How to learn to fix pins?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

How can you learn to fix pins? I am a complete beginner - I have no
electronic knowledge or real mechanical aptitude.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Is it helpful to take an electronics course as I know nothing about
electronics.
 
B

BLACKTIGER

Distinguished
Jul 15, 2005
183
0
18,680
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I would think no. Best is to buy a pin that is working or has very
very minor issues and then learn on the fly. Electronics class
probably wont teach you excatly what your hoping for. Maybe you could
talk to a local repair person and they could let youhang around when
they are working on a pin. Worth asking. Everyone here started just
where you are at, at one time.

Mike
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I want to work on WPC modern games.

What sort of electronic course would be helpful?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

What I did (not that I'm some fixing smarty pants...because I was/maybe
am still in the same boat) was find a friend who knew how to soldier.
I took some stuff to his house and we sat down for about an hour and I
watched him take some stuff off a board and replace it. So I got to
see how it's done first hand. that's a big help.

Then i went to Marvin's site, printed out each part of each guide he
has on machines that I have or want to work on, took the print outs to
Kinkos and had them spiral bound. it's fantastic to not have to keep
going to your computer or looking over at your laptop and scrolling
through stuff. Just turn the page and fold the book over.

Hope that helps.

Allroy
 
A

Adi

Distinguished
Apr 5, 2004
308
0
18,780
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Nah, no need for that. I'll help anyone if I could (or know how).

Adi
www.txpinball.com


"BlackTiger" <caligallagher@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1121568338.793325.160050@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> And remember to thank Adi for his help. :>)
>
> Mike
>
 
A

Adi

Distinguished
Apr 5, 2004
308
0
18,780
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Well, yes, it's helpful. However, saying that you are an absolute beginner
with no electronics or mechanical knowledge whatsoever, you have to take it
small steps so that's likely an overkill for now. What kind of games do you
want to work on? Old, 60, 60es EM machines? 1980es System 3-7? System 11?
WPC modern games? Data East and SEGA thrown in?

You biggest source of knowledge would be buying TOP tapes and reading
Marvin's site to start. it's hard to give a "step by step answer" when an
ambiguous question like "how do I fix machines" is presented. Those 2 things
mentioned above should get you plenty to catch on.

Adi
www.txpinball.com


<pokerpin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121568386.681788.17660@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Is it helpful to take an electronics course as I know nothing about
> electronics.
>
 
A

Adi

Distinguished
Apr 5, 2004
308
0
18,780
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Again, the BEST electronic course for your money (free and peanuts) is
Marvin's website, this newsgroup and TOP tapes. Best of luck to you.

Adi
www.txpinball.com

<pokerpin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121576352.887157.224370@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I want to work on WPC modern games.
>
> What sort of electronic course would be helpful?
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Learning soldering and board repair skills will serve you much better
than taking an electronics course. Start building electronic kits. Then,
start removing components from junk circuit boards, not necessarily
pinball, anything you can find that has components you can desolder and
remove. That's a good start right there.

bogart
www.pinrestore.com

pokerpin@hotmail.com wrote:
> I want to work on WPC modern games.
>
> What sort of electronic course would be helpful?
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

<pokerpin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121576352.887157.224370@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I want to work on WPC modern games.
>
> What sort of electronic course would be helpful?

Other than basic computer electronics, it is only available hands on
experience..
back in 75 I would have paid big time for this group....
Ooops...IBM did not invent "pc" yet.
But the bally, williams, gottleib,,and oh ya, chicago coins, "schools"
produced really good lunches from C.A.Robinson....and a good tech tip or
two;-)
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

> What sort of electronic course would be helpful?

I guess you could take a simple electronis course at a local community
college, but honestly you just need to learn to: Solder, Use a DMM,
etc. Really you could sent out all board repairs to Clive and just
concentrate on the mechanics of troubleshooting, etc.

Barry - NY
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 05:57:50 GMT, pinbob wrote:
> back in 75 I would have paid big time for this group....
> Ooops...IBM did not invent "pc" yet.

