New Life Games Tech Forums

Looks like the "Submit a new File" section of the site has been vaporized.  Picking up my Game King tomorrow and just checking to see if anyone has a manual for this thing.  It has a 3902 board/base ROM is 526 in it and has 31 games:

Poker: Bonus, Deuces wild, double bonus, jacks or better, joker, aces bonus, double bonus delux, double double bonus, deuces wild bonus, double deuce, loose deuce, triple bonus, shockwave
Keno: 369, superway, keno, 4 card, super, caveman, triple diamond, top bottom
Slots: Black Rhino, super 8 line, diamond mine, super 8 race, double bucks, on the prowl, wild flower, lion fish
Blackjack

The only photo I have so far is the following...more to come!   :244-

Added a video of the machine all cleaned up and with the new Game King 5.3 game chipset and MM2 Sound Board installed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twpeKu0MeRY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twpeKu0MeRY)

Congrats on your upcoming purchase.  I have a tiny bit of documentation for the GK, but nothing that's very useful.  When you set it up, it's pretty self-explanatory -- I've never needed to even look for a manual.  If there's something you get stuck on, post in the GK section of the forum and there's a bunch of people that will jump in to help.  You're not buying a rare CEI poker machine that only a few people have ever worked on -- you're buying a game that a lot of folks here have worked with.

I've uploaded a copy (9,224kb) of the manual (Maintenance Procedures) to my homepage:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~joc469/game_king_manual.pdf (http://members.iinet.net.au/~joc469/game_king_manual.pdf)

and the (3,687kb) Software Manual
http://members.iinet.net.au/~joc469/GAME_KING_GAME_SOFTWARE_MANUAL.pdf (http://members.iinet.net.au/~joc469/GAME_KING_GAME_SOFTWARE_MANUAL.pdf)

Thanks guys!  Just got home with it and I'm already tearing into it.  The photo that I uploaded only shows the front.  The cabinet WAS an ugly off white color with a few blemishes here and there.  I stripped it down and painted it satin black tonight...looks WAAAAAY better now.  I'll get pics going.  The inside was nicotine'd, but I've done a pretty fair job cleaning it out.  The main fan was filthy.  I've played around in the menus a bit.  I also got key chip, so I'll start tweaking around in the menus once I get it shined up and in the house.

Lookin forward to it!

Ok...whew I'm tired.  First of all, that thing weighs a TON...even with the monitor and hopper out of it!!!   :97-

Spent all of last night and today painting the cabinet black and cleaning the crap out of the machine.  Figured out how to use the key menu...lotta options to set. 

Now onto the questions...

I uploaded a photo of the "pretty much finished" product."  I am definitely going to order a new set of buttons...caps and labels only...switches and lights are fine.  Any suggestions where to get em?

Nickels are being sent down the chute instead of the hopper...any idea what menu setting controls that?  Hopper size?  What should it be set to if that's the case?

I uploaded a photo of the board too.  Does it already have the MM board on it?  Also, I see some slots for SIMM's and also some music EPROM spots.  I would love to add any sounds effects or better sound, etc...what do I need?
Anyway, that's a good start...thanks for the help fellas!   :3-

Here's a before shot of the nicotine stained white cab...blech! 

NICE!  :89-

Looks like a 3902 board with a MM Lite (MM I) board on the left. But then again, I don't own one, so don't quote me... :200-

Jason I'm not 100% sure, but I think if you unplug the wires going to the solenoid that's right below the coin optics, the coins will go to the hopper. Again I'm not sure but worth a try.

You are correct sir.  Typically used with the older versions of GK like this....I believe this is version 4.3 or it could be this other version...not sure what it is...I just have it in my log as "2001".  Newer versions like 5.0 and 5.3 use the enhanced sound features of the MMII board.  Something interesting I noticed on this version of GK that on some of the games, mainly poker, the sound comes out mono (only through one speaker) but other games from the same software, like the slots, it comes out both speakers....go figure?  This is a result of the software and not a mechanical issue as far as I know.


This problem is also sometimes the result of the machines settings.  You need to look at hopper limits and also check the hopper and coin acceptor settings under key 22 set up. 


There is nothing else that can be added.  The empty simm slots are unused with this version of GK.


Finding "new" caps and especially legends is going to be difficult.  It would be nice if we had a direct link to IGT or the manufacturer but it's never the case.  Problem here is IGT used a few different manufacturer's over the years and finding a match is difficult.

