Quoted from acebathound:ForceFlow, I've been mentally taking notice of all the different machines you post about and tech help you give.. and just now noticed you have 25 machines listed in your collection. That's pretty crazy after only a year! And you look like you're getting pretty proficient with a lot of them too. That's how it was for me.. only it was my father's doing.. getting an assortment of machines very quick and then realizing I needed easier ways to work through issues (thus the test equipment I make). Wish I could say I knew any one system really well.. but just been so scattered with what I'm fixing over the years.. most eras of pinball machines up until WPC and then stuff like Skee-balls, Baytek alleys, Smart Ball, shuffle alleys, occasional arcade game.. it's been a journey Anyway kudos on how far you've come in such a short amount of time!
Sorry not really adding to this post, I like the idea of these EZSBC regulators. Linear are putting off more heat (wasted $$$), so the switching regulators probably pay for themselves fairly quick... it's less heat for the backglasses and other components in the back box. Been thinking this is the way I'd go with classic machines I'm keeping. Just makes too much sense not to for the people that have decent soldering experience. For people that don't.. well.. if the power supply doesn't have an issue then it may not be worth the cost to have someone change it out unless it goes bad.
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http://www.pinitech.com - "Pinball Inspired Technology"
Kits, upgrades and test equipment for pinball machines
[off-topic] Yeah, I'm not really locked into specific titles--I'm a bargain hunter, so I'll pick up anything. I was able to build on existing skillsets, so that helped with repairs somewhat. A lot of my fun comes from bringing these games back to life. Seeing all these different systems has helped a bit too since there a lot of similarities between them taken from a bird's eye view. It's interesting to see some of the designs and concepts that were "borrowed" from one manufacturer and used with another. The only downside is the ridiculous amount of space that parts take up to have on-hand for repairs.
Unfortunately, I'm not a electronics wizard, nor have I had any formal training in the fundamentals of this area, so I still have quite a bit of learning to do. Either way, I'm always happy to pass on what I learn.[/off-topic]
While the EZSBC component is a really neat item, it doesn't look like it works as a replacement for System 1 or System 80 power supplies. What would you do with the regulators for those? Would the regulators be fatigued after 30 years and is just one of those parts that is a good idea to replace, or is that just a silly thing to do when it seems to test good? Like I said earlier, I've read two different viewpoints on this, so I'm curious to find out what the best practice would normally be.
Quoted from Patofnaud:And if you do replace and use the EZSBC, keep the heat sink on for looks. Else its a WTF factor IMHO.
I actually have a few driver boards that were scavenged for parts at some point and are missing the heatsinks. Using an EZSBC would certainly save me the trouble (and expense) of trying to hunt some down. The boards themselves are in fairly good condition otherwise.
Ames, IA
Anyway kudos on how far you've come in such a short amount of time!
