Category: Toys

MB – Simon

Remember this? Everyone had one around 1978 apart from me that is. Well, now I’ve got one, only 47 yrs late and it doesn’t work. But hey that’s what this site is all about, and that’s how I roll. Always late to the party, and even then you’ll probably find me in the kitchen 🥳

What the listing said:

Cosmetically in very good condition but does not work. Please see attached pictures to judge condition for yourself.

EBay

Another one with all battery covers! I’m shocked. And what’s that screwdriver there for?

The guy was after £17:00GBP and that included postage, but I put in a cheeky bid and managed to get it with postage for £9:80GBP. Anything under a tenner is good in my eyes.

Here’s some history:

Simon is an electronic game of short-term memory skill invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, working for toy design firm Marvin Glass and Associates, with software programming by Lenny Cope. The device creates a series of tones and lights and requires a user to repeat the sequence. If the user succeeds, the series becomes progressively longer and more complex. Once the user fails or the time limit runs out, the game is over. The original version was manufactured and distributed by Milton Bradley and later by Hasbro after it took over Milton Bradley. Much of the assembly language code was written by Charles Kapps, who taught computer science at Temple University and also wrote one of the first books on the theory of computer programming. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and was an immediate success, becoming a pop culture symbol of the 1970s and 1980s.

Wikipedia

From what i can see in the pictures the item seems good, cosmetically. I may be able to see just a little contamination around the battery contacts but I can’t be sure. It worries me when i see a picture that shows a screwdriver alongside the item you are buying, it just screams at me that the seller has been in side and is not being truly honest about its issues. Let’s just wait until it arrives to do a full assessment. I’m genuinely excited about getting this working, as my age veers ever closer to the higher numbers. I need something to stimulate my mind, what’s left of it. 😂

Assessment:

The unit has arrived and on first impressions looks clean and tidy cosmetically. The pads are not very responsive and the battery contacts are seriously corroded. The unit is a power hungry beast, taking two ”D” cell 1.5v batteries and one PP9 9v battery. The unit does not work with its batteries in place, and i’m not surprised really, and to round it all off two screws are missing from the case, and one screw mount is broken. All four plastic springs that sit under the coloured pads are broken, and just to clarify someone has already been in here and it doesn’t bode well. My previous concerns of a screwdriver being in the original photos have been confirmed. It’s been tampered with.

Broken screw mounts and contamination
Bad contacts – contaminated
Pads unresponsive due to broken plastic spring mounts

The board is a typical of many circuit boards from this era that were produced for MB. I had a similar circuit board on this item here: MB – Computer Battleship

Top of board
Underneath the board
You can see the board structure that is typical for this era. The contact points are indicated by the red arrow marks.

In the picture above you will see two arrowed points. These points are the power contacts that make contact with the two seriously corroded battery contacts you can also see above. No wonder there is no power getting to the board. I suspect this might be the cause of our electrical problem.

Repair:

First thing to do is to get those battery contacts cleaned, as well as having a good clean of the main board. This has now been done. I’ve repaired the broken screw post by simply using a rubber washer that has been sufficient for this repair.

Contacts before and after

A friend of mine has kindly offered to print me off four of the “Double Y” springs to replace the ones that are already in place and broken. He owes me a favour or three and needs some subject matter to run through his new 3D printer so I’m very pleased to help him, as pending the outcome I may well buy one myself, as I have been threatening to do so for a while now. This should sort out the issue of the unresponsive pads, first found in the assessment of the item. He’s panicking that they might not be smooth and beautiful, I’ve told him not to worry as they are hidden inside anyway.

What I currently have on the left, what I’m expecting on the right

He’s just supplied me with five double “Y” pieces just in case one is damaged in some way. Let’s get these put in place to see the difference these make.

Out with the old
In with the new

With the new springs in place the pads are working as they were originally designed to, now with some springiness in their operation. The battery contacts have now also been put back in place.

Cleaned contacts back in place

When assembled, the buttons are a little erratic and not always responsive so I decide to look into this further. A quick Look at the board shows that the solder contacts on the board for all of the button connections are worn, the solder has failed so I decide to reflow all these solder joints to improve the contacts. This appears to have worked as the unit when reassembled, now has uninterrupted operation. This is an age related issue. A simple fix.

Old solder joints that have failed and needed re-flowing

Result:

Another 47 year old saved from the scrap heap, it’s been an interesting and sometimes confusing repair and I thank my friend who stepped in to save the day by utilising his 3D printer to make some parts. Without his assistance this repair would not have been achievable.

Looking smart after a quick clean

It’s just another old piece of retro history to add to my ever growing collection and much to my wife’s dismay. Bless her.

Now working

Thanks for passing by, as always it’s very much appreciated.

Grandstand Convertors Deltatron

What you say?

I arrived home from work last evening to find my nephew at home. He’d been looking around his mum and dad’s attic to find his old star wars toy collection he had from the 80s-90s. Whilst in the loft he found this old toy from 1985 by a company called Yonezawa being sold under the Grandstand branding, and it isn’t working. Here is where it passes over to uncle Dave.

