Milton Bradley Simon Game Repair
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- Опубліковано 24 лют 2022
- This Simon game from about 1981. It wasn't working so I decided to fix it. There were a few surprises but it works now. See how a simple repair was wasn't as simple as it should have been.
A few useful links:
General info on Simon on Wikipedia (duh): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(...)
Simon schematics and more info on the MB4850 from: www.waitingforfriday.com/?p=586
SN75494N chip specs at: www.datasheets360.com/pdf/-91...
#127 bulb specs: www.bulbtown.com/127_Miniatur...
I love watching these vintage electronics troubleshooting and repair videos, looking forward to more! :)
Thank you !!! I’m working on more now.
Same here. Can't get enough of them!
Great troubleshooting and description of repair. I really enjoy your videos and variety.
Many thanks for your kind words.
bonus tip clean the motherboard and the contacts where the light bulbs flash gently scrape the contacts with a flat blade screw driver its how I fixed my 1978 and 1979 super simon and they both work excellent
A great idea, considering that the contacts have probably oxidized over the past 40 years and it wouldn't take much oxidation to cause contact resistance with the bulbs.
Great video! Love that you show the datasheet for the chips.
Thanks!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement I'm 56. I'm sure you're close to my age. Do you remember the old Johnson and Smith catalogs.....of course you do! Do you remember they sold a chronograph watch probably made in Hong Kong. They dubbed it the computer watch....it was actually a slide rule chronograph. Been searching ebay for over 20 years now for one but I don't have any idea what the actual brand was. I ask everybody in my age group if they know. So hopefully you know. Thanks
And those AM radio spy pens come up on ebay and they sell for 200 or more! I had one. Paid 1.99 plus 6 weeks of torture waiting for it🤣
I don’t think we had “Johnson and Smith” catalogs here in Canada. If we did, I never saw them. If you are referring to the page of unbelievable stuff advertised on comic books’ last page (like X-Ray vision goggles and stuff like that) I never had the money to send away for it. Besides, my mother probably wouldn’t have permitted me to do it. So I’m sorry, I can’t be of much help.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement Sorry thought you were from the US. My fault.
No problem. Now how can I say that with a southern Ontario accent? 😊 Wait? We don’t have an accent! 😊
Nice fix. It looks like someone may have had it open before. I thought there's supposed to be a white circular thin piece of cardboard overlaying the PCB under the bulbs to enhance the brightness of the lights. That's what I've seen inside the ones I've fixed.
It wouldn’t surprise me. I was told it was in perfect working order. They may have tried to fix but when they couldn’t they just put it back together without any care and put it up for sale.
It would be "safer" to make the jumper wire soldered on the chip itself. Since it would continue retro compatible with the original chip.
Thank you for watching my video. You’re right. But I hope never to have to replace it again. And the original chip is already hard to come by and will only become more scarce going forward.
I have an issue with this exact same unit. However, it lights up and beeps, but when it wants me to mimic the first light, it doesn't register.
Please check the 4 push button switches (blue, red, green, yellow). They may not be making good contact when depressed. Might need cleaning or replacement. Let me know how it goes!
Excellent video and explanations! How about we modify the batteries to use, for example, an 18650 pack or something modern rechargeable? I have two Simons to repair, I will try with my basic knowledge, if I can't find the bulbs I will see if there are any LEDs. You can make a mod.
Thank you, and I’m happy you enjoyed the video. I did the video a long time ago, but if I recall the lamps were special order from Mouser. If I were to do another one, I’d probably consider LEDs though there’s probably not enough voltage for warm-white ones or blue ones. The TTL chip could handle 5v so you could probably make it work. I didn’t want to stray too far from the original design, but of course you’re free to experiment and make improvements. Keep me posted on your progress!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement Thank you very much for the advice, I am learning electronics step by step, the obvious idea is not to damage it, I have two Simons, one seems to be one of the first with the Texas CPU and the other is already a more simplified version, I think it is a little more modern but not as much as the reissues.
I loved the video because of the didactics and the explanation of the diodes, I would have thought that a single diode would be enough, I didn't know that effect on the batteries.Greetings from Argentina
@nopochoclos thanks again. Greetings from Ontario, Canada.
What a bizarre fault. Your theory of the D batteries being installed backwards seems reasonable, but the lamps all being burned out smells of something more sinister. Almost like someone was experimenting with powering it from an external power supply, and put too much voltage into it.
Very possible. Yes indeed, a strange fault that I wasn’t expecting. What was sinister about the whole experience was that it was sold to me on Facebook Marketplace as a toy which was working properly. This wasn’t the first time a Seller has “misrepresented the facts” to me. And not the last either.
It's a shame the ICs are so hard to come by. I'd love to buy a broken one and repair it, but if the MB4805 is toast, welp...that's that.
I had never intended to buy a broken one. I was told it was working. It wasn’t and it couldn’t. I guess you take your chances when buying off Facebook Marketplace.
How do I fix a broken Simon game
A broken Simon game I have but it doesn’t work totally
The game is completely busted and less you move around the batteries a certain way but it doesn’t wanna turn on
Somethings blown out
How do I fix it? Should I fix it or get the bootleg version?
I would start by cleaning the battery contacts with some sandpaper. You have to be sure that it’s receiving power before you can do any testing. Have you checked the bulbs?
What was the flaw?
I’m guessing you mean what design flaw could have caused the failure of the driver IC? Many ICs don’t like having their polarity reversed. This is a toy used by children and it’s very possible that the batteries could accidentally have been installed backwards. Since no protection diode was included in the circuit this would likely result in damage to the device.
Any electronic device designed for children should have design features in place to protect against the kind of damage a child might accidentally cause.