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Thread: Wiring mod trigger ideas

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Question Wiring mod trigger ideas

    So I’ve got a really common Nishijin B that I’m getting to the end of restoring, and I’ve retrofit it with a few LEDs. My conundrum is that I don’t know what to do with at least one group of LEDs.

    Aside from the main attraction lights (which I’m still working on) this is the lighting set-up thus far:
    67CF600E-2E86-4750-A870-8841FF0AA392.jpeg
    393145EE-03B0-457F-9918-F6023176D01B.jpeg
    D9DA22B4-1BCE-4272-B5A6-57DE239C73AD.jpeg
    47F97BCB-6591-4FF4-A253-D320E29C0D8C.jpeg
    I’m thinking two clusters of lights for the low-ball-warning — the reds and the yellows; two clusters of lights for the jackpot — the blues and the main attraction lights (not pictured [yet]); which leaves me with the white lights unassigned. I only have two stock switches to activate the lights, so I’m thinking of wiring-up a new switch.

    I have to keep the switches purely mechanical for . . . reasons, so I don’t want to include anything fancier than a contact switch in the circuitry.

    Sooo, I’m thinking of rigging a leaf switch above the shooter arm end bumper that will flash the white LEDs every time a shot is made.
    Alternatively (alternately?), I could nest copper tape in the winning holes to momentarily trigger the white cluster when a ball goes in, but that seems like it would be too much lighting for jackpots.

    I’m open to questions, criticisms, and alternate suggestions...

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    Sandwich Shooter machgo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    When I get a chance I want to take one of the machines I have and really go to town with LEDs and sound effects--possibly the No More War model I have. I also thought LEDs behind the spinners might look neat, but that also may take a lot of work considering how thick the playfield board is...

    Are the vertical red white and blue LEDs sequential? That would be neat.

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    They’re wired so they can be lit sequentially, but I’m still batting-around ideas on how to do that using mechanical switches. Maybe copper tape contacts along the ball path? I was also thinking about rigging a series of wire gates, but that might impede the ball too much — it’s swell with something as heavy as a pinball, but pachinko balls not so much.

    I’ve been thinking of sound effects, too, but I still want to keep everything analog. So I’ve been accumulating a bunch of small chimes, bells, and gongs whenever I happen to come across one. I was thinking of rigging a low gong from a clock to bong every time a gutter ball drops.

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Gutter ball gong sounds like a great idea. So with copper tape could you get some of the lights to trigger as soon as a ball falls into a pocket? That second of delay has always bugged me. When I see it go in a pocket and think "SCORE!" I want the lights to go off right away. I don't think it would be too much for some lights to flash at that moment, and then a second later get the jackpot lights.
    Last edited by topper; 06-02-2019 at 10:47 PM.

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Dig it!
    I was thinking the exact same thing, especially with the pockets that have no immediate mechanical indicators, like a main attraction or even tulips — id est, regular pockets. If I put a pair of copper tape rails in the pocket holes with a single LED behind the hole, then you’d get a quick flash literally from the hole when you land a ball, soon to be followed by all the expected jackpot hoopla.

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    Pachi Puro Moparformances's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    if your going to use the shooter your going to have to wire it backwards..

    connect it so the lights are off when the shooter is in the rest position and lights on when the shooter is moved.. you can't put it at the bumper, cause most real pachinko players don't pull the handle a full pull to the stopper when playing.. kids will just slap at the shooter .. if you place it at the rubber the lights wont come on very often..

    my 2 cents
    Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
    ...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
    .....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
    .........................................Margaret Mead

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Okie-doke!
    Got it wired.
    Ended up using a couple of 1/4” strips in the ball-shooter trough so that it lights up when you have a ball ready to shoot, and goes out when you shoot the ball.
    9C3EA9EF-EDE1-4017-919D-CB8D198ADBC5.jpeg
    Also added a white LED in the shooter window, so you can see the ball your about to shoot, as well as the next couple in the queue.
    CCD40619-2667-46DA-A38A-D4F95F59F415.jpeg

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    Tokie Owens HalfBee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    That is MY machine... almost exactly.
    Do you have any detail photos of the process?

    On a different note... is you machine an A or B model.
    Mine is an A but everything thing else I've seen on it says B.

    Is that a helper for the flipper positioning? never seen that before.

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Same, can we see some pics of how the strips are installed?

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by HalfBee View Post
    That is MY machine... almost exactly.
    Do you have any detail photos of the process?

    On a different note... is you machine an A or B model.
    Mine is an A but everything thing else I've seen on it says B.

    Is that a helper for the flipper positioning? never seen that before.
    Yeah, I’ve already seen pics of three others that are nigh-identical — but I still dig the castle!
    It’s a B. Seriously nothing special.

    I’ll post some pics of how I did it on Monday, since it’s at my office. Disclaimer: it ain’t pretty, but it works.

