That is the one that I ordered as well and it works great. I also have the other one that fits inside the original channel. That is when you discover how warped the original gets.

Opto Carrier2 (resized).jpg

Buy the swinks upgrade carrier and never look back. All of us who helped improve this, especially @pinballreno, had 100% success with it upon using it along with pindorabox boards.

Picked up a DW this weekend and it has a whole lot of switch issues. The main thing is, every time you hit the launch button, you get a tilt warning. I think the launch Hutton was replaced by the previous owner and is not wired correctly. The other main issue is it will sometimes say slam tilt switch stuck open, or will randomly slam tilt even while sitting in attract mode.

I think I’m gonna start with the launch button wiring if anyone can post a picture of how everything should be, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Sounds like the diode on the Launch button is around the wrong way. Should be easy fix.

Is there any battery damage on the MPU? Does it look like it had prior re-work? If it was a replaced maybe there is corrosion in the connectors. I had to repair that section on my Dr Who.

There is no corrosion. I haven’t pulled any boards yet to see if there are any repairs behind them or not.

I honestly think that fixing the launch button will eliminate any of the other issues. I’m just not sure on the proper wiring

Here is a pic, hope it helps. I gave u start and launch.

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I appreciate your help! I can’t see the diode but I have a feeling mine is backwards. Any chance you can take a picture of that? Sorry to be a pain.

It is a standard rectifier diode 1n4004

Screenshot_20220321-113002_Chrome (resized).jpg

That’s the diode for the illumination on the button. The one in question is the one from the green to white wire on the bottom of the switch.

Same diode, banded side of diode is on Green with orange wire

You can also post a picture of YOUR wiring so someone can visually inspect it. I propose that you are asking for the help so you should do most of the work. I'm more likely to consider posting an answer with all the information needed to help in front of me than a question with very little information. In those cases ... I just move on. I am also more likely to post if there's an ERROR in a response.

Consider: asking someone to ...

1. go to their machine
2. open it up
3. take a picture
4. download the image
5. upload the image to the forum

Versus:

1. consider image(s) that you have of your machine (configuration) and making an assessment

Not according to the wiring schematic.

switch_matrix_circuit.jpg

The wiring colors are highlighted. The diode is highlighted in red. The banded end should point to the ground (low) side. The current flows from the row side to the column side. Therefore the banded end of the diode should always point to the green wire. Detection of the switch state is done by detecting the row side so the diode must be on the row side (white wire) with the banded to the ground (green wire). This is true for ALL WPC (89 or 95) machines. If you learn this rule you can wire up any switch without an image.

Sorry bout that, thanks for the correction @Dumbass. I no longer own a Doctor Who, so I can't post a pic of what I don't have. I only had some old pictures.

I am happy to help and do some work when it is required. The fact that you don't have a machine is yet another reason why a user asking for help should provide images of their situation.

The most important thing is that information / advice posted is correct.

"primum non nocere" = first, do no harm

This is why I like to provide "receipts" (= evidence) for any claim that I make rather than just making a claim and then someone assuming it's gospel. Do your own reading. Make your own conclusions.

I appreciate all of the help. We all know trying to figure out issues from a previous life can be difficult. Here is a picture I took last night.

4C0C0273-5930-4154-A5CF-078B024B09E7 (resized).jpeg

Upon re-reading my post, I should have been more clear with what I was saying. Yes, DumbAss is correct in his assessment of how to identify a diode, but I was referring to the OP follow up question, so in fact I was correct with the banded side being on the green with orange wire.

I was not referring to using the diode seen in the picture attached to RED wire. I was saying, use a NEW diode, that is the same series and then...

Looks like there's a diode on the switch but nothing else can be determined from your image. The banded end of the diode is typically connected to the "NO" terminal of the switch and the WHT-XXX wire is connected to the "NC" terminal. The GRN-XXX wire is connected to the "C" terminal. You should remove the switch from the machine (or at least pull it out of the switch to get a better view) and check the markings on the switch to make sure the wires are connected correctly and the orientation of the diode is correct.

