New Life Games Tech Forums

need help with universal stars and stripes.

I'm trying to fix a universal stars and stripes for a old couple and need help. the lights work but nothing else. i tried all the easy stuff, fuses, cords, plugs, switches and nothing. i found the battery on the board leaking out onto the board. so i removed the battery, cleaned the board the best i could and installed a new 3.6 volt lithium battery. after reassembly it still did not work. i did several resets of the board and finally it started. when it works it works great. lots of fun. but on start up its always a problem. the display does not light up, if the display does not work it will not run. when the display does light up everything works good. its like someone turns off a switch and then nothing works but the florescent lights. please help. thank you.

I am still a noob with the slot machine stuff but it sounds like you might need a new board.
I know my IGT was doing the same thing and it was a problem with the board.
I wished I could find a manual on the Universal, I have looked high and low for it on the net.

If you lived close to me, I would take my board out and let you try it and see if that is the problem.

Troy

well does anyone have a known good board that will fit the universal model number 8542 3 that i can buy. i really want to get this machine running for this old couple. i did find maintenance and repair manuals on ebay for the universal but they are copy,s and the guy selling them is very slow on shipping. thanks for your reply.

 :172-

Dan #2

Dan you are the man!! Thanks! I spend hours and hours looking for that manual.

Thanks a 10000000000000 Dan!

Troy

Does yours look like this one?
http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=stars-%27n-stripes&page=detail&id=24769 (http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=stars-%27n-stripes&page=detail&id=24769)

Stars 'n Stripes © 1976

hello no this one looks like the typical universal slot machine. ill see if i can post a picture of it when i get back in town.

I would remove the noise filter and see if that helps.
Look at the last entry in this thread; http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=177.0

Otherwise I would suspect the big black block wire connector between the door and machine. Mounted just in front of the power supply. Sometimes the pins can back out causing intermittent outages.

Don't be confused by the model number. Universal did not have a model number for their cabinet, they used the game number instead.
They did use two different boards in these machines. What board does this machine have? 8116 or 8800.
(At this point I really do not suspect the board.)

By the way, like your name SilentService, one of favorite Uni games.    :89-

where is the noise filter and how do i remove it.
i liked the machine I'm trying to fix so much that i decided to buy my own, i wound up with a silentservice machine. i had planned on trying that board in the broken machine, that is when i realized they made more then one board.

ok i followed the link and i see how to do it. thank you and i will let you know if it works. thanks so much.

Click on this link --->     http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=177.0

Go to last posted entry and see the pic.   

OPPS, I see you found it!!

well, i removed the noise filter. connected the wires as instructed. and reassembled. at first i had the same thing, no display. i did one more ram clear and it was up and working. i played for about 5 minutes and decided to turn it off then back on. it did boot back up, but this machine takes longer to boot up then the other one i bought. takes sometimes a minute before the display came on. then i played for about 10 minutes and it blinked out again. then it flashed on and off a few times and now the reels are vibrating. turned it on and off 3 times and each time as the display comes on the reels begin to vibrate and make a hum noise. this machine looks like it has been left on for years and years, everything inside looks like it was hot. and all the locks are just falling off the connectors. but i did make sure the connectors are all tight and no wires are falling out. when it works it works great. but then the power just stops to the displays and that is it. i may loose the rest of my hair working on this thing. any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you.

I would suggest checking the power supply output voltages. Here is a link to the outputs;  http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?
topic=177.0
Same link as before, the first post this time.
Check it right after the machine powers up good, and then when it's warmed up and the machine has failed.

Also, closely inspect the power cord, especially where it enters the machine. I have had frayed, cut, and smashed cords cause all sorts of intermittent problems.

If the above checks out OK, then it is time to consider trying a new board.

hello, I'm trying to check these voltages, with the machine on and running using a fluke meter should i unplug the 12 pin connector and go directly to the power supply, or leave it plugged in and go in next to the wire? I'm asking because i tried with everything connected and running, and the machine is working at this time but for some reason i must be doing something wrong, I'm not finding the 100 volts ac or 24 v ac. when they say across 6 and 12 do they mean put the black lead on 6 and the red lead on 12 should be 100 volt ac? or across 3 and 9,
to find all the voltages it is supposed to have where should i pick up the ground. should i use case ground or one of the grounds on the 12 pin connector. sorry to be a pain in the you know what. this is something i normally do not do. your help is greatly appreciated.

today the machine is working fine. so i tried a wiggle test inside on all the wires and connectors. hoping to find something that would cause it to blink out. i found nothing. while testing the voltages on the power supply it seems everything is just under the rated numbers. but close. i still for some reason do not have the 6 and 12 thing figured out. or 3 and 9. i get nothing when i test from one to the other. what am i doing wrong. the power must be there. because it is working. if you can tell me the correct way to test all the voltages, i will check them all running and will then retest after it stops to see if one of them is gone. thanks for all the help

Since the wiggle test passed it sounds like a heat problem.
I suspect it will go off when the machine has been on for a while.
This usually leads to a cold solder joint on the board or a worn component.

