The wiring is reversed…..the violet/yellow wire should be where the banded sided of the diode is. Replace the diode....the TIP36 transistor might have died too...

The resistance of the coil is normal because it hasn't fried - yet. If it is smoking it is probably because the current is continuous instead of momentary. You might have a bad sleeve due to the heat, so replace that and check for free movement. Suspect a shorted driver transistor or something upstream is probably holding it on. Replace the diode if it is at all questionable (inexpensive) making sure the orientation is correct.

Wondering how that got reversed? A backwards diode directly shorts the solenoid power. That should kill the fuse and none of your solenoids using the power from that branch would not work

That would most likely be my brother in law, who has some soldering experience, when we were trying to get the laser kick working a few months ago. He replaced the coil with a new one but I’m guessing he reversed the diode? Just weird because even if this is the case, although the laser kick still didn’t work everything else in the game seemed to be working normally until I turned it on last week after sitting unplugged for a month or so. The plunger does move freely in the sleeve so I guess the coil is still good. Thank you guys for helping me through this

The transistor on my PPS board was shot cooking the coil, it seems to be common on DE games for some reason. The part is a few bucks on Mouser.com and easy to change.

PPB not PPS

Note: Data East legs from that time period were like Bally's legs...
--- butt with black crinkle finish with a light fluting on each side...

Ah, so they *were* ribbed. I have the correct (shaped) ones then. Thank you for the confirmation.

Finally had an hour to mess with the game tonight. I replaced the diode on the kicker coil so the purple and yellow wire matched the banded side of the diode.. powered up and fuses didn’t blow, but the coil locked on and started smoking again. Only this time when it locked on the kicker plunger activated, where as before I don’t remember this happening. So frustrating..

I would get a meter out and check the transistor on the PPB (Playfield Power Board).

Which board are you referring to when you say pps? I’m not familiar with that abbreviation

Playfield Power Board, sorry not PPS. Need more coffee before posting.

Q4 was replaced on mine (Time Machine), was easy to compare it to a known good one right next to it using a meter set on diode check. Mine you could tell something was wrong as it was partially melted and meter confirmed it was bad.

Look up in your manual which transistor runs "Laser kick"

Edit: Just looked back a page or two, looks like you have replace the board already but perhaps it was damaged with the reversed wiring? I'd meter the new board transistors to make sure they are not damaged so you can eliminate it as a possibility.

20190502_170937_resized (resized).jpg

Thanks, I’m in need of some coffee also right about now! I did check the transistors on the new ppb and they check out. I’m pretty sure Q4 was replaced on the old board that I swapped out, but I think Q1 runs the laser kick. I also had my friend replace the Q24 tip 102 on the cpu a while back (when the laser kick first stopped working) but didn’t check the resistors before and after Q24.
Quick question- say I disconnect both wires going to the laser kick coil just to get the game playable again.. in your opinion could this do any damage to any other coils or anything?

1) Disconnecting the coil will not harm anything.

2) If the diagram on the prior page is correct, Q1 on the PPB is for laser kick and Q24 on the MPU.

Went to purchase the EnerGI Maestro a month or so ago but had to sign up to be on a waiting list. PM'd maker, and he said that he just sold the last one and now has to wait for new group of buyers before his next run. Told me it could take up to 3 or 4 months. As an update, I just checked with him and the waiting list is about half way there.

So, my plea to all DE owners is if you ever thought about buying one of these then now is the time! Help me get mine faster by signing up on the waiting list. Selfish motives - of course, but you'll benefit also. Get rid of all the clicking during GI changes and also adjust dimming/flashing to help avoid the seizure inducing flashes that DE games can have with LEDs installed.

Learn about it here: https://sites.google.com/site/energimaestro

Sign up on the waiting list here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnci_UqqFLH8AF7CiGq_aPceyLlusw0XluQEeJnGR-PyJ-qQ/viewform

As the owner of one of these boards, I can only echo Tantrum. The play after installing was much less disturbing: flashing LEDs no longer obnoxious, no clicking. Easy install and adjustment. Overall a must-have addition if you convert to LED.