Uncle Dave, it’s not working

There’s no real value to these toys as they were produced in massive quantities off the back of all the transformer type toys that were available at the time. There are some accessories missing from this one that are obtainable via the auction sites, he may well ask me to source these, but at the moment he just wants me to get it working to pass onto his boys. The video below shows just what it does….and that’s not a lot. But the one I have here is totally dead and needs reviving just like Frankenstein.

Deltatron what it should do

So here we go…

Assessment:

My overriding surprise is that this has been in a loft space for close to 30 yrs and does not have that expected damp mustiness that usually comes with such an item. I must say, my brother in laws loft space is an exception, it’s obviously free from excessive moisture, mind you it’s only about 40 yrs old so building standards had probably advanced somewhat from when ours was built about 90 yrs ago.

It’s in a good condition and all its parts are there minus a few little additions that originally came with the toy. But as I have stated earlier these parts can be obtained on line if required.

Right, let’s have a look at what is or isn’t happening here…

Repair:

When batteries are installed and the remote control is operated, all that happens is that a light comes on in the toy. The motion that is required is non existent.

The motor unit
Motor removed, there is a cog mechanism to move the unit
The motor unit removed

When examined closer you can see there is a lot of surface rust on the side of the motor where the contacts go into the unit.

Really rusty
Quick clean later

The contacts were so rusty inside the motor unit that you’d get an intermittent running of the motor if you moved them. I’ve checked continuity and solder joints and they were fine. I’ve injected some contact cleaning spray into the motor and sat there manipulating the motor in both directions for about 5 minutes, this was sufficient to get the motor running freely once power was reapplied. The contacts were dirty and restricting the flow of power to the motor. I decided to use some IPA around the area to give it all a good clean and once again sprayed more contact cleaner through the motor.

Contact cleaner and silicone grease

Once I’d run the motor for a few minutes in both directions I then applied some silicone grease to the cogs and moving parts to allow a smoother operation. It’s worked. A nice simple fix.

Result:

It’s working and here’s a small video to prove it.

It’s now working

I’ve already handed it back and it’s a joy to see the smiles on my nephew and his dad’s face when they watched it working. Such a simple thing, bringing back treasured memories and laughs. Another old toy saved for another generation and best of all another item not going to a landfill.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

Peter Pan Playthings Master Challenge

What the listing stated:

Embark on a journey down memory lane with the vintage Master Challenge Computer Electronic Quiz Game by Peter Pan. This handheld electronic game offers a test of knowledge and skill, making it a splendid addition to any game’s collection. Ideal for enthusiasts of retro gaming, it provides hours of entertainment as you tackle a variety of questions and challenges.

As a sought-after piece amongst collectors, this game is a testament to the era of classic toys and games. Whether you’re looking to complete your set of electronic games or seeking a unique gift for a vintage game aficionado, the Master Challenge game promises to be a talking point at any gathering. 

This item is sold as spares and repairs as not working. Please send offers or ask any questions. 

EBay

The seller here has obviously used the wonderful AI assistant to write this post as it is so false. The unit is incomplete, it is probably not sought after, as it was not that well received back in the day, and in its current state is probably only fit to be disposed of, also an important part of it is missing. However I’m not for disposing of items such as this and will endeavour to get it back into a working state, it’s just going to take a little time and patience.

I’m missing a fair bit, and it doesn’t work
What my unit looks like
What the unit should look like

Some history:

Peter Pan Playthings Ltd was a British toy company founded in 1963. It bought Salter Science and other assets from the receivers of Thomas Salter Ltd. In 1972 the company reported a £80,000 profit. The following year it was acquired by Berwick Timpo.

The company was sold on to Bluebird Toys in 1987, which continued to use the Peter Pan Playthings brand for several years.

Produced around 1980, the Master Challenge system was licensed from Coleco (Coleco’s Quiz Wiz system), this was released in the U.K. by Peter Pan Playthings. There were 30 different cartridges for Coleco’s version. The unit comes with a question book and the system is used to answer those questions. It is currently unknown how many cartridges were made for the UK version.

T’internet

So for some unknown reason I have purchased this 45yr old piece of retro nonsense because I just can’t keep my bidding finger still. That’ll teach me a lesson. I’ve paid the grand total including postage of £5:69GBP, and I think it is missing the most important part, the book of questions that go with the cartridge, usually attached to the binder that encompasses the unit. It’s also broken, so it needs fixing anyway, and I believe extra cartridges can be purchased, so if I can get it working, and I can obtain further cartridges then no problem. If I can’t, then there is a problem. The battery cover is also missing. I’m a fool, honestly I am.

Whereas the Coleco Wiz system had 30 different cartridges available I believe the Uk version only had the 6 as listed below:

  • 1 – General knowledge
  • 2 – World of sport
  • 3 – Music
  • 4 – The bible
  • 5 – BBC quizzes
  • 6 – BBCs Top of the form

And back in the 1980 these additional cartridges and quiz books could be purchased for £6:99 GBP and 50 pence postage! Quite pricey for the time.

On this particular cartridge or what remains of it are the pre programmed answers to 1001 questions that I’m not in possession of. How novel. I have managed to find a photo on line that has some questions showing on it, these would have been in the original book that would normally be attached to the binder of this unit, so this should be sufficient to at least test the game in its current form.

