Yes, you aren't crazy. My line voltage drops during the hot summer months by 2-4 volts even without the AC running. Seems like that couldn't cause issues but it can depending on the game. The main game I could tell a difference was Stargate. During the summer the rear VUK would have trouble ejecting the ball. During the winter, no problems.

You are not crazy. Stingbat is correct and a lot of factors can influence the power to your house. You can try a UPS. I have had success using them in the past but they are not a guarantee. Worst case is you end up with a UPS for your computer.

My buddy swears on the ups

When i turn on the microwave, the nearby kitchen exhaust fan slows way down.

Yes I cant play my b/w pins that are on the same outlet as my ac unit.

Agree with most of above but not convinced by ups.

I'd think The ups typically cannot deliver enought current. But... Not saying anyone is wrong. Just surprised!

Yes, your AC unit will draw a decent amount of current, creating a larger voltage drop on your electrical service, resulting in a lower voltage at your wall outlet, thus weaker coil action. In addition, most of your neighbors also have their AC units running, causing voltage drop on the utility distribution system. I'd suggest taking a voltage measurement at your wall outlet. If it is low, say less than 116 volts, contact your utility and ask them to perform a voltage investigation and verify that the transformer and service wires serving your house are adequate.

UPSs are available in many hundreds of sizes and configurations, including whole house units designed to compensate for brownouts.

I like Cyberpower units. I think using one would solve the problem but I would send them an email first and see what they think.
Here is one that I think is in the ballpark.
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/products/ups/avr/avrg750u

It is very common for utilities to "brown" the power grid to get thru a heat wave.
I have seen voltage drop on 208v services to as low as 164 volts.
If you call the utility they usually just fluff you off.
It is also true that the in-rush current required to get the a/c compressor turning will dim the lights.
The larger your central air system the larger the draw.
A time delay built into the thermostat or into the a/c to prevent premature cycling of the a/c will lessen this effect if it calls before pressures have equalized.

I'd definitely look at the specs. I just pulled one up randomly and the output voltage is 115 +/- 8%.

That's basically saying 106 volts is in spec.

Having worked at a new 210,000 sq ft (built 2009) data center and managing the electricians and HVAC crew there (Also had Liebert in monthly for our UPS's) I can tell you that a UPS will provide conditioned and consistent power but you would need a high end one to handle the amperage of all the machines on each circuit. Likely not cost efficient for our hobby. And you're also talking the space of them and the electrical inefficiencies if that matters to you. Another issue is that the electric companies (out here for certain and likely globally) allow large percentage of voltage supplied in residential acceptable which doesn't help.

But I'm also not knowledgable in the residential options there may be out there.

I had all my machines on when I had some people over last weekend and we had a power dip that only restarted a few machines.

And great recommendation on the relay options on your a/c. We do similar in programming of building automation for just that commercially. But not due to dips but to stagger inrush to keep power companies from seeing the spikes and charging higher rates.

I don't think a UPS is going to help you. They are designed to keep a computer running during power blips and keep it running during an outage until you can safely shut down. You are wanting to step up the voltage. An inexpensive UPS isn't going to raise the voltage, it just kicks in when the voltage drops below a certain level. And that level won't be helpful.

The best way to go about this is to take voltage measurements and look at how the house is wired. See what else is on the circuit that has your pins. You may be able to help things by installing a new circuit that runs directly from your load center to outlets that are only used for the pins. Run 20A service so you have thicker wire and less resistance. You'll still see a drop when the AC kicks on, but you won't have other appliances dragging down the voltage to the pins. Keep in mind this is a big *maybe*. If your voltage coming into the house is low due to the power company dropping the voltage during the summer, there isn't a lot you can easily do.

An a/c builds pressure in the system as part of the refrigeration process. The compressor takes a large amount of electricity (Current) to get it spinning.
If the system does not sit idle long enough between cycles the pressure does not equalize. The compressor will start against that pressure causing it to have a "hard " start. This increases the current needed to make it spin.
Most modern digital thermostats have a built in time delay that begins timing out at the end of the last cycle. A delay on break time delay. They usually are 4 or 5 minutes. This allows the pressures to equalize during the off cycle .
If there is not one in the thermostat one can be added in the condensing unit.

The newer High efficiency a/cs ( last 4 years or so) do not equalize in that time period as they use a different metering device for the refrigeration process.
I generally install a 10 minute delay. It is not noticeable as temperature goes and it extends the life of the a/c.

