Dr_Gonzo
Active member
That sucks, I think those replacements are reasonably priced though.
White Water: Am I Completely Missing an Optical Switch?
- Thread starter jalpert
- Start date
That sucks, I think those replacements are reasonably priced though.
Yah, they arn't that bad. For the record, before the board died, the opto near bigfoot was "disaster drop enter" I got a feeling there is a lot more going on here...
I went with this:
http://www.greatlakesmodular.com/products/pinball/osb7.html
Tony seems to get high praise from the RGP people, the price was good and so far the communication has been excellent. I'm hoping that after I plug this in, all the siwtches will work, but I'm fairly skeptical...
http://www.greatlakesmodular.com/products/pinball/osb7.html
Tony seems to get high praise from the RGP people, the price was good and so far the communication has been excellent. I'm hoping that after I plug this in, all the siwtches will work, but I'm fairly skeptical...
At least they have readily available replacements these days. Hope it gets your game going.
Certainly bummed but certainly feel lucky about a replacement like this. Since my optical switch by bigfoot was reading disaster drop enter, it's not surprise that as I roll a ball into disaster drop it doesn't do anything. I looked for the opto for disaster drop entrance and didn't see it but I think I'll not freak out again until I get the new board (hopefully tomorrow)
The wiring seems good, short of someone rewiring the connector incorrectly if the optical board isn't the issue I'm just hoping that it's not the CPU board or something.
Quick question. Where are the disaster drop switches? Per the manual there is an optical switch on the ramp, but last time I relied on the manual I spent 2 days barking up the wrong tree because the manual is a dirty liar.
To get full credit for disaster drop, exactly where are the switches, what type are they (opto or analog), and how are they mounted?
****EDIT****
The manual is definitely screwed up. The leftmost ramp, the one that leads to the hidden passage and then to the boulder garden has 2 switches. One switch is on the floor of the ramp a few inches from the entrance. A few inches past that, in the back left corner of the machine is another switch that looks like a gate with the actual contact part hanging down from an enclosure.
The switch that looks like a gate is NOT in the manual. I'm thinking (read: hoping) that the gate is actually the disaster drop entrance switch, and then to complete disaster drop it rolls over the switch on the floor. The boulder garden has it's own switch near the boulders (or so the manual says). The only thing is that per the game the disaster drop switch is an opto, the gate switch is not... Maybe a wh2o guru can clear this up for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
To get full credit for disaster drop, exactly where are the switches, what type are they (opto or analog), and how are they mounted?
****EDIT****
The manual is definitely screwed up. The leftmost ramp, the one that leads to the hidden passage and then to the boulder garden has 2 switches. One switch is on the floor of the ramp a few inches from the entrance. A few inches past that, in the back left corner of the machine is another switch that looks like a gate with the actual contact part hanging down from an enclosure.
The switch that looks like a gate is NOT in the manual. I'm thinking (read: hoping) that the gate is actually the disaster drop entrance switch, and then to complete disaster drop it rolls over the switch on the floor. The boulder garden has it's own switch near the boulders (or so the manual says). The only thing is that per the game the disaster drop switch is an opto, the gate switch is not... Maybe a wh2o guru can clear this up for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
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Dr_Gonzo
Active member
Hahaha that manual is a dirty liar, it's got terrible info in it.
I'm certain that Disaster Drop entrance is an opto. It's easy to see. I don't think the switch on the floor completes DD, I'm almost positive I remember Wet Willie yelling DISASTER DROP before the ball comes off the DD ramp. I put mine mostly back together, switched it on for a quick test, and found one of the blue LED's I put in the whirlpool is defective. SOB, that pisses me off. I hadn't completely put it back together yet, so I need to replace it before going any further. Anyway, I have to take the mini back off so I will check for a switch tonight on DD.
I couldn't find where to plug in one of my switches last night. If you still have your rear mountains off, can you check where the one right above Bigfoot plugs in? After you hit the "whirlpool is lit" gate shooting for Bigfoot Bluff, there's a switch up there right before the ball rolls down to Bigfoot. The wire on it is only maybe 10" long so it has to be in that area, but I'll be damned if I can find it. The flasher up there runs down through a hole in the PF at the very rear. Wondering if this switch wire runs down the same hole? It's either that or supposed to be plugged into the mini somewhere I can't see.
I'm certain that Disaster Drop entrance is an opto. It's easy to see. I don't think the switch on the floor completes DD, I'm almost positive I remember Wet Willie yelling DISASTER DROP before the ball comes off the DD ramp. I put mine mostly back together, switched it on for a quick test, and found one of the blue LED's I put in the whirlpool is defective. SOB, that pisses me off. I hadn't completely put it back together yet, so I need to replace it before going any further. Anyway, I have to take the mini back off so I will check for a switch tonight on DD.
