Thanks for taking the time to look. I'll repair my panel and see if I can get the orange wire to feed from the left.

Anytime bud

Most of the times I prefer to be a doer than a thinker... project is on going
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Very nice! Please do share the full size scans when you get them done.

After a year and a half after stupidly selling my mint Baywatch, I was thankfully contacted by the buyer and was able to get it back.

I got rid of it last time as I noticed a lot of similarities with it to Stern TMNT (and there are quite a few shared shots between it and TMNT), which I had just gotten and was in the honeymoon stage with. TMNT lasted a little over a year, Baywatch is back and bolted to the floor!

Welcome back!

Alright chums, riddle me this. My Baywatch is almost 100% but is experiencing one weird quirk that I just can't seem to wrap my head around. I think that I've narrowed down the issue but I want to post it here for all of you to pick apart and point out where my brain is falling to work properly.

The issue: I am having erroneous switch matrix issues that I believe I can pinpoint down to the Solid State Flipper Board (which is a replacement from pinned.de)

The symptoms: Baywatch is doing a few odd things when, and only when, both flippers are pressed down. These things are mainly associated with Row 7 on the switch return, and namely are:
1.) balls locking when both flippers are pressed and a ball is in the Shark VUK
2.) the ball lock drops complete without the middle drop actually being actuated
These are both caused by, for whatever reason, switch 55 and switch 23 ("under playfield ramp" and "3-bank drops (middle)" activating when both of the flippers are pressed, but ONLY when either the bottom of the three drops, or the shark super scoop (switches 24 and 56) are activated. This causes balls to register as locked when the ball lock is lit or completes the ball lock, and then locks a ball, usually to the frustration of spitting out a new ball from the trough and sending 2 into play.

How I've narrowed it down to the SSFB (I think): I've ruled out a mechanical issue or a wire being loose on either row or column because the issue persists when the trouble switches are desoldered and removed from the circuit and yet they still activate in the switch matrix. The issue ceases to exist when the flipper board is present in the circuit. Since the return wire on switch 7 is a through-crimped IDC connector, taking the board out allows all switches (with the exception of 63 and 64 of course) to work normally. When the board is installed on either the upper or lower flippers, the issue persists. I do not have a 520-5080-00 board present to test it against, but I'm losing my mind trying to think of other possibilities. All the non-surface mount transistors on the board test fine and I've gone ahead and replaced Q7, Q11, and Q12 just to see if it made a difference (it didn't) and I'm looking to see what might be the issue I'm dealing with. T1-3 test fine as well. The only other relevant info that I can give is that whoever installed this board before me had the dip switch settings wrong. Schematics for the repro board can be found here.

The only other thing I can think of somehow there is something shorting out in the flipper buttons themselves, but I am really struggling to think about how that could possibly occur only when the board is present.

Maybe another couple things to check...Have you checked the cabinet mounted flipper boards or main wiring harness by them?

The flipper boards, being where they are located, are susceptible to having components sheered right off them or damaged, from what I like to refer to as the "Data East/Sega Flop"; being that they lack the spring lockouts that B/W's machines have, upon lowering the playfield from the service position, if you pull the playfield forward, it will fall into the cabinet, right in line with the flipper boards.

Also check the main wiring harness bundle that runs by them; the bundle is susceptible to snagging the board and rubbing insulation off of wires in the huge bundle causing erratic shorts/behavior. Get a big wire loom over the wiring harness bundle if you don't already have one to protect the harness and the flipper boards from rubbing against each other.

Good luck!

The Solid State Flipper Boards in question are the ones you're describing. I have experienced the "Data East/Sega Flop" you describe, which is a great term, and the one thing in pinball that has almost made me give up on the hobby almost every time it happens. Makes you feel like a complete failure. The harness tubes are present on this game and each return wire loom has been inspected for shorts. I just can't imagine a game experiencing this symptom with the switches PHYSICALLY removed. That's what makes me point to the board rather than a connection point.

After rereading the original post, possible rom issue? Possible logic processing issue on any of the chips? Any previous acid damage? Faulty diodes on the flipper coils? A faulty diode in the 7th row of the matrix? Just shot gunning here, but I'm guessing you've checked those.

Not a rom issue. Rom has been swapped and reset number of times.
Every diode in the circuit line has been checked and tests good, and even so, if these switches are showing up in the matrix with the switches completely unplugged, I doubt that would be a stray diode issue.
Every diode on the suspect faulty SSFB checked and tests good.
Every pre-driver transistor and diode has been tested on the MPU, and the MPU swapped with a known working one to in theory eliminate the issue being the switch PIA (unless of course this process friend the other switch PIA but I refuse to believe that with all of the transistors and diodes functioning a PIA IC would burn up because of a dead SSFB).

The only other thing I can think of is it possibly being an issue with something in-between the SSFB and the flipper button switches, but I think there's almost nothing in the circuit in-between the switch and the board.

It's been a while since I've been through DE flipper theory of operation, but to your point, I don't think there is either; the flipper buttons close their respective switches, which signal the driver board/mpu to send power to the flipper coils via the ssfb; i.e. driver/mpu are are completely separated from the flipper switches power-wise. They only send signal.

This really is a head scratcher. It stinks that you don't have access to some genuine DE ssfb's to test if the problem goes away to isolate the board(s) themselves. I am generally suspect of this type of rottendog or aftermarket all-in-one board. Something is sending a signal back on the logic end; if it's erratic current from the ssfb, it's anyone's guess. Sorry I can't be more helpful here.

