Star Tech Journal

Issue: 1985-October - Vol 7 Issue 5

SIAR"1t IECHJOURNAL
THE TECHNICAL MONTHLY FOR THE AMUSEMENTS INDUSTRY
P.O. BOX 1065, MERCHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY 08109.
OCTOBER
1985
VCJI_LJME
DATA EAST
NINTENDO
H*HHHHHI
fllllll****llll*lll**lllll*IIIIIIH
Same: CCJIIMANDO
Game: VS. DualSystem, VS. Unisystem
IHHH~IHI
Sy■ptoa: Salle ■ isses
flfffffffffffffffffffffffffflffffff
coin drops.
Cause: Coin SMitches supplied by Coin
Controls 11ere aade for European garnes
and ■ istakenly installed in a batch of
CCJIIIIIANDO video games. The SMitch is
aade for a heavier coin and therefore
does not alMays register the lighter
North Anlerican coins.
Solution: Change coin SMitch. Contact
your distributor for availability of
correct ■ icroswitch.
************
NICHIBUTSU
SubJect: Gun Games
Recently Nintendo has received
reports concerning wear and damage to
the guns used in the VS. Gun Paks.
There are two problems in particular.
First, there is a problem with
excessive wear on the end of the gun
barrel. Because of the force exerted on
the tip when pulling the gun in and out
of the holster, the rubber may crack
and come loose fr011 the barrel. To help
remedy this problem, Nintendo has made
available a hardened cap that slides on
over the end of the barrel to protect
it. Nintendo has shipped a sufficient
IHIHHffff
Salle: l'IAGMAX
Symptom: Ga111e goes into self-test by
itself occasionally.
Problem: Joystick control signals of
PLAYER 2 are connected to PLAYER 1 in
the upright model.
HIHHHIH
Garoe: MAGMAX
HHHIHIH
Sympt011: The game gives free credits
when coins are inserted.
Problem: The game is using an old
type Nichibutsu harness. The old
harness will have a Jumper from pin 135
(counter ll to pin 113 (coin ll.
Solution: Disconnect this Jumper,
MASMAX logic doesn't need it.
STARITECH JOURNAL, October 1985 1
Volume 7, Number 5. Copyright (cl 1985
by Star Tech Journal, Inc. All rights
reserved. Address inquires to: POB

