Jason Miller

When you dropped a quarter into a Pac-Man cabinet in 1981, a remarkable chain of electro-mechanical events fired off in the blink of an eye. A coin dropped through a slot, passed a sensor, triggered a credit on a circuit board, and suddenly a pixelated character was ready to gobble dots. The whole sequence took … Read more

An arcade cabinet is a self-contained, coin-operated gaming enclosure that houses a monitor, game logic board (PCB or PC), power supply, control panel with joysticks and buttons, speakers, and a coin mechanism — all wired together to deliver a dedicated arcade gaming experience. When you drop in a quarter and press start, seven major systems … Read more

CRT vs LCD monitors for arcade machines is a debate I have followed for years, both as a long-time arcade operator and as someone who has restored dozens of cabinets. After testing a Wells-Gardner D9200 against a 4:3 LCD in the same Street Fighter II cab, I can tell you the answer is not as … Read more

If you’ve bought or restored an arcade game, you’ve probably heard someone mention a “monitor cap kit.” I remember the first time I saw the term on an arcade forum; I assumed it was some kind of fancy bezel. It’s not. A monitor cap kit is a collection of replacement electrolytic capacitors matched to a … Read more

Recapping an arcade monitor means replacing every aging electrolytic capacitor on the monitor chassis with fresh components, restoring the stable voltage regulation that keeps your picture sharp and bright. Over years of use, those capacitors dry out from heat cycling, causing the flicker, wavy lines, and dim displays that plague vintage cabinets. If you own … Read more

I still remember the first time I flipped the power switch on my freshly acquired Pac-Man cabinet and heard the familiar “waka waka” but saw nothing on the screen. That moment is exactly why I wrote this guide. Learning how to fix an arcade monitor with no picture is a rite of passage for any … Read more

Every classic arcade monitor sitting inside a cabinet has a small, epoxy-encased component mounted on the chassis board that does the heavy lifting for the entire display. That component is the flyback transformer, and without it, the CRT cannot produce a picture. If you have ever wondered what a flyback transformer does in an arcade … Read more

If you’ve ever popped open an arcade cabinet to swap a board or chase a bad cap, you’ve probably wondered whether you actually need to discharge the CRT. The short answer is yes, but only when you’re going near the anode cap or flyback transformer. Arcade CRT monitors can hold between 15,000 and 50,000 volts … Read more

Every time you drop a coin into an arcade cabinet and hear that satisfying clunk followed by the start jingle, you are watching a coin mechanism do its job. Understanding how an arcade coin mechanism works gives you a real advantage whether you are building a home arcade, restoring a vintage cabinet, or maintaining machines … Read more

I’ve spent the last few years rebuilding arcade cabinets, and I can tell you that the coin acceptor is the single most finicky part of any machine. When I restored my first Street Fighter II cabinet, the mech refused every quarter I dropped in. After 30 minutes of trial and error, I finally understood how … Read more