Bally Game Maker Touch Screen Help Please!

[MrBellMan]

Hi all,

I have a nice Bally GameMaker with the 14" monitor and touch screen. The touch screen is a MicroTouch system.

For the life of me, I can not get this touchscreen system to work. When I first got the game it was intermittently working. Some times when I turned in the game it would work, other times it would not. Lately, it will not at all. I have checked every connection, ran wires direct to bypass the plugs, etc..., but nothing is helping. I can tell you that the little green light is on and the other night the touch screen did start working for a few minutes, but then nothing. I know when the touch screen is working because the little red arrows disappear from the screen (see picture). So, somehow the game knows when the touch screen system is on or off (working properly). If someone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Rob

[MrBellMan]

More pics

[MrBellMan]

I thought I would add that I have tried the Safe Clear a few times as well and the touch screen configuration never appeared.   

Thanks,

Rob

[stayouttadabunker]

Nice machine rob!
how many games on it?
Someody once said your feet have to touch the floor when using touchscreens...
might be a bad ground somewhere?

At least, I remember on a different topic about keno pens and feet on the floor seemed to work better?

[MrBellMan]

I wish it were that easy. The game itself does not know it has a touch screen installed. The touch screen system and the game are not communicating for some reason. That's where I need the help. Everything I have checked "checks out", but it doesn't help...  

Any other suggestions?  I'm racking my brain trying to troubleshoot this issue.  

O,h and I think I have 10 games on it.

Thanks,

Rob

[StatFreak]

Are the touch screen alignment and test options present in the setup menus but grayed out, or are they missing completely? Which mains are you using?

[MrBellMan]

Are the touch screen alignment and test options present in the setup menus but grayed out, or are they missing completely? Which mains are you using?

The menu options are there, but when when it asks to touch the screen to test or calibrate, it does not respond. I'm not sure what you mean by mains??? I do know that after a safeclear you are supposed to be prompted to calibrate the touch screen, but it never does.

Rob

[StatFreak]

...
...I'm not sure what you mean by mains??? I do know that after a safeclear you are supposed to be prompted to calibrate the touch screen, but it never does.

Rob

What are the chip numbers in locations M0 and M1 on the board?

While you've got the board out, make sure that DipSW 2, switch 6 is turned OFF. That switch tells the machine if a touch screen is installed or not. If this is on, it indicates that there is no touch screen.

[MrBellMan]

Well, that's a damn good question... You tell me... 

 

Rob

[StatFreak]

Well, that's a damn good question... You tell me... 

 

Rob

 

Turn on the machine and enter the setup menu (door open). Under Diagnostics, select Memory Test (bottom option). Then select EPROM Checksum (top option). The first two chips will be your Mains (M0, M1). Their numbers are the concatenation of "SMI" & "Other" (e.g.: SMI = "M1000B" Other = "0604-17". Chip is "M1000B0604-17")  You can write these numbers down on your chip for later reference. All I'm looking for are the last two numbers after the dash (e.g.: 17) That indicates the version of your mains.

Did you check your DIPSW2 SW6? That would be the simple answer if it is currently turned on, although you would probably need to do one more clear to have the new setting take effect if you have to turn it off.

[MrBellMan]

Just to follow up. The main versions are 24...

In complete frustration I tore the touch screen assembly completely apart this morning. I re-flowed solder, re-straightened pins, etc...

I put it all back together and it now works. I have swapped processor boards, turned that game off and on a dozen times to see if the touch screen would stop working, but it still works! 

So, I'm still not sure what the issue was, but I'm very glad I have it working.

On a side note, the games I have on it are Wake the Genie, 007 Goldeneye, Black Jack plus, Black Jack, Deuces Wild, Pick'em Poker, Keno, Wizard of Oddz, Goldmine Bonus Poker and Double Bonus Poker.

Am I missing any other cool games?

Thanks everyone for your help!

Rob

[knagl]

Congrats on solving your touchscreen issue. 

As for 'other cool games' - I like the goldmine slot game, triple trouble keno, and the elusive "Pay the Aces" game.

[StatFreak]

I second the nomination for Goldmine Slot. I also recommend Triple Trouble Bonus Poker.

I've had three 16000+ hits on Island Wins in the re-spin bonus, but I think that I'm ahead of the curve, statistically speaking. I wasn't enjoying the game until I hit my first big bonus, but it has since become a favorite. I've hit 4000-5000 coins several times as well. Of course, I'm playing 90 coins per spin. Your mileage may vary.


I noticed that you have both BJ and BJ Plus installed. Personally I have had terrible luck with BJ Plus -- in all of my playing I've hit a mixed seven's bonus once or twice, and nothing else -- not a single decent bonus. Without those it just sucks my money. I do like the "let it ride" feature, though. In theory, that top prize can get huge.

What's your opinion of Wizard of Odds, Wake the Gene, and 007 Goldeneye? I haven't tried them yet.

[MrBellMan]

I like 007 and Wake the Genie. Multi line, 5 reel games with bonus.

Not crazy about Wizard of Oddz...

I read that there is a Roulette game for Game Maker. I would like to try that as well.

Rob

[Destro333]

My GameMaker is having a very similar problem.  I can power it up and play for a while with no issue at all.  After a random length of time (sometimes minutes, sometimes hours) it will lose touch screen functionality.  If I open the door and use a mirror I can see the little light on the touch screen controller is lit and brightens when I touch the screen.  But none of the games or menus react to screen touching.  They will work with the deck buttons

Sometimes if I reset the machine the screen will have those arrows that point to the deck buttons to indicate which ones are in use for that particular game.  Sometimes if I power the machine completely down the touchscreen will work again.  Always if I let the machine rest for a while, the touchscreen will come back.

I thought maybe it was a heat issue as the vent fan on my GameMaker was not working.  I just replaced it and now have air blowing out the cabinet but still the issue with the touchscreen.

Every once in a rare while the machine would reset itself.  As in I would be sitting across the room and suddenly hear the bill validator cycling.  When I went over to see what was going on the machine was rebooting.  Always in this circumstance the touchscreen would be inoperable and the arrows pointing to the deck buttons would be present.

I might try reflowing the solder on the screen controller board and hope for a bit of luck.

[Destro333]

No luck.  I reflowed some of the solder joints on the board and nudged the rows of pins so the cable would fit a bit snugger.  Machine worked perfect for a while.  I left it alone for an hour and when I came back the red arrows were on the screen pointing to the deck buttons.  Touch screen was unresponsive.  I can still see the light on the controller board and it does brighten when I touch the screen.