Ranma 1/2 Pachinko Video

[willilicious]

Just got the Ranma 1/2 Pachinco (from the great 5 Brothers) today and while it works great, the video is off. On the right side of the screen there is a white "strip" of about one inch that cuts off the image. Is there a way to adjust this? Any help would be much appreciated.

William

[willilicious]

002.jpg004.jpg006.jpg

Here are some photos to illustrate. Is there any way to fix the video. The machine seems to work perfectly otherwise (although loud as hell even on the "low" setting. The video image problem ruins it for me. Thanks for any help.

William

[Drunkenclam]

No idea on screens. Could be a duff screen or faulty graphics chip or wiring.

[luckydog]

I would double check all the wiring and connections, things can loosen up in shipping

[Drunkenclam]

Yep, Its normally wiring.

[willilicious]

Well checked all the easily accessible wiring and that didn't fix the problem. I have added some pictures of the back to see if anyone can help me figure out what/where might be any adjustments for the video.001.jpg002.jpg003.jpg004.jpg005.jpg006.jpg007.jpg008.jpg

[Chumsize]

Hmm... Just got the same machine - also from 5 bros... Didn't have that problem. Comparing to mine, I can see it's actually missing video... not an adjustment problem.

I've seen this on computers when the ribbon cable leading directly to the LCD gets loose... or when the LCD dies. To get to that cable you would probably need to remove the large board behind it. I don't know if you want to do that without talking to 5 bros first. They may want to have you send it back or send you a replacement cell. In all likelyhood you could mess something else up while trying to get in there and then pretty much void any warranty they may give.


EDIT: Ahh.. just read something that you can try... open the front and push on the bottom or top of the screen where the white line is. See if that does anything. Don't push hard...

[daverob]

To me that looks like a fault on the LCD panel itself, either a column driver chip fault or a bad connection between the LCD glass and the driver circuit board. Not something that can be repaired without a lot of disassembly, and definitely nothing to tweak to adjust it out.

If it is a bad connection to the panel, then what Chumsize has suggested might give a temporary fix, but this would usually only work when you can press directly onto the front of the LCD panel. On a pachinko machine there's a sheet of plastic between the LCD panel and the front of the cell to protect it from flying pachinko balls, so you might not be able to apply the right amount of pressure.

If you've just bought it and it has a warranty, then I'd let the dealer handle the problem. If not, then you're probably going to have to source a replacement LCD panel.

[Chumsize]

Yup... Have 5 bros fix it.

(Tell them there's a Ranma 1/2 cell on Yahoo Japan Auction right now that's relatively cheap http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/j...ion/m111177423. They can get if thru bid-service.jp within a week or so, then send it to you. Swapping the cell on that frame is easy. In the meantime you can play with the faulty one. At least then you won't need to send them the entire machine back.)

[willilicious]

Ok guys, thanks for all the advice. More on my Ranma woes. I first checked all the connections and everything seemed fine. Didn't fix anything, but the unit was working. Then when I read Daverobs comment I went back and checked the cable going from the machine to the LCD and low and behold it was not perfectly seated. I tried to reseat it and rather than make it better I managed to completely disconnect the cable. The way the unit is set up it is basically impossible to reconnect without taking it completely apart, I tried valiantly but it didn't work. So I removed the back, took the LCD out and reconnected the cable (adding a piece of duct tape to keep it in place.) However, now the machine doesn't work. The cell / frame doesn't completely power on and I get just a few signs that power is going to the unit. Damn. Did I manage to short something out? Is there a reset to the machine? I'm not sure what help I'm going to get from 5 Brothers as they are on holiday till May 9th and leaving the business. Any ideas?

[Chumsize]

There's a red reset button directly beneath the power switch on that frame. You hold it down while powering on.

Otherwise... Any error codes showing? Blown fuses in the power board? (Power switch is on it)

only other advice - don't mess around any more. But if you must... Now that your warranty is kinda shot... Redo what you did and find where you forgot to hook something up... Or got something backwards... Etc.

[willilicious]

003.jpg005.jpg009.jpgWell, it never really had a warranty per se and Kazuki's (who has been great and I mean no disrespect for the quality and service I've received) response was to send me a replacement LCD as a replacement cell would cost them more to ship from Japan than the entire machine (?) He emailed me right before leaving for holiday in Japan, I but haven't heard back recently. So here I am, with perhaps one of the worlds most expensive paper weights! So, I tried the reset (hoping beyond hope it might work) and NADA. I get a error code of 7. Pardon my ignorance, but don't know what that means. I personally cant see how to get to the power board without almost as much dis assembly as getting to the LCD. I did find a fuse on the right side which I had previously checked and doesn't seem to be blown. I've attached photos. So my question is, if it's a question of blown fuses, is it in the frame or cell (if that can be answered with the info I've given) I defiantely want to get this machine up and running. Thanks to everyone at this great forum!

