Repair/Maint/Service Logs for home collection?

ccie38296

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Donor 3 years: 2019, 2024-2025
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Just wondering if anyone has a method or even a template for logging repairs/maintenance/service on their home arcade collection? When I got started in this a few years ago and had 2-3 machines it was pretty easy to remember what I'd done, when, and to what. Today I have over 20 machines, and it's easy to lose track of what's been done to what… Did I recap that monitor? How long ago? How about that sound board? Is that the original power supply? Are those the original controls or new replacements? Not looking at this from a financial perspective, but more of just tracking what's been changed or serviced for my own knowledge, future sales, etc.

Does anyone else do this? Do you have a specific format? Do you keep a log in/with each machine, or a central log for your entire collection? It will already be a chore to try to go back and account for most of the stuff I've done over the last 5 years, but I guess better late than never.

Just looking for some ideas or tips. Not looking to overcomplicate things, but I'm thinking I'm not the only anal one around here.
 
Banning had the one sheet system. With so many techs and so many projects going at once. It was the way to keep track of projects.

Banning had over 1k video machines. It was hard to keep things straight.

The system was created from the orginal post it notes from jaunup. That worked for him due to he was the only one working on the video games.

Every person who was in charged had the bad tendency to wipe out what was there and recreate. There wad a waste of time and effort.

I wanted to do a forum type repair system but the others wanted a database internet system.

When Banning was young we lost the internet access earlier. The days of hellish heat waves in the arcade.

My one sheet system was trashed and all the history was tossed out due to the next guy who was going to be in charge.
 
Banning had the one sheet system. With so many techs and so many projects going at once. It was the way to keep track of projects.

Banning had over 1k video machines. It was hard to keep things straight.

The system was created from the orginal post it notes from jaunup. That worked for him due to he was the only one working on the video games.

Every person who was in charged had the bad tendency to wipe out what was there and recreate. There wad a waste of time and effort.

I wanted to do a forum type repair system but the others wanted a database internet system.

When Banning was young we lost the internet access earlier. The days of hellish heat waves in the arcade.

My one sheet system was trashed and all the history was tossed out due to the next guy who was going to be in charge.
Thanks for that story. Nothing worse than having the system you develop trashed reflexively by a new person who just assumes the old way can't have been any good.

So was that one sheet per game? One sheet for everything? What kind of info did you capture in the log?
 
OK, I know using AI gets a bad rap around here sometimes, but I just used Claude to generate a potential service log. Have to admit, it came up with a pretty comprehensive list! Here's what it gave me. Also, big time LOL that it knew to include KLOV as a documentation source for repairs (I didn't include that in the prompt!).

https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/f34587ad-de9a-4cd7-9502-7af155ecd7b6
 
This is how I used to do repair logs. I am getting ready to move towards using MKDocs and github for them. It's gonna be much easier to navigate and maintain. I am so far behind with these...


That said, for maintenance records for home, consider just using a notebook.
 
I use MS To Do List for each arcade cabinet I've owned. It helps remind me of what needs to be done and it's a good tracker of what repairs I've made as well. Simple but effective.

The cool part is it automatically synced with my phone so I can have a random thought while I'm away and ass it the list.
 
At one time, I had a (3) ring binder with a written page for each game. But I'm primitive like that… probably ought to implement that again for a history…but have fallen off as the number of non working games have dropped off…Nowadays I simply send a text message to myself and friends for a todo list…
 
The best "system" is this forum. Just document the problem and solution. You may even get free help.

Some of which may be helpful.
 
I used to have a paper notebook but have switch to notes on the phone because:

1. I can dictate
2. I can take photos
3. I can take video/audio

2 and 3 are extremely helpful especially for problems that are recurring, saves you a lot of time as pictures/videos are easier to use. Also to post repair logs here, it is hard for people to follow just text…

p
 
I used to have a paper notebook but have switch to notes on the phone because:

1. I can dictate
2. I can take photos
3. I can take video/audio

2 and 3 are extremely helpful especially for problems that are recurring, saves you a lot of time as pictures/videos are easier to use. Also to post repair logs here, it is hard for people to follow just text…

p
These are very good points.

I guess I was digging the retro romanticism of having paper logs or service tickets hanging inside each machine but you are all making good points that electronic logs/documentation are far superior.

I probably just need to better organize. Right now I've got various notes and tasks spread across Evernote, Apple Notes on my phone, an iPhone photo album for each game (where a lot of those before/after or repair-in-progress pics already live), etc. I probably just need to standardize and consolidate.
 
Thanks for that story. Nothing worse than having the system you develop trashed reflexively by a new person who just assumes the old way can't have been any good.

So was that one sheet per game? One sheet for everything? What kind of info did you capture in the log?
One sheet per arcade machine. With every tech signature per repair. Cap kits if applied fly backs hots coils. Buttons joysticks power supplies and or switches.
I am pretty sure I have the pdf someplace. If I recall I dont have pdf posting privileges here. I can post a pic tho but it might be fuzzy and hard to read.

It would spring board you into some sort of usable system. Modify at will. The system work for over 500 machines they trashed that system before the another solution was able to be put in place.

This explains the bad habit of burying broken arcade machines and never getting back to them. No accountability but I was pretty burnt out at the end and wasn't included in the move from banning to the sun times building.

This explains the waste of 400 dollars on the 2nd 25 ton air conditioner system and the one day failure of the air con during one if the show.

I stil get calls for people to repair thier piles of machine. While I am capable, I won't expose the techs the abuses of people cheapiness.
 
At one time, I had a (3) ring binder with a written page for each game. But I'm primitive like that… probably ought to implement that again for a history…but have fallen off as the number of non working games have dropped off…Nowadays I simply send a text message to myself and friends for a todo list…
I was making binders for each game at one point(trying to get a color that would match the colors of the artwork), made nice covers for each with the game flyers n such......I would put all repair logs/restore info/receipts for parts/manuals...and a sheet for regular maintenance n such...I need to catch up on all that......

Edit: I also would have a tie mount on the inside of the binder to hang backup keys.
 
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I was making binders for each game at one point(trying to get a color that would match the colors of the artwork), made nice covers for each with the game flyers n such......I would put all repair logs/restore info/receipts for parts/manuals...and a sheet for regular maintenance n such...I need to catch up on all that......
Ok that's pretty hardcore lol. I only maintained a single 1" (3) ring binder for all the games at the time.
 
Found it.
It not really 2 pages.
it was design to print on an old Epson r200 printer and it had difficulties printing everything on one page.
 

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