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Lazo View Post
    I’ll post some pics of how I did it on Monday, since it’s at my office. Disclaimer: it ain’t pretty, but it works.
    Totally fine. I'm just super curious about how you got the copper strip switch thing to work. Seems like it could be used a lot of different ways.

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    Sandwich Shooter AnythingObscure's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by topper View Post
    Totally fine. I'm just super curious about how you got the copper strip switch thing to work. Seems like it could be used a lot of different ways.
    Me too, FWIW. Not because I have any actual reason/machine to need to know, simply because one of the things I keep "in stock" @ work is a roll of 1"w self-adhesive 'grounding strip'...think of it as a roll of thin 'metal tape' (silver colored, but I think its really copper inside?) which though somewhat thicker than any conventional "tape" still is 'moldable/formable/etc' in mostly the same way...also 'solderable' in fact. QUITE handy for what I do with it at work...potentially also handy for a purpose such as this...??
    Tim
    "I didn't do it -- nobody saw me do it -- there's no way you can prove anything!" --Bart Simpson

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Here goes...
    trough1.JPG
    I didn't want to try soldering directly to the trough (and not just because I didn't think it'd work), so I soldered to two strips of 1/4"-wide conductive-adhesive-backed copper tape. Then I put a few coats of acrylic on one side of the trough, over which I'd adhere one strip of copper, to insulate one side from the other. I then stuck the other strip straight on the metal and wired the strips to the power source and LEDs, respectively.
    trough1a.jpg
    I then used a bit more copper to extend up the back of the trough (where the striker comes through) to make sure that the ball in the trough would still complete the circuit even when the handle is pulled back.
    trough2+2a.jpg
    Like so.

    And, yes, in answer to your question AnythingObscure, it sounds like basically the same material, though mine hasn't the outer silver-colored coat.

    I'm also going to try the same basic switch inside "plain" pockets, connected to an LED that will -- in theory -- back-light the pocket whenever a ball lands in it. The duration of the lighting would be dictated by the length of copper strips inside the hole (and, of course, the depth of the hole+pocket). But in that application, I'll have to make sure the strips stay very smooth, to prevent a ball from getting stuck on a snag.

    I am, however, concerned about the longevity of the copper strips and their adhesive, so I am looking for a more permanent, non-oxidizing, solution. (Perhaps some sort of gold-plated rails that I can crimp on?)

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Lazo View Post
    I soldered to two strips of 1/4"-wide conductive-adhesive-backed copper tape. Then I put a few coats of acrylic on one side of the trough, over which I'd adhere one strip of copper, to insulate one side from the other. I then stuck the other strip straight on the metal and wired the strips to the power source and LEDs, respectively.
    So there's a layer of acrylic paint under one of the strips? And that's because without it, the copper strips would form an electrical connection through the metal trough?

    I'm loving this idea. I wonder where else along the ball path you could do this. Thanks for giving me an excuse to source another machine .

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by topper View Post
    So there's a layer of acrylic paint under one of the strips? And that's because without it, the copper strips would form an electrical connection through the metal trough?
    Exactly. I just had to make sure the acrylic was thick enough and covered enough area to keep the copper tape on top of it from shorting to the trough.

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    I've been looking at this model C near me for a while. It features Raijin the Shinto god of thunder in the main attraction. I'd reached out to the seller and decided to pass (I already have a model C, I haven't figured out where to put the machines I have, I don't really have time for another project... I could go on.) But the idea of adding some center lights that flash like lightning when a ball passes through the main attraction is really, really tempting. And it would fit perfectly with the theme of that machine.
    Last edited by topper; 06-17-2019 at 04:21 PM.

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    Blind Shooter Mr.Lazo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by topper View Post
    I've been looking at this model C near me for a while. It features Raijin the Shinto god of thunder in the main attraction. I'd reached out to the seller and decided to pass (I already have a model C, I haven't figured out where to put the machines I have, I don't really have time for another project... I could go on.) But the idea of adding some center lights that flash like lightning when a ball passes through the main attraction is really, really tempting. And it would fit perfectly with the theme of that machine.
    Far be it for me to discourage anyone else from reinventing the wheel, but I'm pretty sure I've seen flickering LEDs out there that might make your job a bit easier -- just wire a few of them to the jackpot switch.

    Though I can see having to repeatedly explain to people, what with the flickering and the red and whatnot, how it's NOT in fact a satanic pachinko machine...

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    Fever Hunter topper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Lazo View Post
    I'm pretty sure I've seen flickering LEDs out there that might make your job a bit easier

    Good to know!
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Lazo View Post
    Though I can see having to repeatedly explain to people, what with the flickering and the red and whatnot, how it's NOT in fact a satanic pachinko machine...
    I'm ok with that I reached out to the seller. He gave away the machine
    Last edited by topper; 06-17-2019 at 06:08 PM.

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    Default Re: Wiring mod trigger ideas

    Crap in a crap cracker!

    Hopefully that just means the next one will be even more interesting.
    I had a C that I dithered on and lost recently, too.

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