Game King 3802 has noisy feedback when using touchscreen - FIXED!!!

[4 Deuces]

First of all, slots should come with a warning that they're highly addictive (oh wait, they do).  What I didn't expect was to get addicted to buying them!  

Ok, so I just got a GK (3802 board, GME0001777/526, EPROM - not SIMM) and there is a persistent, subtle hiss coming from the speaker after turning on.  It sounds like the speakers are turned up full volume and you can hear the processor and the screens goes through its initialization.  Then, each time you touch the screen or press deal buttons, there are staticky (is that a word?  ) feedback sounds coming from the speakers.  All volumes are actually set quite low.  

Is this normal?  Is this bad?  Any suggestions?

As always, thanks everyone for your help!

 

[stayouttadabunker]

Is there a snake in there? 

You definitely have a bad ground in the wall plug.

[knagl]

How loud is it?  My Game King makes some similar "static" noise that can be very slightly noticed in a quiet home when you make a selection on the screen -- it's something that would never be heard in a noisy casino, though.

[4 Deuces]

I'm not sure you can remove the "snake" out of poker machines!  They're all snakey!   

I did check the power strip that it's plugged into and just for kicks, tried it in another outlet directly in the wall, but no luck.   

How loud?  You're right in that I probably wouldn't hear it in a casino.  Although, at my local casino, I have had machines that sound like this and have a slightly snowy screen.

Which brings me to my next discovery.  I do see some snow in the screen as well (no, I'm not drinking).  And, after the machine is on for a while, the touch screen stops working.

I guess that means I have a bad touch screen thingy?  Is that a card somewhere in the machine?  Please don't tell me it's a bad monitor.   

Despite the "snakes" hissing and the snow falling, it's a fun machine ... lots of games.  Please don't tell me I have to buy something else to get it fixed.   

[stayouttadabunker]

I'll let the Game King experts chime in here otherwise I'll be cracking jokes all night...
I would be checking wire connecters big time...cleaning the pins with "De-Oxit" spray and checking capacitors on the monitor board.
By the way, the monitor - would it be a really nice LCD flatscreen or the older IGT OEM picture tubes? 
You didn't mention...might help when the guys start asking you more questions.
I'm sure they'll all help you out and get this puppy working the way you want! 

[4 Deuces]

Love your jokes!  Thanks for all the replies.  You guys are awesome!!!   

It's the old monitor style ... not the LCD.  Still love it though.  Hope the other folks can offer some tips.  Meanwhile, I'm gonna go huntin' the boards.

[kforeman]

some games are noisy.   having dealt with and worked on GK's daily for over 9 years i have noticed that some programs have sound issues.  there are some on my casino floor that literally scare our players when they are cashing out because the "cashout" sound can't be lowered.  we can turn the game volume all the way down to nothing and it makes no difference.  you could be having issues with the MM2 board and/or your sound simm; these are found on the mpu board where your game chips are.  i did a CN search on IGT's website for you game/base programs and there was nothing regarding sound that came up; plenty about linked progressive issues though so if i were you i wouldn't set this game up for that ever.   there is a thread on the forum about hissing from the speakers on S2000 games; it may be worth a read and could possibly lead you to a fix.  i don't know if adding the resistor on a GK will work to cut down the hiss but it may be worth a shot.
you mentioned that there is some noise (snow) on the monitor as well so i think bunker is on the right track with a bad ground.  look around for loose or frayed ground wires inside the machine and make sure your house ground is solid.

[stayouttadabunker]

Hey kforeman?
On the S2000's, you can turn down the volume setting for the "money" option.
The Game Kings don't have that particular volume option?
I was just wondering because I don't have one to fool around with.
If not, that's surprising because I've always thought the Game Kings were the next upgrade from the S2000's.
You learn something new everyday! 

[knagl]

On the S2000's, you can turn down the volume setting for the "money" option.
The Game Kings don't have that particular volume option?
I was just wondering because I don't have one to fool around with.

The Game Kings do have a .wav volume control for the MMLB audio (which includes the cashout sound, plus special sound effects like the "SCREEEEEAAAACH!" at the start of Caveman Keno, the bonus round music in a couple of the slot games, the lightning crash in Lightning Keno, etc.), but a glitch in some of the older versions of the software just won't respect the volume setting, resulting in the sound effects being stuck at maximum volume no matter what settings you choose.  My Game King has the exact same issue.  In fact, my Game King sounds a lot like Vegas Local's -- it's got the slight static noise when you use the touchscreen (it's like you can hear the data signal leaking into the audio signal being sent to the speaker -- likely poor insulation on IGT's part), the tiny burst of video static when you change games, etc.

Vegas Local, you may just have to live with it, or upgrade to a newer platform. :-/

If not, that's surprising because I've always thought the Game Kings were the next upgrade from the S2000's.

The Game King was the next step after the Player's Edge Plus (PE+).  I believe that the Game King would have been developed around the same time that IGT was developing the S2000 to replace the S+ line, and that the Game King was not intended to be a replacement for the S2000.

