Let’s play crane dip switch settings

[Wgilbert02]

Hello. I have a 36” Let’s Play crane. The claw strength basically guarantees a winner everytime. This isn’t like my other cranes because it only has dip switches. Does anyone know the settings to change the claw strength using the dip switches or can this not be done? Any help would be appreciated. 

[gumball guy]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:33 PM, Wgilbert02 said:

Hello. I have a 36” Let’s Play crane. The claw strength basically guarantees a winner everytime. This isn’t like my other cranes because it only has dip switches. Does anyone know the settings to change the claw strength using the dip switches or can this not be done? Any help would be appreciated. 

Unfortunately I don't have a manual for that machine and I have never worked on one. Hopefully someone else on here has one to make your life easier. I have no experience with a crane with no potentiometer unless it had auto percentaging like a Prize Time by Smart. Those type of cranes have a button on the board that puts the crane into a test mode then you use the joystick and the display to set the winning percentage. The fact that it has a meter for the claw coil tells me that it should be adjustable. I would look closely at the board and make sure there are no buttons that could put into test/audit mode. Also there is a small white knob at the top right hand of the board. I'm guessing that is the game's music volume knob but I would be remiss to not ask if you checked it. If no one else chimes in and there is no button on the board I would experiment with the first bank of dip switches (going from the left) and watch the meter to see if there is any change. If all else fails most claw assemblies (rings) can be adjusted to help with percentages.

[RoadDogAmusements]

The pcb looks like an earlier version of the one in my route 66 crane? mine does have potentiometers though for setting the claw strength. In the manual it alludes to if the machine is NOT in play until you win mode it will follow auto percentage chart to adjust win rate. On my machine it's dipswitch bank 4 switch 8 to turn play until you win mode on/off. First see your machine responds to that setting on that switch? It looks like it's off in your picture now which would mean play until you win is off.

If it's the same then there's a chance that the dip switch settings for bank 1 are the same? According to this manual it should only have one location on, but your pcb has 3 and 6 on? Anyways, take a clear direct over top photo of your current dip switch settings so you can go back to how it was originally. Then it shouldn't be too risky just trying stuff. This is for a different crane so there's no guarantee it's the same. If yours did follow these dip switch settings though it would probably be set as 3 (1 in 3 times). If changing those dip switch settings doesn't affect the voltage readout when the claw grabs then it's not doing iit.

[jayske]

My Crane version does have an adjustable pentiometer but it was an added factory option.  I remember reading that one could mess with the spring compression to alter strength though.  The more I think about a pentiometer is just an adjustable rheostat so one should be able to put in series an cheap volume switch with the right resistance on the wire going to the claw.  You could mount it inside and then dial whatever strength you want from nothing to pick up everything.

Also what is the white adjustable part in the upper right corner?

[gumball guy]

12 hours ago, jayske said:

My Crane version does have an adjustable pentiometer but it was an added factory option.  I remember reading that one could mess with the spring compression to alter strength though.  The more I think about a pentiometer is just an adjustable rheostat so one should be able to put in series an cheap volume switch with the right resistance on the wire going to the claw.  You could mount it inside and then dial whatever strength you want from nothing to pick up everything.

Also what is the white adjustable part in the upper right corner?

The little white knob at the top right of the board is probably the sound volume control. Often the cranes will have "attract" music (that usually can be turned off via a dip setting) and game play music. Locations often don't want to hear the same carnival music playing over and over so you need to be able to control the volume.