New Life Games LLC
General NLG Chat => General Chat, Slot Shop **Tech Talk** Welcome wagon and other stuff. (Off-Topic Post Welcome) => Topic started by: Mitkraft on March 18, 2015, 08:15:17 AM
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Brand new here and came to NLG because I'm looking to get a machine or two for the home game room. I'm familiar with Arcade game repair/restoration and am also a career IT guy so I should have the pre-requisites to understanding slot machines. But being so new I haven't quite made the leap in a few areas on some of the logistics on these machines plus I'm not familiar with all the slot tech specific stuff (i.e., security in the machines, which machines are of the same family, what's actually running inside them etc.). I have however come across a deal for some machines and I'm considering one or more. The problem is I don't know what to look for or the feasibility of setting them up for home/fun use. They guy has a bunch for sale cheap but he says they work but the coin sections are broken into and have to be replaced. Two in particular I'm interested in are a Bally Quick Hit Platinum (the big touch screen one) and a "Fox and Hound". Would someone be so kind as to point me to the right area for each of these (do they belong to some family or platform type?) and maybe give me a hint as to what it would take and the best way to set them up for fun only at home play? For my arcade machine I just keep a bowl of quarters around but since slot machines deal in larger amounts of money and also want to pay out at some point, how do you configure that for home so it doesn't hang up when it wants to pay out and has no money?
Thanks!
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Welcome to NLG, there's a lot of good folks here that can help with your questions. Some are experienced in the industry from working at casinos or slot repair companies, others are dealers of machines and parts, and there is a group of knowledgeable hobbyists.
Fox and Hounds is a game machine that's made by IGT, they are the largest slot machine company. They've used the Fox and Hounds game theme on many different game models they've made over the years. So there are several different machines (all made by IGT) with the Fox and Hounds game.
Bally makes the Quick Hit Platinum machines. That is a different company from IGT, not associated with each other. WMS (also know as Williams Gaming) is another large slot machine company. They made the popular Wizard of Oz machine. Bally makes several different types of Quick Hit machines with different screen sizes and different game themes like Blazing 7's, Black Gold, Amber Rays, etc.
For home use most slot machines are operated as a stand-alone, they do not interconnect to each other nor to a main server like they do in a casino. The coin mechanicals in slot machines are readily available and can be replaced. Many people also have Bill Validators in their machine so they can insert paper money to play. You can also convert the machine to accept token coins instead of real coins, in case using real coins would present a problem. You can get a large number of metal game tokens and use them in the machine instead of real coins. Game tokens come in different sizes that approximate quarter or dollar coins, and others.
Each machine is heavy, around 225 pounds or more. They are made to endure the daily 24 hour use and abuse that casino patrons put them thru. So inside they are constructed of strong steel and other metal parts. You will need a solid stand for the machine capable of holding them safely in place. You can use a heavy duty end table, home-made wooden stand or stands sold surplus from casinos that various places sell.
Security is well thought out since the casino doesn't want any losses. Coins deposited drop into the coin hopper. Paper money goes into a metal storage box that is itself inside another metal box. The main door to the machine has a keylock, and the paper money storage area has one (sometimes) two keylocks. A home owner can have these locks replaced so they all use the same key. Or you can remove the keylock and just have a turnlock fastener for convenience.
Modern slot machines have essentially a dedicated computer inside with I/O controlling all the lights, reels, switch and pushbutton sensing. The display device can be an LCD or crt, other machines use traditional mechanical spinning wheels (reels) with symbols. The software for the game is contained in firmware such as eprom, newer machines use memory cards such a compact flash, pre-programmed simms, etc. You'll typically see a mpu board, a backplane interconnect board, an I/O board and a power supply that converts 115vac to the needed lower voltages. This scheme varies a lot depending on the machine and manufacturer. Sound functions can be on the mpu or on an individual sound board.
There are various ways to deal with how the money is dispensed from the machine. Inside the lower part of the machine is a coin hopper. You can leave it activated and put in some coins or tokens that will be paid out for winnings. Or you can deactivate the hopper and just let any winnings accumulate as credits on the machine for the next playing session. You can add a home version of Ticket In-Ticket Out where you print a barcode ticket with the winnings on it and the ticket can be reused at a later time. Some people like the realistic feeling of coins being inserted and then when a win happens the coins drop into the tray. Others get tired of all the coin handling. So it depends on which way the owner prefers.
