loose wires big problems and the medic.

[Marty Machine]

From what i know about some businesses/techs, I'm feeling the loose wires aren't exactly accidental, another ploy to play the machine down as a piece of crap, then youre offered $500 to take it away for 'parts', while they give it a polish/solder and flog it for 3k on the showroom floor...i know that for FACT by an ex pin-tech...

What suburb are you in anyway 'weed' ??

MM

[weed of crime]

Have improvised a lighting solution by hooking up a red neon at the back which I can turn on and off. Works for me! Its a neon petrol heads use in their cars. Just got a 12v converter from dick smith and I'm in business. Would have preferred a yellow neon, but this will do for now. Pics attached.

[weed of crime]

I'm in hoppers crossing marty. Am a crime reporter for the herald scum...oops sun. So I can smell a scam when I see one. And this just stank. Machine is far from a wreck.

[Marty Machine]

Cool mod with the neon strip....

There's a few guys in your area that may be able to assist you, and some further around Geelong.

I'm way over in East subs.
MM.

[Strangeways]

That's a tidy machine - far from a "wreck" that it was described as. I guess you "live and learn".


Do you have the schematics ?

We are talking about "General Illumination" lights ? These are usually "daisy chained" around the playfield and are easily disturbed or broken if the playfield is lifted or dropped without caution. I'm sure it is a simple fix. Sometimes GI is fused in sections. Could be a fuse or fuse clip.

[weed of crime]

Thanks for support guys. Yep just GI. Those rear lamps you can see in pic and the lights near where the ball enters the pop bumper area. He had them working for a moment but reckoned it blew a fuse. Ended up tying off a few wires with electrical tape and left as is. So from what I saw, he was close to a fix. Oh well, I'm playing pinball on my wreck and am happy with mod for now. Paranoid about opening it up! That's how the pain began. After I installed led sample kit. Musta shorted it somehow. Unless my house was hit by lightning.

[Strangeways]

If it was working momentarily and THEN blew a fuse, I'll bet you have short in that GI section. This happens when globes are changes as the sockets are bent to accomodate the removal of the old globes and insertion of the new globes. When you are confident, lift the playfield and look at all the GI globes changed in the vicinity. I won't be surprised if one globe socket is grounded (accidentally).

"tying off a few wires" sounds suspect to me.

[weed of crime]

Yeah wish he had of just left as is. I did have some difficulty getting one globe in in that area. Those wires though are a worry. A kind member has offered to help. But I might just leave alone for now. Wont rock the boat while she's operating ok. No doubt my curiosity will have me under the hood again soon enough.

[pinball god]

Sorry to hear your story, but don't lose faith, this happens to me all the time when trying to mod games 

I have used techs too and now start to see some crap work done by one. When you learn a few things over the years you start to notice wrongs coils installed or wiring that's just dodgey.

Pity I just left hoppers recently. Interesting hearing you're a crime writer. What's been happening recently up your way would mean yo could sleep in and go straight from home rather than go into work. Some dumb arse stuff been going on hoppers xing way.

[Marty Machine]

What's been happening recently up your way.........Some dumb arse stuff been going on hoppers xing way.

most recent is a pinball tech getting his head caved in by angry customer heheheheheehe.... 

[weed of crime]

Ha yeah some recent stabbings. Someone was murdered just down the road from me a few months back. Usual beatings n the likes. Spent my morning today at a tram fatal cos I started late n missed the shootings at coolaroo. 5am start tomorrow so anything could happen. Looking forward to knock off n some beer n pinball. Maybe I should do an expose on dodgy pinball techs?

[Strangeways]

Maybe I should do an expose on dodgy pinball techs?

Will it be a two page spread - you will need plenty of room !

[beaky]

$150 for a simple board repair, the most I have charged for 1 board to date is $100 + parts for a major board overhaul. If all a board needed is a transistor or 2 then I charge $25 plus the price of the transistors and my fuel money to get there and back.

If I could not personally repair a fault on site like some lights not working I would be embarrassed.

Don't get me wrong, I am not putting down the every pinball owner who cant fix there own machine, but if some one calls them self a professional pinball tech and can't figure out why some lamps aren't working there is something wrong there.

If a board takes me 3 hours to fix because I have overlooked something that should have only taken an hour then all i charge is an hour, why should the customer pay for my mistake ?

I think It's time for me to put my prices up and shift to melbourne, I would be rich in no time. mind you I would have a lot more enemies but i would be rich     

 

[ajlaird]

Well, we aren't called the pinball capital of Australia for nothing.

[Jango]

Hey weed of crime - did you contact Owen from Pinball Fixers or has he gone missing?