Atari Coin Connection

TECHNICAL TIPS
PINBALL LAMP PROBLEMS
(Other t):lan normal bulb failures)
Symptom: No lamps. All
lights out.
Solution:
On auxiliary PCB,
transistor Q5 is
possibly open.
Check with ohm
meter. If open,
replace transistor.
(Caution: Q5 is nor-
mally hot.)
Symptom: All lamps extraor-
dinarily bright.
Solution:
On auxiliary PCB,
transistor Q5 is
possibly shorted.
Check with ohm
meter. If shorted,
replace transistor.
(Caution: Q5 is nor-
mally hot.)
Symptom: Lamps are out in a
quadrant or section
of the playfield.
·solution:
Transistors Q6, Q7,
Q8, and Q9 on aux-
iliary PCB are
possibly open.
Check with ohm
meter. If open,
replace transistors.
Symptom: Lamps in one
quadrant or section
of playfield are ex-
ceptionally bright;
others on the rest
of the playfield are
out.
Solution:
Chip Al on aux-
iliary board may be
faulty. Replace this
chip with an (IC)
Chip #ULN2003.
Symptom: All lamps are out
and audio, coin
counter and lockout
coil are inoperative.
(However, game can
be played.)
Solution:
The 20 volt power
supply on the aux-
iliary PCB may be
faulty. Check and
replace as needed:
CR5 part #P6KE 30
and/ or diode bridge
Bl part #MDA
lOOA. Also check
lamp fuse F3 ( 15
amp 250 volt) and
replace if needed.
THEY PAY MORE · AND PLAY MORE
Solid state pinball games have
increased the average per game
price by 3 .1 cents over electro-
mechanical games. The average
weekly collections are up by 30%
to 40% in most locations. These
findings from Atari's national
operator survey confirm that the
solid state pinball has not only
made one game per coin a reality,
but players are spending even
more on the games.
There are almost twice as many
operators who price solid state
games at 25¢/ game than electro-
mechanical games. While 60% of
the electromechanical games are
set on 25¢/2 games, only 11 % of
the solid state games give 2 games
per coin. Almost half of the solid
state games are priced at
25¢/ game, 50¢/3 games, and the
majority of these are on 3 ball
play. (See graph)
It was found that the number of
balls per game is also changing
with solid state games. Over half
(53%) of the newer games are on 3
ball play where it is 42% for the
electromechanical games.
The number of balls per game in
many cases is a regional or
geographic trend. It seems that
some areas have had more diffi-
culty with the transistion from 5
to 3 balls than from 2 games to one
game per coin.
One way to evaluate the pricing
alternatives is to determine the
price per ball on each choice. From
this, potential income can be pro-
jected based on the fact that the
a ·..rerage ball in most games lasts
30 to 40 seconds (use 35 seconds
as an average). The following chart
points out the projected income for
10 hours of play at each price
alternative in descending order of
potential collections.
Electromechanical
Games
•
60%
25¢/2
16%
25¢/1
10% 13%
Not
25¢/1
g[~~""'--5_o_e_1_3
Solid State
Games
11%
25¢/2
13% Not
Own,
Other
29%
25¢/1
46%
25¢/1
50¢/3
Possibly this approach to
analysis shows the extreme dif-
ferences in collections that pricing
changes can effect.
As previously noted, the trends
in pricing are evident. Additional-
ly, collections seem to be increas-
ing ~t an even higher rate than the
changing coinage indicates on new
pinball games. This signifies the
growing popularity of the games.
The players are not only paying
more, but they are also playing
more on the new pinball games.
PINBALL GAME PRICING*
¢/#of Games
25¢/1
25¢/1,50¢/3
25¢/1
25¢/1,50¢/3
25¢/2 •
25¢/2
#of Balls
3ball
3ball
5 ball
5ball
• 3 ball
• 5 ball
$/Ball
.083
.069
.050
.042
.
. · .. 042
.025
$/lOHrsPlay
$85.37
70.97
51.42
43.20
43.20
25.71
•SOURCE: ATARIOPERATORSURVEY9/ 78