(Topic ID: 252688)

Blackout - Bringing it back to life

By MaxAsh

4 years ago


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  • 150 posts
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  • Latest reply 4 years ago by MaxAsh
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#51 4 years ago

Had some time tonight, went ahead and

socketed/replaced IC6 (7408N) and it worked! I'll do more testing in the morning when I can make more noise without waking the rest of the house, but the Pop isn't locking on anymore, and when I started a game, I was able to trigger it normally.

The only sidenote is that I tested the voltages on IC6 Pin 1 & 3, and neither is 5V still. They are higher though, and tested at 3.99V and 4.43V respectively. Not sure if that means there might still be an issue, but for now it's working.
Any concerns with that?

Next Issue: Drop Targets.
They're resetting on ball drain, which is good. Previously, neither row was scoring or resetting during ball-in-play, so I took the center 3 target apart and cleaned it. The wiper contacts were dirty, as were the drop contact points on the boards. I cleaned them up, and reassembled. If I knock down the 2nd or 3rd target, no scoring occurs, and they stay down. Hitting the 1st drop target (furthest left) resets the entire group, even if the 2nd and 3rd drop are still up. After a short delay, the game awards some points. Thoughts as to why knocking down the first target always resets the row, regardless of the status of the other two targets? I'll try cleaning the back row of drops next.

#52 4 years ago

Schwaggs Bad news all... the pop bumper problem is back again. It was fine for 5-10 minutes of testing last night, zero issues. Woke up this morning, turned the game on, and it's locking on again.

Any thoughts on what might cause it to do that? The game wasn't plugged in over night, no other changes were made. I just woke up and found it back to locking on at power-up. Seems really bizarre. Argh.

EDIT/UPDATE- I removed J12 and re-tested the IC pins from last night. Same voltage results. I reconnected J12, turned the game on, and the pop didn't lock on this time. I added a credit and played a game, no issues. So I guess it's erratic problem?

#53 4 years ago

Turned on the game this evening, and the pop was locking on again. I tried a few things, no luck. But after about 3-4 minutes of turning the game off and on, the Pop started acting strangely. It went from locking on, to locking on, then slowly releasing. Then it did some shotgunning for a few seconds. Finally, it would randomly fire every few seconds, slowly tapering off, and eventually stopping. After that, it functioned perfectly fine. Games could be played, etc. It hasn't locked since.

This feels like a strange power issue almost. Is there a capacitor or something that could be involved? The one near the pop doesn't seem to make sense, does it?

#54 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

Had some time tonight, went ahead and

socketed/replaced IC6 (7408N) and it worked! I'll do more testing in the morning when I can make more noise without waking the rest of the house, but the Pop isn't locking on anymore, and when I started a game, I was able to trigger it normally.
The only sidenote is that I tested the voltages on IC6 Pin 1 & 3, and neither is 5V still. They are higher though, and tested at 3.99V and 4.43V respectively. Not sure if that means there might still be an issue, but for now it's working.

Any concerns with that?

Next Issue: Drop Targets.
They're resetting on ball drain, which is good. Previously, neither row was scoring or resetting during ball-in-play, so I took the center 3 target apart and cleaned it. The wiper contacts were dirty, as were the drop contact points on the boards. I cleaned them up, and reassembled. If I knock down the 2nd or 3rd target, no scoring occurs, and they stay down. Hitting the 1st drop target (furthest left) resets the entire group, even if the 2nd and 3rd drop are still up. After a short delay, the game awards some points. Thoughts as to why knocking down the first target always resets the row, regardless of the status of the other two targets? I'll try cleaning the back row of drops next.

So sorry this is being a pain to figure out...

Can you measure IC6 pins 8 and 14? Both should be around 5V.

Did you say IC10 is socketed? Is it by chance AMI brand?

The drop targets can be tricky to get cleaned and adjusted properly. The contacts need enough tension to make contact but not too much tension that it stops the drops from dropping. You can clean the traces on the boards with fine sand paper. I used a very light coat of dielectric grease on the boards to prevent oxidation and reduce friction.

All the drops and boards need to make contact when down in order for the bank reset switch to close. You may have a wiring problem between the boards since the bank will reset with only one target dropped.

#55 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

So sorry this is being a pain to figure out...
Can you measure IC6 pins 8 and 14? Both should be around 5V.

Schwaggs No problem, I really appreciate all the help. Thank you for coming back and giving advice!

