Regional Slot Tech Training Class Five-Day Class-March 18-22, 2013

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1 Sycuan Casino-El Cajon (San Diego) California Regional Slot Tech Training Class Five-Day Class-March 18-22, 2013 Come spend five days with Slot Tech Magazine s Randy Fromm. You don t have to be a genius to fix power supplies and LCD monitors. No previous electronics experience required. This is a fast-track class for slot techs who want to learn the quick and easy way to fix monitors and power supplies without having to learn a lot of electronic theory or mathematics. It s usually pretty easy to fix casino electronics There are three parts to a successful repair: 1. Find the bad part(s) and remove them 2. Obtain replacement or substitution component(s) 3. Install the part(s) Previous class at Sycuan, San Diego. The Parts There is no single trick to repair but it s not usually too difficult once you learn a few basics. During the class we will really stress component identification and testing so you ll learn how to find most bad parts (resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc.) yourself. This is an important part of the class. You absolutely must know what the parts are and how to test them to see if they are good or bad. Each student will receive his/her own digital multimeter as part of their classroom materials package. We ll spend two full days on this. Sacramento, CA However, as slot techs we have one super advantage over other electronic technicians in that we are all working on more-or-less the same equipment and, if you are seeing some sort of fault, chances are really good that someone else has seen the fault as well. If we haven t already written about it in Slot Tech Magazine, someone else may have written about it in one of the slot tech forums. If not, you can post the question yourself and it will undoubtedly be answered within a day, likely within hours. You can contact me for advice or you can even contact the manufacturers directly with your questions so help is always available and figuring out which part(s) to replace is usually not an issue. During the class, you ll learn the easy way to locate and purchase replacement components at reasonable prices. You ll learn how to make substitutions too, when the exact replacement component is unavailable. Lemoore, CA Slot Tech Magazine 1944 Falmouth Dr. El Cajon, CA tel fax slot-techs.com

2 Component Removal and Replacement All this doesn t amount to a hill of beans if you can t remove and replace the components without butchering the printed circuit board. That s why we spend a few precious hours in a hands-on soldering lab. If you cannot solder properly, you are useless as an electronic technician. Worse than useless, you can cause hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage and/or lost revenue if you re not careful. On the other hand, even if you are terrible at troubleshooting, if you can remove and replace components with skill and accuracy, you will still be enormously useful to the slot department. Someone else can tell you which part(s) to replace. It s up to you to effect the actual repair and that is where it really counts. The understanding part of the repair can come later or not at all! Trinidad! At one recent class, I had a young student that was absolutely terrible at everything I tried to teach him. He couldn t remember the names of the components, let alone how to test them. He sure didn t understand anything about component specifications. I m not altogether certain that he could read. And yet, during the hands-on repair lab, we turned to him time after time to perform the actual repairs (replacing resistors, capacitors and transistors but also multi-pin devices like integrated circuits as well) because he could solder like crazy! He was fast. He was accurate. That makes him valuable. During the class, I will cover the theory of operation of power supplies, digital electronics and LCD monitors as it is very interesting how this stuff works. But knowing how it works and fixing it are often two different things and the name of this five-day class is repair. Do you really care how something works if all your boss wants is to get it fixed? Your job is not to prove to others how smart you are. Your job is to fix something as quickly and accurately as possible and move on to the next job assignment. With that in mind, I will also show you the most common failures in power supplies and LCD monitors so you can repair them quickly and easily without having to spend time troubleshooting. I can (and will) show you some tricks that will allow you to make repairs in minutes that would otherwise take an hour or more. One of these tricks is so tricky that I will totally deny that you ever learned this trick from me. Seriously. You ll see what I mean if you attend the class. No recording devices allowed! Iowa!

