System 11 - High Tap?

yaggy

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Is there such a thing as High Tap on a Williams system 11? To clarify, older Electro Mechanical games had this option, to connect the transformer taps for higher output, resulting in more "powerful" coils. I ask because I have a Cyclone with steroid-level flippers and other coils. The underground kickout, the jet bumpers, everything is just way too strong! Usually, we work on these components because the opposite is true. I have not measured voltages yet, which is on the agenda, just wanted to breach the subject while I toil at work.
 
The short answer is no, thought it's possible the mains are connected to the wrong winding on the transformer.

Start by checking the solenoid voltage.
 
67VDC at the 50V flippers, hmm.

Xformer input is apparently wired to 103.5V instead of 115V.
My house is running about 120V. The math doesn't add up,
though, but I'll switch the pins in the molex connector and
see how much that changes things.

So, in a way, there IS a high tap!
 
67VDC at the 50V flippers, hmm.

Xformer input is apparently wired to 103.5V instead of 115V.
My house is running about 120V. The math doesn't add up,
though, but I'll switch the pins in the molex connector and
see how much that changes things.

So, in a way, there IS a high tap!

Right, that's exactly what I said :)
 
My JP was wired in the 105v transformer inputs so it was overvolting everything. It also had too strong of flipper coils installed. After I corrected both of those, it seemed like an entirely different game. Balls used to fly off the wireform that goes to the right inlane and the Control Room shot was crazy at times. Anyway, my point is that you'll be glad when you get it wired correctly.
 
It's a little confusing because there are two black jumpers in the molex, but in theory these bypass the other taps while keeping the windings/circuit continuous. I need to study it a little closer and get a pinout. I wish it was just an easy flip!
 
After I corrected both of those, it seemed like an entirely different game. Balls used to fly off the wireform that goes to the right inlane and the Control Room shot was crazy at times. Anyway, my point is that you'll be glad when you get it wired correctly.

Yeah I can't wait. The ball is just too volatile and gets launched up into smacking the glass quite often. Cyclone is otherwise a fun pin, but this playability problem (which took me a long time to figure out) is surely why the owner lost interest and wanted to sell. It's otherwise in tiptop shape. (got it for $1100, which seemed like a good deal since it was rather pristine)

In about 22 years of working on pins, this is the first time the flippers were too strong. Definitely one for the books!
 
Everything points to it being wired to 115VAC and I compared to other pins. I'm now back at the drawing board because I thought I'd check other flipper coils to see how they measured up and a "perfectly working" game read 71VDC at the flippers, which is even higher than Cyclone. I think I'm going to swap out the coils to see if someone monkeyed with the windings.
 
Everything points to it being wired to 115VAC and I compared to other pins. I'm now back at the drawing board because I thought I'd check other flipper coils to see how they measured up and a "perfectly working" game read 71VDC at the flippers, which is even higher than Cyclone. I think I'm going to swap out the coils to see if someone monkeyed with the windings.

Are they even the right coils? Probably should have checked that first. hehe

Lesson for me: don't get all cocky until it's actually fixed :p
 
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