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Is the Vectrex "high-maintenance"?


RangerG

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I plan to sell some of my stuff in that I want to refocus on the systems I really enjoy: the 5200 and the Colecovision. I like this "late" classic era and the one other system that belongs in this time-frame is the Vectrex. I finally got to play the Vectrex at CGE and it was as expected - fun, unique gaming. I know Vectrex game collecting is more expensive, but I tend to collect slowly so that isn't a problem. The one thing that concerns me is that the Vectrex seems "higher maintenance" than other systems. For one, many Vectrex systems seem to have the hum and many auctions seem to mention things like - doesn't turn on or problem with the controllers or other problems. Also, I have learned to easily open many other systems and clean them out, solder, connect a wire, etc. - but Vectrex repairs seem more complicated plus the always present warning of a potential huge shock when poking around inside the machine. Advice - Is the Vectrex durable and reliable or is it a machine that require higher than average repairs and maintenance?

 

Thanks for the replies,

RG

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I have two Vectrex systems and they have never had any problems at all.

Not with the controller, display, on off switch... nothing at all.

 

I have seen quite a few of them as a few of my friends collect too and I can tell you they pretty much all "hum" pretty loud.

 

I have never seen a Vectrex that didn't have a loud hum when turned on.

I think it would probably hum like that new out of the box. Just the way it was designed.

 

Of course I could be wrong.

 

At least the system has a volume nob for the games, unlike the incredibly loud and annoying Nintendo Virtual Boy.

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I have never seen a Vectrex that didn't have a loud hum when turned on.

I think it would probably hum like that new out of the box.  Just the way it was designed.  

 

Of course I could be wrong.

They originally shipped with the speaker wire glued into a channel in the case. This channel was the spot of minimum induction, and therefore the quietest location electrically(the hum is generated by induction from the video hardware, hence why it changes sound with the display). Should reduce, if not eliminate hum.

 

But the glue lets go with age, assuming the cables weren't dislodged during shipping.

 

At least the system has a volume nob for the games, unlike the incredibly loud and annoying Nintendo Virtual Boy.

Errr.... the Virtual Boy HAS a volume knob(I own TWO).

And unlike the Vectrex, it doesn't double as a power switch, so it doesn't wear out really rapidly.

 

 

 

ANYWAYS...

As far as durability goes... My Vectrex is still going strong, despite being dropped off a table onto the floor, which knocked the brightness knob out of it's hole and into the case. But it hums like a ... ummm... big, black... humming ... thing.

 

And as I mentioned, the volume pot is pretty well worn. It's very difficult to get reliable sound in the comfortable listening range.

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The vectrex can have small problems with age, but most, if not all problems can be fixed my a TV repairman.

 

The hum will always be there. If its bothersome, you can take some packaging tape (the clear stuff) and put some over the speaker grill. Cuts down on alot of that hum.

 

One Of my units had an intermitant problem where if you tapped on the case, the picture (video) would go in and off. My TV repair man fixed that for me and didnt charge me for it. He said it was a simple problem, but I dont know what it is.

 

Another unit had scaling problems. This was fixed by replacing the capacitors in it and refocusing. Charge 40 bucks to do that.

 

The volume pot gets noisey, if you know what you are doing, you can clean this with cleaner. Rat Shak sells Deoxit and it work very well and keeps the noise down for a long time. If you dont want to do it, the Repairman can go it for you for a small fee.

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The Vectrex hum is part of the design of the machine. Only a very few of the units designed and made at the end of the production run (1984) did not have the hum. Vectrex hum .. experiece it .. enjoy it!

 

The stock controller is the weakness in the system. Parts that take abuse do wear out and these do suffer long time use.

 

The console is ruggedly made .. but being equivalent to a TV should be treated as such .. and avoid placing it anywhere where it can fall .. or be exposed to moisture. Do not attempt to service it yourself unless you know what you are doing .. otherwise risk the hazard of ELECTRICUTION!!

