- Thread starter Chelnov
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I've purchased a few. Any arcade tech is going to tell you they are hot garbage. The general advice is going to be that you really need to just suck it up and match your tube to the correct chassis which can be an exhausting experience.
*They are extremely cheap quality. Not only is the PCB cheap and flimsy, but the capacitors are junk. You can easily break off connectors and pots.
*They aren't truly universal. You really need to check your vertical and horizontal plugs to make sure they match. I believe Hor need to be 6-12ohms and vertical must be 1.3ohm minimum, but doublecheck my numbers.
*They don't label the circuits which can make life difficult when troubleshooting bad capacitors and resistors.
*They don't quite get you a good picture, it's odd I've had mixed experiences. On one chassis, after a full recap it's been a champ for over a year of regular use and has a great picture. On another one it oddly works better with one of my 27" than the 25" though Im gonna recap it when I get time. Yet another one basically crumbled in my hands and I had to toss. Try to find a reputable seller if thats even possible on Ali. Only a few places sell them.
Being completely honest, your experience may vary and if you're just looking for a quick solution without having to put any effort in they are not for you. Youre better off forking over the cash for a matching one, they usually cost $160-200. Dave over in the FS/Ft is selling a stack of them already recap. The folks at Klov can help you out, but uum, be extra nice and patient when asking for help over there.
*They are extremely cheap quality. Not only is the PCB cheap and flimsy, but the capacitors are junk. You can easily break off connectors and pots.
*They aren't truly universal. You really need to check your vertical and horizontal plugs to make sure they match. I believe Hor need to be 6-12ohms and vertical must be 1.3ohm minimum, but doublecheck my numbers.
*They don't label the circuits which can make life difficult when troubleshooting bad capacitors and resistors.
*They don't quite get you a good picture, it's odd I've had mixed experiences. On one chassis, after a full recap it's been a champ for over a year of regular use and has a great picture. On another one it oddly works better with one of my 27" than the 25" though Im gonna recap it when I get time. Yet another one basically crumbled in my hands and I had to toss. Try to find a reputable seller if thats even possible on Ali. Only a few places sell them.
Being completely honest, your experience may vary and if you're just looking for a quick solution without having to put any effort in they are not for you. Youre better off forking over the cash for a matching one, they usually cost $160-200. Dave over in the FS/Ft is selling a stack of them already recap. The folks at Klov can help you out, but uum, be extra nice and patient when asking for help over there.
Thanks piscian18!
I don't know what to do. I bought this cabinet for $100 bucks it's an MK2 cabinet that someone converted to some other game. the artwork is in perfect condition after stripping the old paint job. and it came with a 25 inch cube with very little burn. You really have to look for it to see it.
My fear is what if I buy an original chassis and the tube is somehow broken I'm out a couple of hundreds.. The neck looks good but I don't know jackshit about CRT monitors.
Until recently I played all my Arcades with a supergun. but now That I have a new house with a basement I'm finally able to buy real cabinets so CRT arcade monitors are a new thing for me now.
I don't know what to do. I bought this cabinet for $100 bucks it's an MK2 cabinet that someone converted to some other game. the artwork is in perfect condition after stripping the old paint job. and it came with a 25 inch cube with very little burn. You really have to look for it to see it.
My fear is what if I buy an original chassis and the tube is somehow broken I'm out a couple of hundreds.. The neck looks good but I don't know jackshit about CRT monitors.
Until recently I played all my Arcades with a supergun. but now That I have a new house with a basement I'm finally able to buy real cabinets so CRT arcade monitors are a new thing for me now.
Owning a cab is a slow descent into madness and hell. I ended up having to teach myself the full gambit of CRT repair just getting my stupid Capcom Dynamo cab working. I started with buying one of those universals and my life just got worse from there.
If you really think the tube is salvageable Take a ton of pictures of it and post over on Klov, see if someone can identify it and provide feedback on if its an easy cheap chassis swap or if you may need to replace the whole thing. Someone may even take pity on you and sell you a replacement chassis at a reasonable price. They also have a "local" section. I discovered, despite living in the geographical oddity of Denver Co, theres a bunch of arcade techs nearby. If youre nice some of those dudes will sell you a whole new CRT and chassis for like $100 if you post in Klov Local or craigslist. Thats how I got a replacement CRT for one of my blast Cities.
If you decide to take a gamble on the Universal just be careful. The ones on Ali for $30 are like everything else on Ali that seem like a good deals.
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