Williams Funhouse Rudy Opto Problem

Slim

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When I first bought this pin the receiver for the opto was pretty dirty and in the test menu switch section would always register "closed". I confirmed that the sender was at least emitting and then just cleaned the receiver with a q-tip and windex followed by drying it with a different q-tip. This fixed the problem in the test menu where it now would show "open" when I blocked the path.

The problem I am now having is when running the game I instantly get a ton of false positive rudy hits. They come in maybe 3 shot bursts (ow, ow, ow!) but just continually happens for the duration of the game even when you have not launched the ball. Back in the test menu I find that if I let it sit it will remain "closed" forever but if I start hitting the left and right flippers rapidly it will occasionally blip to "open" for a split second and then back to "closed". Does anyone have any advice what I can test or what may be causing this issue? Many thanks in advance!
 
I would check the solder joints on the opto boards and also the connections associated with them (plugs and header pins). Sounds like a loose connection.

Or, if you you get really frustrated you could sell it to me.....

When I first bought this pin the receiver for the opto was pretty dirty and in the test menu switch section would always register "closed". I confirmed that the sender was at least emitting and then just cleaned the receiver with a q-tip and windex followed by drying it with a different q-tip. This fixed the problem in the test menu where it now would show "open" when I blocked the path.

The problem I am now having is when running the game I instantly get a ton of false positive rudy hits. They come in maybe 3 shot bursts (ow, ow, ow!) but just continually happens for the duration of the game even when you have not launched the ball. Back in the test menu I find that if I let it sit it will remain "closed" forever but if I start hitting the left and right flippers rapidly it will occasionally blip to "open" for a split second and then back to "closed". Does anyone have any advice what I can test or what may be causing this issue? Many thanks in advance!
 
I would check the solder joints on the opto boards and also the connections associated with them (plugs and header pins). Sounds like a loose connection.

Or, if you you get really frustrated you could sell it to me.....



havent you snapped up enough pins lately...
 
welcome to the madness !!!

and in the test menu switch section would always register "closed". This fixed the problem in the test menu where it now would show "open" when I blocked the path.

Back in the test menu I find that if I let it sit it will remain "closed" forever but if I start hitting the left and right flippers rapidly it will occasionally blip to "open" for a split second and then back to "closed"

first i'd check to see the wires are soldered to the board properly and there arent any cold solder joints AND theres correct voltage is arriving on the opto board

probably the transmitter is faulty OR they arent aligned properly

get a mag flashlight and shine it into the receiver during switch test mode and see if it "opens" and "closes". if it does check the alignment and if thats good then id replace the transmitter with a new one for .75 cents from here:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=catalog&mode=search&search_in=all&search_str=opto
 
You either have a lose wire that needs to be soldered back on to one of the optos and/or you need one replaced which typical the receiver is the faulty one.

Those optos are infamous for having a wire fall off because that area gets the hell beat out of it and the vibration is what causes the solder to weaken and eventually break.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone! I will definitely check it out in detail, hopefully tonight or the weekend at the latest.

My one question, and probably just ignorance on my part, is wouldn't some of the issues you guys are pointing out just always show symptoms and not just when i activate the flippers? It works 100% in the test menu just letting it sit, as I move my hand over the opto path it will register correctly all of the time. However, only when hitting the flippers repeatedly will it register the false positive. I guess I could see that being a loose connection, it just seems strange that is seems to work in one setting and not in the other is all.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone! I will definitely check it out in detail, hopefully tonight or the weekend at the latest.

My one question, and probably just ignorance on my part, is wouldn't some of the issues you guys are pointing out just always show symptoms and not just when i activate the flippers? It works 100% in the test menu just letting it sit, as I move my hand over the opto path it will register correctly all of the time. However, only when hitting the flippers repeatedly will it register the false positive. I guess I could see that being a loose connection, it just seems strange that is seems to work in one setting and not in the other is all.

Good question. Makes me question myself now. A loose wire to the opto and vibration from the flippers? Possible sure. Does the leaf switch attached to rudys jaw need adjusting? Possible sure.

One of the two should fix you up.
 
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