subscriptions - slot techslot-tech.com/members/magazine/lores/february17.pdf · 2017-02-14 ·...

Randy Fromm's

Slot Tech Magazine

EditorRandy Fromm

Technical WritersJames Borg, Todd Brooks,Nathan Galloway, ChuckLentine, Jerome Mayard,Pat Porath

Slot Tech Magazine is publishedmonthly bySlot Tech Magazine401 W. Lexington #777El Cajon, CA 92022tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410e-mail [email protected] the website at slot-techs.com

SUBSCRIPTIONSDomestic (North America)1 year - $80.002 years - $140.00International1 year - $160.002 years - $300.00

Subscribe online atslot-techs.com

Copyright 2017 under the UniversalCopyright Convention. All rights re-served.

Slot Tech Magazine Editorial

-EditorialPage 4-UP220-AE Power Supply RepairPage 8 -Quick & Simple Slot Machine Repairs #125Page 12- Announcing The Slot Academy at TechFest33Page 15-Wilder Things #1Page 19-Slot Tech Training Schedule for 2017

Randy Fromm

Publisher-Slot Tech Magazine

DDDDDear Friends of Slot Techear Friends of Slot Techear Friends of Slot Techear Friends of Slot Techear Friends of Slot TechMagazine,Magazine,Magazine,Magazine,Magazine,

As many of you know, each yearSlot Tech Magazine sponsors“TechFest,” a seminar programfor slot machine technicians.This year, TechFest 33 will beheld at the Mystic Lake HotelCasino, May 16-18, 2017 and isnow open for enrollment for allslot techs.

Are You The Slot Manager?Are You The Slot Manager?Are You The Slot Manager?Are You The Slot Manager?Are You The Slot Manager?

This year, I am pleased toannounce a world-class trainingevent for slot managers that willrun as a separate programalongside TechFest 33. You’veprobably heard of LucienWijsman and his “Slot Academy.”The Slot Academy has areputation for delivering a hugeamount of practical material in amanner that is both informativeand super entertaining. If youthink “slot math” is boring,think again.

For a few years, I have beentrying to bring the Slot Academyin to run their programalongside TechFest. It’s anatural fit and it “rounds out”TechFest so there’s somethingfor everyone, not just the slottechs. Lucien’s a busy fellow butthis year, our schedulesmatched and the Slot Academyhas agreed to appear at TechFest33.

This is a fully-credentialed andaccredited slot managementprogram (attendees receive fullcredit from UNR-the Universityof Nevada at Reno) and will beheld alongside TechFest 33 atMystic Lake Hotel Casino. Thisis the real deal. It’s three fulldays of slot managementtraining, taught by one of thegaming world’s most respectedcasino professionals.

Slot Academy is part of the UNRextended studies program. Thismeans that attendees to the SlotAcademy get credits towards theUNR Gaming ManagementProgram. They also receive acertificate from UNR for

completing the Slot Academycourse.

Topics covered during the eventinclude (but are not limited to):

Slot Machine Meters Accordingto SAS protocolSlot Machine Myth and MathProgressive and Mystery PrizeManagementFloor layout Management

Please note that this three-dayprogram is being offered at asubstantial discount, in order tomore closely align with the lowercost of the TechFest program.The full, three-day Slot Academyis $995.00. Outside of TechFest,this training costs $2100.00. Iam grateful to the Slot Academyfor making this trainingopportunity available atTechFest 33 and that it’s beingoffered at such a deeplydiscounted rate. I’m not entirelycertain that we’ll be able torepeat the program at TechFest34 so if you can make it toMystic Lake Casino this May,please take advantage of theoffer. I expect this will be a sold-out event.

Please note as well that this is ano-nonsense training event: Nogolf tournaments (for charity orotherwise), no “meet and greets”and no cocktail parties. It isthree, jam-packed days of first-class training at a world-classcasino with a really great lunchserved to you each day. Whatelse could you possibly want?Slot techs . . . Bring your boss!For a complete class schedule orenroll in the Slot Academy atTechFest 33, please visit thewebsite at slot-techs.com. Classsize is limited. A splendid timeis guaranteed for all.

