Posting to see if anyone has experienced this before or if it’s a common issue.

I have a Hollywood Heat I picked up the other year. Mpu and driver were serviced professionally, all worked well until we one day I turn it on and I don’t get any sound.

Pressing the Reset button on the soundboard will get the sound back.

I’ve also noticed if I Turn the game off then back on the sound will work normally. That or if I flip the power switch fast enough it will sometimes work first try.

The ground mod has been done inside the cab. Nothing has been done in the back box. Connectors have been all cleaned up.

Everything else seems fine. It’s not a game breaker but it would be nice to just work as intended.

I’ve searched the issue but I don’t see anything similar or maybe I’m not using the right key words.

I assume it’s a capacitor somewhere that may be on its way out but thought I’d check here as I’m not very familiar with sys80 quirks.

Don't know for sure but sounds like you may have an intermittent signal to the sound board. This might cause a brief interruption when booting that is not an issue after it warms it? "Connectors have been all cleaned up" means you replaced them or just cleaned them? Sometimes they fatigue and become loose with age... you would have to replace them.

No connectors we’re replaced. Just cleaned up the boards when I was troubleshooting the mpu initially.

Game kinda worked when I got it. Sound worked normally. Developed daughter board issues shortly after. Boards were serviced and returned. Everything was fine and a couple months later the issue with the sound developed.

Sounds like the soundboard isn't getting what it needs right away when the game powers up. After a quick power cycle it works fine and everything is rock solid.

Not sure, but before digging into board components, all connections should be properly addressed. These 30/40-yr-old machines are notorious for needing new connector pins. They wear out, become loose, and connections flake. I'd focus first on the sound board connector, the power connectors to/from A2, and the MPU to Driver harness. Then the remaining connectors to the Driver. Then everything else.

They're back in stock, but this time 18¢ each.

https://www.amazon.com/Molex-08-52-0072-Connector-Position-Straight/dp/B06VVJSKWT/ref=sr_1_2

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Any reason why people are buying these from an Amazon seller instead of a electronics parts supplier?

I would think it is because of the Amazon free shipping, but this 3rd party seller is charging $3.50

Maybe they aren’t aware of all the regular electronics places like Mouser and Digikey.

Here are a couple more inexpensive options. Both have 30k + in stock

Newark: https://www.newark.com/molex/08-52-0072/contact-socket-18awg-crimp/dp/72K1671?ost=08-52-0072
newark-molex (resized).png

Arrow: https://www.arrow.com/en/products/0008520072/molex
arrow-molex (resized).png

I have a Gottlieb system 80A, it has 1 controlled lamp that I have an LED in and it is dim, the LED is fine, the socket is new. No other lamp is dim, what do I need to check?

It’s another option. Options are good. Shop around and compare shipping. As long as you’re getting the real thing, no big deal.

That is why for some parts like the contacts I would probably avoid Amazon. You never know if you will be getting the real thing or not. Quality of knock offs is questionable. On parts that matter I still go to Digikey, Mouser, or other vendor that is better at keeping track of the supply chain.

The ones I received were the real thing in Molex packaging. But again, if you don't like Amazon, we have choices.

As far as knockoffs, there's one person making new pins for the obsolete double-sided connectors and selling them on eBay.

You have to be careful with Amazon listings though. It can look like The official store but anyone can sell under that item listing.

The inxpensive pins listed right now are being sold by a third party company, DataAlchemy.

This happens alot with chinese/foreign companies hijacking an item's listing and selling inexpenvise knock-offs.

pins (resized).png

Yes, correct. Be careful and pay attention to the listing. Yesterday, it was not DataAlchemy and 18¢ and now today they're 16¢.

Just before you posted I edited my comment, because I confirmed my last order was from DataAlchemy. However, I received real Molex pins.

"The ones I received were the real thing in Molex packaging."

Good evening pinheads. I just got my Sinbad all done and everything is good to go, with the exception of extra balls.

