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TAF Transistor keeps failing

Brownfools

Brownfools

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Joined
Aug 27, 2018
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31
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Wellingtonbridge
Hi all,
Transistor Q11 (Lower Right Flipper Holding Coil activation) keeps overheating and failing.
I have checked everything else on the board. I've checked the continuity of the EOS circuit. The coil resistances are a close match to those on the equivalent (Lower Left) flipper.
After changing the transistor all is well for about 100-200 games, then the Lower Right flipper will start to hold when the flipper button is released. Any ideas would be very welcome.
Thanks!
 
Pick Holder said:
I had this on an Addams on site.

In the end I changed the coils, EOS switches and the PCB to a pinled one.

No trouble since.

If a transistor goes - ALWAYS CHANGE THE COIL - also do not reuse the diodes. Most new coils come with the diodes fitted.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the benefit of your experience. I had a nagging feeling about the diodes but (of course) it's the one thing that you cannot test in situ.
I don't have a new spare coil so I'll order one now. I had already bought a new PCB (I've soldered this Transistor enough times for it to look quite shabby) but I was reluctant to fit it without first finding the root of the problem.
Thanks again!
 
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Addams was the only game with solid-state 'Fliptronic' flipper controls where I saw a blown flipper drive transistor, in that case the upper right. It was due to a diode breaking, and the fact that the original Fliptronic system (only used for Addams) doesn't have extra 'tie-back' diodes on the circuit board. With that one, the main TIP 36 transistor for the primary winding had shorted, and burned out the coil, so the need for replacement was obvious.

And it had to be the transistor with the machines' serial number label on it.
 
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Yeah. That would be sods law!
I have the new board ready to go in and have ordered a new coil.
What's nagging me is that this may all be my fault. I changed that flipper coil a couple of years back. there's a possibility that, while soldering the connections on, I've heat damaged the diodes. I'll have to be very careful this time.
Applying a heat sink while soldering! Does anyone out there have three hands?
 
Provided you have a heat controlled iron you should be fine. These diodes are made for wave soldering and will stand 360 C for ten seconds.
 
What PCB did you buy - as the pined one already has the diodes on it.

If I have to restore an Addams I do always recommend changing the flipper board.

But I repeat - CHANGE THE COIL AS WELL AS THE TRANSISTOR.

Been reparing these things for over 25 years and have experienced coils that read fine are not fine. Ask Mr Palmer. He will verify.
 
drhex said:
Provided you have a heat controlled iron you should be fine. These diodes are made for wave soldering and will stand 360 C for ten seconds.
Click to expand...

Thanks, drhex for the info (But I'll still have the misses grip it with a pair of plyers for peace of mind)
 
Pick Holder said:
What PCB did you buy - as the pined one already has the diodes on it.

If I have to restore an Addams I do always recommend changing the flipper board.

But I repeat - CHANGE THE COIL AS WELL AS THE TRANSISTOR.

Been reparing these things for over 25 years and have experienced coils that read fine are not fine. Ask Mr Palmer. He will verify.
Click to expand...
Hi Pick Holder,
Its a PinLED Flipptronik l+ll Board "Modell" 10032. I ordered it the last time I changed the transistor but I was dubious about fitting it until I had got to the root cause of the problem. I'm satisfied that everything else is good, so I'm happy to go with coil and diodes.
I have the coil on order from Pinball Heaven and will wait for it to arrive before fitting the board.
Because I ordered it on Friday it won't be dispatched until later today (Monday) and it will probably take about a week for it to get to me here in the RoI.
Another week without TAF. The misses will kill me!
On the plus side - It means she can't raise her Grand Champion score any further! :)
 
Where are you buying the replacement components from? There are so many fake transistors out there that we now ONLY buy direct from a semiconductor factory and have parts made for us directly.

We were caught with 1000 fake TIP36C purchased from a reputable supplier (we are still negotiating replacements with them several months later).

ONLY buy from places like Farnell, RS Comp, Arrow, Mouser etc. Forget fleabay and most other online places you are 80% guaranteed to receive fakes.
 
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Hi Homepin,
You've got me checking my order history.
The TIP102s that I've been replacing came from Farnell.
The board came from PU-parts.com, Bunde, Germany.
This is good advice for those on the forum. Only order from sources that you trust.
 
Oh woe!
Royal Mail tracking say that the shipment from Pinball Heaven is with Dublin customs. Dublin customs want a reference number that they supply by email. And - you've guessed it - I've had no email!
This could take ages to resolve so I've just ordered another one from PU-Parts. As they are within the EU, customs doesn't come into play.
That was a waste of over a week.
Lesson learnt!!
 
