Spinning the Big Wheel backwards

[Casey]

Don't the beeps go out of sync when the wheel is spun backward?  I think it beeps in the middle of a space instead of at the edge.

Doesn't the wheel use an optical sensor to know when to beep ?  That part of the wheel wouldn't change just because of the direction the wheel is rotating.  When they move the wheel backwards for a bonus spin try, it still beeps like it would going forward.

[Axl]

It's a little hard to see in this picture...



...but the strip for the sensor on each space is actually two-tone.  One half is white and the other is black.  The sensor is set to beep when it detects a change from black to white.  Going from white to black does nothing.  (It may actually be the opposite of what I'm describing since I'm not sure exactly where the sensor is positioned, but the principle is the same.)

Consequently, when you spin backward, the beeping is out of synch.  I'm not sure what you're talking about with setting up the bonus spin... I've seen it beeping at the wrong times on those occasions.  In fact, it sometimes beeps the moment Drew or Bob (or the contestant) starts moving it, long before it's near a peg.

[Ponch8]

Consequently, when you spin backward, the beeping is out of synch.  I'm not sure what you're talking about with setting up the bonus spin... I've seen it beeping at the wrong times on those occasions.  In fact, it sometimes beeps the moment Drew or Bob (or the contestant) starts moving it, long before it's near a peg.

It sure does sound like the beeping is out of synch in the clip Temptation1979ga posted; I had never noticed this before.  Youtube clips have been known to have the audio out of synch with the video, but that doesn't appear to be a problem with this particular clip.

[Flerbert419]

I believe this picture helps illustrate Axl's point better.



However, I'm not so sure about the fact that going from one color to the other does nothing.  

I was under the impression that the change of color, regardless of which goes to which, causes the beep.

In fact, it sometimes beeps the moment Drew or Bob (or the contestant) starts moving it, long before it's near a peg.

Could be right on the border between white and black, causing some premature beeping.

Note that the color change happens in the middle of each of the wedges, as well as at the borders.

[SteveGavazzi]

I was under the impression that the change of color, regardless of which goes to which, causes the beep.

That would make the wheel beep 40 times on each revolution.

[GameShowFan1987]

What it senses is the light coming back when it hits the white parts.  That's what makes the beep.  It's like when the door at the convenience store dings when you walk through it.  You block the light ray then it comes back when you walk out of the beam and you get a beep.  The reason the white is only half the size of the space is so the beeps are even.  If they were full length, the wheel would either beep one long beep while spins or possibly not at all.  For the same reason, if they were all black, the wheel wouldn't beep at all.

[Season36Fan]

One question I've had when those type of incidents occured is why the wheel wasn't put back in the same position in which it stopped before the contestant spun.  It seems like the wheel should be placed back on the same amount again so the contestant would be spinning it correctly from the same position.

It really doesn't matter much, as the wheel is somewhat of a randomizing agent .   Every player starts on a different number in any case, so what does it matter if the wheel gets moved between spins?   Not a big issue, just like the fact that it is TECHNICALLY possible to not get the wheel all the way around and still land on the same space as you started on (although they always view where the arrow lands in terms of the value,  not down to the inch). 

[gamefro]

One question I've had when those type of incidents occured is why the wheel wasn't put back in the same position in which it stopped before the contestant spun.  It seems like the wheel should be placed back on the same amount again so the contestant would be spinning it correctly from the same position.

Well, it'd probably be the same reason as to why the wheel is not reset whenever someone doesn't make a full spin and has to spin again.  What that reason is, I'm not sure--in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't seem to be that important.