I want to disable extra balls and from pinrepair, the dip switch settings show that dip 11 set to ON should make the extra ball give you a replay instead of an extra ball. The extra ball rollover awards an extra ball in either ON or OFF position. All of the other switches in that same dip bank seem to be working fine. All of the desired settings are working, that is, save for the EBs.

If this is not the correct way to achieve no extra balls, would anyone be able to advise how, please?

No way to do it on stock boards.
Maybe rewire that switch to something else.

It is, the 2nd rollover lights for EB when you get the 3 bank down IIRC. I'd probably just paralell the switch with another one that doesn't score extra stuff, and pull the bulb out.

Thanks. That's what I feared. I worked on the MPU for a good while to save it and clean up the corrosion so I'll try a workaround, like you guys are suggesting.

Would something like this work?

Jumper the EB switch over to the one to the right of it that awards 5K when lit.

Jumper the lamp as well, so the EB lights up with the yellows are down also, then EB awards 5K also.

I've never done this to a game, so do I need to jumper both switch wires?

Thanks, in advance.

RC

Disconnect the wires from the EB switch and label them. There might be two on each lug keep them connected together. Then just run two jumpers from the other switch to the one you removed the wires from. Document this somehow like a tag that hangs on the harness so people in the future know.

Gottlieb paralleled switches like ten point standups all the time.
Don't double up lamps unless they're LEDs or you verify they're driven by a larger transistor.

I am using LEDs. I'll give this a shot. Thanks for the help.

Did this mod tonight and it all works great. When you knock down the yellow targets, both, the yellow and purple lanes light up and both score 5K. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Bad transistor’s
Mps-A13

The flashers in my Bonebusters topper is not working. I installed a couple of known working bulbs but the flashers don't go on during attract mode or game play.
Anyone have any tips on what i need to check ?
All the wiring looks good.

Which flashers exactly? The stand-alone flasher style bulbs, or the bulbs that are controlled by the Auxiliary Lamp Driver (A11) board?

The fuses? Proper voltage at the socket?

Both flashers in the skull.
Not sure if there is a fuse just for the skull flashers since all of the other flashers are working.

20230205_203002 (resized).jpg

• Again, are those flasher style bulbs; or are they turned on/off by switches?
• Again, are you reading any voltage at the sockets?
• Do you have the schematics?
• What are the round devices in the top center of your photo? Are the sockets wired here?
• Have you inspected the wiring?
• Where do the wires for those two sockets go? Your photo does not show.
• Is there voltage on the other end of those wires, wherever they go?
• Does the skull plug in someplace? If so, have you check voltages at this connection?
• What about ground? Does the skull need to be grounded for the lamps to light up?

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Ended up changing this to have the EB award 1K. Changed the jumpered switch/lamp to the far right lane, so that it makes more sense with the graphics/text on the playfield.

Hello Im looking to service the power supply on my Robowar as the voltage is being alittle erratic. Does any one have a link for the 5v 500ohm 1w pot that would work on this?

I am looking at picking up Count-Down but I need to make sure it fits in my car before I drive the 2.5-3 hours to pick it up. Can anyone give me the dimensions of the game? Mainly I need the following three measurements:

Height of cabinet rear wall
Width of backbox
Depth of backbox

Thanks for any help!

I find those Gottlieb power supplies unreliable and always replace the factory one with these:

ebay.com link: itm

Nearly any pot with similar electrical specs will work.

If you cannot find one with similar specs, follow these guidelines:

•  Higher wattage is better and would last longer.

•  Higher total number of screw turns would be advantageous as it would be easier to dial in.

•  The total resistance could even be slightly higher than the rated 500 Ω. Example: a 680 Ω pot would still contain the 0-500 ohm range within a reasonable number of screw turns. Stay within reason... a 10,000 Ω pot would put the 0-500 Ω range at the very bottom and would make dialing in and holding an accurate voltage setting nearly impossible.

•  Even installing it upside-down would also be fine since this would only flip the corresponding screw turns from CW to CCW. (The outer legs are each side of the resistor and the center leg is the variable tap.)

• Find a pot with the same or similar lead spacing so you won't have to drill any new holes into the PCB.

