22
Tech Shop Profile continued.
includes studies at Keesler School of Aero-
space Sciences, two years USAF service, and
an Associate Degree in Electrical/Electronic
Technologies.
FRED SHARPE: Has worked with Brady four-
teen years. His specialty is cabinet rework
and pool table maintenance.
SID SLAUGHTER: Vending Supervisor. He
has attended many of the industry service
schools and is responsible for the vending
maintenance operation. Prior to working for
Brady, Sid worked as a computer operator
and programmer. Also, he served as ASW
Technician in the U.S. Navy.
PRAVIN (JOHN) SODHA: Has fifteen years
experience in the electronics industry. He
has repaired monitors and logic boards in the
Video Shop for the past year and a half. John's
background includes radio systems repair
and navigational systems repair. He has an
Associate Degree in Electrical/Electronics
Technology.
MARK THOMPSON: Has worked in the Pro-
duction Shop for a year. He repairs games as
a complete unit. Mark worked as a computer
operator before being employed by Brady.
ROSS WATSON: Has worked four years in the
Production Shop. He repairs electrical and
mechanical subassemblies necessary to make
the games operational.
ST J: What is your technical background and
experience?
WM: I have worked in electronics for sixteen
years. My early training and experience was
with the U.S. Navy. After this service, I
worked one season for an amusement park
maintaining their arcade equipment. Later, I
worked for Brady Distributing as one of their
first video repairmen.
This early experience exposed me to
problems still facing our industry. I had to
develop test stations and troubleshooting pro-
cedures to aid repair of the new games. With
the rapid change in our industry, today does not
seem much different from those times.
I left Brady Distributing to travel and
continue my education. During my travels, I
worked for operators and experienced the
pleasures/problems of collection and main-
taining equipment. The coin-op industry helped
pay my way through Engineering school and
gave me an insight into real world applications
of electronics theory.
Two years ago, I received the Bachelor of
Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from
North Carolina State University. At this time,
Brady Distributing asked that I help build the
best electronics repair facility possible. We
feel we have had great success in this endeavor;
however, the industry is progressing and new
problems are always to be anticipated. Our
shops are committed to service excellence and
will evolve to meet these challenges.
ST J: What types of repairs and services does
your shop perform?
WM: Our shops offer several forms of service
to our customers. When a customer needs a
particular device, he may call our Advance
Replacements Department and draw on our
stock of over 3000 items to repair his game.
Should the operator have trouble localizing the
problem, he can contact one of our technicians
for telephone assistance. Most of our service is
handled through these channels.
Through our shops we offer game conver-
sions, circuit modifications ( factory authorized),
logic, monitor, power supply, and cabinet repair.
We service the following lines: Ardac Bill
Changers, Atari, Automatic Products, Bally,
Centuri, Cinematronics, Coinco Changers,
CVS, Data East, Digital Controls, Eastern
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/NOVEMBER 1983
Micro, Exidy, G.D.I., Game Plan, Gottlieb,
Gremlin, Hamilton Changers, ICE, Inter Logic,
Klopp Counters, Mars Changers, Merit Indus-
tries, Midway, Moyer Diebel, Namco,
National Changers, Nichibutsu, Nintendo,
Pacific Novelty, Progressive Games, Rock-
Ola, Rowe Bill Changers, Sega, Stem, Tago,
Taito, Universal, Valley, Williams, Woodbine
Tommy Lifts, and Wurlitzer.
ST J: Besides in-house servicing, do you offer
street service? To whatextent(warranty, etc.)?
WM: Most repairs are accomplished under the
Brady roof. However, should a problem prove
to be difficult to isolate or be of a recurring
nature, we will send someone to the site to
repair the machine or carry it to our shop.
Our warranty is for ninety days on all new
or used equipment and ninety days on all items
repaired by our shops (logic boards, monitors,
etc.). This warranty applies to any item that is
exchanged through our Advance Replacements
Department or used in a machine repair.
ST J: Is there one frequent problem common
to all amusement machines?
WM: Each line may have its own common
problems, but the greatest problem we have is
the incongruous fashion in which game com-
ponents are selected for the assembly line. We
prefer to use a board float or module replace-
ment scheme to repair our customers' games. If
a customer is located twenty miles from his
machine and calls for a Frogger monitor or a
Cosmic Chasm monitor, there is no way we
can advance the monitor to him unless he
knows the model. This problem only occurs
when we try to handle repairs through our
board float operation.