For more information, contact:Randy Fromm-PublisherSlot Tech Magazine401 W. Lexington Ave.El Cajon, CA 92020tel.619.838.7111fax.619.315.0410Visit the website at slot-techs.com

February 2017Slot Tech Magazine

Slot Tech Feature Article

Recently on the slottech forums,someone wanted to

know how to repair theUP220-AE power supply. Ifyou are not familiar withthis power supply, it can befound on the back of a 32"Tatung monitor in a BallyAlpha Pro machine. Thepurpose of these powersupplies is to provide theTatung monitor with threedifferent voltages: +5v,

+12v, and +24v. When therequest was posted on theforums, I had never tried totroubleshoot these powersupplies but I did have twobad power supplies on therepair bench.

After extracting the powersupply from its casing, thefirst component I tested wasthe fuse and determined itwas truly bad; it was open.Once I determined the ACinput fuse F1 was bad, thenext component I testedwas the MOSFET. The Q1MOSFET tested fine; theonly obviously badcomponent on the powersupply was capacitor C11.C11 is one of the output

filter capacitors for the+24v. One fuse and oneoutput filter capacitor couldnot be the only badcomponents with thispower supply.

Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note: with ablown fuse, we are typicallylooking for a shortedcomponent and, generallyspeaking, electrolyticcapacitors do not short-circuit when they fail. Infact, it’s generally just theopposite. Their internalESR (equivalent seriesresistance) will INCREASEto the point that theybecome unusable. It is thisundesirable, internalresistance that causes the

UP220-AE Power Supply RepairBy Nathan Galloway

Slot Tech MagazineFebruary 2017


capacitors to heat up,which in turn causes thefamiliar “domed capacitor”as the liquid electrolyteinside the capacitor“disassociates,” producingHydrogen gas, inflating thealuminum can of the deviceAND causing the familiardomed effect, indicative of abad electrolytic capacitor.-rf

If you are at all familiarwith power supply repair,you might have noticed thatsome capacitors never seemto display any physicalsigns of being defective.You would not even knowthey were defective untilyou tested them with sometype of capacitor analyzer.This is typically true ofsmall capacitors.

My initial reply on the SlotTech Forum was to replaceF1, C18, C28, and C39. Ihad forgotten to mentionC13 but I did not forget toreplace it with the otherpreviously mentionedcomponents. Afterreplacing the one fuse andfive capacitors, I tested thepower supply. The onlyoutput voltage I was gettingwas the +5v. I was notgetting any output voltageson the +12 or +24. Closerinspection on the trace sideof the power supply PCB, Inoticed one of the pins onB2 connector had themarking “on/off.”

Since I was unable to fullyactivate the power supplyon the repair bench, Iinstalled it in a monitor onthe casino floor to confirm

its working status, then Ireturned the fixed powersupply to the bench forfurther testing. At thisstage in thetroubleshooting process, Istarted to provide voltage to

that “on/off” pin todetermine the minimumvoltage required to activatethe 12v and 24v.Apparently this powersupply does not provide the12v and 24v to the monitor

12v Test Point and On/Off pin on backside of Power Supply


until it gets at least +1.37vapplied to that “on/off” pin,most likely provided by theA/D board of the monitor.

It would not be practical touse casino floor games totest all newly repairedpower supplies. I wanted atool to send enough voltageto that “on/off” pin. Thetool I created utilized aresistor divider circuit. I

would use the +5v output ofthe power supply andextract +1.66v and applythat voltage to the “on/off”pin. I used three resistors,all having the same value:150 Ohms. I soldered tworesistors in series giving mea combined total of 300Ohms. This 300 Ohmresistor would be the R1 inmy resistor divider circuitwhile the remaining 150

Ohm resistorwould be theR2 in thatcircuit. Iassembled theresistors, pinsand aconnector in avery crude buteffective tool.

Please remember thispower “on/off” tool wascreated with spare parts Ihad in the shop and is verycrude but still gets the jobdone. For the power “on/off” connector, I used TEConnectivity receptaclehousing 440129-6.Thecrimp pin for the TEConnectivity housing, Iused JST Sales AmericaSPH-002T-P0.5S.

