Star Tech Journal

* Excellent
back-up service from
Seeburg distributor: Shreveport,
LA
NSM-interchangeability of com-
ponents is fantastic: Phoenix, AZ
(Con)
Seeburg has too dam many parts
on mechanism. Too many adjust-
ments are necessary: Sioux City,
IA
The Seeburg system before Stem
is tough to service: Newcomers-
town, OH
The Rock-Ola remote cable is too
fragile: Springfield, IL
I think the manufacturers are add-
ing too many features to the
machines to justify their high cost,
and this only gives us more to
repair: New York, NY
* Midway schematics are clear and
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2. Whose machines, in general, do
you feel most comfortable trouble-
shooting?
PINS
91%
Bally
Williams
24%
23%
Stem
5%
Gottlieb
Why:
Bally has good schematics and
good troubleshooting guides:
Eugene, OR
Bally- most problems that develop
can be taken care of on location:
Boston, MA
Williams has very good diagnos-
tics: Corpus Christi, TX
Bally has an excellent service book
and they use large print on their
schematics: Red Bluff, CA
From the beginning ofMPU games,
Bally always has given better circuit
explanations: Pertl'l, Australia
Stem, Bally, Williams - all have
good documentation: Wichita, KS
Bally has the most thorough trouble-
shooting charts: Bakersfield, CA
Stem labels each component on
their PCB's: Lake Placid, NY
Bally - their system makes sense:
Wichita Falls, TX
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VIDEO
Atari
Midway
Williams
Stem
Gremlin/ Sega
Cinematronics
Centuri
Universal
55%
54%
9%
9%
2%
2%
1 %
1 %
Why:
Atari manuals are like an instruc-
tion course in computers: Waipahu,
HI
*
PINS
the factory support is good: M em-
phis, TN
Atari supplies everything you need
in their game service package:
Madison, WI
Midway's card system- easy isola-
tion of faulty card: Newport News,
VA
Atari and Midway make machines
that run well: Boston, MA
Midway because they are very
helpful on their toll-free service
lines: Rio Piedras, PR
Atari's "The Book" is outstanding:
Omaha, NE
MUSIC
Rowe/AMI
Rock-Ola
Seeburg
NSM
Wurlitzer
28%
24%
13%
5%
1%
Why:
Rowe/ AMI - the leader in keeping
operators informed to problems
and schools: Painesville, OH
Rock-Ola's service instructions are
well explained: Lincoln, NE
Rowe/ AMI-good service literature
and good back-up from distributor
and manufacturer: Flint, MI
Seeburg has a logical layout, also
has a good write-in/read out sys-
tem: Milwaukee, WI
3. Which manufacturers, in your opin-
ion, design their products with service
in mind?
PINS
81%
Bally
28%
Williams
18%
Stem
10%
Gottlieb
2%
Atari
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VIDEO
Atari
Midway
Stem
Williams
Gremlin/Sega
Cinematronics
Centuri
Taito
MUSIC
Rowe/AMI
Rock-Ola
Seeburg
NSM
48%
42%
20%
15%
3%
2%
1%
1%
30%
19%
9%
5%
4. Which manufacturers, in your
opinion, seem to ignore the service
aspect?
33%
33%
11%
9%
3%
1%
VIDEO
Gremlin/Sega
Cinematronics
Taito
Midway
Stem
Centuri
Atari
Exidy
Williams
Universal
28%
17%
15%
13%
13%
11%
10%
9%
5%
5%
MUSIC
Seeburg
Wurlitzer
Rock-Ola
Rowe/AMI
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Gottlieb
Williams
Stem
Game Plan
Atari
Bally
NSM
23%
8%
5%
4%
2%
Additional Comments:
Games like Stern's "Berzerk" and
Williams "Defender" have come
a long way toward speeding repair
deduction (finding the problem
area): Fresno, CA
I must compliment Midway on the
attitude of their service depart-
ment. They're always helpful and
cooperative: San Diego, CA
I would like to see video mfg use
one system with well documented
manuals on game operation and
theory: Trenton, TN
All mfg need to improve the back-
door interlock situation and better
engineering design is needed on
the player panel layout: Grants
Pass, OR
Why don't mfg's put fans in videos?:
Lakewood, CA
Mfg' s should refine their machines
and parts instead of constantly
changing designs: Worchester, MA
Some mfg's have toll-free service
numbers-but ever try to get through
to them?: McAllen, TX
Information manuals should be
available at the same time as the
machines: Omaha, NE
Any mfg that does not furnish
signatures with their schematics
will be left behind as far as service
is concerned - without service we
can't operate: Bakersfield, CA
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S*TJ OCTOBER 1981 9