IC6 Pin 8 = 4.34V
IC6 Pin 14 = 5.01V

Did you say IC10 is socketed? Is it by chance AMI brand?

IC10 is not socketed on this board, sadly. It is a Motorola Brand 6821

For the drops, I'll try cleaning them again, and do a little testing when I do. I'll also try cleaning the back drop target bank to see if I get better results.

#56 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

schwaggs No problem, I really appreciate all the help. Thank you for coming back and giving advice!
IC6 Pin 8 = 4.34V
IC6 Pin 14 = 5.01V

IC10 is not socketed on this board, sadly. It is a Motorola Brand 6821
For the drops, I'll try cleaning them again, and do a little testing when I do. I'll also try cleaning the back drop target bank to see if I get better results.

Pin 14 is power supply to IC6 and it looks perfect.
Pin 8 is another output and looks to be around the same voltage as the output you are working on (IC6 pin 3). Odd both outputs are so low in such a simple circuit.

Can you remeasure the IC6 Pins 1 and 2 now that you replaced it?

The problem seems like low/weak output on the IC10 PIA. It could also be the inputs to IC8/IC9 pulling the output low. Feels like the PIA to me as the the circuit with IC8 is working.

#57 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Pin 14 is power supply to IC6 and it looks perfect.
Pin 8 is another output and looks to be around the same voltage as the output you are working on (IC6 pin 3). Odd both outputs are so low in such a simple circuit.
Can you remeasure the IC6 Pins 1 and 2 now that you replaced it?
The problem seems like low/weak output on the IC10 PIA. It could also be the inputs to IC8/IC9 pulling the output low. Feels like the PIA to me as the the circuit with IC8 is working.

IC6 pin 1 = 3.96V
IC6 pin2 = 5.00V

Other readings for reference:

IC10 pin 19 = 3.97V

IC6 pin 6 = 4.35V
IC6 pin 11 = 4.35V
IC7 pin 11 = 3.81V
IC8 pin 5 = 4.34V
IC8 pin 9 = 4.34V
IC8 pin 12 = 4.34V
IC9 pin 2 = 4.34V
IC9 pin 5 = 3.82V

So is IC10 pin 19 not putting out enough power? Or is something pulling that low, further downstream?

It seems that if I unplug J12 and leave the game on for a while, then turn it off, plug in J12, and turn it back on, the pop doesn't lock on usually. Almost like "warming the game up" eliminates the issue. The above readings don't change, so when the pop is locking vs. not locking, they remain the same. Weird.

#58 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

IC6 pin 1 = 3.96V
IC6 pin2 = 5.00V
Other readings for reference:
IC10 pin 19 = 3.97V
IC6 pin 6 = 4.35V
IC6 pin 11 = 4.35V
IC7 pin 11 = 3.81V
IC8 pin 5 = 4.34V
IC8 pin 9 = 4.34V
IC8 pin 12 = 4.34V
IC9 pin 2 = 4.34V
IC9 pin 5 = 3.82V
So is IC10 pin 19 not putting out enough power? Or is something pulling that low, further downstream?
It seems that if I unplug J12 and leave the game on for a while, then turn it off, plug in J12, and turn it back on, the pop doesn't lock on usually. Almost like "warming the game up" eliminates the issue. The above readings don't change, so when the pop is locking vs. not locking, they remain the same. Weird.

Did you replace IC6 with an actual 7408 or was it a 74LS08 or different family?

From your measurements, all the outputs are similarly low, which is weird since they all drive a single input down the line.

Can you measure IC6 1, 4, 10, 13 - those are all the IC6 inputs from the PIAs. Earlier you measured 1 and 10 and they were different. If all the others are 5V and only pin 1 is lower, I think the next step should be to replace the PIA.

#59 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Did you replace IC6 with an actual 7408 or was it a 74LS08 or different family?
From your measurements, all the outputs are similarly low, which is weird since they all drive a single input down the line.
Can you measure IC6 1, 4, 10, 13 - those are all the IC6 inputs from the PIAs. Earlier you measured 1 and 10 and they were different. If all the others are 5V and only pin 1 is lower, I think the next step should be to replace the PIA.

