How to fix lamp socket problems

[AlanJ]

Hi Guys, newbie here, bought my first two machines a few months ago: Stern Star Trek Pro, and a 1979 Paragon.

The paragon suffers from lighting problems caused by poor contact within the lamp holders, Some of these look quite new, but still not working correctly. I have purchased some replacements and begun fitting them, but wondered if anyone had any tips to clean existing sockets please?

 

[ronsplooter]

Welcome to the forum Alan

Got a similar issue with Hit The Desk at the moment that I need to sort out. First I always try using the lamp socket cleaning tool I bought from Pinball Resource years ago. It's basically an abrasive stick that you twizzle in the socket to clean it out a bit. Sometimes this is good enough but if not I use a small sanding drum on my dremel and buzz out the socket with that.

If still no joy then soldering the wire to the nipple on the back of the socket usually sorts things out

 

[AlanJ]

cheers @ronsplooter - I will have a go at making a tool, and also follow your other advice.

 

[AlanJ]

So, I had a go at cleaning a lamp socket in situ - first cleaned the inside with a dremmel type sander - the inner contact now bright and shiny, I tightened the outer ring a bit by squeezing it in - the bulb fits nice n snug. But still flickers if I bang or move it - so stage 2 I soldered a fiy wire from the central point to the lead tag, so make absolutely sure there is a permanent electrical connection to the centre. I thought this would surely fix it but hey no, it still flickers when agitated! So....... I took the socket off the pin and had a play. it's for sure just a dodgy socket. I compared it to a brand new one I bought recently from pinballmania - the old ones flickers when agitated, the new one doesn't AT ALL - So, my conclusion is that I need to crack on an replace all these old poor quality holders. Not a task I'm really looking forward to - I think I'll do the ones I know are dodgy and then replace the rest as and when I notice them flickering.

 

[astyy]

Clays guide recommends a blob of solder bridging the body to the bracket too.

 

[AlanJ]

Hi @astyy - yep that's the fix, I just tried it on my removed 'bad' socket and it's fixed the problem!!!! I had assumed the bracket and body were fixed together safely, but they're not the body rotates, and that looks like it was the issue all along. Thank you so much - this hopefully will save me lots of time - a couple of blobs of solder is easier than a complete lamp socket replacement.

 

[pinballmania]

Sometimes just rotating the body tightens and improves the electrical contact between the pieces and soldering is not necessary. I’ve also had success by putting the exposed corner of the bracket in a pair of pliers and adding a small twist to the bracket in order to tighten the contact between bracket and body.