Galaxy Ranger - Owners Manual (33 pages)
Galaxy Ranger - Galaxy Ranger Conversion Manual (1 page)
Galaxy Ranger - Schematics (20 pages)
Galaxy Ranger - NTSC / Demodulator info (3 pages)
Galaxy Ranger - DIP Switch Settings

Galaxy Ranger - ROM Images (for games with the Hitachi LD Player and proper hardware)
Galaxy Ranger - ROM Images (for games with the Pioneer LD Player and proper hardware)
Star Blazer - ROM Images (for games with the Pioneer LD player and proper hardware)

Galaxy Ranger - Virtual Library showing images and information of the major components.

Compatible Laser Disc Players - Sega / Hitachi VIP-9500SG, Hitachi VIP-9550 (1), Pioneer LD-V1000 (2), Pioneer LD-V1001 (2)

Hitachi VIP9550 - Owners Manual (15 pages)
Sega / Hitachi VIP9500SG - Owners Manual (12 pages)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Operating Instructions (7 pages)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Interface Guide (24 pages)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Service Manual (incomplete) (28 pages)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Schematics (27 pages)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Cleaning optics (1 page)
Pioneer LD-V1000 - Changing laser tube (3 pages)

(1) The Hitachi VIP9550 is compatible with Galaxy Ranger as well as the Sega / Hitachi VIP9500SG.  The player must be set to 9600 baud rate for proper communication with the PCB.  The dip switch settings for the Hitachi VIP9550 are:  1-up, 2-up, 3-up, 4-up.  For info on the Hitachi Command Set, check the Hitachi Command Set page. 

(2) The Pioneer LD-V1000 / LD-V1001 will only work in an Galaxy Ranger with the proper hardware and disc (Star Blazer disc).  When using the LD-V1000 / LD-V1001 in Galaxy Ranger, you must cross pins 7 and 17 on the ribbon cable going from the LD-V1000 / LD-V1001 to the main board.

Laser Disc Pressing - Galaxy Ranger / Star Blazer had two different disc pressings.  There is a double sided Sega disc with Galaxy Ranger & Star Blazer, and a single sided Pioneer disc for just Star Blazer. The Sega labeled disc is used with the Pioneer laser disc player and corresponding hardware/software. This disc can be used with the Hitachi laser disc player and corresponding hardware / software, however the introduction / attract mode is not shown as it should be.

Conversion Cards - LaserAce will let your laser disc game use a variety of different laser disc players.  Unfortunately these cards are no longer in production, but can still be found on eBay or the D-L-P Classifieds occasionally.

Interchangeable - Astron Belt can be played in an Galaxy Ranger cabinet by changing the laser disc and the EPROMs provided you have the correct EPROMs and disc for that particular hardware setup.  See the Astron Belt / Galaxy Ranger Service Bulletin for more info.

POTs & DIPs - There are 13 POTs and 4 DIP switches on this board.  Here are their descriptions:

- VR1    Horizontal Sync / Blanking Time Adjustment
- VR2    Horizontal Sync / Blanking Time Adjustment
- VR3    Vertical Sync / Blanking Time Adjustment
- VR4    Vertical Sync / Blanking Time Adjustment
- VR5    Black Level Adjustment (laser video brightness)
- VR6    Red Gain
- VR7    Green Gain
- VR8    Blue Gain
- VR10  Image Quality Adjustment (resolution Control for Laser Video)
- VR11  Hue Adjustment (Tint Control)
- VR12  Color Level Adjustment
- VR13  White Level Adjustment (Contrast Control)

Dip Switch 1, 2, & 3 should be in the OFF position.  DIP switch 4 should be in the ON position.  DIP switch 4 determines whether to accept composite negative or positive going SYNC from the logic boards.  Since the logic produces a negative going SYNC, the DIP switch is left ON.  (ON - Negative Sync.   OFF - Positive SYNC)  For more info on the NTSC / Demodulator, download the NTSC / Demodulator bulletin.

Booting Issues - If your Astron Belt is not booting and/or the laser disc player plays straight thru, check pot VR-3 on the NTSC decoder.  This pot is an adjustment for the sync between the main PCB and the laser disc player.  The PCB must match its timing to the incoming video from the laser disc player.  If the sync is too far off,  the PCB can't communicate with the LD player and it stops functioning.  If your game is suffering from one of the symptoms, try adjusting pot VR-3 with the game running.  Once the main board can communicate with the laser disc player, the program will start and the attract mode will begin to play.