New to slots - and I am stoked!

[frivlus]

I am a tinkerer.  I like to build MAME cabinets and find new things to place in my man cave.
Just picked up my first slot machine.  Here's what "I think I know about it":
- Bally manufactured
- cicrca: 1998
- S5500 (branded Black and White 5 Time Pay)
- Functions mostly - I drop a hundred dollar bill in, it will ring up 400 crediits and let you play them out and even cashes you out.
- Bill validator only accepts 100 dollar bills ( DBV-146) - I read somewhere that model does NOT read the new colored bills...which explains why it'll accept the B&W hundred.
- The coin comparitor (cc-16-d) wont let the quarter drop through; pennies and dimes fall through to the tray; at present a nickle was dropped in and wont pass and its too far down to fish it out.  So looks like i will have to disassemble that to get the nickle out and figure out why it won't pass my quarters.

Q: Why am I here?
A: To learn about my specific slot machine and at some point become savvy enough to pass that knowledge on to the next guy.  After which, I'd like to learn about slot machines as a whole.

So thanks for having me and I look forward to learning all I can.

Cheers.

-Frivlus

[ramegoom]

I'm in the same boat you're in....new to the cult. All about the game room.

I also have that "need to know" thing going on about slots. I always wondered how the house can tip the odds, and now that I'm acclimated a bit, I finally realized it's really about statistical odds, that's about it.

Start disassembling it, and you'll learn an awful lot about the machine. There is lots of info out there about the Bally's so google will be your best friend.

Good luck in your new addiction. I started with one slot, now I'm up to five - within four months of discovering these machines. Someday soon I'll see you at the SLA meeting (Slot Machines Anonymous)!

[frivlus]

Ramegoom,
  Thanks for the welcome.   Since I was able to find such a wealth of documentation I was able to "fearlessly" remove my jammed coin and further explore the inners of my machine.

It appears my coin acceptor is defective, the COD board light is amber, the mechanism light isn't even lit, even after i reseated the connectors.  No biggie, I will work it out. I have already decided as soon as i get it up and operating as it should, I'm off to the next one.

Again, thanks for the welcome and look forward to seeing you at the SMA  Meetings...donuts are on me.

[Fourbyracer]

Another fellow SMA member here.  Started with 1, now 7 and have several more "kits" on top of that.  All in just under a year.  My advice--RUN AWAY!!!   J/K, its a lot of fun, cheaper than the casinos and there are a ton of great people on this board--2nd to none.  Good luck to both of you in the new hobby!  Game rooms rock!!   

[zarobhr]

I am a tinkerer.  I like to build MAME cabinets and find new things to place in my man cave.
Just picked up my first slot machine.  Here's what "I think I know about it":
- Bally manufactured
- cicrca: 1998
- S5500 (branded Black and White 5 Time Pay)
- Functions mostly - I drop a hundred dollar bill in, it will ring up 400 crediits and let you play them out and even cashes you out.
- Bill validator only accepts 100 dollar bills ( DBV-146) - I read somewhere that model does NOT read the new colored bills...which explains why it'll accept the B&W hundred.
- The coin comparitor (cc-16-d) wont let the quarter drop through; pennies and dimes fall through to the tray; at present a nickle was dropped in and wont pass and its too far down to fish it out.  So looks like i will have to disassemble that to get the nickle out and figure out why it won't pass my quarters.

Q: Why am I here?
A: To learn about my specific slot machine and at some point become savvy enough to pass that knowledge on to the next guy.  After which, I'd like to learn about slot machines as a whole.

So thanks for having me and I look forward to learning all I can.

Cheers.

-Frivlus

on your comparitor it almost seems as though you dont have a sample coin installed,

[CVslots]

@Zarobhr - I think you nailed it. That's why pennies and nickels fall through.

[frivlus]

CVSlots and zarobhr,

As I am very new to slot ownership, how might I test your diagnosis?  I haven't found any documentation on the device beyond schematics.  I am not even certain how to remove it.  I stumbled upon an illustration showing how to removed jammed coins, so I was able to gracefully remove the nickle that was stuck in there.

I would really appreciate any direction you chaps could provide.

Since this is not a topic belonging to this area, I will move it, after you guys respond, to a place more appropriate.

Thank you.

Frivlus.

[CVslots]

A coin comparitor will have a sample coin seated in it. This enables the comparitor to do its job and "compare" every coin dropped in the machine to the sample coin, rejecting coins of different sizes and also detecting slugs.  When you open the door and look for at the coin comparitor, is there a coin seated in it? There is a black arm that slides left/right that is spring loaded that should be holding a coin.

I will find a pic for you if you need.