Some questions to test the unit.

The game works in such a way that you choose a question from the book, you then use the unit to give your answers. If the answer is wrong you hear a corresponding low pitched sound and get a red light. If you are right you hear a high pitch sound and see a green light.

Score sheets in the back of the booklet

So basic in its operation, many thought it was totally pointless back in the day. However this was computerised technology in its earliest and most basic form and was at the dawn of a new era of personal entertainment. It deserves to be preserved.

To cover my apparent foolishness I have found another cartridge that I’m going to purchase to make this unit complete.

These plug in units come in a binder format with the brains of the game situated in an enclosed plastic block on the base of the binder, i suspect it is something along the lines of an integrated circuit. I can’t open this one as it is sealed, however when the old one arrives i will open it up as that one doesn’t have a quiz book with it. It will be good to see just what is inside. This little unit contains all the answers to the 1001 questions that are provided in the attached quiz book that slots into the top of the binder. The number inside the block indicates the quiz book reference.

Challenge quiz book and questions
The “Brains” and the quiz book reference number

The faulty computer unit I am awaiting, then slots into the binder and block by the pins you see in the photo above. The computer then simply has to decide whether your answer choices are right or wrong. And that’s the crux of the game in a nutshell.

Whilst awaiting this broken units arrival, I’ve purchased the additional set of plug in questions seen in the pictures above. This is an additional 1001 questions set, based on all the old BBC quizzes. It’s complete with answer book and the complete surrounding binder. It has arrived ahead of the faulty unit and is in an exceptionally good condition considering its age. None of the mustiness you’d expect from an item that is 45 years old. It must have been stored with great consideration. It’s cost me more than the broken unit, this cost a total of £8:15GBP, so that makes a running total of £13:84. I do have another game cartridge on order that I picked up for another £7:83GBP but I’m quite happy with this. It will be a nice addition to the games box that comes out when the family or guests come around, and everyone loves an old retro style game. It will certainly be a talking point, that’s for sure.

My additional plug in cartridge

Assessment:

I’ve not even received the unit yet and I’m getting a bit ahead of myself wondering just what could be wrong with it. Its operation is so basic, think it could only be one of five things possibly be at fault.

  • Pins that read the cartridge are dirty/damaged
  • Contamination in the battery area
  • Loose wires
  • Faulty switch
  • Cold solder joints

I guess we will just have to await its arrival when we can make an accurate assessment.

The unit has arrived and it’s a tatty looking piece. Dirty, and only the remains of the binder that used to accompany it.

What has arrived

I’ve put in some batteries and there is very dead. There is the occasional buzz when the switch is slowly moved but nothing else. It could be a faulty switch, it could be the contacts. I’m going to have to open it up and get down to board level.

Inside – all posts welded

The problem here is that inside there are no screws attached to the inside support posts. The whole unit has been welded, all plastic posts have had heat applied to moulding the post tops. I’m going to have to break these off and try to re-weld them when we’ve got it all working again….if we can.

In the meantime I’m going to open up the the plug in module that’s attached to what is left of the old binder, i might as well sacrifice that piece as it’s of no use to me and it’s in the name of research.

How the unopened board looks
Board removed front view
Board removed rear view

Now I thought they’d be some kind of integrated circuit in here but there is not. It appears to be just a board with two sets of comb like traces that would appear to just short together in the unit. Makes you wonder if the questions in the book follow some simple kind of algorithm that the unit just adheres to. Maybe every so many questions, they all have the same answer, there must be some simple and basic way that the unit knows the preprogrammed answers. Maybe I’ll find out more when I look inside the actual “Computer” unit.

Repair:

Inside the unit there is not a great deal of components apart from a single IC a capacitor and a number of diodes and resistors.

I’ve used a very fine emery board I borrowed off of my wife (don’t tell her) to try to get in and clean these contacts, as I believe this is what is causing the issue.

All buttons under a sheet of tape

All buttons are under a sheet of tape. I have removed this tape, cleaned all the contacts with IPA and repositioned them and re taped them using Kapton tape. They are a lot cleaner and are clicking nicely.

Button removal
All buttons removed
All cleaned and sealed down with Kapton tape

The contacts where the game cartridge is inserted are quite contaminated so these also have to be cleaned.

Contacts are contaminated

I’ve used an emery board to clean the contacts up on the unit, and when the cartridge is inserted we have a result. The first ten questions I have input have had correct answers only and no duplicates, so it really does really look as if the contacts were contaminated causing some kind of issue with the two parts of the game communicating.

Result:

It’s had a good clean both inside and out and a few of the old items inside replaced and given a new lease of life. The unit is now fully working and can be seen doing so in the little video below.

A little test example

I’ve since purchased a new binder for question set 1, so I now have that along with question set number 5. I’ll keep an eye on the auction sites to see if any of the other sets become available, and who knows I may try to get a full set. Now that would be quite rare I’d imagine.