It looks like someone has definitely messed with the wiring as the lamp wires have non-insulated quick connectors which are not factory.

I would not use the word "on" but rather the word "toward". When I read "on" I read connected to the GRN-ORG wire with the banded end toward the wire (i.e. between the terminal and the wire) - much like how the RED-XXX wire is in that image. That's why I pointed out the wiring diagram in the manual. Language and text communication requires good choice of wording. I make this mistake as well. It's very easy to do.

I opened my machine up, took the glass off, lifted playfield to get a current picture of the switch in question. There are two diodes! Looking at the back of the switch, one diode on the red wire goes to the lamp. But if you look closely, there is another Diode that goes from the top of the switch, down to the bottom of the switch, where the white wire connects. Which is closest to the cabinet. The green wire further away from cabinet on the bottom of the switch.

I have also included the slam tilt switches on the coin door, bend that sucker up. As well as the bottom slam tilt switch below the tilt bob, bend that sucker up too.

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Well illuminated and in focus image. Perfect. Annotated.

launch_button.jpg

Update. I swapped out my launch button harness with BSD. It was correct. The diode on DW was snipped off just at the the white/yellow connector. Soldered in a new diode. Still has the same issue.

Found out that if I push the shooter lane switch and the launch button at the same time, it also triggers the plumb bob switch. Independently they all test good .

371ADC98-DEA8-4F2F-919B-235EF9FCBBD4 (resized).jpeg

How about an image of the shooter lane switch wiring?

You can try pressing different switch combinations to see what happens and which switches register.

doctor_who_switch_matrix (resized).jpg

Looks wired correctly. I would test the diodes with a DMM to make sure they are electrically correct (working). After that (if the diodes on the offending switches test correctly) I would try different combinations of switches to see if a pattern can be discerned. Use the matrix (table) to guide you on what combinations to try. Note errors (double hits) with combinations and see if you can determine a pattern. Otherwise you could just methodically test everything with a DMM.

You mention that the switches test good individually but you should also consider ruling out the CPU board itself as the actual problem. This differentiates central (board) versus peripheral (playfield) issues. If there is a problem on the board no amount of investigation in the playfield will find the problem.

Ok going through everything individually and replacing the shooter lane switch (just to see if it changed anything) I’m now getting multiple switch hits on every white/violet switch in the line. I’m almost going to say it’s a bad U19.

Here is an additional guide for U19 along with the switch matrix.
U18 and U19 are easy to test.

-unplug all switch connectors, power up the CPU-board ( on bench or in machine)
-measure pin1, pin2, pin 13 and pin14 of U18 and U19, must all be 5Volt
-Put a jumper from GND to J208-1 and measure output of U18-13, it should now be 0 volt
-repeat this with J208-2 to J208-9 on all corresponding comparators of U18 and U19

You can also GND all pins on J208 and measure all 8 outputs on U18 and U19 at the same time.

WPC-089MPULayout (resized).jpg

Robbed the MPF from my project Doctor Who last night. Did minimal disassembly to get to the LED boards and take a look at how they are connected and mounted.

When I got to the mounted boards I could instantly see broken wires. Having no experience with a Doctor Who I assume that this is common. When I opened up my two previous Addams Family machines bookcases that I have serviced I didn't see any such broken wires. Oddly for the MPF it was only the receiver side that had broken wires. I would have thought that both side would be subjected to the same stresses.

01_dw.jpg

A word of warning to anyone who services their own machines ... do not trust the wiring that you see when you open up a machine is correct. This machine looks to me like nobody has serviced it. Alas ... that's not true. The ORG-RED wire is connected to the wrong terminal. It's connected to E3 where it should be connected to E2.

02_dw.jpg

Two of the phototransistors fell out when I opened it up but in fact there are three missing phototransistors. Someone has "reflowed" the solder on these. My advice ... don't reflow solder. It rarely helps unless there's an identified cracked or cold solder joint. Also remember to clean out the old solder and not just add some more solder to the mound.

The LED transmitters look to have had a long hard life of being over driven by the opto board circuitry. This is VERY common for all Williams machines.