@schwaggs

I used a new SN7408N

Game on in attract, J12 unplugged:

IC6 pin 1 = 3.97V
IC6 pin 4 = 4.99V
IC6 pin 10 = 4.99V
IC6 pin 13 = 4.08V

#60 4 years ago

Quick update on the drop targets: Took apart and cleaned the back one, and in so doing realized what was wrong with the front set... I put the boards on upside down. Total fail on my end. I flipped them all over, and both sets of targets work great now. Funny that it's easy to make that mistake, since they have mounting holes/setup that can handle the contact boards being attached either way. So, warning to future people with that odd drop target issue, check to make sure you have them put back on correctly!

Looks like the only issue left is my locking Pop bumper. Looking forward to your thoughts Schwaggs

#61 4 years ago

Well stuff happens,sounds like youll be a 100% running soon,thats huge having all the drops workin now

#62 4 years ago

Yup, getting close. If I use the trick where I leave J12 unplugged for a while with the game in attract, then turn it off, plug that back in, and turn it back on, there's no locking and it plays fine. So strange.

#63 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

Yup, getting close. If I use the trick where I leave J12 unplugged for a while with the game in attract, then turn it off, plug that back in, and turn it back on, there's no locking and it plays fine. So strange.

That is weird

#64 4 years ago

My center drop targets lock on occasionally too. The game is new to me and I haven't looked into it yet. I thought it was a transistor about to go bad. I didn't see anything shorting.

#65 4 years ago
Quoted from Da-Shaker:

My center drop targets lock on occasionally too. The game is new to me and I haven't looked into it yet. I thought it was a transistor about to go bad. I didn't see anything shorting.

In my experience, most of the time it is the driver or pre-driver transistor. In my case it's not, so we're trying to figure out what it is still. The help on this forum is awesome. Big shout out to Schwaggs especially, as he's been throwing himself at this one even though it's a tough problem to sort out. I appreciate everyone's help. I know we'll get it sorted!

#66 4 years ago

Those voltage readings are really weird. At this point I would replace IC6 or the PIA IC10. Hard to tell which one is the problem with those readings.

#67 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Those voltage readings are really weird. At this point I would replace IC6 or the PIA IC10. Hard to tell which one is the problem with those readings.

Replace IC6 again? The readings were similar for the original IC6 I think, so I guess IC10 should be next. Larger chip, but I do have a spare socket that size. I could steal the 6821 from another board and see if that helps.

I still don't get why letting it "warm up" with the plug removed resolves the issue. So bizarre.

#68 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

Replace IC6 again? The readings were similar for the original IC6 I think, so I guess IC10 should be next. Larger chip, but I do have a spare socket that size. I could steal the 6821 from another board and see if that helps.
I still don't get why letting it "warm up" with the plug removed resolves the issue. So bizarre.

Are the 6821 chips older AMI brand? If so those are known to be questionable. Other chips by Motorola and Hitachi should be much better and less likely to fail.

#69 4 years ago
Quoted from Robotworkshop:

Are the 6821 chips older AMI brand? If so those are known to be questionable. Other chips by Motorola and Hitachi should be much better and less likely to fail.

Both Motorola in this case

#70 4 years ago

So... strange thing that I'll test again, but I noticed something weird. If I hold the pop with my hand, turn the game on, and don't let it pull down (I can feel it trying), eventually it sort of just stops pulling slowly, gets weaker, and then doesn't lock on anymore. Like it gives up almost. After that, it works just fine. I think I turned the game off and on a couple times mixed in there.

Anyway... strange. I will check it again later (it takes a while turned off for it to start the locking on problem again. If I let it sit for only a few minutes, and turn the game back on, no locking. This still seems very strange to me, and I always think of a capacitor issue with situations like that. And you guys are sure it can't be something like that? Capacitor/power issue? Just double-checking before I start yanking off big the IC10 chip!

#71 4 years ago

Question: Would it be worth swapping some stuff around between this pop bumper and an adjacent one, wiring-wise? I could swap the coil wiring, the switch connections (at the board or under the playfield), etc. Just thinking I could eliminate some possible issues that way.

Any issue if I just swapped the connector pins on them to see if the other pop would lock on? I know pulling the connectors and testing says it's a board issue, but if this idea can't hurt anything, I kind of want to try it.

Thoughts?

#72 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

Replace IC6 again? The readings were similar for the original IC6 I think, so I guess IC10 should be next. Larger chip, but I do have a spare socket that size. I could steal the 6821 from another board and see if that helps.
I still don't get why letting it "warm up" with the plug removed resolves the issue. So bizarre.