Brownfools said:
Oh woe!
Royal Mail tracking say that the shipment from Pinball Heaven is with Dublin customs. Dublin customs want a reference number that they supply by email. And - you've guessed it - I've had no email!
This could take ages to resolve so I've just ordered another one from PU-Parts. As they are within the EU, customs doesn't come into play.
That was a waste of over a week.
Lesson learnt!!
Click to expand...
If it is like UK you get the number in the mail, not via email - you should be able to call your carrier to get the number.
 
Sometimes I don't get the email if the email address is not on the order invoice in the package and you got to wait for the card to be delivered by post with the ref code
 
Mozie said:
Sometimes I don't get the email if the email address is not on the order invoice in the package and you got to wait for the card to be delivered by post with the ref code
Click to expand...
Yeah. All very frustrating!
I like to try and support UK businesses where I cannot source from Ireland. But the delay, additional taxes and resulting general frustration is causing me to reassess that convention.
Waiting for Anpost to deliver the card, going online and paying the import VAT, waiting for clearance THEN for delivery means that there is a strong possibility that the one that I've just ordered from PU Parts will arrive first. Even though it was ordered a week-and-a-half later!
 
drhex said:
If it is like UK you get the number in the mail, not via email - you should be able to call your carrier to get the number.
Click to expand...
Hi Drhex,
It's slightly complex!
For the UK part of the journey the carrier is Royal Mail. They supply a tracking number which I have.
Once it crosses the Irish sea it's with customs, who will issue their own reference, which I don't have. That reference (as Mozie said) will now come by snail mail. (very snail over here!)
Then you pay the import VAT online - ironically on the AnPost website.
Ironic because - it's then released to the carrier for the Irish leg of the journey. Which is AnPost!
Unfortunately, you can't beat the system.
 
Perhaps I should also make clear that, despite the appearance of my avatar, I am no fan of the EU. The avatar comes from a brilliant but much underrated film. Bonus points for identifying the film (either the UK release name or the US release name).
 
Actually not sure iam presuming it's Doppelganger because I've seen posters with that title but maybe that was the german release?
 
The day the earth caught fire is another 60s classic sci fi if you haven't seen it
 
Mozie said:
Actually not sure iam presuming it's Doppelganger because I've seen posters with that title but maybe that was the german release?
Click to expand...
Doppelganger is spot on. Apparently the Americans don't understand the word. So it was renamed for US release. It will always be Doppelganger to me. Shame it wasn't made into a pinball machine!
 
A bad flipper diode will cause the Fliptronics I board's TIP102 hold transistor to fail. Replace the diode in all the coils.
 
Maybe you guys can make more sense of this screenshot than I can.
Is my package going back and forward between countries? Does anyone know where it REALLY is?
Thankfully, the one I ordered (a week-and-a-half later) from PU Parts arrived yesterday!
 

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Looks like it didn't clear customs and was sent Back and it's be resent. An post are a proper pain in the hole dealing with stuff post brexit, looking for any excuse to return stuff
 
Yes, pain in the back. FedEx/UPS are much better but you pay a handling fee.
 
Mozie said:
Looks like it didn't clear customs and was sent Back and it's be resent. An post are a proper pain in the hole dealing with stuff post brexit, looking for any excuse to return stuff
Click to expand...
You called it! Back and forward. It's now been delivered.....back to Pinball Heaven!
I'll have to drop them an email to find out if it's to be re-delivered or refunded.
 

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Pinball Heaven wanted me to pay for it's re-delivery! Eh,...No!
What if customs rejected it again? How many times would I be expected to pay postage?
How do I know that Pinball Heaven are following the new processes for sending goods to the EU?
This is the sort of experience that changes a customers allegiances.
Shame really. They were always a go-to when I lived in the UK.
Oh well. We move on.
 
An post will tell you the cn22 form wasn't filled in correct or something, ask the seller to see what the issue was as to why it was returned as it will state it on the label. Eitherways it was the sellers error and not yours so not sure why you should have to pay the delivery charge a second. Any stuff I need I always use David arcade retro specialists on here for all my orders and his always shipped promptly and I've never had an issue with anything being returned.
 
Thanks, Mozie. I will keep him in mind. But I think I'm done with the UK at the moment.
Parts arrive so much quicker from Germany and Holland. Though, having said that, I'm still waiting for an order of Ten Pin Bowling accessories that I ordered from Bowling Shop Europe in the Netherlands a couple of weeks ago.
Apparently still "Awaiting shipment to the destination country"
Hey-Ho!
 
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