Never seen one of these...

[+sixersfan105]

@ballyalley and @Allen Schweitzer have you guys ever come across one of these? Looks interesting...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bally-Astrocade-diagnostic-BallyCheck-Very-Rare-must-see-/234015818923?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

[ballyalley]

2 minutes ago, sixersfan105 said:

@ballyalley and @Allen Schweitzer have you guys ever come across one of these? Looks interesting...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bally-Astrocade-diagnostic-BallyCheck-Very-Rare-must-see-/234015818923?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

 

Sure, that's the BalCheck.  I have two of them.  One is black and one looks like this one.  I lent mine to Ken Lill, who, I think, lent it to Allen.  Indeed, I'd like to get my BalCheck units back sometime soon, as it has been a LONG time since they have been in my possession.

 

Adam

[+sixersfan105]

Good stuff. I have a feeling that you did not pay $500 for it hahahaha

[ballyalley]

1 minute ago, sixersfan105 said:

Good stuff. I have a feeling that you did not pay $500 for it hahahaha

 

Those were both part of the Bob Fabris Collection.  There is more information about BalCheck, here:

 

https://ballyalley.com/documentation/BallyCheck/BallyCheck.html

 

https://ballyalley.com/pics/hardware_pics/BallyCheck/BallyCheck.html

 

I think that Allen uses BalCheck to help diagnose broken Astrocade motherboards to this day.

 

Adam

[+sixersfan105]

3 minutes ago, ballyalley said:

Those were both part of the Bob Fabris Collection.  There is more information about BalCheck, here:

 

https://ballyalley.com/documentation/BallyCheck/BallyCheck.html

 

https://ballyalley.com/pics/hardware_pics/BallyCheck/BallyCheck.html

Cool, thanks.

 

3 minutes ago, ballyalley said:

I think that Allen uses BalCheck to help diagnose broken Astrocade motherboards to this day.

I would expect nothing less!

[128Kgames]

2 hours ago, ballyalley said:

 

Sure, that's the BalCheck.  I have two of them.  One is black and one looks like this one.  I lent mine to Ken Lill, who, I think, lent it to Allen.  Indeed, I'd like to get my BalCheck units back sometime soon, as it has been a LONG time since they have been in my possession.

 

Adam

Actually those are Ballycheck devices, basically 3rd party versions of the BalCheck devices used in house at Bally and / or possibly Nitron.  ?

 

There's a picture of a BalCheck device on ballyalley.com from my collection:

 

 

It's the Grey box on the left.  While nowhere near as cool looking as the 3rd party ones, the motherboard inside is stamped Nutting Associates if I remember.  One of these days I'll have take better pictures, inside and out.

[ballyalley]

29 minutes ago, 128Kgames said:

Actually those are Ballycheck devices, basically 3rd party versions of the BalCheck devices used in house at Bally and / or possibly Nitron. [...] the motherboard inside is stamped Nutting Associates

 

I think of them as one and the same-- though Michael is right about the name.  Michael, have you ever tried your device?  It would be great to get a picture of your Ballycheck's PCB.

 

In my April 26, 2021 video called "Bally Arcade Astrocade Collection Part 14 Fabris Box 1, Part 9," I cover the BalCheck.  There is a letter, dated December 15, 1982, from Richard Belton of RGB electronics.  He discusses BalCheck ROM revisions.  Also, in another letter, dated May 15, 1983, he lists the cost that he charges to repair a Bally Arcade console.  He says that he has fixed over 200 Bally Arcade systems using his BalCheck unit and has had only one return, which was for an RF modulator that broke.

 

That video is here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QOGQR37OdU

 

It's neat to see that BalCheck on Ebay, even if it's listed at $500.  I don't think I've ever seen another one come up before over the last twenty years.

 

Adam

[128Kgames]

1 hour ago, ballyalley said:

 

I think of them as one and the same-- though Michael is right about the name.  Michael, have you ever tried your device?  It would be great to get a picture of your Ballycheck's PCB.

 

In my April 26, 2021 video called "Bally Arcade Astrocade Collection Part 14 Fabris Box 1, Part 9," I cover the BalCheck.  There is a letter, dated December 15, 1982, from Richard Belton of RGB electronics.  He discusses BalCheck ROM revisions.  Also, in another letter, dated May 15, 1983, he lists the cost that he charges to repair a Bally Arcade console.  He says that he has fixed over 200 Bally Arcade systems using his BalCheck unit and has had only one return, which was for an RF modulator that broke.

 

That video is here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QOGQR37OdU

 

It's neat to see that BalCheck on Ebay, even if it's listed at $500.  I don't think I've ever seen another one come up before over the last twenty years.

 

Adam

1 or 2 other on eBay; 1 had a ROM switch to use with the different console ROMS.  Although I guess 1 ROM was left out?  Unless 2 ROMS are basically the same?  No idea.  

 

That one sold for $595.00 back in 2017

 

I did hook mine to a Computer System model once but it didn't diagnose anything.  I think you mentioned it probably needed an updated version of the BalCheck ROM. 

 

It was cool to connect it and see it power up.

Edited May 19, 2021 by 128Kgames