Do you relocate your power switch?

bluestreak

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I have all of my games on one 20amp circuit currently. I will probably have to add another circuit at some point, but to the point.

I don't always want them all on all of the time, so I'm thinking...., should I relocate the power switch to somewhere in the front of the game like the coin door key hole since I've drilled most of them out due to no keys or ?.

Some of the games power switches are not reachable from the front without a step ladder or crawling on the floor once they are next to other games or against the wall.

How do you handle this Dilemma ?
 
even if i play everything at once i still turn them on one at a time, cause flipping a bunch of switches at once i'd expect will pull a pretty big amp draw.
 
I bought some of those $10 3-packs of 8-amp grounded remote switches at christmas time. Remote control, just push the button from anywhere in the room and your game turns on. Probably even cheaper than adding a regular switch.

Wade
 
I have all of my games on one 20amp circuit currently. I will probably have to add another circuit at some point, but to the point.

I don't always want them all on all of the time, so I'm thinking...., should I relocate the power switch to somewhere in the front of the game like the coin door key hole since I've drilled most of them out due to no keys or ?.

Some of the games power switches are not reachable from the front without a step ladder or crawling on the floor once they are next to other games or against the wall.

How do you handle this Dilemma ?

No
I still use the X-10 appliance modules and use the remote to turn them on and off one at a time.
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Good ideas. I especially like the X10 idea since I have some of those that I haven't used in quite some time so they are available.
The power strip idea I thought about, but I will end up having about 30' in length of games when all done and I don't like running extension cords to get to the strip so wouldn't work for my setup.
I remember back in the 70's (showing age but still a kid at heart) when I worked in an arcade, that I never liked flipping the breaker to many machines at once just because of the surge, but I was just an employee and never really was any issues, just didn't like it. Just a personal thing I guess. BTW, best job I ever had.
I'll probably go with a combo of X10 and breaker power.
Thanks all for the great ideas. Now my mind is churning again on what will go on what, but it saves me the trouble of running new cab switches.
 
I use a Belkin Conserve power strip. They are remote controlled and have 8 to 10 outlets. A cute remote lets me switch them all on at once.
 
i'm old school. I add a second switch straight from the power cord to the top right hand corner of the game, behind the marquee, leave the original switch on, and then just use the top switch to turn the games on and off as i want to play them. I'd lose the remote for sure. lol.
 
The reason I like the X-10 system, it has a relay inside that when it's off it's like the game is unpluged from the AC socket so I hope it will prevent any damage from a power surge when the games off.
 
The reason I like the X-10 system, it has a relay inside that when it's off it's like the game is unpluged from the AC socket so I hope it will prevent any damage from a power surge when the games off.
I agree the unit ultimately being powered should be disconnected, just not sure by how much since it takes power to operate it. (internal relay gap, circuit wise)
I haven't opened up any of the control units to know how the circuits are designed . A high voltage strike (lightning) could possibly jump the gap in a relay (and I've seen this happen, even with spike protecters), if that is what is in the X10 units.

There again, don't know for sure. That's why I would just kill the breaker when totally done for the night just to be on the safe side. These games cost too much time to repair and money to take the chance when the on/off switch is left on (the one I can't reach).

BUT AGAIN, I like your X10 idea overall, although the remote switches aren't a bad idea as suggested by others, just more work to extend the wiring in each cab if there are easier alternatives since I already have X10 controllers.
 
I turn them all on at once. I want to feel like I am in an arcade, even when I want to play only one game. I have to admit, I feel a little guilty. I need to make a little chart showing what breaker turns on what games. Cause right now, I don't know. I always hit all four switches at once (the switches are at the top of my stairs, the games are down in the basement. I don't see them come on when I hit the switches).

And, this is how I do it (4-20amp circuits)....

power3.jpg
 
i like your setup, john! if i ever did anything custom like that, i'd try to make it look like the containment unit from ghostbusters, i think.
 
I tried the X10 in my house, but they didn't work worth a damn for me. Wound up taking them back.

I just have 4 games to a power strip, so the most I'll turn on at a time is 4 if I only want to play one game.
 
Ended up going with the X10 modules since I already had the controllers for them from other projects. Just had to purchase new 3 prong appliance modules so they would be grounded which averaged out to about $8 per module off ebay.
They work great even in my metal building.
The only bad thing is you can only get one module plugged into a duplex or even a quad electical outlet because of their size, but just ran a power strip off of the outlets where needed if more than one module needed to be plugged in.
Pretty cool to be able to control each machine individually from one location.
 
i'm old school. I add a second switch straight from the power cord to the top right hand corner of the game, behind the marquee, leave the original switch on, and then just use the top switch to turn the games on and off as i want to play them. I'd lose the remote for sure. lol.

I think this is what I will do. Or put it on the inside wall that the coin door is on.
 
I've been toying with the idea of stealing a bunch of relays/sockets, a stainless enclosure, and some operators from work and building a nice latching relay setup that resembles an enclosure you'd see on an oil rig.

It ain't easy, but damn I love my job. XD
 
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