.,_JI
and be sure to make the chain one or
two inches shorter than the cable to
relieve any_ possible strain on the
cable.
************
MAGIC
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Game: SPECIAL FORCES
******************"
This conversion kit requires an
eight;iay Joystick which is supplied as
part of the kit.
Recently, Magic's supplier, WICO,
supplied them with a Joystick marked
2-4-8 way, and they used it in the last
150 kits that were shipped,
As it turns out, the Joystick in
question is only 4-;iay and will not
work in the 8-May position.
If you are experiencing difficulty
with any SPECIAL FORCES conversion kit,
check the Joystick action. Magic
Electronics will replace any 4-way sent
with a SPECIAL FORCES kit with a neM
8-way Joystick.
Contact: Kevin McIntyre
(401/946-2010).
HIHIHIHI
Solution: Make sure there is no
Jumper between 2P and 1P (up, down,
left, right, shoot) at the edge
connector.
NLJMBER
************
BALLY MIDWAY
fffffffffHlllffffffHffff
CHICAGO HYATT REGENCY HOTEL
OCTOBER 31•NOVEMBER 2
Game: 8-BALL CHAMP Pinball
*********************'****
number of these gun caps at no charge
to their distributors to cover those
gur,s already in the field. If it should
become necessary at a later date,
replacement caps are also available
from those distributors at a minimal
charge.
SubJect: 6803 Control Board Power-Up
Test Sequence.
The second problem has to do with the
breaking of the flexible gun cable that
connects the gun to the control panel.
This cable is strong enough to
withstand normal wear, but if enough
excessive force is used, the cable
could be broken. To help prevent this
problem, Nintendo strongly suggests
adding the security chain that is
referred to in the Nintendo Sun Kit
Manual. Be sure to use a closed-link
chain with a working load of
approximately 300 pounds or greater,
1st Flash - (U6l Determines if the
internal RAM is good (6803).
1065, Merchantville, NJ 08109.
Subscription rates: USA $56, Canada
$63 ($US), Other countries $98 ($US).
STAR•TECH JOURNAL (ISSN 1739-10481 is
The following is an abreviated
self-test routine for the 6803 Control
Board used in EIBHT-BALL CHAMP and
future pinballs:
2nd Flash - (U3l Checks to see if the
program ROM is good IProgra1111er 27128).
3rd Flash - (U4l Checks the C-fllOS RAM
(6116P-3l.
4th Flash - (U8l Tests PIA0 (6821).
5th Flash - (U7l Tests PIAl (6821).
published 110nthly on the first of the
110nth via 1st Class Mail in North
America, via Air Mail elsewhere.
James Calore: Publisher/Editor.
STAR*TECH Journal
*****••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
6th Flash - (U6) Checks the internal
display interrupt generator (6803).
7th Flash - (U12 & UB) Verifies
operation of the Phase B switched
illumination voltage, NOTE: FS fuse on
the Power Module provides the Phase B
signal to the Control Board (U12,
14584>, !UB, 6821 >.
8th Flash - (Ut, Utt & U12) Verifies
operation of the Phase A switched
illumination voltage. NOTE: F4 fuse on
the Power Module provides the Phase A
signal to the Control Board (U1, 6803),
!U11, 4011), (U12, 14584),
P.S. Don't feel all alone, the #1
national pastime among the customers,
is playing swordsman with SHOOT AWAY
guns 1 ! !
***********1(
SEEBURG
By Chuck Boehm
Ur1ited Vending
Pittsburgh, PA
'*********'**********'*'*
Models: SPS 160 Thru SMC2
flffffflffllflflfflflffll
Symptom: Muffled sound or volume goes
up arid down intermittently.
Solution: Clean or replace 24V mute
trip relay in SHP1 or SHP3 amplifier.
Symptom: Plays same record again and
again.
lffllllllfflllll
Cause: Although the record may be
or have a torn label causing the
safety lever to replay record, the
problem is probably in the plug-in
relay (12V or 24V depending on model).
11arped
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Symptom: Neither gun flashes but shot
sound and everything else 1110rks, and
Fuse 17 (1.25 amp) is blown.
Solution: Clean or replace relay as
needed.
Solution 1: Disconnect both guns and
look for obvious shorts in the trigger
PCB wires inside the barrel cover;
correct the wiring.
Hint: Due to the vibration from
customer abuse of the guns, the
terminal 'screws will always loosen
themselves causing this blow-out.
Soldering these connections might
save you down time in the future.
*************************************
StTJ contacted Frank Rothouser,
Customer Service Manager for Sega
Enterprises in San Jose, CA.
According to the factory, if the game
option setting is set for 'Easy' and
the number of Player 'Lives' is set for
maximum -then you should be in good
shape.
After checking with his phone techs
and the engineering group at Sega, as
well as the technical group at Wico,
Frank told StTJ that they hav2 not had
this complaint before with this
particular game.
Remedy: Perhaps, you should move this
game to a more sophisticated video
location where the players are more
skillful. This piece should prove more
profitable with experienced video
OPERATORS: Need help? Advice?
Technical or otherwise, StTJ will take
your questions to the manufacturers and
try for acceptable answers. Letters
will be published here for all to
benefit.
************
BATISTIC
CHANGING COfllPONENTS
By John Batistic
Univid Test Systems
Cleveland, OH
One of the 110St impartant steps in
board repair is successfully changing
IC chips, You can troubleshoot like an
expert but it is in vain if you cannot
change the bad companent. A circuit
board is a delicate piece of equipment
and must be handled carefully.
Solution 2: Replace F-7 and connect
your DC volt meter between the red and
black wires at Sun 1 connector (set
meter on high voltage scale), start the
game and listen for ready signal; you
should read 300 volts DC if lucky or 0
volts otherwise.
Solution 3: If you get good readings,
you can fix the guns and reconnect them
to the game and you're done.
If there's no reading, turn the power
off and remove the pawer PCB from the
main unit. Look for burned marks on the
poMer resistors, 1 & 77 on older models
and Rl, 2 & 3 on later versions. Also
check REC 1, (full wave bridge 11);
repair and replace as needed
(RS-276-1173 can be used for REC 1).
Try step 2 again and if your wiring
and power supply board are repaired
properly you should be able to take the
"Out Of Order" sticker off the game 1
(2)
'*****************"*****'***********
llfffllllllllllllllll
Same: Sl{J()T AWAY
1'385
players.
*********************
Models: LS3 Thru STD4
NAMCO
Octc,ber
LETTERS- -
-
Dear Sirs:
I Just installed a kit called REGULUS
by SEBA that I bought from Wico Corp.
I think its a pretty good kit. Only
one problem, there's only two settings
for game play -'Easy' and 'Hard'. Well
let me tell you, I set it on 'Easy' and
its impossible to get through some
scenes!
My customers are complaining about
the game. Is there anything you can
tell me, to make it easier? (I even
gave the player five tanks.) Thank you.
6 & B Arcade
1690 Montauk Highway
Mastic, NV 11950
P.S. I receive your StartTech Journal
once a month and it has helped me out a
lot. Keep up the good liiOrk. Again,
thank you.
There are at least a couple of ways
to change !C's. One of the most
efficient methods involves the use of a
de-soldering station with a POIIIE!r
vacuum. If you own one, you can make it
worthwhile because you can save all the
components. This is possible because
you can remove !C's without causing any
damage to them.
Most people do not have a
de-soldering station but they still
must be able to change !C's. There is a
way to do this with very little
investment in tools. The necessary
tools are:
1) Soldering Station - A controlled
temperature station of 100·· degrees (Fl.
If not available, use a soldering iron
rated at no more than 25 watts. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO USE A SOLDERING SUN!
2) Solder Vacuum - A hand-held,
spring loaded tool that enables the
removal of solder once it is liquified.
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