Anyone else notice that early SS Bally manuals never list the part numbers for the finned plastic posts? I was looking to see if I need the 1" or 1 3/16" posts for my machine and it looks like there's no documentation for any of them.

Obviously I can measure the ones on the game now, just thought it was strange when every other wire/post/target is documented.

Probably your best bet. Heck, took me awhile to figure out there was more than one size. Shorties under the plastics, tall ones holding up the plastics...

Quick question with those familiar with the 6 & 7-digit displays -

How often, in average, do components fail on the board? (i.e. Not the glass itself, but the decoder, transistors, etc.)

Rarely, if ever. For the most part, the first two digits on the gas displays will go before any components do. That being said, follow the advice on pinwiki and replace the 1/4 watt 100k ohm resistors with 1/2 watt ones. Your displays will thank you.

Shawn

Ah cool, thanks!!

I have seen a number of them with failed SCRs and decoders. If they aren't working, but have a dim glow at the very least, they most likely can be fixed. The SCRs are easy to test with a digital multimeter and the decoders are cheap and easy to replace (be sure to install a socket). Lastly, turn the voltage down to about 170 vdc (there is a pot on the solenoid driver board that can be turned counter-clockwise to reduce the voltage) and they will last a lot longer with no noticeable reduction in brightness. If they flicker with the reduced voltage, turn it up slightly and they'll be fine.

Is there a way to stand up the playfield in the game on these old Ballys? Right now all I can do is prop up the playfield like a car hood. I'd like to open it further like the way the new Sterns do. Where the playfield leans against the back box. I have a few repairs that I think I could do without taking the playfield all the way out. The games in question are Xenon and Silverball Mania. Do most people just remove the playfield from the cabinet when working on the underside?

There should be notches in the slide rails for you to stand it up on, then lean against the head.

Thanks! The right side is a notch, the left is more of a step with a drop off on one side. I saw those before and thought they might be used for that. But when I tried it I got resistance and so I backed off. Turns out the wiring is a little tangled and that's the resistance I felt.

Another thing to be careful of is if you have the top arch plastics that go all the way up, you have to watch how you tilt it in that notch. The pf will essentially be sitting on the top edge of those plastics.

The Viking saga continues....

Game powers on and I can get into test mode. Half of the lights are not working and my switch matrix is a mess. First things first...

When I test the switches, switch 02 blinks, yet that switch is not closed. When I close switch 1, it registers correctly. However no other switch registers. I unplugged the connector on the MPU, and 0 shows. I also unplugged the coin door, and 02 still shows as closed.

Since the 02 switch itself isn't closed, I am assuming I must have a short somewhere down the line. Should I clip off the chain at two and see if it corrects itself? Not sure where to go from here.

Is there a capacitor on that switch? They short from time to time.

There is, but I did a playfield swap on it so thinking there might be an error somewhere else when I put it back together. I can check the capacitor though.

Anyone have two working AS-2518-50 sound boards I need one for a Globetrotters and Dolly Parton. Please PM Me!
Thanks.
Joe

Having an issue with my Kings of steel, on my power module board (as-2518-54) the f3 fuse keeps blowing. Replaced both bridge rectifiers on the board.. F3 still blows. Unplugged the solenoid driver board.. F3 still blows.

The ceramic resistors look a little burnt... can they be causing an issue?

Suggestions?

20161128_154213 (resized).jpg

Have you tested the diodes at CR5, CR6, CR7 and CR8? Per the schematic, those are the rectifying diodes in the circuit with with F3. One of them has possibly gone bad.

Thanks, I have not. Will check tomorrow. I'm also told that should be a slow blow fuse. Im using a fast acting... maybe getting a high burst at startup?

Where is the best place to buy replacement bulb sockets for under the playfield? I swear half of the ones in my Viking don't work.

Make sure you check the lamp matrix SCRs before replacing sockets. I thought I had bad sockets, turned out to be several bad SCRs in the lamp driver.

What Schwaggs said. However, you probably do have some bad ones. The best prices I've seen are on non-pinball sites, though I couldn't link for you right now.

Check out Action Pinball.
http://www.actionpinball.com/parts.php

These are the ones I use on classic Bally's. Order 25 or more and they're under a buck each.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=992

Thanks all. I will check the SCRs as well. The game is getting close to completion.

Here's an original 1 3/16" post off a Black Jack next to a new Marco one. I know these fade, but were they originally anywhere near that shade of red? Would like to use replacements since so many originals have caked on rubber impervious to brushes and ultrasonic.

image (resized).jpeg

Quesetion: Regarding that one bulb socket under the playfield of my Centaur that acts as a fuse or whatever; does that socket need to remain as a light bulb or can it be converted to an LED along with the rest of the game lighting?

