Turns Out I Can Fix More Than Arcades

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A year ago, I was a wuss when it came to fixing things. Something would break and my first step would be to replace it. After spending the last year learning how to work on arcade games, I've developed a new appreciation for preserving things instead of junking. Recently my laminator decided to die on me and while it seemed like it would be out of my league, I figured I'd take it apart to see what it looks like.

Lo and behold the laminator wasn't all that different than a game. Basically, a PCB drives everything and it's just a matter of making sure that the power is flowing through properly. I started at the power source and traced my way up until I found a cord that looked like it had been deep fried in oil. In the past I would see something like this and think thats a bad sign, but now I see things like this and I'm like yes, that has to be the source of my problem. After swapping out the burned wire, I still didn't get any juice, so I used my multimeter to check for continuity until I found a t/fuse that was out. Ultimately, it took about an hour of my time to fix it, but only cost me $7 in parts and I still have a ton of 16 gauge wire left over if I ever need it.

Fixing up my games has sometimes been a bittersweet experience. Especially early on, it felt like I would do more damage fixing them than solving them, but once I started to get the hang of it, it's almost as if I saw the world from a different perspective. I don't expect to start being able to repair everything that breaks down, but it felt great to apply the skills that I've learned here to an entirely different industry. It definitely makes up for all the times I hit the power switch and was left wondering what went wrong. For those who get frustrated working on your games, all I can say is stick with it because the payoff sure feels great.
 

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Learning to fix video arcade games led to fixing all kinds of things. Pinballs, of course, then synthesizers, audio amplifiers, studio effects units, televisions, pretty much anything.

At least half the time, the problem with any piece of malfunctioning electronic gear is the power supply. Also, it is astonishing how many things can be fixed by replacing old electrolytic capacitors.
 
I've learned how to fix all sorts of things. In my business, owning restaurants, equipment is very expensive. I have saved TONS of money by fixing things myself. I have rewired and rebuilt both of my steamers. They are $1500 pieces of equipment.
 
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