Star Tech Journal

Issue: 1991-April - Vol 13 Issue 2

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Prince's Corner
Donald B. Prince
D&RMusic
Bozeman, Montana
A Tech Tool For The 90' s
I didn't plan on doing back to back product
reviews. but I came across an electronics rework
tool that should be in every videotech's tool box.
The Electronic Rework Tool is an illuminated pin
extractor /printed circuit board rework tool. The
tool has three parts: (1) The illuminated probe,
(2) A set of extraction tips and (3) A printed
circuit board rework set.
The obvious advantages of this tool are: Small
size. Diffused lighting to help vision in dark
back-of-the-game conditions. Runs on two AAA
batteries. Lots of tips for different connectors
(more coming). It's also a rework tool and it
doesn't take up much space in your toolbox.
The probe is high tech flashlight. It has a very
slim aluminum case with the on/ off switch
mounted on one end. The other end is a diffused
light source (non glare). Sort of like the type a
doctor uses in the examining room. On this end
is a collar which accepts extraction tips and
exacto blades. The probe is powered by two AAA
batteries.
At present. there are five extraction tips. Three of
them are for extracting Molex barrel-type pins
(like Nintendo and Atari video game front pan-
els). There are three sizes: Small. Medium and
Large. A fourth tip is for extracting crimp-type
Molex pins (like RGB connectors). A fifth tip
extracts Molex and Amp pins from JAM.MA
connectors.
The probe also accepts exacto blades for printed
circuit board repair. This can be used along with
another attachment you can get. the 5x mag-
nifying lense. This is a completely adjustable
magnifying lense which helps you see what your
cutting on the circuit board (tiny traces. etc.).
Along with the diffused light source. which gives
soothing non-glare lighting. the pin extraction
tool now becomes a valuable printed circuit
board rework tool. Even extremely small PCB
work can be easily accomplished.
It's about time someone came up with a tool that
is this versatile and affordable. This tool will do
all your rework/repair jobs. You can order your
Electronic Rework Tool from King Tool Inc .. 406 /
586-1541. Ask for Steve Emerson.
CRT Alignnient
This month, I'd like to say afew words on CRT
alignment Have you ever replaced a CRT only to
frnd rainbows on screen? Tried degaussing with
no help? Ok, let's go over it again.
* After replacing the CRf, align the yoke back on
the neck roughly where it was on the old CRf.
Snag the clamp just enough to hold it.
* If the game has an internal convergence gen-
erator, then power down, disconnect the +5v
jumper, reconnect the RGB lines and use it to
converge and purify the screen. If not, and no
pattern generator is handy, try this.
* With the +5 jumper in place (RGB lines dis-
* Install the magnets in the same approximate
connected. Sync must be connected!), shrink
the picture both horizontally and vertically to get
a small square block.
* NOW, disconnect the RGB lines from the logic
* Connect additional jumpers from +5v to B&G
place on the new CRf that were in the old one
(roughly just ahead of the guns).
board and install a jumper from +5v to the red
monitor input. Leave the sync connected. Power
it up. This will give you a red screen (on most
monitors - some AC coupled monitors this won't
work, and it's back to the shop for the pattern
generator). Gently loosen the yoke clamp and
move the yoke back and forth on the neck to give
a full solid color screen without rainbows. Also,
level the screen with the tube outline.
*Snug the clamp. Degauss theCRfatthis point
and then double check your yoke setting - pic-
ture square and mono colored? Fine. Go ahead
and glue in the rubber yoke wedges.
inputs. The square should now be white, on a
black background. Align the convergence to a
single white square. No R, G, or B "shadow lines"
on the edges. Enlarge the picture horizontally
noting any minor corrections and then verti-
cally.
*
Power down, disconnect jumpers and
reconnect RGB lines. Put up the game and check
it out.
I've been told this method was kind of crude. I ~
is, I admit it, but it has worked for me.
Happy gaming.

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