(Topic ID: 176397)

I was shocked about that 3rd Pin...

By bdPinball

7 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 17 posts
  • 11 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by Leeb18509
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

You

Linked Games

#1 7 years ago

Well, not so much shocked about, but more by. I KNOW you're supposed to have the third pin there, and it's I guess because if you're leaning on one, and you touch the adjacent game, and one of them doesn't have it's ground plug, the one without the ground plug finds ground through you, and then through the other game. Great.

What I do NOT understand - heh, and most will find shocking as I do - is that a slight touch, say with the hairs of your arm, can create an UNBELIEVABLY uncomfortable sensation, that you don't feel if you just grab both of the games. When I was a kid my grandparents had these old reel to reel tape recorders, and those too had that same sort of shocking feeling - particularly if you touched the microphone to your face by accident. OUCH!

WHY Mr. Professor? WHY do my pinballs shock me when I only brush them and not seem to shock me when I grab them solidly?

-Brian

#2 7 years ago

Static electricity ?

All games grounded and ground circuit working ? Easy to check on games with a service outlet - plug a circuit tester into it.

LTG : )

#3 7 years ago

It might be worth buying an outlet tester. I had a similar issue and determined I had some outlets wired with reverse polarity. When this was fixed, the issue went away.

https://www.amazon.com/Sperry-Instruments-GFI6302-Outlet-Tester/dp/B000RUL2UU/ref=zg_bs_14244461_1

#4 7 years ago
Quoted from bdPinball:

What I do NOT understand - heh, and most will find shocking as I do - is that a slight touch, say with the hairs of your arm, can create an UNBELIEVABLY uncomfortable sensation, that you don't feel if you just grab both of the games.

O.K. this reminds me of the good old arcade days back in ye old times.
Had a girl doing the funky jiggy dance between two pinballs.
She could not understand what was going on. God I wish
I had some kind of recording device to capture the moment.
Oh well.Yes, she had a bare midriff, she was wearing only a
halter top and short shorts.

#5 7 years ago
Quoted from vec-tor:

O.K. this reminds me of the good old arcade days back in ye old times.
Had a girl doing the funky jiggy dance between two pinballs.
She could not understand what was going on. God I wish
I had some kind of recording device to capture the moment.
Oh well.Yes, she had a bare midriff, she was wearing only a
halter top and short shorts.

I miss halter tops.

#6 7 years ago
Quoted from dasvis:

I miss halter tops.

Been waiting for a comeback for years. Also hot pants.

#7 7 years ago

I had this same thing happen just the other day. I was working on a Black Rose and rested my elbow on T2 and felt a small shock. Both machines off at the time. If I grab them both with MM probes I'm actually measuring about 8V DC across the 2 games. I just ordered that circuit tester, but what else should I check?

#8 7 years ago

I had this same issue on my SFII. I replaced the power cord, checked ground and polarity on all outlets. It ended up that the ground braid for the cabinet had become disconnected in a spot that I initially over looked. I would start with the parts that are giving you a shock and work your way back to ensure a good contact with ground.

#9 7 years ago

Nobody seems to have an answer as to why she shock seems stronger if you only brush the area..

Good advice on tracking Down the problem starting at what shocked you. It's just too simple!

-Bdpinball

#10 7 years ago
Quoted from dasvis:

I miss halter tops.

You probably wouldn't look as good in them now as you did back then.

LTG : )

#11 7 years ago
Quoted from bdPinball:

Nobody seems to have an answer as to why she shock seems stronger if you only brush the area..

If the path to ground is small each nerve ending gets more of the shock.

There is more to fixing the problem than correcting any grounding issues. Figure out why you have voltage in the first place. What live wire is touching where it shouldn't touch? What insulation has failed?

Your rails aren't supposed to be powered. Something is touching that shouldn't be touching.

#12 7 years ago

Well I just checked and it turns out my BR is missing the GND lug on the power cord so that's probably a good place to start.

#13 7 years ago
Quoted from Leeb18509:

Well I just checked and it turns out my BR is missing the GND lug on the power cord so that's probably a good place to start.

Yes. Also verify the game has ground braid or strap connected to each leg and rail.
Vid covers what you need to know in his guide to replacing cords. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-line-cords-plugs-wall-sockets-vids-guide

#14 7 years ago
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:

If the path to ground is small each nerve ending gets more of the shock.

Sounds like as good an explanation as any.

#15 7 years ago

Touching it with you hairs is creating a "bad" or "flakey" connection.
Just like a "bad" gi connector, higher current flows and turns that resistance into heat.

When you have a solid grip on the pin the current is reduced.
Just like replacing the connector to make solid contact reduces the current through the connector.

That's my theory

#16 7 years ago

YeOldPinPlayer could be correct in that there is more than just a ground issue and something could be sending voltage through the ground. In my case, I was getting voltage readings with the game on and off/plugged and unplugged. I am not an electrician or engineer by trade, but I understood the problem to be energy potential built up in the ungrounded parts compared to my body. When I grounded the parts the problem went away.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_ground

#17 7 years ago
Quoted from Leeb18509:

Well I just checked and it turns out my BR is missing the GND lug on the power cord so that's probably a good place to start.

Replacing the cord end fixed my issue.

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