You can get a can of cooling spray, and the typical troubleshooting consists of running until it stops by heat then giving a shot of the coolent to suspect components and see if it comes alive.

well uniman i hope you can work your magic. as i read on this site you seem to be the king of universal slots. i would really like to fix this thing. please let me know what is the correct way to check all the voltages. and if it is the board do you have one i can buy. this board has all 3 pigtails on it, 2 small and one large. the machine only uses the 2 small ones. i bought a third machine hoping to use the board out of it and well guess what, it only has the one pigtail, the large one. so here i am now with 3 machines and still can not get this first one going correctly. ironically i bought the third one as a parts machine, and wound up finding and repairing 3 problems in just about 2 hours. now it is running great. why couldn't the first one be so easy.

On this site I may be king of Universals only because I'm about the only one who replies to Uni questions. Lately I see more members jumping in and helping and that's great! The more the better!

Can you post a picture of your power supply. There are a few different versions. Can you post a picture of it in the machine with the connector plugged in?
Then after seeing it I can help you locate the voltages.
Also, I may have an extra board, I'm sure I can part with it at a very reasonable price. But I hate to see you buy a board only to find that's not the problem.

The other game you have with no external connectors from the board must not have any buttons, right?
Universal first came out with slots that had no buttons, just the handle. Then when they added buttons, they added those two connectors. (6-pin and 3-pin)
The 6-pin controls the Cashout, Bet one, and Max bet buttons. The 3-pin controls the Spin button. The big connector I believe is for casino monitoring systems.

You stated your model number for this Stars & Stripes as 8542. This is not a Stars & Stripes number. It belongs to a game called Wild Bar. Run test #9 to get your eprom numbers.

Last, did you try wiggling the power cord while the machine was on?

OK i will take some pictures late tonight and see if i can figure out how to post them. if you do have a board how much would it cost? you are correct the third game i just bought has no buttons. just pay and pull handle. still great fun. i will double check the model number and will get the eprom numbers later as well. now i wonder if someone made this machine out of parts. honestly if this one was mine i would probably part it out. but the old couple that own it have had it a long time and really are quite attached to it. they can not afford another machine and they already paid people to try and fix this one, and got ripped. i feel bad for them. but I'm no slot repairman either. however i am learning quite a bit as i go. i think if i can not fix there machine i will offer to give them the one with no buttons, it works great and pays often. its in real nice condition and the best part is i only paid 50 for it. so worse case scenario they will have a different machine. and i will use theres for parts. talk later.

Sent you a PM.

Uniman

i did try the wiggle test on the power cord, no change. the eprom numbers are
1, 8933
2, 0007
3, 9051
4, 0007
5, 1200
any help is greatly appreciated. i thank everyone.

silentservice     I had a similar problem with a universal:   the battery had leaked and ate away some of the traces going to a dioide in and around that area, found the intermittent problem by pressing on the area and observing what occur ed .  you can remove the board from the cage and plug it into the connectors, just be sure everything is lined up properly before you apply power. most boards are keyed to prevent this, but I always double check.

I would examine that area very closely, with a magnifying glass, and hopefully you will find the problem.

Jim

uniman, i tried to email you but for some reason keeps booting back. i did get the pictures of the power supply on the site but for what ever reason they wound up at the top of the first page. i do want the board. and greatly appreciate you offering it up. the old couple will really be happy and i can keep the parts machine i repaird. let me know how to pay you. i do have a paypal account if that will work. talk later.

