Peter Simper machines

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clubconsoles
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by clubconsoles »

This one was on ebay a few months back, don't know if this pic is helpful??
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$(KGrHqJHJEkFGstwM5QNBRvKmRbUkg~~60_1.jpg
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treefrog
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by treefrog »

Like the handles on these.... found an original flyer for another similar one.
Ipswich-20131116-00350.jpg
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170_4-20131022173734_original.jpg

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operator bell
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by operator bell »

Thanks for the pic, Nigel. Behold - the stabilizer!

I have anecdotal evidence of how efficiently it regulated the percentage. When I was very young, my Student Union bar became dissatisfied with the profits they were making with their Peter Simper machine (it was a Courage bar). So they bugged a first reel cherry with a bolt and two washers, so it could never stop on that symbol. Some weeks later I happened to be sitting nearby watching the SU president and the bar manager poking around inside the machine, and I mentioned the bug. They said, "We had to do something to try and get more money out of the damn machine." I asked them, did it work? They said, "Only for a few days. Then it went back the way it was before."
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stabilizer.jpg
phantom
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by phantom »

Hello - new here so be gentle with me :D

I have a 1975 Peter Simper machine that is fully working and comes with the wiring programme.
I was wondering if it is worth anything at all?
The kids enjoy it for it's novelty value but all of the old coins keep 'disappearing'!

Here are some photos:
The front
The front


IMG_9404_zpsb3ed81e3.jpg


The hand drawn wiring diagrams
The hand drawn wiring diagrams


IMG_9399_zpsc6888fbd.jpg


IMG_9400_zps0a36e218.jpg


The rear (with back cover removed)
The rear (with back cover removed)


IMG_9409_zpsc28566fe.jpg


IMG_9410_zps3d4440d4.jpg

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operator bell
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by operator bell »

Great pics! More than 50 relays, wow. No wonder they could get them printed with the PS logo, they must have bought them by the truckload.

It looks as if the coin mechs have been removed leaving just the plates. Is it on free play?
phantom
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by phantom »

No, it's not on free play - the coin mechanisms are all there just not obvious in the photos. It takes the old style 5p and 10p coins, of which we have a dwindling number due to numerous visiting teenagers.
I'll get some more detailed photos tomorrow and close ups of the fascinating wiring drawings.

Does anyone know of the significance of the RAF F4 Phantom and Westland Wessex helicopter on the front?
glittering-prize67
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by glittering-prize67 »

I have a Peter Simper machine in my collection - very small jukebox type cabinet and very well made. Really nice machines if not somewhat weird beside most others. I love it. And it has a rare road theme I also like. Basically when MPU machines came into use in the '80s Peter Simper could not compete as all their machines were e/m and all their machines at the time out in field and on the production line were crushed and wasted. Only a handful remain that were bought by employees. They are rare and I'm proud of mine. So crappy PCB machines saw the death of good e/ms. :dammit:
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operator bell
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by operator bell »

glittering-prize67 wrote:So crappy pcb machines saw the death of good e/ms. :dammit:
A real shame, but progress is inevitably towards lower cost and less labour. Look at the previous pictures - more than fifty relays at five to ten quid apiece, and I don't know how many man-hours in the wiring harnesses alone. But a few survive and are lovingly cared for by people who remember and appreciate the workmanship. EMs are my particular area of interest. They're much, much easier to maintain than what came after, and you see the whole progression of technology, from post-WW2 government surplus and ex-Post Office telephone junk to the end of relays and the start of logic controls. Kind of tracks my childhood experimental phase that followed the same progression.
phantom wrote:Does anyone know of the significance of the RAF F4 Phantom and Westland Wessex helicopter on the front?
Ah, don't let the Navy hear you say that. It's a Fleet Air Arm Phantom. 'Course, young people of today would automatically assume it's RAF because Britain doesn't have any through-decks.

I would take a wild guess that this model with this artwork was intended for a Naval Officers' club somewhere.
jonesthegarage
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by jonesthegarage »

Good guess OB, Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton about 35 miles from Peter Simper home base of Bath. Find someone who served there at appropriate time - I bet they'll remember it in the mess.
phantom
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by phantom »

Some more detailed photos of the wiring drawings and internal coin mechanisms etc, as requested:
IMG_9415_zpsf6a6f563.jpg


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IMG_9431_zpsb8187cc6.jpg


IMG_9432_zpseb0e6d28.jpg

photobucket album
phantom
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by phantom »

phantom wrote:Does anyone know of the significance of the RAF F4 Phantom and Westland Wessex helicopter on the front?
Operator Bell wrote:Ah, don't let the Navy hear you say that. It's a Fleet Air Arm Phantom. 'Course, young people of today would automatically assume it's RAF because Britain doesn't have any through-decks.

