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Found it! Bally Transformer for VECTOR

astyy

astyy

Play Flipper Games for Fun and Recreation
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
3,120
Location
Basingstoke
Alias
Dont be nosey :-)
Does anybody have a suitable transformer for my VECTOR project - the manual lists it as AS-3071-2/E-122-142

Can pickup at Play Expo/NLP in just two weeks!

Also interested in any VECTOR plastics, targets etc should anybody have any in their stash.

Thanks
 
IT WILL RISE AND LIVE AGAIN!!!

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stevebm1 said:
has the one brian had on ebay gone?
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I'm in contact with him and he seems to have a couple. I was hoping there may be one available in the community here that could find its way to Play Expo/NLP.

Brian seems to be a good contact though he has some other stuff I need so will be worth a trip down to see him if I can't get sorted here.
 
You don't seem to see many transformers for any machine come up for sale very often, because they mostly come from parted out machines I suppose. if you are desperate for one for your machine grab this one quick as it may be years for another one to turn up.
 
As @Johnnyo said probably only available from a stripped machine :(

Problem with pinball transformers is they're rather specialist. Unusual multi-voltage multi-tapped multiple windings to supply 3, 4 or 5 different output voltages for all the common mains input voltages. And chunky to handle fairly high current. Probably horrifically inefficient. I wonder if the old manufacturers like Bally even wound them in-house?

Anyone with an electronics background (@lukewells, @myPinballs) care to comment on the feasibility of doing this all with switch-mode PSUs that completely do away with the transformer?
 
Nedreud said:
As @Johnnyo said probably only available from a stripped machine :(

Problem with pinball transformers is they're rather specialist. Unusual multi-voltage multi-tapped multiple windings to supply 3, 4 or 5 different output voltages for all the common mains input voltages. And chunky to handle fairly high current. Probably horrifically inefficient. I wonder if the old manufacturers like Bally even wound them in-house?

Anyone with an electronics background (@lukewells, @myPinballs) care to comment on the feasibility of doing this all with switch-mode PSUs that completely do away with the transformer?
Click to expand...


I thought there were loads of game that used that transformer, i.e. with the updated rectifier board thats in the bottom of the cab. i.e any game from xenon onwards? You could use switched mode power supplies as a replacement for the whole thing if you made some adapter cables etc. I used a dedicated 48v switched mode psu and an ATX supply on my supersonic test rig at last years play expo for demoing my custom controller system, so its possible.
 
Nedreud said:
As @Johnnyo said probably only available from a stripped machine :(

Problem with pinball transformers is they're rather specialist. Unusual multi-voltage multi-tapped multiple windings to supply 3, 4 or 5 different output voltages for all the common mains input voltages. And chunky to handle fairly high current. Probably horrifically inefficient. I wonder if the old manufacturers like Bally even wound them in-house?

Anyone with an electronics background (@lukewells, @myPinballs) care to comment on the feasibility of doing this all with switch-mode PSUs that completely do away with the transformer?
Click to expand...

The thing you need to look for is SMPSU's that can be run with zero current draw (for the solenoid and switched light circuits). Most will have a minimum 1amp+ current draw requirement and are thus unsuitable for coils pulsing on and off.

Most of your cheap-ass ebay ones wont be suitable, but most quality brands do make zero current supplies.

+5v and +12v are easy to find and +48v is also a fairly common voltage, so that would work fine for solenoids on games with 50v coils, else 24v is also a common one
 
Thanks, guys. Interesting stuff about the switch-mode PSUs. This requires some research!

Still trying to find a definitive reference of Bally transformers (guess I'll be writing one...) but a quick glance at PinWiki reveals at least 5 different transformer part numbers:

E-122-125
E-122-131
E-122-142
E-122-161
E-122-170

Not pleased to see that E-122-170 was only used on GOLD BALL so I'll have to be kind to mine!
 
Nedreud said:
Thanks, guys. Interesting stuff about the switch-mode PSUs. This requires some research!

Still trying to find a definitive reference of Bally transformers (guess I'll be writing one...) but a quick glance at PinWiki reveals at least 5 different transformer part numbers:

E-122-125
E-122-131
E-122-142
E-122-161
E-122-170

Not pleased to see that E-122-170 was only used on GOLD BALL so I'll have to be kind to mine!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if all the part numbers are actually the same thing! Sometimes different manufacturers of the same item get different part numbers etc Also, I don't really see why they would alter it after they redeveloped the A2 Power Transformer Module to be in the bottom of the cabinet with the AS-2518-54 rectifier board. I'm not aware of any changes to power requirements to any Bally games up to the end of the AS-2518 system.

Re the switched mode psu's. We used these at Zidware to run the prototype coil drives before the main rectifier boards were built and i've run playfields off them as mentioned. I ran the magic girl playfield here on them for 2 years and never had any issues. I don't remember anything particularly special about them, just bog standard items as far as i recall.
 
Nedreud said:
There are at least 5 different Bally transformers]
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I see, if you are listing every transformer revision from 1976 to 1985 then there will be small changes for each rectifier board along with connector differences. My main point was for vector, you've got a massive range of games and years to search for a transformer, as the AS-2518-54 rectifier was used for along time
 
Thanks for all the advice chaps. I really thought these rusty lumps would be knocking about in this community like in @Jay Walker loft ;)

Brian is away this week, but has a few if nothing turns up here I'll catch-up with him upon his return.
 
PinballDaze said:
I have a spare one here.
PM me if interested.
Dave - Pinballdaze.
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Thanks Dave but I think I'm sorted via Brian in Southampton, had a long chat with him in the week and he sorted some other bits I needed too - nice bloke.
 
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