Anyone heard of a STATUS brand Video Poker slot? CAN'T get it to do much!

[shortrackskater]

From poppo:
I assume the other 7805s have 5V out? If so, time for a trip to radio shack. The 7805 should be about $1.25


Okay I checked the input and output voltages on the voltage regulators. The one (in the close up shot) that's just to the left of my home made battery (top cell) has approx 9VDC input and about .17VDC coming out. It's not hot, like the rest are! I also adjusted the audio pot and still got no sound.

[shortrackskater]

Yes all others show the proper output voltage. Soon as I can get out of this building I'll head to MarVac...one of the only REAL electronics stores around. Thanks Mark! I'll post back soon. 

[shortrackskater]

From poppo:
Now it's possible you have something else bad (shorted) that caused the 7805 to go out. So after you replace it and turn on power, feel it (carefully) to make sure it's not getting REALLY hot. If it is, turn off the power asap as something else is bad.

FYI, the new 7805 may be labeled just 7805 or LM7805 or something else (xx7805). As long as it's the same 3 terminal package it will be fine.




 

[shortrackskater]

Replaced the 7805 regulator and got a LIVING machine. 
The screen was normal (but said CALL ATTENDANT). I pressed a few of the buttons inside and and it just sounded a quick "squeal" alarm. So I turned the power off and on and got this! I have no idea which control I need to adjust. I have no room in back to stick my hand in there without removing the monitor. I don't know what this adjustment is but it's probably on the back side of the CRT. Looks like Horizontal hold but I don't see that on the back pots.
UPDATE: I found it in the manual... I'll pull it out and just move it slightly one way, and then the other.

[shortrackskater]

From SolidSilver:

YAHOO, you've saved that rare old girl
Persistence pays off!

[shortrackskater]

It played once, then stopped and kept giving me an alarm if I manually tried to trip the coin pin-lever. Messed with it and tried EVERY combination of buttons but kept getting CALL ATTENDANT. I could reset it each time but it would repeat the same error. Finally I SHUT the door, inserted a coin and it played! And I won!
I haven't tried to pay out yet but this was a HUGE surprise getting it working tonight. Thank you Solid Silver for "making" me keep it and thank you Mark for the help when I found the cold voltage regulator! I'll try the hopper soon.
Strange thing is there's no switch on the door to "tell" the machine it's opened. I wonder if there some magnetic in the coin mech area? I don't see anything different there but I've also never seen a machine like this one.
Oh...and I got the belly light working last night... it had simply fallen out and was wedged in the bottom. 

[shortrackskater]

Well I gently pulled out the monitor and adjusted the brightness and FOCUS and got a NICE super sharp picture...much better looking than the one posted here.
To top it off... ALL the lights work, the sound works, and the hopper works. I guess I'll be keeping this funny old machine.
After playing for awhile... this machine is surprisingly advanced for being so old. When drawn a potentially winning hand, it displays what you have: straight, flush, two pair, etc... whereas my Fortune one and my CEI just let you decide if there's a winning hand or not! It even shows ONE pair of a non winning hand, in case you want to draw and maybe get two pair.
Another interesting thing is that if you press HOLD and change your mind, you have to clear ALL your holds and start over with the HOLD choices.

[shortrackskater]

From CVslots:

Good job on your progress so far! 

[shortrackskater]

From jay:

Congradulations.... 

[shortrackskater]

UPDATE: It would work, but I was getting frequent hopper jams, and a runaway hopper. I was also getting coin-in errors.
I *think* I've fixed all the issues.
For the coin-in errors it seemed the metal pin attached to the coin drop switch was being hit "too slow" (as suggested by SolidSilver) so I just lubricated the switch. It worked for awhile but returned, so I cleaned the coin mech as well, and adjusted the coin width screw. That seemed to do the trick. I've now inserted at least 200 coins and it is working.
For the hopper, I found I had two issues. When I would try to pay out, the hopper would start and the screen would begin to count coins, then stop and the hopper would just keep whirring. That problem was the One coin count switch (or whatever it's called). It just needed an adjustment screw to be turned in about one time, and then the switch began to register coins again.
Once that was fixed, it worked but would occasionally jam during a payout. That problem ended up being the chute that diverts the coins to the tray. Over time, it had migrated to one side, keeping the coins from rolling out and down to the tray. I used my flat pliers and was able tweak it to the left and align it properly.
The machine now works and pays out perfectly. 