Nathan GallowayNathan GallowayNathan GallowayNathan GallowayNathan GallowaySlot TechnicianSlot TechnicianSlot TechnicianSlot TechnicianSlot TechnicianArgosy CasinoArgosy CasinoArgosy CasinoArgosy CasinoArgosy CasinoRiverside, Mo 64150Riverside, Mo 64150Riverside, Mo 64150Riverside, Mo 64150Riverside, Mo 64150

Here is a list of parts Ireplaced to repair thispower supply:

Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note: Stillsurprising that this failureblew the fuse. Generallyspeaking, you’re looking fora semiconductor failure onthe primary side of thepower supply when it blowsthe fuse. Can anyone elseweigh in on this?-rf-rf-rf-rf-rf



IGT “Party Time” UpperIGT “Party Time” UpperIGT “Party Time” UpperIGT “Party Time” UpperIGT “Party Time” UpperLCD Power SupplyLCD Power SupplyLCD Power SupplyLCD Power SupplyLCD Power Supply

An interesting repairon an IGT “PartyTime” upper LCD

power supply. The upperLCD is also referred to an“MCB2,” power supply partnumber 40011101, modelYM-6151A. The unit has astandard C14 IEC powerplug input of 120 Vac (seeillustration on the varioustypes of IEC-InternationalElectrotechnical Commit-tee-power connectors. Let’srefer to them by theirproper designation) withoutputs of 5Vdc, 3.3Vdc,and 12Vdc. After the usualprocess of “capping” it (onan older unit I replace themajority, if not all, capaci-tors) and replacing thedead 5 volt DC cooling fan, Iknew I had some output DCvoltage. When applyingpower to the unit, the cool-ing fan spun. I did notice itspun quietly but didn’tthink a whole lot about it atthe time. Next, the unit wastagged “ready for test” tomake sure it works in agame. What the . . . ? Itended up back on the re-

pair shelf with a tag“doesn’t power up LCD butfan spins.” What in theworld is going on with this?A few more caps that werevery difficult to get to werereplaced, this time I testedwith a multi-meter, like Ishould have the first time,NOT assuming I had all ofmy output voltages onlybecause the fan spun.Unusual readings appearedsuch as 985 millivolts DC.Other components werechecked too, like the “junc-tion drop” on transistor;they all tested fine.

Nothing obvious looked badon the board. I had to askfor help as to why this unitwas not working properly.After talking to a co-worker,they showed me an addi-tional ground connectionthat needed to be made. Onthe large Molex connectorthe green wire needs tohave a jumper wire to earthground. On our benchthere is a pin that sticksout near an 120 Vac outletthat is used. Sure enough,once the connection wasmade I had all of the outputvoltages I was looking for,along with a fast cooling fanspeed. Previously, it musthave had just enough volt-age to spin the fan at a slow

Quick & Simple Repairs #125By Pat Porath

speed and I should havereplaced all the caps I couldthe first time I had it apart.


WMS “Progressive Dis-WMS “Progressive Dis-WMS “Progressive Dis-WMS “Progressive Dis-WMS “Progressive Dis-abled” Errorabled” Errorabled” Errorabled” Errorabled” Error

I was told when I came infor my shift, that there wasa WMS BB2 game down.When turning the gamepower ON, the voltage LEDson the back plane board(the power supply indica-tors) were all lit up OK butthe ones located on theinside of the CPU boardwere flashing. They aresupposed to remain illumi-nated. It was almost likesomething was shorting outthe board. Maybe the powersupply was bad? It wasreplaced only to have thefailure remain the same.

Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note: For systemtroubleshooting, nothingbeats the peace of mindthat comes through“swaptronics.” You can bragall you want about what agreat technician you areand how you can use adigital multi-meter and/oroscilloscope to ferret out allsorts of problems (and ifyou really CAN, I am super-happy for you. It’s a real joyto possess this skill set. Ireally admire our industry’s“super technicians” whoare, by-and-large, remark-ably humble-a rarity amongtechnicians, in my experi-ence-and more than willingto help others through the

Slot Tech Forum or here inthe pages of Slot TechMagazine) but regardless, itwould be foolish to not takeadvantage of the sure-firediagnostic technique ofsub-assembly replacement.

