Star Tech Journal
Issue: 1983-November - Vol 5 Issue 9 - Page 23
23
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/NOVEMBER 1983
Tech Shop Profile continued.
the earnings of their machines, but nothing
reflecting the maintenance nuisance associated
with the early color X/Y monitors or the
thermal problems of some machines.
I feel that an environmental test of new
machines should be a priority item on the
manufacturer's check list. Annoying static
problems, insufficient power supply capacity,
connector bum, poor socket performance and
thermal problems should be easy to detect at
the manufacturing site. Maybe the market
slowdown will give the manufacturers time to
address this problem.
STANDARDIZATION. Many times our
customers will call for an advanced item and
we will ship a monitor or logic that he can not
use. This most often is due to the manufacturer's
use of two or more styles to supply the produc-
tion run. If a standard mounting and electrical
connection is always used, even the difference
in components is not a problem.
This would also solve testing problems. It
would enable repair shops to have one test set
up for a single game. Instead, we have three
different test configurations for some games
(Frogger) and must be able to aid a customer
over the telephone with any of the many game
configurations.
ST J: Do you have any suggestions for the
operators?
WM: Most problems operators encounter are
caused by poor connections or defective (mal-
adjusted) power supplies. The operator should
visually inspect his machine and check
connectors for integrity.
Operators should purchase a reliable digital
meter and learn to use it A couple hundred
dollars for a good meter and a few hours
practice will pay off on down time and service
cost of equipment
ST J: Do you have specific supply/parts
problems?
WM: We usually have problems with new
parts only. Exceptions are parts used to repair
Japanese monitors. It seems that some manu-
facturers will buy any monitor available and
not stock parts for the distributors, who are
expected to maintain the game.
Brady parts personnel usually monitor the
electronics industry as to the availability of
parts and order before our stock is depleted.
Manufacturers are usually quick to supply
parts orders if the part is available. This will be
much more important to the operators as array
logic becomes a greater percentage of com-
ponent count in the logic systems. Custom
components will force distributors and operators
alike to depend on the efficiency of the
manufacturers' parts departments.
ST J: How long has your company been
servicing at this location?
WM: Brady Distributing has been serving
Charlotte and the Mid-Atlantic States since
1945.
ST J: Are there any areas that you, as manager,
plan to improve upon/update?
WM: We would like to shorten our repair and
return time. Approximately 10% of Advance
Replacements orders are for items we have in
short supply or cannot obtain. This situation
requires the item to be received, repaired and
shipped to the customer instead of the usual
advance replacement procedure.
Presently, we are listing the repair and
returns and monitoring the time necessary to
complete repairs and ship the item to our
customers. If a repair must wait for parts and
an exchange item becomes available during
this time, the item will be exchanged and a
working unit shipped to the customer. This
sounds like a simple task, but the volume of our
repair business complicates this operation.
We are now using computer-generated
listings to help us compare what is available
against the customer's needs. This includes not
only the items stocked on our shelves, but the
games available in our warehouse. Parts not
stocked or in short supply will be cannibalized
from warehouse equipment Usually, problem
repairs are expedited in this fashion. Cannibal-
ized games are reassembled as the shop
completes repairs.
Most anticipated changes are improvements
to this system. Of course, we intend to encourage
continuing technical education and development
or purchase of needed test equipment.
ST J: How does this shop compare to any
other(s) you've worked for?
WM: Without a doubt, this shop has the
brightest technicians and greatest resources of
any I have been exposed to.
ST J: Is there anything that sets your operation
apart from the rest - a certain advantage you
feel is important to your service?
WM: The size of our shops and parts stock
allows us to provide quick service that would
otherwise be impossible. Our technical exper-
tise enables in-house repairs of difficult
problems, and a greater availability of these
items when the customer has a need.
ST J: What do you predict for the future of this
industry - service wise?
WM: Over the next two years, we will witness
a leap in applied advanced technology. Custom
components will become the norm. Component
counts will be one third or less than that of
today's systems of equivalent complexity. The
reliability of equipment will be such that failures
on delivery will be a very rare occurence.
Because of the high cost of design and
production, standardization of product will be
the approach of every manufacturer. Copyright
protection will be built into the design so that
infringement will be much less of a problem.
Custom components .will cause problems
for service shops unless the manufacturers
keep adequate stock to meet repair demands.
These parts will not be standard off-the-shelf
items and will not be available through elec-
tronics parts houses.
Troubleshooting to faulty components will
be much more difficult. With standard logic
functions, a technician can localize a fault
fairly easily. However, custom logic will have
any number of possible functions and there will
be no tables or catalogs to aid the technician.
Factory supported/ authorized repair facilities
will have a great advantage over independent
shops.
I see a great challenge ahead and a stronger .
distributor/manufacturer partnership. Operators
will spend less of their earnings on repairs and
the complexity of the games will be such that
players get much more for their money.
************
MOVING? QUESTIONS?
Your address label contains your subscriber account number in the
top right. We can more readily change your address or answer your
questions if we know this number. If you are moving and don't have
your label, just fill out the information below and we'll update your
account.
OLD ADDRESS
NEW ADDRESS
Your name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Your name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Addres,~- - - - - - - - - - -
Addres~- - - - - - - - - - -
City/State/Zip,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
City/State/ZiP~ - - - - - - - - -
Account # (if known) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
INTERESTED
IN
ADVERTISING?
S*T J reaches over 4,000
service shops with a readership
of over 12,000 operators,
distributors, technicians and
manufacturer suppliers. Your
message gets read more than
once ... again and again. For
more information call Paul at
609/662-3432.