03_dw.jpg

Finally ... it's really tight in there. It is possible to place a header as a small extension of the board to allow for pins and a housing to be used instead of soldering the wires directly to the terminal. It's a tight fit but it should be possible to use the area toward the lamp insert. A right angle header will prevent excessive vertical rise off the board that could potentially result in a physical collision.

04_dw.jpg

Any feedback or suggestions welcome. It won't take me long to have these boards complete and out of design / layout.

Most important area of concern is the optos. Many other vendors have made these boards and have failed when it came to the IR's.

The other area of concern is what the boards attach to, which has been solved already and discussed at length in this thread.

I applaud all your efforts when taking on boards, I would use 940nm wavelength, and field of vision 40 degrees or less.

What you are seeing is sadly NORMAL for a Doctor Who lol.

A header to extend the wires might be a good solution, but its easy enough to just solder the wires one-by-one for most laymen.

We are buying the pindorabox boards because they work, and work well. Good proven boards are the key for success in rebuilding the time expander.

Gulf pinball boards that are commonly available, are complete trash and a waste of money.

Nearly all of the old original time expanders are in really sad shape. Operators have hacked, cludged or jury rigged them so many times they are virtually unusable.

Total rebuilds give really good results to the point of adding the "smooth lifter" kits. Rich Fazio "Faz" has given us a great guide to accomplish this.

Hopefully you can come up the a "bright" narrow beam solution that is available here in the US.

As mentioned before: "Optos, Optos, OPTOS!" Opto choice seems to be the most important element of making new boards.

Pindorabox has come up with an opto solution that just works!

Its not magical, its just attention to detail to make a solution actually work instead of just taking peoples money for a sub-standard , "the only game in town" solution from Gulf Pinball.

Absolutely PLEASE see what you can do, the community deserves better solutions.

From TPF. Silvester showing me how to expand time.

IMG_20220327_121821 (resized).jpg

I found the issue in the switches!!! Someone at some point wires this switch way wrong! Fixed the wiring and put a new diode just to make sure and everything is working perfect now! Big thanks to everyone who helped trying to figure this out.

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Yikes, I hope that is the before picture. The green wire goes in the middle and the white wire goes to the front where bending wire protrudes from the switch.

Yeah that’s the before picture showing the issue

Sad but True. Love my game but there is another I want that I love more. If you are in the market here is one nice version...
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/132877
20220402_091841 (resized).jpg

Pictures of my Back Box Boards (BBB). The Red boards (Fliptronics II, MPU, and Power) are from @dumbass. The Black boards (Pinsound+, DMDLUX and Shaker) from Pinsound. I highly recommend these boards as they work great in Doctor Who Pinball machine. I also love the COLORDMD and Lit Speaker Panel. The old working boards are destined for my build of another Dr. Who machine from parts.

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Jada

Thanks for recommending the shapeways opto housing it worked great. It is now designed with the light barriers between the optos. I would highly recommend the shapeways opto housing to replace the original distorted Doctor Who opto housing.

I wish my Doctor Who opto problems were over now 71,73,73,74,75 works perfectly.

I currently have an opto error on #76 Left Mini opto. I had a replacements set of optos boards and installed them. After installation of the new 76 opto boards I also developed another error on opto 31. I checked the 10 PCB A-15430 opto board all voltages are normal.

I tried installing a A-15430 opto board from my shadow and nothing worked with it.

Any help from the Doctor Who community would be greatly appreciated!

After some fiddling opto 31 mysterious corrected it self and opt 33 is now in error.

So I now currently have opto #76 left
Kick out and opto 33 top ramp opto errors. Also the left eject kicker coil cycles.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Rick

Replace or repair the 10 opto board for stability. This board runs super hot and should be replaced if its old. I bought the Hompin one and its flawless after 1500 plays.

Check for loose or disconnected wires on all the optos. Clean the optos if you havent already.

If you have the "Gulf Pinball", 5 opto boards for the MPF, it will never work right. These should be taken off the shelves and not sold to the unsuspecting public.

My Doctor Who worked flawlessly for a few years and is a lot of fun to play.

