Monitor black at startup

[danielferdinand]

Hi!


What a wonderful forum this is! 

I have a PE+ Deuces Wild Video Poker game and I have been struggling with different problems since I bought it last week.
The latest one is that the monitor is all black after startup. I can hear the monitor getting power and it is slightly green. The strangest thing is that when I slowly turn the on/off switch the text gets visible on the screen before it blurs out...

Is this a power supply failure or what???

I am very grateful for all the help I can get!

Thanks,
Daniel

[cowboygames]

Sounds like the voltage regulator on the sweeps module isn't operating correctly. Monitor voltage on the center leg of the horizontal output while turning the power switch and I think you'll find it varies greatly. Should run a steady 130 when working right. I would suspect a bad capacitor as the culprit, but there're other possibilities to..

[knagl]

Welcome to the forum!

 

I've asked the mods to move your post to the Monitor Repair Tech Support board since your problem (at least initially) appears to be more of a monitor issue and less a PE+ specific problem.  The only reason why I think it'll do better there is that more folks who are very knowledgable about monitors (like cowboygames) are going to be likely to see it there.

Best of luck -- hopefully the great folks here will get your monitor working so you can use your machine!

[danielferdinand]

Hi,

I am not sure this is just a monitor issue since the candle doesn't light or anything. Should it still be in the monitor section?

[danielferdinand]

Sounds like the voltage regulator on the sweeps module isn't operating correctly. Monitor voltage on the center leg of the horizontal output while turning the power switch and I think you'll find it varies greatly. Should run a steady 130 when working right. I would suspect a bad capacitor as the culprit, but there're other possibilities to..

Hi cowboygames thanks for your post, where is the sweeps module located?

[cowboygames]

The sweeps module is the big monitor control board that the high voltage transformer with the thick lead going to the picture tube is on. The horiz output will be a large 3 leg transistor mounted to a heat sink right near the HVT. You may also have a voltage regulator going to crap. That will be a large 5 leg transistor mounted to a heat sink near where the power plug plugs to the sweeps module

[danielferdinand]

Is it possible that the bad capacitor on the sweeps module will prevent the other stuff to work as well, such as the lights in the candle etc?
If it is the voltage regulator, can I connect an external monitor such as one for my computer just to role this out? I noticed there is a 15 pin connector in there...

Thank you so much for your help!!!

[cowboygames]

I don't know about attaching an external monitor, but if it's got a 15 pin VGA plug I don't think you can hurt anything to try it. As far as the candle lights, that looks to be an unrelated issue. Check the bulbs and wiring. You kinda get a picture for a couple seconds, so afar as the machine knows, the monitor is working.

[danielferdinand]

Hi,

Does anyone know more about the pins on the tray transformer for the PE+ MPU board.  http://www.slotdoctor.com/proddetail.php?prod=IGT-tray-transformer
Is it possible to supply the board with an external power source just to check if it is OK. If that is the case to which pins?

The transformer on my board makes a buzzing noice and is very hot and the machine is almost dead...

Thank you for your help!

[poppo]

Assuming the PE+ is the same as the S+, you could just appy 24VAC to pins J3 pins 5&6 assuming you leave the transformer in.

[danielferdinand]

Hi Poppo,

Thanks for your post!
I just tried to connect an external 24V source to pin no 5 and 6, that didn't help...
Kind of wonder if there is something wrong with the main power source, the machine wont start, no lights in the candle, nothing. Any suggestions where to start looking?

Thanks you so much for your help!

[knagl]

The PE+ uses a special CGA monitor with inverted colors and other junk -- you can't just plug in a standard VGA monitor to it.

While the candle should typically flash after a power up, it's possible that it wouldn't be, or that you have a burnt out bulb, etc.  Was this machine ever working since you've had it?

I noticed there is a 15 pin connector in there...

You're saying that there's a 15-pin VGA connector in your machine?  Can you please post a picture of your machine and the connector you're talking about?  If it really is a 15-pin VGA connector, you don't have a PE+.

[poppo]

Kind of wonder if there is something wrong with the main power source, the machine wont start, no lights in the candle, nothing. Any suggestions where to start looking?

I'm assuming you have checked all of the fuses.

I am not familar with the PE+, but I'm sure someone will chime in shortly.

[StatFreak]

After reviewing both threads, I decided to merge them and put them in the PE/PE+ board, since the non-monitor issues are clearly part of an overall problem with the same machine.

It was a close call, but it's better to have only one active thread when trying to repair a machine.


Thanks,

StatFreak
  Global Moderator

[knagl]

it's better to have only one active thread when trying to repair a machine.

Agreed!    Thanks, SF.

I don't suppose you have another tray with a transformer on it laying around, do you?  The transformer should not be buzzing.

[danielferdinand]

I'm assuming you have checked all of the fuses.
I am not familiar with the PE+, but I'm sure someone will chime in shortly.

Yes, I have checked all the fuses in the lower module. However I haven't measured the volts from the main transformer in the lower module. That is probably the next thing to do?

[danielferdinand]

Was this machine ever working since you've had it?

1) First there was a CMOS error because of the battery was dead. I replaced the battery and then made a reset, everything was working except the door optics that I bypassed.
2) I played a few games, the machine accepted the coins and payed out when I won, that was great! 
3) Suddenly a new battery low message, I assumed this was because I used a 3 volt battery instead of the 3.6 volt. Replaced the battery to a 3.6 but then I wasn't able to reset since the machine didn't noticed the door was opened...
4) Then all of a sudden machine went dead for a few seconds and then came back to life for a couple of minutes, then dead again. And now completely dead with just a glowing green monitor.
5) But as I wrote before when I very slowly turn of the switch I can see call the attendant message?!?

[Jim]

what  did the seller tell you about the machine before you bought it?  I wouldn't hook up an external transformer to try and power the board, your liable to cross grounds between machine ground and the external ground. the battery issue, only use a LITHIUM 3.6 volt 1/2 aa type battery.  there are no charging circuit's on the board, so a nicad will not work!. you have to get the optics working in the proper mannor or your never going to get the game to play! the fuse caps in those machines failed after time. usually one of the two tips that hold the fuse in place break off and you get an intermittent condition.  your monitor could have a heat related problem---  meaning it will come on and work for a while, then go out. 
the transformer buzzing is not normal, the only true way to know what voltage you have is to measure it. otherwise you are just spinning your wheels.

the first method of trouble shooting any electronic device is to verify the power supply is working, not knowing that  only leads to frustration and needless time wasted chasing problems that don't exist.     

Jim

[danielferdinand]

Hi Jim, thanks for your reply! I really appreciate your help!

The seller never tested the machine so he didn't know much about it.
My idea of supplying the board with an external transformer didn't make much difference anyway.
The battery that I use is a 3.6 Volt 1/2 AA
I was able to connect each ends of the optics to get it to work. I understand this is not the best way but it worked
I didn't know about the fuse caps, I have ohm tested each of the fuses so I think they are OK
Can be a monitor issue, but why can it show the call the attendant message when I turn the switch slowly?
I have now measured the tray transformer and it gives 24 V so it seem to work. As the next step I will also try to make sure the power supply in the lower module to make sure it works properly.

Everything stopped working at the same time, monitor and candle and more...

Thanks,
Daniel

[StatFreak]

...I didn't know about the fuse caps, I have ohm tested each of the fuses so I think they are OK
...Everything stopped working at the same time, monitor and candle and more...

Thanks,
Daniel

That certainly points to a PS problem, or a slim chance of a dead battery.

[danielferdinand]

Hi StatFreak,
Thank you so much for your reply!

PS as in Power Supply?
I checked the fuses in the lower module yesterday and I notice that certain things goes out in the machine when I unscrew the fuses for 24 and 120 Volts but nothing happens when I unscrew the 7 Volt fuse. What is the main purpose of the 7 Volt fuse? And why is the Call for attenant message shown when I turn the off switch slowly. Is it possible that some current can "leak" via the main power switch???

I will have another machine here before the weekend, a Players Edge PE+. Hopefully they will look quite the same, so I will be able to exchange parts between them, then it will be much simpler to find whats wrong in there.

Daniel

[knagl]

I will have another machine here before the weekend, a Players Edge PE+. Hopefully they will look quite the same...

Daniel-

Can you please post a picture of your machine?  To be clear, there are two different machines with similar names -- there's the Player's Edge (or "PE"), and then the later generation Player's Edge Plus ("PE+").  It would be good to make sure that you're dealing with two identical machines before you start swapping parts.

[danielferdinand]

Hi knagl,

Here are both the machines. I am quite sure that my machine Wild Deuces Poker is an PE+, at least when I have compared with images of the board? The other machine is the one to the left, that has the Model no. ib 1070d.

What do you think is it possible to swapping parts???

Thanks for your concern!

Daniel

[knagl]

Hi Daniel-

Yes, the machine on the right with the Deuces Wild glass is a PE+ -- the embedded dollar bill validator is a giveaway (PE (non-plus) machines never had validators).

The machine on the left could be a PE or a PE+ -- without seeing pictures of the inside and the board, I can't be sure.

As far as swapping parts?  It depends on whether it's a PE or a PE+.  If it's a PE+, all of the parts should be swappable.  If it's a PE (non-plus), I don't know which parts would be compatible (it'd kinda be like swapping parts between a 1985 car and a 1995 car -- they may or may not use the same parts).

[Jim]

before you swap anything   make sure the new machine works!

Jim