Your going to find that your legends actually look decent underneath those scratched up lens caps....so keep them.  Typically on these GK dedicated machines I find that there is a lot of wear not only on the lens caps but also the black bezel from those Video Poker guru's that play 30 hands a minute in the casino's....that's a lot of button whacking over the years !!!  Typically on the machines I work on I replace the entire buttons with new  ones complete.  I know a lot of people on this site like to bad mouth this company but I am extremely happy with the quality of the buttons that I pick up from this link (and be sure to find the extra $10 necessary to get the LED version....it's a fair price and the quality difference is more than worth it):

http://www.happ.com/pushbuttons/77kit401.htm (http://www.happ.com/pushbuttons/77kit401.htm)

Well, it's never been Happ's products that were an issue, nor even their prices much of the time (although they can be high sometimes) -- just their extra high shipping rates, and the fact that they don't inform you of the cost at the time of purchase. You check out, cross your fingers, and get the "surprise" when the packing slip arrives. That's no way to do business.

If you're going to order from them, be sure to check the box that states that you want everything sent in a single shipment, or you REALLY might be surprised when they break your order up into multiple shipments and charge their usurious rates for each one.  :125- :56-


I recall reading once in a post that one can call them on the phone to place the order and get the actual shipping cost upfront. That would at least soften the blow. It's also probably best to put together as large an order as possible to amortize the shipping.

Thanks Jim. I've noticed the same thing regarding the speakers...gotta be the nature of the games.  I went into the diagnostics menu and ran a sound test and ran a digitized and synthesized test.  In digitized, you can enable stereo for the test, but nowhere in the menus have I found a permanent "stereo" setting. 

I found under hopper limit settings, if I set that to 0, I can hear the diverter click...I'll play around with it, but I guess this must control where the coins drop to.

Regarding caps, guess I could wash them...just hate it when they break. 

Oops, my bad....setting hopper limit to zero makes all payouts Attendant Payout.

Does your hopper have a grounding pin in the bowl so that it knows if it's full or not?  If that pin is grounded, coins will be diverted to the drop box (not the hopper).

Yes, start with the hopper wiring.  I just bought two machines and both had the same issue.  The guy I bought them from said just unplug the divert er solenoid.  This goes against my grain so I dug deeper.  Turns out both machines had all three hopper pins grounded which created a full hopper condition and resulted in all coins being diverted to overflow.  I just put the wires back on the pins and it all works now.  Orange/green - top, orange/blue - mid, orange/black - lower, yours may be different.

BTW, does anyone know what each does?  The top one is easy, hopper full.  What about the mid an lower?

Jack

Wires are connected and I set the hopper max to 50 dollars / 1000 nickels.  Tested again...looks like coins are going to the hopper now.

Now if I could only find a solution to the small cigar burn on the chrome...can't believe people do that.

By the way, per Jim's comments, it looks like my board can't have anything else added to it in terms of sound.  Can the MM1 Lite board that I have be removed and have the MM2 board installed or am I limited to the MM1 Lite?

Thanks,
Jason

Jack1000, I gave you a K+ for jumping right in to help out!  :3- :3- :3-


StatFreak :31-
:nlg-  Global Moderator

OK Yoeddy1 first of all your paint job looks Great. As far as the Lens cap and Legends there is a place that sell them, but cost of the lens cap is $1.50 each and the legends are $1.50  that $3.00 per button plus shipping.  That's the same cost as a brand new button assembly from hap.com if you order the whole set of 10 for 29.95  or for $10 more you can get the ones with the LED lights that Jim talked about. Being that I have one of Jim's machines with the led lights believe me its worth it. Anyway enjoy your new toy it looks really nice.   
Mike

Thanks for the info Mike!

Hey one other question for the gang:  Let's say I have a total of 1000 nickels or so in the hopper.  The coins are not dispensed since any wins accumulate in credits.  The only way that the nickels will drop is if I cash out.  But if I hit a jackpot, what settings would I need to configure to have the coins drop out up to say 1000 coins with an attendant handpay for the remainder?  I may still be high on paint fumes, but is there a way to make the machine do this?

Yes, but may need Jim to verify. I've done it on my GameMaker it was called the Win lockup drop amount. On yours I don't know. According to the GameKing Manual I have you have to go to the Operator and attendant menus screen touch Setup then Machine Options then Credit style setup at that point you should be able to set the hopper payout amount. Anyway play around with that until someone with more specific knowledge replies. Hope this helps some.
Mike

Yes, it should be in the setup menu under machine options. You must open the door and press the test button to get to this menu, and have no credits on the machine.

The Jackpot partial pay (or win lockup drop) amount that you set should be added to the credit meter when you hit a hand pay.