The machines you are referring to that are available to you- can you look them over in person, verify their condition? Will the seller repair the coin entry parts that are not working?
here are some of machines you mentioned, click on photo to enlarge:
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Here is a Bally Quick Hit machine like you asked about, it is on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BALLY-ALPHA-9000-QUICK-HIT-WILD-BLUE-JACKPOT-5-REEL-SLOT-MACHINE-/191536959081?ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1123 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/BALLY-ALPHA-9000-QUICK-HIT-WILD-BLUE-JACKPOT-5-REEL-SLOT-MACHINE-/191536959081?ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1123)
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Thanks! The one I was looking at was the platinum like the second to last picture in your first reply.
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Thanks! The one I was looking at was the platinum like the second to last picture in your first reply.
Is the machine near enough that you can drive there and look it over, play it and verify condition?
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It is on the other side of town so it isn't crazy far away. I was just trying to learn what I could be the feasibility of setting up for free play. I was afraid of either picking it up and then being dissapointed because it was somehow software locked so that I couldn't do anything with it or getting there and not being able to test it out because I didn't know to make it work as a stand alone unit. I'm not sure if the seller knows anything about how to get it working.
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It is on the other side of town so it isn't crazy far away. I was just trying to learn what I could be the feasibility of setting up for free play. I was afraid of either picking it up and then being dissapointed because it was somehow software locked so that I couldn't do anything with it or getting there and not being able to test it out because I didn't know to make it work as a stand alone unit. I'm not sure if the seller knows anything about how to get it working.
Setting them up for free play is done all the time. And even if you have to insert money to play you'll have the keys to the machine & can get the money out at anytime.
The seller should be able to plug it in and turn it on, it will at least light up the general lighting and the displays should show something. You can try inserting a dollar bill to see if credits appear on the machine (if that part of it works), then hit the button (spin/play/etc) to play. If they have the keys to open it any money inserted can be retrieved. Looking inside is a good idea anyway, to see the condition in there. You can search on internet for that machine and see pictures inside & out to get an idea of what to expect. Youtube will have short videos of the machine in action. If he has several machines then he may have a similar model to the one you want and he can take the coin acceptance part out of it to repair the broken parts on the other machine.
If he or the machine can't do any of that I'd be careful about buying it, or overpaying. Is the seller someone that doesn't know how to operate the machine, unable to demo it for you? Is this a place that once you buy the machine & drive off that's it - no returns, no guarantee, no help from the seller if there is a problem?
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Bally Alpha's are really easy machines to configure, there are videos on this site on how to do it. All you need to know is what bios/os combination you have and obtain a clear card for that so you can setup the machine as you like. To my knowledge, Bally Alpha's do not have a free play option, but like it was pointed out to you before, you have the keys, you can just open the machine and get your money back. I have never seen a V32 alpha Quick Hit Platinum with coin-in. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but they are very rare. It is unlikely the one he has for sale ever had coin-in. Another thing to point out, the V32's are a very much sought after machine and they sell like hotcakes. The caveat is, that if something happens to your monitor, you are going to pay a lot to get a replacement, because they are simply not a surplus of those floating around. Those machines easily sell for $2,500 or more, so if you say you are getting it "cheap" and the monitor works, you have yourself a heck of a deal. The other parts are common to all the bally alpha's and are easy and cheap to obtain, it is the monitor that is the expensive fix.
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Basically what Rick said.
Alpha's are the easiest platform to change games on. I would dream for a V32 at a good price. I would say he would HAVE to turn the machine on and check the condition of the inside, and most importantly, THE MONITOR/TOUCHSCREEN!!! A touch screen monitor brand new is almost $1,000 and very hard to find used. If this machine was a Quick Hit Plat, I can guarantee you that there are a lot of hours on the monitor and has burn in on the screen. Casinos rarely get rid of these games.
Anyway, let us know what you find out.
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Well I went and checked them out. Guy wasn't able to get them Working and I have a hunch I'm missing some guts but I got two of what I think are v32 cabinets with what I believe are working monitors. The game didn't boot (if its even there) but I could see the "no signal" message on the screens. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
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We will help you get them going. Post pictures of the inside and the mpu board. You probably need some working power supplies to go along with them, it's one of the most common problems with these. I usually recap the power supplies when I get a bad one and it fixes them most of the time.
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PIctures as promised. Here is the first Machine:
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And here is the second machine:
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Wow,nice machines!From the pics,both need MPU's,software and 5/12volt power supplies.
$500 - $600 should get you going.
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I was afraid of that. Not sure if I can justify that cost considering the wife isn't even sure she likes the idea of putting one in the game room to begin with. I wonder if I can sell one to fund the repairs on the other. Any idea what either of these is worth as is?