Here are common problems associated
with a few lines:
SEGA G80 SYSTEMS- loss of the -5-
volt supply causes RAM (type #4027) to be
destroyed Logic replacement ( or RAM re-
placement) cures the problem for a short time.
SOLUTION - replace damaged RAM and
replace or repair faulty power supply.
AT ARI COLOR X/Y SYSTEMS- failure
of filter capacitors ( C901 and C902) in the
high voltage unit causes noise to be coupled
into the deflection stages. This is manifested as
a sharp jagged distortion of the video display.
SOLUTION - replace C901 and C902
with capacitors rated at I 00 rnicrofarads and
50 working volts DC.
POLE POSITION - 07xx custom chip
fails causing the video display to appear as if
there is a horizontal sync problem. Actually
this is a thermal problem with two causes: the
07xx chip will not operate within design speci-
fications and the ambient temperature of the
system is raised by the RF shield.
SOLUTION- replace defective 07xx chip
with a working replacement or mount a fan so
that air is forced across the surface of the logic
boards.
WILLIAMS GAMES - same problem as
the Sega G80 System, loss of -5-volt supply
destroys the dynamic RAM.
SOLUTION- repair the power supply and
replace the dynamic RAM (type #4116).
Most problems encountered by operators
today are connector or power supply problems
that can be cured without a strong technical
background.
ST J: What types of test and repair equipment
do you use?
WM: For simulators, we use Brady Universal
,Programmable Test Unit and Patch Panel,
Brady Universal Tester, Midway Universal
Tester, Atari CTS-1 Test Unit, Atari PAT
9000 Test Station, Baily's 2518 Test Set,
Gottlieb 80/80a Bench Tester, Gottlieb Series
I Pinball Test Fixture, Brady Power Supply
Test Station, Brady Steering & Interface Test
Unit, Brady (Rock-Ola) Jukebox Module Test
Unit, Brady Universal Jukebox Amplifier Test
Station, Ardac Test Unit, Rowe Changer
Testing System, and Cinematronics CPU
Exorcisor.
For electronic test equipment, we use Brady
Hand Held Video Pattern Generators, Brady
Logic Pulsers and Probes, Wico CRT Pattern
Generator, Electrohome RGB Service Gener-
ator, Fluke 8022B Multimeters, RCA WC5 28B
Quicktracers (Transistor/ Diode Checker),
B&K 520B Transistor Testers, B&K HV-44
High Voltage Probes, B&K 1500 Dual Trace
I 00 MHz O' Scopes, Bench Mate 400 Monitor
Exerciser, Fluke 90 JOA Micro-System
Troubleshooters, B&K CRT Restorers/
Analyzers, Cinematronics Model l 0-11002-
01 Vector Display Generator, Kurz-Kasch
Signature II, B&K LA1025 Digital System
Analyzer, Atari Automatic ROM RAM Tester,
Atari Cat Box, B&K E200D RF Signal
Generator, B&K E310B Audio Signal
Generator, HP 5010A Logic Troubleshooter,
HP I 7 40A Dual Trace I 00 MHz Scopes.
For repair/rework tools, we have Weller
WTCP Soldering Station, Pace PPS-6A
Desoldering Station, and general purpose small
hand tools.
ST J: Is there any type of test and/ or repair
equipment that you would like to see designed?
WM: Most devices we could use are presently
on the market. The greatest problem we have is
that their cost is much too great for the utility
we would receive. Our techs are now working
on several devices which should speed our
troubleshooting process. These items are
basically programmable comparators. One uses
the old video probe technique to allow a visual
presentation of error signals and the other is
programmed to examine specific functions of
devices.
ST J: In your opinion, what would make a
specific repair(s) easier/less time-consuming if
a certain type of tool/jig was designed?
WM: Usually we implement any test jig or
electronic tools needed for test and repair. As
with the test and repair, most of what we need is
currently available or has been fabricated.
ST J: How can maintenance of the games you
service be improved?
WM: Communication is often the greatest
problem we encounter. Frequently, customers
will return an Advance Replacement with no
indication of the problem. Even if the item
appears to be working, the technician must test
for an hour or more to ensure there is no
intermittent or thermal problem. This problem
may arise with game repairs also. If a problem
is intermittent, a description would enable the
technician to focus on any item possibly causing
that problem.
A simple letter accompanying the machine
or item to be repaired could save valuable time
and reduce cost of repairs.
ST J: How can the manufacturers improve
their products?
WM: TESTING. It seems that most manu-
facturers are in such a hurry to push the product
out the door that they do not bother to test their
products. Operators can find statistics reflecting
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