I couldn't find where to plug in one of my switches last night. If you still have your rear mountains off, can you check where the one right above Bigfoot plugs in? After you hit the "whirlpool is lit" gate shooting for Bigfoot Bluff, there's a switch up there right before the ball rolls down to Bigfoot. The wire on it is only maybe 10" long so it has to be in that area, but I'll be damned if I can find it. The flasher up there runs down through a hole in the PF at the very rear. Wondering if this switch wire runs down the same hole? It's either that or supposed to be plugged into the mini somewhere I can't see.
Yah, no problem, I can check tonight. That sucks about the LED, I was just thinking about how some replacements would be hard to verify as working before putting this thing back together. Would you happen to know where the optos are on the disaster drop ramp? Are they right at the entrance? Are they mounted like the optos near bigfoot on the upper playfield? Do they shine through plastic? After all this, I really might be missing a set of optos. I expressed the opto board, I should have it today.
I think that "left ramp main" is mistakenly plugged into "disaster drop entrance", I fear I'll find an empty set of molex connectors that is left ramp main, but I think I'm going to be left wondering where the hell are my disaster drop optos.
I tried to look at pics online, and I didn't see the optos. I'm hoping I missed them and I just have to fix a couple plugs...
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Dr_Gonzo
Active member
I think it's right there in line with the screws in this pic. Looks like you can kinda see the one on the far side.
http://www.matthewfenn.com/cgi-bin/i/pics/Whitewater/PF7.JPG
http://www.matthewfenn.com/cgi-bin/i/pics/Whitewater/PF7.JPG
I'll look tonight, but I don't think I have any optos there. On the near side (per the picture) last night I noticed some red tape filling in a gap, certainly not a good sign. Maybe some idiot taped over the opto and I missed the one on the other side, but right at the entrance was the first place I looked.
On a scale of 1 to 10, if there are no optos there how screwed am I? I wouldn't even know where to begin to get the bracket, optos, wiring, connectors etc...
****EDIT****
Found the placement for the optos:
http://teskey.smugmug.com/gallery/4432464_tbt3Q/1/288438687_LD6hW#262187801_MQD8e-O-LB
I'm just glad they aren't right up front, because there is no way I could have seen them which means I'm sure they are there. Since left ramp main is in the disaster drop plug, hopefully the same person who did that just forgot or didn't plug in disaster drop, but chances are good the optos are just trying to read each other through a dingy piece of ramp plastic...
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Dr_Gonzo
Active member
Wow it's back further than I thought. Was it playable when you bought it? There's optos under the PF, if they were missing the VUK and hidden mine would be screwy. About all I can help you with is where some of these switches are on mine. I don't know much about all the technical stuff.
You've been a huge help. Just being able to confirm they were optos was great, at least I knew what I was looking for so I was able to find it. There were switch erros when I bought it, 4 of them. This being my first pinball I saw the switch errors and thought no big deal, it's just a switch. And honestly, things would have been fine if the manual was accurate. As I try and figure things out, before I get too far, I have to stop and think, "What if the manual is completely wrong." Being so new, it's time consuming.
So at this point I'm pretty sure the optical switch board I hacked up was working, it looked SO bad. I fixed the VUK by re soldering a wire, I fixed the optical switch under the whirlpool by cleaning the ramp, I'm pretty sure the opto by bigfoot just needs to be plugged in where it should and I'm pretty sure I just need to clean the disaster drop ramp to get that switch working, but hopefully it's just not plugged in.
To get to the disaster drop ramp you have to take off the upper play field, which seems easy enough based on the very detailed instructions on how to do it in the manual. However, several people have said it's a Bitch (with a capital B) so if I have to do that I'll go slow, label everything, and take lots of pictures. I disassembled an HP laptop this week to the point where I removed the motherboard, I had 20 post it notes with where the screws came from, lots of little ziffs and little pieces, I'm expecting it to be like that...
Dr_Gonzo
Active member
Yeah, I had it off in probably 15 minutes but putting it back on sucks. I broke a ramp first attempt, fixed it, now can't find that wire. I labeled all my connections, but missed this one. Found it attached while pulling the mini so just figured it would be easy to find being not labeled. It must have got caught under the mini somewhere I can't see. I have to pull it again so I'll get it found. If you do that make sure you replace bulbs and modify it how you want it, post sleeves, LED's, Cliffy, new rubber. I'm never pulling this off again unless it's a must. I put a blue mini dome on that flasher in the whirlpool too, looks pretty cool.
I was just sitting here thinking about how I wished I had Cliffy's protector. I know myself too well, I know I should wait for the protector but I want this stupid thing working, patience has never been my strong suit.
Where can I buy 44's and 555's in Denver? The only reason I'm not super pissed about having to take the mini off sooner rather than later is that hazard lamps are burned out and it's annoying.
Where can I buy 44's and 555's in Denver? The only reason I'm not super pissed about having to take the mini off sooner rather than later is that hazard lamps are burned out and it's annoying.
Dr_Gonzo
Active member
I'm not sure where to get those bulbs locally. I'm pretty sure you can access those hazard lamps from underneath the PF. You have to reach up into the mini, but there's an access hole there. Probably need a flashlight to see them.
