Novag Constellation Forte B problem

[Celadus]

The unit will power up and operate correctly without the castle on A8. When I place the castle on the A8 square the machine freezes and refuses to accept any commands. Remove the A8 castle and the game continues.The same thing occurs with batteries or 120/9v ac adaptor. No difference.

Any ideas what to do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Larry]

The unit will power up and operate correctly without the castle on A8. When I place the castle on the A8 square the machine freezes and refuses to accept any commands. Remove the A8 castle and the game continues.The same thing occurs with batteries or 120/9v ac adaptor. No difference.

Any ideas what to do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi, looks like the news is not good. A guy complained of a similar
problem a couple of weeks back with a TurboStar432. On pressure
sensory boards the squares rely for their operation on the elasticity
of the playing surface material. Is it a well used board? Are the
squares concave when you glide your fingers across the playing
surface? The elasticity gives way over time and the pressure switch
starts to operate with even the slightest pressure, in your case just
with the pressure applied by the weight of the chess piece.
You might try replacing the rook with a non original rook, a very
light plastic one. I know this spoils the experience somewhat, but
you still get to play a normal game.
all the best to you...
Larry
PS, Just to add, of course later in the game the square will malfunction
regardless of what piece is on it.

[Celadus]

The unit will power up and operate correctly without the castle on A8. When I place the castle on the A8 square the machine freezes and refuses to accept any commands. Remove the A8 castle and the game continues.The same thing occurs with batteries or 120/9v ac adaptor. No difference.

Any ideas what to do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi, looks like the news is not good. A guy complained of a similar
problem a couple of weeks back with a TurboStar432. On pressure
sensory boards the squares rely for their operation on the elasticity
of the playing surface material. Is it a well used board? Are the
squares concave when you glide your fingers across the playing
surface? The elasticity gives way over time and the pressure switch
starts to operate with even the slightest pressure, in your case just
with the pressure applied by the weight of the chess piece.
You might try replacing the rook with a non original rook, a very
light plastic one. I know this spoils the experience somewhat, but
you still get to play a normal game.
all the best to you...
Larry
PS, Just to add, of course later in the game the square will malfunction
regardless of what piece is on it.

Hi Larry thanks for the reply. The A4-A8 column is slightly concave as you rightly guessed. Unfortunately after I posted this message the Forte
now only powers up then completely freezes, castle on A8 or not.
It really needs to be looked at by someone who knows how to repair these old electronic chess machines.

Have you heard of anyone in North America who is capable of this type of repair.

Regards

[Larry]

Have you heard of anyone in North America who is capable of this type of repair.

I'm in Australia, so I can't help you there. Don't give up and throw
the game out with the trash whatever you do. What's happened now
is the square pressure switch is staying closed even with no weight on
it. I'm no technician, but I've been around faulty chess comps long
enough to know what things go wrong. The circuit mainboard is fine, from what
you've said so at worst you might have to wait off until you can find
another machine the same, even a cooked one, and do a circuit board
transplant. This is how people end up with hybrid machines. Expect more
of it to happen as the years wear on.
Sorry I can't help you any more...
Larry

[Celadus]

Have you heard of anyone in North America who is capable of this type of repair.

I'm in Australia, so I can't help you there. Don't give up and throw
the game out with the trash whatever you do. What's happened now
is the square pressure switch is staying closed even with no weight on
it. I'm no technician, but I've been around faulty chess comps long
enough to know what things go wrong. The circuit mainboard is fine, from what
you've said so at worst you might have to wait off until you can find
another machine the same, even a cooked one, and do a circuit board
transplant. This is how people end up with hybrid machines. Expect more
of it to happen as the years wear on.
Sorry I can't help you any more...
Larry

Thank you Larry. On the contrary you have helped me a great deal.The least of which is to point me in the right direction.

Regards

[Christian]

I remember that I had a similar problem with a pressure sensory board from Saitek, a Risc 2500. The solution was: heat!
I took a hair dryer (sic!) and heated up the square for 5 minutes.
After that the machine worked fine. As the surface is glued to the sensors, the glue probably got hard over the years. By applying heat maybe it got soft again.
Or, I was only lucky. Who knows. Try it.

Christian

[Celadus]

I remember that I had a similar problem with a pressure sensory board from Saitek, a Risc 2500. The solution was: heat!
I took a hair dryer (sic!) and heated up the square for 5 minutes.
After that the machine worked fine. As the surface is glued to the sensors, the glue probably got hard over the years. By applying heat maybe it got soft again.
Or, I was only lucky. Who knows. Try it.

Christian

Christian hello,
Guess what? I tried it and it worked. For the moment the forte is operating correctly as it should. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I don't know how to thank you enough.Best regards

[Larry]

Great trick!... wish I knew about this one long ago. I threw a Novag
Forte in the trash once, which I probably could have saved.

Larry

[Steve B]

Great trick!... wish I knew about this one long ago. I threw a Novag
Forte in the trash once, which I probably could have saved.

Larry

Would you perhaps remember the landfill where they hauled the trash?

Exhumation Regards
Steve