Strato-Flite
Williams, 1974Can anyone point me to a switch(es) that are causing a partial score reel reset? All reels on all of the players only go through one five step reset, then stop as in the photos. (1 goes to 6, 2 goes to 7, etc.)
I can get around this by, after the first partial reset, turning off the game, then turning back on so that the second try at resetting adds another five reset steps, getting all reels back to zero.
Reels 1 (resized).JPGReels 2 (resized).JPGYou can find this diagram of score reel switches in the 1974-75 parts manual, available on the Planetary Pinball site:
From the schematic, the reset relay should stay energized until all reels are at 0:
So you'll need to check those switches for every score reel. In particular, you must make sure that the switches shown in the 1-8 position are closed.
You might also ensure that the RESET RE. is staying energized through the score motor rotation. It should be kept energized through its self-hold switch, and then through the score reel zero switches.
The self-hold switch is the one labelled RESET RE. on the schematic.
Thanks a bunch! I'll check the reset relay hold switch first.
I did wonder if someone had misadjusted all 16 switch stacks and was hoping to avoid that tedious process. Here's hoping it's the self-hold switch on the reset relay.
Quoted from hjh632:Thanks a bunch! I'll check the reset relay hold switch first.
I did wonder if someone had misadjusted all 16 switch stacks and was hoping to avoid that tedious process. Here's hoping it's the self-hold switch on the reset relay.
Agreed, it's not all the score reels individually having the same contact position issue. Not impossible in the used pinball world but highly unlikely.
I’m a little confused. The blue- brown to blue white reset relay hold switch is closed before I push the replay button. When I push the replay button (when I start the game up) the reset relay engages and what I think is the hold switch is open while the score motor runs. So I’m confused as to how that can hold the relay open.
Also, if just one of the score reel switches is misadjusted (position 1-8 doesn’t have the two switches closed) would that cause the problem Of incomplete reset for all reels on all four players? And so I should inspect all 16 reels to find the one or two that are off?
I found the hold switch, top left on the first photo with blue/brown blue/white and the white jumper going back to the solenoid. It is normally open and when closing pushes the short leaf blade a bit. I've cleaned the contacts with an ignition file, then moved them until they almost touch when open. It still gives one cycle of reset (1s turn into 6s, 2s into 7s etc) before releasing.
IF I bridge the two leaves (brown/blue & blue/white) of the switch with a screw driver, two cycles of reset happen, all reels go back to zero, and the relay relaxes. That's what I want!
Now I'm stuck since it has to be that switch and I don't know why it doesn't get the 'hold for the second cycle' information out.
IMG_5977 (resized).JPGIMG_5978 (resized).JPGIf it holds for one cycle of the score motor before releasing then it must not be the self-hold switch. That is doing its job.
Check the 0 switches; but also check for a broken-off wire, it could be that all the switches are good but continuity is broken somewhere so that the relay will not energize through that path.
Follow that BLU-BR wire.
I recall doing this same exercise on my 4-player Williams game but can't remember how all those 0-switches tie together.
Quoted from hjh632:I’m a little confused. The blue- brown to blue white reset relay hold switch is closed before I push the replay button.
My mistake in post 5, was looking at the wrong switches. The hold switch is in fact normally open on my game and closes when the relay activates.
My apologies for being so slow about this...should I set all score reels to 0, then check that all three reel switches on each of the 16 reels is open? And look and see if any of the score reel switch wires has come loose.
It is unlikely to be the reels. If you set them all to 1, they should all have the 0-switches CLOSED. You'd only have a problem if all of them were OPEN so there was no path for the reset relay to energize.
But they are all chained together (somehow, can't remember) so it's probably a broken wire somewhere amongst the 0-switch wiring.
The BLU-BR heads to the backbox, wends it way through all of those 0-switches; so long as one of them is closed, the circuit is complete to YELLOW on the way out. Somewhere in there I suspect there is a continuity break.
Quoted from dr_nybble:so it's probably a broken wire somewhere amongst the 0-switch wiring.
...and the zero switch wiring you mention is the zero switches on the 16 reels. Assuming that's correct I'll start looking at the wiring to the switches.
Try to disconnect the jones plugs for the head. Using your multi-meter, you should be able to get continuity from BLU-BR coming in to the outgoing wire (might also be BLU-BR or possibly yellow -- need to trace it). If not work backwards until you find where continuity is broken.
One probe on the plug with BLU-BR then start checking continuity at each score reel.
If everything is good, continuity should break only when all reels are at 0; and should be good if any reel is non-zero.
Thank you again. I can see the BLU-BR at each score reel. I have yet to find it at the Jones plugs, and will look with better light. At some point someone cut all the wires from the head instead of unplugging them. (I've heard of that but have never seen it before.) If I can find the right wire that splice will be the first thing I look at.
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