As long as the switch can handle the amps and it carries the ground there is no issue

I wouldnt be surprised to throw a breaker just due to turning everything on at once. Turning things on one at a time gives them time to reach stady state current draw. I don't think you'd hurt the machines tho in any case.

I wouldn't do it but its more because I like the feeling of using the power switch like an operator

There's going to be a hell of an in-rush when you turn them all on simultaneously, probably 12 amps each...though they run at a lower amperage, something like 6-8 amps if I remember correctly.

Robert

Again simple matter of amps. If it is sized right you are good. I use this http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BG108000-04-Conserve-Energy-Saving-Surge/dp/B001GQ2W6W to turn on 5 slot machines. Since the switches are internal this makes it a lot easier. My pins I turn on by hand.

They don't run at a constant 6-8 amps. Most are rated that high but they don't draw that peak amount frequently. You wouldn't be able to have more than 1 or maybe 2 turned on in a standard house circuit if that were the case. I believe here in Canada our usual circuits are still fused 15A @ 110V, and in older homes the circuits are often only 12A if I recall.

I've seen 8 machines in attract mode on one circuit and it required at least 2-3 to actually be in full use before a breaker went. The Iron Man magnet helps increase the current draw btw

Ah, Christmas time.
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I did some searching...memory is not as good as it used to be.

Not sure what in-rush is, but probably something like 2 times peak.

I read somewhere that on a 20 amp power strip, when a guy had 2 machines turned on simultaneously, it popped the breaker on it. But those things suck anyway wrt tolerances.

These were measured with a Fluke 87:

Wall voltage: 118Vac

T2:
Attract mode full bright: 1.9~2.0A
Attract mode level 4: 1.8A (level 7 vs level 4 was almost the same
draw)
Play mode: 2.0A average over one game, 3.3A peak

peak amps were for a VERY short duration (flippers flipping, pop
bumpers bumping, etc..)

Who Dunnit:
Attract mode full bright: 2.4~2.5A
Attract mode level 4: 2.2A
Play mode: 2.65A average over one game, 4.4A peak

Getaway:
Attract mode full bright: 1.88~1.93A
Attract mode level 4: 1.75~1.78A
Play mode: 2.27A average over one game, 5.0A peak

Demolition Man:
Attract mode full bright: 2.2A
Attract mode level 4: 2.0A
Play mode: 2.3A average over one game, 4.4A peak

No Fear:
Attract mode full bright: 2.0A
Attract mode level 4: 1.92A
Play mode: 2.3A average over one game, 5.1A peak

F-14 Tomcat:
Attract mode full bright: 2.03~2.48A
Play mode: 2.45A (3.5A w/beacons) average over one game, 6.52A peak

LEDs of course can lower the draw 60%.

I have had 9 pins and a neon lamp on one 20A circuit, all playing at one time with no issues. But my pins have LEDs in them. As for your question, read the fine print and make sure it can handle the amperage.

I use a remote to turn on 3 of mine in my main gameroom, but they're on separate outlets and I turn them on one at a time. Works great. Especially since Revenge's switch is so far back that I can't access it otherwise.

Yes, these measurements were taken pre-LED's. Not even sure if the bulbs were 44 or 47...

Robert

I turn on 1 vid, 3 pins on one outlet remotely and 3 pins, 1 bowler on another outlet, both on same 20a circuit. I turn the two outlets on in sequence, no issues.

use lutron controlled outlets and a lutron controller and you can set it up to turn on whatever machine you want at any time.

Insteon here.. One control panel to rule them all.
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Call me crazy, but I wouldn't trust thousands of dollars of pinball machines (and potentially my house) to a $10 relay to control the power flowing into machines that are 20-30 years old that weren't' meant to last longer than 3-5 years. Everytime I'm done playing, I manually turn each off, then turn off a main industrial tripplite powerstrip which is made of rugged aluminum and has it's own internal breaker built into it if I should accidentally leave it on and something happen
http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtSeriesID=967&txtModelID=192

^^^

you do realize that pinball machines were/are left on for hours (and sometimes days) on end?

you do realize that the power to your machine is running through a very inexpensive breaker in your breaker box?

you do realize that your "rugged aluminum box with internal breaker" really isn't buying you anything (it is just a fancy power strip, with a "breaker" that is no more robust than the ones you are denigrating)?

you do realize that your "rugged aluminum..." is plugged into an outlet that costs a few bucks at most?

i could go on... do you have everything in your house connected in this manner?

nifty... i like that...

I would not trust any Williams sys3-11 that did not have the bridge rectifier mod done to fuse them.

Those really do catch fire.

If your into Home Automation, Insteon makes these nice plug in units that use power line signals and RF to make a P2P web on units.. I run 3 machine per unit and I have a small micro computer in a box that I can access via a UI on my main computer. I then have it run a small script to turn on all my gameroom with one button...

Basically,

If Arcade_On the turn on A then B then C then D and turn off E

Where A B and C are banks or pins/vids and D is blacklights and rope lights and E is main lighting.

VERY good point vid.

ccotenj: Yes I know my lines run through a breaker, but they don't always trip. And yes new pinballs are left on all day, but those don't have issues, old components, etc (and someone is always present while they are on, arcades don't leave pinballs on while the place is closed).

I know I'm probably anal, but my father-in-law is a retired firefighter and you'd be surprised how easily fires are started. Hell, if you just don't push a plug in all the way, it could build up enough resistance to create enough heat to start a fire.

yea, i've been kicking it around a bit... i currently use urc modules for lighting control via rf with wand remotes, but i'm looking to replace/expand that... insteon has become a lot more attractive in recent years with the introduction of tools like isy99...

isy99 once you get it up and running has been fairly bulletproof. If that thing broke I'd be lost.

Before you guys send me any more emails:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-bulletproofing-williams-system-6/page/2

About 8 posts down where it says " FIREPROOFING SYSTEM 3-11 POWER SUPPLIES" is the directions on how to keep those games from catching fire.

You can definitely do this and not worry about blowing breakers. I have all my pins on remote controlled power strips using these:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Switch-Energy-Saving-Protector/dp/B003P2UMNK
The power switches are always on. I turn them on and off at the wall. I've found you can overload your circuits to the point that the older williams will start getting finiky and some may reset when overloaded - and all this will happen well before you blow breakers powering them on at once. It's a complete no issue.

One thing nice about these strips is that they're programmable with 8 possible settings so you can have multiple pins on multiple breakers with one power switch. I currently have one switch for 30 machines.

Hard to say nowadays because there are only a fraction of the games still in service, and most are not left on unattended.

But back in the day, they would burn or melt the transformer.

Luckily, this guy was playing the game when it caught fire and unplugged it before it completely went up.

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