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Stern backbox light

JT.

JT.

Site Supporter
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
2,964
Location
North West UK
The backbox florescent light on my SM is not working. I checked the terminals on the sockets for power but there is nothing. Could a faulty starter cause no power at the bulb terminals or is this more likely to be something else (the ballast, or maybe a fuse somewhere)?
 
Its the 50/60hz thing that has probably killed your ballast (starter is built into the ballast). Over here, a 60hz ballast (as found in imported stern machines) runs hotter as its internal current increases when used with our 50hz leccy. Pinball heaven do a 240v 50hz ballast for Stern machines to sort it out: (or butcher a ballast from a 2ft strip light at B+Q)



http://www.pinballheaven.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1928
 
My mate has just had the exact same problem with his stern IJ.

Problem solved by going to b and q and taking the ballast from a cheap bulb
 
Or you could sell it to me and the problem will move with the machine...
smile-1.png
 
I'll part with the old ballast for the right price, but the rest of the machine is staying here for a while... :)
 
Rats. i was on about the machine, not the ballast...

saying that i'd need to save up for it tho...
 
You need to save up for a new gear linkage.

Glad to see you made it back home.

D.
 
Temporary fix complete. New linkage/Cable set due to arrive tomorrow
smile-1.png




Saying that, it has failed three times now (till i put cable ties on to affect afforementioned fix..)



Cheers
biggrin-1.png


Paul
 
Rus121' date=' post: 1692489 said:
Its the 50/60hz thing that has probably killed your ballast (starter is built into the ballast). Over here, a 60hz ballast (as found in imported stern machines) runs hotter as its internal current increases when used with our 50hz leccy. Pinball heaven do a 240v 50hz ballast for Stern machines to sort it out: (or butcher a ballast from a 2ft strip light at B+Q)



http://www.pinballheaven.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1928
Click to expand...





Got this today, but struggling with the instructions for swapping this over; has anyone fitted one before who can give advice? These are the instructions, numbered by me to help refer to them:



Fitting instructions for suitably able people...

UNPLUG THE MACHINE FROM THE WALL!

Replace the 110v ballast with this new one.

1. Take the black/white wires from the coin door area, extract the pins.

2. Locate the 2 blue wires coming from the back of the transformer that connect to black/white wire.

3. Extract the pins and use the connector housing from the coin door area to house the blue wires from the transformer, these are now redundant.

4. Push the white/black wires into the remaining connector so that it matches the black/white wires on the other side.

5. Verify with voltage meter that there is now 240v there.

6. Reconnect. Done.



Step 1 is OK - I found a cable near the coin door with black and white wires with a connector I can remove. Step 2 is OK too, I think (it says "black/white wire" I presume it means "black and white wires")

Step 3: Which pins is this referring to? Just the black and the white that were connected to the blues I guess (i.e. not the blues as well), but not 100% sure?

Step 4: Which black and white wires is this referring to? The ones that were connected to the connector near the coin door?

Step 5: Verify 240v, where? At the bulb sockets, or the ballast, or some of the wires that were moved around?

Step 6: Reconnect what? Does this mean the two black wires that were connected to the old ballast, being connected to the new ballast.



I'll give Phil a shout tomorrow in office hours if no one here understands this.
 
I'll bump this to Simon who just fitted one to his IJ last week. I'm sure he'll be able to assist.
 
Hi just done my stern IJ, I wanted to keep the machine original. The problem was the ballast so this is what I did.



I disconnected the power from the transformer which is a blue plug coming directly out of the transformer which goes into its own plastic tubing and runs up to left side wiring loom.



I bought a 2 ft replacement tube and kit from b&q for £11.99, 2 meters of 3 core flex and a plug



I unscrewed the original holders of the stern tube and cable tied them into the loom so they can be replaced and returned to standard at a later date



I stripped down the new tube Sao I was left with two loose tube fittings and the ballast and starter



I trimmed all the excess plastic of the tube fittings and installed them on the original brackets which the original fittings which are now tied up. I used the original screws which lined up perfectly to the existing holes.



I screwed the new ballast to the back box above the fuse diagram



Secured the the power input box to the back box



Wired it to a separate flex and ran the cable through the machine exiting out the back with the original plug



I then installed the plug, so I have two plugs from the machine one for the light one for the machine, it could be wired into the machine 240 v but I wanted to keep it all original.



The whole job took less than 30 mins



Inside my back box looks totally original however before I sell on the machine I will order in a ballast from the USA and return to ordinal spec, but while it's in my house I'm happy with it running on my modified system. If you want some pics I can email them.
 
Cheers Simon...as I already had the new ballast from Pinball heaven, I went ahead and fitted it. With some advice from Phil, basically all the was needed was to replace the existing 120V source (the blue wires from the transfomer) with 240V (the black and white wires that were unused, and situated near the coin door). Also replaced the starter with a 240v version.



So I have done all this, and can measure 240V across the two bulb sockets. Once inserted, the bulb lights, but it is really dim (so dim, that once the translight is in place, you cannot tell that the bulb is actually lit). I can't get through to pinball heaven at the moment for advice, so anyone got any ideas?



Dodgy bulb maybe or could I have screwed up connecting the new ballast still?
 
Like a bronze coloured cube about an inch cubed.



But all sorted now, it was the bulb...swapped in a new one and it's working fine now.
 
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