Author Topic: help me get startedâ€¦total noob (Read 26750 times)

Dbeeson · « **on:** March 21, 2015, 05:05:48 PM »

Hello everyone,
I'm thrilled to have found this site. I have no experience with slot machines but I'm competent in mechanical systems and have basic/intermediate electronic skills. I have also repaired many pinball machines.

I was at the Ohio Pinball Show over the weekend and picked up a non working (but complete) Bally slot machine to perhaps tinker with. Thinking the resources for slot machines were comparable to pinball machines, I thought I'd be able to find the manual and a lot of information online to get me started. I'm finding this a little more difficult than expected.

So I guess I should start by asking what model my slot machine is? From the limited information I gather, it is an E series. Is there manuals available for them?

The next question is where to start looking. When I plug the machine in, everything lights up but the win meter lcd display shows â€¦..6 and nothing shows on the credit meter display. Obviously this means the machine is not booting up. I thought the first thing I'd look at was the battery on the main board and removing it. Knowing from pinball machines and bally boards specifically (that have those long white cylindrical NiMH type) it's best to cut off the battery before it starts leaking acid and ruining the circuit board. So I've done so. But nothing has changed. Is the battery necessary for operation?

Any help to get me started would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Paul · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2015, 05:46:42 PM »

Hi and Welcome to you new addiction.
You have what looks like a E2000 slot machine
with the credit feature. If you look on the right side
below the handle there is a ID plate.
Post pictures of the machine front and with the
door open for more info.
Code 6 is the "Memory Test Failure"

dhellis · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2015, 05:57:23 PM »

Welcome,

Proten is correct that the 6 error is usually related to being a memory error. Like the pinball machines
the Bally E-series uses the 5101 Ram chips. I would start by checking the power supply voltages simply
because it is easier to make sure that you have the proper voltages before jumping off to something
more difficult.

As far as the battery is concerned, most machines have little or no real use for the home user. The battery
is used to maintain accounting data in ram which is important for casinos and regulatory commissions.

rokgpsman · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:18:26 PM »

With your background in pinball repair I think you'll take to slot machine repair just fine, just ask any questions here on NLG and the helpful folks will get you going and up to speed in no time.

Bally made many different slot machine models over the years. Here is a manual for the Bally E-2000 models, hopefully it will be the right one for your machine. If it isn't the exact manual it will still contain helpful info.

Welcome and good to see you here! We like pictures, so don't hesitate to post more pictures of the machine, especially the insides showing mechanical assemblies, circuit boards, power supplies, coin hopper, etc. We never get tired of photos.

From looking at the lower glass your machine spent some time at sea on a cruise ship.

Dbeeson · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:21:22 PM »

Thanks so much guys! I've attached a couple of pics with the door open, and one with the wheels removed.
I'm not really sure what voltages I should be seeing where. I don't have a schematic. Do you guys know where to find one?

I may have a 5101 chip kicking around on an old bally pinball board.

Dbeeson · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:24:54 PM »

I spoke too soon! rokgpsman, thank you very much! I'll review it and see what I can find.

rokgpsman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:25:38 PM »

I edited my previous message to include a manual, look on page 58 and a few pages before and after for wiring diagrams and power supply info. (hopefully it is the right manual)

As the other guys mentioned, if you can positively id it by the idplate that is really helpful to the experts here. There is often a metal plate on the same side as the pull handle, or maybe inside the lower part of cabinet. A picture of it is good to show us.

Dbeeson · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:28:18 PM »

yeah Premiere Cruise Lines. The ONLY place it says bally on the entire game is the coil just inside the door. There's no info plate below the crankâ€¦well there is but it's blank

Dbeeson · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:29:14 PM »

I'll dig for that plate, but I really couldn't see one before.

rokgpsman · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:38:15 PM »

Here's one of your photos with some notes on it, but I'm no Bally expert so I'll let the other guys give you specific info and correct anything I say or put in the photo notes.

Sometimes there are tags or stickers inside the machine that gives more clues about the model number and manufacturer, so as you examine it closer you may something like that. But some of these guys can id it based on looks alone.

It looks like the hopper has been removed, did you get it like that, or take out the coin hopper for the photos?