Ok...thanks guys...I'lll play around with the settings. 

Another one...

Is it normal to need to 'slam' the door pretty hard to get them to latch?  If I close the door softly, it won't latch.  I have to give it quite a bit of force to get it to latch shut.

Try lifting the door as you finish gently closing it. They tend to sag after a few years.

Also check the bill acceptor for alignment.  On some models the bill guide extends into the door opening.  If it catches, it will make the door very hard to close.  Jack

I have found that the sagging on mine is at the top.  I used to slam the doors but now I just give an extra push at the top right corner to make it latch all tha way.

That works well for my GameMaker as well. :89-

Yep, top right corner did the trick to cure the slamming.  Also, popped all buttons off today using my trusty pearing knife, and cleaned out all of the nicotine and gunk.  MUCH better now...don't think I'll need to replace now.

Next stop:  Game King 5.3 and MM2 installation...stay tuned!

That's great.  We went with the GK 5.0 software last year.  It has Cleopatra on it.  If I remember correctly GK5.3 didn't.   :97- @ pearing knife.  As my dad used to say "The right tool for the right job"  LOL

The pearing knife has become "ol reliable."  Haven't broken a single button on any of my machines yet.  ;)

Yeah, my wife likes Blackjack more than the slots, and since 5.3 has poker/keno/blackjack, I guess slots have to go by the wayside.  Got the ol Jackpot Jungle for that fix.  ;)

or GK 6.0...yeah right!  *pulling out empty pockets*

Well, the Game Maker graphics are older and not as cool as the Game King, and it only allows 10 games at a time, but it costs less (much less than a GK 6) and has the advantage allowing the operator to select whatever combination of 10 games he or she wants from their collection, since most games are on single chips and there are 10 free sockets on the board.

Some games are dedicated and must be installed as stand alone, but there are a wide variety of poker, keno, slots, blackjack, and even bingo-type games that use single chips.

David you just made my point for me.   :25- :25- :25-

Don't forget 007 Golden Eye.   I disagree with the graphics statement, I have 17" gamemakers that look excellent along side of Game Kings.  They do have the most up to date graphics chips but I expect yours would also Stat (not that they make a difference).

Thanks,
Wayne

I knew that those were the reasons that you had suggested it, but I figured that Yoeddy wouldn't have compared a GameMaker to a GK v6.0 if he understood why the GM might be a good choice for him.

GM graphics are certainly just as sharp and clear as GK, and 007 does look good. Bally was also more innovative in their game designs and offers more variations than the GK. You won't find pattern keno or All American bingo on a GK. Or Big House poker which combines VP with BJ. I don't think that the GK has a bonus blackjack like the GM either. It combines BJ with a slot-type bonus payout structure.

To be more specific, the graphics are simpler and don't have as many animations and variations of artwork as the GKs do. The GKs were designed to take advantage of higher resolutions and more information is often successfully packed onto a screen than in the GM designs. A good example of my first point would be would be the animated Kenos, like Caveman Keno*, and of my second, the multi-hand pokers which can display all of the payouts in many colors in columns to the left and right of the hands and still provide all of the detailed info along the bottom and the hands in the middle. After all, the GK is a newer platform than the GM.

*Which reminds me that the sounds are more advanced on the GK as well.


I love my GameMaker. At the end of the day, each platform has its advantages and disadvantages.

<PS> Wayne, I'm still playing around with different graphic and main versions. To which version were you referring?

I am surprised that none of you suggested the solution the I came up with ....................

GET BOTH MACHINES!!!!
 :208- :208- :208-

CH :95-

Well, he already has a GK, so if he buys a GM, he will have well followed your advice. :214-  :89-

Just got my GK 5.3/MM2 sound board kit from Jim at Blue Ridge Slot.  Installed this morning...lotta difference in the sound and a lot more poker games and options.  Graphics are better as well.  I need to get some foam tape for the upper glass.  The upper cabinet speaker really rattles it if the sound is up.  Once I get it all tweaked and ready, I'll put up a few more photos and some video of it in action!

Thanks again for the help everyone!

Sounds awesome, can't wait to see the pics and vids. You're living my dream, I want a GK SOOOOOO badly. No space or $ for one tho right now so my PE+ will have to keep me busy. Congrats on an awesome new toy! :)

Updated my original post with another photo displaying the 5.3 software.  You can see that the game menu graphics are better in 5.3 compared to the original photo which I believe was 4.3.  Video is coming next.

