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Bally Paragon

Dotteddown

Dotteddown

Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 6, 2022
Messages
249
Location
Derbyshire
Alias
Jam
Hi guys,
Got a problem with my Paragon today.
The score boards are not lit up and it says tilt all the while ?
I’ve opened up the top where scores are to check for loose wires or a fuse gone but all seems ok?
It is weird as I noticed one of the bumpers was starting to gun a little about five games before this happened ?
Any ideas what else to check please ?
For to say all the play field and flippers seem fine

Regards Jamie
 
Check the tilt Bob and switches aren't stuck on. The gunning pop bumper is probably a switch that needs adjusting. Be worth reseating connectors on the boards as well just in case.

Happy to pop round and give you a hand looking at it if you want mate, just let me know 👍
 
Hi chaps,
Thanks for the reply’s, Ron’s mate very good of you to offer. Let me try the fuse to see if it’s this to save you journey.

I’ve tried all I can just know and after a few wiggles and checking tilt and slam switches.
Scores still do not illuminate unfortunately!
Nothing looks bad to the eye.
Reseated all connections to mpu and solenoid board and seem fine no loose wires ect.
Strange as the tilt seems to be gone now but game over is permanently eliminated?
No score boards

I’m hoping it is a fuse that looks good but is shot but have no multimeter to test.
So I won’t know till I get replacement fuse multi pack. Just looked on eBay and there rather expensive? £20 or so.
It’s got a new alltec mpu board and noticed it has a self check and reset button which I was tempted to press but thought better lol
 
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Based on that vid I suspect Alan is right and it's the display fuse. Worth disconnecting and reconnecting the connectors that go to the backboard and displays a few times just to rule those out 👍
 
game looks to be booting and starting a game and playing fine. so check connectors to solenoid driver board . then fuses for the displays. one on the rectifier board. maybe also one on the high voltage area of the solenoid driver board.

ps buy a digital multi meter too.
 
Hi mate,
That’s what I’m hoping !
There is a fuse all on its own in the centre of a board I think it’s too middle at a guess is this the one you think ?
Or the six bank together, I read that f2 could be the culprit ?
Just spent a few minutes trying to find a pinball shop that does a set of fuses for the old Bally’s ? Could really stumble on one yet I’ll keep looking failing that it’s eBay I suppose.
 
AlanJ said:
game looks to be booting and starting a game and playing fine. so check connectors to solenoid driver board . then fuses for the displays. one on the rectifier board. maybe also one on the high voltage area of the solenoid driver board.

ps buy a digital multi meter too.
Click to expand...
Hi Alan,
Yes I definitely need one of these and also need to learn how to use it lol
 
yes the solenoid driver board is the top right board in the backbox. if it has a fuse (some do some don’t) then it’s the high voltage score display fuse. and yes also a nother fuse on the rectifier board that also is the score display high voltage.
 
AlanJ said:
yes the solenoid driver board is the top right board in the backbox. if it has a fuse (some do some don’t) then it’s the high voltage score display fuse. and yes also a nother fuse on the rectifier board that also is the score display high voltage.
Click to expand...
I may of even missed one of these buggers with my limited knowledge Alan, thanks for explaining I appreciate it mate
Just off topic here I noticed a very weird looking fuse on the underside of the play field tonight, very thick looking thing any idea what this is for ?
 
ronsplooter said:
Based on that vid I suspect Alan is right and it's the display fuse. Worth disconnecting and reconnecting the connectors that go to the backboard and displays a few times just to rule those out 👍
Click to expand...
I did replace a few times as I know from my fruit machines these cause no end of heart ache !
Unfortunately all removed and replaced with no joy.
It still has a few of the brown ones on there which I was very careful with and don’t really like to touch. They look brittle
I also unplugged all the score boards and tried connecting one at a time re booting machine as I read that a dodgy one can cause the lot to go out,but no joy.
One thing I did forget to mention though witch is odd when I switch off machine under the table the score boards do flicker for about a tenth of a second ! Very weird
 
the underside playfield fuse is for all the playfield solenoids except the flippers. it shouldn’t be anything weird just a normal fuse. usually 1 or 2a. manual will tell you what rating. if you have a big nasty fuse in there get it out and put in the correct value fuse
 
AlanJ said:
the underside playfield fuse is for all the playfield solenoids except the flippers. it shouldn’t be anything weird just a normal fuse. usually 1 or 2a. manual will tell you what rating. if you have a big nasty fuse in there get it out and put in the correct value fuse
Click to expand...
That’s a very good point I will check all the fuses for correct ones for piece of mind , it’s the weirdest fuse I’ve ever seen to be honest under play field.
 
Dotteddown said:
What I find weird is the game over is always lit even when there’s a game in play .
Click to expand...
that could be an issue with the lamp driver board, its a fairly common problem to have a lamp stuck on - its probably a blown scr on the lamp driver board. i.e. its shorted so the lamp is on all the time.
 
AlanJ said:
that could be an issue with the lamp driver board, its a fairly common problem to have a lamp stuck on - its probably a blown scr on the lamp driver board. i.e. its shorted so the lamp is on all the time.
Click to expand...
Which one is the lamp driver board please Alan ? I have checked the bulbs and two have blown completely and black inside.
Could be coincidence but does seem to tie in
 
It’s Q47 and it’s J2 pin 10 gray black wire it’s one of the big scr MCR 106 , most likely there is some green Corrosion on the scr . Ther could be more then one out so put the game in lamp test mode to see if anymore are faulty 👍
 
carl lawrence said:
It’s Q47 and it’s J2 pin 10 gray black wire it’s one of the big scr MCR 106 , most likely there is some green Corrosion on the scr . Ther could be more then one out so put the game in lamp test mode to see if anymore are faulty 👍
Click to expand...
Thanks Carl I’ll try take a look when I get a mo
 
AlanJ said:
I have just fixed a few spare lamp driver boards so can do a swap service if you want. but if you’re ok soldering it’s usually just the scr needs changing. if you’re unlucky it can be header pins or the ics in the board.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a plan that Alan, I can solder and bought a pace vacuum de soldering station for my fruit machines.
I also have a testing unit for diodes and capacitors.
With guidance to the correct parts I think I could remove and replace no problem.
Failing that a trip to see you and and excuse to play on your pins lol
 
Hi Guys,
Well got myself a multi meter and checked all the fuses i could see behind the back glass and all were fine- bugger !
I did a lamp test and a few bulbs were out but with a wiggle most come on and off when they feel like it 🤣
I’m going to guess it’s something on the board now that’s a miss.
I’ll go away and try reading up how to test parts that Carl or Alan mentioned and see if I can get any joy.
The weird looking fuse under the play field I got a pick of Alan, we’ll I hope it’s a fuse 😂
 

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If you can get a lamp working by wiggling it in its socket then probably a dodgy lamp holder. you can sometimes clean these up to fix them, or just replace with new.

It looked like some of the lamps in the backbox were on when they should have been off - they seemed to brighten when on- probably a duff scr on the lamp board.

Similarly any lamps that don’t work at all are either scr blown or:
The connectors to the boards :where you can get poor connections. replacing the header pins on the board and re-crimping the wire connectors is the solution there.
 
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