Ultra Rare Vectrex Repair

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.

[Iskelderon]

I'll always have a soft spot for the Vectrex.
Thanks for keeping a classic like this alive!

[izzieb]

Gonna miss Ben when he's gone. I'd like to see more of Felix though. Feel like his personality is coming out more in newer videos.

[mutes]

Ahhh now someday when I have the money to get a multigame cart for my Vectrex and a 3d printer I can finally make disks for the 3d games I haven't played. Been a Vectrex fanboy for years. Got my Vectrex back in 83 or 84 when i was 9 or 10. And it still works. I even play it from time to time. I have tons of games for it and a broken light pen. I'm working on building a new light pen though. Great system. Way ahead of it's time. Thank's Ben for showing something that very few people will ever get to see.

[michaelmize]

Someone posted a pic on FB showing off their 5 Vectrex's so I thought I can do that boast even better so I linked this time Ben made a 3D Color Wheel for me a re-capped my Vectrex. Funny thing is this episode from His last Season was posted 4 years to the Day ago. Thanks Ben.

[MichaelBerthelsen]

The acting is getting too good, Ben... It's not nearly regrettable enough...😅

[DRTerabyte]

Why not post the 3D printer files and possibly anything to help recreate those discs.

[s_Gamr]

I still have my Vectrex from when I was a kid. I had to repair it after digging it out of my om's basement years ago but it's alive and well today. LOVE my Veccy!

[WiteTigr]

I actually have four of these systems along with the screen overlays... Didn't know they were that rare thanks...

[unabashedindividualist]

Vectrex was a wonderful machine! its a shame folks don’t talk about it more!

[adonian]

You should put these 3D print files and color wheel images up on the internet for people.

[Maxxarcade]

Every time I see a Vectrex I think of Arcade Jason. He's done lots of cool stuff with that hardware over the years. This is the first time I've seen the 3D setup though.

[johneygd]

You are very courage to repair that crt screen and creating that 3D colorwheel was an awesome project.

[BurgerStefan]

Transparencies for laser printers are heat resistent to a certain degree and can be laminated into pouches for additional strength/ stiffness. I use that to recreate damaged pinball plastics.

[MalahkAngel]

Why do I feel like this "friend" has an unhealthy obsession with Truxton and trying to fit cartridges in CD trays?

[will_it_work]

Ben, the Vectrex doesn't have a 6502 CPU. It has a Motorola 6809.

[Poisonjam]

Ahh...remember the good old days of electronics, when resistors and capacitors were actually visible without a microscope.

[Labruskie]

"It's time to take apart the Vectrex, IN A TURBO

[godshonor]

Be great if anyone monitored these old videos to respond.

[Legerine]

I really miss the Ben Heck Show...

=^., .^=

[robintst]

The Vectrex is like the DeLorean of vintage game consoles. Always wanted one of each.

My first console was the ColecoVision and even though a lot of the arcade ports on it saw more accurate ports to future systems, I still find an undeniable charm those earlier ones. I used to play the crap out of Donkey Kong Junior on that thing. Half the challenge of playing games on a Coleco though was wrestling with those weird flat-top joysticks that had almost zero travel. You needed the keypad on it to select your game mode and difficulty but you could easily swap out the second one with a VCS joystick or almost anything else that had that same DE9 connector. Years later I tried with a SEGA Genesis pad, totally worked but took all the of the physical stick wrestling challenge away from the experience, hehe.