From Pin Wiki: http://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally/Stern#Solenoid_Expander_Board_.28AS-2518-66.29

There is a 555 bulb near (or sometimes not so near) that lights when the solenoid expander is activated. This bulb is essential for proper operation of the expander as the main opto isolator chip (MOC3011) on the expander board needs a load to work. Neither Centaur nor Centaur II use this bulb.

If you have a bulb connected to the solenoid expander it should be incandescent, LEDs draw much less current.

Interesting that Pinwiki says neither Centaur nor Centaur II have it. Mine certainly does and it is a very average Centaur from the middle of the production run. I think Pinwiki is at least mistaken on that part.

Strikes and Spares . Note date code 7826 on battery . 26th week 1978 never replaced
I can repair these MPU's But!
The battery damage has laid waste to the lower components.
This one looks like it will be a pita.
Opinions? any secrets or hints when fixing the corrosion damage ?

20170104_170556 (resized).jpg

I am not a MPU guru.

I would replace P11 and see if it helps. It may be bad but test good if it was only bench tested in another working MPU. The Self test does not test for all the problems with the B ports of the PIAs at U10 and U11. Pins 10-19 are the B ports at U11 according to the schematic.

Per the Bally of Operations Manual:

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Pinball/PDF%20Pinball%20Misc/Bally%20Theory%20of%20Operation.pdf

The accuracy of the Bally self test is about 99.5% The MPU module catches all of the faults except buffer amplifier (B ports) in the PIA chips

----------------
EDIT-

Original post/question From FiatsRUs added for clarity-----

I have an MPU from and EBD that was working fine and then locked on (no flashes, just a constant-on LED). I replaced it with an Alltek MPU but I have been working on the original board trying to get it working. I tested all of the socketed chips (6800, PIAs, 6820 and 5101) in a working MPU and they are all fine. The reset section is working fine (voltages check out on the 6800 and pin 40 goes low when shorting the resistor junction to ground in the reset section). I went to a shotgun approach and replaced every chip and all of the sockets on the board, but it is still locked on.
I put the board on the bench next to a working AS-2518 and powered up both at the same time so that I could check voltages and probe outputs for each one. I have discovered that pins 10 through 19 of U11 on the locked board are dead (no reading with the multimeter nor the probe). Thoughts? Any help would be appreciated.

Who's rebuilding or has sound boards available. I have 2 that need rebuilt for playboys.

Try Andrew barakandl

I'd recommend him for all boards relevant to this thread. Good work, and fast.

Hey Newbie to group. I have 6 Million $ Man, Lost World, Paragon, Lightning, Fathom, Centaur, Embryon and Gorgor (sorry it's a Williams).
If I wasn't already out of space I would add more. Hated the guy that jumped on Split Second last week. Thinking about Silverball cause it's so good looking. How do you feel about it's play with what I have?

Seems like #sbm would fit well in that collection. It's a different game thats pretty unique.

Gorgar is a great game! Don't feel bad. As for SBM, IMHO the gameplay is kinda lame. It has a weird feature but that's it. Look for a Future Spa instead. Great gameplay!

Shawn

Hey guy -
Any EE folks in this thread? Or folks that are *really* intimately familiar with teh MPU-200 flavor of the boards? If so, could you drop me an email? I have a couple really specifically odd questions.

anyone upgrade their speaker/s in some of these classic Bally games?

I love some of the classic sounds and would like them to be even better. Suggestions are appreciated.

I installed a similar type speaker that wasn't 30 years old with tore up membranes and rat pee stains... does that count? (It did improve on the sound!)

it is a start

What speaker did you use? have a link?

I wuld like to improve the sound further and that may be good enough. I honestly know nothing when it comes to speakers so any help is appreciated.

Works best for most games. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GM4G9RG

Curious how good these speakers are? I need one for my EBD.

Most games pump out a whopping 5-10 watts....so this speaker is perfect and a great price.

Yeah this true. Just hate buying a real cheap ass speaker. Some really can some like crap. Ordered one so we'll see. Thanks. . .

Installed a Pinsound speaker in my Elektra.... Vibrates the whole room on loudest setting!! A little pricey but definitely cool.

have a link?

I just ordered two of those Amazong speakers. (One of my Meteor, and one for Mr/Mrs Pac Man I'm restoring for a friend.) I don't need bass-thumping sound (hell, on Meteor, on a good ball... that would cause you to go deaf!) so these should work well.

http://pinballpro.net/shop/early-bally-williams-games-subwoofer/

So my SI is near complete and I have switched to the -35 MPU I scratch built. Got a couple of issues to diagnose and have no idea where to start. Getting it running is one thing. Fixing this? Quite another... Taking all suggestions!

Really technical and specific question -
Does anyone know the address of SW33 (The 'reset' switch)?

Tryin' to modify my ROM revision to have that button enter a credit when not in test mode, and just trying to find the call.

-Mike