What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

RFM - Stroke of Luck opto problem

Darthsinex

Registered
10 Years
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Messages
317
I have an issue with the opto pairing on my RFM. But actually think its further back than the opto. The opto machine guns in switch test, so originally thought bad connection or bad opto. But if I switch the molex connector with another pair of similar opto's the machine gunning moves to new location.

Have followed the fault back to pin 2 on both of the connectors into the opto board. If I switch the wires into this pin with another , I can move the machine gunning effect to other opto locations around the machine. I think this tells me the issue is at the opto board and that it is isolated in some way only to this particular pair of pins.

But what now? All tracks under the opto board appear to be in good shape and integrity checked with mm to these pins?
 
Just in case anyone else ever looks into this issue I solved it, and it wasn't dirty opto's, wiring related to the opto or the opto board. It was a standup target (specifically centre target 1 to the left of centre and right of the martian target) which had a short circuit. Although this switch was somewhere totally different on the machine due to the relationship with this opto and diodes and closed switches and witchcraft, caused the Right Popper Opto to misbehave. Found the solution on a site about Pinball 2000 technical issues (seemed someone had encountered exactly this before and called Williams who knew about the issue and the solution) - source http://www.pinball2000.de/

Stroke of Luck Opto:
(john.butler RGP 18.7.2000)

> Well the RFM I bought could not make it all the way through the party
> without having a problem. Guess that is what I get for not having time to
> shop it first. The kickout on the right side no longer detects a ball in
> the hole, so you have to wait for ball search to discover it.... Opto problem????

Possibility 1:
Forget the opto, I bet you it is OK.
I have a RFM and have experienced this problem. My original thought was
that my optos were bad. I swapped them with known good optos (which you can
borrow from your machine) and they tested good in every location except that
particular kickout. My problem was with a switch located just next to that
switch. Go into your switch test, (remove your balls, it makes things
easier) and look for a green square located next to that switch and repair
it.I bet you your problem will be corrected. This repair came directly from
Williams. He was very sure of this, so I bet you he has seen this problem
before.
If you want to E-Mail me your phone number, I'll stand in front of my
machine and try to walk you thru it.
Good Luck (Harry Williamson)

Possibility 2:
.... btw, it's probably not the opto.
more than likely the left-hand red target on the back-center shot (behind
the flip ramp) is shorted, replace w/new and you should be ok.
(Jonathan Deitch)
This is the same problem like noted above. Jonathan was right, this was the
problem..

So just in case anyone needs this again in 10 years, Ive written it down too.
 
nice one dude, that effort on your part will be a real blessing to the next poor soul with the same problem.
hopefully he will type RFM Stroke of Luck opto problem into the search button, and this will pop out.
kudos and karma points earned
 
Back
Top Bottom