Jeez, something else to buy. I have a Robocop. I did not know I was having a problem. I"m thinking that this pinball hobby is 10% of the U.S. economy

I would like to give a shout out to Rob Anthony of https://pinside.com/pinball/biz/directory/1092-lockwhenlitcom.

I was having problems with the pop bumpers and slings on my Robocop. I tried all I knew what to do. Some searching for my problem led me to this gentleman who talked like he knew what was going on.

Short story: I advised him of my issues and I sent him my problematic MPU. For around $100.00 he sent it back working 100%.

I asked him if I would just be better off to buy the Rottendog replacement board he also sells for $400.00. He said my MPU should be OK to repair. He could have told me otherwise and I would not have known the difference.

You can go to Rob with confidence you will be treated fairly. I got a real quick real quick turn around from him.

I'm curious...did Data East ever have a parts guide ala Bally, Gottlieb and Williams?

Helping a buddy on a pin trying to decipher where some hardware goes (posts,screws) and replacing some completely missing. Manual is rendered useless for the pedantic items.

Not really... They did give new parts information to the current pinball they were putting out...
Butt, you would have to have the current game manual to get the new part #s etc, etc, etc.
They were getting better at parts listing towards the end of the line before Sega bought them out.
Sega would do a complete overhaul of the parts listing in much better detail.
As for Data East games...
I would take a copy of the playfield layout and start marking where the post go, the size, the color, etc.

Ugh, I was 'fraid of that, thanks Vector.

I'm helping a buddy on his Star Wars, trying to decipher what went here and there. Problem is missing screws,wrong screw sizes and the probably one of the harder to find items - missing standup posts for plastics.

Guess the only action is to contact owners for info and work from the beginning.

Rob is one of the best in service and board repair. He has repaired/fixed multiple boards for me in the past and is currently fixing my power supply board on Getaway. Plus, Rob's a really nice guy!!

I've got some nice Tech Charts on my website http://www.inkochnito.nl
Look in the Data East section (or the Tech Charts section).
Data East schematics for each board are also available.

Peter

Can you post pictures of what you need clarified on the Data East Star Wars?

This is perfect for quick reference, thanks for sharing!

So I pulled the new ppb board I installed and sure enough Q1 tip 36c transistor is toast. Also tested the old boards’ Q1 and that was toast also.

Bear with me, this is my first pin. I’m learning as I go, but so far this is where I’m at-

Laser kick stops working. A friend swaps out Q24, the tip 102 on the mpu. Now, in hindsight, I believe this is not where we should’ve started. Game plays the same but still no laser kick.

Friend swaps laser kick coil but mounts the diode backwards. Game still plays.

After a month of the game being idle I turn it on and basically nothing is working as it should. (ball won’t launch, strange displays on the screen)
I find a burnt fuse on a fuse clip that was previously broken, friend soldered the fuse directly to the broken clip. (F5 on the ppb)

Spend $80 for a computer guy to solder a new fuse clip and a new tip 36c (Q1)
Turn on, fuses blow. Disconnect connectors to the flipper board, fuses don’t blow but laser kick coil locks on and smokes.

Spend $145 on a new ppb board. Replace laser kick coil diode and flip it the right way. Power on and laser kick coil locks on and starts smoking

Check new and old ppb board Tip 36c at Q1 and both are toast.. and now for the big question, what the hell is causing the Q1 to fail??

My next step will be pulling the mpu and checking what I can on that, but if anyone wants to chime in and help me straighten this out beers are on me

What I would do is replace the Q1 (I got mine from Mouser)

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/511-TIP36C

At $2 a pop I ordered a few just on general principle.

Very easy to replace- Just cut all 3 legs off with dykes so they are separate and then you can use a solder iron to remove the legs one at a time. Might have to use solder braid to clean up individual mounting holes and then solder in the new unit.

This done, the PPB is fixed and set aside.

At this point I would triple check polarity of the diode and ohm the laser coil to make sure it is 100%. So the only thing suspect is the driver on the MPU. You could even disconnect the laser coil and hook up a meter to those leads and see if the coil is getting power and ground for operation. This way there is no load on the transistor and little opportunity for failure.

Power up the machine and see if voltage and ground is present. If the meter reads nothing but you can trigger the switch and get a pulse then you are good. If it reads power (meaning the MPU is grounding the circuit) then it is time to look at the transistor on the MPU.

