Sorry if been asked before but new to the forum....
Is it possible to add earth protection to a 1968 Gottlieb pin table?
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Is it possible to add earth protection to a 1968 Gottlieb pin table?
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Earthing a EM Gottlieb??
- Thread starter Bandit Boy
- Start date
I'm going to be doing the same to my 1972 Fireball soon so I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it to your 68 Gottlieb. You just need to run earth wire/braid from all of the metal bits (legs, lock bar etc) back to earth at the transformer I think 
I'm going to use wire and crimp terminals to attach it to the leg plates and somewhere on the lock bar/glass frame.
I'm going to use wire and crimp terminals to attach it to the leg plates and somewhere on the lock bar/glass frame.
OP
OP
Thx for the reply,I'm going to be doing the same to my 1972 Fireball soon so I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it to your 68 Gottlieb. You just need to run earth wire/braid from all of the metal bits (legs, lock bar etc) back to earth at the transformer I think
Bit worried when I first looked inside the machine and saw all the electrical bits n bobs and no earthing
, especially when youngsters will be using it.Off Topic..........
I see you have "Creature from the black lagoon". one of my all time favourites.
Yeah, it's been in bits for a while as I'm slowly shopping it out....must get that finished
I'm about to embark on the same thing myself for a 1965 EM. So any tips or photos along the way would be appreciated. I will probably put an on/off switch in as well as suggested in pinrepair.
My mate Welksie from around the corner is a sparky and he reckons that if your fuse box has an RCD then it should be pretty much impossible to electrocute yourself even if you end up touching a live part but I don't plan on testing his theory..
My mate Welksie from around the corner is a sparky and he reckons that if your fuse box has an RCD then it should be pretty much impossible to electrocute yourself even if you end up touching a live part but I don't plan on testing his theory..
I'm going to be doing the same to my 1972 Fireball soon so I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it to your 68 Gottlieb. You just need to run earth wire/braid from all of the metal bits (legs, lock bar etc) back to earth at the transformer I think
Was your Fireball not earthed, then? I think my Time Zone (from the following year) was. Though how effective it would've been when the entire glass/side rails/front moulding were detachable is questionable.
Thx for the reply,
Bit worried when I first looked inside the machine and saw all the electrical bits n bobs and no earthing
In the film 'American Graffiti', a gang venture into an amusement arcade to steal from the machines while the attendants are distracted. After a bit of plot-development chat, the gang leader opens the back room door and says "We're all done out here" - given that those old games weren't earthed, and had mains voltage on the front door, this could be taken as "done (to a crisp) out here".
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I was told the same by the sparkie at work. RCD's measure the current on live and neutral and if there's any difference on the return path (i.e. caused by the current going to earth through you) then it kills the circuit. It's part of the reason why it's common to get false trips when a bulb blows in the house; because the blowing of the bulb expends so much current that it causes a brief drop on the return path. Or so i'm told anyway.
Personally i'd rather have a decent earth so I know it's safe irrespective of if i've got an RCD or not.
I earthed both EMs I owned - it was much easier than I expected: Get yourself kitted out first, I bought several metres of green/yellow earthing cable from B&Q (4mm I think it was) plenty of the right-size cable clips to keep it all tidy, a decent crimping tool and lots of connectors for fixing it.
I found grounding the top plate where the lockdown bar fits took care of the lockdown bar and side rails. Grounding one point on the coin door hinges took care of the whole door except the start button. The legs and shooter were easy.
The start button was not so easy, because on my Ballys the button didn't electrically connect to the rest of the door - I have no idea why.
That might be a problem on Gottliebs (I think) because I've heard they have mains voltage the other end of that button.
Finally, it's really easy to test whether the job's done. Just use a multimeter to check for continuity between each metal part and the earth pin on your plug.
A very worth while investment for safety I think
I found grounding the top plate where the lockdown bar fits took care of the lockdown bar and side rails. Grounding one point on the coin door hinges took care of the whole door except the start button. The legs and shooter were easy.
The start button was not so easy, because on my Ballys the button didn't electrically connect to the rest of the door - I have no idea why.
That might be a problem on Gottliebs (I think) because I've heard they have mains voltage the other end of that button.
Finally, it's really easy to test whether the job's done. Just use a multimeter to check for continuity between each metal part and the earth pin on your plug.
A very worth while investment for safety I think
OP
OP
Should I earth the housing on the main game reset?
I'm not sure what you mean by "the main game reset," the Start Button?
I just made sure all external metal was earthed including the switch under the machine - that was earthed already (except the lift bar on the backglass - couldn't see a way of doing that)
I'm away for a few days so will not reply further until next week.
I just made sure all external metal was earthed including the switch under the machine - that was earthed already (except the lift bar on the backglass - couldn't see a way of doing that)
I'm away for a few days so will not reply further until next week.
OP
OP
Sorry, I mean the metal housing on the bank of relays inside machine that has a 240v solenoid on to reset all the bank.
I can't say - I'm definitely not an electrician but I'd have thought earthing that would be a bit of extra protection.
I often wonder, how many pinball related deaths, or injuries, have ever occurred? Especially on games where earthing them after 50 years or more of play that it seemed necessary.