HELP! TAF won't boot (divorce imminent)

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

First off, I'm an idiot. Let's get that out of the way. I left my
just-bought Addams in my Florida garage for a week before I could, um,
negotiate its entrance to the house. I'm expecting answers like, "you
idiot, the humidity did you in".

I played a game (late at night, of course) last night in the garage, and
while I was playing, the DMD got progressively glitchier. When a
full-screen image (say GRAVE award) appeared, the display would recover
temporarily. 60 seconds or so later, the game wedged with a junk on the
DMD and a sound sample looping; a ball was autolaunched, all controls
were dead, and then the playfield lights went into attract mode.

From this I deduce that the sound board was OK, and some of the game
logic was running. Not sure what else it tells me.

Tonight, I finally got it into the house, and it won't even boot. Flip
the switch, thunk from the amp, nothing else. I didn't leave it powered
up long, just seven seconds or so, lest I cause further damage.

My first instinct is that some bus connector corroded and I need to let
it dry out in the air conditioned house for a few days, reseat
everything, and see where I am. But what's the basic method for
troubleshooting the brains? I've got a good meter and an oscilloscope,
so I'm not entirely without tools. "RTFM" advice welcome, so long as
you can suggest a book or URL to start from. I've ordered a manual for
the machine, but won't have it for a few days.

Final plea: it would be very helpful if this TAF did not remain dead
too long, lest it end up on the sidewalk with me sleeping under it.

Kind regards,

Barred from eBay
Lake Mary, FL

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

"a ball was autolaunched, all controls
were dead, and then the playfield lights went into attract mode."

I must have gotten ripped-off, I can't find the autolauncher on my TAF


Mamushka

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Mamushka wrote:

> "a ball was autolaunched, all controls
> were dead, and then the playfield lights went into attract mode."
>
> I must have gotten ripped-off, I can't find the autolauncher on my TAF
>

Good point! Clearly I launched it myself, but conscious thought didn't
enter into it. It is automatic, just with biological components.
Ball in trough, GO!

This is why two-player games should deliver an electrical shock to
player one if he doesn't step away when his ball is over...