[frivlus]

CVSLots,

Great. I found the arm you mentioned, and placed a sample coin in (quarter) So now quarters will pass through and fall to the tray.  They will not fall to hopper and credit.  Thanks for that bit of direction.

[CVslots]

Would it be possible you snap a pic of the inside of your door showing the comparitor area? Maybe you can post it in the appropriate section so that we can start fresh! The Bally guys will chime in and help you out I'm sure!

[frivlus]

I think I found the issue....I just found a pic of one and it shows a counterweight.  Where that is on mine is a broken half circle....so it looks like i need to replace it.

I have attached two pics of mine.

Thanks frr the assist.

-Friv

[CVslots]

Good eye! I can barely see it! 

[shortrackskater]

Good eye! I can barely see it! 

See what?

[CVslots]

Good eye! I can barely see it! 

See what?

Shut up...no old age jokes... 

[frivlus]

CVSLots,

Tks.  Since I have your ear.  Mind if I ask another question?  If not; Can my DBV-146 upgraded to accept the new colored bills?

Shortrackskater:  You're a funny guy.  Yes I now realize its broken so badly. I will have try to locate a new counterweight arm and counterweight.  Any suggestions?

-Friv

[frivlus]

Please note the sticker says, "DBV-146-SH (96A8) contrary to the manufacturer original label.

[frivlus]

BTW, you do realize, in your advanced age, its okay to be nearly blind?  :-D  Says the man wearing featherweights with 20/200 and 20/75 vision.  :-D

[shortrackskater]

 
Well even if you were blind, CV Slots will guide the way for you!!! They're the best!

[frivlus]

I am glad I found this forum.  The local slot repair guy, I know here, is quite expensive.  I don't begrudge anyone trying to make a living, but if I can fix it without his help and learn a thing or two I am groovin'.

But I will leave to heavy lifting of things too far out of my element to him.  I'm no fool..Well maybe a little bit of a fool.  :-D 

[shortrackskater]

Well if you start loving slots...and you will...you will want another, and another, and another... I have 5 carpeted dollies and a nice hand truck to move them once they're out of my pickup. CV slots should be chiming in soon...although it IS getting close to happy hour.
        

[CVslots]

CVSLots,

Tks.  Since I have your ear.  Mind if I ask another question?  If not; Can my DBV-146 upgraded to accept the new colored bills?

-Friv

Bill validators are not my forte, for sure, so I may be wrong....BUT I do not believe the 145/146s can be upgraded to accept new $$$$. Best thing would be to upgrade the head to a DBV-200, which is "upgradeable" (if that's a word?).  If you post a question in the DBV-145, DBV-200 forum (or just search it, I'm sure it's out there already), someone will help you out!

Roslyn

[frivlus]

Thanks guys...you've  been a huge help...even if shotrackskater is  a bit of a closet lush.  :-P

Again thanks.  Cheers

[lvstots]

Im stoked too....first post...thx

[Rowdy]

Probably a late reply but.  Cool your working on a slot that was prominent when I was a bench.  I will look through my stuff I probably have a new counterweight in some of my old bag stuff.  The counter weight for a quarter may be a little harder to come by but eventually I probably can find it.  After you get the appropriate counter weight the coin mech has to be tuned up for the specific coin penny, dime, nickle, quarter, fifty cent piece, or casino token for denom.  this gets a little hard.  have to hook it up with a scope and a power supply and a test jig to align it.  You may get lucky and it work as is but probably not. or not well if at all.

I will have to look through some of my notes but if I remember correctly the 145 had an eeprom that carried the program to accept the bills.  If my recollection serves me right the 145 turned upside down and look at the bottom and you will see a square hole, inside that hole is the eeprom.  Therein lies your problem accepting most bills.  That became a constant issue, had to constantly pull the eeproms out and reprogram them with new software to allow them to accept the new style bills and or circumvent counterfeits.  I think it will be very difficult to access the software outside of a gaming environment.  Security, BIG issue.  Good luck.

Rowdy

[Rowdy]

I might add as well.  You need to try each coin in succession to find what it is tuned too rather than trying to make it work on quarters.  In the machine setup it should tell you what the coin is set to as well.  let me know if you change where this is posted so I can add to your confusion.  I will check out and send you some pics of test jigs I built to tune with, procedures to tune them etc.  The counterweight is not all that critical of a piece.  you can rig up something on there and adjust the weight so that the coin just pushes it's way through.  If it is too light it takes a different path and goes to the tray.  If it is too heavy same.  If it is correct weight it slows down going through so it compares and IF it matches the sample coin a solenoid moves a ramp and redirects the coin to the hopper, and through an optic that counts it and increments the coin in counter and tells the processor board that a coin has been accepted and credits it to play.  Hope that confuses you enough.

Rowdy