Not sure if this has been answered. I searched and saw several years ago someone had a similar problem, but couldn’t find a resolution?

It’s my skill shot. Whenever I choose the 2ahots that pass through the upper gate, the upper gate does not open. In the coil tests it works perfectly.

Although when I do try these two shots the gate does open, but only after the ball hits the closed gate, which by them is too late. I checked when the rollover skill shot is selected the gate does not open when the ball hits?

It would seem the gate knows it should open however until the ball hits the gate it doesn’t open?

Any smart electronic folks or anyone who has dealt with this same issue have answers?

Thanks in advance.

I’ve Had my BW for like 5+ years. I got turtles pro in March and sold it November. Still have Baywatch

You need that beach scene to warm you up during those cold winters.

Absolutely. We’ve been in a deep freeze for a month

You need some:

Welcome Back Pierce!

Does anyone know where the ramp decals can be purchased?

I was asking the same question, but with no answers. So I've started a process to remake them myself (redraw from scans of the originals). I have the equipment to professionally print, cut and laminate and might be selling them in a near future.

I use a set of chopsticks and a little luck to place standup foam backing (weather stripping) on the back side of the control gate (circled) and tightening this screw and it made all the difference. My control gate was the same as yours, it worked in tests but only seemed to work randomly in gameplay. Now it works every time, and only once every blue moon will a rollover skill shot slip under the gate. And the right flipper orbit shot is amazing. Hopefully this helps.
-Lb

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Perhaps not helpful but mine peeled right off. Bought some 3M 467MP and put them on the new ramps.

Yes, seems like the way to go is to salvage the decals. https://rampomatic.com/blogs/tutorials/how-to-reuse-decals

Hey gang. My Baywatch is playing almost 100% but the last issue I'm having is I think my ball trough VUK is out of alignment and I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a nice powerful kickout. Any tips on dialing in the alignment on the trough VUK?

Set up a camera on slo-mo and video where it's hitting? and adjust accordingly

While I'm notorious for doing that (helped me figure out my ramp issues I was having here) the issue with the design of this trough is that from what I can tell, there's really no place to visibly see the ball getting kicked out of its place.

Another Pinsider mentioned to me that Marco might make Baywatch ramp decals...So I emailed Marcopinball sales' team to ask if they would produce the Baywatch ramp decals or if they had the decals on their to-do-list, and they replied. Stating that they would alert the production team that there is an interest in the Baywatch ramp decals and look into sourcing them, but gave no ETA.
If you are interested in Baywatch ramp decals i suggest emailing them as well, maybe with enough interest they will get to them sooner. Fingers crossed.
-Lb

Yes, I reached out to Marco as well. This is the response, so agree let them know if you are interested.

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I had to redo the connector on my sound board to fix this issue, ground connection was poor. I've seen some talk of people "floating" their sound boards in the backbox to reduce Data East/Sega hum as well

Anyone looking to leave the club? I have never played this title but have seen it on a few streams and it really has me interested in giving it a try

No, it's bolted to the floor. Cliche response, but I'll probably switch out in a year or two because I have room for only one pin. I'm sure you'll find something because it really is a great game, especially with the XL ColorDMD.

General question: How does nudging the game work after its bolted to the floor?
(And I guess that slide saves would then be out of the realm of possibility.)

Is this a serious question? If so, "bolted to the floor" isn't literal, it's figurative. It just means it's "never leaving" the collection.

You have to have the leg bolts be real loose.

Did it last night and this method worked perfectly for the ramp decal transfer.

Upper midwesterner looking for my first pin. This machine looks to be ideal! Anyone looking to sell?

My advice to you is if this is your first pin, make sure the one you buy has been recently shopped. This pin is Mother F'r for shopping.

Hey Everyone and Anyone,
I am looking for a little help. Done a complete topside tear down to install my new ramps and am having trouble with an area of reassembly. It is the back connection of the Iron man/Tourist ramp. I am attaching a pic of the area and if someone could get a pic for me of how that goes together I would greatly appreciate it!

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bridgeman

This piece gave me big trouble because it just wan't fitting. It took me over a month to put back together because I was waiting on parts and I didn't take good enough pictures. I thought I had it and then stuff wasn't working. I took it back apart and then boom it just fit right. I just took these pics for you.

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You are also missing a tear drop piece of plastic that covers that hole. I have never figured out what that is there.

I appreciate the pic Ryan. I really thought I was meticulous to take a bunch of pics...and I did. However, apparently not of this location. I believe this pic shows me what I need to know. I will be back on the project Sunday and find out! Again Thanks!!

Patrick.

I do have the tear drop piece, its just not installed yet. Thanks again!

Patrick

I'm guessing to prevent an air ball from getting stuck there. But I never understood the point of the access hole; there's nothing to access there...weird.

I assumed that the access hole was to attempt to reach the right ramp exit switch, but as someone who has had to replace that switch, I can tell you for damn sure, it doesn't help you reach that switch.

I thought so too when taking before pictures. To get that one you really have to get your phone in there.

Glad I could help.

New translites available for this great game. Something more fun and funny and still sexy. Pm if interested.

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Sorry I currently don't own a BW. I promise it will be eye popping though.