STAR*TECH Journal
a
W
October 1986 (9)
Crompton's SILVER SKI Hopper Mod
By Frank 'The Crank' Seninsky
Alpha~a Amusements & Sales
Edison, New Jersey
would then blow both of the opto couplers,
(MCT272) every time. The SILVER SKI should
never have been designed this way. The
7812 will short without any doubt. Note
that one circuit board controls two
hoppers, a counting (cash) hopper and a
token dispensing hopper.
You would first notice that the token
hopper rootor would run slow or conpletely
bind, and then 'POCF'. The reason the
rootor would bind is that each rootor has a
magnetic brake that needs 110 volts before
it (the brake) can release. '!be magnetic
brake would not receive the required
voltage because the triac's (TIC225m)
can't conduct for a full cycle once the
MCT272's are gone. Without the brake
releasing, the hopper 100tor would sinply
burn up. '!be (2) triac's (TIC225m) would
also blow as they would thermally self-
destruct. These triac's are very difficult
corrponents to obtain.
If you operate any of the roore than 200
SILVER SKI Mark II hopper units that were
sold, than you know what I'm talking about
when I say: "The microphone board is not
designed properly".
Our service depart:Irent spent many
unnecessary hours trying to keep the 5
units that we operate, up and running. Out
of the 30 total sections (6 per game),
there were always 2 or 3 that were down
the entire sunmer. Replacement parts are
difficult or inpossible to get. Hopper
rooters are expensive ($150 each) and some
were burning out every few weeks. A new
microphone board costs roore than $150 and
even when it is replaced, it is just a
matter of a few hours or days until the
identical corrponents would all bum up
again. This is very frustrating,
A especially when you just paid over $10,000
W for the piece and it isn't taking in any
rooney because it just 'ain't designed
right I!
Another internal problem is that the token
hopper 100tors will run continuously (and
burn out) if they ever run out of tokens.
It's little wonder that the SKI's are a
'constant headache' . What is needed is a
major JOOdification. And wouldn't you know
it, we have one!
The nightmares happen because IC 7812
(Figure 1) is grounded to "Mains Neutral".
In the USA, this is the white wire of the
llOV electrical supply, while in Europe
they use a blue wire. When the hopper
rootor is not running, the "Mains Neutral"
line 'floats' and has AC present. This AC
causes the 7812 to short internally which
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:C.ROf H:.T.01 J f7AC Hll ✓ E CO. LTD.
SILVER SK IS .
OPTQ-'!SOLATOR. MICROPHONE BOARD.
Figure 1: I t's usele s s to kee p replacing
IC 78Ll 2, MCT2 72,TIC 225m , & token hopper
motor s . Get the " I odice r,10 D" for $49 5 .
The "Iodice M
JOOdification consisting of adding two
S'l'EIX:12B relays and a transistor and
rerooving the problem corrponents entirely.
(Figure 2): 2 triacs, 2 opto couplers, IC
7812. Several junps and cuts are also
required. We have done the JOOdification
and it · 'eliminates ALL' (and I mean .all}
the SILVER SKI problems.
I, however, recomrend replacing all the
microphone boards, (there are 6 in each
game), with co~letely new JOOdified
boards. It will take 2-3 weeks for us to
co~lete the JOOdification. The entire
"Iodice z.m" costs $495 for all six boards
and is fully guaranteed for a full year.
It is nuch cheaper in the long run to have
it done -than do it yourself. I know,
because we wasted hours making this M
work. It's also a way for us to recover
some of the cost involved in redesigning
the SILVER SKI.
T-F
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