Babel Volume Control

[kaz1961]

GOT MY BABEL TODAY AND BOY IS IT LOUD. Sorry, I didnt realize I was yelling with the ringing in my ears! Seriously though, could someone give me the volume control for dummies step by step procedure for installing the volume mod? I have read through some of the old posts and am not sure what exactly needs to be done. Thanks for any help.

[gwarzin]

First off, have you found the 3 position volume control that's built into the machine and put it on it's lowest setting. Even that lowest setting is pretty loud, but if you have it one of the higher settings it's REALLY loud.

[kaz1961]

Yes, I have it on the lowest setting. I cannot believe how loud the loudest setting is!

[gwarzin]

All you need to do is get some of the Part Express mono 15 watt L-Pads - 1 for each speaker.

Find some conveneint place to mount them near the speaker. I just stick them on with double sided foam tape. Others use silicone or glue.

Cut into the speaker wires and solder in the L-Pad, following the diagram that is printed on the outside of the box the L-pad comes in.

It's really just that simple.

[Utopia1dc]

All you need to do is get some of the Part Express mono 15 watt L-Pads - 1 for each speaker.

Find some conveneint place to mount them near the speaker. I just stick them on with double sided foam tape. Others use silicone or glue.

Cut into the speaker wires and solder in the L-Pad, following the diagram that is printed on the outside of the box the L-pad comes in.

It's really just that simple.

I've been wanting to put an L-pad on my Aladdin, but this soldering thing has my panties up in a bunch! This is where my PachiTalk Convention idea helps. Members who have the skills for this modifying could physically show other members how to do something like this. I know seeing for me makes things easier than just a picture with a description. I've always been that way, show me once (sometimes twice), and I'll retain it forever.

[slotter]

Two threads you should read through if you haven't already are the following :

http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/show...ighlight=l-pad

http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/show...ighlight=l-pad

[gwarzin]

I've been wanting to put an L-pad on my Aladdin, but this soldering thing has my panties up in a bunch!

It's really pretty easy. Here's a guide:

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/how_to_solder.htm

Practice by making some solder joints using scrap wires. After a few tries you'll feel comfortable doing it on an L-pad. Because installing an L-pad it actually pretty crude work, it doesn't take as much skill or experience as working on printed circuit boards.

You can get the solder and an iron at Radio Shack.

[Utopia1dc]

It's really pretty easy. Here's a guide:

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/how_to_solder.htm

Practice by making some solder joints using scrap wires. After a few tries you'll feel comfortable doing it on an L-pad. Because installing an L-pad it actually pretty crude work, it doesn't take as much skill or experience as working on printed circuit boards.

You can get the solder and an iron at Radio Shack.

g-

Thanks for the link. I read it and I am still uncomfortable doing it by myself for the first time. I am sure I know somebody who knows somebody who can show me the ropes on how to do this. Like I said before, I need to see it. I appreciate your efforts to help me out.

[rebonz]

utopia1dc
I don't live to far from you,I wouldn't mind helping you out and showing you how it's done. I built spectrum analizers for electron microscopes for fifteen years. I feel that I am qualified to do a little volume control modification.

[Utopia1dc]

utopia1dc
I don't live to far from you,I wouldn't mind helping you out and showing you how it's done. I built spectrum analizers for electron microscopes for fifteen years. I feel that I am qualified to do a little volume control modification.

That's very nice of you to offer. I am probably at least a 2 plus hour drive from you though. Mapquest says your about 72 miles away and it should only take an hour and a half? I will keep you in mind if I can't get anybody to help me out. I'd hate to have you drive all this way.

[TANK]

1. WARM UP THE STRIPPED WIRE(3-5 SECS) TOUCH THE SOLDER TO THE WIRE IT SHOULD WICK ONTO IT, PULL THE IRON AWAY IT WILL COOL RAPIDLY WIRE WILL NOW HAVE SOLDER ON IT AND BE OVERALL SHINY SILVER!! DO THE SAME TO THE CONTACT ON THE L-PAD. NOW PUSH THE WIRE THRU THE HOLE ON THE L-PAD CONTACT AND BEND IT SO IT STAYS. APPLY HEAT FOR ABOUT 5-7 SECS SOLDER WILL START TO MELT, APPLY MORE SOLDER TILL THEY BLEND TOGETHER, REMOVE HEAT,LET COOL,TAPE WRAP OR COVER WITH SOME OBJECT THAT WIL NOT CONDUCT ELEC.
2. BUY SOME VOL CONTROLS FROM SYSCOM, CUT,STRIP WIRE ON CONTROL AND SPEAKERS EITHER USE SMALL WIRE NUT OR CRIMP CONNECTOR TO MOUNT CONTROL IN LINE. OPEN BEER PLAY MACHINE. NO SOLDER INVOLVED!! NO BLISTERS ON FINGERS.
I TAUGHT NASA STANDARD SOLDERING TO DEPT OF DEFENCE EMPLOYEES IN THE 80s.
CRIMP OR WIRE NUT IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF YOUR ABILITIES !!!

YES I'M YELLING!!!! I'VE PAINTED 3 ROOMS TONIGHT AND KILLED 1/2 A 5th OF RUM

[johntofva]

If I keep hanging out here with you people, I might actually learn something. I would settle for just about 1/10 of what you all know.

[cwstnsko]

I've been wanting to put an L-pad on my Aladdin,...

Aladdin is a Sammy machine with Piezo tweeters. You want 1.5k -2.2k ohm fixed resistors or 2k-5k ohm potentiometers in the tweeters, L-Pads are not a good impedance match to the tweeters and will distort the sound and be hard on the amp. The belly speaker is driven HARD by the amp, and even though the L-Pad will work fine, you won't have a lot of usable adjustment range.

There are lots of ways to quite down the speakers, but as time goes by I become more and more convinced that for normal speakers 500 ohm potentiometers are as good as anything and they're easier to find than L-Pads. FYI, the pachislo.com mini-circuit board pots are 500 ohm.

Most machines I've worked on only need about 35 ohms of resistance added to the speaker circuit to quiet them down, but My Sammy/Aristocrat machines need 200-300 ohms of resistance added to quiet them down.

[CharliesAngel]

For those that have a soldering iron deficiency, could the "crimp" connectors be used?

[TANK]

does anybody actually read the posts before replying?

[gwarzin]

For those that have a soldering iron deficiency, could the "crimp" connectors be used?

Crimps would only work well if the volume controls you were using had wires attached. The photo at pachislo.com does show wires attached to theirs, but I've never purchased their controls so I couldn't tell you that for sure.

Problem with things like the Parts Express L-pads is that they have solder lugs. So that's the best way to connect them.

You really shouldn't be afraid of soldering. It's not that hard. Ask around among some of your friends or coworkers. You're bound to find some that has done it and can hold your hand.

[slotter]

The controls from pachislo.com do indeed need to be soldered. They come tinned and with holes on either end to connect the wiring. The picture at their site shows wires attached for illustration, but that's not how mine came in.

http://www.pachislo.com/img/pachislo...ts/Volume3.jpg

[cwstnsko]

If I had a real aversion to soldering, I'd probably do something like this

http://members.cox.net/cwstnsko/Photos/l-pad_crimp.jpg

this is a Parts Express 15 W L-pad with 3-M blade sock connectors attached to the lugs. You might be able to find push on crimp connectors that are an even better fit at Radio Shack. You could do something similar with the the larger pots that Radio Shack sells.

[azlew]

does anybody actually read the posts before replying?