I think I may be just talking to myself now but I'll post anyway in case someone, somewhere acquires one of these oddities! 
For now, It's working, completely. I've played it for an hour with no issues. It pays out correctly too with no jams or "non-count" errors. The only thing it does that's interesting, (but I have a feeling this may have been this way originally) is that if there are credits registered and a coin in inserted, it does NOT register. It just drops into the hopper! Hmmm... that's a way to earn money for the casino! I may be wrong. You'd think the coin entry switch would remain enabled with credits... 

I also spent some time adding some missing wire ties back to the machine. It sounds funny but I really enjoy getting the INSIDES cleaned up and wires routed properly.  
The monitor had some kind of attachment screws at the ends. I found some drywall inserts that plugged in and work great to keep the monitor from movement. I also (see my very first picture) re-mounted the three service switches on the far right of the machine using an large washer in the inside and outside. It looks much nicer than the sheet metal screws someone had wedged in to hold the switches in place.
The only thing I need to do now is adjust the vertical size and I think it will be nearly perfect! I really need some extension cables... it's a pain to prop the CRT on a box and get my hand to the back of the monitor all while avoiding a little shock therapy! 

[shortrackskater]

From poppo:

Some of us are still following.

Again, I know nothing about that machine. but on a S+ slot, there is a coin diverter that moves to drop "extra" coins back into the tray vice the hopper. Look for something (like a plate or gate) with a solenoid on it in the coin path. A "fix" for a bad solenoid on a S+ was to tie strap the diverter so coins always went to the hopper. Perhaps someone did something similar, or something is unplugged.

Follow the coin path from where you drop it all the way. It may supposed to get diverted early in the drop if there are credits. Just speculating, but the machine should not take coins without giving credits or diverting to the tray.

[shortrackskater]

From SolidSilver:

It should work just like your CEI: there are TWO solenoid-activated coin diverters.

The first one, when the machine is powered down or in an error situation, routes coins to the output tray.
This is the one you hear click when you turn the machine on. A CEI with credits will refuse to accept
new coins until the credits are played off; it does so by deactivating this diverter. It's usually physically
part of the coin acceptor itself.

This is what is probably causing the problem. It's stuck/unlubricated,  jammed with something, or the solenoid coil is burned out.
Since you mentioned the "click" in the door area when firing up, it sounds like a dead coil is unlikely.

The second one diverts coins headed for the hopper to an "overflow" box, when the machine thinks
its hopper is full.

[shortrackskater]

From jay:

Just the goverment .... We are listening...... 

[shortrackskater]

I just realized something after reading your replies. I'm not even home now, but I just visualized the inside of my door and remembered the two CUT wires that were quite close to one of the solenoids. I wonder if THAT is it? I'll check soon as I get home for lunch. 

[shortrackskater]

I have a feeling another solenoid was here...or something was! There's two wires that have been clipped! See picture.
I tried a few different things just to rule out stuff. I put in a different coin mech, and the same thing happened: if there's credits registered, the coin just drops into the hopper and does NOT register another credit. I also tried entering a coin with the power off. To my surprise, it diverts the coin into the overflow tube! I can't really see where another solenoid would go... I'll get some more wine and look again. 

[shortrackskater]

From poppo:

With power off, look and see how the coin drops to the tray. Is it diverted before that solenoid in the picture? And with power on, what does that one do? Do you have the door switch bypassed so you can watch the coin drop under different conditions? I'm just wondering if the one in your picture is either not working or maybe the diverter arm is not positioned correctly.

[shortrackskater]

From jay:

I would be hooking up a meter to the other solinoid and determine operating voltages. I would then connect to the other set of wires and go through the motions of playing your game and see under what conditions the power comes on / off

[shortrackskater]

Here's what I found so far. Again, I apologize for the crappy audio. I need a new video camera, but I think you will understand.

CIMG2648

CIMG2649

[shortrackskater]

From poppo:

What is above the coin mechanism?  It seems from the physical layout that if the coin was going to get diverted to the tray, it would have to happen earlier in the drop. Look carefully at the coin path and see if there is any way prior to, or within the coin mechanism for it to get diverted to the tray as was noted by SolidSilver earlier

[shortrackskater]

There's nothing. The coin drops straight into the mech. The only way it can ever go to the return/cash tray is if the coin mech itself rejects the coin. 
But then there's those wires...
I have this feeling someone, at some time, did some crude repair job here.