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Old 02-07-2008, 07:39 AM
RetroHacker RetroHacker is offline
Electronics Accumulator
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Niskayuna, NY
Posts: 464
One place that might be good to look for would be an arcade supplier. The monitors used in old video game machines were hot chassis. To connect them to the game circuit boards, they had to be isolated. So all the older arcade machines had an isolation transformer in the bottom that was connected to only the monitor. Arcade monitors only draw about 80 watts, but the transformer typically had a bit of margin of safety - they would be good for smaller sets and radios anyway. Newer arcade monitors aren't hot chassis so don't require these anymore. You can typically buy arcade isolation transformers for $15 or so online - but if you have a local arcade operator, try asking there. Ask for the biggest, oldest isolation transformer he can find. Some games like Pac-Man have a combination isolation transformer/power transformer that puts out low voltage for the game board as well as isolation for the monitor. So if you wind up with one of those, be sure you know how to connect it. Also, watch out for Nintendo (Donkey Kong, etc) isolation transformers. They are set up for 100V output, since that what Japan uses - not 120V. It's not quite a 1:1 transformer.

-Ian
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