Slip rings/wipers
slip rings |
| slip rings (60)/wipers |
|---|
The slip rings connect the wires on continuously turning wiper assemblies to the rest of the game. The thin rigid wiper wires ride along the grooves in the slip rings.
The pressure the wipers exert on the slip rings can be adjusted by loosening the nut (circled in red) and rotating the wipers. The wipers normally have a slight flex. The trick is to try and hold the wipers with the tension you want while tightening the nut. When there is too much tension on the wipers, the metal in the slip ring grooves wears down.
slip ring assembly |
| slip rings exposed! |
|---|
slip ring assembly |
| slip rings exposed! |
|---|
The wipers themselves can wear. The cup-shape on the end can wear down and snap off, and you wind up with a sharp wiper wire gouging the slip ring. I don't know how available new wipers are. I've only seen one game with wiper wear bad enough to need replacement, and I stole the wipers off a parts machine.
The wear occurs mostly on the search disk unit on early games without an R-Button.
If the slip itself is worn through, you'll be looking for a parts machine, but it can be practically any game if you are willing to pull the assembly apart and replace the worn copper disks.