Only four years until USENET though...

--
Premature optimization is the root of all evil.
-- Sir Tony Hoare
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In article <1121567641.569513.12270@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
pokerpin@hotmail.com wrote:

> How can you learn to fix pins? I am a complete beginner - I have no
> electronic knowledge or real mechanical aptitude.

Like getting to Carnegie Hall.... :)
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Yeah no reason to start easy, just jump right in there at the top. LOL

I think it would be best if you started with an early EM or early SS.
You need to learn how to ready schematics and a use a DMM before you go
tinkering with a WPC game. Early SS circuitry will sometimes take more
abuse than the newer games. For instance my SS wasnt grounded properly
(didnt know cause the wall outlet wasnt grounded) just merely touched a
swicth under the playfield 16 opto board fried! (Bad LM339 no biggie)
but these things wont take any screwing with. You better learn on
something easy first!
 
L

Les

Distinguished
Jan 25, 2001
710
0
18,980
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I would suggest starting with early Bally/Stern solid state games.
There are a ton of non-working games of this era out there (I have
about 6 in my garage). Mainly due to battery acid on the MPU board.
Send the MPU board out to be repaired or buy an Ultimate MPU for $199.
The rest of the problems are "relatively" easy to fix using Marvin's
site.

You must learn how to solder, read schematics, crimp connectors and use
a multi-meter. For that, you might take a non-credit electronics class
from your local junior college.

My first soldering experience was replacing the bridge rectifiers on
one of these games.

Les
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In terms of electronics, it depends on how much you really want to fix.
If you're looking to repair and diagnose circuit board level problems,
try and find an electronics technicians course. I would think a two
year or vocational school would offer such a thing. You'll need to
know Ohm's law, basic analog and digital (data busses, peripheral
devices, memory mapping, etc) circuit theory and most importantly
you'll need to develop EXCELLENT soldering and desoldering skills. WPC
era boards are kind of delicate, and at the going rate for replacements
you don't want to destroy them with bad work. Consider older Bally
Stern games as a starting point. The boards are a lot more durable,
they are less complex, and the lessons you learn will translate to WPC
games as you get better. Older Williams boards are harder to repair,
so after mastering Bally/Stern try some system 6 and 7 stuff. Buy a
good temperature controlled soldering iron, and a vacuum driven
desolder tool.

Good luck,
K2
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Thanks Blaine

Just printed it out. Keep loosing the copy I had.

Brian
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Ohm's Law

I = Current
V = Voltage
P = Power
R = Resistance


Current (I) is the quantity of electrons passing a given point. Thge
unit of current is AMPere. One ampere is 6,280,000,000,000,000,000
(6.28X10 to the power of 18) electrons passing a given point in one
second.

Voltage (V or sometimes E) is electrical Pressure or Force. Voltage
is sometimes referred to as potential. Voltage drop is the difference
in voltage between two ends of a conductor through which current is
flowing. If we compare current to water flowing through a pipe, then
voltage is the water pressure.

Power (P) is the work performed by an electrical current. The unit of
Power is the Watt. The power of a direct current is its voltage times
its current. P = V X I

Resistance (R). Conductors are not perfect. They resist to some
degree the flow of current. The unit of resistance is the Ohm. A
potential difference of one volt will force a current of one ampere
through a resistance of one ohm. The resistance of a conductor is its
voltage drop divided by the current flowing through the conductor.

Given any two from above, you can find the other two using these
formulas known as Ohm's Law:

V = I X R

I = V / R

R = V / I

P = V X I ...or... I2 X R



X = Multiplication
/ = Division


Hope this helps,
Blaine.

