How do you set up your Action Max (World of Wonders console)

Hello

I am aware that in this forum are quite some Action Max friends. I have trouble setting mine up.

What worked best for me is: (after several hours of trying)

- contrast set to maximum

- brightness kind of low. Like a quarter of maximum

- distance: about 40 cm from screen (so really near)

- distance wheel: about in half. 10:30 o'clock

- I switch out the light of the room I am in

What do you do? Can you do a consecutive series of hits? Or will it just hit sporadically?

With kind regards

Ben

IIRC, the distance wheel does really pretty well controlling hit detection, but over the years the pot at the bottom has really started to phone it in on every one that I have seen. Since they're not worth cleaning the right way, grinding the hell out of the knob for a few minutes works wonders for it, and at the end of the day it will 'miss' sporadically instead of hitting that way.

I've never had to touch TV brightness/contrast, but I don't run at max anyway, and tend to sit very close as an effect of TV placement. I've always assumed the distance control knob was just the sensitivity adjuster when it compared the brightness of the sensor vs gun.

I've always wondered if these work on HDTVs. I run a projector, so I can't really try it myself, but if the screen puts out enough brightness, this system should work with them, I'd think. That would make it the first 'HD ready' game console.

but over the years the pot at the bottom has really started to phone it in on every one that I have seen. Since they're not worth cleaning the right way, grinding the hell out of the knob for a few minutes works wonders for it, and at the end of the day it will 'miss' sporadically instead of hitting that way.

Thanks a lot! I happen to have a bag full of potentiometers... i might open the unit to see if I have a similar one to swap it out

I found on my CRT TV I have I didn't really have to change the "factory settings" of the TV that much in order for the ActionMax to work. I sit close to the TV as well since I'm a bad aim and I miss even still. Or perhaps it's too much computer time made my eyes go bad.

I also don't watch the video off of tape, but a DVD transfer that was sold by a member here a couple times over the last few years.

This might also help explain my luck with hit detection and contrast issues.

Do you have Bubba's Buck Blastin'? If so, how does that work?

The WOW games run quite ok. When using Bubba's Buck Blastin' I never succeeded in making a hit. But again: It could be bad luck with my potentiometer.

Also a funny thing: Bubba's Buck Blastin' doesn't run on every DVD player. For example: The PS2 will generate a picture tilted to the green spectrum. Wii and Xbox handle it fine though. And also I had to re-rip the disc. The orginal disc did stutter on every player I tried it on.

Edit: All my devices are connected via RGB mostly with CSYNC as sync.

I now opened the console to take a look at the potentiometer. It's a B100K linear potentiometer with pads placed in a round arrangement. Opening the Action Max is not super easy as the channels in which the Phillips 2 screws are placed are really narrow and really long. Luckily I had a cheap Chinese screwdriver which is considerable thinner than normal screwdrivers.

Just like in the gun itself you will find lots of glue. But it looks ok. It's nothing unprofessional or so, but you can see that WOW is a more of a toy manufacturer than a electronics giant.

I will keep the forum informed whether it was the potentiometers fault or not. The exact form factor of potetniometer was not in stock in my storage so I ordered a new one to try.

 

Just like in the gun itself you will find lots of glue. But it looks ok. It's nothing unprofessional or so, but you can see that WOW is a more of a toy manufacturer than a electronics giant.

 

What's in there for brains? I've always been slightly curious...but not any where near curious enough to actually look.

I made you a picture. I wanted to take a photo anyways as I am going to do videos about the system and its games on my Light Gun themed YouTube channel.

This is before I took out the lower right potentiometer. The speaker can also be seen on the picture

LM3900 is an amplifier, LM386 amplifies just the audio (preamp). The audio power amp is the 3860 JRC 7550. The special chip by WOW will remain a mystery... I assume it's the place where for example the audio is saved. The cool thing is, that this WOW chip is a totally different one in PAL systems.

EDIT: I am wrong with the storage assumption. I think the storage is in IC 2: the strange aligned and glue swallowed IC.

Waw, this PCB reeks of the 80's. It looks like the kind of board you saw in tape players and cheap VCR of the late 90's, not the kind of PCB used in most consoles.

I thought about trying out my Action Max again since I had my VCR hooked up, but I was not able to find the cable that runs from the system to the VCR or the AC adapter. Anybody know what kind of cable was used and what AC adapters would work? I know you can use batteries, but I would rather not use six C batteries or whatever it takes to run it.

There is no cable that runs to the VCR. It's all in the red sensor.

