The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard
Data East, 1994You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider zacaj.
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Hello! Just picked this project Tommy up today, looking forward to digging into my first DE game...
Haven't gotten it set up yet to inspect things, but when I opened the coin door I noticed two connectors, maybe 10 or 11 pin, one orange wired and one grey+black, they go into the harness near where the right flipper button is. Are they supposed to be plugged into something?
Alright! Replaced a few coils and transistors (some idiot installed the wrong, williams coils backwards :/) and got it up and running... minus the blinders. The blinders still retracted properly, they just wouldn't come out. With my logic probe I found that the clear signal was staying low for some reason. Unplugged it from the cpu board, still low. Eventually determined there was a short somewhere pulling it to ground and after some harness cutting finally found that the grey-black wire was going into a little square board in the front left and when I unplugged that cable the short went away. Googled the board and found that it's a shaker motor board? But I don't think Tommy has a shaker? Also realized that J2 (where it was plugged into) is only a five pin connector, but the connector with the grey-black wire was a six pin, so it doesn't seem like it should go there, but there's no other things for it to plug into, or to plug into the five pin connector? Entire game seems to work fine with that connector unplugged, so not even sure what the board is there for. Do other people have this board? Is J2 plugged in? Is there a six pin plug just hanging out and not plugged in?
More importantly though, can someone take a picture of the back side of their start button and explain how the switch/lamp is supposed to stay attached to the button? Mine just falls out when you push the button, so I have to reach in and press the microswitch directly. Usually with this type of button there's a little twist thing you can do to lock it in (and it looks like that's how the replacements work) but this one isn't made like that.
Quoted from vicrattlehead:Not sure if the pic helps you but, on my Tommy, the lamp "socket/switch housing" pushes in (snaps) to the black start/eb housing.
Thanks! Once I pushed it in really hard it snapped into place. I guess after thousands of games it had just finally worked its way out
Quoted from Ive:Pinsound board is the way to go for instantly noticeable sound improvement
Does it have any remixed/replaced audio or is it just higher quality Amp?
Quoted from lhammer610:It looks like the cabinet flipper buttons are connected to the switch matrix. There is a second switch on the flipper switch. I believe it is the switch that is furthest away from the buttons that goes to the switch matrix. Check to see if those close. If they do, use your DVM (power off on pin and DVM set to resistance) to see that it closes electrically. Clean with a Q-tip and isopropyl alcohol (not rubbing alcohol) or drag a business card through the contacts when they are closed.
If the switches are working, then you have likely a wiring problem. Post back and I will trace where it is connected to the CPU.
There's no extra switch for the buttons. Left button has two (one for each flipper), right has one. All the wires from the cabinet button switches and single eos on the flippers just go right to the flipper board
Quoted from lhammer610:Also check on the CPU. The connection for Drive 8 is CN8 pin 9 on the CPU board.
I would suspect first that it is either the connector header pin on the CPU or the Flipper Control board, the plug, or the wire between them. With the power off, you can check resistance with the DVM between those two boards.
It is possible that the returns are the issue, but it is unlikely since both flippers are affected. That would mean that both returns would have to be bad.
The good news on the board is that the two switch controls are two different transistors, Q7 and Q5. So I doubt it is a board problem. Hopefully. A pretty simple circuit. For flipper switch 'A', it comes in CN1-7, through Q6, which activates Q5 and that tells the CPU that the switch is closed.
LMK if you need more info. I can try to trace the wiring between the two boards.
No continuity between the drive on the flipper and cpu. Jumped it and they worked. Traced the wire through the harness hoping to find a break or a connector. No break, and the one connector tested good, so I just replaced the wire from flipper board to connector and it fixed it.
Is there any better way on DE to find connectors like that? On older games all the inline connectors are mentioned in the schematics but I didn't see any note of them in the manual
Quoted from lhammer610:My favorite is perhaps the Stern Whitestar manuals
WPC are usually pretty good, though I always liked early system 3 games that had a listing of every single pin + color of every connector. After reassembling a PotC I really appreciated the detail in their parts diagrams, even what screws hold things down...
Quoted from vicrattlehead:I finally made my way through checking the switches and diodes. Everything tests ok. Before I go ahead and replace the switches and diodes for s*g, got any other ideas what could cause my problem? TIA!
I'd check all the ones in my shooter lane column too
Quoted from kid_ego:Anyone know the 'color' plunger spring that provides the best results in Tommy?
