Star Tech Journal

Issue: 1989-January - Vol 10 Issue 11

Conversions Made Easy ...
Bill Johnston
Johnston's General Store
Buffalo, New York
1. Play the old game.
2. Check all control panel functions: Are the monitor
operation, coin door switches, test mode, audio, and
speaker all ok ? Is your line cord safe? if damaged,
replace it and replay the game.
3. Unplug the game.
4. The grounding strap or wire is important for safety:
Is your game safely grounded through its third pin on
the plug? Verify this with your ohmmeter, from the
ground pin to the monitor, power supply, control
panel, and coin door ground wires/ straps.
5. Repair any missing grounds, plug the game in, and
replay the game.
6. Unplug the game.
7. I prefer the dependable Hitron power supply. If
your switching regulator power supply is over two
years old, it is wise to change it rather than suffer
service calls. Install a new power supply. using
switched ac (best from the monitor isolated ac).
Ground the case of the power supply. Verify the power
supply's inputs and outputs with your multimeter.
11. Unpack your PCB carefully and check the follow-
ing items before you power up: Are your chips and
ribbons properly seated? Are the capacitors stand~
up (not shorting against the ground trace)? Does yom .
wiring harness match the PCB pin-out ? Don't trust
"factory settings". Don't even trust the dip/pin-out
page. Go to the test mode if available and verify
settings, including those for cabinet compatibility.
12. Carefully connect the edge connector and mount
the PCB in the cabinet.
13. Remove stray tools and family pets from the
cabinet, and smoke test it.
14. Adjust your power supply for 5 volts de: Measure
voltage across an Eprom farthest from the edge
connector. If the notch is at the top, +5 is on the pin
at the upper right comer. Ground is on the pin at the
lower left comer. Adjust your monitor for its best
picture.
15. Unplug the game, and continue wiring each
section of the game, powering it up, testing it, and
unplugging it as you go.
16. Wire harness to your coin door's coin switches.
Test play.
8. Carefully wire the harness to the power supply.
9. Carefully wire the harness to the monitor.
10. Take a break before the smoke test ahead.
17. Rebuild your control panel with all new parts to
save service calls and achieve maximum earnings
through player satisfaction. Wire harness to your
new controls at your rebuilt control panel. Test play.
.. . Step By Step
18. Wire harness to your speaker. Test play.
19. If everything's ok, wire up your coin meter(s) and
coin door lights.
20. If you are using a Suzo inductive joystick, meas-
ure its voltage at its connector and readjust your
power supply as necessaxy.
21. Consider installing new coin door mechs.
22. Dress off your harness wiring with cable ties
throughout the cabinet. Use cable ties with screw
holes at the end to secure the harness properly at the
coin door so it won't get pinched. Secure the harness
at the monitor so it doesn't unplug itself. Secure the
harness in the control panel every couple of inches to
keep the wires from interfering with the controls and
switches.
23. Test play your game. Make any switch adjust-
ments needed in the control panel. Set your player
options on the dip switches to match player difficulty
to your desired average play time.
24. Play a 2-player game and be sure the picture
doesn't flip upside-down if you're in an upright.
25. Everything pe:rfect?Take a break-you earned it!
Drew's • PO Box 632 • Fairforest, SC 29336
803/574-0162 • Fax 803/574-7680 • Telex 510601 2480

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