>Games is great but throwing the “Clock is broken” test message upon start up. I’m assuming this is a newly upgraded board as it has LEDs?

Yes from your photos this is a new-style board fitted with LED's instead of bulbs.

>All the connectors look fine and LEDs work. Upon further investigation I have determined none of the optos are working. Any suggestions on where to start?

If you've just moved the game I would seriously suggest re-seating the connectors and see if that helps at all and checking the wires. Even if they are connected re-seat them just to be sure.

>I don’t know if this would be a fuse issue, I checked all of them and they appear fine. I used a qtip and some windex to clean the opto (tight space). I disassembled the clock and ran a switch edge test and none of them respond when slipping a credit card between them.

Have you actually tested the fuses with a meter? I've visually inspected fuses that look fine and then testing them with a meter they are shot, always best to do test just in case and replace any blown ones. You appear to have done the right thing to test the opto's, if none of them are responding I would imagine either like you said blown fuse somewhere or a bad connector that needs reseating and possibly replacing. Here is a link to the manual: http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/2684/Bally_1993_Twilight_Zone_Operations_Manual_OCR_searchable.pdf

>Also, what is the function of the clock and the optos? I’m assuming is has something to do with scoring. Not sure where to start.

The clock is the 'timer' for modes, you will see it move forward to a time and then count down back to 12 when the mode finishes, it also moves around for other things. Initially it was meant to do more but I believe they cut back on features it had due to budget. The optos tell the game where the hands are positioned, either at 12, 3, 6 or 9 as it moves them to different times for different modes. With none of the optos working the hands will never strike any positions and the game will get confused and likely make a best guess at where to move them to, also why you are getting the 'clock is broken' error. Very common on TZ.

>The clock is also very noisy when it turns on. Is this common? Should I try greasing the gears?

Debatable, I've seen people do things like apply very tiny amounts of teflon oil but the consensus mostly is don't lube or grease the gears. My TZ clock is noisy as well but it works so I've left it alone. Unless it was getting jammed or something else was going on I would not recommend it, and even then I would start by dissasembling it and looking at the gears etc.

Duplicate please ignore.

The optos on this board are controlled by the 8-driver PCB in the backbox. Switch Column #9. Fuse won't break this - it will break the ENTIRE switch matrix. Check connectors, then check driver board in backbox and wiring in between.

Row #9 is ONLY clock optos, and there is no Row #10 in the game, so yeah, in theory, the driver board ONLY does these optos.

Do not buy a rottendog clock board. Only buy ingos board if you need new one.

There is likely nothing wrong with your clock board.

Have you checked the +12VDC regulated output of the power driver board and the status of F115? Visually inspect the connections at J116, J117, and J118 of the power driver board to be sure those connectors are intact; likewise, the connections on the aux 8-driver board mounted in the back box to the right of the DMD display board.

Are there any "mods" that draw power from the 12VDC output of the power driver board?

Quickest way is to remove the translite, open the insert panel, and look for LED2 on the power driver board; it's in the upper left corner of the board. Turn on the power to the game; is LED2 illuminated? Also check if the LEDs on the 8-driver board in the back box are illuminated.

Unlikely that's it, as it would affect the entire switch matrix. But, can't hurt to check.

LED7 (F116) is 12v unregulated voltage for opto power. You should have between 13 and 15VDC at TP1. Is F116 blown and LED7 not lit?

J120 and J121 are outputs to GI lights in the backbox and the playfield. A burnt pin will mean a string of GI lights will be dim or completely out. You need to repin the wired connector and replace the male header pins on the driver board.

and GI burning is a known issue ... it's one of those "when" not "if" things that you'll have to fix. But it's one of those things you only have to fix once.

http://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#General_Illumination_Problems

Do you mean none of the optos in the game are working? Or none of the optos in the clock only are not working?

Run the clock test and reporrt the findings

There you go, good job.. Now take care of that GI connector.

Seriously!

But, if memory serves me, isn't that supposed to be one single piece and not two separate connectors like his picture shows? I replaced my burned J121 connector a couple years ago(because the previous op decided it'd be a good idea to solder the wires back into the connector!) and distinctly remember buying the single connector from Marco as part of a larger "bits and pieces" order.

Yeah, on both of them- the one right above it as well. Someone did some serious hacking there with those black, white and red wires. I would go real slow there, in case the previous owner left some surprises...

It always impresses me, the creativity of some ops' hacking ability. But not in a good way.

I wonder if at some point someone took the head off(evidenced by the labeling on the connectors) and got those two harnesses caught on something, or damaged them somehow in the ordeal.

Read the GI fix article carefully ... you want to replace the connector/pins on the *input* as well as the *output* ... on a TZ vintage game, both are liable to burning ... if they haven't yet, then it's only a question of when will they.

New square pin headers + trifurcon crimps is basically a permanent fix for a home-use environment game.

This does require you to remove the power driver board from the game. If you're not capable of doing the soldering work, then you'll need to send it off to someone like John Wart or one of the other repair guys.

The grey-yellow wire you re-inserted into the connector is the +12vdc power supply to the PCB inside the clock.

No +12 pretty much results in exactly what you saw : clock no worky

Yeah? And why is that? Sure, the leds suck, but I take them out and solder in super brights.
Never had a single problem with rottendog clock boards and I've probably replaced more than 20 of them.

Especially in a home environment, or even taken to be played in a show for a weekend.

Unless you're an operator and plan to put it on route, you'll be just fine with what you plant to fix and replace.

When you look at the bottom left corner of the power board, there's J120 and J121.

Just left of them are 3 4pin connectors, and a 3pin connector.

Just above that, on the left edge, is a large connector. This is the connector that the transformer secondary connects to the power board, supplying the input power into the GI circuitry (which outputs on J120/121).

It's common for all three of these connectors to burn.

As for wires that are too short, it's OK to go buy some 12 or 14ga cable at an auto parts store (they usually have good color selections) and splice some extensions in. Solder-splice the connections, and cover with heat shrink tubing for insulation.

Input pins - from transformer.
Output pins - the ones that are burnt / cut in your pics above.

Some gamesb have no issue with input pins (mine, for example, has never had them replaced and they're like new still. But another game in one of my old arcades were fried on input pins, not output. Strange..)

"12 or 14 ga cable" is way too big, especially if you plan on (trying to) crimp it to a Molex 08-52-0113 crimp contact which only accepts 18-20 gauge wire. Stick with (stranded) 18 gauge for the larger-sized wires and 22 gauge for the smaller-sized wires (and use the correct crimp contact for the latter).