Other causes of voltage drop related to a/c could be panel related. Unbalanced load, loose lugs, etc.

I know nothing about whether a UPS will fix your situation OP. But for recommendations on UPS's (and surge suppressors in general), here are the brands I recommend in order from best to worst. This is from multiple decades of testing and real-world use.

Tripp-Lite
APC
CyberPower
PowerMaXX

Good luck with your troubleshooting.

OK, power dip is not the issue. Maybe the flippers are getting hot and weaker or some other issue with the pin. Which pin is it?

Data logging is a feature that will help you here. You'll be able to see the voltage over a specific period of time.

Seems like logging the voltage coming to the flipper might be beneficial. The game may compensate for small variations from the wall.

A drop of 0.83% ( zero point eight three percent ) should fall well within the design range of anything plugged into your outlet. A five percent tolerance is normal, ten is frequently acceptable.

Your testing methodology isn't providing you with any data that's going to help solve your problem.

You need to know if the power at the coil in question is low when the problem is happening. A data logging multi meter can tell you that.
https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Industries-61-498-Datalogging-Multimeter/dp/B008SEPOCO

You may be experiencing a lagging power factor. The AC unit will consume the reactive component in the circuit. Your local electrical utility is most likely having loading issues on their distribution lines. They may not have additional capacitor banks to switch in for correction. The voltage can remain constant and the ability of the circuit to do work can greatly diminish. Self regulating home power factor correction units are out there. I have never done the research on them.
At work we transmit power at 161 kV and are required by NERC to keep our switchyard voltage within 3kV by altering the voltage and Mvar output of our generating units.
Later Sputnik

These are some great points.

Want an inexpensive way to monitor your power in real time while your playing? Place a lamp with a variable dimmer and an incandescent bulb near your pin, set on a low setting. (You could also buy a lamp dimmer at Home Depot.)

Whenever my HVAC kicks on, it is easy to see any lights on a dimmer in the house will dim dip down for a split second. If the power was unstable, you would also see the lamp fluctuating.

The only difficulty I can see is that you may not see the lamp fluctuation with the light show from the pin, but if you have a lamp with a dimmer, give it a try.

$15 Kill-A-Watt Meter

main_p4460_(resized).jpg

Sounds like your getting a voltage drop when your compressor "kicks" in. Replace the run capacitor and install a hard start kit. Those parts should cost about $50.

Your paying way extra for power outage protection when looking at ups's which would be fine if your primary goal is to keep playing your pin when the power goes out.

If voltage drops are your concern why not just buy a voltage regulator for it?

There are many. Here is an example. Find one to fit your needs.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/13213504?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228000295261&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40881432992&wl4=pla-56948485145&wl5=9022352&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=13213504&wl13=&veh=sem

You're definitely not crazy. Our neighborhood hits the AC like we are boiling in hell or something. My wall voltage is 116v in the middle of the day. Caused my TAF to reset multiple times until I adjusted the voltage regulator to put out a constant 5.2V.

My FT became unplayable once summer came. Granted I think I need to replace BR2 and C5 but it never reset and now I can't even play a game on it.

https://amzn.com/B00429N192

This is what i use.

That is a good deal for a line monitor.

Didn't know you could get a active voltage regulating UPS that cheap.

It will display Amperage draw, Line voltage, Peak draw, cost to run per hour/day/month, and a bunch of other functions.

Excellent to see your pins only draw 2 amps.

Excellent to show the wife that they would only cost $7 if you left them on for the entire month.

I use a Line Conditioner. A line conditioner keeps the voltage at the proper level.
I recommend Trip-Lite

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-LC1200-Conditioner-Outlet/dp/B0000512LA/ref=sr_1_2

Spend that money on an adequately sized voltage regulator. That will solve the worry you started this thread about. What's the point of having and paying for a built in backup battery? Your pin isn't popping the breaker in the fuse box is it?

Also, ups's need their battery replaced as part of their maintenance cycle. This cost you more $$ every time you have to do that. UPS's and pinball - not an economically sound practice.

Kill a watt devices are not expensive. Every home owner should own one. That little device will tell you exactly what specifications to shop for with whatever solution you decide to go with.

Lol I get it. What you bought there can still be useful in an actual power outage, but on less demanding devices. Good luck.