Do you enjoy working on Redemption games

[mgb]

Does anyone here enjoy working on redemption games like skeeball, etc.
I work on equipment for a local skate rink. I started this work for the enjoyment of working on arcade machines but alot of my work there involves working on redemption games.
I personally enjoy working on arcades more but the redemption stuff is fun and the work is a bit more steady.

 

[More Cowbell]

I just picked up a skee ball last weekend and enjoyed the process of trouble shooting and getting it up and working. It's interesting to see how some more mechanical things work as opposed to the arcade machines that are all electronics. If something isn't working on the skee ball, it's generally due to a switch or other mechanical issue. It also seems easier to rig up solutions. If your monitor or cpb is not working, you're options are limited but if a switch is loose or the ramp isn't sitting right, you can start to brainstorm on how to band aid a fix. I bought a crane machine at the Milwaukee auction and it's been interesting to figure out the gears and pulley system that it uses. The more you take it apart, the more you learn. I feel like I can apply those learnings elsewhere as well.

 

[TheDrewster]

Psh, what else do you think I do at CEC?

 

[mgb]

Yeah the mechanical aspect is fun. For me, I love working on arcade machines and pinballs (when I get the rare chance). I only have a small collection of arcades my self and I can only afford to do so much with them so most of the fun I get to have working on equipment is through doing service work for someone else. Redemption machine repair seems to have more steady work. The guy I work for throws me a lot of different stuff to work on. He has had me repairing skeeballs, air hockey tables, cranes and coin pushers. I even had to work on a Zamperla punching bag machine from 1981.
I do enjoy the process of figuring out the different issues that come up such as troubleshooting optical score sensors or ticket dispenser issues.
But man I still love it more when the rink owner says he has an arcade monitor thats not working.

 

[Angry_Radish]

I do repairs for a local op and about half of it is redemption stuff, can't stand it!

The design and engineering on some of these things are terrible, especially Baytek games (Anyone done the belt tensioning and replacement on a wonderwheel?)

Most of the parts are the lowest quality chinese knockoffs to keep manufacturing costs down like steppers, etc..

 

[RalphT3]

The design and engineering on some of these things are terrible, especially Baytek games (Anyone done the belt tensioning and replacement on a wonderwheel?) .

Not yet! The only prob I was having with WW was the bearings would dry up and the belt is ugly brown but works great now that I put in some high temp car bearing grease in the bearings instead of the WD40 my <cough> boss <cough> was doing. My problem is mainly with Andamiro and ICE games-Mainly those POS Dunk N Aliens. Neat idea but terrible manufacture. Foam drop pads break down fast, the bodies crack and break with the violent drops, wiring messing up, watchdog kicks in with minor problems with the eyes, mouth pops off when the body removes itself from its mount from being dropped. I could go on for another few things in case ICE monitors these forums. (Actually, I don't mind if they were.) I have 4 in my game room and we decided not to get them for our new arcade last year in St. Peters.

 

[mgb]

Well redemption games do need alot of repair. Part of the problem is also because they just get beat to hell by the kids.
But from a work point of view, the redemption games offer alot of oppurtunity to keep busy and get paid.

 

[TheDrewster]

I do repairs for a local op and about half of it is redemption stuff, can't stand it!

The design and engineering on some of these things are terrible, especially Baytek games (Anyone done the belt tensioning and replacement on a wonderwheel?)

Most of the parts are the lowest quality chinese knockoffs to keep manufacturing costs down like steppers, etc..

Id rather work on Baytek rather than Cromptons Leisure Machines or Lazer-Tron (now Bromley).

 

[OregonPacman]

I worked at a bowling alley in Medford, OR for about 1.5 years. I ran the arcade and had to work on plenty of redemption, as well as video games. There were about 12 redemption games and 3 cranes. I can't remember them all but Cyclone was one of the best money makers. In the winter when business was best, it would make $500 a week when the total gross of the location (63 machines including pool tables and cig machine) was $3500 to $4000 a week. There was also some game where you shoot balls into claw shaped hoops that made about as much. The other ones I don't remember as well but those two did better than any of the others. There was a skee ball like machine with basket ball hoops that was practically worn out. It was constantly having problems. The Smart Ticket Center routinely got jammed because the shredded tickets only got dumped when I was around (only one with the keys). It seemed like ticket dispenser were getting jammed or having problems due to dirty optos all of the time. Restringing crane claws iwasn't very much fun either. The constant nagging sound of "it ate my quarter".......yeah, the games were cool but I don't really miss that job very much.