The one in mine isn't strong enough to shoot the ball all the way around to the third flipper and is weak enough that making the skill shot is difficult.
Thought about replacing it with a 'red' spring but didn't know if that would be too strong.
Are you sure it's not hitting the auto-plunger? Green is the 'correct' one, but I had problems with it too no matter what I did. Only other thing I had was red so it's in there now, but a hard plunge goes around too fast to flip, and sometimes does a jump out of the shooter lane. Ordered the colors in between to experiment...
Quoted from Pinphila:I have the same problem. It blows right away. I am going to replace Bridge and see what happens.
Question - I am working on my blinders and when I plug in the small servo wire to the servo control board, the servo will click rapidly (appears its trying to close when its closed already). When I put the game in test mode, and press the start button in the blinders test, the blinders open but the servo is jittery. When I release the start button, the blinders close but then click. Is this a pot issue? bad motor control board?
Try adjusting it so that the 'closed' position is more CCW
Quoted from Pinphila:Adjusting the pots on the board? CCW?
Near the back of the manual it explains it, but pretty much: one of the two tiny pots is for the 'open' position, and one is for 'closed'. If you just give them a turn, you should see how one affects each position, and then just get it so both positions are correct and not hitting anything. No need to worry about turning either pot too far during testing. By CCW I meant the blinders themselves. If they're hitting the apron then you need to make it so the rest position is further away (CCW)
Quoted from lhammer610:I have upgraded my EPROM to the newest - unofficial version. There are some nice changes. But I still do not see the kind of action that I saw in Pittsburgh at PAPA. At PAPA, during game play, there were times when the blinders would quickly open then close. I do not remember a lot of the specifics, but it almost seemed like there was a sensor that the blinders knew when the pinball was approaching the flippers. Frequently, they did not open all the way. The opening was brief, not like what I see on mine during a specific multiball.
With my game now, when they open, they stay open completely through an multiball like "Tommy can you see me". Last night, for the first time, they opened during the middle of a multiball - almost like if I kept multiball going longer than a certain period of time, they opened. But they opened all the way and stayed open until multiball was over.
This is a great game. And the blinders are one of the best features ever. But to use them so rarely during a game seems a shame.
I do not see a selection in the software other than to disable them. Am I missing something?
It opens after the time turns out on cousin Kevin, and when you reach stage 2 of the main multiball. Once you drain from Kevin it'll close again, or once you complete stage 2. Opening and closing quickly just a coincidence.
Quoted from Ive:That PAPA game sounds more like the blinders were malfunctioning - they should never be semi opening then closing during gameplay.
It'd be pretty cool if the blinders could just be rotating across the flippers during play though..
Quoted from kilmarnock1350:Anybody have issues with their right ramp? Tough shot to make, a Low or late shot hits that metal guide that does NOT help it. The coil and flipper are sting, recent rebuild.
I shot from the ball out of the mystery saucer RARELY has enough umph to get all the way up.
The orbit shot from the left flipper is super tight behind the spinner and therefore almost impossible to arrive at the upper flipper with enough momentum.
The shot from the Shooter lane is the only shot that arrives consistently at the upper flipper with enough umph to get up the ramp.
It’s very rewarding to hit, just not sure it’s supposed to be that tough to hit.
I have no trouble getting around the orbit to the upper flipper if I can hit it at all. Ramp is definitely a hard shot...
Quoted from Ive:Is it feeding smoothly on to the flipper ?, not 'bumping' out in front of the flipper
I've never been able to get mine smooth. Always cokes down from the saucer, glances of the wall and sorta wiggles back and forth as it comes to the flipper. Very unreliable feed.
Quoted from gweempose:Mine gives a good feed most of the time, but occasionally does the same thing as yours.
It'd be nice to be able to adjust the kickout strength down or something, but I've never found a very good way to do that. If it was easy to access I might try bending the arm a bit or something, but under the plane is a pain
Quoted from BENETNATH:Hi guys,
I finally found some time to put a stern ball launcher and no more weak ball that stays in the launching rail during multiball. That's a great improvement !
One question, when shooting right orbit, the spinner slows the ball so much that i can barely reach the upper part and the skill shot area. Same for others ? The spinner moves well, rotates fast, seems it drains all the kinetic energy from the ball..
Mine will make it all the way around to the upper flipper without trouble, and my spinner doesn't even spin very well (maybe 5 spins on average). Does removing your spinner actually help?
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Rochester, NY