The Operation Manual and schematic manual that came with the machine was all marked up from a previous owners troubleshooting strategy of opto 76 and other opto issues.

Reading the repair posts from this forum surrounding these challenging optos repairs and the random issues all point to starting with a new 10 Opto A-15430 board.

The left kicker coil cycling may be another key indicator and the random other error opto messages. I ordered the Homepin board.
Thanks again.

I have a new translite for this awesome game. Its taken me decades but I have finally found my appreciation for this show and its many Doctors. Like many I think Tom Baker era has the most charm but I found something I like with each doctor. PM if interested.

dr who 2022 PST (resized).jpg

Very nice! It sucks that I just recently bought an alternate on eBay. Otherwise I would be on this!

Must have rock solid connections at that opto board and at the MPU. Corrosion or broken/brittle wires will be your worst enemy for this game. Keep us posted.

Well I received and installed the New Homepin 10 opto board and replaced the J1 connector. There are still quite a few opto errors. So it doesn’t seem like the 10 opto board was the problem!
In the process of replacing the J1 connector the wires were very brittle. I ordered all new connectors for the opto 10 board. I’m “hoping” (hope isn’t a plan!) that replacing the remaining connectors will solve the problem. At least it eliminates the Opto 10 board and the old connectors from the root cause analysis.
Does the Doctor Who community have any additional suggestions as to why my opto problems are transient?

Recap
1. Initial problem opto 75 not working. Which eventually led me to replacing the 5 opto housing (shapeways really nice). All 5 optos 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 functioning normally in the machine.
2. Opto 76 not working Left kick out Mini Playfield and the Kick out coil cycling. I guess because of the opto 76?
3. I had a new opto set available for that location and installed it.
4. Now my opto problem expanded to opto 76 and 31 pop opto.
5. Checked voltages everything looked correct. Reseated all the 10 board connectors and opto 31 corrected itself and the opto problem expanded to opto 33 and 76
6. Replaced the 10 opto board and J1 connector and now optos 33, 71,72,73 and 76 error in test.

All this points to, moving the opto 10 board connectors is causing the problems! I hope?
I’ll keep the forum posted on my Doctor Who opto journey.

Seriously if I’m missing something, please make a recommendation on additional troubleshooting.
Thanks

Just received the translite. Looks great. Will look even better with cool white LEDs in the future!

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There's a credit dot on your game.

Yea, it's one of the targets. It's about to be torn apart for the restoration anyways.

If anyone is looking.

SOLD!

Parts - For Sale

FS: New Bi-Directional Motor Board Archived

New (selling multiple, business) - “Replace your Doctor Who Bi-Directional motor board with this updated version made by @pellew. If the ball gets stuck between the main playfield and the mini-playfield, no longer do...”

2022-04-11

Cleveland, OH

eyeamred2u

100 (OBO)

Archived after: 9 days

Viewed: 139 times

Status: Sold (amount private)

Fabrication is in progress. Submitted the fabrication order the other day. Four boards. Two versions. One original. Another with header for easy quick disconnect. Not sure if this header/connector will fit (I measured) but ultimately a physical board will provide the definitive answer.

Rendering follows. Transmitter boards will be GREEN. Receivers boards will be BLUE. Just like the originals as far as color scheme goes.

01_dw_5-opto_transmitter.jpg02_dw_5-opto_receiver.jpg03_dw_5-opto_transmitter.jpg04_dw_5-opto_receiver.jpg

Were you thinking straight header pins or right angle? I like the addition of the header/connector, just want the wires to be out of the way and secured in that already stuffed area. Glad to see you are working on this.

Those look really nicely done!

I am in for a header board set if it fits please.

Anyone want a set of new Gulf boards?

The header is straight (vertical). I looked at the orientation and was initially thinking that a right angle (horizontal) would be the way to go but that orientation is not viable in the space available. At least when I looked at it initially with ball park visualization.

Got you with a work entry for these and the single lamp board.

Once I have the physical board I will do a test fit in the MPF assembly and see how things go. I can try a right angle as well even though the silkscreen doesn't indicate that it should be.