A nice clean and working unit

I love digging around in these 80s units and just wonder at how basic the technology was back then, it’s just amazingly simple and so well put together. Anyway, this one is now working and good to go for a few more years yet. Saved from landfill we have another successful repair under the belt.

Thanks as usual for popping by. It’s most appreciated.

Mo’ Money…(Boxes)

What the listing stated:

2x Tomy Robot money boxes.

One yellow with pound coin on hand and one orange with a dollar on his hand.

I don’t think either are working and the yellow one is missing the battery cover so selling as spares or repairs.

EBay

Two more heading home
Dirty boys – Missing battery cover

Those of you who follow this site will realise I purchased one of these a while back and did the repair here: Tomy – Mr.Money bank

I paid a total of £10:20GBP for the one in that repair post, and he is currently earning his keep at work collecting money for our local hospice charity – LOROS.

These two I have managed to get for a total of £19:26, so in theory these two are in the similarly price range as the other two. These were produced in 1987 to encourage children to save, with the element on a little bit of fun. These money boxes, when in a good, working condition do command a fair price. Just look at the screen grab of the latest prices being charged on the sale sites.

Latest prices

Both apparently, are not working and they do look quite disgustingly dirty, I’ve no idea what the actual faults are but I’d bet they centre around the switch area as that is a common issue. Add to that one of the battery covers is missing, and the price will rise by about another £5:86GBP as I get a new cover 3D printed, that will mean a total outlay of £25:14GBP or to be specific £12:57GBP per unit.

I more than likely will keep one of them and move the other one on. Let’s wait and see what arrives for us to begin the assessment.

Assessment:

Well, have a look at these two scruffy urchins that turned up today. Both in an absolutely filthy state, need a really good clean. It really surprises me that anyone can send such a filthy item through the post. Does it really take too long to just dust an item down with some furniture polish? Thankfully the wife wasn’t here when they arrived or else she wouldn’t have let them through the door 😂

That said they are as described. Everything is in place apart from the battery cover that I have already ordered as a new 3D print.

Two scruffy urchins
First thing to do is to clean them. They are filthy
One missing battery cover, a 3D replacement has been ordered
Setting a good example. My perfectly clean, and working example at the front

Apart from the above all seems fine. I have put a battery in each and turned them on, nothing happens. On the yellow example there is a little contamination on the battery contacts and when I move the battery I do get some motion but it sounds as if there is a sticking or broken gear inside. The orange example is totally dead but the contacts are clean. This could be the classic switch issue. So the order of the day is to get these both cleaned before dismantling just to keep any mess to a minimum, open them up, clean inside and check the gearings and then lubricate with some silicone grease. I’m hoping these will not be too labour intensive as I have been inside one of these before, and I’m more than aware of the issues of small parts falling out.

Repair:

First a clean with some polish.

A quick clean and they come up lovely

Cleaning done, they’ve come up lovely, I’ll give them a final clean at the end after we’ve attended to the internal issues. So let’s get on.

I’ve chosen the orange chap first, however my suspicions about the faulty switch are wrong. The switch tests fine and I then go a bit deeper into its soul 😂

Off with his head and down into the cogs and sprockets

I get down to the motor and the cogs and sprockets and realise the motion has ceased. A little silicon grease over all the moving parts and a little bit of teasing and the unit springs into life. I let it run for a few minutes and then reassemble, cleaning everything along the way. This unit is now working.

The second unit, the yellow one, was working sort of. So as I have done above, this one was also stripped down, cleaned along the way and also had all cogs and sprockets greased accordingly. It also is now working fine.

I have already purchased a 3D printed battery cover to replace the missing one, and this is now installed, so we now have two complete units. For what I’ve paid for 3D printed pieces over the last year, it would probably be worth investing in my very own 3D printer.

The new replacement, 3D printed battery cover

Result:

Well I now have three absolutely perfect working examples of this fun piece of 1980s technology. One is in use earning money for the local hospice.

The Orange one is going to be used by a work colleague to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Earning his keep

He is selling candles and I’m going to brand this one with a BHF logo to add some fun to his fundraising.

The three amigos

I have put together this little video regarding feeding time for these three . Enjoy!

Feeding time

The third unit will probably be sold on unless I can find someone else who can put it to good use.

Thanks for visiting, as you know it is always very much, appreciated.

Tomy – Mr.Money bank

What the listing stated:

Not working 

May be an easy fix

EBay

Now I don’t half buy some junk to fix, but this one struck a chord with me. Looking into its history I believe it’s a toy made to encourage children to save money from around 1987. So he’s currently around 38 yrs old.

Dirty, as per usual and a bit beaten up. Sounds just like me 😂
Crazy prices

As you can see in the photo above, you could originally buy a set of these, incorporating Dollar, Pound or Euro stickers for the serving hand, the one i have made an offer on is the dollar one.

What appeals to me about this item is that I’ve been looking for a way at work to raise some money for the local LOROS hospice, and this might be a fun way to do it if I can get it working. I plan to brand it with the local hospice details and just thought it would be a fun way to use it. This is a fun object where you put a coin on its hand, its mouth opens, the eyes go up and the coin goes in the mouth. There is a munching motion and then the tongue licks its lips. Or at least it should do. This one I have ordered is having none of that and this is the challenge ahead. These units are notorious for having issues with the power switch, a simple fix if that is the case, but this is me…nothings ever that simple.