 

[RalphT3]

I have a new Big Bass Wheel and has been almost trouble free for as how much it gets played. It has paid for itself a couple times over in the short amount of time we had it (Feb). Granted, it is $17K , $2.50 a play and you can win 4-1000 tickets per spin. Last week, it brought in more money than our Go Karts by $700. It was something like $6,000 for BBW and $5,300 for Go Karts. There is a small one you can get also. We are debating on getting another one and putting it either next to it or in the other side of the game room. The reports on having a second unit is that it usually makes about 66-75% (along with the 1st one) of what the 1st one makes. We have about 1/2 arcade games and 1/2 redemption. Damn, redemption brings in quite a bit of money!

 

[wildwest3163]

I bought a hoop it up at the last auction, it went cheap and was an impulse buy (probably had to due with the fact that my kids were standing there playing it for almost an hour in a room with a couple hundred games) pretty fun to work on

 

[shawnbo42]

Been working on it for so long now, it's just another game. Pin, redemption, video, monitor, whatever. Yeah, I know it sounds jaded, but after you work on so many different things, it all kinda becomes the same. I do agree with an earlier post though....Laser-Tron sucks! And I *REALLY* dislike Wheel' Em' In. If any of you have ever had the (ahem) "pleasure" of dealing with this POS, you know what I'm talking about. If not, if you, or your boss (whoever) decides to purchase one of these, attack them with a screwdriver before the purchase. Trust me, it's better than the joy of ownership of one of these machines. And, if you really enjoy these fine quality engineered games, I highly recommend Grand Treasure Falls. 3 conveyor belts (per side), 14 motors, A/C everywhere, moving fans, optos, grease, and oh yeah, electronics. What a blast! Hardly any access through the back door, and 10-14 hours to rebuild one (if you know what you're doing). ROCK ON!!!

(Sometimes I don't like redemption much).lol

Overall, redemption isn't too bad, but it does have it's moments. And, as the OP stated, it's job security.

 

[mariosim]

Been working on it for so long now, it's just another game. Pin, redemption, video, monitor, whatever. Yeah, I know it sounds jaded, but after you work on so many different things, it all kinda becomes the same. I do agree with an earlier post though....Laser-Tron sucks! And I *REALLY* dislike Wheel' Em' In. If any of you have ever had the (ahem) "pleasure" of dealing with this POS, you know what I'm talking about. If not, if you, or your boss (whoever) decides to purchase one of these, attack them with a screwdriver before the purchase. Trust me, it's better than the joy of ownership of one of these machines. And, if you really enjoy these fine quality engineered games, I highly recommend Grand Treasure Falls. 3 conveyor belts (per side), 14 motors, A/C everywhere, moving fans, optos, grease, and oh yeah, electronics. What a blast! Hardly any access through the back door, and 10-14 hours to rebuild one (if you know what you're doing). ROCK ON!!!

(Sometimes I don't like redemption much).lol

Overall, redemption isn't too bad, but it does have it's moments. And, as the OP stated, it's job security.

i got a free Wheel'em'in about 2 months ago. when i finally got it to power up, it kept repeating "service to wheel em in" over and over again. i kept the back glass (as a reminder not to touch one again) and threw it outside.

 

[mgb]

I do find that I need to get into some weird positions while working on the redemption games.
Hard on the knees and back.

 

[racerx1690]

redemption

Redemption games arent that bad. I always use them to look busy when I am fed up with a game or bored. I will say that Star Redemption games are the worst redemption games there are. All of the other brands are easy to maintain, and dont break every 5 seconds. 5 Star games are wired with networking cable, intentionally designed to break, parts prices are insanely priced, and the ones we have didnt even come BRAND NEW as working machines. Also the neon high voltage wires are zip tied right next to the cat-5 wiring. (bad idea) People beat the hell out of them cause they constantly break. The only problem I have ever had with the other games is finding decent replacement parts/motors. My video games never break. Skeeballs just have to be maintained, or you will have a LOT of trouble with them. I just went through a Titanic game and those arent that bad.

 

[mgb]

That brings up a question I have on 5-Star games. I need to repair a Dinoscore.
I haven't really gotten to look into it much yet.
It appears that none of the score sensors are working so logically I would say the power that feeds them is not there. There is a cable coming into a 2 pin term strip just over and right of where all of the sensors plug into the board. The term strip is marked for 12 volts. I'm guessing this is power for the score sensors maybe. This cable looks as though it has been caught in the coin box and pulled so the insulation got nicked up. I metered the power at this term strip and sure enough there is 12volts but it looks like maybe the term strip got pulled and twisted so maybe I just need to pull the board and fix the solder joint (I hope that's it). I also metered the IC chips for power and I found that the chips right above the score sensor jacks have 7 volts. That seems odd to me.
Has anyone had issues with Dinoscore in the past.
Thanks