New Life Games Tech Forums

This is my "FINAL REQUEST FOR HELP"

I am still getting the same error message at boot up [ PENDING STATUS - MECHANICAL REELS NOT CONFIGURED ]

So far I have replaced the 24 Volt power supply, it was bad, the MPU power supply, it was not bad, the RCU card [ reel control unit per someone I spoke to at Bally ], it apparently was not bad either....

I bought a new set of backlit reels, I had to eat those as well, as I neglected to mention I do not have back lit reels.

I have been fighting with this machine for a month non stop and am tired of it!

If anyone has any non backlit reels for a Bally Alpha, please let me know. That is the last thing I want to try before either selling it or scrapping it!!!
Maybe trade my backlit reels for non backlit ones??
Just a thought!

Thanks,
JR

I'm assuming you did a full ram clear after you changed out the reels?

How many volts are the two batteries putting out on your main board?

yep, full clear and both batteries checked at 3.1V

Actually what caused the reels not configured error to appear.

The reels have grunted loudly since I got it. I had the reel glass open when it was booting and when the first reel started grunting and stopped spinning, I puseh it backwards a few spots, after that is when the reels not configured error began..........

My 6000 goes through a reel indexing sequence after a clear. Do the Alphas do the same thing? If so, did yours?

Yes they do and mine does.

And you can't use the backlit reels because the plug is differant?

Correct... But I know, someone has some non backlit reels.

Can't have 3 bad reels, check them closely and see if one is seized or jammed. WD the bad one, spin it with a drill, take off the cage ... get your hands in there and fight- fight- fight !!!

   :137-  U.S Auto Service
     Dan

i never said i gad 3 bad reels. i have 1,  and i can spin it with my finger.
its probably the card on the reel.

can you swap the card to another wheel ?

yes, but moving the reel is same thing.

 I just completed a test where I installed a back-lit reel into a non-backlit reel game.  In this case reel "1" was a back-lit and I left the original non-backlit reels in place, reels 2 and 3.  So I left them mixed.  Did a full clear, set up the game, and it is playing as it should.  Conclusion...I don't think changing your reels out to non-backlit is going to solve your problem.  Based on what you have done and tested so far, if the machine was in my shop I would go on to replacing the main computer board for a quick test....and then if I got the same bad results I would then start using a multi-meter to check continuity from each reel harness wire to the mother board.

Pardon me, but...................... FUCK! mpu is like $300

I put the backlit reels in mine and they wont even power up???

These do not "power up" unless the software tells them to.  If your reels are not configuring or the software is not designed for back-lighting they are not going to light up.  They are not like a S2000 where they sit in a dim state waiting for someone to pull the trigger.

I know they wont light up, just wanted to see if the machine would run like yours did

I did a clear and mechanical reels not configured is now in the pending status list???

Now withing the menu go to I/O > then Game > touch Calibrate reels...or something like that...(writing this from memory)

Do this twice if necessary.

And if that does not work....as stupid as this is going to sound....close the doors and walk away from the machine for 10 minutes.  It will say "call attendant" on the screen....leave it.  I had two cases where this error cleared itself after letting the machine sit idle for awhile to think things over.

I had this same error after moving reels but then did a full ram clear, reconfigured all options and then machine came up.

Correction on what I said above....meant to say go to Diagnostic > then Game > Calibrate reels

NOW i am getting in my pending status when I push the test button

Pending Status
Mechanical reels not configured
Mechanical reel 2 device error
Mechanical reels device error
Mechanical reel 3 device error

WOW...... WHAT A TRIP!!!!!!!!!

I'm waiting to hear good news that you got it working.
Hope you get it working.

Thanks, but it isn't looking good..........  I can't keep pouring money into something daily.......
I did another clear and am back to the machine booting up, not workingg, but booted up and saying

                                                                              Pending Status
                                       Mechanical Reels Not Configured

Did you get into this that Jim said
Correction on what I said above....meant to say go to Diagnostic > then Game > Calibrate reels

i can calibrate reels all day, doesnt help.

That sucks. I was hoping that would do it.
I keep thinking from what you said in the beginning what started it that it
would be nothing big.
HANG IN THERE, WISH YOU THE BEST. I wish I knew something to help you.
Ford

When you calibrate the reels, do you get all the same letters across all 3 rows?

BBB BBB BBB
AAA AAA AAA
EEE EEE EEE

Or do you get like I get?

BBB BBB BBB
AAA AAA AAA
EEE GGG EEE

Are the stepper motors on the backlit reels the same as on the non-backlit? I've swapped a lot of S2000 motors around before to fix bad reels without having to replace the whole assembly. You may have a bad or dirty optic on the reels also. Of course, I don't remember if Bally uses those or not

don't know

After looking at those letters and the reel strips again, that is correct. The top row has all bars,
the middle row has all blanks and the bottom row has a money bag a seven and a money bag.

NORMAL!

Yes cowboy, they are the same stepper motors.
I already swapped a motor off the backlit reels, same thing, no change.

where you buy this alpha from ? cant you swap it out...... any warrenty came with it? did you just get it?

i really think as years go on and the next generation machines fall into our hands like the alphas and avp's its def gonna be harder for us to work on them unless your a prof tech............ nothing beats working on a old s plus..... :208-...........

Got it like 6 months ago. The reels always grunted, but it ran good till lately.
Got it from a friend, not his fault.

i def feel what your going through im going through the same thing with my s2k......its a night lamp right now lol...... till i get a harness  and a reel motor for my topbox..... hoping that solves my reel 5 tilt.....

Definately money pits!!

It's not so much that the newer machines are harder to work on, but that being ahead of the curve makes it so. Foster was one of the first members to buy an S2000, and he and the few others that had them had a lot of problems because there simply wasn't a pool of knowledge to draw from or many parts available. Now he's an expert and everyone has access to more info and parts than they need for that platform.

The Alpha and AVP are the newest kids on the home ownership block and the early birds are going to go through the same growing pains as others did on previous platforms. The price of the machines will also drop over the next few years as the machines flood the secondary market, so later purchasers will pay much less and have access to abundant parts and knowledge.

That is the cost of being the first person on the block to have a new toy. The rewards are being the first person on the block to have the new toy and having an opportunity to become one of the first experts on the platform.

Stat :31-

 :212-  That is so true





Moderator: I fixed the quote box for you. SF :31-