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/NOVEMBER 1983
Tech Shop Profile continued.
the earnings of their machines, but nothing
reflecting the maintenance nuisance associated
with the early color X/Y monitors or the
thermal problems of some machines.
I feel that an environmental test of new
machines should be a priority item on the
manufacturer's check list. Annoying static
problems, insufficient power supply capacity,
connector bum, poor socket performance and
thermal problems should be easy to detect at
the manufacturing site. Maybe the market
slowdown will give the manufacturers time to
address this problem.
STANDARDIZATION. Many times our
customers will call for an advanced item and
we will ship a monitor or logic that he can not
use. This most often is due to the manufacturer's
use of two or more styles to supply the produc-
tion run. If a standard mounting and electrical
connection is always used, even the difference
in components is not a problem.
This would also solve testing problems. It
would enable repair shops to have one test set
up for a single game. Instead, we have three
different test configurations for some games
(Frogger) and must be able to aid a customer
over the telephone with any of the many game
configurations.
ST J: Do you have any suggestions for the
operators?
WM: Most problems operators encounter are
caused by poor connections or defective (mal-
adjusted) power supplies. The operator should
visually inspect his machine and check
connectors for integrity.
Operators should purchase a reliable digital
meter and learn to use it A couple hundred
dollars for a good meter and a few hours
practice will pay off on down time and service
cost of equipment
ST J: Do you have specific supply/parts
problems?
WM: We usually have problems with new
parts only. Exceptions are parts used to repair
Japanese monitors. It seems that some manu-
facturers will buy any monitor available and
not stock parts for the distributors, who are
expected to maintain the game.
Brady parts personnel usually monitor the
electronics industry as to the availability of
parts and order before our stock is depleted.
Manufacturers are usually quick to supply
parts orders if the part is available. This will be
much more important to the operators as array
logic becomes a greater percentage of com-
ponent count in the logic systems. Custom
components will force distributors and operators
alike to depend on the efficiency of the
manufacturers' parts departments.
ST J: How long has your company been
servicing at this location?
WM: Brady Distributing has been serving
Charlotte and the Mid-Atlantic States since
1945.
ST J: Are there any areas that you, as manager,
plan to improve upon/update?
WM: We would like to shorten our repair and
return time. Approximately 10% of Advance
Replacements orders are for items we have in
short supply or cannot obtain. This situation
requires the item to be received, repaired and
shipped to the customer instead of the usual
advance replacement procedure.
Presently, we are listing the repair and
returns and monitoring the time necessary to
complete repairs and ship the item to our
customers. If a repair must wait for parts and
an exchange item becomes available during
this time, the item will be exchanged and a
working unit shipped to the customer. This
sounds like a simple task, but the volume of our
repair business complicates this operation.
We are now using computer-generated
listings to help us compare what is available
against the customer's needs. This includes not
only the items stocked on our shelves, but the
games available in our warehouse. Parts not
stocked or in short supply will be cannibalized
from warehouse equipment Usually, problem
repairs are expedited in this fashion. Cannibal-
ized games are reassembled as the shop
completes repairs.
Most anticipated changes are improvements
to this system. Of course, we intend to encourage
continuing technical education and development
or purchase of needed test equipment.
ST J: How does this shop compare to any
other(s) you've worked for?
WM: Without a doubt, this shop has the
brightest technicians and greatest resources of
any I have been exposed to.
ST J: Is there anything that sets your operation
apart from the rest - a certain advantage you
feel is important to your service?
WM: The size of our shops and parts stock
allows us to provide quick service that would
otherwise be impossible. Our technical exper-
tise enables in-house repairs of difficult
problems, and a greater availability of these
items when the customer has a need.
ST J: What do you predict for the future of this
industry - service wise?
WM: Over the next two years, we will witness
a leap in applied advanced technology. Custom
components will become the norm. Component
counts will be one third or less than that of
today's systems of equivalent complexity. The
reliability of equipment will be such that failures
on delivery will be a very rare occurence.
Because of the high cost of design and
production, standardization of product will be
the approach of every manufacturer. Copyright
protection will be built into the design so that
infringement will be much less of a problem.
Custom components .will cause problems
for service shops unless the manufacturers
keep adequate stock to meet repair demands.
These parts will not be standard off-the-shelf
items and will not be available through elec-
tronics parts houses.
Troubleshooting to faulty components will
be much more difficult. With standard logic
functions, a technician can localize a fault
fairly easily. However, custom logic will have
any number of possible functions and there will
be no tables or catalogs to aid the technician.
Factory supported/ authorized repair facilities
will have a great advantage over independent
shops.
I see a great challenge ahead and a stronger .
distributor/manufacturer partnership. Operators
will spend less of their earnings on repairs and
the complexity of the games will be such that
players get much more for their money.
************
MOVING? QUESTIONS?
Your address label contains your subscriber account number in the
top right. We can more readily change your address or answer your
questions if we know this number. If you are moving and don't have
your label, just fill out the information below and we'll update your
account.
OLD ADDRESS
NEW ADDRESS
Your name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Your name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Addres,~- - - - - - - - - - -
Addres~- - - - - - - - - - -
City/State/Zip,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
City/State/ZiP~ - - - - - - - - -
Account # (if known) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
INTERESTED
IN
ADVERTISING?
S*T J reaches over 4,000
service shops with a readership
of over 12,000 operators,
distributors, technicians and
manufacturer suppliers. Your
message gets read more than
once ... again and again. For
more information call Paul at
609/662-3432.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).