Vectrex Teardown & Repair Part 1: Replacing Capacitors + How to discharge t

[RetroGamerVX]

Hi all,

 

I've put a video up on my YouTube channel as my Vectrex recently died and I've done a stripdown and some work in an attempt to repair it. So far, that work has been unsuccessful. The problem is shown in the video, along with how I strip it down (including how to discharge the CRT). If you have any suggestions on how the problem with this console can be resolved, please let me know (very much learning as I go)

 

Video:

 

Best Regards

 

Steve

[iesposta]

Enjoyed your video. I just went thru all that learning myself.

(I never desoldered the ground from the top, just unscrewed the monitor clip and the earth wire ends in a ring that slips off the screw.)

I did take the four wires off the bottom to get the board out, but you need a large solder gun to melt a lot of solder as you found out with the green earth wire!

I actually fixed mine, something that a lot of searching rarely finds, unless it's a connector socket, chip seat, fuse, cap or processor microchip.

My dot was in the bottom center, whereas yours is in the middle right.

I did not have an oscilloscope, but did have other working Vec's to swap parts.

It detailed in this thread here:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/198704-vectrex-sound-game-plays-but-small-white-dot/

I hijacked that thread because I went to post that exact topic and saw it was just created!

I'm in the USA, and the thread was started by a guy in the UK, I think, but hasn't reported anything recently.

Anyway, I am no expert, but you can message me here or email and I'll do my best to help.

I always discharge the tube first. It was my first time doing that as well. If you have just turned it off you will get a small spark, nothing like the snap I was expecting, but even a small spark can be deadly. The longer it has been unplugged the smaller the spark and after a couple of minutes there may be nothing at all like in your video. ( Which surprises me as I thought those charges would last longer, some tubes hold them for years!)