And as usual it’s dirty, has marks on it and needs a good clean.

As with everything retro (New antiques 🤦‍♂️) items are attracting some crazy prices, though I do think the general public are not as stupid as the sellers seem to believe they are, as all the above listings have yet to attract any bids. Now the one I have bid on is broken, and yes it has its battery cover. My current bid is £6.70GBP and I must now wait to see if it is a winning bid. With postage (Rip off as usual) the price will be £10.20GBP in total, so compared to the prices in the listings above it is an absolute bargain.

Good news – I have won the auction at this price. Nice.

Assessment:

Well, he’s arrived and just like Frankenstein he’s very dead. He needs an electrical kick start and that’s what we need to do. He’s obtained a lot of scuffs and marks but I think these will buff out. Cosmetically everything is there, even the battery cover and that pleases me immensely. With batteries in place there is not even the tiniest sign of life even if the on /off switch is operated many times. We need to get inside and take a look. Hopefully it’s not too big an issue.

He’s a little dirty, beaten up and scarred

And I’m just so happy he has a battery cover. Exceptionally rare and unexpected.

Repair:

I’ve headed straight for the switch as this is where there is usually trouble and straight away there was a problem. There was no continuity at the switch when operated, so this was removed, opened, cleaned and the brass contacts ground and cleaned. The switch was then reassembled and tested and was all ok.

No continuity, so dismantled, cleaned thoroughly and reassembled

But this was not the problem. Damn it, I now have to take it apart and there is a lot of mechanical items within.

Gradually dismantling

Once dismantled I’ve had a good rummage around and have checked voltages around the electrical circuits until I found no voltage at the motor. The culprit was a small 3inch length of wire that had been crushed. This was replaced and the continuity was now restored to how it should be but still there was no life. I was confident that the electrical issues were no more so it must be a mechanical issue. There is a part of this unit that involves a tongue 👅 that pokes out. This was our issue. The cog and lever system had somehow been knocked out of sync, and once put back into its correct position the unit has now sprung into life. See the little video of this stage below:

We have life

Happy with this I’m now going to review all the pictures that thankfully I’ve taken, and ensure it’s reassembled and cleaned as I go along. The marks and dirt have buffed out nicely and the unit is now extremely clean and looking as good as the day it was purchased. And it works:

Working perfectly

Result:

Here it is now in all its highly polished and clean glory

Looking Beautiful and handsome in its 38th year.

Thoroughly enjoyed this little project, I love the electro mechanical items from this period, they really get you thinking.

The local charity

This unit is now going to have a LOROS hospice logo placed on it to cover the Tomy one as discussed at the beginning of this post. We can then start to gather all that loose change in my work place to pass onto them. They need every penny we can raise. Every penny helps, especially in the current financial climate.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

First attempt at Retrobrighting

I’m currently deep into a repair project that I will be posting about on here shortly. However the shell of this project has aged so badly it has earned the right to be my Guinea pig for my first attempt at Retrobrighting, it deserves a separate post of its own, so it’s getting one. I have explained what Retrobrighting is in a previous post: Retr0bright – What’s that then?

The unit is a recently purchased and damaged Nintendo Gameboy printer from around 1998, it isn’t working and looks right ugly. It needs some attention to its fascia and battery base, so let’s get on to it.

Top
Side
Rear
Side
The unit has not aged well and looks awful with this discolouration

I have taken the entire unit apart, separated the parts that need to be treated, removed all labels, and given the offending items a thorough wash in detergent before drying them off.

All stickers and other items removed. Shell thoroughly washed.

Next I’m just putting a 40 Volume 12% Peroxide cream solution into a small bowl, and I will then place the shells on a piece of cling film where I will liberally coat the offending items, using a brush, with the solution. When I’m happy with how this has gone, the treated surfaces will then be wrapped in cling film and placed in a sunny position for around 12hrs to allow the sun to do its thing. (UV lamps are sufficient if you have one available). I must reiterate it is important to wear protective gloves and eye protection when using this solution.

I’ve given a good coating of peroxide formula to all surfaces, but is it enough? I won’t know for at least a further 10-12 hrs, time will tell.

All wrapped and ready for some Sun ☀️

With the peroxide now applied, the fascia’s are now all wrapped in cling film and ready for 10-12 hrs or so of intense sunbathing. (Sounds just like me on one of our visits to Cyprus!). So let’s wait a while.

Patience

I’ve checked in and looked at the pieces outside, and after just 4hrs the results so far look amazing. I’m going to give it the full time though, so I’ll be back in around 6-8 hrs to check results. Hopefully we will have sufficient sunlight until then.

I’ve terminated the process at 9hrs as I have to go out and I’m impatient. Boy am I impressed at how it has turned out, it looks like a new shell.

Wow I’m impressed

Well I can honestly say that this treatment does work. I’m so impressed at the outcome, I just wish I’d attempted it earlier on some of my other products.

