Star Wars And The Blank Screen

[koreazy]

Hi,
I think I am having a problem. Every time I turn on my Star Wars pachinko machine, the Sankyo system appears to be testing the unit. A few lights flash, R2D2 moves around, I hear a little sound but I get a dark blank screen with little light blips. It is only when I place a pachinko ball in the start pocket will the machine finally 'wake up' and the images are visible on the LCD. Sometimes, after a minute or so of viewing the blank lcd, I turn it off and on and then the LCD displays.
Is this supposed to happen? My basement is fairly cold (~64 degrees). Do you think temperature has anything to do with it? Also, I checked the transformer and it is 110V 5AMP (seems to be a good amount of electricity going to the machine). If anyone knows the answer and how to fix this problem (if it is a problem) I will do one hell of a virtual happy dance for you.

Thanks in advance

[drcrippen324]

hello buddy welcome to the bord and congrats on the starwars machine from the three machines iv seen its usual for starwars and they all still working fine now 3 months on

[dalto]

I have the same problem with mine when it was cold. I brought it up to room temperature and it worked fine.

[Tulsa]

I've not had mine in that cold of a room before but never experienced that issue.

[drcrippen324]

hmm figures as 2 i saw were in a warehouse and one had not long been delivered from cold van

[koreazy]

So let me get this straight. This machine was built by a prominent manufacturer who did not test it below 70 degrees ? So you guys think that if I warm up my basement, it will turn on fine? drcrippen324 and Dalto, when it is cold and you do experience this with Star Wars, what do you do? Do you turn it off and on again, do you put a ball in the start pocket? Is there a better perhaps more efficient way of addressing this?

Thanks for the quick response!!

Koreazy

[dalto]

Mine was only cold from shipping. I just waited for it to warm up and turned it on again. I have never had the problem since. Mine was probably colder than 64 degrees though.

[slotter]

I doubt that you should have a problem in a basement. Cold temps others are referring to are likely a lot colder than temperatures you might have in your basement.

[rupan777]

Parlors are usually nice warm places.

[daverob]

At this time of year my gamesroom is usually around 55 degrees when I first get in there, so I get this problem with all of my machines if I turn them on before the heating has had time to warm them up. They all seem fine above 70 degrees though.

A bigger transformer has helped some of them start up a little quicker in the cold but Star Wars is the one that is most reluctant when it is still a little chilly.

[FatherTed]

I've not had any screen problems and my Star Wars is in a room that is very cold and although I turn the heating on as soon as I go in to play I'm sure the room (and especially inside the machine) remain very cold for quite a while

[Bigsasquatch]

well .... glad I read this post first as I was just about to ask the same thing......

When the power is on and I play for some time........then it will restart fine....

However, after I power off for some time, then the Pachinko runs a test routine.....sometimes it comes up with the check data, othertimes it ends in a blank screen......if I then switch off and on again it is working just fine even if the temperature hasn't changed.......

Does this mean the machine also re-sets after a check routine ? If so I'll never get to a fever round......

BIG"S"

[longsider]

Mine also does the same, was worried silly when I first got it, if I turn it on from cold and leave it for a couple of minutes whilst R"D" does his little backward and forward linedance, lights flash here and there, screen flickers everynow and then, Once its all stopped I turn it off and back on and it works fine, it is in a very cold location though., never any problems when started, and I can turn it off and back on again with no problems untill it cools down.
What I thought was
1. it goes through a test everytime it starts up (Ive seen some come on straight away)
2. it has a dry solder joint (doesnt this make it faulty ?)
3. it has an internal battery like a pc with a bios that has deteriated therefore loosing its defualts, hence the test sequence when it cools down, Pcs tend to do the same thing, rechargable batteries when worn will charge but hold their current for very short periods of time.
only seen this on Star wars machines, never on anything else.

[FatherTed]

I've not had any screen problems and my Star Wars is in a room that is very cold and although I turn the heating on as soon as I go in to play I'm sure the room (and especially inside the machine) remain very cold for quite a while

Update: I have now had it come on with a blank screen and R2-D2 repeatedly moving yet nothing else happening. The room was very cold. I switched off and back on and it worked fine. Luckily I'd read this thread, knew it was pretty common, and didn't worry

[Bigsasquatch]

Do you reckon that means its re-setting its payout data every time ? ( i.e. as if you'd booted up with the reset button depressed ) If so then thats a problem surely , as you want the random element of variable payout over time dont you ?

BIG"S"

[MrGneiss]

I get this blank screen thing on my Aqua Nine, but not my Star Wars.

[daverob]

Do you reckon that means its re-setting its payout data every time ?

It's going to be very difficult to tell, as even if you do reset the machine, it doesn't payout after the same number of spins every time, the only way I can think of finding out is to compile the statistics from two machines, one left on all the time, and one that is switched off and might be resetting when it's switched on.

If someone will send me a second Star Wars machine, I'm sure I could come up with some results, It might take a few months as I'd want to be sure that I've had time to make sure that the randomness is taken out of the statistics

[longsider]

Surely the machine must have either a battery backup or eprom on board to remember its payout state ?, Doesnt it need to know the last time it hit a fever, if it was truly random then in theory if you were very very lucky you could hit a fever time after time, Im sure the manufacturer would put safeguards in to prevent this by not allowing it to jackpot unless there are so many hits between them.
A bit like Camelot suddenly realising after years of us playing the lottery that if a lot of people got lucky it would loose out on just paying the minimum 10 pound wins, they therefore brought a new clause out that no longer gauranteed you getting the tenner for three numbers.
Does anybody else have any thoughts on the battery backup state ?, even pinballs have them to remember high scores etc, also if you win a lot but the ball feed hopper is empty and turn the machine off and back on,with the hopper full it pays out all the wins that are due, this must surely mean a battery on board, if this is so does anybody know where it is and if this is what is causing the SW to reset everytime.
Im no Pachinko expert but you never know I might be right

[drcrippen324]

my theory is the same on the flash memory / battery back up the same as apachislo as you can open it close it turnit off and still be in a bonus sequence plus all the questions about my pachinko keeps paying out can i turn it off and back on to stop it and the answer is no you gotta reset it also if a pachinko reset itself every time you turned it of in a parlou then it wouldent be able to work the odds like rupan is discribing in the other thread tip jar as they would just pay out at a sertan time each day when they have had enough balls put through
also why when people get there new machine do some coment it is being stingy and some say it is being friendly if they all reset when turned off then in theory they would all be tight or friendly
the only theory i got on the batery side is how long have they been sat discharging in a wherehouse or on a ship with no power being put in to them they bound to discharge when you think that normaly they are run for 12 hours a day and only off for a maximum of about 8 between lock up and open up
just my side to the theory

[longsider]

If we both think this does it then change from a theory to a conspiracy ?

Also depends on how low the temperature has been where the machines have been stored, if for example they do work with a rechargable battery, these loose a certain amount of their power each day that they are not charged, also its like the batteries for your digital camera that seem flat, rub them for a while or put them under your arm (even between your wifes legas if shes hot) and they suddenly jump back to life agin.

Now Ive come up with a test to this theory, we need someone whos having trouble turning their machine on to after they get it to boot up leave it runed on for a day or so, then turn it off and leave it for a day, the day its turned on should recharge the battery enough to hold its charge for the day its turned off, then try the machine again, if it turns on right away then we know what it is.

Scientists me and the Doc you know !