For anyone following my previous lamp posting, I did get it figured out. Previous owner wired to the wrong lug on the Shoot Again lamp - the diode was completely out of the circuit.

But I found out this was only part of my problem.

My lamps on row 3 and row 6 seem to be tied together. For example when I test lamp 13, lamp 16 also comes on. When I test 16, 13 also comes on.

This is the case for 23/26, 33/36, 43/46, 53/56 etc.

When I unplug the molex from the light connection board underneath the mansion, the problem goes away. Plug it in and the problem is back. I figure this is telling me something, but I don't know what.

I don't know how to test it with a meter since I keep getting readings even from sockets that are not turned on. (Don't completely understand the way the matrix works either, obviously...)

Anyone that can help I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!
Chris

I don't *see* one anywhere, but would a reversed diode on one of the other lamps act like this? When I pull the plug from the light board it fixes the problem. This is exactly what happened before with the Shoot Again lamp.... when I pulled the bulb out it fixed the problem so I figured out that problem was with that particular lamp - being wired wrong.

How does that translate when it is a BOARD that is giving me trouble? No diodes there that could be backwards. Could a backward diode on another lamp cause this?

Seal,

Yep you sent this to me when I was having the problem with the other lamp. I did the "quick and dirty" test on the TIP102's (test for continuity blade to ground) and everything came up good. I am afraid to go any farther on the testing because I don't think I can get my probe in without shorting something, so I am hitting everything else first.

On the other problem the last owner had wired onto lug that runs right into the top of the socket instead of the the middle lug, dioded over to the upper lug. That was causing my Column 7 problem. I feel it is probably something like that again since it is exactly the same symptoms. When the mansion board is unplugged everything works exactly as it should... That kind of indicates to me that it is NOT a transistor problem, but rather a wiring problem under the pf.

Another member on RGP suggested testing the diodes on the light board. I will do that when I get home, but the fact that it has the problem whether or not the lamp is currently installed (but then stops when the board is unplugged) makes me feel like the problem has to be either on the board or in the pins.

I just don't know how to test it with a meter since every wire under the pf seems to be hot to some degree all the time.

There has to be something simple (like the wires on the wrong lugs) that I am missing here, I just don't know what it is...

FIXED MY PROBLEM! Thanks for all of your help everyone!

New thread can be found at http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/taf-lamps-work-lamps-work-lamps-work-lamps-work

Chris