need help checking if transformer is outputting electricity

[zbakes]

http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/pach...ko-repair.html

this is a late continuation of my goal to get my pachinko machine running. the above link is where i left off. the problem i have now is that it wont turn on so i need help testing the transformer to see if it is working or not. i have pictures of the transformer and of the thing that measures electricity. here are the pictures Pachinko - Imgur

[Drunkenclam]

Need to have the leads plugged into the bottom 2 plugs on the multi-meter and set the dial to 60 VAC. Then probe the supply coming from the transformer. ie the yellow wires. As to where to do it. That's up to you. But do it in a safe and careful manner. If you can get the probes to touch the
wires inside the crimp connector, then do it there.

[zbakes]

i had no luck trying to probe the supply the plastic caps make it so i cant reach the metal conducting parts.

[Drunkenclam]

If you can, try to trace the wires back to where they connect to the machine its self. There might be a plug there you can get the probes in

[heima]

If the probes of the voltmeter had sharper points, you could pierce the insulation of the yellow wires, or the pink wires running up to the top of the pachinko machine, to measure the output voltage of the transformer. If you remove the plastic cover at the top right of the pachinko, you might be able to access the connector of the pink wires, and check the voltage there, like DC said.

If you only, ONLY want to know if the transformer is working, Not how well it is working. Listen to the transformer when you plug it in, and then turn on the power switch. Turned off, the transformer should be nearly silent. Turned on the transformer will make a very quiet buzz. A very good, overrated transformer will always be silent, but a standard transformer will have one sound when the pachinko is turned off, and a different (though only slightly different) sound when the pachinko is turned on.

DISCLAIMER This audio check is only valid if the pachinko machine is drawing current through the tranformer. If the pachinko machine has a blown fuse or is broken, it might not draw current. In that case, the transformer could be perfectly fine and fully functional, but the sound would not change if you turn the pachinko off and on. The voltmeter is the best way to check the transformer.

Consider buying one of those cheapo $5 multimeters from Harbor Freight, sharpening the probes to be like needle points, and using it for checking pachinko electronics. While nice, the voltmeter you have is not really designed for checking modern electronics. It will work with simpler stuff and is ideal for power circuits, but it is fragile, requires you to align your eye to take a proper reading, and needs regular recalibration to maintain accuracy.

[ANGRY GARY]

With the machine unplugged. Take a razor blade and shave a very small section of both wires until you can see bare wire. I suggest shaving them a n inch away from each other so there is no way they could touch each other. Now if you have a pair of alligator clips, clip on the exposed parts of the wires. Make extra sure the clips cannot touch each other... stick the leads of the meter into the ends of the clips and plug in your machine. You should see voltage. If not try wiggling the leads a tiny bit.
When you are done wrap a piece of electrical tape over the exposed wires.

[DukeOfDelmar]

It would also be a good idea to check if the transformer is properly sized to the machine. I've had one machine where the transformer was grossly underrated (120VA transformer on a 200VA modern machine), and I suspect there are many more out there because it came from a popular supplier (who has been defunct for quite some time).

On the back, I can see where it gives the VA rating of your machine, right below where it says "CR" and gives the Japanese name of the machine. It looks like it says one hundred and something, but I can't quite make it out from the picture.

Anyhow, whatever this number is, divide it by 24V, then add 15%-20% for a safety margin, and that's how many amps (A) your transformer should be outputting. If the transformer is rated less than that, strongly consider replacing it even if it still works. Especially replace it if it is lower than the number before adding the safety margin. It's also possible, but much harder, to give the machine too much power - if the transformer is significantly overrated, too little load will be placed on it and it will tend to output higher voltages than the nominal 24V.

If the transformer is already dead, this may provide insight as to why.