I mention this because I amas interested in thetroubleshooting process as Iam the actual repair. Whatled you to the cause of theproblem? I specifically askmy contributors to discussthe things that they triedbut didn’t fix the problem.Following a troubleshootingpath doesn’t mean that youhave “failed” on your firstattempt or any of the sub-sequent steps you’ve takenon the path to discover thefailure. Once you havebecome familiar with thefailure, you can bypasstroubleshooting completelyand jump right to the re-pair. -rf-rf-rf-rf-rf

Looks like possibly a badCPU board now. After swap-ping the hard drive, juris-diction chip, BIOS, OScard, game card, and li-cense dongle, the replace-ment board booted up thegame. Following a RAMclear and set up, there wasa progressive error that Icould not clear. On thegame there are threeprogressives: Grand, Major,and Minor. As I later foundout, the Grand is a linkedprogressive while the othertwo are stand alone. Thisexplained why I had “un-available” showing on thegame side of the “Grand”progressive software set-


tings. A co-worker checkedgame settings and such,then came up with thesolution to the problem,which made perfect sense.Since the game CPU boardwas replaced, it had a dif-ferent MAC address thanthe original, therefore itcould not “talk” to the pro-gressive controller until ithad the replacement MACentered into it. After theMAC was keyed in andeverything matched, theprogressive error clearedand the amount appearedcorrectly on the top LCD.

What is a MAC address andwhat is its definition? Me-dia Access Control addressof a device is a uniqueidentifier assigned to net-work interfaces for commu-nication. In other words it’san alpha numeric numberthat identifies hardware toa network computer orcontroller. We have a simi-lar problem when gamesare moved or converted. Onour Oasis 360 system, if aSentinel isn’t taken“offline” before 4 am, one ofthe failures are a game willhave “PBT” error and promocash won’t download.Someone from accountingor an experienced techneeds to go into the “BlackBart” program and click onthe “reset mac id” tab lo-cated on the bottom part ofthe screen. I’ve had ac-counting do this for me afew times. Within a coupleminutes, the game ac-cepted promo cash per-fectly. This was all becausethe “system” had the mac

address tied to the oldlocation or old machinenumber. Once matched,everything is fine and cancommunicate properly.

Konami Both ScreensKonami Both ScreensKonami Both ScreensKonami Both ScreensKonami Both ScreensWere BlackWere BlackWere BlackWere BlackWere Black

I was called to a KonamiPodium KP3 that had noexterior lighting and boththe upper and lowerscreens were black. I toldthe slot attendant to tryrebooting the game. Withinthe hour, a call came againfor the same problem. With-out looking at the gamefirst, I had brought a sparemain power supply withme. I was correct. No powerto both LCDs and no exte-rior lights indicate a badmain power supply (whichis located on the lower righthand side of the game andvery easy to replace withonly one thumb screw).After it was re-placed, the gamewas fine. Withmy experienceworking on thesepower supplies,Sometimes onlyreplacing a largedomed capacitoralong with aboard mountedfuse fixes theseones. Capacitoris 420 v 270 uffuse is ceramictype 6.3 amps.Konami powersupply partnumber is45277, themodel number isVA-26936

SG “Twin Star” FreezingSG “Twin Star” FreezingSG “Twin Star” FreezingSG “Twin Star” FreezingSG “Twin Star” FreezingUp After an Hour and aUp After an Hour and aUp After an Hour and aUp After an Hour and aUp After an Hour and aHalfHalfHalfHalfHalf

We had a Scientific GamesTwin Star machine thatwould only last about anhour and a half until thegame would freeze up.Again and again after thehour it would freeze. Usu-ally, when memory errorsor freezing up happens onthese games, a “factoryreset” (full RAM Clear)needs to be preformed,then it is fine. I was told a“factory reset” was alreadydone on it so now what? Afield tech from the companywas scheduled to arrive so Iwaited to ask what theywould do. I was told a “fac-tory reset “ should do thetrick, if not, perhaps thebrain box was failing. Whentalking to a co-worker, theystated a reset may not havebeen done. So a reset was


done on it, the OS, gamesoftware, and such werereloaded into the brain boxvia thumb drives. Optionswere set accordingly, thenit was time for the test. Itaccepted promo cash andtickets, then it was a wait-ing game. Would it stayrunning for more than anhour and a half? Sureenough it did. On a differ-ent day a Twin Star on theopposite side of the bankdidn’t have any sound.Software options werechecked, connections werechecked, nothing lookedloose or unplugged. Maybea reboot will fix it? A powercycle of the game was done,during the boot up processit had an “infamous WMSbeeping door open sound”so I was quite sure thegame sound would worknow. Once it was complete,I touched the volume iconlocated on the buttonpanel. It did in fact work,the game now had sound.