Personally if ordering from Mouser for the Q1, I would order the Q24 transistor too. Have you compared the Q24 unit to the others on the MPU for the same readings?

The sounds on my Robocop are not quite right. I have have it running and playing well. But the sounds are not consistent. Sometimes the Turbo sounds are sounding off and sometimes they are not.

I read somewhere that I should consider replacing the ribbon style sound cable. This is the only site that Googled up when Googled Robocop pinball sound cable. I would buy this cable but the seller says, "It is suspected to work".......

http://pinball-mods.com/oscom/replacement-parts-dataeast-sound-cable-p-34.html

I don't want to spend 25.00 for a cable that is suspected to work.

EDIT: I guess this is the website for Pinsider Zitt.

What sound cable options do I have for Robocop?

TIA

Does anybody know where I can find a volume potentiometer for a Robocop?

Marco Specialities shows this long shaft unit.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/123-5000-02

detail (resized).jpg

But the one in my Robocop is a double-barrel looking unit. There are 2 pots on this one. Both pots are the same part number. I see no way to separate them. And I don't know how I would wire in the Marco unit as a replacement.

Thanks

IMG_1442 (resized).JPG

Do a Google search for "stereo potentiometer 10K"
I found it within a second here in the Netherlands.
https://www.reichelt.nl/draaipot-logaritmisch-6mm-stereo-10-k-ohm-po6s-log-10k-p88256.html?PROVID=2788&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4KK-24-P4wIVDOR3Ch0Pzg7mEAQYASABEgICEfD_BwE&&r=1

I don't know where to find it in the USA.

Peter

Try Parts Express

Thank you! I would have never thought of that.

Googling "stereo potentiometer" brings up many suppliers in UK and Europe. Lots of choices.

Thank you! Parts-Express stocks several. I will need to decide the corrects values to buy. P-E's selection are all of a short shank variety that I can make work.

It will be another one of these items to buy where the shipping will cost more than the part. But in the end, you are glad you have the option to even make a buy.

I did spray my pot with some contact cleaner and this got rid of 95% of my sounds issues. But I still want a spare on hand.

Plan B is to buy a PinSound with the headphones station. Then the volume is controlled externally with the headphone station dial (no headphones necessary) instead of the internal pot.

I looked at that several months ago, however, Robocop is not on Pinsound's list of compatible pins. I would have loved to had the upgrade.

https://www.pinsound.org/pinballs/

I see that. You should PM Nicolas PinSound to verify.

Thanks for the contact info. I just sent an inquiry PM.

but you still need the potmeter to change between soundpackages on the pinsoundboard?

i have the first pinsoundboard and no headphone station

If you purchase the new headphone station (the one with the volume dial), this replaces the pot connection to the soundboard on DE games. Therefore, the pot is fully disconnected and the PSS is used to control volume. This also works with PinSound 1 (I have it on my Jurassic Park).

I’m still parting out my Secret Service playfield and the Topper if anyone’s interested. Lots of good parts on it, but no plastics left.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/74362

Hoping to find someone that has experienced choppy sound on a Data East pinball with a Pinsound card installed and has purchased their Data East power booster cables. Have some sound issues with my GnR right now.

Have tested the Pinsound card in another game and it works fine. Let me know if anyone has purchased this item and the results. Thanks for the help.

get the Data East power booster, that has solved my problems on my DE Batman and LAH. It sucks they don't tell you about it when you buy it, now you'll have to wait for it...
Screenshot_20190729-170509_Chrome (resized).jpg

Rottendog FLP023 Universal flipper board.

To anybody who has replaced their flipper board with this universal Rottendog board:

Is it giving you good service? Are you happy with the performance?

Thanks.

Screen Shot 2019-08-02 at 9.53.01 PM (resized).png

Thanks for the advice on the Data East Power Booster cable. Have ordered one from Pinsound. Now to figure out my flipper issue on my GnR. Not the flipper board as I tried it on a friend's game and no issues and all of the fuses check out ok. Both are machine gunning. Thanks.

Here's my Time Machine after I finished it a few months ago. I made the custom topper and several of the playfield toys.

Flippers are stuttering, started with right, then left (right was then working fine) and now both. Thanks for the help.