William

[Chumsize]

7 is usually just "payout tank empty"... but I'll check on my frame manual for the Eva2 frame when I get home in an hour or so. One other thing to try is to hit the error clear button. You'll need a pencil tip or something like that to depress the tiny button... its below the error lcd - below the little sticker with the arrow pointing down.

A couple other thoughts. Did you remove the cell when you worked on the LCD? If so, did you seat it back in correctly? Open the front and push where it says "push here"... Just a thought, because if the frame is smart enough to say "hey I'm outta balls", it may not be the problem... Does the shooter work?

we could also maybe try a skype or facetime to take a peek around to see if there's anything glaringly obvious.

[willilicious]

"Chum" Thanks for your input. Tried the error clear, no help. I did not remove the cell ever. So... Whatever help you can give is great, but don't want to abuse it. Let me know. Thanks again so much!

[Drunkenclam]

It is propbaly something simple that you did when you took things apart to get to the lcd connector.

I would visually check the sockets on every board, They make theses so no plug is left empty. You may just have a lead out in all the mass of wiring. Heck I've done that myself, then found it tucked behind a piece of plastic. Or 2 leads the wrong way round. Sankyo are normally pretty good at making this impossible due to the colour of the plug and scoket and the shape or number of pins.

[Chumsize]

OK... looked at the manual and figured out where all the fuses are... and how to check them. On your 2nd picture, see the line of led's that runs up&down? Are all of those lit? If not, then a fuse is blown. Getting to that board is a little tricky. First take off that main power connector that you see in front of those LED's on pic 2. Then look at this updated pic3: (by the way... unplug the thing first... right...)

003.jpg

Then you should be able to pop the lockdown buttons on the left of the main power board, remove and connectors, and take it out by swinging it out like a door - left side first.

Inside here's the fuse values. The big one (F12) is a 15A. I don't think anything will work if that one is down. Anyway... the rest are small electronic quick acting fuses.

F1, F2, F9, F10 - 3.15A
The rest (except for F12) are 6.3A

I got fuses this size at a Lowes when my Eva1 frame blew a few last year.

OK... now this is important. If there are blown fuses, they didn't just blow themselves (... ahem)
So you should ABSOLUTELY do as Mr. Clam suggests and go back through what you did earlier to see where you might have caused a short or such. Check that duct tape you mentioned... is it making any sort of connection anywhere? Or did you connect something that actually was supposed to be disconnected?
As if to drive the point home, the rest of the troubleshooting section for your problem in the frame manual basically has you go through the machine and disconnect and reconnect all the connectors after checking fuses.

Anyway... check those fuse led's and let us know the scoop. I bet that'll tell you something, at least.


Oh yeah... the fuse on the board with the CR adapter is a 1A fuse. That's the one you've probably already seen.

[willilicious]

Thanks for the info. I did indeed notice one of the lights not being lit up. It was the 5th from top (7) I carefully took it apart today and after replacing that fuse I have it working back the condition to when I received it. The Image is still messed up on right side, but all else seems to work. I made sure all the connections were correct. So, will a new LCD fix the problem or do I need a new cell? I consider this 5 Brothers problem as they sent me a pix of the unit featuring the error in the LCD, so it can't be blamed on shipping. Also, they initially wanted me to try and replace the LCD, which I have already done. Thanks so much for all the help. At least I have the unit back n playable condition!!!

[Chumsize]

So... You did replace the LCD? And when you say they sent you a picture of the unit with the problem in the LCD, does that mean you bought it knowing this was a problem? Cuz if you bought it (hopefully at a discount) knowing it, and tried replacing the LCD... It's a cable break, or bad connector, or dead VRAM... Any number if things. A new cell would likely fix it... But that's like saying buying a new car will fix the problems in your old car. The cell is the brains and video out, etc. the frame is really just the ancillary support equipment.

[willilicious]

No, I didn't replace the LCD; I meant to say I had taken it apart and put to back together. Oh well, I feel pretty proud I was able to get it back to it's initial state. Only one possible thing not right, does the large spinning box/tube with the different Kanji light up? I would think it would but it doesn't. If it indeed should then I'll just check my connections again. No, I didn't buy the unit knowing the defect, they sent me photos of the machine and one of them showed the screen defect. I didn't think anything of it until I got the machine and saw it there all the time. I'm sure they didn't realize it either. Thanks for all your help.

[Chumsize]

Well... Then see if they are still willing to send the replacement LCD. When you go to replace it, take the cell out first.


But lets not get ahead this time. The new LCD may fix it, but have them talk you though the replacement. Or write up a new ticket here.

Reason is... The way you disassembled last time with the cell in frame was akin to doing a tooth extraction through "the back door" on a human. Going thru way too much junk than necessary...