(Topic ID: 266228)

1976 Aladdin's Castle no Alley Lights

By hjh632

3 years ago



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  • 9 posts
  • 3 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by MarkG
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Bally Target Selector (resized).jpg
AlleyUnit Disk (resized).png
AlleyLitesSchematic (resized).png
Alley3 (resized).JPG
Alley2 (resized).JPG
Alley1 (resized).JPG

#1 3 years ago

My Aladdin's Castle game worked fine except for the Alley lights. The left side (while standing in the playing position) circuit board of the Aladdin's Alley Unit is cracked and separated. This caused the playfield alley lights to light in an out of step pattern. The playfield roll over buttons worked, they triggered the Aladdin's Alley relay which caused the Alley unit to advance. All scoring (500, then 1,000, 2,000 etc. through special "same player shoots again") was fine, just messed up lights.

A tech repair guy I've been very happy with attempted a repair. He bridged the stepper unit gaps with wire fastened by solder to the traces on each side of the gap. (See pictures) It looks like it should work, but now NONE of the lights in the Alley EVER come on. He finally gave up. Scoring is still fine. I checked with a jumper and the light bulbs and sockets work fine, so it's not a simple coincidence of multiple dead bulbs.

My skill level is moderate, schematics are a bit hazy in my mind. I don't think I'd be competent enough to take the Aladdin's Alley unit apart or remove it from the game. (There is a similar or identical match unit in the back box, but that has always been in pieces, so no help there, although the circuit boards look good.) I can live with it as is - I can count the number of 1000 chimes to follow where the game is in the Alley sequence, but it sure would be nice to have the lights back. Whatever I do, I don't want to bumble around and mess up the correct scoring. Any ideas for help at my skill level?

A link to the schematics: https://archive.org/details/aladinscastleschematics/mode/1up

Alley1 (resized).JPGAlley1 (resized).JPGAlley2 (resized).JPGAlley2 (resized).JPGAlley3 (resized).JPGAlley3 (resized).JPGAlleyLitesSchematic (resized).pngAlleyLitesSchematic (resized).pngAlleyUnit Disk (resized).pngAlleyUnit Disk (resized).png
#2 3 years ago
Quoted from hjh632:

It looks like it should work, but now NONE of the lights in the Alley EVER come on.

If none of the bulbs work I'd look for something they all have in common. Here's a diagram of the relevant assembly from the '66 Bally Parts Catalog. It may not be identical to yours but it can illustrate how it works.
Bally Target Selector (resized).jpgBally Target Selector (resized).jpg
Your schematic shows that there is a white wire that should be connected to wires that lead to each of the bulbs, one at a time. That white wire should be connected to a wiper near the hub of the assembly (in red in the diagram above) that gets swept across the contacts to each of the bulbs in turn. Note also that in your photos I think the white wire leading into the assembly and the wires leading out to the bulbs are all on the right, or not broken side.

Unplug the game and use a meter on the lowest resistance setting to see if you can trace how far the white wire gets into the assembly. Does it reach the wiper? Does it reach the pad the wiper is touching? Does it reach the wire soldered to the pad that the wiper is touching? Etc. It seems likely that there is some kind of discontinuity between the white wire and the wiper that is affecting the bulbs and not the repair that was made.

/Mark

#3 3 years ago

Amazing! Some progress. It is definitely the right side, not the repaired side. I had wondered about that since I traced wires from the right side to the playfield light bulbs - but was hung up in my thinking since the repair tech had concentrated on the left side. I'm a little confused as there are two wipers on the right side.

The wiper furthest from the hub connects to the white wire according to my meter. (maybe the other one also) Most of the time it is 'around the corner' below and I can't see it. When I start the game up and manually rotate (with the solenoid plunger) the wiper pad to the two easy to see top positions I find some hope. Using a pencil point I can push the wiper pad in for better contact and light up the 5,000 bulb, rotate, then light the special bulb. Maybe if the wiper was in tighter it would light all the bulbs, including those positions that I can't see/reach to manipulate.

I have to figure out how to clean the circuit board traces and adjust the wiper arm for better contact, all without disassembling the whole unit. I'll be thinking about it for a while, will be glad to take suggestions, and will post any results in the meantime. Henry

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from hjh632:

I'm a little confused as there are two wipers on the right side.

If you look carefully at the diagram above, or at your assembly you might see that the middle wire terminal, labelled F, connects to a copper trace that forms a ring around the center hub. The wiper is likely actually a C shaped wiper with contacts on each end. One end rides around the inner ring and always makes contact with the center/F terminal. The other end selects between the other 10 terminals. You could have dirt or tension issues on either or both ends of the wiper. You're on the right track though.

#5 3 years ago

Almost there. Removed the unit from the bottom board so I could clean traces with a Q-tip and alcohol and bend the spider arm with a leaf tool. Had all the lights working except the 4. If I wiggled the circuit board the four would work, but then not some others and back and forth. Will try to finish up when I have some light in the morning. Thank you for taking the time to explain. This is the first time in 20 years it's been this close!

#6 3 years ago

I’m going to call it close enough. Works right except the 500 light isn’t always on when it should be. It’s gone from no lights ever to pretty much perfect. I think for any better I’d have to totally disassemble and that’s beyond me right now.

MarkG thank you yet again. Too bad Colorado is so far away or I’d be taking your trouble shooting/repair course.

#7 3 years ago

Keep an eye out on Ebay for a used assembly. I needed one and eventually one was listed. I believe I paid $20 plus shipping.

#8 3 years ago

That's a good deal. I think my assembly is okay, just needs to be cleaned better and have the wiper adjusted just so, but I can't do a proper job without taking it apart. Very hard to work around stuff in the narrow spaces, but I'm hesitant to disassemble. So for now, close enough until I have more confidence and experience. Still pretty new at this.

#9 3 years ago
Quoted from hjh632:

but I'm hesitant to disassemble.

I'm glad you got it sorted out. Disassembly and cleaning will be important skills to develop if you want to progress in the maintenance end of the hobby. It's not that tricky if you read up on it, take your time and lots of photos but I can respect your caution. You might consider seeking out and practicing on some junk parts. They don't need to be specific to your game.

Find a cheap or donor score reel or step unit and see if you can tear it down, clean it and reassemble it on a workbench with good lighting. Then try again or pass it on to someone who needs it. You'll learn a lot about the general principles of how they work.

Quoted from hjh632:

Too bad Colorado is so far away or I’d be taking your trouble shooting/repair course.

I'm glad you're interested in the class. I hope to take it on the road some day.

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