Sorry, I meant IC9 (downstream from IC6)

Can you confirm we are on the right circuit? When you get it in the working state, quickly tap a wire connected to ground to the tab of driver transistor Q2. If the pop in question fires, we are working in the right place. If it does not fire, try the same test on the other special solenoid driver transistors until you find the right driver transistor.

#73 4 years ago

Schwaggs I'll check shortly and let you know, but I'm 99% sure yes Q2

#74 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Sorry, I meant IC9 (downstream from IC6)
Can you confirm we are on the right circuit? When you get it in the working state, quickly tap a wire connected to ground to the tab of driver transistor Q2. If the pop in question fires, we are working in the right place. If it does not fire, try the same test on the other special solenoid driver transistors until you find the right driver transistor.

Schwaggs Q2 confirmed, we're in the right place

Do you think I should consider replacing IC9 first then?

#75 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

schwaggs Q2 confirmed, we're in the right place
Do you think I should consider replacing IC9 first then?

Cool. Yes, I would try IC9 next

#76 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Cool. Yes, I would try IC9 next

Damn, okay. I assume that's another 7408. I think I'm out of those, I'll have to check.

#77 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

Damn, okay. I assume that's another 7408. I think I'm out of those, I'll have to check.

IC9 is a 7402

#78 4 years ago

In Strange news...

Quoted from Schwaggs:

IC9 is a 7402

Ah, so it is, thank you! Don't think I have one, so I'll have to order. G-P-E I assume this one over at GPE will work fine: https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=7402

Wondering if I should just make a general shopping list for a couple other items. I don't see the IC10 PIA available there though. I welcome suggestions on a few things to pre-buy just in case (aside from some more transistors since I'm running low)

Edit: Just because the game wants to mess with me, the Pop hasn't locked on in about 12 hours. Weird. The downside is that the left kicker (Q8, Solenoid 20) isn't working now. It was the only transistor that had corrosion on the metal tab, so it doesn't really surprise me I guess. Grounding the tab fires the kicker, so wiring is good. Guess I should replace the driver/pre-driver.

#79 4 years ago
Quoted from MaxAsh:

In Strange news...

Ah, so it is, thank you! Don't think I have one, so I'll have to order. g-p-e I assume this one over at GPE will work fine: https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=7402
Wondering if I should just make a general shopping list for a couple other items. I don't see the IC10 PIA available there though. I welcome suggestions on a few things to pre-buy just in case (aside from some more transistors since I'm running low)
Edit: Just because the game wants to mess with me, the Pop hasn't locked on in about 12 hours. Weird. The downside is that the left kicker (Q8, Solenoid 20) isn't working now. It was the only transistor that had corrosion on the metal tab, so it doesn't really surprise me I guess. Grounding the tab fires the kicker, so wiring is good. Guess I should replace the driver/pre-driver.

Well thats troubling. Is there any corrosion on the board itself? Dark traces, etc?

Not that I usually shop there but Jameco has both chips and probably the transistors and sockets. https://www.jameco.com/shop/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=10001&productId=43596

#80 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Well thats troubling. Is there any corrosion on the board itself? Dark traces, etc?

Nope, the board is actually really clean overall. That Q8 area is the only spot. I hit the area with distilled vinegar and such already. Here it is before I cleaned it up. Not the greatest pic, but you get the idea.

It seemed to be working fine, but given this is how it looked, wouldn't hurt to replace it. Looking inside the relay, with the closeup image, I don't like that greenish tinge there. Going to have to peek at that.
Extra_Driver_Corrosion - Copy (resized).jpgExtra_Driver_Corrosion - Copy (resized).jpg

#81 4 years ago

Just reporting a small update. Still no locking coil, so the issue seems to (at least temporarily) have gone away. I need to address the left kicker still, that will be next. Knowing my luck, the locking pop will come back after I fix the kicker, but we'll see.

I decided to take a break for board work and do some cleaning. Threw in some GI LEDs for fun effects, new rubbers, etc. Looks really good. Can't wait to get this all done up nice and running 100%.

#82 4 years ago

Updates

I pulled the board, replaced the driver/pre-driver for the left sling (after cleaning up that area again) and I'm happy to report it's working. Still no locking with the Pop bumper either, so that seems to have "magically" fixed itself. Guessing something I did in the process of testing or cleaning up fixed the issue. Time will tell.

