Play Meter

~~ Pl.At' ltlE IER MEMBER Volume 3/No. 4 February, 1977 staff Publisher and Editor: Ralph C. Lally II Managing Editor: Richard S. Dietrich International Editor: David Snook Editor, Coin Slot Technical Editor: Robin Minnear Head Instructor, Kush N' Stuff Correspondents: Roger C. Sharpe Thomas Borden Timmothy Jarrell Dick Welu Mary Claire Blakeman Michael B. Klein Circulation Manager: Carolyn 0 . Desmond. Production : Earl Dupre Hellen Seal Carol Lally Typography: Skybird Typography Advertising Representative: Ralph C. Lally II Copyright 1977 by Skybird Publishing Company. Full editions of COIN INDUSTRY PLAY METER are published the first Friday of each month; the Update news edition is published on the third Friday of each month. Application for 2nd Class Permit pending. Publishing offices 4136 Washington Ave. , P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, La. 70184. Telephone (504) 837-0320. Printing Offices: Franklin Printing Co., 209 Magazine St., New Orleans, La . Subscription and advertising rates available on request. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without express permission . The editors are not responsible for unsolicited contributions. Postmaster: ~ send from 3579 to Play Meter, P.O. Box ~ 24170, New Orleans, La . 70184. = 2 BY Like any other sophisticated piece of hardware, a video game requires a certain amount of routing checking and maintenance. Proper maintenance will reduce your failure rate. I have proven this time and time again as an operator in the United States. A routine check of a few key points can really help keep the coins rolling in. Let's begin with the television monitor itself. The majority of the videos on the market today are using the Motorola XM-500 or XM700 series monitors. This monitor has proven to be extremely reliable for our particular use. It is most important however, that certain adjustments be made to preserve both reliability and player appeal. The obvious contols are exactly the same as your standard black and white television and are marked on the chassis. These are brightness, contrast, vertical hold, horizontal The hold, volume and width. monitor's amplifier is rarely used in the modern video game; therefore, the volume control is usually inoperative. A small potentiometer on the computer board is generally used as a means of adjusting the volume. There is one adjustment on the monitor that's extremely important. It's also -the adjustment that's the most ignored and that's a shame. The 73-volt regulator circuit provides the power for all the circuits in the monitor. If the voltage is too low, it can cause fluttering, a shrunken picture, wavy edges on the screen, or poor brightness. That's not too bad, because it's R~~[)Y ff\[]1':11':1 easily cured by adjusting the regulator up to 73 volts. But if the regulator is set too high it can cause destruction. expensive destruction! Generally it's something like the horizontal output transistor that goes. I had one case where the horizontal output transistor shorted and took the fly-back transformer, the voltage regulator transistor, and the power supply diodes with it! I was told by the mechanic that worked on the game before I did, that he turned up the voltage regulator all the way because the picture didn't fill the screen . I tried to keep calm and show him how to adjust the width and height (a two-minute operation) and the 73-volt regulator I (also a two-minute operation). managed not to strangle him and he went away knowing 1,000 per cent more than he did before his very expensive mistake. Anyway, here's how to adjust the 73-volt regulator. If you look at the monitor from the back you 'll notice rows of pins where the printed circuit board plugs into the chassis itself. Each of these pins is numbered and on pin 22, we have our 73-volt reference point. A meter capable of measuring 100 volts D.C. is needed to make this adjustment. I believe Radio Shack has one for about $10.00-a worthwhile investment in a $1,000 game, don't you think? With the negative meter lead on the monitor chassis, pin 22 should read exactly 73 volts. If it's off in either direction, it needs to be adjusted. The regulator control is T.S. Top Twelve, 1976 1. Mike Belz (St. Paul, Minn.) . .. ... ... . . . ... .. . $18,250.00 2. Brent Bednar (St. Paul, Minn.) ... . .. .. 18,200.00 3. Steve Simon (San Antonio, Tex.) .. .. . ... . . 15,375.00 4. Johnny Lott (Lubbock, Tex.) . ... . .. . . . . ... 12,850.00 5. Dan Kaiser (Portland, Oreg .) .. .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . 12,787.50 6. Mike Bowers (Littleton, Col .) ... . . ... . . 12,775.00 7. Jim Zellick (Missoula, Mont.) .. ... ... . .. . . . . ... 11,750.00 8. Marcio Bonilla (Seattle, Wash.) ... . ... . .. . . 11,075.00 9. Rick Beberg (Chico, Cal.) .. .. ... ... . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . 10,550.50 10. Guy Vogelbacher (Minneapolis, Minn .) .. ... . 8,262.50 11 . Lori Schranz (Dallas, Tex.) . . ... .. . .. .. .. . .. 8,212.50 12. Bev Froom (Portland , Oreg.) . ... .. . .. . . . .. . . . .. 7,282.50 . ~ . !: TELH~~Lfll TaP~L~ . .•. '