Pong is a classic game.  It's so classic, in fact, it has become synonymous with videogames.  So much so, that any game with two paddles and a ball that goes "Bleep-Bloop" is considered Pong.

This is one of those.

So you saw the video a few weeks ago and wanted to build the Velleman classic TV Game kit?  Of course you did!  Well, then, let's get started.  You can order the kit from Velleman itself (in bulk, if you're building for a class), ThinkGeek, or Amazon.  It comes with all the necessary parts that you need.  All you supply is a soldering gun, some solder, a helping hands tool, and batteries.  With that, let's get started!

The first step is to take everything out of the package and ensure that you have the right contents.  The circuit board is tucket behind the backing of the package, so be careful not to mangle it too badly.

Once you get the circuit board into the helping hands, check out all the other parts and make sure they're in the plastic:

Resistors (Symmetrical. Wee!)

• 2x 2.2Kohm resistors (Red, Red, Red, Gold).
• 7x 1.2Kohm resistors (Brown, Red, Red, Gold).  These go in spots R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, and R9.
• 1x 470ohm resistor (Yellow, Purple, Brown).  This goes into R10.
• 5x 100Kohm resistors (Brown, Black, Yellow, Gold).  These go into R11, R12, R13, R14, and R15.

Next up, you've got your diodes.  There are several, and these have polarity, so be careful how you put them on the board.  The white stripe on the regular diodes and the black on the zeners indicates polarity, which matches the silkscreening on the board.

Diodes

• 1x 1N4148 Diode (goes in spot D1)
• 1x 1N4007 Diode (goes in spot D2)

Zener Diodes

• 4x 5.1 volt Zener Diodes (Go in spots Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4).

The sad thing is that my kit was missing a 1N4007.  I looked everywhere and concluded that it was eaten by a yeti.  I used a 1N4006 instead.

After finding your diodes and picking them up off of the floor when your roommate bumps the table, look for the IC and the IC socket.  They should come pressed into a tiny piece of foam and have their pins straight.

The socket goes in with a tiny notice that lines up with the silkscreening on the board.  The IC also has a small indent on one side.  Be very careful with this!  If you put the chip in backward, you can potentially fry it, causing you to ruin the kit.

The socket goes in spot IC1, but that should be pretty obvious at this point :)

The next step is the push buttons.  There are five of them.  Each person gets two, one for up, one for down.  The other one is for the reset switch.  These can go in any which way, in spots SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, and SW5.

The next step is the 10 megahertz (don't it?) crystal.  It comes in a small metal can and has two pins.  This can go in either way as well, and goes in spot X1, to the left of the IC.  You should take a small piece of scrap wire and bend it around the tin can.  This helps to anchor it in place.

Once you get the oscillator in place, the next step is to do the potentiometer.  This controls the brightness of the screen.  It goes in spot RV1, and you can really only put it in one way, since it has three pins.

If you have the trim potentiometer in place, you can then move on to the capacitors.  Some of these have a polarity, and as such are asymmetrical.  Be careful not to put them in backward, otherwise things will not function correctly!

Capacitors

• 2x 18 picofarad capacitors.  These go in spots C1 and C2.  These ones are symmetrical.  Have fun with it!
• 1x 100 nanofarad capacitor. This goes in C3.  Put it in backward just to stick it to the man.
• 3x 10 microfarad capacitors.  These go in C4, C5, and C6 and are asymmetrical.  Be carefu!  The longer leg is the positive lead, the shorter is negative.

Got the capacitors in place?  Good.  Now it's time to move on to the LED.  The little red LED goes in LD1 and is definitely asymmetrical.  the longer leg is positive.  Do not put it in backward.

We're now in the home stretch, with the second to last part.  These are the "Sinch" connectors, used to connect the audio and video composite plugs to the pong unit.  They can really only go in one way, and "snap" into place.  Make sure you solder them down well and get the supports on either side well.  Remember, this has to put up with you tugging on the wires and pushing relatively hard to plug them in.  If it wiggles back and forth when you push on it lightly or if you can move it in the socket at all, you need to put more solder on there.

Aftter you get them soldered in place, plug something into them to make sure they're good and sturdy.

The final step before liftoff is here -- the battery compartment!  Take the two wires and strip them.  To solder them correctly, lightly coat them with a little bit of solder, so they are properly tinned.  Push the wire through the hole on the board and hold it in place with a little scotch tape.  Do the same thing with the other.  Be sure not to mix the wires up!  The positive lead is very close to D2, the 1N4007.  The negative lead is just above resistor 8 (R8), brown red red gold.

Once you get the battery pack wires installed, take the pack and move it around to the bottom of the case like this:

The case is held in place by two philips screws and fasteners which go on the other side of the board.  You can see one of them in the picture above.  The feet are held on in a similar fashion, with a spacer holding the foot away from the bottom.

The final and biggest test is to put some batteries in the unit.  The Red LED should come on almost immediately.  If not, check the unit by plugging it into a TV.  You may just have the LED backward (and it's very easy to mix up the polarity).  If the LED doesn't come on and you cannot verify video, check the diodes and electrolytic capacitors at positions C4, C5, and C6.

So hopefully this wasn't too bad of an experience for you.  With a little luck, you might be able to beat me at a really good game of pong as well! :)

Didn't see the video of the Pong unit in action?  Here you go!

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