[4 Deuces]

You guys are awesome!!!  I am so lucky to have found this site with all of your great advice and experience.  I can't thank you enough.  Next week when the paycheck comes in I'm going to buy my tickets for the drawing to donate more to the site.  For me, sounds like I could actually use a newer machine.

Everything knagl said is exactly what I'm experiencing, so I may just have to live with it, which I can.  I just wanted to make sure it wasn't damaging the machine.  I'll re-check all the wiring one more time and I might even try a long extension cord to a completely different outlet in another room to see if that room has some crazy wiring. 

I don't think I've graduated enough to attempt a resistor, but it does sound like a cool, new challenge.    

I was originally going to hook up my CON1/Gateway progressive on my PE+ to the GK, but after reading your post, I think I'll skip that.

I do have to say that the sound is a little off.  Some sounds are louder than others even though I have all the volumes set the same.  The game play sounds (like reels moving) are quiet, but other sounds are much louder (not full volume, but certainly louder than the reels spinning), so sound problems may just be the issue.

Nevertheless, I am really enjoying the GK and all of the games.  The chips have denoms from 1 cent to $25 dollars with 12 games per denom, so it's really a big step for me from my PE+.  I was up to $2000 then spent it on $25 denom like it was just a $20 bill.   

The best part?  I get to open the machine and get my money back!!!

[stayouttadabunker]

If not, that's surprising because I've always thought the Game Kings were the next upgrade from the S2000's.

The Game King was the next step after the Player's Edge Plus (PE+).  I believe that the Game King would have been developed around the same time that IGT was developing the S2000 to replace the S+ line, and that the Game King was not intended to be a replacement for the S2000.

Thanks for the history lesson knagl!   

[Yoeddy1]

Some static playing through the speakers is normal with 5.x SIMM based games.  4.x EPROM based games should be minimal to no static.  SIMMs are noisy.

Jason

[4 Deuces]

   Thanks for all the good advice!  K+ to everyone!   

P.S.  I tried plugging into another room ... no difference.  Also, the top bulb wasn't working, so I replaced it only to find out it was the ballast, so I replaced that too (had spare parts from another machine ... yes I have 4 at this point ... good grief).  Anyway, the ballast seems to have made a slight difference.  Odd, huh?

[stayouttadabunker]

Ever hear a fluorescent light in a small, quiet room?
You can hear that sucker - esp. when you turn it on!

I used to have one in the back of my garage over a benchtop area.
Sometimes I'd run in there late at night looking for a tool or something while all the mouse were asleep...
NOISY LIGHT!!!

Something hums wicked in the ballast area...I don't know what because I never took one apart
but I suspect it's the windings in the coil converting electricity to output power for the lamp.

[4 Deuces]

UPDATE!!!  Thanks to the following link ...

http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=145.msg133971#msg133971

... the 47ohm mod works!!  I simply put the resistor on the white speaker line in the tray and viola!

What's cool is ... like KForeman indicated, I too had a problem where the sound would creep up, so some sounds were blasted while others were soft.  I'd turn down the volume and the next time I turned on the machine, the volume was all the way up again.  Now, with the mod, I can turn all the volumes up, get no hiss and no unusually high sounds from other games.

NOTE:  I have a 3802 with EPROMS, not SIMMS, yet I had a lot of feedback through the tray speaker.  The sound card was picking up the noise from the underlying MPU.  Just to confirm ... this fix works for EPROM-based 3802 boards as well!   

Thank you!!!   

[CaptainHappy]

 

Good Job experimenting with info from the site and reporting back your success!!!

CaptainHappy

  to everyone here!!!!

[knagl]

Nice, Dave. I may have to try that with my 3802 machine. Thanks.

[jasongd]

Here is another mod you may want to try on your 3802 Gameking 960 board.
This resistor mod was done on Australian and New Zealand Gameking 960 boards that were noisy.
Here are 3 pictures .
Let me know if it works on the USA 3802 Gameking 960 boards.
The resistor location is self explanatory.
Cheers.
Jason.

[jasongd]

And the 3rd picture of the resistor sound mod.
Cheers.
Jason.

[stayouttadabunker]

Excellent mod jason! 
If I ever get a GK, that's what I'm going to do! 

[Buzz]

jasongd   I guess I'll be the Goat of the day and ask, why do you have the wires so long on the resistor ???????????  Me I would be afraid of them shorting out.

[jasongd]

Hehe, A New Zealand IGT Tech emailed these pictures  to me about 5 years ago as I had this problem.
These are the pics and I agree that the resistor is way too long!.
If I was going to have the resistor that long I would at least put heat shrink on the legs.
Yep, cut the legs down should be fine,
Could someone from the USA shout as to if this works on your board.
Cheers.
Jas.

[4 Deuces]

Hi, I sold my one Game King that I fixed in this post and the other one blew up, but as soon as I get it fixed, I will try it if no one else does before then.  :Dave