ok, just replace the BR and see what happens
Pinball info
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The New No Fear Help Thread
- Thread starter James
- Start date
The power must be coming in off the plug or it couldn't blow the fuse.
I agree but there isn’t power there - I should be getting power up to the fuse, we agree on that surely, so I stuck the meter on the power side fuse point, top and bottom, checked for continuity and it has it there, no power coming in there on AC either.
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- Jul 21, 2011
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- 2,468
Retest your meter against a working AC. What about the wiring in the bottom right of your picture? Is it melted or just bad lighting?
Hold on, you have both probes on the same side of the fuse holder??? You're not measuring anything because theres nothing to measure.
Looks like bad lighting Andy, just had to crank my laptop screen up to full to see it.
Zoom in on the pic and look where the probes are..
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- Jul 21, 2011
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Is the coin door closed when you are measuring? Otherwise the safety interlock will cut the power.
Meter across pins 2 and 3 of J102 and see what voltage you have. Those are the pins that the flasher voltage feed come onto the board. If you have it there then you will have it at the fuse and the Bridge Rectifier.
May I ask what previous electronics experience you have?
The way you have your probes in the pic, you have both essentially on pin 3 or 4. you need to use the probes rather than the clips and meter the input to the board at pins 2 and 3. The only thing that would cause F111 to blow is a short in the Bridge Rectifier really. I guess the capacitor *could* be shorted but unlikely.
Hey @Courtney Blush - errrrmmmm GCSE Design and Technology we built a moisture probe... Oh and I did all the electronics for my proton pack, but yea essentially I am learning still 
- but i am eager to learn. Right, let me check at pins 2 and 3 and see what I get...
As expected by everyone... the right reading coming into the board.
- but i am eager to learn. Right, let me check at pins 2 and 3 and see what I get... As expected by everyone... the right reading coming into the board.
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ok, change the bridge rectifier. If you haven't done much soldering on double sided boards you have to be really careful you don't break the through the hole plating that connects the top to the bottom of the board.
Hi @Courtney Blush - I will get the electrical engineer at work to do this, just a bit beyond what I feel capable of, do you have a BR, as @pinballmania is out and doesn't have an ETA I don't think.
I should have one, will check in a min.
I would probably change both to be safe.
Send me your address in a private message.
Hi all,
@Courtney Blush is sending over the parts and our electrical engineer at work is going to work on the board as he has been soldering for years (I think I would rather learn my trade on the System 6 game I have rather than this) - @pinballmania I will be sending over an order for the new coil in a short while, given that the magnet is locked on, and optos aren't working, is it worth getting them in as spare for the cost, I imagine they will need replacing too.
@Courtney Blush is sending over the parts and our electrical engineer at work is going to work on the board as he has been soldering for years (I think I would rather learn my trade on the System 6 game I have rather than this) - @pinballmania I will be sending over an order for the new coil in a short while, given that the magnet is locked on, and optos aren't working, is it worth getting them in as spare for the cost, I imagine they will need replacing too.
I don’t know much about NF but I’d almost certainly bet you don’t need a new coil. Coils don’t tend to go wrong. The sleeves inside wear, and are sometimes the wrong ones so are too long and prevent the plunger from fully firing.
I would take the bracket off and straighten it, then reassemble (buy some thread lock for gluing the two/four screws that hold the coil bracket(s) on to the larger metal bracket, during reassembly). Check the plunger can fire so the lug/stopper on the end hits the metal bracket.
In the vid it looks like the ball is bouncing around inside the wireform rather than following a smooth path - can you see inside or remove the plastic cover moulding?
If the ball isn’t being launched straight it can pick up back-spin (like a snooker ball) as it fires up one side of the wireform.
I would investigate the mechanics of this first and move the plunger by hand to make sure it’s nice and smooth and nothing is rubbing metal on metal.
If the magnet (do you mean coil?) is locked on, this will be an electrical issue on a board - probably a transistor.
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I would take the bracket off and straighten it, then reassemble (buy some thread lock for gluing the two/four screws that hold the coil bracket(s) on to the larger metal bracket, during reassembly). Check the plunger can fire so the lug/stopper on the end hits the metal bracket.
In the vid it looks like the ball is bouncing around inside the wireform rather than following a smooth path - can you see inside or remove the plastic cover moulding?
If the ball isn’t being launched straight it can pick up back-spin (like a snooker ball) as it fires up one side of the wireform.