Aristocrat “Double Arc”Aristocrat “Double Arc”Aristocrat “Double Arc”Aristocrat “Double Arc”Aristocrat “Double Arc”“Buffalo” (large curved“Buffalo” (large curved“Buffalo” (large curved“Buffalo” (large curved“Buffalo” (large curvedgamegamegamegamegame)

The Arc and Double Arc aretwo of Aristocrat’s newermodels. Programs I’ve seenin them are “Buffalo.”“Walking Dead” and“Brittney.” The Double Arcis hard to miss on the floor.Two large curved LCDs, oneon top of the other, notquite as large as the Aristo-crat “Goliath” but no doubta second place. Anyway, Iwas called to a Buffalo ArcWAP game (wide area pro-gressive) that displayed

“progressive level mis-match” on it. Naturally, thecustomer was in the middleof a bonus at the time sothe repair needed to bequick. The first time I hadworked on the game, it hadto be rebooted a couple oftimes which took sometime, CAT 5 connectionswere checked and so on.Finally the error cleared.The second time I ran intoit, main game power wasturned off then main gameinput power was discon-nected for about 30 sec-onds. Power was re-con-nected, game power turnedback ON, then wait for it tofully boot up. The errorcleared and the customercontinued their bonus play.

Editor’s note:Editor’s note:Editor’s note:Editor’s note:Editor’s note: FM repair?-rfr fr fr fr f

IGT G20 “Wrong AssetIGT G20 “Wrong AssetIGT G20 “Wrong AssetIGT G20 “Wrong AssetIGT G20 “Wrong AssetNumber” Error WhenNumber” Error WhenNumber” Error WhenNumber” Error WhenNumber” Error WhenDownloading PromoDownloading PromoDownloading PromoDownloading PromoDownloading PromoCashCashCashCashCash

I had an IGT G20 that had a“wrong asset number” errorwhen trying to downloadpromo cash during a testprocedure after a gameconversion. In other words,a game was converted to adifferent theme thereforepaperwork and testingneeds to be completed tomake sure everythingworks as it should, such asaccepting promo cash,accepting bills, print andaccept tickets, correctpoints are accumulated onthe promo cash test cardand so on. When the“wrong asset number” error

appeared on the Oasis n-Compass display I knew ithad to do with the machinehouse number. Which sidethough? Was it a gameoption or an Oasis optionthat was incorrect? In gameoptions, I found out thearea in which the gamehouse number and gameserial number were sup-posed to be entered hadbeen accidentally leftblank. Once the numberswere entered in, the gameaccepted promo cash per-fectly. Also after a conver-sion, sometimes an “SAStimeout” error or “generalerror” will appear on theOasis display. Simplyrebooting the game alongthe the n-Compass unitusually clears these errors,as long as there is goodgame and system commu-nication, and of coursewhen the game is in a totalidle state. None of the doorsare showing open, paperisn’t low, and such.

- Pat Porath - Pat Porath - Pat Porath - Pat Porath - Pat [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]


Technical Presentations:Ceronix-LCD Monitor RepairFutureLogic-Gen 2 and Beyond-Ticket PrintersJCM-UBA and iVIZION Bill ValidatorsMEI-CashFlow SC66 Bill ValidatorPLUS-Randy Fromm on:LCD Repair/Power Supply RepairComponent Identification and Testing

Slot Tech Magazine PresentsTechFest 33 May 16-18, 2017

Featuring The Slot AcademyOpen to all slot techs

from all properties(and now slot manag-ers are welcome too!)

TechFest is The World’s LargestGathering of Slot Machine

Technicians

Includes all classroom materials: Freedigital multimeter, free component tester kit(a valuable shop tool for testing capacitors,resistors and all types of semiconductors).

