Getting my first Bluebird - Questions

[coolwavepic]

Hey guys,


I am picking up a Bluebird Zeus machine with Zues 2 and Palace of Riches 3 cards next week and have some questions.


1) When I am looking for software for the machine, what do I need to look out for? From my understanding some of the same titles are made for BB1 and BB2.


2) IS the Super Multi-pay series games compatible with BB1?


3) What is BB1.5? A second monitor? How hard is it to add a top monitor?


Any info and help would be appreciated.




Thanks
Charles

[Harvs]

Hey guys,


I am picking up a Bluebird Zeus machine with Zues 2 and Palace of Riches 3 cards next week and have some questions.


1) When I am looking for software for the machine, what do I need to look out for? From my understanding some of the same titles are made for BB1 and BB2.


2) IS the Super Multi-pay series games compatible with BB1?


3) What is BB1.5? A second monitor? How hard is it to add a top monitor?


Any info and help would be appreciated.




Thanks
Charles

A BB1.5 is a BB1 with dual 19" monitors and an NXT2 MPU. What MPU is in the one you are getting?

[idesign]

Super Multi Pay games are BB2 only, need 22" monitors too.

[coolwavepic]

HARVS - I am pretty sure its going to be a BB1 MPU. Eventually, I want it to look like yours in the photo tho.

[Harvs]

HARVS - I am pretty sure its going to be a BB1 MPU. Eventually, I want it to look like yours in the photo tho.

Cool. Top box size will be important for that also..


I have 2 - 22" BB2 monitors that I plan on installing in the near future. I am just trying to track down a few things so I'm as prepared as I can be to do the swap.. Once that's done I will have the factory 19" monitors, brackets, etc..


BB's are fun machines!!

[coolwavepic]

Here is what it looks like. Not sure on the MPU and the person didn't know.

[rickhunter]

99% chance it's a bb1 mpu.  You also have the SPN hardware which is required for the super-respin games like Zeus II and hot hot penny titles.  Also the roundtops are not what you want to install the 22" widescreen should you decide to eventually go that route.  I followed another user's advice and got an NEC monitor, it just slides into the top box, no mods, although you can't "bolt" the top box down since there's no access to the top box once you put the monitor there, or am I missing a way to get inside the top box?  Right now my "conversion" machine is 1/2 way done.  I'm waiting on my new 22" touchscreen bottom screen as the one I got recently came with a cracked screen and is going back.  For the most part, if the game runs in a 19" screen 90% of those work on your machine.  There are a few bb2 (1.5) titles that require the bb2 cpu like top gun, wizard of oz, airplane, lord of the rings, star trek (basically leased titles) to name some off the top of my head.  Anything newer like colossal reels, spinning streak progressives, win it again, Alice, and the G+ Deluxe titles all require a BB2 MPU with 22" monitors.  You could buy a topbox with LCD and tse tse board for yours to make it a bb1 dual screen and you can play goldfish, mermaid's gold, hitchcock, love boat, Stampede Deluxe, Cherry Bomb, a few monopoly games, password, and handful of others which are fun games.  Bluebirds are cool machines, and have good software titles, much better than i-games and alpha video in my opinion.

[coolwavepic]

Rick,


If you don't mind me asking... How much did you pay for the BB2 MPU? I am seeing them on ebay for over $1500!


When I go the BB2 (or 1.5) route, can you just install ANY monitor as a top box monitor? I know for my Alpha, my 2nd screen is just a 24" PC monitor that I can rotate for V32 and Fireball games. Can I do the same with WMS games?


One question I did forget to ask, from what I have been reading on the boards, WMS games are picky about the BIOS and OS cards used with certain games. Is that true?

Sorry for all the questions. I am a Bally owner and love how as long as you have the latest bios and OS card you can run any of the games on a 1Gig board that is not Alpha 2 specific titles.

[rickhunter]

1.  The top box monitor on a bb2 needs to be 16x10 aspect ration (1680x1050), I don't believe the 1080p ones work.  That's why the NEC one I posted on another thread is used by some of us here.  As far as as the 19" types, any 1024x768 monitor will work, at least every one I've tried has worked for me.

2.  The CF cards need to be sandisk originals.  The OS card is pickier, it needs to be fast enough, so usually and industrial grade one is required or one of the ultras or extreme cards.  You need to be sure you are buying from a reputable source, there are TONS of fake chinese made cards on e-bay that don't work.  The last few I've purchased I bought from B&H photo in their used equipment department, they are reasonably priced and you occassionaly find the 512, 1gb, 2gb and 4gb sizes.  For the game card, I just have the standard blue/red label CF cards, again, they need to be real sandisk cards.

Now a question on the V32 alpha games, you say you use a pc monitor that you rotate vertically, obviously it doesn't have a touchscreen, so do you just leave the serial connector for the touchscreen from the bottom LCD and then hookup the video only to the top LCD and leave the bottom LCD disconnected?

[coolwavepic]

Good tips on the SD Cards. So the real difference is that a BB1.5 just has an option for a 2nd VGA connection or can I throw a video card in it like an Alpha?


For my alpha, when I load up V32, I leave the bottom monitor plugged in and use the bottom 19" as the touch screen. When you pick for a Quick Hit bonus, you are kind of guessing where your finger is going. Not the best option, but works for me.  Where my setup really works is with Fireball where it doesn't need touch for the top monitor. For other standard games, it will load up the glass graphic or second screen bonus/progressive information.

[777sizzler]

This is no diff. than anything else.  You can spend about 40 bucks and lay out a "test platform" and verify monitors etc. Depending on what you are doing you will see the stuff boot up.  What do you think all the others do-?  Oh,  They have 100 blue birds, avp's, alpha's etc!--- .

[rickhunter]

Good tips on the SD Cards. So the real difference is that a BB1.5 just has an option for a 2nd VGA connection or can I throw a video card in it like an Alpha?

BB2 CPU's are dual monitor capable, there's a video card (ATI I believe) that is already part of the mpu, the only caveat is that the bottom monitors connects to a DVI connector and the top to a VGA connector.