Classic Mode

Play Meter

Issue: 1980 July 15 - Vol 6 Num 12

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IIIIYlm
Vol. 6, No. 13
July 15, 1980
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Staff
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Welcome to the Gilt-Edged Eighties . .............. 24
Publisher and Editor:
Ralph C. Lally II
Editorial Director:
David Pierson
Managing Editor:
Ray E. Tilley
International Editor:
David Snook
Editor, Coin Slot
Technical Editors:
Zac Oliver
Randy Fromm
Jim Calore
The decade promises to be lucrative for the coin-op
industry, but an individual's prosperity hinges on whether
he keeps pace with advances in game technology. Here
are some special cautions, by James D. Fox .
Hands-on Problems of Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
A technical analysis of headaches including component
removal and static charge - and how to deal with them,
by Roy A . Cederlund .
Employees Handbook . ........................... &&
Corresponden ts:
Roger C. Sharpe
Pat Matthews
Dick W elu
Charles C. Ross
Today's operator has had to become a professional. And
he should consider instilling professionalism in his
employees. Here's a suggestion on an approach: put it in
black and white.
Art Director:
Katey Schwark
Administrative Assistant:
Valerie Cognevich
Circulation Manager:
Renee Pierson
Classified Advertising:
Valerie Cognevich
Staff Illustrator:
Mars Walker
Advertising M anager:
David Pierson
European Representative:
Esmay Leslie
July 15, 1980.
PLAY METER ,
Volume 6, No . 13. Copyright 1980 by
Skybird Publishing Company . PLAY
METER (ISSN 0162-1343) is pub-
lished twice monthly on the 1st and
15th of the month . Publishing
offices : 320 Old Hammond Highway,
Metairie, La . 70005, P. O. Box
24170, New Orleans 70184 . Tel.
504/ 838-8025. Subscription rates :
U. S. and Canada - $25; Europe and
Japan - $45; elsewhere - $50 . Mul-
tiple-subscription orders : 2-9, $20
each ; 10-24, $17 each ; 25 or more ,
$15 each . Advertising rates available
on request. No part of this magazine
may be rEtproduced without ex-
pressed permission . The editors are
not responsible for unsolicited manu-
scripts. Second-class postage paid at
Springfield, Mass. 01101 and addi-
tional mailing offices . Postmaster:
Send Form 3579 to PLAY METER,
P. O. Box 24170, New Orleans, La .
70184.
European office :
PLAY METER
Promotions, " Harescombe" Watford
Road, Northwood Middx. England,
Northwood 29244.
PLAY METER, July, 1980
Service, Pleasel .................................. &8
Coin-op machines are made to create a fantasy world in a
box . Then, can we be surprised when the customers are
so wrapped up in the game box that they get emotional
when the machine doesn't work properly?
Technician's Reading Ust ......................... 88
A directory to a wealth of information on many solid state
components, their care and feeding.
An Arcade In La Jolla Uses 'New Breed'
Techniques . ..................................... 78
Mark Madura shows pride in his multi-amusement
arcade . Repair, routine maintenance, cleaning, and
dependable employees all contribute to its success.
From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4
Mailbox . ......................................... 7
Special When Ut .................................. 8
Colnman of the Month ............................ 10
Operating . ....................................... 28
Equipment Poll . .................................. 33
Distributing . ..................................... 40
Manufacturing . .................................. 42
Music Programming . ............................. 47
Technical Topics . ................................ 84
Intemational Datelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 77
Critic's Corner . ..................................•
New Products . ................................... II
Classified . ....................................... 94
News Briefs . .....................................•
Cover Credit:
Hugh Armstrong III, a Blaine, Tennessee illustrator,
created the design of the plugged-in Service Issue cover.
3
It has often been maintained that the unsung heroes of this industry
are the service technicians. That statement is more valid now than ever
before . The challenges facing today's technicians are far greater than the
challenges faced by their predecessors . Space age technology and rapid
changes in the state of the art have enabled manufacturers to produce
equipment with more play appeal and earning power than ever before . On
the other hand, these same technological advances have brought with
them a multitude of service problems. And therein lies the problem .
For the most part , operator and distributor service departments have
done an adequate job in keeping pace with the ever-changing times . For
some it has been a nightmarish struggle . There are some who are still
saying , "Give me the good old days when I could fix anything with a pair of
pliers and a screwdriver." Yet to dwell in the past is to forsake the future .
And the future of the industry lies in the ability of the industry's technicians
to meet the challenges of this new technology .
The responsibility for meeting these challenges lies not with the
technicians alone , however . It is going to take a concerted effort on the
part of the entire industry . Operators should make every effort to provide
their service people with up-to-date information and equipment.
Equipment manufacturers should strive to promote more field service
schools, provide detailed technical information on every unit they
produce, and beef up existing warranty programs . Distributors and
independent service organizations can do their part by providing faster turn
around time on PC boards and by maintaining adequate supplies of
common replacement parts .
ImproVing the service network within this industry has probably been the
most overlooked problem facing the industry today . The solution to the
problem is not a simple one ; it will take a good deal of cooperation and
dedication by all those involved . Other problems may seem more
important , but when you get right down to it , there's nothing more
important than service in this industry .
One can have the best equipment available in the hottest location in
town , but if it's down, it's not making a single cent. Don't just think about it,
do something about it .
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For this , our Service Issue , we are fea turing a wide range of opinions-
from the cold , hard look at the effect of technology on coin-op games in
the Eighties by James Fox , to the humorous, but urgent plea for service by
J .W . Sedlak .
And , of course , you can expect our "Technical Topics" section to be
packed . It's filled with detailed servicing tips for videos and pins, all of it
written and illustrated by our capable technical editors .
And there's our ever-popular "Technician's Reading List ," for those
who wa'lt to read even more technical informat:on .
And to cap off these features and more , we present a
thought-provoking interview with Art Seglin , who has some quite
interesting ideas on the subject of educating servicemen : See Coinman of
the Month .
In all , it's quite a jam-packed issue with pages and pages of good
reading on an essential part of this industry - Service .
~~
--
Ralph C . Lally 11
Editor and Publisher
4
PLAY METER, July, 1980

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