spacewar
    Vectorbeam Space War
Here's the story of how I came across my Space War. I was reading the news group
rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace and came across this message. Subject: FS: Space Wars! Rare! DC/Balto area - pickup only. I just took a job in
another country and there is no room for my SpaceWars game in my suitcases!There
is a problem with the monitor that I have not been able to figure out.
You can hear the game play, but there is no video. I have swapped out the
deflection transistors, but that is about the limit of my knowledge of fixing
monitors. It's probably an easy fix for a monitor guru (I have a scan of
monitor schematics I can give you), but I'm out of time and have to sell it!
I was going to give it to a friend (a fellow Space Wars addict) to play while
I was gone, but he's not too keen on the deal if he can't play the game! So
the game is for sale! I need to move this game in the next coupledays because
I am leaving next Monday, July 23rd. I live in the DCarea in the town
of Vienna. If you want the game, you will need to pick it up. I can
help you get it up the stairs/in your truck/etc..The game should fit in most
SUVs - fits in my Explorer.Except for the monitor, the game is in decent cosmetic
condition. I can send pics/dimensions to anyone interested.How much?
I paid $450 for the game, but that was on Ebay and with a working monitor.
How about $150 OBO? I'll let it go for free if there are no takers
by the weekend. I just want to see it get to a good home. This game
is just too damn cool to see it get trashed.Most importantly - you will need
to pick this up from my house.Interested? Pls. send me an e-mail at juan****NO_SPAM@yahoo.com(remove
the NO_SPAM)Thanks! It was located in Vienna Va and I thought man what a buy. I started to email him
for more info but did not because I really did not have the room for it or did
I ? Well later that day I decided to email him for more info but I figured someone
had already bought it. I asked if it was the Cinematronics upright version.
Juan Alvarez emailed me back and said he had got a lot of emails about it but
nothing solid yet. He told me it was the Vectorbeam upright verson and the game
played blind but the monitor did not work but was complete. I told him if I could
pick it up next Saturday I would be there with $150.00 cash in hand. He said
it was mine come and get it. Looks like a road trip to me. |
Vienna Virginia is near Washington DC and a 3 hour drive from Hampton Virginia.
The game was in the basement and we had to get it up the stairs. Not to bad
but I am glad I dont have a basement :-) Unlike my last road trip to New Jersey
which it rained all the way back, this time I had perfect weather. When I got
home I put it in my game room to work on. The game is in good condition for a
game this old. The only thing I can find wrong with the game is it's missing the
top metal marquee. Here is a PIC of what it looks like. |
 Update, Don the Arcade Guy parted out his Space War and put the Marquee and light
panel up for auction on Ebay. I was the lucky winner :-) More on my update page. After looking the game over and with no monitor in the game I plugged it in and just
like Juan said the game appeared to play blind, all the correct sounds were
there so now all I had to do is fix the B & W X-Y monitor. Juan told me he had
replaced 2 of the 4 deflection transistors. I tested the transistors and everything
seemed ok so I decided to hook up the monitor and see what would happen.
I fired it up and the neck began to glow and I could hear deflection chatter and
there was no smoke or fire but also no pic on the screen. I turned up the brightness
pot and yes I got a pic but only the right side of the screen. After checking
the monitor out again and finding nothing wrong I began to wiggle the ribbon
cable that connects the board to the monitor wile I watched the pic and bam
it went to full screen. I cut the connector off the ribbon cable, took the connector
apart and re-crimped it onto the ribbon cable and now it works like new.
I was happy :-) |
  Here is a look inside the rear of the cabinet. On the right side is the power supply.
On the left , the big board is the main CPU and the small board above it is
the sound board. Above the coin door you can see the marquee light fixture which
is mounted below the control panel key board and buttons. I have the coin box
but I am missing the brackets that hold the box in place. Thanks again to Don the Arcade Guy I also have the coin box bracket and another coin
door. See my Update page for details. |
The card board monitor bezel was faided and ripped into on the lower left corner.
I replaced it with one I made out of a piece of heavy black mat that is used in
picture frames to border pictures. The marquee light fixture was broke so I replaced
it with a new one. It was just a standard 24" fluorescent light. Someone
broke one of the coin mech's off and added a button for freeplay :-( I need to
figure out the best way to reverse this as all my games use ,984 tokens. |
I still have a few cosmetic things left to do, maybe new T molding and fix the hole
some butt head drilled in the front of the cabinet for a free play button. The
marquee in the pic to the left is one I printed out on my printer on regular
paper. Click on link below for an update to see my new orginial marquee and completed
coin door. My game is now complete , just a few more little things left
to do..
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