(Topic ID: 128204)

FIX your DIM Displays on Gottlieb System 80 Machines - TNT Amusements

By toddtuckey

8 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 15 posts
  • 11 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by vonclod
  • Topic is favorited by 8 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    Topic Gallery

    View topic image gallery

    download.jpg

    10
    #1 8 years ago

    Its FAST and FREE....make your displays bright and clear in less than 30 seconds! Watch this video and LEARN (and laugh too)...Another of my Todd's Tips vids! Todd from TNT Amusements

    #2 8 years ago

    I got a chuckle. Thanks Todd!!!!

    download.jpgdownload.jpg

    #3 8 years ago

    Neat tip.

    #4 8 years ago

    Great tip Todd.. Thanks

    #5 8 years ago

    Another option if you don't have a power adapter handy. I've done this on a dozen displays so far without issue so far.

    Remove the display from the game (I usually use fine-tipped needle nose pliers to squeeze the tip of the PCB mounts to slip the display off them--there is also a tube that various vendors sell that does the same thing).

    Take a pair of wires with alligator clips at each end. Open the coin door and attach one end of each wire to the contacts of the 12v lockout coil on the coin door. Attach the other ends of each wireto the outer pins of the display.

    Turn on the game. As soon as the filaments in the display glow red, start counting until you reach 5 seconds, then turn off the game. I've heard that any longer may overcook and damage the display, so it's probably best to stay with 5 seconds.

    Disconnect the wires, plug the display back into the game, and voila--a bright display once again.

    Yet another technique is on pinwiki, which uses the GI lighting in the backbox as the power source for recharging displays:

    http://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gottlieb_System_80#Rejuvenating_Tired_Displays

    2 weeks later
    #6 8 years ago

    Any similar technique to recharge a DMD?

    #7 8 years ago
    Quoted from Geocab:

    Any similar technique to recharge a DMD?

    Unfortunately, no.

    This "recharge" technique is somewhat of a misnomer. All you are doing is overheating the filaments in the displays to burn off any residue/tarnish that has accumulated with age.

    DMDs tend to go dim because of burn-in or outgassing of the plasma (air leaking into the glass). If you have a Gottlieb DMD with these symptoms, you can sometimes install it in a Bally/Williams game, and it will brighten up for a time. This is because Gottlieb games drive the DMDs at a lower voltage than other manufacturers. But overall, the DMD will continue to slowly fail over time.

    #8 8 years ago

    Ok. Thanks for the explanation.

    2 years later
    #9 6 years ago

    Is it safe to do this same trick on the lowest smaller 'clock' display? (same connection points?)

    #10 6 years ago

    Yes but lower voltage is used. Don't go over 9v.

    The alpha numerics futaba are similar as well.

    1 year later
    #11 5 years ago

    AC or DC or it does not mstter?

    #12 5 years ago
    Quoted from mima:

    AC or DC or it does not mstter?

    Don't know if it matters but I've always used DC and it works well

    2 years later
    #13 3 years ago
    Quoted from ForceFlow:

    Unfortunately, no.
    This "recharge" technique is somewhat of a misnomer. All you are doing is overheating the filaments in the displays to burn off any residue/tarnish that has accumulated with age.
    DMDs tend to go dim because of burn-in or outgassing of the plasma (air leaking into the glass). If you have a Gottlieb DMD with these symptoms, you can sometimes install it in a Bally/Williams game, and it will brighten up for a time. This is because Gottlieb games drive the DMDs at a lower voltage than other manufacturers. But overall, the DMD will continue to slowly fail over time.

    I have a 80b display that I can just barely see some of the commas on the display’s and have slowly I have basically replace everything on the display just to get the commas to slightly show. I threw another worming display in the game and I came on just fine. Is this an option on a an 80b display or will it do nothing but ruin it?

    #14 3 years ago
    Quoted from Willillist:

    I have a 80b display that I can just barely see some of the commas on the display’s and have slowly I have basically replace everything on the display just to get the commas to slightly show. I threw another worming display in the game and I came on just fine. Is this an option on a an 80b display or will it do nothing but ruin it?

    I've never needed to attempt it.

    However, the wide alphanumeric displays are a vacuum florescent display like the 6/7-digit numeric displays, so it might be worth a try. Just be sure to look at the schematics to figure out what pins you need to use.

    2 months later
    #15 3 years ago

    Yes, a 9v battery works great

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fix-your-dim-displays-on-gottlieb-system-80-machines-tnt-amusements and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.