Are You The Slot Manager?This year, I am pleased to announce a world-class training event for slot managers that will run as a separateprogram alongside TechFest 33. You've probably heard of Lucien Wijsman and his “Slot Academy.” The SlotAcademy has a reputation for delivering a huge amount of practical material in a manner that is both informa-tive and super entertaining. If you think “slot math” is boring, think again. You’ll love it! I guarantee it. Moneyback if not delighted by this training. You’ll leave with a level of comprehension you may not have considered.

For a few years, I have been trying to bring the Slot Academy in to run their program alongside TechFest. It's anatural fit and it “rounds out” TechFest so there's something for everyone, not just the slot techs. Lucien's abusy fellow but this year, our schedules matched and the Slot Academy has agreed to appear at TechFest 33.

This is a fully-credentialed and accredited slot management program (attendees receive full credit fromUNR-the University of Nevada at Reno) and will be held alongside TechFest 33 at Mystic Lake Hotel Casino.This is the real deal. It's three full days of slot management training, taught by one of the gaming world's mostrespected casino professionals.

Slot Academy is part of the UNR extended studies program. This means that attendees to the Slot Academyget credits toward the UNR Gaming Management Program. They also receive a certificate from UNR forcompleting the Slot Academy course.

This is an exciting training opportunity that will pack a lot of information into three full days. I expect that thisevent will sell out quickly. Further data and enrollment form available at slot-techs.com

Slot Academy Presentations:Slot Machine MetersAccording to SAS protocolSlot Machine Myth and MathProgressive andMystery Prize ManagementFloor layout Management

Includes all classroom materialsTuition is $995/person

TechFest 33, featuring the Slot Academywill be held May 16-18, 2017 at:Mystic Lake Casino Hotel2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW, Prior Lake, MN55372 Phone: (952) 445-9000Mention “TechFest” for our discounted rate of$129/night.

NEW PROGRAM!-Three days of Slotmanagement training that is effective,painless and even a little fun.*

Tuition is $895/person


Slot Academy at TechFest is produced by:Slot Tech Magazine401 W, Lexington #777El Cajon, CA 92022tel.619.838.7111fax.619.315.0410e-mail [email protected]

Company Name: ___________________________________________________Name of attendee(s) - Attach a list if necessary or just send all of this information on a PO.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________

City ______________________________________ State/Prov. _______________

Country __________________________ Zip/Postal Code _________________

Telephone _________________________ Fax __________________________

E-mail __________________________________________

Account Number: _________________________________Enrollment fee is $995.00 perperson. Payment by creditcard or check payable to SlotTech Magazine. Purchaseorders will be invoiced.

Enrollment Formfor Slot Academy

[ ] American Express[ ] Discover[ ] MasterCard[ ] Visa

Please complete this enrollmentform and return it to Slot TechMagazine. Enrollment is limited.

EZ ENROLLMENT!INVOICE ME! PO #_______________

Slot Academy at TechFest 33May 16-18, 2017Mystic Lake Casino Hotel2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NWPrior Lake, MN 55372Phone: (952) 445-9000

Credit Card Security Code

Mention “TechFest” when reserving your lodgings for our discountrate of $129.00.

Expiration Date: __________________


TechFest is produced by:Slot Tech Magazine401 W, Lexington #777El Cajon, CA 92022tel.619.838.7111fax.619.315.0410e-mail [email protected]

Company Name: ___________________________________________________Name of attendee(s) - Attach a list if necessary or just send all of this information on a PO.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________

City ______________________________________ State/Prov. _______________

Country __________________________ Zip/Postal Code _________________

Telephone _________________________ Fax __________________________

E-mail __________________________________________

Account Number: _________________________________Enrollment fee is $895.00 perperson. Payment by creditcard or check payable to SlotTech Magazine. Purchaseorders will be invoiced.

Enrollment Formfor TechFest 33

[ ] American Express[ ] Discover[ ] MasterCard[ ] Visa

Please complete this enrollmentform and return it to Slot TechMagazine. Enrollment is limited.

EZ ENROLLMENT!INVOICE ME! PO #_______________

TechFest 33May 16-18, 2017Mystic Lake Casino Hotel2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NWPrior Lake, MN 55372Phone: (952) 445-9000

Credit Card Security Code

Mention “TechFest” when reserving your lodgings for our discountrate of $129.00.