3 Class Schedule Day 1-Beginning Electronics for Slot Machine Technicians Let's face it. When it comes to fixing slot machines, there's a lot of stuff that you just don't need to know. Why try to learn electronics from an engineering standpoint (the way they teach in college and technical schools) when all you need is enough electronics training to fix things? This segment assumes that you have no previous electronics training and takes you through a simple, NO MATH look at electronic components, electronic circuits, schematic diagrams and more! Understanding electronics is easy when you learn the basics of how circuits and components operate. Using a Digital Multimeter The DMM is the single most important piece of test equipment you can use. The program shows you how to use the meter to make the tests and measurements necessary for fixing reel slots, video slots and other types of gaming machines. Electronic Components All of the individual components used in gaming machines are introduced. Parts such as resistors, potentiometers and capacitors are covered individually. Students learn how the components function in the circuits and how to test them for proper operation using the digital multimeter and ESR meter. This part of the school takes a look at all of the different types of semiconductors commonly seen in gaming machines. We'll take a look at the operation of each component, along with testing procedures to determine if the part is good or bad. Students will have ample opportunities to practice their testing skills during the hands-on transistor lab. Replacement components will also be discussed. Never get stuck for a replacement part again! Day 3-Morning Session-Soldering Component removal and replacement is a better term for this segment. Good soldering technique takes practice but there are some tricks that can really help speed things along and minimize the chance of damage to the PCB. During this short segment, each student will be provided with their own soldering iron, solder, desoldering supplies and a fun project kit they will assemble. This equipment will be theirs to keep. Day 3-Afternoon Session-Power Supplies (continues Thursday morining session) Power supplies are at the heart of all electronic systems and power supply failure is common in all of them. Slot machines are certainly not immune. It is not uncommon for a slot machine to have a half dozen power supplies Schematic Diagrams Schematic diagrams are the blueprints for electronic circuits. Learning to interpret schematic diagrams is a natural part of the Casino School. The schematic symbols are used throughout the course and students become familiar with schematic diagrams throughout the class. Day 2-Diodes, Transistors & Other Semiconductors Hands-on Transistor Testing Lab Semiconductors are the basis for just about everything in today's gaming equipment. Semiconductor failures of all types are among the most common of problems you will encounter when fixing power supplies and monitors. Mississippi!

4 working together. This module covers all types of power supplies, including linear power supplies and the Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) found in virtually everything in a modern casino. Day 4-Afternoon Session-LCD Monitor Repair LCD Monitor repair is generally pretty easy thanks to their modular design. This segment covers the theory of operation of LCD monitors. There will be a presentation on the repair techniques including CCFL testing and replacement. Day 5-Introduction to Digital Electronics I really enjoy working on digital electronics. You will too because it s easy to understand and really fun to play with. The flip side is that you must have extremely good soldering skills. While it is generally pretty easy to repair things like broken traces and lifted solder pads on a simple PCB like a power supply, self-inflicted board damage on something like a CPU can be a costly mistake. This class is not a detailed look at microprocessor technology and it is not an advanced class that assumes any previous knowledge of electronics. It s just an additional peek into the next logical step in your career as a slot tech. Following your successes in repairing power supplies and LCD monitors, it is logical to move to on to digital repair (no pun intended). Cost of the Program Tuition is $1295/person Includes Digital Multimeter Soldering iron, tools and soldering supplies Sample components Textbook Students are responsible for their own meals and lodging. The venue is far from the San DIego Airport and far from anything else so you will need a car for sure if you re flying in. If you re interested, contact Randy Fromm right away. It s first-come, first-served and there are a limited number of places available in the class. Randy Fromm Slot Tech Magazine 1944 Falmouth Dr. El Cajon, CA mobile Enter this number into your mobile phone NOW so you can contact me during the class. You can fax a PO to and I ll invoice you. Be sure to include the student s name. Class will be held March 18-22, 2013 Class times: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Class will be held in the dedicated training facility behind the main casino. Sycuan Casino 5469 Casino Way El Cajon, CA (619)

5 Enrollment Form Slot Tech Magazine 1944 Falmouth Dr. El Cajon, CA tel fax Class will be held March 18-22, 2013 at: Sycuan Casino 5469 Casino Way El Cajon, CA (619) Please complete this enrollment form and return it to Slot Tech Magazine as soon as possible. Enrollment is limited. Company Name Name(s) of attendee(s) Address Address City State/Prov. Country Zip/Postal Code Telephone Fax Enrollment fee is $ per person. Payment by credit card or check payable to Slot Tech Magazine. Purchase orders will be invoiced. Please invoice me. PO # [ ] American Express [ ] Discover [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa Name on Card: Account Number: Expiration Date: