Unfolding

Well, I finally did a cap kit on my Sanyo 20 EZ monitor in the DK Jr. It did a nice job fixing the vertical fold over problem. Also, the screen size was set way too small due to poor adjustment (which is usually the case with malfunctioning monitors). Instead of fixing the problem, people will try to 'adjust' it away. Check out the before and after pics:

You can also see that I was able to find a replacement control panel overlay; with it, the last vestiges of 8 Ball Action have been swept away.

Return to DK Jr.

I've made a bit of progress in turning my recently acquired '8 ball action' back to its original Donkey Kong Juniorness. This involved tracking down some parts. Fortunately, the monitor bezel (surround) was installed backwards on the machine. All I had to do was unscrew the bolts holding it in and turn it around. (Easier said than done!) For the marquee, I had to go to Ebay. There were a lot of overpriced ones there, but after watching auctions off and on for a few weeks, I was able to find a decent one at a decent price.


I also had to remove the 8 Ball Action EPROMS/PROMS from the board and replace them with some DK Jr. ROMS. Fortunately, I was able to find a set at www.mikesarcade.com. The picture shows what they looked like pre install. I recommend getting a chip puller if you are going to be removing chips from printed circuit boards. You won't be as likely to damage your boards, your chips, or yourself. (This is the voice of experience--I once impaled my thumb with a chip way back.)

Here are some pics I snapped of the machine in its current state:

I still need to replace the control panel overlay and substitute in a nintendo joystick. (These are an easy find--I'm just looking for a deal.) I also have to install the cap kit I got from Bob Roberts to fix the vertical foldover problem on my screen. (See how it is scrunched on the left?) After that, some sideart and fresh t-molding would finish this one up in good shape.

New Acquisitions

With this hobby, it's always good to mix things up every now and then. I recently tracked down a couple of nearby classics. First up was a Black Widow (in a Gravitar cab):

I bought this one working, which is amazing, given that it clearly hadn't had any maintenance for a while. The first thing I did was clean the power block and replace the big blue capacitor with a new one. Next up, I replaced the rubber grommets in the Wico joysticks. They had turned to powder, and the joysticks handles were just 'floating' in their sockets--not very playable. As it turned out, there was a 4 way Wico knockoff installed in the left (motion) stick; it's tough playing an 8 way game when you can only move in 4 directions! I replaced the stick with a spare 8 way. This game will need a new overlay (there is only a small amount of the original overplay present near the player 1/2 buttons. I also have a cap kit for the monitor that I will be installing soon. In addition to the black widow, I also picked up this:
You may not remember 8 Ball Action--I didn't either. I got this game because it used to be a Donkey Kong Junior. If you look carefully, you can see that the bezel is simply the original bezel installed backwards. The monitor has a bit of vertical fold over, so it will need a cap kit as well. I'm amazed at how clean this machine is!