Volume Control - A How To Guide

[DrDark]

I needed to install a volume control on my New Sea Story Pachinko machine. I thought I would share the procedure with my Pachitalk family. Sort of a step by step guide.

Although my Pachinko machine needed only one volume control, the same procedure is used to add volume controls to a 2, 3 or 4 speaker machine. This procedure can also be used to install volume control/s on Pachislo machines or just about anything with a speaker.

My Pachinko machine has a 3 position factory installed volume control, loud, Louder and WAKE THE DEAD. This procedure will tame the beast and allow comfortable play.

Materials needed: (Pic 1)
1 - Potentiometer type Volume control, (available on the PT auction from FTKServices or from others elsewhere)
1 - Length of 2 conductor wire (I use dollar store “speaker” wire)
1 – Small length of electrical solder
1 - 2” piece of electrical tape
1 – ½” piece of double sided foam tape

Tools needed: (Pic 1)
Soldering Gun, Soldering Iron or Soldering Pen
Wire Clipper
Optional: Screw Driver, Auto-Stripper

1, Locate the speaker to be controlled. The speaker in my machine is located in the overflow tray. (Pic 2)

2, Locate the speaker wires. One of the speakers 2 wires must be cut. The cut can be made anywhere along its length. Find a spot that will be easy to work on and make your cut. On my machine the speaker wires are in the back on the lower right side. I unplugged the speaker wires from the factory volume control to give me better access to the wires. (Pic 3)

3, Strip both sides (1/4”) of the cut speaker wire. (Pic 4)

4, Choose a location on the rear of the machine to mount your volume control. I chose to mount mine below the payout mechanism. Sometimes however I mount them alongside the speaker.

5, Cut your 2 conductor wire so you have enough wire to reach your chosen volume control location.

6, Strip both conductors (1/4”) on both sides of your wire whip.

7, Solder your wire whip to the volume control. (Pic 5)

8, After soldering I wrap some of the wire whip around a screwdriver shaft to give it a spiral shape. It gives me some wiggle room with routing and mounting. (Pic 6)

9, Solder the other 2 conductors of the wire whip to the cut speaker wire ends. (Pic 7)

10, Wrap the soldered conductors in electrical tape.

11, Place a small piece of double sided foam tape on the rear of the volume control and stick it to your chosen location.

You can see how I routed the speaker wire up from behind the transformer to a location just below the payout mechanism. I'm pointing to it with a Sharpie. (Pic 8)

[compirate]

You can solder a ship seam with that thing, can't you?

[DrDark]

Its faster then my pencil style iron and besides, it has a light!

[compirate]

I've had several of those, do like the light, but they seem to get too hot over time and I prefer the light weight/size of the pencil types. Plus they come in 12v cigarette lighter plug type - good for repairs in the truck

[new in town]

The better made ones had a two position trigger for Mild Heat and Full Blast ! ! !

[DrDark]

Thats what I'm using, 110/175 watts.

[new in town]

[JACKSJE4]

This is the kind of post that makes this site so damn great!!!

Thanks for taking the time to write up your instructions and posting them for the rest of us to reference and follow. I think this post has the qualifications for a "Sticky" status!!

[NJ_Mike]

I second the motion for sticky status.

[pinball wizard]

yes,this should be a sticky.

[derek1960]

Thanks for that one, Just got same m/c, So it's off to do some soldering

[mudfud]

I like that pig tail thing you did with the wire. looks neater that way.

btw, I like the paint on electrical tape (like the vinyl handle stuff you can dip tools into) for dabbing on the solder joints. I find that my small electrical tape flags fall off over time.

thanks for posting the how-to with good pictures.

[salamone34]

[whybenormal]

I've had several of those, do like the light, but they seem to get too hot over time and I prefer the light weight/size of the pencil types. Plus they come in 12v cigarette lighter plug type - good for repairs in the truck

For when you just can't get enough pachinko and you gotta take your game on the road!!!

[salamone34]

This site really is helpful!!! Going to do my volume in the morning.

[KimbaWLion]

When I installed my Volume controls on my Sankyo Galaxy Railways machine, I was able to cut 2 wires in the back of 14 wire harness, it was the 1st and the 3rd. Slot-Pachinko sent me a picture to make SURE I got the right wiring harness, but it was really easy. I did not have to cut into the speaker wires etc.

They isolated the speaker feeds for each of the 2 speakers. That made it REALLY easy! I just glued the controllers to the back. There was no need to make sure about hiding the speaker volume control for closing the door since it was already in the back. Just something to think about before installing. I have pics of the machine install SHOULD anybody care to see.

[andrewberwick06]

any 1 know the pot values for this kind of mod ?

[jestock]

What an excellent post! I spent about 2 hours searching google to figure out how to add a volume control to my machine before finding this. My machine has 4 speakers in it (2 in front on the top and 2 in the back at the bottom). The stock setup was entirely too loud for home use, so I disconnected the speakers in the back and one in the front and placed a volume control on the one remaining. I decided to also include a mute switch on the back of the machine to silence the game sounds. Once finished, I thought why waste two speakers in the back so I connected them to a headphone jack so that we can hook our iPod's up to it and play music through the internal speakers. Unfortunately these two speakers are not amplified, but the volume level is quite good even without amplification. I did not cut any of the stock wires or drill any holes into the case so that I could revert my modifications later on, if needed. I only wish there were a way to configure the maximum payout during big chance mode and what the setup menu entries were for!

The machine is a "Thunder Explosion" Thunder Special by Eleco LTD and I believe was manufactured in 2006. If anyone has a manual for this model, I would be very appreciative. I will upload some pictures of my mods later on (for some reason I'm not able to upload them from my iPad).

Thank you for the excellent information and detailed images!

[Moparformances]

The machine is a "Thunder Explosion" Thunder Special by Eleco LTD and I believe was manufactured in 2006. If anyone has a manual for this model, I would be very appreciative. I will upload some pictures of my mods later on (for some reason I'm not able to upload them from my iPad).

Thank you for the excellent information and detailed images!

Welcome to Pachitalk
sorry i cant help ya with a Manual but wanted to welcome ya

[jestock]

any 1 know the pot values for this kind of mod ?

I'm not sure about the one DrDark used, but I used the following one:
1K-Ohm 15-Turn PC-Mount Cermet Potentiometer/Trimmer - RadioShack.com

The specs on this one are 1K-ohm and it has a very good range of adjustment for a single speaker. The downside is that it is small and requires a small screwdriver to adjust (or long fingernails with a lot of patience). I figured that since I wouldn't be adjusting the volume that much it would be easier to go with this style and place it in the cabinet next to the speaker and adjust as necessary. If you go this route, connect your lead-in wire to the center post and another wire from either side to the speaker. Counter-clockwise increases the volume and clockwise decreases it, depending on which outside post you use (I was too lazy to switch it and re-solder at this point).