Star Tech Journal

STAR*TECH Journal
ho chips.
AdJust111£>nt: While
monitoring the +Svdc bus on
the board with your DVON,
adJust the center pct or1 the
Po!Er Supply PCB for a +5,0
reading. (This is the most
accurate way of setting the
main de voltages,) The MPU
and CTC are located ori the
CPU board of the 3-board
logic set.
Secondary cause: If the
boards check out OK, and the
game is still locked-up,
suspect the opto-isolator in
the Polller Supply reset
circuit.
Isolation Test: Remove the
violet wire to pin 15 of J4,
if the game now powers-up,
this indicates that the reset
opto-isolator (4N28l has
failed,
***
HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Galle: Rowe R88, R89
Phonographs
11111111111111111111111
Tech: Don Holtz, United
Vending, Pittsburgh, PA
Sy ■ptom: Throwing records
and putting records in wror,g
slot.
Problem: The sprag wheel,
(gear that drives the
mechaniS11l and sprag wheel
hub (the sprag assembly is
located under the turntable>,
have rubber stem bushings to
soften the stop after the
search. The problem is that
the ste11 bushings sometime
rub against the nylon guide
for the sprag lever. This
stops the assembly before it
has reached its destination
and consequently selects the
wrong record. This may also
happen when returning a
record and the result is two
records crammed into one slot
or being tossed to the bottom
of the machine.
Solution: With a srnall file
(fingernail file, point file
or fine sandpaper), round off
the edge of the guide where
the bushings are rubbing.
This area is easy to spot
because the white nylon guide
will be marked very clearly
by the black rubber of the
stem bushir1gs. These two
parts should never make
contact.
***
llllllllllllllllllllfff*
Game: Bally Midway SPY
HUNTER, TWO TIGERS
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHfff*
Tech: Joe Connor, Active
Amusements, Phila., PA.
*********************************************************
Sy111pt011: Slight "hum" bar
in video and distorted audio,
or no picture and white
screen. All logic boards test
out OK and Power Supply Tests
OK too.
Probable cause: A partially
open (hum bar and distorted
audio), or completely open
circuit (no piK -only
raster), +5vdc filter
capacitor (55,000 ufl located
on the Transfor111er Assembly.
ERICKSON
*
***
Tl£ SERVICE TRAIL ...
~
by Todd Erickson, Summit
Alluse111ent, St. Paul, MN.
National Locks - -
Late this past su11111er I was
contacted by National lock
C011pany in regards to their
plug lock. After the ir1itial
articles in STAR•TECH JOURNAL
(June84l, Rowe discontinued
the use of their lock. The
basic concept of their system
is good. The key can be
changed 64 times on each
lock. The keys car, work in
any lock as long as they have
the sa11e code such as AHBU2.
The nuaber under it (1 to 64)
is the key number.
Since the last article,
serveral locks (3) had been
mailed back to National. Two
basic flaws eKist in this
lock. First the cam in the
end of the lock that drives
the pin would break. The key
can then be turned 360
degrees with out any action.
This problem I believe has
been cured.
The neKt problem is, what I
feel, a tolerance problem.
The ker_will COIie out in the
wrong pcsition. (It can be
driven back in with a hammer
if Positioned right.) I have
nOM had this happen with
their new samples also.
(Instead of correcting the
tolerance of the bad locks
that were mailed back, t he
National Lock engineers oiled
them and said they were
alright!)
Giving Me locks to test has
been a big waste of my time
and theirs. They even had the
nerve to send me a key they
had shorted me, collect
freight $25.00! The whole
lock isn't worth $2.00 1
They want me to inform the
industry when I found out
their problems had been
cured. Of their two maJor
proble■s, one has been cured.
June 1985 (2)
The other has been completely
boom.
unaddressed. Factory reps
stern SPLIT SEC(N)
(design by Harry Williams).
fr011 National also stated
that they are not goir,g to
Everybody knows that
stand behind their bad lock.
FIREPOWER, 8 BALL, BLACK
KNIGHT to name a few, are
After this last test, I am
great gaaes. These games were
even stronger in my feelings
fortunate enough to be
to replace all locks ~s
than 2 years old! (Defective
released at the right time
and with the right game
critical locks on machines
less than 2 years old may be
settings, SPLIT SECOND had
alright if the key does not
two strikes against it when
COIie out in wrong positions.>
it was released. Number orie
was that it was made duriAS
I still recOMMend replacement
the video boom. Secondly, the
of all National locks on
factory game settir1gs were
bill changers. All Rowe BC-25
not bad, they were terrible'
bill changers with original
In 110St cases, the third and
National locks have both
final blow to a great unknown
problems.
ga■e like this is the
Willius Drop Targets
operator. I would like to
The wire loop on the drop
repeat ■yse l f, THE OPERATOR.
target sensing switches has
been break-ing. -W-il-li-ams has - Had the-- game-been 1-ucky
enough to have any one of the
replaced it with a heavier
above things correct, it
(18 gauge) wire. This should
would have been a different
be done with all older games.
story for a really great
I also recommend 11aking a
ga■e.
COMPiete loop with the wire.
After playing the game I
This will give an alternate
purchased all I could find,
path if breakage occurs.
(5 of the games.> Because
ASI/IU '85
they 110Stly didn't work and
Great manufacturers and
the above ■entioned flaws,
distributors shows - very few
the ga■ es were all purchased
operators.
at basically a give-away
AMOA I feel was the start
price! of the rebirth of our
industry. Not many felt so
having been canabalized for
back then. Everybody's spirit
parts. l
Checking the remaining
was ■uch better at ASI/AOE.
ga■es, all had less than 6
One thing is for sure, the
thousand plays -on the ones I
operator that feels that the
could check the bookkeeping.
industry is finished and
stops buying the excellent
In IIOSt cases, high-score had
never been topped. The second
products that are available
replay level had not been
to us today is done.
reached either.
Great pinballs are stronger
Another plus for this game
than ever with SPACE SHUTTLE
is that it is a low-
by Willia111S being the leader.
production game. In most
Atari System 1 with a 68010
cases, people will have never
processor and 1 ineg of !llefl1ory
seen the ga111e. I also
is earning like the old days.
reco11111end using the game in
This game can't show up in
arcaaes consistent wiffi its
the fiome with thTu much-
theae. Game placement is
■E!IIIOry! Trivia games are hot.
i ■Portant. DOLLY PARTON
They are also great for our
doesn't belong in a game room
i11age. Nintendo continues
and N.liENT shouldn't be ir1 ari
with more great kits. ~any
older persons tavern.
good kits under $800 are
Ga■e settings I found to be
available. Darts are earriing
acceptable for SPLIT SECOND
good. Pools are strong. Old
are as follows: The first
pins are going good. Jukes
level 280,000, second
are good.
480,000, third 680,000. This
The only bad part of the
should give the game a 35 -
shows was the attendance at
4~ payout. The game has
the educational seminars.
earned as well as the average
This is the most impcrtant
good pin. In many locations,
part of the show. Shows are
it has out-earned 8 BALL
not only for the show floor
DELUXE. One operator who
or partys after. Or,e good tip
owned a few of the games I
can 110re than pay for your
purchased, asked me why I
trip. All the shows have some
purchased these dogs. This
eKcellent seminars.
one statement tells part of
This is the year of our
the story of what happened to
recovery!! We have al 1
our industry. Our customers
learned 111any things after the
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