Star Tech Journal

m
December 1993
MERIT
SCORPIONISTINGER
DATA EAST
JURASSIC p AR,K
DARTS
DINO
DEAD MACHINE
REDESIGN?
Kurt Vanfleteren
Amusement Devices Inc.
Menasha, Wisconsin
Evan Wessel
Mercury Amusement
Havertown, Pennsylvania
PROBLEM
SYMPTOM
I have noticed an exception-
ally high failure rate of the
linear power
supplies used in
these dart ma-
chines.
The
problem has al-
ways been the
~.same: Bridge
Rectifier BR101
opens up.
replaced the failed component
with a Bridge rated at 6 Amps
@ 1000 PRV.
This is the recti-
fier that feeds
the +5 volt cir-
cuit and is lo-
cated near the
center of the cir-
cuit board.
SYMPTOM
When it fails the
machine
ap-
pears totally
dead with no flo-
rescent top light
and no displays
working.
~'
_,
STAR*TECH Journal
The
original
part used is a 6
Amp Rectifier at
200 PRV. I have
□
PROCEDURE
I solder both sides
of the circuit board
because the legs fit
so snug in the cir-
cuit board holes it
is hard to get the
solder to flow
through.
We have tracked
the uni ts we re-
paired and have
had n2 repeat fail-
ures. The oldest
modified board is
now about 5
months old.
NOTE
The + 12 volt cir-
cuit uses the same
bridge -but I have
never seen one fail
in this circuit, so I
don't replace it.
We have had some problems
with the T-Rex eating the ball,
but it won't go down his throat.
It seems that the motor is too
weak to lift his head all the
way back.
Program 5.01 seemed to cor-
rectit, butl'mnotsureifit'sall
coincidental.
OBSERVATION
Ours is working OK, but some
operators have gotten so much
grief from this game, they will
not buy Data East Pins for a
long time.
REDESIGN?
This is unfortunate and if
Data East has to redesign the
whole dinosaur and send them
out for free, it might be worth it
-just to salvage customer con-
fidence in their products.
FYI
Data East has 5.10 revision
software available for the Ju-
rassic Park pin.