WG6100 Losing Focus

Pinball Wizard

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I just did the level 3 top-of-the-line rebuild kit along with a new flyback in my WG6100 and finally got my Tempest board working so now I went to adjust the monitor in and can't get it to stay focused, as it keeps drifting. B+ is set dead on at 181 VDC. The focus nob does very little change end to end, hardly noticeable, and like I said as the game is on for long it gets less and less focus. Bad flyback or something else?
 
On raster chassis, solid B+ and drifting focus is ALWAYS either the flyback or a flaky connection from the flyback to the neck. Can't think of any reason vector chassis would be different...
 
if that was my machine, I would replace the flyback, which comes complete with a new focus block :)

Win, Win :)

I JUST replaced the flyback like a week ago after my monitor died and I did a level 3 kit from Bob Roberts on it. While it was out I was determined to bulletproof it.
 
Have you check the focus wire connection?? If there is no problem with that I see no other option other than the new flyback being faulty.
 
Have you check the focus wire connection?? If there is no problem with that I see no other option other than the new flyback being faulty.

This would of been done with the new flyback, as they are one unit

So the question is, was the solder join sound / shiny etc, did it move when it was cooling
 
Maybe, but on a 6100 theres that molex connector from the HV unit to the neckboard...Also, the sockets on the neckboard have this bizarre connection from the focus input to the actual pin socket... meter that make sure there is continuity.
 
If you've ruled everything else out (which it sounds like you have)......I can only think of two things.......your tube (less likely, but possible), or the neck socket.

Edward
 
I still haven't busted out the can of freeze spray yet but I did check out the neck board and solder on the flyback, and everything looks good, so I think it is indeed a bad flyback.
 
Inside of the neck socket is a set up called a spark gap. Over the years, I've had countless of these go bad. After the first couple, I started pop them open. Every single time.....the spark gap is all corroded and nasty. A few times I've seen the focus pin actually be broken inside the socket housing.

Do you have another (or access to another) WG6100? I'd swap the neck board. The odds are against a new flyback being bad, though, not impossible....I'd just try swapping some of the simple stuff first.

Edward
 
So I FINALLY got another flyback in here, same issue. So I'm really, really betting against the flyback. I noticed that if I jump up the B+ above the 180v setting, I can bring the monitor into focus. Any adverse affects from running B+ high?
 
What ELutz said make perfect sense.
Sounds like a flaky corroded connection in the neckboard socket. It's keeping the focus pin from getting the proper voltage.
 
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