Awesome, can't wait for the vid! K+ for the great pics! :)

Video is up in my original post!  If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask.  The only thing I'm fighting is an occasional "Coin-In Jam" "Coin-In Sequence" error when I drop a nickel in.  Opening and closing the door usually clears it.  Doesn't happen a lot, but still, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it.  I noticed on the optic board that there is a little white button.  If I push it, it produces the Coin in jam message and then goes away.  *shrug*

Things tried so far:
Removed optic board under coin comparitor and cleaned.
Ensured that dial is turned all the way to the left on comparitor.

The guy that I bought it from is sending me a new optic board to test with.

Thanks!
Jason

Congratulations on your new machine and software!  :3- :3-  :136-

There is a plastic insert in the acceptor that ensures that the coin passes precisely past the optics. It's possible that it is not set correctly or is not the right one for nickels. It's something to check while you're waiting for the replacement board.

The white button is a test button that puts credits on the machine with the door open. You can play them and win and lose with them until you close the door. Generally, if the white button works, then the optics are working.


SF :31-

Wow thanks for the video. My mouth is watering. I'm picking up the Gameking I-Game combo with 5.3 software  from  Jim at Bettorslots. and your video has got me even more excited. Mike

Yeah, 5.3 is great!  I do miss the slots, but I guess 5.0 chips contain slot games, but no Blackjack.  No biggie! 

5.3 also differs from 4.3 in the following areas:
-No slots
-No card animations (Jack, King, Queen don't change into castle, trumpet, mirror when the game is idle)  Wish 5.3 did this.
-5.3 does have a cool "Bill Accepted" sound
-5.3 also plays the coin cash out the traditional "Ding" sound that the IGT slots play when cashing out
-5.3 Keno games are much better in the sounds and graphics department compared to 4.3
-Home page icon graphics and denom icons graphics are much better
-5.3 attract mode only cycles through games (visual) whereas 4.3 cycles through games and plays sound attract if option is selected.  Wish 5.3 did this.
-5.3 has WAAAAAAY more poker games.  :)
-5.3 bootup time is longer than 4.3...given the hardware changes and upgrades, I would expect that.
-5.3 denom options are 1 cent through 100 dollar...4.3 was 25 dollar max.

Probably more...that's all I have for now.

Thanks,
Jason

K+ for your observations of the differences. :244-

Thanks Stat.  I actually took it apart last night.  I removed two screws and the cable plug that goes directly into the optics board.  It looked like board is sandwiched between two black pieces of black plastic.  Are you saying that the inner black piece of plastic that has the 3 holes that allow the optics to make contact (via light I'm guessing) could be made for a quarter instead of a nickel, thus giving me intermittent behavior?  I may need to snap photos.

Thanks,
Jason

No. There are replaceable spacers for coins of different widths.  :211-

Here are some photos.  Let me know if you need me to show anything else.

Thanks,
Jason

One more:

Oops. :25-  My bad.  :190-  Yes, it IS the piece with the holes in it. :127-

I believe that yours is too large, but I'm not certain. Would another member post and confirm whether or not his spacer is too large for a nickel?

Here is a picture of the spacer from my quarter machine for comparison.

SF :31-

Yeah, that spacer that you have looks to be identical to mine size wise.  If there is one for a nickel, then the optic that's coming probably won't make a difference...perhaps I'm wrong.  Anyway, are the other spacers easy to come by?

Thanks again for the help.

Jason

If you have a quarter sized one and you're using nickels, then yes, it's likely that your optics are just fine.  If you can move a nickel through there by hand and not cover all three holes, that would cause your "out of sequence" coin-in error.  The machine expects (and requires) coins to pass by the optics in order from top to bottom, covering the top one, then the top and middle, then all three, then the middle and bottom, then the bottom, then none.

Depending on how much of the optics assembly you're being sent, though, you might get the part you need.

If it's really an issue right now, some creative use of tape and cardboard could be used to shim up the sides, forcing the nickles more to the middle so they don't miss any of the optics as they pass.

Thanks knagl.  Can a nickel sized one (plastic passthrough) be had?

I'm sure they're out there -- I haven't used one myself, but I'm sure that there are different ones for each coin size (nickel, quarter, dollar token, etc.).

I have to make one edit...the 5.3 game DOES include the card animations.  I think the attract mode demos just don't allow enough time for this to happen due to the rapid refresh cycles.  If you throw some coins in and wait a minute or so before proceeding, the cards do indeed go into animation mode.  The ace's shield icon didn't change in the older version, but in 5.3, the shield turns into a spinning sword.  Kinda cool.