I got your email and seen the board pic. A normal looking 8116-A2.
I cannot see the power supply pics?
Can you email those to me? No more than 10mb files/pics are allowed to my email.

hello just wanted to share with everyone the fun i have been having with these machines. it all started with the one I'm still trying to fix for a old couple. it is called stars and stripes. i feel confident that sooner or later i will get it running correctly and the old couple will be very happy, but in the mean time i bought silent service for my self. i bought it running but all the lights were burned out. still very fun but the lights are needed to create the atmosphere feeling everyone wants. this particular game has a special feature that after the reels stop if a submarine is low or high on the line it will then move up or down giving a extra chance to win. however this machine is very tight. does not like to give out money. so many people that have played are eventually turned away. next for parts i bought a old taller universal that is pay and pull. no buttons for bet or spin. this one has no theme, just says universal real big and 600 coins at the top. this one had lights and did play but no sound and if it hit she would just spit coins out until the machine faulted. this machine i was able to fix easily, i found that the hopper in the bottom has a sensor that counts the coins and it had broken off it mounting screw and was hanging by the wire. i glued it back on with urethane and that was fixed. then during inspection of the board i found the sound chip someone had bent one leg up under the chip. so i removed it and was able to straiten the leg. reinstalled carefully and now i have sound. this one chirps when you drop in the coins, plays music while the reels spin and then more music if you hit. this is a 3 quarter game. and what is real neat is for each quarter you install you get a line on the reels. so it can pay on all 3 lines if you install 3 quarters. it hits a lot, making it great fun. another feature i like with this one is i can put in as many quarters as i want, she counts them and keeps in memory. on my silent service if i drop in a extra quarter it tilts. i hate that. i get in a hurry and drop a quarter before the sub moves and tilt. may be a issue there. I'm not sure. but the old slant top pay and pull turned out to be a great machine. i wanted to tell everyone because many people may think with no buttons its no fun. but really its great fun. would be slightly better if the machine would keep the credits instead of paying out all the time but don't let that stop you from buying one if you find a good deal. just wanted to share the fun with everyone. have a nice day.

If you can remove a sound chip, fix it, and reinstall it, your pretty good!  :89-
Those are the hardest chips to remove on a Uni. I always completely remove the board from the case before pulling a sound chip. And don't reinstall it backwards! Poof! Corrupted chip.   :37-

Your Silent Service game is one of Universal's best. Available only with the 8800 board and, I believe, in the Ultra Series.
Does it make the "dive" type sound when it nudges? It should if it has the right sound chip.

Universal made a clone of the Silent Service game in the Ultra Series, called Magic Doubles. Same basic game, just different glass and strips.

i saw another silent service picture on this site and it had a round top. mine is not round it is flat like the other universals i have seen. and sadly it does not make the dive sound. possibly this version did not have it. possibly someone changed something. hard for me to know. thanks for the compliment on the sound chip. i had nothing to loose by trying with that one. it didn't work the way it was. just loud hum, the last owner turned the volume all the way down. I'm going to try another power supply in the stars and stripes, the older machine i have does look to be the same power supply. all fuses are the same. ill let you know if that works. but i think the board is most likely the problem. thanks for all the help guys.

hello i wanted to update everyone and let you know the stars and stripes is running again. and i want to give a special thanks to uniman for all the time, help and parts. i have no idea where i could have bought the needed parts with out him.
at any rate the main issue on this one was the main board had been damaged. I'm sure the leaking battery is what caused the problem with this one. now it is repaired and the old couple that own it I'm sure will be very happy. i now have the 2 machines of my own and plan to keep a good eye on this site so maybe i can help other people with there problems. i learned quite a bit in just a short time reading and getting help from people here. i extend my thanks to everyone.

And we're pretty happy your machine is up and running again!! :89-

Yup, The guys on here are GREAT and they know there stuff.
This site is one of the best finds I have ever found on the net.

hello all. the stars and stripes has been running like new so i returned it to the old couple that owned it, they were just jumping for joy. at first i think they really feared it was going to cost them a lot but i only charged them what i paid for the parts. if i said they were extremely overjoyed it would be a understatement. i am going to miss there machine, i hit strait red 7,s on it with a pay out of 900 coins. oh what fun. now i am waiting for battery relocation kits, should be here soon. i found the kits for 4.95 each, they include wire, battery holder, diode, shrink tube, and directions. all i need to find is a suitable connector so i can just hang the wires out of the board cage like the other wires. then i want the battery holder just to lay on the bottom of the machine. so i do not have to solder on the boards ever again. i want to do this because i found minor battery damage on my silent service machine that i bought for myself. i want to be able to easily change the batteries once a year and have no chance of damaging any more boards. anyway i hope everyone is having fun. talk later.

It's wonderful news indeed!... :89- great job on getting it up and running again! :3- :3- :3-