Current Issue

Now that the all the solenoid issues seem resolved, and game seems fully playable, I've taken some time to review the rest of the game. I had not really noticed until now, but I'm realizing that none of the insert lights on the mid-to-upper-left side of the game are working. The row in front of the stand-up targets, and the ones up inside the upper left spinner lane. They're all out. All the GI is working fine, so I hadn't paid much attention while working on everything else. Guessing because of them all in one area, it's likely a connection issue to that grouping, but I'll need to check.

You guys agree that's most likely, and not a board issue?

#83 4 years ago

Looks like it's a Lamp matrix issue. I just checked, and two entire columns are actually out. See below, looks like Column 3 and Column 5 are both dead. Last time I had a switch matrix issue with an entire column out (on my Space Shuttle), it was a small transistor on the board. Guessing lamp matrix issues are similar?

Looking at the schematic, I believe I'm looking for connections 2J5-5 and 2J5-7. That leads me to:

Column 3 = 2J5-5 --> Q72 & Q73
Column 5 = 2J5-7 --> Q68 & Q69

Does that sound correct?

Blackout_Lamp_Trans (resized).jpgBlackout_Lamp_Trans (resized).jpgBlackout_Lights_dead_Matrix (resized).jpgBlackout_Lights_dead_Matrix (resized).jpg

#84 4 years ago

I'm thinking Q68 and Q72 are more likely. Interestingly, the ones on the board I'm using look nothing like most that I've seen. I'm attaching some pics. The labeled ones that are much larger are the ones on my board. The other pic is of another non-working board I have on hand. All of the System 3-7 driver boards I've had use the smaller transistor size and style. I've never seen the larger ones like I have on my current board.

Can I steal some from one of my non-working boards and replace Q68 / Q72, even though clearly the existing are a little different looking?

(Yes, I know some are all bent crazy, I didn't do that, I received them that way)
Lamp_Drivers_1 (resized).jpgLamp_Drivers_1 (resized).jpgLamp_Drivers_2 (resized).jpgLamp_Drivers_2 (resized).jpg

#85 4 years ago

A lot of transistors look the same, but are different. Double check it has the same identification number before trying it. It would suck to reverse the flow and start damaging your cpu.

#86 4 years ago

Here's an easy way to test the columns at the board w/ a logic probe. Found this in Clay's guide:

Turn the game on and put it in the lamp matrix test, with the lamp matrix fuse F3 installed. This will turn all the computer controlled lamps on and off about every second. Now remove the driver board connectors 2J5 (lamp columns) and 2J7 (lamp rows). This will take the playfield out of the picture (where there could be a row/column short).

Put the logic probe on each pin on 2J5 (columns). The pins should be constantly pulsing. If any pin is not pulsing, its probably a bad TIP42 transistor (Q63,Q65,Q67,Q69, Q71,Q73,Q75,Q77), or the pre-driver 2N6427 (Q61,Q64,Q66,Q68, Q70,Q72,Q74,Q76).

#87 4 years ago
Quoted from Da-Shaker:

A lot of transistors look the same, but are different. Double check it has the same identification number before trying it. It would suck to reverse the flow and start damaging your cpu.

Since it's the same board, they should have the same components I would guess, or equivalent anyway... but it's hard to tell. I can't find much in the way of identifiers that I can look up with the Q68 and Q72 positions. The Q69 and Q73 are definitely TIP42 (TIP42B in fact), so I know those are cross-compatible. I could start with those.

I've seen the threads on the MOFSET replacement idea, and some other options. Is that something you have to do ALL of them at once, or can you just do problematic ones and leave the others to avoid working on them all? Just curious.

#88 4 years ago
Quoted from frunch:

Here's an easy way to test the columns at the board w/ a logic probe. Found this in Clay's guide:
Turn the game on and put it in the lamp matrix test, with the lamp matrix fuse F3 installed. This will turn all the computer controlled lamps on and off about every second. Now remove the driver board connectors 2J5 (lamp columns) and 2J7 (lamp rows). This will take the playfield out of the picture (where there could be a row/column short).
Put the logic probe on each pin on 2J5 (columns). The pins should be constantly pulsing. If any pin is not pulsing, its probably a bad TIP42 transistor (Q63,Q65,Q67,Q69, Q71,Q73,Q75,Q77), or the pre-driver 2N6427 (Q61,Q64,Q66,Q68, Q70,Q72,Q74,Q76).

I'll have to give this a try. I admit to a lack of logic probe skill. Own one, barely used it over the years, so I'll need to refresh myself to make sure I'm doing that's needed to use it properly.

In that description, it almost sounds like he's saying remove those connectors while the game is on? That's generally a bad idea, right? Or is that okay with these connectors?

