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Thread: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

  1. #1
    Blind Shooter webdeck's Avatar
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    Default Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    I used PhoneGuy's easy and cheap counter mod idea to add shot and won ball counters to my new Julie the Pinball, using some cheap pedometers (Sportline 340 Strider) I got on Amazon for $2.49 each.

    Sorry, I don't have any photos of the inside of the pedometer, but basically, there are two large items that are hard to miss - the pendulum and the spring that it hits. I unscrewed the pendulum and removed it. I attached one wire to the base of the pendulum (connecting it to the tiny wire that acts like a return spring and also connects the pendulum to the circuit board.) I soldered a second wire to the big spring. I notched a hole in the back cover and fed the wires through, and then I looped then through the spring clip on the back as strain relief.

    For the won ball counter, I found an old CD-Rom audio connector, which had four holes the same size and spacing as the prize ball frame output connector (CN3). I couldn't find a legitimate connector that fit, so this would have to do. I spliced the two leads to this connector and hooked it up. CN3 is an opto-isolated "dry contact" that fires once for every ten prize balls. So, the pedometer will increase by one for every 10 balls won.

    For the shot ball counter, instead of using bare wire like PhoneGuy, I used a microswitch with a long arm. I screwed it to the bottom of the "sunburst" frame, which was easy to get access to, and the shooter arm closes the switch every time it fires. That switch is connected to the other pedometer's wires. The only inaccuracy here is that it counts each fire, whether it actually shoots a ball or not. So if you keep firing with no balls in your tray, you will have an inaccurate count.

    One side note, I had to remove the CPU board to be able to open the sunburst frame. The top three connectors on the CPU board (green, blue, and yellow) were hot glued down. Thankfully, the glue came off easily. Any idea why they were glued?

    When testing the win counter, I got my first fever - man was that crazy! The 7680 you see on that counter was because of that fever (and the two after it, plus the 100 spin chance round, and a Julie Time - phew!)

    While I was at it, installed an L-Pad volume control (man, these machines are LOUD!) I have the L-Pad at the bare minimum setting. I used Scotchlok connectors for the splices, since they are easy to use. I put the L-Pad in a metal project box, which fits perfectly on the back. If I were to do it over again, I'd use 22 gauge stranded wire instead of 18 gauge, but Fry's was out of the 22 gauge.

    -Mike
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    SNORTARRIFIC! new in town's Avatar
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    Default Re: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    Great Mod ! ! !

    Thanks for posting it.
    72 Pachi's, 36 Pachinko's, 2 Pallots, 3 Pinn's & 2 Pachinko Bar Signs. Links to About Me: pachijunkie's Videos


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    Waste not, Want not mudfud's Avatar
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    Default Re: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    great job. you beat me to it.

    I like the modification with the extra switch, too. I was pondering finding some sensor to switch closed when the ball actually went by - then I would know the actual ball count. I think the pachi counter by GAK does this - it senses the actual balls that go by, both for shot and won.
    PachiTalk

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    Blind Shooter webdeck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    Does anyone know what kind of ball sensors GAK uses for the pachi counter?

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    veneratio million deus Eddie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    Ancient Japanese Secret!
    Led Zepplin

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    Thread Killer musky's Avatar
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    Default Re: Julie with "easy and cheap" shot and won ball counters

    Quote Originally Posted by webdeck View Post
    Does anyone know what kind of ball sensors GAK uses for the pachi counter?
    I bet if you asked him real nice he may sell you a pair
    ______________________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by mudfud View Post
    great job. you beat me to it.

    I like the modification with the extra switch, too. I was pondering finding some sensor to switch closed when the ball actually went by - then I would know the actual ball count. I think the pachi counter by GAK does this - it senses the actual balls that go by, both for shot and won.
    Gaku uses an optical sensor located along the ball path to sense the balls shot.

    His counters work great
    Last edited by musky; 01-19-2009 at 09:04 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
    Pachislos: Alien, Azteca Returns, Death Valley, Guts, Gamera HGV, Hokuto No Ken, Jet Set Radio, Mephisto, Oasis, Speed Racer, Surprise, Twenty Seven, Thunderbirds, Wild Wolf
    Pachinkos: Blooming Field, Casino, Freddy vs Jason, Horror Mansion, Indiana Jones, Julie, Lucky Boat of Seven God, Popeye, Spiderman

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