Ding, Dong, Dang!
Or
Chime Me!
By: The Pecos Insider
In our last episode, Pecos learned from CactusJack that his middle-pop-pin Fan-Tas-Tic was a reimport probably through G.A.M.E.S. Even though the schematic shows a large bell for audio and even though his Fan-Tas-Tic had a large bell, CactusJack informed us all that the game originally came with chimes.
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Pecos has since received a Williams Chime Unit. It is not the same model Chime Unit that came with Fan-Tas-Tic and that posed some problems to be solved before it would work in that game. I will document that mod here.
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The original Fan-Tas-Tic Chime Unit Jones Plug is four male plugs in a row and uses the A2-26-1025 solenoids. The more common Chime Unit, and the unit that Pecos bought, uses the A2-26-1300 solenoids and has a four plug, side-by-side arrangement.
Step 1: Bell removed
Step 2: Pictures taken. Wires on the Match Feature Jones Plug jack labeled, desoldered and Jones Plug jack removed from backbox.
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Step 3: Pictures taken. Wires on the Chime Unit Jones Plug jack labeled, desoldered and Jones Plug jack removed from cabinet.
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Step 4: Determine which Chime Unit wires go where on the side-by-side Jones Plug jacks.
Step 5: Resolder the wires to the side-by-side Jones Plug jacks and install Jones Plug jack on mech board.
Step 6: Determine which Match Feature wires go where on the in-line Jones Plug jacks.
Step 7: Resolder the wires to the four in-line Jones Plug jacks for the Match Feature and install Jones Plug jack in the backbox.
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Step 8: Install male Jones Plugs and Chimes Unit
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Pecos said, "It was a simple mod, basically just swapping the Match Feature Jones Plug and the Chime Unit Jones Plug and no functionality was lost. The Chime Unit cleaned up nicely. Like all Chimes Units from this era, the rubber grommets were gone. I used Beer Seal in place of the rubber grommets."
Pecos gave me a little pop quiz about 70s Williams EM pinball machines. "Each Chime Unit has three bars, large, medium and small. When 1000 points are scored, which bar is sounded? What about when 100 points are scored and when 10 points are scored? Which bars are sounded?"
Pecos went on about his Fan-Tas-Tic. "I did a small touch-up on the playfield and, dare I say it, it looks fan-tas-tic. And, dare I say that the backglass and chimes are both fan-tas-tic. Each pinball machine has a certain feel to it. Fan-Tas-Tic has an awesome feeling of raw, quiet power, just like my OXO. No clinking, clanking or clunking with this era of Williams DC powered pins! It's too bad that this machine has kicked my butt ten out of the last ten times I have played it because this machine is a real beauty and I want to like it. I like challenging but I have yet to find a single shot that allows me to score enough point to beat this beast. Maybe that is why the playfield is so nice looking. The pinball isn't on the playfield long enough to cause any wear! I'm not giving up just yet. That elusive shot is there somewhere just waiting for me to find it. Well, that's what I keep telling myself as I walk away from consistent scores below 10,000. Ouch!"
Thanks to the generosity of a Pinside member, the bell from the Fan-Tas-Tic will be donated to the ROBO-FRENZY EM arcade project. But Pecos won't be missing the bell. "I know that Williams Chime Units get a lot of grief but they sound great to me after they have been restored. It makes me wonder how many people are hearing the terrible sounding chimes when only a few rubber grommets would make them sound like new again. Bells are fine but there are usually only two in a pin for two sounds where chimes allow for three sounds. It sure is nice to have sounds for 10, 100 and 1000 points when scored!"