Dbeeson · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:41:43 PM »

I just had a look at the malfunction codes in the manual. code 6 should be followed by another number to indicate which memory chip is bad. Mine just stays on 6. In pinball land, that usually means the MPU has some bigger problems. The manual also says that test #1-5 happens so fast the eye can't see itâ€¦but part of me thinks it just says 6 off the bat and stays there. That's very typical of Williams late solid state ('84-'89) boot up procedure (or lack thereof)

This is all speculation as I read. I'm gonna have to pull the meter out and test the voltages. The game should still boot up if the reels are out of the machine right?

Dbeeson · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:43:12 PM »

that connector you circled is for the reels. I took the reels out to take a picture of the circuit boards. The hopper is down below and intact.

rokgpsman · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:46:58 PM »

Quote from: Dbeeson on March 21, 2015, 06:43:12 PM

that connector you circled is for the reels. I took the reels out to take a picture of the circuit boards. The hopper is down below and intact.

my mistake, I lightened your photo and then I saw the hopper. I also edited my notes about the connector in the photo so it won't cause a problem for someone else.

Does it look like that manual covers your machine?

Dbeeson · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:48:41 PM »

yes indeed! I believe that is the correct manual, the only difference is that there are more buttons on the front of mineâ€¦maybe that's the "2000" series?

Thanks again for all the help, very much appreciated.

CVslots · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2015, 06:58:49 PM »

It is an E2000, as mentioned earlier. E2000 is the only E machine with the credit feature. What extra buttons do you have? Maybe the pic in the manual is of the E1000. Mechanically, they are nearly identical (exception being the reel reader boards and the credit feature, if applicable, not all E2000s have credit feature).

rokgpsman · « **Reply #15 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:03:56 PM »

Do the eprom labels on the mpu board say anything meaningful? Usually on getting a machine new to you it is a good idea to verify power supply voltages and check the battery on the mpu board for leakage and it's voltage state. On some machines the battery is just for non-essential record keeping (important to the casino but not important private use) but on other machines the battery is critical for the game to even play correctly. The battery used is typically a BR2330 3 volt coin type, or a 3.6 volt barrel type.

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the boot-up process, so don't know if the reels have to be installed or not. But there are plenty of Bally folks here. (might take a little while for them to log in and make comments, they could be watching the NCAA tournament games, some may even have a wager or two on a game).

Dbeeson · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:07:19 PM »

Extra buttons on the chrome part: change, blank, play 1 or more credits and play maximum credits

dhellis · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:27:46 PM »

While the E1000 and E2000 machines typically use different MPU boards and different reel reader boards
they also have different hopper boards. However, it is not unusual to find E1000 boards inside of an
E2000 machine.

Your machine has an E2000 MPU but is using E1000 reel readers. The E2000 reel readers operate on 5 volts
while the E1000 board operates on 50 volts. You can easily see the differences by looking for the large 2 watt
resistor on the reel reader board, since your boards have these then that means that they are the older
E1000 boards.

Bally used these older boards on the E2000 machines until stock was depleted before switching to the
5 volt boards. You will also find many E2000 machines that have the older E1000 MPU boards installed.

Hopper boards from either machine can be used in either machine. The E1000 board is much smaller than
the one used in the E2000 so if you have a hopper board for an E1000 machine and want to use it in an
E2000 machine, move the wire, move the wire at pin 8 to pin 9.

To use an E2000 board on an E1000 machine then move the wire in pin 9 to pin 8

Amechanic · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:54:50 PM »

I would first start by checking the voltages on your power supply. There are three different voltages, 5v, 7.5v, and 10v. Those power supply plugs tend to get bad connections. Check for any burnt wires on the plug. I have also found pin header solder joint develop cracks due to heat cycles. I recently had a E1000 giving me a code 6, and mine was caused by a bad power supply. Once I changed it out my problem went away. I have also seen that removing and reseating the ram chips that the problem can also be solved. The sockets Bally used were junk. They only make a connection on one side of the leg. I've replaced a hand full of those old chip socket to fix different problems. Good luck..

Gary

Dbeeson · « **Reply #19 on:** March 21, 2015, 07:57:11 PM »

Well well... Look at what we found here. Just like a pinball machine (and early ballys at that!) burnt connectors are the culprit. Give it a wiggle and she boots right up! Luckily I have all the molex parts to replace it. I'll get that done and take some pics for you guys. Hopefully that's all of the problems for now. Thanks again for all of your help and information on the machine guys.

News:

NLG Site Navigation Menu

Author Topic: help me get startedâ€¦total noob (Read 26750 times)