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The V32 cabinets are in demand right now, however, I don't know how much your in these machines, so I don't know if you can recoup. The cabinets are a unique design to accommodate the large monitor. Also, that monitor would be worth a good little chunk, but it would have to be tested.
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If all you need is an MPU and power suppy, it shouldn't be that much to fix.
MPU (old ones) go for $50-175)
1gig MPUs - $300
Power supply $30-50
Those games can be found for very cheap.
One thing you need to know when buying an MPU for that machine, is that it MUST have a Video card installed. Not the basic ones but an actual Nvidia Video card that is in a PCI slot. Otherwise the V32 games will not load.
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I'm only into the machines for $250 for the pair.
I was hoping the MPU's could be had cheaply and I tried looking on ebay for parts but not knowing all the right lingo I think my searching was limited. Trying to search for "Bally v32" or "Bally alpha" didn't turn up much that pertained to that machine as best as I could tell. I saw a lot of s900 stuff but I think that's a different system right? I did see a "bally Alpha 1G MPU" but I see another one that says "s9000 1g" which I assumed wasn't compatible. I guess I need to do some reading up on what is what and which parts/families are cross compatible.
Is the NVIDIA card needed a PCIe or a plain PCI? Because a modern PCI (non-express/PCIe) would indeed be special since they aren't often found for PC applications.
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Just a fyi, The v-32 just uses the one pwr. supply. You can see the jumper in place on the 5/12 pwr supply slot.
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I was afraid of that. Not sure if I can justify that cost considering the wife isn't even sure she likes the idea of putting one in the game room to begin with. I wonder if I can sell one to fund the repairs on the other. Any idea what either of these is worth as is?
Where are you located, what is your general location? (Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc)
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I would gladly take one of the machines in exchange for getting the other one functional. I'm sure others would feel the same. Tell us whereby you are located and I'm sure you can work out a deal.
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I would gladly take one of the machines in exchange for getting the other one functional. I'm sure others would feel the same. Tell us whereby you are located and I'm sure you can work out a deal.
Rick, I think He has a good idea now, I offered the same but offered to build one in person locked and loaded ready to go. I have any parts needed for this.
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For those interested, I plugged up a PC and tested both screens. I got the model number off the touch interface and downloaded the 3M microtouch drivers for it and got both touch screens working under windows. I just plugged into the cables that connect to the MPU so I know display and touch screen are working all the way to the MPU interface. One display has slight burn in but the other is perfect.
On one of the machines some of the lights came on. I'm not sure if the others are driven off the MPU or not. Didn't try the lights on the other yet.
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So, what's your thinking on keeping both machines, or selling one or both of them?
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I'm currently planning to keep one and I'm leaning towards keeping the other but that isn't set in stone. I received a few offers but after playing with these machines for a while their coolness has outweighed the offers so far. First off, THANKS to everyone for the advice and information so far!
As I said I was able to plug in a computer and verify the touch screens (was kinda fun playing some of the Masque slot machine titles on the big touch screen) and was able to even run the sound through the built in speakers on one of them. I think the other one is missing the audio board. I haven't yet been able to find videos or info to help decipher electronics inside but the audio board was pretty obvious and its clearly missing on the other. I was also able to get the header and topper lights to light on one of them but not the other. Only the main part of the "quick hits platinum" topper lights but I'm pretty sure it has little LED lights surrounding it that aren't lighting. I was also not able to get anything below the screen to light (buttons, lower logo) or the purple lights on the side of the monitor. Are any of these lights tied directly to the MPU and aren't working because I don't have one yet?
Onto the MPU - Here is where I still have a lot of learning to do. What MPU's work in this machine exactly and if there are multiple ones that work, are there some games that would work on one and not the other? I'll need to track down one or two MPU's at some point.
I've also heard "bios" and "jurisdiction chip" mentioned separately from the MPU. What do I need to match those up? I'm getting the feeling that the "jurisdiction chip" while dictate certain configuration and payout options on the machine. I also so something that indicated I would need particular jurisdiction chips if I wanted to use one of the home use TiTo sysems (I was reading about "Better Tito" and it seems pretty cool!).
As for games I'd like to get two or three of them to be able to change out. Of the ones I know I can play in this cabinet I'm currently interested in the Playboy version of the Quick hits platinum, Roulette, and some of the U-spin titles.
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If you plan on keeping this machine for yourself, it's must get a 1GB MPU so you play 1gb games and everything else.
You can post in the Wanted section or go to slotmachinepartsstore.com or ebay.