Signs of inadequate transformer?

[cwstnsko]

I have a Destroyer machine that's behaving badly. At times the reel lights dim when the reels start and the sound that normally sounds when you press the stop button cuts out.

I suspect the machine is running short on power since it seems to get quite a bit better when I unplug the top and belly glass lights.

It currently has a Powervolt 5A transformer in it.

Do any of you with a Destroyer run OK on a 5A transformer?

I noticed the main fuse of the machine is 10 amps. Should I be looking for an 8 amp transformer, or should I look for something in the machine drawing too much current?

[pfurman]

Signs of an inadequate performer? Hmmmm....always tired; watches T.V. til 2 a.m.; makes a bunch of excuses...

OH...never mind...Now I see you were talking about an inadequate TRANSformer. Sorry. My bad. :embarasse

[dishpan]

... did you just say an inadequate former TRANS... yipes, it is getting late...

Originally Posted by cwstnsko
...and the sound that normally sounds when you press the stop button cuts out.

Do you mean that the sound and dimming lights had been normal at one time before acting up? If not then, it should be easy to check the amperage draw of the unit if you had, or could borrow an Amp Probe to measure it, or perhaps just as easily swap transformers with a beefier unit to test it.

[alstonj1]

sounds like you could use a larger one . a larger transformer wont hurt anything since it will only draw what it can use . try puting a volt meter on your transformer out put and run the machine and watch the dam meter not the reels if you see it dipping alot i would get a new transformer ......

[cwstnsko]

Thanks, yes it did work fine for several days on the 5A unit, but the machine is in the garage, and it has cooled off since then. At 1st I just thought it was something Destroyer did as it was getting close to a bonus, but when I unhook the lights, the bad behavior seems to go away. I'll try the voltage check when I get home. Unfotunately I don't have a beefier transformer on hand. I do have several 5A, but I've already swapped it once to eliminate the possibility of a defective transformer. I'll have to check for voltage drop in the 110 side as well, there are several pachis on the same powerstrip, and it is plugged into about 50 ft of extension cord. The other pachslos seem fine, it may just be that Destroyer is more sensitive to voltage drop.

I have some homework to do to isolate the problem.

[alstonj1]

Didn't know these were in a garage , You might want to clean the connections on the plugs also extreme temp changes can cause condensation and corrosion at plug connections causing unpredictable behavior. unplugging the connectors and replugging them could help the matter . pachi's dont use much power belive it or not i run one off a 300 watt inverter in my bus so i doubt the extension is the problem (300watts/110volts=2.7 amps max )and they dont use anywhere near the max .

[cwstnsko]

These have only beeen in the garage for a short time and the humidity is quite low here in AZ.

Did I mention I had 6 other pachislos powered off the same power strip, all turned on... the power strip was plugged into 50 ft of extension cord which led back to an outlet that had 5 more pachislos plugged into the other outlet on that recepticle for a total of 12 pachis on 1 outlet

It seems so obvious now, but as I was setting things up it didn't strike me as a bad thing for a short term set-up.

I brought the Destroyer in the house and plugged it into it's very own outlet. I'll see how it behaves over the next few days.

I have a feeling I know the answer to my question now

[slotter]

These have only beeen in the garage for a short time and the humidity is quite low here in AZ.

Did I mention I had 6 other pachislos powered off the same power strip, all turned on... the power strip was plugged into 50 ft of extension cord which led back to an outlet that had 5 more pachislos plugged into the other outlet on that recepticle for a total of 12 pachis on 1 outlet

It seems so obvious now, but as I was setting things up it didn't strike me as a bad thing for a short term set-up.

I brought the Destroyer in the house and plugged it into it's very own outlet. I'll see how it behaves over the next few days.

I have a feeling I know the answer to my question now

Well, you probably weren't just dimming the reel lights, you were probably dimming your neighbors' lights as well with that set up!

[cwstnsko]

I brought Destroyer in the house since I won't let anyone buy it until I know it's 100% solid. So far it hasn't missed a beat in a more normal arrangement - sharing a powerstip with 2 other pachislos, on their own outlet.

At this point I'm pretty sure I was getting inadequate voltage on the 110 side, causing the output of the power on the transformer to be reduced.

Destroyer is a pretty cool machine, maybe I'll hold on to it for long term evaluation