Before & After – Impressive improvement

Anything I’d do differently? I’d probably slap on a little more solution or maybe even reapply about half way through the process, the only reason for this is that there is the most minute tiny tinge of a yellowing on the side that had the heaviest contamination, possibly if I hadn’t been so impatient and left it for 3 more hours it would have been sorted, but then again it might not have! I do think a further application at the halfway point, especially when an item is so heavily stained as this unit was, would have done the job and made it look even more perfect.

Am I coming across as disappointed? Well I can assure you I am not. It’s my first attempt and I am so impressed. The total outlay for this process was £1:85GBP and that was just for the 75ml bottle of peroxide from a local supermarket, and I have enough left for another 3 applications, an absolute bargain. We only learn and improve from being persistent, and I’ve already learnt from what I have attempted today. And i am already a better, and more knowledgeable person than I was only a few hours earlier. You certainly can teach an old dog new tricks.

Edit: some 12hrs later I have decided to give a second treatment to see if this can improve on that slight yellowing I mentioned earlier. The results have greatly improved the look and there is now no visible sign of yellowing. I’d certainly recommend a second treatment for heavily stained items. It works, extremely well.

Watch out for my next post regarding the repair of this printer and its reconstruction: Nintendo Gameboy printer

Thanks for passing by. Always appreciated

Retr0bright – What’s that then?

It’s a process used to restore old Yellowed plastic back to its original state. Or at least it’s a way to try to. Read on and I’ll explain.

(Here is my understanding of the ABS plastic Yellowing process. There may be slight inaccuracies for which i apologise. Please do your own research on the subject. Further enquiries may be needed to satisfy your curious minds!)

Anyone who has any dealings with items built in the 80s/90s such as me will have come across an issue, especially related to anything built with ABS Plastic, and that would be the common phenomena of “Yellowing”.

If you own a game console or toy with white ABS there is the good chance that all or at least some of it will have turned a shade of yellow,

ABS plastic – otherwise technically known by its scientific name of “Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene” is a thermoplastic polymer. This means that it becomes pliable at an elevated temperature and solidifies on cooling. ABS was a flame retardant material that was regularly used as a casing for computers, gaming consoles and similar items just in case they were to overheat and catch fire. It was also used in Lego bricks for some reason, god knows how these were meant to catch fire though!

The yellowing issue lay with a chemical used in the manufacturing process called Bromine. When exposed to UV light or excessive heat this caused the photo oxidation of polymers within the chemical to break polymer chains causing the plastic to yellow and become brittle.

Come on then, tell us what retrobrighting is..

Retrobright or retr0brite as it is stylised by the guys who discovered the process, is an approach to removing yellowing from these ABS plastics, a kind of bleaching process if you like. The original recipe for Rerobright was discovered purely by chance by the CBM Museum at Wuppertal in Germany in March of 2008. I’m not going to go into the finite detail in this post, however you can read all about it here at the original Retr0brite project site: The Retr0brite Project.

The process can be a little hit and miss, however there are a lot of documented cases of it working very well. There is a downside that the yellowing can overtime return, as this process only really whitens the surface problem whilst those old polymers are still breaking down deep inside the plastic where this treatment doesn’t reach.

Before and after effects of this process. Pictures copyright The Retr0bight project

The process

I’m only going to touch on the process here, there are many other detailed explanations available on line, that explain the process far better than i could, here is one for example from the “How to Geek” site. How to clean old yellowed plastic on retro computers and game systems.

I will explain the process briefly below, but in no way do i accept responsibility for the way you approach the process. That is down to you entirely and i suggest you read up deeply on the subject prior to attempting this process. You have been warned!

What you need

  • The offending piece of plastic
  • Clingfilm
  • Paint brush or suitable application brush
  • Protective gloves
  • Eye protection
  • 40 volume oxidising cream (Hydrogen peroxide, salon hairdresser strength.
  • Sunshine (Hard to find here in the UK) or a UV lamp

For starters make sure the item you want to brighten is clean. Make sure you have eye protection and gloves on as the peroxide can cause skin burns and the last place you want it is in your eyes, believe me.

Lay down some cling film. Place your subject matter on the clingfilm. Apply some cream onto the object you want to lighten and smear it around ensuring the whole item is covered in the peroxide solution, failure to do this can cause blushing and streaking. When you are happy that the subject matter is fully treated, cover the whole item in the clingfilm ensuring there are no holes where the solution can evaporate from.

Next place the item where the whitening can take place. Out in direct sunlight and leave it there for the entire day. Indoors a UV light lamp can also be used. The UV rays that originally caused the yellowing will now react with the Peroxide to reverse the process. This does take time though and in some cases where the yellowing is particularly bad a second or third treatment may be required.

Remove the clingfilm after a sufficient UV exposure and ensure the subject matter is washed thoroughly to remove all traces of the peroxide developer. Again, ensure you have gloves on until all traces of the chemical are removed.

Dry the subject matter or allow it to dry naturally. Hey presto! Job done. And thats basically it.

I’ve covered this subject, as it is something i will be attempting over the coming months. I will address the process in individual posts relative to the item i will be working on at the time.

Thanks for passing by, it’s always appreciated.