Hey guys,

I'm going nuts with this "Coin In" jam.  It doesn't happen often, but it happens.  I received the replacement spacer and it's the same as the original.  I noticed that engraved in the spacer is "5 cents."  He also sent me a 25 cent spacer by mistake.  I tried it as well and as expected, same issue.  I've noticed that the comparitor has an adjustment knob.  If I turn it all the way to the right, coins will just fall through.  All the way to the left, they register, but I seem to get more coin out messages.  I've played around with various adjustments in between...further to the right, not as many coin jam errors, but more coins fall through to the tray unregistered, and further to the left, more coin in errors, but no coins fall to the tray unregistered.  Looking at the photos above, the spacer and backplate have 3 holes.  The optic pcb only has two (what I'm guessing are called) emitters.  Is this normal?  Why the third hole at the top if nothing shines through it?  I've cleaned the optics as well.  Outside of replacing the optic pcb, any other ideas or am I expecting too much?  Is a 100% rate of coins registering realistic or is it normal to get coin in/sequence jams?

Thanks,
Jason

I thought the optic boards need 3 optics on each board?
3 optics on one board are emitters while 3 optics on the other board are receivers.
You have the 10-pin or 5-pin coin-in optic boards?
There are different models of coin-in optic boards.
There are A,B,C optics and A,B optics.

The coin-in optic boards sense the coin and send the
signal back to the computer for a credit to be registered.
The coin comparitor only senses the size, and density of the coin.
Again, there are different models of coin comparitors.
For simplicity's sake, the coin comparitors with the two green wires are 13V
while the coin comparitors with the two gray wires are 24V.

If the coin going through the coin comparitor is okay,
it goes down to the coin-in optic boards then out into
either the hopper bowl or the bucket below -
depending on how many coins are in the hopper.
The coin divertor solenoid controls this part.

If the coin comparitor doesn't like the coin - the rake solenoid throws it
into the coin tray chute.
The coin comparitor doesn't send any signals back to the
computer for credits whether it likes the coin or not.

When I take the connector plug off of the PCB, there are 5 pins.

There should be 3 optics a,b,c. (I could be wrong about this and defer to higher powers).

One of the optics, either receiver or emitter, may be half shot -
This may be why it's giving you intermittent readings when the coins fall between the eyes.
When it signals start acting up, one off the board components
might be going bad and falling out of specs.
The board components dealing with the timing of the coin falling through the eyes are
sending inconsistent signals back to the computer giving you headaches.
Time for new coin-in optic boards perhaps.
They're like tiny little light bulbs - they don't last forever.
Usually the emitter optics go first.

The seller is replacing the comparitor, optic board assy.  I'm picking up the parts this weekend on our way to a family vaction.  I'll let you know Sunday how it goes!

I'm pretty sure your comparitor has no bearing on the coin-in jams. (certain comparitors like the CC-62 do produce coin-in errors)
The coin-in jams are not acceptable in my book! Shouldn't happen.

Glad to hear the seller is correcting your problem

I'd like to say something about coin comparitor coin-in jams, if I may...
This can happen if the weighted pawl is too heavy for the coin denomination.
For example, a heavier weighted pawl meant for a larger token or a .50 piece will cause
jams if you're trying to throw quarters, nickels or dimes down the slot.
The weighted pawl will not release the 1st coins fast enough for the next coins to pass through.

Another thing is there may be some old, black gum inside the coin comparitor
along the walls that's causing the coins to fall through slower than normal.
This debris will cause timing errors as they pass through the optical eyes.
Sometimes pushing pipe cleaner Q-tip type of brush with a little bit of
warm water will help remove the gummy stuff.

The black gummy stuff is basically the dirtiest stuff known to casinos.
Basically it's a horrible combination of a mix of fecal dirt, lint, and bodily fluids...ugh! :86-

Fecal matter? :47-
Are people crapping in your slot machines or are they pulling money out of their   :124- :110- :207- :126-  ?  :200-


I have seen a lot of "funk" in machines from casinos. Like to think it is drinks and pocket lint and not fecal and bodily fuilds!  :99-

But you are right that an object or junk in a comparitor that slows down the coin may cause the optics to see the coin(s) as too slow.

 :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3-

Picked up the new comparitor/optics assembly, installed it, and ran about 3 billion nickels through it.  Issue resolved!  I'm going to say optics related problem. 

Thanks again for all of the help guys!

Jason

That's just plain awesome!!!! :136-
LOL...yep Uni !!!..."fecal matter"....
People don't always wash their hands before leaving the restrooms... :5-