New Life Games LLC
**Reel Slots** Gaming Machines => Bally Alpha Reel Games => Topic started by: keystone9 on June 28, 2014, 04:23:39 PM
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Got tired of listening to the noisy reels on one of my Alpha's so after a few beverages I got to thinking about how company's use rubber items to quiet my compound bow. So I got some government issue rubber bands (the ones I get in my mail from the post office) and wrapped them around the outside of the reels as shown in the photos. Magic! No more noise. Super quiet. Now I know government issue will not last, I know these bands are going to pop in less than a week, but maybe some one out there can pick up on this and come up with a long lasting rubber band. Don't forget to let me know. Just thought I would share this with everyone because everyone shares shit with me. Bill.
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Hmm...so... :Scratch-Head: It is vibration then, and the rubber band (in this instance) absorbs and quiets the excess noise. So what can we put on the inside of the reels to do the same (not that I don't like the look of your reels Bill). Remember how Bally applies adhesive to each crossbar on the reels and sticks the strips to it? I wonder if that padded/foam with the double sided stickem would absorb any vibration (and thus sound)?
Don't know just brainstorming here. I think we only have a couple Alphas in the shop right now, but I will try and play around with them if any of them have noisy reels! Sounds like a fun little experiment for a Sunday afternoon! (Man, I really lead a wild life don't I? To think that's my idea of fun...thats pitiful.)
Roz
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Same here. Bill.
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I went to Staples today and looked around for some rubber bands. What I found was a package of "large rubber bands", which are nicely colored. Came back to the shop and I had this Alpha that sounded like a nest of chipmunks when spinning, so I put some of these cool yellow rubber bands on the outside edge of all the reels, I use a pick to push them to the edge, and bingo, no more noise. Now if you slide the reel glass to the left you hardly notice the rubber bands, or you can listen to the chatter if you don't like the looks of the band. We'll see how long they last. Bill.
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Interesting. I have a 5 reeler that has had several game changes, so of course the glue on thise ribs is not adhering well anymore. Noisy as hell. hope we find a clean solution for this crap. I had athought, when putting on the reel strips, I wonder if using a heat gun the those ribs to warm and loosen up the glue, would that maybe work?
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Well, unfortunately, my Sunday afternoon was spent listing kits, but I WILL get down to the shop and play around. Heck, what do we have to lose huh? I'm just hoping we have a real chatterbox in the house (besides me, of course) to experiment on...
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Bill,
A roll of Scotch brand clear two sided tape does a nice job if places about every 2-3 inches on the backside of the strips......although I'm sure the Government Issue rubber bands look just dandy.
Lin
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I agree with Lin.....
I bought the 1/4" 3m double sided tape from suzo happ...and placed it on all the crossbars, and put new on the strips...my reels are very quite now!
Tom
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Staples rubber bands. These reels were so noisy, now quiet. If you didn't know that the rubber bands weren't supposed to be there you wouldn't even notice. Bill.
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Problem with rubber bands is they will dry out from the heat and will pop or stretch. Just use some 3M 465 double sided tape on the cross bars and the noise goes away.
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I only have 1 reel that gets noisy depending on the speed the reel spins. Is that what we are talking about here? I call it the noisy reel #4! It only sounds like a sick reel during certain spins.
So where exactly are you putting the tape to make it quiet? I'm not sure which "crossbar" you're talking about.
The rubberband thing looks good only if you use the right color... Green for Greenstamps. Red for Blazing 7s... ect...lol
But I would prefer not to use rubberbands.
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Between the 2 outer round rings/baskets on the reels are crossbars/cross members that run between for support. This is where the tape would be applied. It will stick to the back of the reel strip as well.
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All that "rubbing/grinding" noise is coming from that?????
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Hey, it's just what I hear...no pun intended...lol :rotfl:
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The tape goes on all the cross bars of the reel and make sure the reel strip is stuck to all of them. If it does not adhere to the tape then the noise won't go away.
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I realize this is an old post.....