I thought about trying out my Action Max again since I had my VCR hooked up, but I was not able to find the cable that runs from the system to the VCR or the AC adapter. Anybody know what kind of cable was used and what AC adapters would work? I know you can use batteries, but I would rather not use six C batteries or whatever it takes to run it.

VCR to Action Max is a RCA to 3.5 mm TRS cable. What it does is it copies the audio from the VRC and gives it to the Action Max in order to be able to output it via head phones or internal speaker. So honestly that one is not necessary, as long as your TV is able to make sounds & you are not playing with head phones. It would be more interesting if you tried to record game play footage. But I would do this in an emulator anyway in order to get the red light.

AC adapter is 9 VDC, center positive. I use 1 A to be sure it has enough breath but it doesn't need more than 500 mA theoretically.

VCR to Action Max is a RCA to 3.5 mm TRS cable. What it does is it copies the audio from the VRC and gives it to the Action Max in order to be able to output it via head phones or internal speaker. So honestly that one is not necessary, as long as your TV is able to make sounds & you are not playing with head phones. It would be more interesting if you tried to record game play footage. But I would do this in an emulator anyway in order to get the red light.

 

AC adapter is 9 VDC, center positive. I use 1 A to be sure it has enough breath but it doesn't need more than 500 mA theoretically.

Are there any classic systems that use the same specs? I have plenty of extra adapters for most systems stored away.

Sega Game Gear had 9 VDC, but it randomly swapped center polarity it seems. Some are center positive, others are not...

Japanese NES and SNES have 9 VDC with center negative. I would guess that north American systems did as well, but I can't look that up, as I solely have Japanese systems. You might be able to rewire. Personally I buy cheap DC adapters from China with ebay. Measure the polarity and change if necessary. It's somewhat in the 5 USD range shipped.

If the tip is a jack style like the Atari 2600 or Pong ones, then you can try an Atari 2600 one. Depending on when they were made, they can deliver anything from 350mA to 800mA (I guess Atari simply bough what was the cheapest for them).

Worry not, if the power supply isn't enough, the console will simply not work. Just unplug the transformer as it will overheat over time (not in the second either, it will take several minutes to overheat from excessive power demand)

If it's a barrel connector, the Megadrive II have venter negative, but it's a smaller barrel tip that is most commonly found.

when you pause the video, do you see solid white or black dots for the sensors to pick up, or is it some kind of interlaced mess?

Just to manage expectations, the action max never really works 'great,' or even 'good,' but it should be better than what you're getting. For my setup, I shoot for it working 'okay.'

Thanks for those internal shots, btw. I've always wondered what was in there.

when you pause the video, do you see solid white or black dots for the sensors to pick up, or is it some kind of interlaced mess?

 

Just to manage expectations, the action max never really works 'great,' or even 'good,' but it should be better than what you're getting. For my setup, I shoot for it working 'okay.'

 

Thanks for those internal shots, btw. I've always wondered what was in there.

When I pause it it still looks pretty. I walked through the footage frame by frame and everything looked nice.

Ok, thanks. I will see. I wish to make my own attempt in digitizing the footage anyway =)

You are welcome =)

I think I found my original AC adapter that my father bought when he bought the console. Now I do not remember if this adapter had Action Max packaging, but my guess would be that it did. Since I have power and now I know the other cable is not needed I can try my Action Max again.

Right now my VCR is hooked up to an HDTV, so I will give that a whirl first.

I think I found my original AC adapter that my father bought when he bought the console. Now I do not remember if this adapter had Action Max packaging, but my guess would be that it did. Since I have power and now I know the other cable is not needed I can try my Action Max again.

 

Right now my VCR is hooked up to an HDTV, so I will give that a whirl first.

No matter if this is the real deal or not: It will work. I am 100 % sure.

The other thing is you trying to play on a LCD. I am not sure whether this will work. I am skeptical. Please keep us informed.

When will the score signal light up? I think mine may be broke or have a burned out bulb. Should it light up when you plug it in or turn on the system?

When will the score signal light up? I think mine may be broke or have a burned out bulb. Should it light up when you plug it in or turn on the system?

The light will be out as default. If you hit a target it will be turned on (red color) for about 0.8 seconds and a voice will sound from the speaker telling you "target hit". If you hear no voice, it's normal to have the light off.

The light will be out as default. If you hit a target it will be turned on (red color) for about 0.8 seconds and a voice will sound from the speaker telling you "target hit". If you hear no voice, it's normal to have the light off.

Will it light during the setup phase when the game makes you see if the counter on the system is working?