RE: Newbie laundry list of Tempest Questions

From: David Shoemaker (Comforce/RhoTech) <a-dashoe_at_microsoft.com>
Date: Thu Apr 16 1998 - 00:33:05 EDT

> 1). The wife and I were playing it tonite and it blinked out on us for a
> second then went back to attract mode with all the high scores wiped out
> but my top three. Today was the first time that it has done that while I
> have had it and and it did it again a little later.
Not normal. Sounds like your developing a thermal problem resulting in a
watchdog time-out and reset.

> 2.) I had the back off and was looking around while I had it on and the
> white box on the back of the monitor chassis that has the focus and screen
>
> knobs sounded like it was crackling. Is this normal?
Nope. Are you up to tackling a High Voltage cage problem? I had this
happen and not long later the high voltage transformer toasted. The crackle
is probably the HV arcing to ground.

> 3.) And finally, I noticed that she puts out a lot of heat through the
> handle holes on the back and a little through the grill below the marquee.
>
> I was thinking of putting some venting on the back piece of particle
> board
> and installing some fans to draw some air through. Has anyone else done
> that?
Has been done. Or if it is in a safe place (with no curious small animals)
just leave the back door off. If the machine is an inch or two from a wall
you don't have to worry about anything falling into the back and it won't
get much cooler than it would this way.

> I really love my new toy and have found the list to be really interesting
> and helpful, I just wish I knew a little nore about electronics to
> understand it all.
If you don't understand the stuff that well then it is time to find someone
nearby that does. Because it sounds like your monitor might be on the way
out. Better to find the repair man now then once it has died.

        David
Received on Wed Apr 15 21:35:40 1998

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Thu Jul 31 2003 - 23:00:43 EDT