""A--rAR TECH JOURNAL
April 1994
The CPU finely finds it's way
home, and surprise! It doesn't
work. I call NSG again, and I am
told that no problem was found,
it must be the worm screw on the
ball gate motor. So by this time
the warranty has expired and we
had to pay for the worm screw.
I install the CPU, wiring harness
and power box. I start to install
the ball gate update and find out
one of the parts is too small. So,
another week goes by while they
have the right part made. It
comes in and I finish the installa-
tion. I plug the game in: Nope!
Another week goes by and here
comes the worm screw marked
c.o.d. The new part didn't help at
all. I call, they tell me that they
have updated the EPROM in the
CPU and that should take care of
the problem. But of course, we
have to buy it. So we throw more
money at the problem ... and time
goes by. The chip finally comes,
and guess what? It doesn't fix the
problem.
The CPU gets sent back in for
them to look at. Now it's been one
month since it was sent in this
time (late March, 1994) and the
game still just sits there out of
order -just like the week we got
it two years ago, but with a couple
of thousand dollars in new parts
and shipping costs added to it.
By this time, a year has gone by
and we have moved into our new
building. Maybe the new power
source will do the trick. Nope!
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vice department not trained well
enough on how to repair their
own machines.
Also, the balls they use just tear
up the padded vinyl that you
throw the ball through. So, after
replacing the backdrop every
couple a weeks and paying $400
each time, I decided to use ten-
nis balls instead of hard baseballs.
UBQB
This football game is a little less
maintenance than the other two
-but is still a headache. Just like
Pitch Hitter we are continually
replacing the backdrop that the
footballs are suppose to go
through and with the ball bounc-
ing around inside the game, the
row of sensors that read the ball
being thrown are constantly be-
ing destroyed.
1 1
1:
BOTTOM LINE
So in my opinion, games from
National Sports Games are over-
priced, very high maintenance
and poorly designed. The parts
and service department is tough
to get to. It seems they are always
at lunch and hardly ever return
my calls. The parts are overpriced
and take forever to get from there
to here, as if they are not made
until you order them.
PITCH HrrrER
More time passes and I try every-
thing I know of to correct the Everyday when I come into work
problem to no avail. So I am at this game is out of order because
the end of my rope and I give the sensor that reads the ball be-
NSG another try. This time they ing returned doesn't read the
tell me to send them -everything. balls all the time, and the game
The CPU, wiring harness, and will stop dispensing balls in the
power box. So in November of middle of the game.
1993 it all gets sent in. A short
time later NSG calls and tells me NSG told me to update the
that the worm screw motor as- EPROM and then I could shut
sembly has been updated to a lin- the ball return sensor off and QUERY?
ear actuator motor for this game solve the problem. So I did. Put Is it just me or are you having the
and updating ours should take the chip in and found that there same trouble with this company?
care of the problem. And we had isn't a selection for the ball return Whether you can confirm or
to pay $480 some odd dollars for sensor.
deny, I would like to hear your
the modification.
opinion on this subject. Write/ fax
Time passes ... now it's four So, are they lying to their custom- S*TJ (Box 1065 Merchantville
months later before we see the ers just so they can sell overpriced NJ 08109. Fx: 609/662-0537) and
parts, or are the bozos in the ser- it will get passed along to me.
parts.
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