Edit: I have a bulb connected to a couple of wires, I use it for testing at times. Could I pull the connectors 2J5 and 2J7 and test pin-to-pin somehow across those to see if it's definitely a board problem, rather than a logic probe? Just a random thought.Going to go dig for my probe in the mean time.

#89 4 years ago

I take it that you can unplug the lamp matrix connectors with the game on--though you can never unplug any *display* connectors with the game on--the high voltage will destroy a bunch of stuff if that should happen. I think he recommends doing it that way so you can verify you're in lamp test before you start checking the pins with the probe.

#90 4 years ago

Success! The columns/lights are restored to working order. Testing showed that the board seemed fine, which surprised me. I decided to do some more work checking the wiring and connectors. It turns out I had two separate issues.

For Column 3, the issue was the connector at 2J5. The wiring into the connector wasn't very good. It was a little loose, and damaged as it entered the connector housing. I repinned the whole connector, and the lights associated with that Column were restored.

Since that didn't fix the Column 5 lights, I did some more searching. I finally found where the continuity from the playfield wiring was having issues: at the connector between the playfield and the boards. One of the pins in the block connector was slightly compressed, so it wasn't making good contact with the female side of the connector. I cleaned and re-pinned that wire within the block, and the lights associated with that column all came to life.

Officially, I think I've got everything sorted now. I'll do a full test tomorrow to confirm, but I may be able to call this one fixed shortly!

#91 4 years ago

Final issue (hopefully) - Lane Change isn't working.I checked, and the switch is making good contact at the flipper end. Is there something on the flipper area (EOS vicinity) that ties into it?

#92 4 years ago

There is a low voltage switch stacked with the EOS switch which should have a plastic interrupter/lifter on it. This is on the right flipper - they hadn't started putting lane change on both sides yet.

If you go into switch test you can flip the right flipper and hold it up you should see the # for the lane change switch in the display. If you don't something is amiss.

Whatever you do, *DO NOT* adjust anything with the flipper end of stroke and lane change switch with the power on - it is EXTREMELY EASY to slip and short solenoid voltage to the low voltage switch, since they are on the same stack!

Lane change switch is GRN-BLU (col) and WHT-BLU (ret) - perhaps someone disconnected it and it's taped up and tucked away somewhere?

#93 4 years ago

slochar Just checked, and something seems amiss. GRN-BLU is connected to 1/2 of a switch, but the other half has no connection. It looks like the WHT-BLU is connected to a useless lug that has no associated switch.

I went ahead and jumpered the WHT-BLU over to the other half of the switch and the Lane Change worked great. I guess someone soldered it wrong (or there used to be a jumper between those lugs). Looks like I should be fine, unless someone notices another issue.

Thanks slochar!

Blackout_Lane_Change (resized).jpgBlackout_Lane_Change (resized).jpg

#94 4 years ago

There should be a diode there, too, looks like it's missing. You need to put the wire back on the lug it was on and add the diode.... refer to other switches in the column to get the orientation correct.

#95 4 years ago
Quoted from slochar:

There should be a diode there, too, looks like it's missing. You need to put the wire back on the lug it was on and add the diode.... refer to other switches in the column to get the orientation correct.

Thanks! Diode added, lane change working.

Current Issue- Sound time. I have all the sounds and speech, which is great, but the volume is relatively low, and I've got a pretty bad hum. Need to troubleshoot and see what I can do. I cranked up the volume pot all the way, and barely any increase in sound. With nothing else going on, I can hear the game at a low but audible volume, but the hum is almost as loud or louder than the sound.

Capacitors (they're all original)? Volume pot maybe? Grounding issue? I'll do a little digging, but please feel free to chime in if anyone has some quick suggestions.

I pulled the 10J4 connector off and jumpered pins 1 & 2 for max volume, and in my opinion it was medium volume at best.

#96 4 years ago

Probably time to recap that sound board if it has the original caps.

#97 4 years ago

I agree...my Blackout had loud humming, recap of the soundboard made it play loud and clear with zero hum.

#98 4 years ago

Okay, I'll order the caps and get that done. Thanks guys

#99 4 years ago

Also check the header pins while you have the board out. A cold solder joint on J4 or any of the ground pins can cause this too.

#100 4 years ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Also check the header pins while you have the board out. A cold solder joint on J4 or any of the ground pins can cause this too.

Will do, thanks @schwaggs

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