Tomy / Palitoy Missile strike

Here’s what the listing stated:

This is a nice example of a Tomy ‘Missile Strike’ electro/ mechanical handheld game. It was made circa 1979 and is battery operated. It appears clean for age and works, apart from the missile light not illuminating. Battery terminals very good. This is a nice genuine item that is shown as I found it. NOTE – NO BATTERIES ARE ENCLOSED.  Nice example for any collector. 

EBay

Missile strike

On first seeing the listing for this item, my thoughts are that it looks quite clean and tidy. The usual state of these units are quite tatty with scratched screens. This looks good, however pictures, especially from EBay can be greatly misleading so I’ll guess I will just have to be patient and wait.

This units only issue seems to be with the LED missile light, so hopefully it will be a quick fix. These units are currently selling between £52-£79GBP as per the picture below. I managed to secure my unit for a total including postage of £24GBP so I think I’ve done well in that aspect. I’m quite happy with this.

Current sale prices on EBay

A little history:

Tomy released Missile strike in 1979 in its international line of electro/mechanical handheld games. Known under different titles in other regions such as Terra-Hit (UK), Missile Strike (UK), and Space Attack (Japan).  One of TOMY’s electro-mechanical handheld games, Missile strike is a Space Invaders-like shooter game, the units small motor winds strips of aircraft across the screen, which the player attempts to hit in order to earn points. There is a mechanical wind up timer that controls the action, and the purpose is to score as many hits on aircraft as possible with in the time it takes the winder to stop. The game includes one small, flashing LED light as the exploding missile.

So it’s another game that has reached its 46th year, and for the only issue to be its one light source, I think that’s acceptable. Let’s wait to see what arrives.

Assessment:

On arrival the first thing that hits you is that this is yet another filthy item. I seem to attract these kind of sales, so it will require a deep clean. Cosmetically the game is in good shape with no deep scarring and only minimal fine scratches on the screen lens commensurate with its 46 year old age.

Tidy cosmetically but filthy

It was sold as the missile light not working, this is partially right as it is an intermittent fault, I suspect this is down to dirty contacts.

Filthy, and counter not working
Missile light is intermittent

This game has two bands of film that run across the top of the screen displaying aircraft, the top band is intermittent and needs attention. The score counter will also need attention as it is not turning smoothly, again I suspect this to be as a result of the build up of dirt.

Repair:

First thing to do is dismantle the unit and to get some cleaning done. The small video below shows the issue with the top band aircraft not moving.

Film transport fault

I’ve taken the counter out after removing the case and all exposed buttons and switches.

Dismantling

Off to the kitchen sink. let’s get these items washed.

To be cleaned
Getting washed
Drying down

Whilst I’m waiting for the washed items to dry I clean the counter mechanism of old dirt and fluff.

Counter mechanism cleaned, fluff removed. Silicon grease applied

I’ve slightly greased the counter with silicon grease and it’s behaving well and doing what it should. This will go back in place when we do the final reassembly.

The issue with the film movement was a strange one. There was no way to tension the two capstans that the film roll over and there were no teeth missing off the capstans. One capstan pulls whilst the other pushes, all I’ve done is swap these around and the issue has disappeared. About as simple a fix as you can get.

Just swapped the capstans around

I’ve put a little before and after video here that shows the effect of swapping the capstans around.

How swapping capstans worked

The issue with the intermittent light was easy as expected. This is the only electrical piece on this game and it was down to contaminated battery contacts that just needed a bit of a clean with my grinding pen and a wipe over with IPA.

Final little touch was just to accentuate some of the old lettering by the timer. This was just with a white paint pen.

Before and after

Now we can reassemble and test again.

Result:

The game has been reassembled and tested and is now working fine. All intermittent issues have gone and it has now been polished and now looks superb.

AllPolished
Dirt gone
Vibrant colours
Finishing touch

I’ve attached this small video that shows the game working as it should, with no film slipping and lights and counter now working.

Working perfectly

It’s really pleased me this repair, as it’s another one of those mainly mechanical games. Dirt featured big time, and age issues have been overcome and the game given a new lease of life. Another one for my personal collection, it will go on now for many more years to come.

The best outcome that was possible, we have another superb seventies product that has been saved from the scrap heap.

And that is the biggest win of all.

Thanks for passing by, it’s always appreciated.

Grandstand Invaders from space game

What the listing stated:

Can’t get to turn on unfortunately. No battery cover. Any questions please ask

EBay

Dirty unit
No battery cover

I know, there is no battery cover, however I have already sourced a seller of one if needed. This item looks quite dirty so a good soak might be the order of the day to get started. I’ll wait for its arrival before I jump to order any other bits for it.

Now as I’ve said in the past these units fall into that crazy price category on the selling platforms as the “New Antiques” of today. For an item that was low cost, somewhere between £25-40GBP when it came on the market, they can certainly command a wide range of crazy prices, here is an example of price ranges from today:

The massive range in prices for these units

This one I purchased today only came up for sale about 3 hrs ago and I thought it would have been snapped up by now, it hadn’t so I didn’t hang around any longer and purchased it for a total of £16:38GBP including its delivery. I’m not going to get too smug yet, as for all I know I may have just purchased an empty shell. Let’s wait until it arrives.