Another vote for the replacement power supply. $50 is cheap insurance to get something that will guarantee a solid and high quality 5v supply to the circuit boards.

I ran into a failed pot on my 5v supply on TX-Sector, and the game booted and played, but it absolutely wrecked havoc on the sound board. Not worth the risk moving forward imo.

Yeah I had looked at those and they are reasonably priced. I'm not a purist by any means but would like to keep the original board. I have 3 80B games currently plus a Monte Carlo that I have sold and this is the first issue I have had with the power supplies.

There isn't much that goes wrong with the System 80B or System 3 power supply. Just cracked solder connections and that adjustment potentiometer.

I replace them with the precision sealed multiturn versions. They are a lot more stable and I use them in all my system 80 games from one like pictured and newer ones for the System 80B.

20220603_092318 (resized).jpg

Which one do you use? The 80b calls for a 1w but am only seeing .25 to .5w.

It was a while back but found one at Digikey or Mouser. I’ll have to see if I can find the part number.

Just a PSA: if you have the Gottlieb playfield simulator/tester, it does work for testing the lamp drivers with a NiWumph board. (System1)

I have not tried the switch simulator side yet, nor the solenoid drivers. I’ll try that in about two weeks and report back.

Just picked up a Buck Rogers could someone tell me where the volume control is for this machine? Thanks

Glad you brought that up. I am semi-interested in acquiring System 80 test boards. I saw that Pinitech once made a switch matrix tester, another sold a Driver board tester, GPE had an MPU tester, etc. However, all of these are either obsolete or out of stock.

Does anyone currently sell these kinds of things, or at least are there any online schematics for making a DIY tester?

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1078-pinballreplacementparts/06888-system-80-driver-test-board

Thank you. Forgot all about that one.

I saw a switch matrix tester by Pinitech ( acebathound ? ) the other day and was disappointed to see that it was not available.

https://www.pinitech.com/products/64switch_tester.php

Anybody have tips on how to juice up those plastic Sys1 spinners? The mechanical aspect of them with the mini plumb bob seems incredibly inefficient, and other than just putting some lube on the metal, anybody have any fun hacks for this? Sinbad is feeling a little meh.

I've seen somewhere someone drilled a hole in the side thick part and added weight to the spinner. I recently did this to Hulk just to see what difference it makes... a lot is the answer. Hulk, mine at least, does not have the little plumb bob below the playfield on the spinner. I have 2 of the plastic hulk spinners so at some point will try adding weight to one of them, but not high on the priority list. Have also thought of getting a blank white metal spinner and putting the hulk art on it.

PXL_20230225_212826725 (resized).jpg

On the sound board.

I had the same issue with my Gottlieb Force II spinner. The light weight, white plastic spinner was very weak and sometimes wouldn’t even register.

Installed the “checkered” metal spinner found on generation 2 system 80 games (Volcano, Black Hole) and later, and it makes a HUGE difference. So much better gameplay.

I'm trying to avoid having to go in the metal spinner direction, just because I like the look of the plastic one with the sword on it (also mine is in fantastic shape). Plus, try finding one of those other than from Steve at Mayfair hahah.

Now that's an interesting thought!

Here’s a nice Gottlieb system 1 machine that me and my wife put a lot of work into. My wife helped clean it, touch up the paint everywhere, and wax it. We put a couple coats of wax on it when we were done. I forgot to mention in the add that I put in all new drop targets as well. You can see in the photos that a lot of stuff was replaced to get this thing sharp looking.
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/152064

I still have parts for the 64 Switch Matrix Tester and can likely put together a small handful of kits relatively soon -- but it will likely have to wait until after March 7th (busy week coming up this next week). I believe I had 2-4x pcbs for these remaining, then was going to have to put another pcb order in and order other parts as well.

The issue with these diagnostic products is there are only a few handfuls of people interested at any given time, then piles of parts and pcbs sit for years and years. Ultimately, for products like this, I have to move over toward doing new requests in batches once a waitlist has 15-20x people interested.

On that note, for any one interested you can now get on a waitlist at the link below:
https://www.pinitech.com/products/64switch_tester.php

Claimed