I would take a wild guess that this model with this artwork was intended for a Naval Officers' club somewhere.
I guess the picture on the front with a title saying 'Royal Navy Phantom takes off from HMS Ark Royal' should have given me a clue!
glittering-prize67
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by glittering-prize67 »

Some pics of my Peter Simper if interested. I've done some work to this and it works spot on. They were great machines. I've put a close up of the unit that controls the payout percentage.
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peter simper 003.jpg
peter simper 002.jpg
peter simper 001.jpg
malcymal
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by malcymal »

I've seen many Peter Simper machines in my time, most had quite gaudy odd graphics on the front that wouldn't look out of a place on my grandmother's wall. I saw one for sale in Portsmouth that had a massive 50p jackpot in tokens for £145 which had a belly glass image that looked like something out of a church, strange indeed. My dad was a policeman in the 70's and helped run the emergency services social club bar whereby funds to buy and sell cheap beer came from Peter Simper club machines, bar billiards and making money from the snooker table lights (metered). From memory, they pretty much fitted any graphic they liked in the front and when I was taken along as a young lad, every month seemed to have a different image; it was certainly not a different machine so maybe the imagery was as simple as swapping a picture in a frame? Dad (RIP) always had an uncanny knack of knowing when to play the machine with me, probably knowing a bit more about the compensator meter and I remember many times us taking home a brown paper bag full to brimming with 5 pence coins which were promptly invested in Dinky Cars.
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operator bell
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by operator bell »

The most idiosyncratic thing about PS machines, to me anyway, was the way you had to push down and hold the operating handle before you could select the holds (that would be machines with the rocking handle on the front). Then the game played when you released it. If you were a bit hasty or your hand slipped, you could miss the hold, as happened to me once. I had two PS's I was about to hold and someone bumped me from behind making me let go the handle, so I missed the hold and the third one came in. He was bigger than me, or I might have committed murder. Fortunately, the regulator did its job and the jackpot showed up on its own five plays later.
malcymal
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by malcymal »

Fascinating story Operator Bell. The rocking start handle was cool. Didn't the PS hold buttons light up in green, blue or red lights too?
I also remember these types of starting handles on the ACE machines of the same era, in a way, their imagery quite similar with the large display images, such as Monte Carlo, Concorde etc.
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glittering-prize67
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by glittering-prize67 »

The holds and nudges on mine are green, but it has a feature where an amber light flashes and when pressed it auto holds and pays again. The amber light will only flash on a win.
martinpegrum
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by martinpegrum »

It is with fond memories that I write to you all. I used to be a "Peter Simper" engineer. We worked in Milk Street, Bath and I mainly covered the South West Area. Let me start with a few people that of course Mr Peter Simper Senior a genuine gentleman, and his wife. In my days he had a Ferrari. Peter Simper Junior his son, ran 'round in a Lotus Cortina.

Please may I ask if any of my old colleagues wish to get in touch, Please feel free to come into my facebook KickingDonkey Eagle. I enjoyed my life working for Peter Simpers. I will list people that I knew and then the Fruit Machines and Juke Boxes I worked with. Chris Powell, a great guy and his wife Maureen; Bud Holly, workshop Manager; Roger Gately, sales; Reg Thorn, research and development; two carpenters; store man Roy... other engineers; John Cowley; Joaby- Dave Powell.; Ann Haris. Peter Simper senior's secretary used to live next door to me at 17 Kenningtoon Road, Lower Weston. I lived at number 18! Johnny....?.. a collector; Ian .... young lad from Foxcombe Rd; I remember Billy Goodchild, customer, had many arcades throughout the South West.

Machines: Jennings One Arm Bandits, Bally Gold Award club machines, Rowe AMI Juke Boxes, the little Cadet, many pin-tables. I had a natural aptitude with fault diagnoses and repairs. I loved the job. I have had a good life since, and retired from a company that I founded called Alert Systems, in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. I was founder member and Technical Director. A local businessman, Terry Brake, joined me and pushed the company forward. I live in a beautiful area in the Philippines now, retired, I am 65. It is always hot here and always fiestas and parties. Please feel free to contact me, sincerely.....Martin Pegrum
glittering-prize67
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by glittering-prize67 »

This Chris Powell - is he anything to do with Powell's Automatics, restoring old bandits and putting some on new themes?
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operator bell
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Re: Peter Simper

Post by operator bell »

Thanks for sharing, Martin! This thread is turning into best collection of PS memorabilia on the whole Interwebs.
martinpegrum wrote:It is with fond memories that I write to you all. I used to be a "Peter Simper" engineer.
robtroi
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Peter Simper's Riverside

Post by robtroi »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Hi!
This is a picture of my Peter Simper Fruit machine called Riverside
Riverside.jpg


And a picture of the Peter Simper Headquarters in Bath.
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