I tried, the space was too tight, a couple were not accessible at all. Well, I guess I could have taken the lamp off. Game exchange sells 555's, $4 for 10. I know that price is crazy, but I'd better have a box on hand... I think I have 44's.
Hey, I looked everywhere for your wires, but I couldn't find the connection. The wires are dirty but they appear to be green and yellow. Can you verify the colors for me and I'll look again tonight?
The new optical board is in place and as suspected just put me back to square one. So, I unplugged the disaster drop entrance from the top opto and plugged in left ramp main the spine chiller is working!!!
Here is the thing, I do NOT have optos anywhere on disaster drop. I have a plug for it, but the optos are gone. Then I got to thinking (probably a bad thing) is it possible some units didn't include them on purpose?
When the ball goes up the ramp, the ramp goes vertical about the height of a ball and drops the ball down into the left channel. There is a switch at the end of that, right before the ball drops. My question is, since the only way possible to hit that switch is to complete disaster drop, do you even need 2 switches? Does the game care if the ball goes half way up then goes back down?
Could you do me a HUGE favor? Is gameplay affected at all by not having the optos? It probably makes a noise, but does it score any points? I've got a bad feeling it does, but it's possible that williams decided to omit installing them because they really aren't needed. I still get disaster drop credits.... I dunno.
Where would I go to get the optos?
Thanks man, verify I'm looking at the right wires, and I'll look again. I looked for 15 minutes, flashlight and everything and I couldn't find them. Thanks a TON, I'm really hoping I can help you out.
The new optical board is in place and as suspected just put me back to square one. So, I unplugged the disaster drop entrance from the top opto and plugged in left ramp main the spine chiller is working!!!
Here is the thing, I do NOT have optos anywhere on disaster drop. I have a plug for it, but the optos are gone. Then I got to thinking (probably a bad thing) is it possible some units didn't include them on purpose?
When the ball goes up the ramp, the ramp goes vertical about the height of a ball and drops the ball down into the left channel. There is a switch at the end of that, right before the ball drops. My question is, since the only way possible to hit that switch is to complete disaster drop, do you even need 2 switches? Does the game care if the ball goes half way up then goes back down?
Could you do me a HUGE favor? Is gameplay affected at all by not having the optos? It probably makes a noise, but does it score any points? I've got a bad feeling it does, but it's possible that williams decided to omit installing them because they really aren't needed. I still get disaster drop credits.... I dunno.
Where would I go to get the optos?
Thanks man, verify I'm looking at the right wires, and I'll look again. I looked for 15 minutes, flashlight and everything and I couldn't find them. Thanks a TON, I'm really hoping I can help you out.
Dr_Gonzo
Active member
Don't sweat the wire I need. I have to pull the mini again to replace the defective LED. I'm pretty sure the connector just got hung up underneath somewhere, I'll find it. 
Anyway, the thing about Disaster Drop is that it gives bonuses. After 3 drops it spots you a hazard. After 6 it holds the bonus, which is awesome, it holds your river class over to the next ball. Which is huge for the Vacation Jackpot, otherwise you could get to river class 5 and then have to start all over unless you get the 6 drops. 9 drops advances your raft and then I think you get spotted a hazard for every 3 after that.
You're going to need those opto's, I'm not sure how the game credits the drops, but I would think the opto's are crucial. They would have to be available somewhere.
Anyway, the thing about Disaster Drop is that it gives bonuses. After 3 drops it spots you a hazard. After 6 it holds the bonus, which is awesome, it holds your river class over to the next ball. Which is huge for the Vacation Jackpot, otherwise you could get to river class 5 and then have to start all over unless you get the 6 drops. 9 drops advances your raft and then I think you get spotted a hazard for every 3 after that.
You're going to need those opto's, I'm not sure how the game credits the drops, but I would think the opto's are crucial. They would have to be available somewhere.
Disaster drop works fine. Switch 75 is disaster drop main, so I get credit for my successful disaster drop shots. I just don't have the entry optos so if it rolls in then out, I won't get whatever those optos yield.
Game wise, what happens if you roll 1/2 way up disaster drop then back out? Are points scored? I just want to know if the game is affected, I'm going to buy optos either way. Thanks again for your help.
Game wise, what happens if you roll 1/2 way up disaster drop then back out? Are points scored? I just want to know if the game is affected, I'm going to buy optos either way. Thanks again for your help.
Don't sweat the wire I need. I have to pull the mini again to replace the defective LED. I'm pretty sure the connector just got hung up underneath somewhere, I'll find it.
Anyway, the thing about Disaster Drop is that it gives bonuses. After 3 drops it spots you a hazard. After 6 it holds the bonus, which is awesome, it holds your river class over to the next ball. Which is huge for the Vacation Jackpot, otherwise you could get to river class 5 and then have to start all over unless you get the 6 drops. 9 drops advances your raft and then I think you get spotted a hazard for every 3 after that.
You're going to need those opto's, I'm not sure how the game credits the drops, but I would think the opto's are crucial. They would have to be available somewhere.
Dr_Gonzo
Active member
I checked mine, the game scores 50,000 for an incomplete Disaster Drop shot.