- - -

>In terms of electronics, it depends on how much you really want to fix.
> If you're looking to repair and diagnose circuit board level problems,
>try and find an electronics technicians course. I would think a two
>year or vocational school would offer such a thing. You'll need to
>know Ohm's law, basic analog and digital (data busses, peripheral
>devices, memory mapping, etc) circuit theory and most importantly
>you'll need to develop EXCELLENT soldering and desoldering skills. WPC
>era boards are kind of delicate, and at the going rate for replacements
>you don't want to destroy them with bad work. Consider older Bally
>Stern games as a starting point. The boards are a lot more durable,
>they are less complex, and the lessons you learn will translate to WPC
>games as you get better. Older Williams boards are harder to repair,
>so after mastering Bally/Stern try some system 6 and 7 stuff. Buy a
>good temperature controlled soldering iron, and a vacuum driven
>desolder tool.
>
>Good luck,
>K2
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

it's the VOLTS that jolt.
It's the mills that kill.

"B. White" <bish500@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
news:2d8mg1d3tcgrj7plenffvg0l12ln874bab@4ax.com...
> Ohm's Law
>
> I = Current
> V = Voltage
> P = Power
> R = Resistance
>
>
> Current (I) is the quantity of electrons passing a given point. Thge
> unit of current is AMPere. One ampere is 6,280,000,000,000,000,000
> (6.28X10 to the power of 18) electrons passing a given point in one
> second.
>
> Voltage (V or sometimes E) is electrical Pressure or Force. Voltage
> is sometimes referred to as potential. Voltage drop is the difference
> in voltage between two ends of a conductor through which current is
> flowing. If we compare current to water flowing through a pipe, then
> voltage is the water pressure.
>
> Power (P) is the work performed by an electrical current. The unit of
> Power is the Watt. The power of a direct current is its voltage times
> its current. P = V X I
>
> Resistance (R). Conductors are not perfect. They resist to some
> degree the flow of current. The unit of resistance is the Ohm. A
> potential difference of one volt will force a current of one ampere
> through a resistance of one ohm. The resistance of a conductor is its
> voltage drop divided by the current flowing through the conductor.
>
> Given any two from above, you can find the other two using these
> formulas known as Ohm's Law:
>
> V = I X R
>
> I = V / R
>
> R = V / I
>
> P = V X I ...or... I2 X R
>
>
>
> X = Multiplication
> / = Division
>
>
> Hope this helps,
> Blaine.
>
> - - -
>
> >In terms of electronics, it depends on how much you really want to fix.
> > If you're looking to repair and diagnose circuit board level problems,
> >try and find an electronics technicians course. I would think a two
> >year or vocational school would offer such a thing. You'll need to
> >know Ohm's law, basic analog and digital (data busses, peripheral
> >devices, memory mapping, etc) circuit theory and most importantly
> >you'll need to develop EXCELLENT soldering and desoldering skills. WPC
> >era boards are kind of delicate, and at the going rate for replacements
> >you don't want to destroy them with bad work. Consider older Bally
> >Stern games as a starting point. The boards are a lot more durable,
> >they are less complex, and the lessons you learn will translate to WPC
> >games as you get better. Older Williams boards are harder to repair,
> >so after mastering Bally/Stern try some system 6 and 7 stuff. Buy a
> >good temperature controlled soldering iron, and a vacuum driven
> >desolder tool.
> >
> >Good luck,
> >K2
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Here's a little memory aid for Ohm's law:

Draw an equilateral traingle (i.e. teepee shaped)

At the top corner, put "V". At the left bottom
corner, put "I" and ant the right bottom corner,
put "R".

(warning: bad ASCII art)

/ \
/ V \
/ I R \
----------

Now, with your finger cover the item
that you're looking for, and perform the
mathematical operation that's shown.

So for Volts, cover the "V" and compute I x R.
For Amps (I), cover the "I" and compute V / R.
For resistance (R), cover the "R" and compute V / I.

For me, it's easier to visualize this chart than it is
to remember the formulas.

-Mark
--
http://pinballpal.com/



<amyotte@personainternet.com> wrote in message
news:1124805232.659545.283950@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks Blaine
>
> Just printed it out. Keep loosing the copy I had.
>
> Brian
>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom