I'm an idiot

wxforecaster

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I figured the title would get your attention, because it's always fun to laugh at someone elses expense.

Planning on moving my Funhouse to the basement this evening, so was out in the garage taking out the cash box, removing the balls, etc... (actually being smart). I again was bothered by how dark the back/left of the game was in the ramp area. So I lifted up the playfield and noticed an entire string of GI bulbs back there. It appears they haven't been changed since day 1! One of the bulb's glass was actually separated from the base. So I started removing the hex nuts and replacing the 8 or so bulbs in the string. Viola, light!

Rule #1: Always do this with the power off. This is my failing since I'm not really concerned about a light zap from the GI string and it's a pain to keep checking to make sure the bulbs work by flipping the machine on/off.

I had about 6 of the 8 bulbs back in their homes when I must've somehow dragged one of the remaining GI lamp sockets across another component. Still not clear on that. I heard a nice sizzle sound followed by that entire GI string going out. I felt like Clark Griswold when Ellen turned off the light switch in the garage.

So, hopefully it's nothing more than a fuse, but let this be a lesson onto you all. Even lamps should be changed with the power off. I guess this rule goes doubly true for games that don't have an interlock switch to disable the coils (Safety First!).

Anyways, I felt compelled to post here before I go back out there and solve the problem.

Evan
 
I think I've still got you beat..

I killed my GI with my multimeter by shorting it while trying to test the voltages on the backbox GI because of the flickering. It took me 7 months to realize it was a 25 cent fuse.
 
We all have done this. I sent a board out to get fixed to later realize a slow blow fuze was dead. It looked good to the eye. Cost me $25 to realize it was a fuse.
 
which one of these does not look like the others.... :)

F110 suffered a painful death. Problem solved. Wow what a difference those lamps make (also makes me realize how disgustingly filthy both ramps are). I can only imagine what the gateway path underneath looks like.

Evan
 
shit, I spent a couple hours troubleshooting a game last week before my tech walked over and slapped a fuse in it. I hated to tell him how long I had worked on that one. (I usually leave the ones alone I cant figure out, and that was one of them)
 
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