BINGO PINBALLS

 

Overpay

Games affected: all

Overpay is when the machine puts too many credits on the replay register. As usual, the symptoms will give you a clue where to look. Some information on how payout works in general is written up in the techo section. In particular, the index units and search disc/replay counter units.

However, that information is kind of dense, so instead here we will try and just be specific on where to look and why...that is, once we get past a little background info.

Except on early bingo machines, a replay counter disc cannot count high enough to make a payout. For example, if you win 1800 credits on a mystic line game, you would need a replay counter capable of stepping up 1800 times. Bally quickly decided that was no good, so they designed the circuitry to seperate the step up of the replay register from the step up of the replay counter. Let's peek at the schematic:


Surf Club Schem - click for big version
payout circuits
pink=winner detect, blue and pink = payout
During payout, the replay register is pulsed by CU cam switch 13B (marked [A] on the schem), and the replay counter disc is pulsed by one of the switches 10A, 11A, 12, 13A (marked [B]).

The gory details are in the score disc/replay counter info, but an example is that while CU cam 13B will pulse 12 times per revolution of the replay cams, CU cam 10A may only pulse 2 times, so you get a 6x multiplier on the replay counter.

A payout of 24 would require the replay counter to only step up 4 times. The other switches provide different ratios. Obviously, switch 13A is 1:1, since the switch is on the same cam as the 13B switch.

So what's the deal with pink and blue? Well, pink is the circuitry used to detect a winner and close the search index coil. As soon as the searh index coil closes, we get power to replay cams index coil via search index switch 17A. The replay cams release, and pulses start stepping up units. At this time, the blue stuff is getting 50V. Note that pink and blue are connected togther, so everything being powered by blue is also being powered by pink and vice-versa.



The somewhat baffling question is what is the point of the long hunk of blue that goes through CU cam switch 13 and replay cams index switch 16A? It's purpose is solely to provide an alternate current path so the power spikes that occur when the replay register and replay counter step up coils close don't all get routed through the printed circuit traces on the relay counter unit. If you've looked at a switch contact face, you seen that pitting occurs due to arcing and the power spikes. Replacing a switch contact is simple...replacing an entire counter unit is expensive and time consuming. The circuit through these two switches protects the replay counter disc from burning/pitting.

The tricky bit is why is the pink stuff through the replay counter discs are still active while the blue circuit through 16A is active. Frankly, I don't know. I'll check when I take apart this game. The circuit through the pink stuff must be active while CU cam switch 13 is open, otherwise the search index coil would lose power and release, but you'd kinda think that while CU cam switch 13 was closed, the redundant circuit through the replay counter disc would be cut off. However, replay cams switch 16B keeps the pink stuff though the replay counter powered ... oh well, only a timing diagram will help figure it out.

Finally, I should mention that Surf Club is pretty simple. Later games may have more complications in the replay counter step up circuit, but the basic principles are the same.

Problems

Game never stops paying
replay counter step-up coil not getting power or is burned out if the replay counter coil is bad or not getting pulsed, the replay counter never steps up and eventually cuts off power to the search index coil. CU cam #13B will keep pulsing the replay register forever.

Test the replay counter coil by jumpering 50V to it.

score disc is not passing the 50V this is just moving back in the circuit from the replay counter step up coil. However, it's a good place to measure voltage, as you should see a steady 50V going into and coming out of the score disc.

Game pays some wins correctly, others run forever.
one of the replay cams switches isn't working. you can look in the manual to see which of the payout ratio switches is supposed to be pulsing the replay counter step-up coil, or just inspect all four of them.

game rounds up payout to a consistent multiple - usually 12
replay cams index switch #16A is closed when it shouldn't be OK, there is probably at least three places on the site that talked about this thing, and some poor guys have spent hours looking at problems and not getting what I was trying to say. So, let's try again. It is absolutely critical that this switch, as well as pretty much all the switches on the replay cams index unit, are adjusted correctly. The replay cams index unit has three possible positions:

coil powered, replay cams turning - 16A must be closed OK, this is easy. The replay cams index coil has 50V on it, and the plunger is pulled all the way in. The index pin which locks the replay cams and keeps them from turning is lifted off the edge of the cam.
coil not powered, replay cams still turning - 16A must be OPEN!!! This is the one people are screwing up. In this state, payout has completed. The search index and replay index coils are no longer being powered through the initial pink circuits, as the replay counter disc has cut off the current. The index pin on the replay cams index unit is riding on the edge of the cam. When the slot in the cam rotates under the pin, the pin will fall in and lock the cams from turning.

If switch 16A is still closed, then every time CU cam 13 switch closes (it's on the replay cams, which are turning still), 50V is pulsed onto wire #80, which works it way down to the replay register step up coil. You may also see the search index coil and/or the replay cams index coil start to pull in. The replay counter step up coil usually will not pull in, as the search wipers are released and it's a crap-shoot as to what the wiper fingers are touching when the 50V shows up.

coil not powered, replay cams locked - 16A "should be" open This is the at-rest state for this circuit. If 16A were closed now, you'd not notice any effect, because CU cam 13 is open all the time (replay cams are not turning).

Payout sometimes ok, but the red letter/ok game starts
only happens when a winner has been detected/paid Well, this is still reply cams switch 16A like above. The point is to stress that the search wipers are turning while 50V is being periodically pulsed onto the search wipers via wire #80. This game doesn't have a red letter/ok game feature, or any other feature that routes through the search disc, so the schematic isn't too helpful to see what is happening. However, hopefully you get the point...wire #80 must not have 50V on it unless the search wipers are being help on a winner by the search index unit.
underpay | no pay