RI-3 100 records?

[wdln]

Hello all... I have an RI-3 I recently got running.  Just a few simple mechanical issues, a cartridge that had been installed backwards (?!?), and a bad channel on the amp.  I ended up frankensteining a preamp board from a similar model amp into it and it worked.

So this is a computer-controlled 80-record unit that is very similar to my R-91, which is a 100-record unit.  The RI-3 actually has a 100-record basket though!  Like other 80-record units I’ve seen, it uses that funky numbering system where **8 and **9 selections are skipped, so the highest selection is 197/297.  The **8 and **9 slots are labeled but simply left empty in the basket.  Other than not having enough room to fit 100 tags under the glass, it would seem that the computer is the only thing standing in the way of increasing the capacity.  Clearly it has to be able to count the empty slots in order to know where the basket is in the rotation, since the empty slots are located throughout the basket.

Anyone ever hear of modding one of these to be able to access the dead slots?  I have the field service manual and there’s nothing jumping out at me.  I’m not familiar enough with Rowe-AMI’s whole lineup to know if there are parts that could be swapped from a similar 100-record model to unlock the extras.

And yes, I did try just entering in one of the empty slots.  It doesn’t even attempt to play it.  :-)

Even without the room for the tags, it would be cool to have “hidden” tracks on a jukebox!

[amiman66]

Hello wdln,

Welcome to the group.

Rowe Ami jukeboxes since the 1963 Model L have had the tone arm on the left hand side of the mechanism as apposed earlier models, because of this many people thing the cartridge is mounted the wrong way around. The correct position is if you lift the arm the four cartridge connecting wires are towards you and the stylus pointing towards the back of the arm.

The RI-3, RI-4 and RI-5 all use the standard mechanism, the width of the jukebox limits the number of titles that can be fitted, the solution by Rowe Ami was that 8 & 9's could not be selected as a third digit. To defeat this remove the RI-3 diode on the Pricing Board. Just see if there is a diode fitted in location CR333 OR CR334 (in the middle of the board). I usually just desolder one of the ends of the diode and lift it out of the way.

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK

[Ron Rich]

Gentz,
FYI, there was a (good?) reason the 8 & 9 were blocked off--besides the advantage of the smaller cabinet. The reason was,at least here in the US,--the "Tax Man" ! In many areas in the southern part of the US, a tax was imposed on Jukeboxes, considering the number of selections available. As it was 'splained to me--any phono having 100 to 160 selections was taxed at one rate (per year !), but any phono having more then 160 selections was taxed at a (much) higher rate --part of the reason Seeburg stopped offering the 200 selection phono's. Ron Rich

[wdln]

That is great information, thanks to both of you. I have read a little bit about the way jukeboxes are taxed, and the licensing that became required in 1976. I did not know there was a dividing line in the fees at 160 selections... that seemingly random less-than-100 number for the number of selections/records a jukebox holds now makes more sense. Later 100-CD units must have cost a lot in licensing fees... that could be as many as several thousand tracks.

I was just taking a closer look at the pricing board the other day.  I will unsolder that diode so I can change my mind later. Fantastic tip, thank you!

Although my RI-3 is relatively trouble-free with no jams or incorrect selections, I noticed that if it's powered off or unplugged for at least an hour or so, it will start playing records by itself upon power-up. On mine, it seems to alternate randomly between selections 100 and 164. It seems to think that 100 is the most popular selection and picks that the most... I think in fact the selection memory history is being wiped out when it's powered off so it's just defaulting to 100. I'm not sure why it picks 164... sometimes it picks others. The other day when it did this I manned the cancel button to see if I could get to the end of the list it wanted to play... after it loaded about 20 records with no sign of stopping (mostly 100 and 164) I gave up and hit the "clear all selections" button. After doing that it's just fine, so I don't think the "popular" button is stuck on or anything like that.  The selection for playing records by itself periodically is also set to "off".

I do keep this unit in "TEST" mode for free-play... perhaps that's at least part of the issue? In normal mode on power-up it would have zero credits, so it wouldn't be able to play anything. Test mode would give it a bottomless pit of selections. Maybe the computer is throwing a bunch of random entries into the selection cache as it powers up, and test mode is providing the credits to actually play them?

This problem is pretty easily worked around but could get interesting after a power outage if nobody's around to pump the brakes on this thing. Any insight from the Rowe/AMI brain trust on this one?

Photo attached for gawking purposes.  It's in pretty decent shape.

[amiman66]

Hello wdln,

With the power off check the voltage on the CCC battery, it is 2.4 volts and if the voltage is lower it can cause a number of issues.

My advice if the Playmaker mode switch is set to anything above off put it the off position.You have already stated this is off.

When people check the header pins on the boards they forget the Pricing Board, it is important that the top and bottom connections are also checked for dry joints (cold joints USA)this board whilst setting the price of play is basically a connection block that all lines of data pass through.

Please let us know how you get on.

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK

[wdln]

This thread is from awhile back but I finally did the 100-record mod today, as this jukebox may be going to a new home soon.  So that it would be easily reversible by the new owner, I installed a small switch in line with the diode.  I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I put the "power off first" sticker on there to try to prevent the computer from being accidentally zapped.  Seems like if it was in the middle of playing a **8 or **9 record and someone flipped that switch to the 80 record position, it might have a "does not compute" moment.

Replacing the motherboard battery also eliminated the random plays on power-up.

As always, thanks to amiman66 and Ron Rich for providing great info.

[xavpegaso88]

Bonjour
Pouvez vous m'aider je n'arrive pas a sélectionner les 8 et 9 sur le RI-3 Merci

[Hildegard]

Qu'est-ce que vous avez essayé jusqu'à présent ?
Essyez ca avec CR333 ou CR334?
"The RI-3, RI-4 and RI-5 all use the standard mechanism, the width of the jukebox limits the number of titles that can be fitted, the solution by Rowe Ami was that 8 & 9's could not be selected as a third digit. To defeat this remove the RI-3 diode on the Pricing Board. Just see if there is a diode fitted in location CR333 OR CR334 (in the middle of the board). I usually just desolder one of the ends of the diode and lift it out of the way."