Expiration Date: __________________



Randy,

I have been reading yourmagazine both online andin print for a while now andhave always enjoyed seeingwhat other people havebeen doing all over.

Here is a quick tip forrepairing most plastics. Ihave been using this for awhile. It’s not really my ownidea but I picked it up frommodel making.

Two basic supplies:cyanoacrylate (Krazy Glue)and baking soda.

The way it works is you getthe broken pieces, jointhem together and you usea small amount of the glue.While still wet, you sprinklethe baking soda all over.

You will see the bakingsoda absorb the glue. Youcan keep sprinkling until itstops absorbing, then youcan keep repeating the glue

and bakingsoda in smalllayers at atime. That way,it has time todry better.

If you use toomuch glue, itwill just getreally messyand will not work. I usuallyplace a piece of paperunder the project and whenI’m done, I put the bakingsoda that has spilledeverywhere back into mycontainer.

After it dries, the plasticcan be sanded and evenpainted if needed.

Let me know if this is thekind of stuff you areneeding or if you havealready used this tip and Ihave just missed it. I’m notsure how all this publishingthing works.

Thank You,Wilder ContrerasHollywood Gaming

Wilder Things #1By Wilder Contreras


VLT Technician777 Hollywood Blvd.Dayton, OH 45414

Editor’s Note: You bet thisis the kind of stuff we needin Slot Tech Magazine!Thanks for thecontribution. The way “thispublishing thing works” isjust what you did here. Yousent nice little tip,illustrated with really greatphotographs. Next step, Ipay you!

From Wikipedia: Whenadded to baking soda(sodium bicarbonate),cyanoacrylate glue forms ahard, lightweight adhesivefiller (baking soda is firstused to fill a gap then theadhesive is dropped ontothe baking soda). Thisworks well with porousmaterials that the glue doesnot work well with alone.This method is sometimesused by aircraft modelers toassemble or repairpolystyrene foam parts. It isalso used to repair smallnicks in the leading edge ofcomposite propeller bladeson light aircraft. Thereaction betweencyanoacrylate and bakingsoda is very exothermic(heat-producing) and alsoproduces noxious vapors.

A monomer, such asmethylcyanoacrylate (thesubstance in super glue),with two electron -withdrawing substituentscan be polymerized withvery mild nucleophiles suchas Br, CN, amines or OH.The monomer polymerizes

on contact with manysurfaces. Most often it isinitialized by the presenceof water (the OH ions fromwater).If you have sodiumbicarbonte present, tracesof water (from the surfaceor air) will react and make

NaOH. The reaction is thefollowing:NaHCO3 + H2O ——> NaOH + H2CO3NaOH isa very good starter of thepolymerization reaction. Itwill make the reaction govery fast. This is anexothermic reaction.

Subscriptions & Back IssuesWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areimportant to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .

Slot Tech Magazine is strictly technical. As such, the magazine's contents are not timecritical. The repair information and technical data contained in past issues is just as valid

today as it was the day it was published.

Additionally, current and future articles more-or-less assume that readers are already familiarwith what has been covered in past issues. This editorial policy assures that Slot TechMagazine's contributing writers are not limited to "writing down" to the level of a novicetechnician but are free to continue to produce the most comprehensive technical articles inthe gaming industry.

Randy Fromm'sSlot Tech Magazine ispublished monthly by:Slot Tech Magazine1944 Falmouth Dr.El Cajon, CA 92020-2827tel.619.838.7111fax.619.593.6132e-mail [email protected]

Subscription rates:

Domestic (USA & Canada) 1 year - $80.00 2 years - $140.00

International 1 year - $160.00 2 years - $300.00

Company Name______________________________________________________Contact_____________________________________________________________Address ____________________________________________________________Address ____________________________________________________________City _________________________ State/Prov. ___________________________Country ______________________ Zip/Postal Code _______________________Telephone ____________________E-mail ________________________

[ ] 1 year subscription, domestic[ ] 1 year subscription, international[ ] 2 year subscription, domestic[ ] 2 year subscription, international

Type of card: [ ] American Express [ ] Discover [ ] MasterCard [ ] VisaAccount Number:________________________Expiration Date: ________________________

Printed back issues are available for onlysix monthsfrom the date of publication. All single issues of SlotTech Magazine are $10.00/ea.