The noise you hear is the strips vibrating IN the plastic reel. The strips are too LOOSE because the original 3M glue has failed holding the strips tight in the reel (or they were installed loosely).
To solve this without any rubber bands, etc:
1) Remove the strips from the reel
2) Clean ALL old glue from the strips (both ends!)
3) reinstall the strips in the reel
4) Use Krazy Glue to reattach the strips to themselves (If you want a permanant bond with the strip)...Use 3m tape if you swap out strips all the time... BUT, you want to "pull" the strip ends together tightly/snug so the strip is NOT loose on the reel.
The reels will now spin silently, regardless of the stepper motors frequency.
Hope this helps....
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Seems to me that if you use Krazy Glue on the strips you make them permanents attached that way with no chance of ever changing the game out to a different game without messing up the strips when you try to remove them from the reels. The 3M tape is a better option that works.
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I agree about the super glue.. seems like a bad idea. I use 3M tape and when one reel starts to get noisy again, I take the reel out and re-apply the tape. Quiet again!, and when the reel strips are tight, its amazing how quiet they run.
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Clarified my position on the bonding agent. Personal preference. I swap out reels:
:thank_you:
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Guys, I’ve been doing the tape thing, and it’s been hit and miss. Depending on the strips, the speed the reels are running, etc., the outcome varies. It also takes quite a bit of time to remove the old tape when switching kits, cut and place the tape on the new kit, and set up.
I tried the Staples colored rubber bands, and I think they look great! Easy to install. Yes, I agree that with the heat inside of the machine, the bands will dry up and break, but man, they create a dead silent spin like nothing else that I’ve tried. Heck, if I can find some bands made of a stronger material, I’ll spend the money! I’m going to see how long these last and hunt for a stronger band. Was thinking of even a clear band...they exist.
I’ll report back!
Jason
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I would love to quiet mine down, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the reels out, what's the trick?
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Loosen the thumbscrews on top of the reel baskets. Pull on the tab to the right of the screws.
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I loosened the screws and was trying to pull up. So pull towards me? Does the harness come with the reel, seems to run through the bracket.
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Yes on both counts.
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Thank you, I'll give it a go once people are done playing. It's popular already.
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You may need to rock it around a bit, it plugs into a socket right behind and in between the screws and the tab.
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Got em out, stuck the rubber bands in, and voila! So much quieter. Next noise maker is power supply fans. Thanks for the tip(s)
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Just to bring this topic back. I used double sided 3M 1/2in tape on my s9000 reels and worked like a charm. No more noisy reels. Placed the tape in the gap between the reel tape and each of the 4 cross bars
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I’m not sure I have a vibration issue, it’s more like a winding sound that changes tone every spin. Is this the same issue or is it the reel motor?
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I’m not sure I have a vibration issue, it’s more like a winding sound that changes tone every spin. Is this the same issue or is it the reel motor?
Yes it’s likely part of the same issue. Please make the following test. Remove the reel strip from the basket and play a few times if the winding sound goes away the problem is because the strip is not firmly placed into the reel mechanism
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Thanks charizard87. I finally got the reel out carefully but now im concerned about removing the strip properly, any guides to remove/change the strips? Like where to unclip it or slide it out so not to damage any part of it? I’ve been combing through the manuals I found on this site but nothing showing how to do this? Thanks for your help.
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Although I don’t know the most appropriate procedure for it. What I would normally do once I took the whole assembly out is if you hold the reel and look into the step motor you will see 4 silver screws that holds the reel basket with the step motor shaft. I would unscrew those 4 to separate the reel and the basket from the assembly. Then please notice that one of the longitudinal basket beams has one tiny hole in it. That hole would indicate you where the reel strip should be placed as a starting point. In order to take the strip out I would peel the adhesive off in one of the ends and bend the strip a little bit to make it pop out the basket and the the whole strip would come off.
Then I would carefully clean each component and apply double sided tape on each transversal shaft in the basket in order to ensure the strip is firmly making contact with the basket and get rid off any vibration.