Star Tech Journal

Issue: 1995-August - Vol 17 Issue 6

August 1995
STAR*TECH
CD
Journal
HYTRON
MERIT VIDEO
WILLIAMS
SWITCHING
DRIVER F Al LURE
INDIANA JONES
POWER SUPPLIES
ON TOUCH
MINI PLAYFIELD
T' SHOOTING TIP
SCREENS
MOTORS
D. Scott Corson
Silverball Amusement
Walker, Minnesota
Merit Service Dept.
Merit Industries
Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Williams Service Dept
Williams Electronic Games
Chicago, Illinois
SUBJECT
SUBJECT
SUBJECT
Hytron switching power supplies.
Games with CRT-250 or CRT-
260 CPU boards.
On Indiana Jones, Williams has
done some changes in respect to
the mini playfield motors.
PROBLEM
If you have changed capacitors
in a Hytron Switching Supply
and it is still flaky, check the two
180k ohm resistors near the high
voltage filter caps.
SOLUTION
I have measured these and found
them to be anywhere from 180k
ohm to as high as 500k ohm. The
stock parts are 1/2 watt.
Replace both resistors with 180k
ohm, 1 watt parts and never
worry about them again.
PROBLEM
Unstable picture due to loss of
vertical or horizontal sync.
SOLUTION
If your game exhibits this prob-
lem, replace the 7406 driver (or
U23 for the CRT-250 board) and
add two transient suppressor di-
odes to the sync outputs for ad-
ditional protection.
MolNFo
For more information, contact
your Merit Industries distributor
at 800/445-9353.
UPGRADE
CPU software version L-7 has
incorporated a 32ms delay be-
tween the off/ on state of the mo-
tor.
This will increase the life of the
motor because it will no longer
change directions instantly.
MolNFO
Contact your Williams distribu-
tor for availability and further
information or call Williams Ser-
vice at 312/961-1544.
FALLING PRICES ON CD-ROM DRIVES
Many subscribers have called in
response to the CD drive we ad-
vertised a few months back. STJ
attempted to sell CD drives at
cost in order to have more ST]
on CD-ROM discs in the field.
But, with hardware prices falling
so rapidly we couldn't keep up ...
However, if you're looking to
buy a CD drive, now's the time.
STJ Bbs users have noted that
prices have plummeted to the
point where Quad speed drives
are now available at Double
speed prices.
Example: Brand name "Reveal"
Quad speed CD-ROM drives
were going for $189 (with 4 free
games) at computer & depart-
ment stores (includes I/0 card) .
Price clubs were also offering this
drive. Now's the time. Get on
board!
STAR*TEcH
Journal
August 1995
Monitor
3D TV MONITOR
Proble111s?
FoR AMUSEMENT GAMES ANNOUNCED
Order Th is Tech Pub
HINESLAB DEVELOPS
3DTV MONITOR
J\floNITORS:
SYMPTOMs/SoLUT/ONS
Glendale, California Quly 1, 1995)
HinesLab, Inc. has recently an-
nounced the development of a
three dimensional video monitor
that does not require 3-D glasses
for
viewing.
The
autostereoscopic TV/ computer
display provides three-dimen-
sional color images that can be
seen from any viewing position.
The HinesLab display is de-
signed for video, computer and
arcade game equipment.
Includes all S* TJ
monitor articles from
1990, 1991, 1992,
1993,1994& 1995
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1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
$14.95
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Save over 30% order the
□ Entire set for $59. 95
Name: - - - - - - - - ~
Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ....,
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(Please add $3 s/h. Thank you!)
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ISTAR*TECH Journal I
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"In the past, the cumbersome
glasses and rigid headrests made
3-D viewing more of a novelty
than a real experience," said
Steve Hines, president of
HinesLab, Inc. and developer of
the autostereo display. "It was my
goal to create a display that
would offer the realism of a vi-
sual third dimension with the
ease-of-viewing of the standard
two dimensional monitor."
The display is built around a liq-
uid crystal panel and rear-projec-
tion optics. More than two im-
ages are used in creating the 3-D
effect allowing lateral head move-
ment, horizontal motion paral-
lax, and look-around ability. This
method also provides for verti-
cal head freedom. The user can
sit comfortably in front of the
monitor within a range of view-
ing positions. The image can be
recorded and replayed in 3-D
with a standard VCR.
HinesLab is also responsible for
one of the first designs virtual
reality goggles. The stereo-video
head-mounted display was cre-
ated for the Department of the
Navy for telepresence military
operations. The company also
created a single person, wide-
field-of-view flight simulator for
the Department of Defense.
HinesLab is best known for the
development of SteroCam, a
dual camera mount used to shoot
3-D films for such companies as
Landmark Entertainment Group,
Warner Brothers Studios and
MCA/Universal Studios.
HinesLab is offering technical li-
censes for the 3-D video display
to companies in the video, com-
puter, and arcade-game indus-
tries. The company can be con-
tacted by voice at 818-507-5812,
or by fax at 818-507-8537.
HinesLab, Inc. is located at 4525-
B San Fernando Road, in Glen-
dale, California 91204.
~iLY:tt,H:J
Journal

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