Here’s a little history of this unit:

Grandstand “Invader from Space” is a tabletop LED game dating back 45 years to 1980. Four ‘AA’ batteries power the unit or, alternatively, the Grandstand 5.5V@300mA power adapter (or an equivalent power pack) sold separately. The game, licensed to Grandstand, is a copy of Epoch’s “Invader from Space”

The company initially behind the “Grandstand” label was Adam Imports Ltd., (from 1980 Adam Leisure Group Ltd. and by 1983 Adam Leisure Group PLC) founded in 1973 by Chris Rycroft and Les Kenyon of Harrogate, UK. The company initially started as a mail order company and was the single largest supplier of calculators in the UK by 1974. By August 1978, George Bassett had acquired a 75% holding in the capital of Adam Imports for £750,000 cash, plus 60p in the pound of profits before tax in excess of £500,000 for year to December 31, 1978. Adam Imports was re-acquired from George Bassett by Chris Rycroft in 1980. It chiefly imported electronic products from other manufacturers such as VTech, Epoch, Tomy & Entex, selling them in the UK re-branded under the Grandstand name.

Wikipedia and others

So that’s the history

There is a good link to a similar repair on YouTube from a guy I follow named Stez Stix Fix, it’s very much worth a look and he has a great if not sometimes crazy way of diagnosing and repairing items. A cool guy though.

The Grandstand invaders from space game

Anyway back to my own purchase.

Assessment:

I must admit the unit doesn’t look as dirty as in the original pictures. The battery cover is missing and there is a crack in the side and a deep scar at the bottom, this won’t be too much of an issue if I can weld it all back together. I will still give it a good soak to clean it all up though. I’ve put four batteries in place, and the unit is definitely dead. There are no loose wires, voltages are getting around the board according to the multimeter and nothing is getting hot. There appears to be no short circuits, and then I notice this, capacitor CO7, slight bulge on top and what looks like leakage from the bottom. We have a candidate as to why this unit is not working.

CO7 looking unhealthy to me, you can see the component to the left that looks like it’s covered in a fur ball. The result of the old capacitor “coughing”

I’ll whip this out and see what we have but I suspect this old capacitor has failed and is causing an issue, heres hoping I have a suitable replacement.

Repair:

This little beast is a 330uf 10v electrolytic capacitor. I have none available so have had to purchase a pack of ten. These should be here in the next few days. There are three other old electrolytic capacitors that I will also change whilst I’m in there, as these are all likely to fail at some point soon. These components are now all around 45 years old, it’s a wise move to change them out.

One very dead capacitor removed.

I’ve ordered a 3D printed battery cover to replace the one that is missing. This should be here in a couple of weeks.

Whilst waiting I have cleaned the inside and outside of the casing as best I can. I still have a piece of broken surround to repair, however this is just a simple glue and a little bit of support job.

Case inside and out cleaned
Broken surround repaired

The surround that was broken has been repaired and secured with some nylon soaked in a superglue compound inside the casing. It’s rock solid. Outside the break is hardly noticeable. The break is secure and much stronger now.

New capacitor here

I’ve replaced all the offending capacitors and the unit remains dead. I’ve reflowed most of the board as there were some dry solder joints. I’ve also rewired the bridge from the control panel to the main board as one of the wires here had broken.

Bridge required resoldering

After using the multimeter to check some traces and components it’s now pointing to this component (a power transistor D882) being the cause of this catastrophic breakdown as its readings are all over the place. I suspect this item has overheated, the capacitor has blown and then it’s just died itself. I’m probably wrong, but I know what I mean. Probably just a catastrophic chain of events that all contributed to the units demise.

D882 transistor – power regulator

And as usual I have none available so will have to send for some new ones. The new components have arrived and the new power transistor has taken its place on the board. Now reassembled I place some new batteries in and the unit comes to life. It was the power transistor at fault, I should have really checked here first after seeing that damaged capacitor at the beginning.

All old components removed and replaced in this unit

Not to worry though as it’s had a good overhaul and has been totally recapped as a precaution. I’ve used some conformal coating on a few tracks that had some copper exposed after a good clean, to ensure they don’t deteriorate any further.

It has life

The unit is looking really good and these items were traditionally very loud and this certainly is. It’s working well just as it should do and I’m exceptionally happy with this repair. I’m still awaiting the battery cover that I have had 3D printed and this should be here in the next week to complete the fix.

No score
Here we go
3D printed cover arrived. Minor adjustments needed but in all a good purchase

So with that I will bring this build to a conclusion. It has been a fun project, I’ve learned a number of things about this circuit board and gained valuable knowledge.

But best of all we have rescued another item and saved it from landfill.

Winner 🥇 👍

Thanks for passing by

Plastic Gear Repair

An excellent post. I often come across broken plastic gears and they are the Bain of my “Hobby life”

Maybe I need to start repairing my own gears or invest in a 3D printer.

We’ve seen several methods of repairing plastic gears. After all, a gear is usually the same all the way around, so it is very tempting to duplicate …

Plastic Gear Repair