Overview

I have an Atari Tempest arcade machine.  The Video has been toasted for the past 10 years... wavy, distorted, and basically, unusable.

THEN, just last week, I did a little webresearch and bought the Zanon kit #206 for the Wells-Gardner (Tempest) video display.  It cost about $17 including shipping, and arrived in two days. It took me about 4 hours to install it.  After the fact, I have an excellent Tempest machine.

I installed the kit myself.  I'm not much of an electronics expert, but I have wielded a soldering iron in my past.  I know the basic rules and concepts.

If you're planning to fix your display, you'll want a video professional to install the kit for you if you don't know how to solder small electronic components or if you don't know how to work safely around the insides of a video display.  I'm sure the local TV repair dude could install the kit for you for a fee... or, if you're lucky, give you the pointers you need to do it yourself.   http://www.cyberenet.net/~batlzone/capkit.htm seems like a good reference, although I did not use it.

Installation

Tools I Used

  • Low voltage soldering iron
  • Appropriate Solder
  • Desoldering Bulb
  • Screwdrivers
  • Socket wrench (for unbolting display from case)
  • Multimeter (for checking transistors/chassis issues, "tuning" potentiometer to 5.5k)
  • Windex & paper towels (to clean glass and CRT face)

Key References

I ordered the Zanen Monitor Get Well Kit #206.  Reference:

Zanen Electronics
806-793-6337

I used the following document as my only resource for replacing the components.  It proved invaluable - much more helpful than the Zanen instructions.  Get it and use it:

http://www.amug.org/~necro/video/zanen206.html

I simply installed ALL of the Kit #206 components.  I did not install any of the other components suggested (LV2000, etc) by the above document.

Steps I Took

  • Unpluged Tempest unit, and allowed nasty voltages to drain off
  • Removed the display from the case
    • lift control panel (via latches)
    • slide out glass/mask
    • remove 4 nuts/bolts.
    • Remove back, remove single bolt.
    • Unplug display
    • Lifted out display and placed it on the clean floor.
  • Removed the large board from the display via two screws
  • Replaced 6 transistors on the chassis
    • Tested that transistors were not touching the chassis via Multimeter
  • Replaced specified components on large board (desoldering bulb and soldering iron)
    • Transistors, capacitors, and diodes must be oriented correctly!
    • My board was a little different than advertised (I have a very early display).  Basically, ALL of the zener diodes were marked as resistors.  I was able to figure those bits out.
  • Removed the top of the large metal cage (box) and disconnected the cage from the chassis.
  •  I didn't actually disconnect all the wires here... just enough to get full access to both sides of the board.
    • Replaced components on that board as documented in the reference
    • Reinstalled cage
  • Replaced capacitor on neck board (without removing the board from the neck)
    • Required the snipping and replacing of a nylon tie
  • Double-checked all my work
  • Reinstalled display in case
  • Cleaned glass and display CRT
  • Powered up... 10 seconds later, a great looking display!
  • Adjusted the display as described in the Tempest manual.