Hacking a [insert console name here] but don't see a "[insert console name here] Hacking" forum? Come on in and post your [insert console name here] questions and build logs!
I agree, the power supply is probably worn out. is there another way you can power it?
As for the marquee, if it's flourescent is the transformer and/or ballast okay? We had a light in the garage that wouldn't work, even with new tubes, and that was the problem.
I replaced the starter, and checked the wires with a multimeter. No dice.
As for the power supply caps, they seem to be standard 'big blue' Atari ones, so I'll probably be replacing those. If they're the capacitors on the monitor though, I'll have to get a professional to do it.
Well, you wouldn't need a pro to do it, you could. You'd just have to be careful about not getting yourself mixed up with the anode of the tube, which by the way, is under a rubber boot. All you'd need to do is pull the PCB's you wouldn't need to mess with the tube itself. The power supply caps are possibly more dangerous to deal with than the monitor if you don't know what you're doing, because the monitor is only dangerous if you don't discharge the anode properly. The caps are harder to discharge, and although they hold less voltage than the CRT, they hold a lot more amps, and the amps are what kills. High voltage just hurts like the dickens, high amperage kills. People can survive lightning, and that's because it's high voltage and low amperage. People don't survive mix-ups with power lines, because that's really high amperage with a fairly low voltage.
Emulation isn't accurate. There is no substitute for real hardware!
Uh. This thing hasn't been on for a few weeks now. If I just leave it off for a few months, can I safely replace the power supply caps? The monitor caps I think I'll have a professional do.
I know that you can just touch the leads together on the screen with a flathead, although there is a risk of melting your screwdriver to the anodes. Replacing a 2$ screwdriver sure beats the hell out of paying someone 50 bucks to do it for you.
As for the light, just replacing the whole fluorescent rig (if it comes down to that) shouldn't cost more than 10-15$.
Getting a tan while everyone else is in a blizzard... >.<
