Cooling fan on an S+??

[Magicslots]

While apparently they were never factory equipped with a fan, is it necessary or even a good idea to put a cooling fan in an S+?
They do seem to get quite warm just sitting idle.  I know the heat is from the fluorescent lighting, but considering the age of the electronics,
wouldn't a cooling fan help extend their life? It doesn't seem to be much of a hurdle to overcome putting one in the cabinet. 

[jay]

The top box gets warm, perhaps the reel cage but the electronics are down below and not subject to much heat.
A NOS (new old stock) S+ MPU is $20-$25. Buy a spare. Probably cheaper than the fan.

[Op-Bell]

Careful, dude - IGT holds a patent for using a fan to cool a slot machine, number 6,280,318 issued 2001. You wouldn't want the FBI kicking your door down for patent infringement and hauling you off for some enhanced interrogation in the cells under Prototype Drive. And just to make sure all the angles are covered, patent 7,499,276 was issued this past March to Cole Industries for essentially the same thing, only Cole's fan sucks hot air out instead of blowing cool air in.

(So, you could say that Cole sucks and IGT blows) 

As for how the USPTO was able to issue these patents with a straight face, it's something to do with the Attorneys' Full Employment Act.

[StatFreak]

In that case, I'll apply for a patent to blow hot air into the machine and for another one to suck cold air out. Then I'll have the other end covered.   Of course, the precise legal definition of what constitutes cold air and what constitutes hot air could end up in front of the U.S. appellate court.


How about another two patents to cool a slot machine with freon and a compressor, and to water cool it with a radiator? These would have the additional advantage of adding another 100 pounds to the machines and anchoring them at their points of installation with piping, making them even more theft-resistant.

[tacman]

Stat, don't worry about it. I think the Appellate Court that handles your district has the most overturned rulings in the country, you're safe!! 

 Dan (tacman)

[stayouttadabunker]

This topic is fulla hot air...


By the way, I've been sticking these big things inside...
keeps everything inside nice and cool and not too noisy either!
I paid about $4 each and bought like 10 of them.
Got some molexes from china and wired them up to the S+'s power supply box
I noticed that these fans are made in china too...isn't ANYTHING made in the US anymore???>>

[Ron (r273)]

While apparently they were never factory equipped with a fan, is it necessary or even a good idea to put a cooling fan in an S+?
They do seem to get quite warm just sitting idle.  I know the heat is from the fluorescent lighting, but considering the age of the electronics,
wouldn't a cooling fan help extend their life? It doesn't seem to be much of a hurdle to overcome putting one in the cabinet. 

Set some thermometers in the top box and reel shelf and see. I don't think it gets hot enought to do any damage.

Ron

[Op-Bell]

I noticed that these fans are made in china too...isn't ANYTHING made in the US anymore???>>

No, nothing is made in the US any more. It's like the last days of Rome, where the carts that brought luxury goods into the city made the return trip loaded with manure, because that was the only thing the city produced. These days the ships that bring goods from China make the return trip loaded with waste for recycling because ... oh, don't get me started. We'd be better off if they made the return trip loaded with CEOs and worthless stock certificates.