Questions about Pong Cocktail table

[rico_vancouver]

Hi,

 

I am a newbie here - my experience with pong started with a cocktail table at our tennis club back in the 70s. It turns out my in-laws have a similar table, and they want to get rid of it. I have attached a pic of the exact same table I found on the web.

 

I went to see it today, to see if it worked, and if I really wanted it in my basement. It is a doubles pong game which I have never seen before. Not only are there two sets of paddle controllers, but the controllers are small joysticks, not the old knob I was familiar with. The controllers allow you to move your paddle back-and-forth as well as side-to-side.

 

Anyhow, it functions and the video display seems to be ok. One or two of the controllers are a little "jumpy" however. Is it possible to remedy this with some disassembly and cleaning of the contacts on the controllers? If not, is there a source for these as replacement or aftermarket parts (e.g. other joystick controls from similar dedicated systems)?

 

I was thinking about doing a full dissassembly, cleaning and reassembly and hope that this might clean up some of the erratic behaviour. Any gotchas taking these units apart? I am relatively handy with tools, and am not scared by most computers.

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

Edited October 29, 2007 by rico_vancouver

[A.J. Franzman]

Wow, a four-player Pong doubles game!

 

Is this unit coin-operated (or meant to be)? If so, this should be posted to the Arcade Coin-ops forum. Even if it was not made as a coin-op, it looks enough like one that it may have much in common with similar coin-op units.

 

Regarding cleaning: yes, if you can remove and disassemble the potentiometers (a.k.a. pots) in the controllers and clean them, there is a good chance that the jumpiness will go away. If you're lucky, they may even be of a form factor that is still available (unlike those of the VCS paddle controllers) so you could replace them if cleaning doesn't help.

 

Regarding "gotchas": I only know of the one big gotcha that anything with a CRT picture tube in it has -- the CRT itself is in effect a big capacitor, which can store a charge of several thousand or tens of thousands of volts, even after the unit is unplugged for months. This can kill or seriously injure anyone unfortunate enough to contact it. There is a thick wire that goes to the CRT anode contact, under what looks like a rubber suction cup at one end of the wire. This wire, and the opening in the side of the CRT under the "suction cup", as well as the flyback transformer at the other end of the wire, are where the high voltage is, so don't mess with them if you don't know what you're doing.

Edited October 29, 2007 by A.J. Franzman

[awace]

Wow, a four-player Pong doubles game!

 

Is this unit coin-operated (or meant to be)? If so, this should be posted to the Arcade Coin-ops forum. Even if it was not made as a coin-op, it looks enough like one that it may have much in common with similar coin-op units.

 

Regarding cleaning: yes, if you can remove and disassemble the potentiometers (a.k.a. pots) in the controllers and clean them, there is a good chance that the jumpiness will go away. If you're lucky, they may even be of a form factor that is still available (unlike those of the VCS paddle controllers) so you could replace them if cleaning doesn't help.

 

Regarding "gotchas": I only know of the one big gotcha that anything with a CRT picture tube in it has -- the CRT itself is in effect a big capacitor, which can store a charge of several thousand or tens of thousands of volts, even after the unit is unplugged for months. This can kill or seriously injure anyone unfortunate enough to contact it. There is a thick wire that goes to the CRT anode contact, under what looks like a rubber suction cup at one end of the wire. This wire, and the opening in the side of the CRT under the "suction cup", as well as the flyback transformer at the other end of the wire, are where the high voltage is, so don't mess with them if you don't know what you're doing.

 

sounds like you have a 1st generation maganavox oddsy1 witch had joysticks w two paddles one for up down and one for left right so you could take the joysticks out and either replace the pots or re adjust the wipers on the pots then put the joysticks back in the panel... this would require you to unsolder joysticks modules and fix the pots then replace and resolder wires so i would lable all input wires as to what there connected to now w small peices of tape so you know what wires goto when you remove joystick or paddles to repair or clean them the wipers on the pot variable reistors can be rebent down but be carefull not to break the wiper but if you clean w paper towel and windex then rebend the wiper in the pot then put pots back together then replace to game unit it will work like a new paddle for a atari!!! most joysticks pre 1982 were just two pots one for up down and the other for left right but now they opticle but some computer joysticks still use analog pots!!..

[delusional29]

I just bought this two days ago for $50 and it was in mint condition (very lucky!).

 

But I still don't know what it is called. I'll have to look inside to try to find out who makes it. I've attached a pic of the unit.

 

~ DeLuSioNaL29

 

Wow, a four-player Pong doubles game!

 

Is this unit coin-operated (or meant to be)? If so, this should be posted to the Arcade Coin-ops forum. Even if it was not made as a coin-op, it looks enough like one that it may have much in common with similar coin-op units.

 

Regarding cleaning: yes, if you can remove and disassemble the potentiometers (a.k.a. pots) in the controllers and clean them, there is a good chance that the jumpiness will go away. If you're lucky, they may even be of a form factor that is still available (unlike those of the VCS paddle controllers) so you could replace them if cleaning doesn't help.

 

Regarding "gotchas": I only know of the one big gotcha that anything with a CRT picture tube in it has -- the CRT itself is in effect a big capacitor, which can store a charge of several thousand or tens of thousands of volts, even after the unit is unplugged for months. This can kill or seriously injure anyone unfortunate enough to contact it. There is a thick wire that goes to the CRT anode contact, under what looks like a rubber suction cup at one end of the wire. This wire, and the opening in the side of the CRT under the "suction cup", as well as the flyback transformer at the other end of the wire, are where the high voltage is, so don't mess with them if you don't know what you're doing.

 

sounds like you have a 1st generation maganavox oddsy1 witch had joysticks w two paddles one for up down and one for left right so you could take the joysticks out and either replace the pots or re adjust the wipers on the pots then put the joysticks back in the panel... this would require you to unsolder joysticks modules and fix the pots then replace and resolder wires so i would lable all input wires as to what there connected to now w small peices of tape so you know what wires goto when you remove joystick or paddles to repair or clean them the wipers on the pot variable reistors can be rebent down but be carefull not to break the wiper but if you clean w paper towel and windex then rebend the wiper in the pot then put pots back together then replace to game unit it will work like a new paddle for a atari!!! most joysticks pre 1982 were just two pots one for up down and the other for left right but now they opticle but some computer joysticks still use analog pots!!..

[mcjakeqcool]

PONG COCKTAIL TABLE?! How awsome! Gotta get one in my crib.