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Thread: Help! Convert 240V machine to 120V?

  1. #21
    Tokie Owens DaveyC's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Convert 240V machine to 120V?

    Quote Originally Posted by Peteybob View Post
    Well I’m sorry to say that you will need something to change the household current (110V/120V) into the needed 24VAC. At least for the Thunderbirds machine in comparison to mine. I don’t know if any Pachislo power supplies have a switchable regulator inside. I use to have some back in the PC building days. Here is a transformer that I bought a couple of years ago. A bit pricey but it had what I wanted at the time and still runs great today.

    https://blackhawksupply.com/collecti...cts/tr150va002

    I only know little enough to be dangerous and only experiment on my own goods. It has been a long time since and I don’t want to start fires or blow up someone else’s machine. Perhaps others can offer suggestions and solutions???
    Peteybob,

    Thanks for your thorough reply. I have a soldering iron and solder and have used it to install pickups in electric guitars. That's it for my experience. But it sounds like this is as simple as mounting the transformer in the machine and wiring it to the power supply on one side and wiring to a 3 prong chord on the other. Assuming you did the installation yourself, is this something a novice can do or is it a definitely take it to an electrician thing?

  2. #22
    Pachi Puro pachiwall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Convert 240V machine to 120V?

    Sounds like you nailed it! It should be that simple, as long as the transformer has enough amps.

  3. #23
    Pachi Puro Peteybob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Convert 240V machine to 120V?

    Quote Originally Posted by pachiwall View Post
    Sounds like you nailed it! It should be that simple, as long as the transformer has enough amps.
    Quote Originally Posted by DaveyC View Post
    I have a soldering iron and solder and have used it to install pickups in electric guitars. That's it for my experience. But it sounds like this is as simple as mounting the transformer in the machine and wiring it to the power supply on one side and wiring to a 3 prong chord on the other. Assuming you did the installation yourself, is this something a novice can do or is it a definitely take it to an electrician thing?
    Yes it is easy, just keep safety first like power unplugged, lock up the overly curious cat while performing work, etc..

    Be sure that you have the wires correct per any instructions. The 120 volt side to the wall plug and the 24 volt towards the machine. Transformers come in many flavors like various voltages in one side and different ones out the other side. Some offer extra long wires, wires out one end or both, circuit breakers. My link is for a 6amp 120V input and 24VAC output with a circuit breaker. I picked up a grounded cord locally to go with this. Even though there isn't a ground wire on the transformer I did tie it into what was already on my machine.

    So in the end it was very easy to do. Plan out where you will mount it before cutting your wires. A local hardware store can help in picking out the right sized wire nuts based on the size of your wires. I have learned over time about basic electronics and wiring but I don't have any formal education in electrical work so please do use caution.

    Yes a novice can do it!

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  5. #24
    Tokie Owens DaveyC's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Convert 240V machine to 120V?

    Update -

    I ordered a 6amp 120V input and 24VAC output off ebay. Thanks Peteybob for the rec! My plant manager at work to help with the wiring.

    But first some backstory that I forgot to share on how I acquired these. Leaving work one day I saw a couple picking through stuff on the curb outside a warehouse. It was getting dark and about starting to sprinkle but I recognized that there were about 8 slot machines shrink wrapped on pallets on the curb!!! I asked the couple what was going on and they said the warehouse owner had sat them out there and said they were free for the taking, so I grabbed two machines (a Thunderbirds and an Aristocrat Baseball machine) and went home. They're both beautiful cosmetically and like I mentioned at the beginning, I brought them home, plugged them in, and they immediately both shut down. No smoke, no pops, just on, then off. That's when I googled and ultimately wound up here.

    My plant manager mentioned that if I did not want to modify either machine, I could simply cut an extension cord in half, and wire the female end to the 24v side of the transformer and the male end of the cord to the 120v side. Then I could simply plug the existing cord on the machine into the female end, then plug the male end coming off the 120v side of the transformer to the wall outlet.At first I thought that sounded pretty ghetto but then I realized that this would enable me to test each machine independently without buying a second transformer. As Peteybob mentioned, these transformers aren't cheap.

    After wiring the two ends of the extension cord to the respective sides of the transformer, my plant manager took readings on the male and female extension cord ends. He got 24v on the female end and 120v on the male end.

    I replaced the fuses in both machines. I plugged in the Aristocrat and turned on the power switches, but nothing happened at all. I was defeated. I plugged in the Thunderbirds and much to my delight it came on . However I immediately started smelling that burnt electrical smell that I didn't want to smell . Then smoke started coming from the power supply...

    I'm posting this info for future novice DIY'rs in the same boat. I have nothing in these except $40 for the transformer but man I hate to throw in the towel. Does this sound salvageable? I got the number of a local guy that works on arcade games and may just call him.

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