Star Tech Journal
Issue: 1988-November - Vol 10 Issue 9 - Page 4
Increase Claw Power Increase Revenues
Frank ''The Crank" Seninsky
Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales
Edison, New Jersey
I recently received a letter that asks some
interesting questions:
Dear Frank:
I am a small one-horse operator with about
90 pieces, all videos except for 3 cranes that
I have begun operating this year. I went to
one of your seminars at the AMOA show in
Chicago last fall on crane operation and
maintenance. I thoroughly enjoyed the
seminar, and continue to enjoy and appreci-
ate your articles in... our industry trade
publications. Keep up the good work.
I have a couple of questions for you, now that
I've buttered you up:
1. My cranes (2 Action Claws and 1 Big
Choice) have the pot fully open and the claw
collar set just high enough to keep the arms
from touching (approximately 1 / 4 inch from
the bottom). How can I strengthen the ten-
sion more?
2. Is there a published list of game dip switch
settings that will increase the earnings and/
or playability, both for older and current
equipment?
Thank you for your help - if I can ever be of
service to you in South Texas, please let me
know. Sincerely, Charlie Mack, Mack Vend-
ing Company, Corpus Christi, Texas.
larger, higher priced, high quality plush with
each piece running in the $3-$5 range. This
method of operation works well in high traf-
ficked areas with transient crowds, as the
win frequency must be quite low, even with
an increase to 50 cents a play.
2. The second way is to use hard goods which
often weigh more than plush. To be success-
ful, the claw tension must be increased. The
same conclusion, Charlie, that you came to.
You are in luck Charlie, because there is a 50
V de claw coil available for the Big Choice and
Action Claw cranes that fits into the claw
housing easily. This claw coil uses a heavier
gauge wire with less turns that gives it a~
lower resistance and, therefore, more power.
Give Bill Seibert, Senior Engineer, Betson
Enterprises, Moonachie, NJ (201) 220-4400
a call and he'll order you this specially made
high powered coil.
CRANE SERVICE TIP
If you've been experiencing a blown input
buffer (7 4LS244) at U25 on some of your Big
Choice cranes with the micro-processor
board, the solution is quite simple. The three
motors in the crane mechanism are so close
together that a magnetic induced voltage of
60-70 volts is created and this voltage trav-
els straight to the input buffer at U25. By
running a 4 inch logic ground wire from the
cart microswitch #3 ground (black) to the
bolt that the shipping spring hooks onto,
this problem is ended once and for all. Bill
Seibert gets the credit for hunting down and
solving this difficult to find problem.
.~
Frank's Reply:
1. The way I see it, crane operators have two
ways to go when the general public tires of $1
average priced plush. The first way is to use
ARCADE/STREET SETTINGS
There is no published list of game settings
that I know of presently; however, Todd
Frank ''The Crank" Seninsky
Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales
Edison, New Jersey
I recently received a letter that asks some
interesting questions:
Dear Frank:
I am a small one-horse operator with about
90 pieces, all videos except for 3 cranes that
I have begun operating this year. I went to
one of your seminars at the AMOA show in
Chicago last fall on crane operation and
maintenance. I thoroughly enjoyed the
seminar, and continue to enjoy and appreci-
ate your articles in... our industry trade
publications. Keep up the good work.
I have a couple of questions for you, now that
I've buttered you up:
1. My cranes (2 Action Claws and 1 Big
Choice) have the pot fully open and the claw
collar set just high enough to keep the arms
from touching (approximately 1 / 4 inch from
the bottom). How can I strengthen the ten-
sion more?
2. Is there a published list of game dip switch
settings that will increase the earnings and/
or playability, both for older and current
equipment?
Thank you for your help - if I can ever be of
service to you in South Texas, please let me
know. Sincerely, Charlie Mack, Mack Vend-
ing Company, Corpus Christi, Texas.
larger, higher priced, high quality plush with
each piece running in the $3-$5 range. This
method of operation works well in high traf-
ficked areas with transient crowds, as the
win frequency must be quite low, even with
an increase to 50 cents a play.
2. The second way is to use hard goods which
often weigh more than plush. To be success-
ful, the claw tension must be increased. The
same conclusion, Charlie, that you came to.
You are in luck Charlie, because there is a 50
V de claw coil available for the Big Choice and
Action Claw cranes that fits into the claw
housing easily. This claw coil uses a heavier
gauge wire with less turns that gives it a~
lower resistance and, therefore, more power.
Give Bill Seibert, Senior Engineer, Betson
Enterprises, Moonachie, NJ (201) 220-4400
a call and he'll order you this specially made
high powered coil.
CRANE SERVICE TIP
If you've been experiencing a blown input
buffer (7 4LS244) at U25 on some of your Big
Choice cranes with the micro-processor
board, the solution is quite simple. The three
motors in the crane mechanism are so close
together that a magnetic induced voltage of
60-70 volts is created and this voltage trav-
els straight to the input buffer at U25. By
running a 4 inch logic ground wire from the
cart microswitch #3 ground (black) to the
bolt that the shipping spring hooks onto,
this problem is ended once and for all. Bill
Seibert gets the credit for hunting down and
solving this difficult to find problem.
.~
Frank's Reply:
1. The way I see it, crane operators have two
ways to go when the general public tires of $1
average priced plush. The first way is to use
ARCADE/STREET SETTINGS
There is no published list of game settings
that I know of presently; however, Todd
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).