Centipede Marquee Bulb isn't coming on

SpellboundLogic

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2023
Messages
153
Reaction score
79
Location
Winter Park, Florida
New ballast, rated for F15T8, new bulb, new FS-2 starter. I checked the power running from the hot and neutral wires that go to the ballast, and it reads 117v. I've wired one lead of the ballast to the bulb and the other lead to the starter. Ground is connected. When I turn on the machine, the light doesn't come on, but sound works.

As long as I've had this Centipede, the bulb has not worked.

The only thing I can think of that could be going wrong is that I've got the hot and neutral connected to the wrong leads. Is that possible with AC power?
One lead is solid strand wire, the other is braided... I used pliers to twist them around each other and applied the cap and electrical tape.
 
If it's a new-type ballast it may not need a starter. New ones will generally have a little wiring diagram on the ballast, or on a leaflet that came with it. Wire it up like that.

If it's an original type ballast (2 wire)... verify wiring with the game schematic.
 
I don't even bother anymore, I mount a Walmart LED under counter light instead in all my games now and slots (and redemption for that matter). They basically last forever, are cheap, run cool so they don't burn/crack marquees/belly glass etc. The replacement fluorescent bulb is more expensive now than the LED replacement, nevermind the ballast or starter cost.
 
Back
Top Bottom