 

I have had no less than 9 Vectrii and have fixed, repaired, adjusted and enjoyed them all! Six have been sold and now I have three working units (main and two backups). I have never put a capacitor kit in any yet!

 

There are all kinds of controller substitutions .. Genesis controllers, Atari joystick circuits .. Analog controllers ..

 

Modern Vectrex game homebrews led the pack in game numbers until about 2001 when Atari 2600 homebrews numbers took the lead.

 

This year 2004 there has been one released game, I,CYBORG! and another is due out soon, Vectrex Thrust!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

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I fondly recall the hum of the Vectrex unit that I used when I was younger, about 11 or 12. The dorm at the private school I was attending had a Vectrex and I used to play Berzerk everyday for the hell of it. :)

 

From what I recall, the unit I used had a lot of hum and the stock controller didn't always respond properly.

 

Speaking of Vectrex units, I might end up getting one someday.

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I know Vectrex game collecting is more expensive, but I tend to collect slowly so that isn't a problem.

 

There's a lot of decent homebrews out there for $20 each. I've got one of John Dondzila's compilations with seven games on it, and I'm pretty happy with it.

 

I've never had any problems with my 'trex either, although it went through years of not being played due to not having many decent games for it until recently. So it's sat underneath a pillowcase, keeping it (mostly) safe from dust and all. I just dusted it last night, matter of fact ;) And I just ignore the humming, you get used to it.

 

BTW, nice advice, Vectrex-Atari, I was also just wondering recently what I would do if something happened to my Vectrex and it needed to be fixed ;) Guess I could call around to some tv repair places until I found someone willing to look at it!

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vecs are more work than most consoles since they also contain the display and speakers rather than just the console. the upside to it is that theres a very dedicated crew of tech geeks ready to help you with your vectrex problems. i cant think of any other system that has the kind of hardcore community tech support the vec has, just ask in the newsgroup. my friend rebuilt a vec from the tube out with great handholding support from that group.

 

i've had 7 vectrex pass thru my hands and luckily all of them worked fine, including the 3 i still have, although the screen and controller condition have varied widely. as many times as i've used them it always seems like a minor miracle when i fire one up and it comes to life. kinda like that old tom petty video "you got lucky" and all the 80s electronics they find in the desert.

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And then there's the fuse. Many years ago, someone I knew had two Vecs. At some point they both stopped working. After taking them apart and poking around a bit, I found out that the fuses had blown on both of them. Not only are they pigtail fuses (meaning you have to desolder them and find a replacement pigtail fuse), but the Vectrex is a pain in the arse to reassemble.

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  • 2 months later...
How about the software?  Is there a supplier for multicarts these days, or is it more of a case of having to wait for Sean Kelly's stuff to show up on Ebay?

 

What's the emu of choice for this system now?  MESS?

 

You don't need those old multicarts anymore, this is much better. ;)

 

http://www.vectrex.biz/

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Just a point of note. There can be slight differences between one Vectrex and another. Probably just the way they were adjusted at the factory. My Vectrex, bought new in '84, has the scoreboard characters at the top of the screen a little squished. The lines are tightly packed together. On a system a friend had (which he bought in response to my purchase - he had a habit of doing that) the lines were more spaced out and the characters were taller.

 

My Veccy box and game manuals disintegrated about 10 years ago due to poor storage. :( So it's with a little envy that I came across this example:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...8157634562&rd=1

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How about the software?  Is there a supplier for multicarts these days, or is it more of a case of having to wait for Sean Kelly's stuff to show up on Ebay?

 

What's the emu of choice for this system now?  MESS?

 

You don't need those old multicarts anymore, this is much better. ;)

 

http://www.vectrex.biz/

Seems like a drag that it isn't big enough to hold EVERYTHING though.
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Seems like a drag that it isn't big enough to hold EVERYTHING though.

