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Ultra Rare Vectrex Repair -- Episode 346

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Ben’s got his hands on a Vectrex console from 1982 and a rare 3D peripheral, one of the rarest video game items in existence, a Vectrex 3D imager.  The Vectrex was a vector display-based home video game console from 1982.  In 1984 it became the first home console to have a 3D peripheral which not only colorized but made the graphics 3D. 

 

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Unlike other non-portable video game consoles, which connected to televisions and rendered raster graphics, the Vectrex used an integrated vector monitor to display vector graphics. It was monochrome and used plastic screen overlays to simulate color and various static graphics and decorations.  The Vectrex console requires new capacitors and the Vectrex 3D imager will require Ben to recreate the spinning disc required for it to work.

 

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  • In relation to BHS Ep346, Could you share out the project files used in recreation of the #Vectrex 3D #Imager color wheels?  

  • I have enjoyed the Ben Heck Show for the past few years and this one compels me to actually register to comment.  Back in the early 80's what I really wanted was an Atari 2600 but my dad absolutely refused to let anyone attach a game console to the family colour TV set because of fear of screen burn in.  I searched clasified ads for a year for a cheap colour TV set but couldn't really afford the $250 it cost for an old 20" console television that everyone was getting rid of around that time.  The Vectrex was a great alternative!  I bought it in 1983 and I still have it in the basement.  Sadly it hasn't worked the last several years.  Capacitor replacement sounds like a fun project when the weather turns in the fall.  There was a game 'Spike' that had rudimentary speech synthesis for one of the very first times in a game console.  Not a great game, however.  Still, there was little actual speech synthesis then... Gorf and speak and spells?   I had no idea there even was a 3d headset for the Vectrex.  I don't think it was well advertised at the time?  Was the Vectrex advertised at all?  I knew of no one else who had one.

     

    I noticed there is an article from a couple years ago on element14 describing hacked consoles and included the Vectrex.  There is mention of the original, built-in Minefield and the very rare patched version, Minefield 2.  Fun fact (for me anyway): the original Minefield could be completed all the way to level 32 (?) by turning the brightness all the way up when the mines turned invisible after level 13.  The objects were still drawn but without any trace intensity.  Of course all the traces were visible between objects on the screen so it was a little trippy to play but it made completion of the game possible.

     

    Thanks for trip down memory lane!

  • I miss the Vectrex! I've wanted to grab one for years, but I can't bring myself to pay "collector's" price for one. image

  • Nice Episode.

     

    I always like the repair of vintage equipment.

     

    DAB