Bingo Overhaul
Step 18: Coin door
magic ring |
| coin door |
|---|
Many late model bingos have two coin mechs (removed in picture). Usually one mech took quarters and the other one nickels. If you put in a quarter, the machine cycled once and put four credits on the replay register. This machine was set up to take quarters in both mechs, which is why there is that loose wire dangling in the front connecting the two coin switches together. I put the right mech back to nickel play by removing the wore and putting the original one back on the coin switch.
We can also see a an example of the coin lockout magnet (coil) and arm. The left mech has one, the right one just has the coil and no arm. The coin lockout mechanism is designed to deflect an inserted coin into the coin return chute whenever someone inserts a coin when they shouldn't. On all machines, inserting a coin when there are credits on the replay register doesn't stop the replay register from decrementing, so the coin lockout arm was released when there were credits to be played. Also, if the power to the machine is off, the coin should be returned.
The main problem is the coin lockout magnet and arm have a tendancy to develop a buzzing sound. In fact, it's so loud that you could hear it over a jukebox, and possibly a small war occuring behind you. Or to really put it in perspective, you could hear the buzzing over the volume of bitching that happens in an Irish pub starting roughly 3.6 seconds after opening time.
The standard operator fix was to cut one of the wires going to the lockout coil. After all, the downside to doing that meant that the machine would swallow coins when it shouldn't. Talk about no incentive to fix the problem! The real fix is often replacing the coil. Sometimes the problem is the lockout arm gets magnetized, and hitting it with a hammer on a flat metal surface might demagnetize it sufficently....or cut the coil wire and invite over all the dim-witted rich people you know and tell then to keep inserting coins until the game returns one.
The actual tricky thing on the coin door is usually the yellow button
switch stack, which this game doesn't have as you can't get extra balls.
The yellow button stack usually has at least two sets of contacts. One
set closes the extra ball trip relays, the other set closes the start
relay to cycle the machine. You need to try and adjust the switches so
the contacts that activate the trip relays close as soon as possible, and
the contacts that activate the start relay close as late as possible. If
the start relay activates before the trip relays trip, then a new game will
get started rather than playing for extra balls. If you really want to
go for extra balls, it's always a good idea to push the yellow button
in slowly the first time to make sure the extra balls light comes on.
After the extra ball light is on (the trip relays have tripped), it doesn't
matter how rapidly you push the button in. Note, tho, you should always
wait for the machine to stop cycling before pushing the button again.
Its very common for people to get epileptic when pushing the buttons, and
you can actually deprive yourself of advantages by starting a new cycle before
the previous one has finished.