For further details on the contents of each issue,please refer to the website at slot-techs.com. Toorder, fax a PO or e-mail a note listing the issues youneed.

Back Issues

Invoice me!PO Number________________________

Complete archive (2001 to present) avail-able online. Visit slot-techs.com for details.

Regional Slot Tech TrainingGrand Casino, Shawnee, OKMarch 14-17, 2017Seattle, WA-April 11-14, 2017Sands Casino, Bethleham, PA-June 13-16, 2017Albuquerque, NM-July 11-14, 2017

Day 1-Beginning Electronics forSlot Machine TechniciansThis segment assumes that you haveno previous electronics training andtakes you through a simple, NO MATHlook at electronic components, elec-tronic circuits, schematic diagrams andmore!

Using a Digital MultimeterThe DMM is the single most importantpiece of test equipment you can use.

Electronic ComponentsAll of the individual components usedin gaming machines are introduced.Students learn how to test them forproper operation.

Day 2-Diodes, Transistors & OtherSemiconductorsHands-on Transistor Testing LabThis part of the school takes a look atall of the different types of semiconduc-tors commonly seen in gaming ma-chines. We'll take a look at the opera-tion of each component, along with test-ing procedures to determine if the partis good or bad.

Day 3-SolderingGood soldering technique takespractice but there are some tricksthat can really help speed thingsalong. During this segment, eachstudent will be provided with theirown soldering supplies and some funproject kits they will assemble. Cur-rent kits include a versitile compo-nent tester that can be used along-side the DMM to test electrolytiuccapacitors, semiconductors, resis-tors and other components. Thisequipment will be theirs to keep. Thisis a VALUABLE shop tool.

Day 4-Morning Session-PowerSuppliesThis module covers all types of powersupplies, including linear power sup-plies and the Switched-Mode PowerSupply (SMPS) found in virtually ev-erything in a modern casino.

Day 4-Afternoon Session-LCDMonitor RepairLCD Monitor repair is generally prettyeasy thanks to their modular design.This segment covers the theory ofoperation of LCD monitors. There willbe a presentation on component-level repair techniques, CCFL test-ing and replacement and using LEDstrips as backlights.

Attend or Sponsor a Class Near You!

Since 2001, Slot Tech Magazine has been holding slot techtraining classes at casinos across the USA. These classeshave mostly been held at larger properties with a dozen or

more slot techs from their own slot department attending the class.In order to serve our smaller cainos (with, perhaps, just a fewtechs) we are now holding regional classes that are open to all slottechs that wish to attend.

This is the full, four-day class that covers power supply repair andLCD monitor repair, down to the component level.

To Enroll: Download the enrollment form at slot-techs.com

If you are interested in sponsor-ing a regional class at yourproperty, please contact RandyFromm for details. There is noactual cost involved.

Class Schedule 9:00am-4pm Daily

This is a “fast-track” class for slottechs who want to learn thequick and easy way to fix moni-tors and power supplies withouthaving to learn a lot of electronictheory or mathematics.

Includes free component tester!

Cost of the ProgramTuition is $795/personIncludes:Digital MultimeterSoldering iron, tools and solderingsuppliesSample componentsSoldering Instruction KitComponent Tester KitTextbook

Students are responsible for their ownmeals and lodging.

If you’re interested, please contact RandyFromm right away. It’s first-come, first-served and there is a limited number ofplaces available in each class.

Randy FrommSlot Tech Magazine401 W. Lexington Ave. #777El Cajon, CA 92022619.838.7111

You can fax a PO to 619.315.0410 and we’llinvoice you. Be sure to include the student’sname.

NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OFELECTRONICS IS REQUIRED

Las Vegas, NV-September 26-29, 2017Chicago, IL-November 6-9, 2017New Orleans, LA-December 6-8, 2017Locations TBA and subject to changeIf you are interested in sponsoring one of these regionalclasses at your property, please contact Randy Fromm

2017 Class Schedule

subscriptions - slot techslot-tech.com/members/magazine/lores/february17.pdf · 2017-02-14 ·...

Documents