scratches' appear to be to the phosphor coating on the inside of the
tube, then forget it. I have seen flaking of the phosphor layer inside tubes
before. I've also seen screen burn so bad that the phosphor coating was
burned in 'scratches' because the machine was resettign contantly and not
switched off, the resettign caused a regular pattern of beam flickery
resulting in random like 'scratches' on the phosphor coating. now the
monitor works, when the beam passes over these 'scratches', there is little,
or no glow because there is no phosphor left to glow.

> If you don't want to fill up the group with replies to this message and
maybe bug a few people then please email me directly.
>
> I'll put up a web site in the next few days and post some pics.
> Cheers,
> Phil

Andy

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Asteroids: some techie questions
> the version you have is a standard 1970's atari coin door, some early
> versions of asteroids had this type of 'coindrop' door. ALL lunar landers
> had the coin drop type.

Just shows that I haven't been doing my homework.

> personally i prefer the coin drop door

I don't really mind, I'm just used to the other type.

> > b) The vertical part of the control panel (ie that which a player could
>
> just paint it back. not much you can do about it.

The black (underneath) doesn't seem to be affected, it's only the top
coating of what looks like lacquer/varnish that is scuffed.

> > c) The tube has some burn-in but not much - maybe I'm being thick, but
why
> is the text of the burn-in (e.g. the word CREDITS) reversed?!?
>
> the monitor has been robbed out of an Asteroids deluxe machine more than
> likely. if there is a burned 'V' at the top of the screen, it probably
came
> out of a battlezone.

Can't see any V, so must have come from Deluxe as you say.

Strange though that it's an 801 - I assumed that the later Deluxe game would
have the 802? Unless of course it was in something else before Deluxe!

> > d) There are some faint scratches on the tube, it appears that there is
a
> fine coating on said tube. Can this coating be 'replaced'?
>
> scratches on the glass of the outer tube? use yer noggin, get a new tube.

You're right, now I've engaged said noggin I see that the tube is indeed
scratched on the outside. When I first looked there appeared to be some kind
of outer additional coating that was scratched.

I can put up with it for now, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for a replacement
tube.

> if the 'scratches' appear to be to the phosphor coating on the inside of
the

Definitely on the outside. Thankfully.

Cheers,
Phil



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Phil Morris (phil@morris0.fsnet.co.uk)