:ponder: You can only play one game at a time. J/K

 

My Vectrex is in the mail. I was hoping that the post would show up at my door today, but no such luck. :sad:

 

I have been searching online for an overlay repro service, or for high quality overlay scans - does anyone know a good place?

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How about the software?  Is there a supplier for multicarts these days, or is it more of a case of having to wait for Sean Kelly's stuff to show up on Ebay?

 

What's the emu of choice for this system now?  MESS?

 

You don't need those old multicarts anymore, this is much better. ;)

 

http://www.vectrex.biz/

 

YAY! Yet ANOTHER classic gaming enterprise that gifts the shaft to Mac users!

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I plan to sell some of my stuff in that I want to refocus on the systems I really enjoy: the 5200 and the Colecovision. I like this "late" classic era and the one other system that belongs in this time-frame is the Vectrex. I finally got to play the Vectrex at CGE and it was as expected - fun, unique gaming. I know Vectrex game collecting is more expensive, but I tend to collect slowly so that isn't a problem. The one thing that concerns me is that the Vectrex seems "higher maintenance" than other systems. For one, many Vectrex systems seem to have the hum and many auctions seem to mention things like - doesn't turn on or problem with the controllers or other problems.  Also, I have learned to easily open many other systems and clean them out, solder, connect a wire, etc. - but Vectrex repairs seem more complicated plus the always present warning of a potential huge shock when poking around inside the machine. Advice - Is the Vectrex durable and reliable or is it a machine that require higher than average repairs and maintenance?

 

Thanks for the replies,

RG

 

You are into the EXACT game period I'm into and I recently bought 2 Vectrex's off Ebay. They both work great with zero problems. If you love the 5200 (like I do) and are also into the Colecovision I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on a Vectrex. It's totally unique and really enjoyable....

 

And yea they hum alot, but they all do.

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I had recieved my first Vec about 7 years ago. It was one I had bought off ebay. I had never owned one when I was a kid, but my friend had one and would let me borrow it from time to time. Anyways. That first one didnt hum!! At least it wasn't a noticeable hum.

 

I eventually sold it off when I needed $ for a house (Damn me), I re-purchased one about a year ago and it hums terribly. If I'm reading this thread right, It sounds like you can take apart the monitor and re-adjust the speaker wire to cut down some of the interference, and reduce the noise...Is this right? If so I'll be sure and try it this week-end.

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That first one didnt hum!!

 

That's an extremely rare model.

 

I know of only one other (owned by a Dutch collector), it seems to be a late revision in the Vec design (perhaps due to customer complaints or something).

 

Yet ANOTHER classic gaming enterprise that gifts the shaft to Mac users!

 

I'll supply the protcol if anyone wants to write a Mac driver for my VecFlash.

 

I'll even throw in a free cart :)

 

 

Seems like a drag that it isn't big enough to hold EVERYTHING though.

 

True, but you can write new games to it at least 1 million times :o

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Rob, are you still building Genesis controller adapters for the Vectrex?  If so, how much do they cost?  I haven't done that much with the Genesis controller I was modifying and feel that an adapter would be far preferable to mutilating any more Sega joypads.

 

JR

 

I just modify the Genesis Controller. I also build an Atari to Vectrex adapter .. but it does not support all 4 buttons. ... only one button.

 

For those who lament the fact that they cannot have all the ROMs on one VecFLASH cart. .. well with a closely placed laptop you can have all the ROMs. Plus Alex Herbert has recompiled many of the original games into two multigame banks. So many of the original games only take up two of the VecFLASH banks!!! (Mark Shaker may be making two new game carts containing these two banks.)

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

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  • 1 year later...

I've got a Vectrex with a Sean Kelly Multicart that has most of the titles I'm really interested in. I have some problems with the sound going out in Armor Attack intermittently, and some games just won't load, the game goes black and the hum quits and I have to restart the machine. I can't tell if it is the cart that is flakey or the Vectrex. But, I worry about it. Honestly though, it seems more likely that my Colecovisions will stop working than the Vectrex, although it may be a race. :)

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