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Aussie Pinball Forums => Archived Threads => Homepin => Topic started by: Homepin on October 24, 2011, 05:39:13 PM

Title: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Homepin on October 24, 2011, 05:39:13 PM

I had a member approach me as his SAD4069 chip on the Bally "Say It Again" board in a Centaur had carked it - a very common problem as it turns out.

These chips are LONG obsolete and rumour has it they were all faulty from new and some say they disintergrate from the inside??

I trolled the web looking for ideas and found a couple of people had come up with some clever fixes for the problem but again, all using either obsolete parts or very complex methods.

I enquired of a semiconductor factory I do some business with in PRC and they are sending me some samples of a product they make that is CURRENT production - so that's a good start.

My fix (if it works  %.%) will be a small plug in PCB and NO soldering or modifications. The old adjustments on the main board will become unused and the new adjustments are on the daughter board.

I have made up a prototype (looks horrible as the finished board will be double sided and therefore won't have jumper wires everywhere like the proto) and here it is - waiting for the sample chips to arrive..... (((

If all goes well I will put it into production even though there is probably a pretty limited market even worldwide??

(http://www.homepin.com/pics/saywhat1.jpg)


(http://www.homepin.com/pics/saywhat2.jpg)

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Retropin on October 24, 2011, 07:38:15 PM

My board is flakey to say the least.. ill be up for one

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Strangeways on October 25, 2011, 09:19:34 AM

Very common problem. The chip (and the board) are made of unobtanium. Would be great to see a replacement.

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Ballywannabe on October 25, 2011, 11:05:36 AM

I am interested, I have 2 SIA's and niether works properly!

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: GAP on October 25, 2011, 01:22:16 PM

Count me in for one !!

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: elkor-alish on October 25, 2011, 02:45:52 PM

I think you may have underestimated the demand for these.
Love how you keep cranking out the hard to get boards ^^^

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: MartyJ on October 25, 2011, 05:34:50 PM

So Mike, what are you going to call the new and improved version?

Tautology - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology_%28rhetoric%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautology_%28rhetoric%29)

I can see these going like hotcakes all over the globe, so best of luck with getting it into production.

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Retropin on October 25, 2011, 05:59:48 PM

Must admit.. i can see these being popular too.. evenm those with a fixed board will want the plug in as back up id say.

Ok.. next question.. does anyone with a SIA board have one that works 100%?

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: deep six on October 26, 2011, 09:04:08 PM

Hey Mike

Really good to see you doing these, it almost makes me want to go out and buy a machine just so I can get a new board from you. Keep up the good work mate.

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Homepin on October 28, 2011, 03:17:39 PM

Well the sample chips arrived today and I set up the prototype board on the bench with a small hand mic input and a switch to bypass the board. I'm pretty happy with the sound and the two adjustments allow a very wide range of effects that (to me anyway) sound very much like the original.

I'll send off the protype for installation in a machine and see what the owner of the machine thinks? If that pans out OK I will have a batch of boards made.

Here is a video of me first speaking a few phrases used in the machine and then the same phrases with the sound effect enabled:

Title: Re: Say It Again, Centaur echo board repair - SAY WHAT!
Post by: Retropin on October 28, 2011, 03:20:10 PM

Willing to intall into my Centaur mate... && &&