I would investigate the mechanics of this first and move the plunger by hand to make sure it’s nice and smooth and nothing is rubbing metal on metal.
If the magnet (do you mean coil?) is locked on, this will be an electrical issue on a board - probably a transistor.
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Hi @edsr - I think @pinballmania was suggesting that a weaker coil than the one used would rectify the issue as force of the kick being reduced, it wouldn't be able to travel back up the scoop as it is doing, this is what is causing missing balls as in most modes, it checks the opto for the ball being there and just re-fires the ball back into play, on the Sky Dive mode, however, it doesn't seem to check that opto and re-fire. I have taken the mechanism off to straighten recently and whilst it is slightly better (1 in 7 or so, compared to 1 in 3) it is still happening. In saying that though, not sure if I managed to get it 100% right, so may just require more "adapting". I have checked the plunger action, which is nice and smooth, as well as the plunger plastic on the end which seems to be in good condition, no mushrooming.
Sorry, it is actually saying "left accelerator switch stuck" then on then on the accelerator test, the left one is crossed out, this is the accelerator magnet under the jump ramp. This is causing drains down that shot if not nailed as it comes back down for insta-drain. The opto's that I beleive control that magnet are not working either, stating "Switch 46, left magnet" - I haven't had the ramps off to check them yet, but I hear that it is a nightmare of a job. So was thinking of buying the magnet and the opto's just in case, but those magnets new are about £30!!!
Sorry, it is actually saying "left accelerator switch stuck" then on then on the accelerator test, the left one is crossed out, this is the accelerator magnet under the jump ramp. This is causing drains down that shot if not nailed as it comes back down for insta-drain. The opto's that I beleive control that magnet are not working either, stating "Switch 46, left magnet" - I haven't had the ramps off to check them yet, but I hear that it is a nightmare of a job. So was thinking of buying the magnet and the opto's just in case, but those magnets new are about £30!!!
Opto's probably just need cleaning, Magnet is fine, if it's on it's working, change the driver transistor for the magnet instead.
Hi again, only me....
Right, the transistor for the magnet is one of these three as I don't know exactly which magnet it is on the PF. Q64, Q66 or Q78 One of those is shorted on. Just change it and job done.
Right, the transistor for the magnet is one of these three as I don't know exactly which magnet it is on the PF. Q64, Q66 or Q78 One of those is shorted on. Just change it and job done.
Sorry, it is actually saying "left accelerator switch stuck" then on then on the accelerator test, the left one is crossed out, this is the accelerator magnet under the jump ramp. This is causing drains down that shot if not nailed as it comes back down for insta-drain. The opto's that I beleive control that magnet are not working either, stating "Switch 46, left magnet" - I haven't had the ramps off to check them yet, but I hear that it is a nightmare of a job. So was thinking of buying the magnet and the opto's just in case, but those magnets new are about £30!!!
The transistor you need is a TIP36C. I don't have any of these, ebay id your friend there. If you can't identify which magnet is active, lift the playfield with the balls out and just touch the magnet housing with your hand and see which one is vibrating and then me a picture. I will then tell you which transistor it is you need to change.
Yes I read that but there's nothing wrong with the magnet, in fact if the left accelerator switch is stuck that's why the magnet is on, probably transistors are all fine.
Apologies for butting in, but I'd think that the magnet is locked-out due to the opto being permanently 'dark', rather than locked on.
Gotcha. I’ve definitely missed some thing and hadn’t realised I was contradicting Andy!! I’d always defer to his wisdom and experience. We are lucky to have him on the forum.
Sounds like you’ve checked the mech side of it thoroughly and 1/7 is a noticeable improvement so maybe you’re on to something... and getting to know the machine
I am very grateful for everyone's input, some top people on here to help out, I will get it running as it should I am sure.
So switch 46 I am going to give a good clean, if a switch is stuck on, do I just locate and swap that switch with a new one?
So switch 46 I am going to give a good clean, if a switch is stuck on, do I just locate and swap that switch with a new one?
with the opto, it's probably just dirt build up or a dry join on the back. I don't personally know the opto's on NF but done plenty on the Addams Family bookcase.
From what I recall (and can see on ipdb) the magnet optos are the usual type, as seen on the ball popper pictures earlier. As with Corvette, the manual for No Fear has details of how to access the more complex mechanisms
