Hi

Needed an early Stern guru!

I have an insert that is always lit... it's the apollo 2 green insert, didn't flash in attract mode and also always lit in game play...

Any Idea! MPU issue or lamp driver board... maybe a under the playfield probleme?

thank's Gino

http://www.pinrepair.com/bally/index3.htm#lamp


If a feature light is continually on, or is never on, you can test the lamp driver board for a component problem. Assuming the wiring is intact, chances are good that the lamp's driving component(s) are bad. This is especially true if a lamp is always on. The internals to the driving components have probably shorted on, leaving the lamp continually on.

All Bally electronic pinball games until Williams bought them out in 1989 used SCR's (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers) to drive feature lamps. SCR's are different than transistors. Instead of a collector, base and emitter like a transistor, they have a cathode, anode and a gate (abbreviated C, A, G respectively, though sometimes the "C" is abbrevated as "K"). Each gate is driven by a CD4514 CMOS decoder output. All SCR cathodes are connected to the feature lamp ground. Each SCR anode is connected to a unique feature lamp.

There are two different SCR's used for lights on the lamp driver board: the larger MCR106-1, and the smaller 2N5060. They serve the same function, just the larger MCR106-1 can handle more current (and sometimes lights two lamps, while the smaller 2N5060 can only light one lamp). There is also a CD4514 CMOS decoder that drives the lamps. Sometimes these go bad too.



...et oui, j'en ai

Very easy to test with a DMM, just follow pinrepair and you will know.  I followed the instructions and found the problem with one of my pins.

Good luck and happy troubleshooting

If thats the F2K from me, I had that problem intermittently. When I moved the crappy connector to the rectifier board, it worked properly. I think swapping out the rec board will help make everything steadier.

Quoted from sentinelking

If thats the F2K from me, I had that problem intermittently. When I moved the crappy connector to the rectifier board, it worked properly. I think swapping out the rec board will help make everything steadier.

Hi Ian

Yes it's your, I have already swap the rectifier board, I have one connector to repins but that's it. Everything look a lot better with the new rectifier, everything seem stronger! Do you remenber if that light (appollo 2) was always on or off?

thank's

Going to test that SCR #Q52 ( if my schematic reading is OK)

thank's Gino

If the problem is intermittent, it's likely the connector pin terminal (J2, Pin 5) on the lamp driver board. If the lamp is locked on, it's likely the SCR.

I've seen these issues a hundred times and it's almost always either the SCR or the connector (assuming the socket is good) on the lamp driver.

The rectifier connectors would not be involved with a single light issue.

Quoted from cooke

If the problem is intermittent, it's likely the connector pin terminal (J2, Pin 5) on the lamp driver board. If the lamp is locked on, it's likely the SCR.

I've seen these issues a hundred times and it's almost always either the SCR or the connector (assuming the socket is good) on the lamp driver.

The rectifier connectors would not be involved with a single light issue.

The problem is there since I have the pin and the light is always on. It's not intermittant

Someone can confirm to me that the SCR Q52 is the one I have to check?

thank's Gino

Quoted from redketchup

The problem is there since I have the pin and the light is always on. It's not intermittant

Someone can confirm to me that the SCR Q52 is the one I have to check?

thank's Gino

That's what the schematic says. Is the other "Second Stage Go" lamp also always lit?

I'm not sure about this one... I have to look when I'm at home... If not should I check somewhere else?

Thank's Gino

Quoted from redketchup

I'm not sure about this one... I have to look when I'm at home... If not should I check somewhere else?

Thank's Gino

If not, it probably has a bad socket or bad bulb.

According to the schematic, the two lamps are connected.

Quoted from cooke

If not, it probably has a bad socket or bad bulb.

According to the schematic, the two lamps are connected.

Ok, but the problem is the light is alway on... a bad socket can do this?

Quoted from redketchup

Ok, but the problem is the light is alway on... a bad socket can do this?

No, no... I mean, the other "Second Stage Go" lamp, at the top. If Q52 is shorted and the "Apollo 2" lamp is always lit, then in theory the other "Second Stage Go" lamp at the top of the playfield should also be lit all the time. If the other lamp isn't lit, it's probably a bad socket/bulb. Now, I can't remember if those two lamps are actually connected... I'm just looking at the schematic and it says that they are.