Archive for June, 2007
Thinking about selling the R-Type
Well, it’s sad to think about, but I have been thinking more and more lately about selling this game. I get more and more games all the time, and from what I read on the boards I get the impression that this is a common realization with collectors. They get a good amount of games, and then have neither the space or the time to have them all. Well, in this case, it worked from day one, it was all about the space. I love the game, it pains me that I will give it up and then want it back. But, I don’t play it much right now, I know that it doesn’t have a lot of value because it is a later on game, and even if I did beat it, that would just make me want it less probably.
I have had a ton of fun playing R-Type at some of my drinking parties. Wes seemed to like the game a good deal, and with the Nintendo style cabinet with the flat top, it makes a great place top put the drinks.
Who knows, maybe I will change my mind, but I doubt it.
30th June 2007
Puppy training in the morning, the trainer still thinks our dog is very intelligent, but is suggesting because he is so smart that he could just be great and we should take puppy training over again. Hmmm, convenient. There is where she benefits from building us up like I mentioned last week. I think Sarah and I are going to just try to be better about working with him for longer periods of time during the week.
We picked up some propane on the way home and stopped by work. Then, I tried to get the riding lawnmower working. I had to run out and get some oil for it, and returned a movie to Blockbuster as well (on bike). I used the oil in the mower, and bam, it was up and going, so I just went ahead and did the back.
That butted right up with our next set of plans. Our friend Dave, who just took a teaching position here but is working back home for the summer is in town for a week or so. I had made plans (hence borrowing the extra bike) to go and take a ride on the Monan. I think Sarah and I have talked about doing it since we did once last summer. I knew this time I wanted to ride most of it, since we stopped due to heat the last time around 82nd street. So, we did just that, and we made good time. I think we rode as far north as 465 in about 50 minutes. We ended up going as far north as about 116th street, ending at the brand new Carmel workout and water park facility. It was a decent ride, I imagine it is about 20 miles one way?
On the way back we stopped and had Chipotle, it was right on the trail, and we stopped for a quick photo together also. Dave was really awesome,h he did a good job of keeping me company while riding, and so did Sarah. Holy Cow! She was whipping right along on the hybrid we got from Aunt Pat. She was probably averaging about 19 MPH, so she did awesome.
We got back, Dave and I did some pull ups, and then he left for a little while. We relaxed, tried to take it easy after such a workout, watched tv, showered, etc. Then Dave and Andrea came back with Garrett and we all hung out. We entertained Garrett until it was time for him to lay down, playing some cornhole out back, and some video games inside. Then we all had some dinner and watched one of the worst entertainment value movies I have ever seen, “New World” about John Smith and Pocahontas. I think everyone at some point dozed off, Sarah didn’t make it and went to bed. Everyone else left around midnight.
29th June 2007
I had a terrible end of my day at work, an embarrassing and costly mistake that I made, so I got home a little late and quite upset with myself. We hung out for a little bit. I had made arrangements to borrow Jeff’s extra mountain bike, so we were going to go and pick that up at some point. It ended up being later on in the night, and we also went out and returned a movie and got some Ritter’s ice cream as well before heading over there to get the bike. It was an early night for us, we got to bed around 11. The first Friday before Doggie training that we have done so to date.
June 28, 2007
Over the last week, I have noticed how much more barky Nokes has gotten. He still has the same amount of energy, but between barking at the neighbor dogs which run the neighborhood, at the fireworks lit off frequently on our street, at kids outside, or at us inside bouncing around thinking that we are playing, it is getting to be a touch overwhelming.
On Tuesday of this week I was playing with him, he was bouncing around and he bit at my face and got a little scrape down my nose that bled like the dickens. Not happy, especially on my face, not a good place to have it.
He has some new toys, the newest being a really large and hard Nyla Brand Bone. We got it on recommendation from the training class, and he has loved it. It is such an adjustment for me, because our family dogs rarely liked bones, so for him to be running around the house with it, throwing it around, and scraping his baby teeth against it is a weird idea.
The other thing I just thought of, we just noticed this week that he has some weird teeth. They are coming out on the roof of his mouth, inside the perimeter of his normal upper teeth. I wonder if this is breed specific or not.
Scott Evans, and getting Agent X ready to print
Talked with Rick last night. Sounds like his contact Scott Evans has the films for Agent X, for most of the artwork. He has the sideart and marquee for sure, and I think everything else (which would include the control panel) except for the kickplate. That worked out really great. Rick said it, and I agreed with him, it really would have sucked if he had the kickplate and that work had gone to waste….in a sense. It isn’t really ever wasted work, but would be better to see it put into use.
He is not going to send me Cloak and Dagger artwork to color match. The Agent X films should have the color specs on them. Now, being 20 years old, I know Pantone may have been around then, I just don’t know for sure, and even then how accurate it would be. We will have to just wait and see.
28th June 2007
On my half day I watched part of a movie, and went to some Heimel storage space auctions. This is the second set of these I have been to, and I got to talking to one guy there in particular. He said over the past year that he has only seen 2 arcade games come up at storage units, so that was discouraging. I ended up giving him my card to call me in case he found some. It is really sad, these people that are there are taking this stuff and reselling it, and most of them that is their living. To see most of this stuff, the sheds go for $25 or less most of the time, most of it is real trash. To try to make a living reselling it, was a terrible way to do so. It is just really depressing, and a stupid choice for the most part.
Thursday night Sarah watched Tyler, a friend of Sarah’s son who works with her at Wheeler, for a little bit.
Listed Dig Dug (Second machine) on ebay
Well, even though I hadn’t mentioned it here because it is a different machine, I thought it made sense to now. I listed my other, nicer Dig Dug machine on ebay last week. Well, it didn’t turn on. So after a lot of stress and troubleshooting I figured out why. I knew the game board was not getting power, but I was sure that the main power supply was fine. Maybe the audio / power supply went bad. I swapped the audio board I had for this project into the now non working Dig Dug inside. Well, a resistor caught fire, what a fun little surprise.
Come to find out with some major help from a friend, that a bad connection can put too much stress on the resistors on that board and cause them to burn up. Sure enough, my main PCB looks great, except one finger on the main connector is fried over half way down. This probably caused the issue, I don’t know yet. I just know I took the working PCB and Audio board from this project, put it into the cab in the house and everything works fine.
So, now, I am back to a non working game in the garage. What I am going to have to do is buy a new edge connector from Bob Roberts and solder it on. I want to finish this up still, but it probably won’t be this next week. We shall see. Bums me out, but I had to sell the other Dig Dug game and I think this all worked out how it was supposed to.
Pengo cabinet inside has a fun design
Got in back of the cab last night and tried to figure out how to get at the Sound Control. I want to be able to take it off so I can work on it, take photos as needed, but I can’t figure out how. It feels as though it is riveted to the back of the coin box inside, so I thought I might be able to get at it in back.
I loosed the four bolts holding the huge particle board “L” that contains the Power Supply and PCB. I pulled it out a little bit to see that there is still a board in my way of getting at it through there unless I remove that little board. Doesn’t seem like it has much of a purpose, but I hate to go ripping apart the game if I don’t have to.
Loading ...
