leaving machines on???

[scooby_doo_m2002]

Looking to hopefully win a machine this weekend. I have been reading threads and posts about powering up and powering down machines and them being off for days sometimes weeks at a time... My question is....... Is there anything wrong with leaving them on 24/7???? I understand if you are going to be gone all week or all weekend turning them off.. But under normal circumstances.

[cwstnsko]

I don't worry so much about the 100V machines, but I won't leave the house for more than a few minutes with the 24V machines powered on. I trust the OEM parts in these machines, I don't trust the inexpensive transformers that get installed in these machines. I normally keep mine tuned off if I'm not going to use them for several hours, unless we have company over and I'm showing off the toys :-)

[slotter]

Why would you want to leave them on 24/7? I turn mine off when done with them and don't figure I'm going to play for a few hours or so. In the parlors, they were on almost 24/7, though. They are built to take a lot of "on" time and a lot of abuse. In our homes, they'll not need much maintenance. I'd just turn 'em off to save on electricity and not have to worry about replacing the fluorescent bulbs some time.

[PachiAddict]

It's interesting to see the different "right" ways to do most things with the electrical and sound connections with these machines. With the power switches in-line on the incoming power cable, it makes no difference if you use the switch on the power supply or the one on the power strip, except I agree with several others, that if I'm going to wear out a switch, I'd rather it be the cheap power strip. I also agree that with a machine that has the added transformer in the line BEFORE the power supply, it makes more sense to shut off the power BEFORE the transformer, ie: the power strip.
The same pretty much applies to the volume control. Almost all of the parts people have found and are using will work just fine. Some will provide better results than others, but everything from the cotton balls to the Lpads seem to work. I still haven't heard of anyone harming a sound board.

Sure, you can leave it on, but why? Unless you have 1 or 2 you want to leave on for the decoration of the room, turn 'em off when you're not using them. Or, to borrow a phrase from Qwarzin's signature, "the only way to win is to own the electric company".

[scooby_doo_m2002]

ok, so in other words it doesn't do MAJOR damage to leave them on... I dunno, your talking to a wierdo that has had this computer for 14 months and for the last 11 months it has never been turned off except to reboot/restart and one weekend I was out of town and the lights went out while I was gone so it was off for a max of 3days.

[Tulsa]

I generally leave my machines and my computer on 24/7 myself. I guess I like the lights..

[scooby_doo_m2002]

Thats pretty much the same with me tulsa. Well, it soon will be lol. don't have any pachis yet, but When I do get one, it will be in the living room. Lil lady already said no to our bedroom, gave me one of those "if looks could kill, I would be dead" looks when I suggested the baby's room, bath room too small unless I put it in the tub. Not even gonna think about the kitchen. (she is a pretty good cook, but good lord is she ever messy) shhhhhhhhh.... I didn't say that. (she makes chocolate pudding, hand stirs it with a whisp, how she does it, I will never know, she can splatter that stuff on our 7ft. ceiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) thank god she knows how to clean up her messes!!!!!!! Now I know why, when she moved in she owns and brought a carpet shampoo machine with her and insisted on the kitchen floor being lynoliam, lenoliam ahhh you get the picture.....

[gwarzin]

The biggest problem I've found with leaving them all on all the time (besides the cost of electricity) is the slightly musty smell. This isn't likely to be much of a problem with a few machines. But it is when you've got a room full.

No matter how carefully the refurb was done, and how clean the machine, they've all got at least some residual oder. As the machines heat up, more of this oder is dispersed into the room.

I've found that the problem is minor enough that, if you are in the room playing the machines you don't even notice it. But, if you've been outside in the fresh air, and you come into the room after the machines have been on for a few hours, you can definitely tell (or should I say smell?) the difference.

So, I leave mine off when not in use and actually make a big show of having them all turn on when people arrive.

[slotter]

I have never noticed any odors with my machines at all. (And, I have a very sensitive nose. haha.) But, in your case, Gary, because you have so many machines, maybe it's unavoidable. I don't think most people are going to have a smell as long as they clean 'em good.

[rebonz]

The pachislo musk is a scent emitted to draw the pachi addict.

[johntofva]

All electric motors create ozone, which you can smell. Could this be the smell?

[gwarzin]

All electric motors create ozone, which you can smell. Could this be the smell?

I'm sure the motors in my old bingo pinballs contribute to the smell. And the bingos come on with the pachislos. But the real problem is just 36 machines in one room. If there were only a few machines the air in the room would be exchanged often enough that you'd never notice. And, like I said before, it's not a serious problem. If you were in the room from the time the machines were turned on you'd never notice. It's only when you come into the room from being outside in the fresh air AND the machines have already been on for a few hours.

[TANK]

put a small cup of charcol in each machine it will absorb the smell right out of the wood!!

[gwarzin]

put a small cup of charcol in each machine it will absorb the smell right out of the wood!!

Maybe that's what those small plastic bins to the right of the hopper is for.

[Tulsa]

Or you could go the other direction and have you dog come in and pee all over the room. You'd never notice a smell from you machines to be sure! Okay, you can me.

[luckydog]

i leave my machines off unless i'm playing them and

my dog is to much of a gentleman to wizz in the house.

he always insist on going out.

[Tulsa]

Yes, but you have a Schnuazer. Different story all together!

[Utopia1dc]

I turn the machines off when I am not using them (I use a surge suppressor power strip). I also put in a plastic cup of Arm & Hammer in each machine to absorb orders. It works pretty good.

[LaughingJim]

Here are some numbers for you to contemplate...

Destroyer, (Has a 5A @ 24V transformer)
- Power Off...
- - = (0.55A @ 8W @ 51VA @ 120V)
- Power On (Idle)...
- - = (0.93A @ 80W @ 107VA @ 120V)
- Power On (Wheels Spinning)
- - = (1.28A @ 118W @ 148VA @ 120V)

Neo Planett, (Has a true powersupply)
- Power Off...
- - = (0.0A @ 0W @ 0VA @ 120V)
- Power On (Idle)...
- - = (0.93A @ 57W @ 109VA @ 120V)
- Power On (Wheels Spinning)
- - = (1.10A @ 68W @ 126VA @ 120V)

If you had 10 machines with transformers instead of true powersupplies...
Off, No life: They will drain 80W total = to (One bright light bulb) (One 80W bulb)
On, Idle: They will drain 800W total = to (Personal electric heater on low) (Ten 80W bulbs)
On, Spinning reels: They will drain 1180W total = to (Personal electric heater on high) (Fifteen 80W bulbs)

NOTE: These are the settled in values, Peaks were seen at twice the values recorded here, but only for seconds. (EG, 1180W normalized = 2360W max)

NOTE: Most true powersupplies drain an unreadable amount of electricity to keep regulating circuits warm and ready for power regulation to reduce computer damage. The highest reading I saw was on "Gold-X / God Game", which read 0.03A @ 0W @ 3VA. These values faded in and out, that may be a sign that my powersupply is heading out, or it could be normal. As opposed to a cheap transformer, which drains power even when nothing is running, 0.44A @ 8W @ 51VA. That is equal to a night-light.

[LaughingJim]

These readings were measured with a device called "Kill-A-Watt", which is used to measure... Watts, Amps, Volts, Hz, Volt-Amps, and PF. It also records the amount of time it has been running, and counts the total watts used in that time. The end result is a final display of KWH for the devices hooked up to the "Kill-A-Watt".

That is a great way to find out how much electricity any electrical device uses over a period of real time. If you multiply the KWH on the meter by your KWH charge on your electric bill, you will know exactaly how much it costs you to run that device.