SOLVED - Bally Kiss gets forgetful and has flashing displays.

[Andy B]

Helping out someone local with a Bally Kiss.

Wasn’t booting properly - only getting 6 led blinks - fuse F4 (solenoids) was blown so tested solenoids and transistors on board and replaced F4.

After that boots fine but was occasionally not starting a game or returning a drained ball. Bending actuator on trough switch (which was registering fine when manually moved) a little seemed to fix that.

Player and ball in play scoreboard a little dim so reseated that connector and that fixed that.

Only remaining issues are:

1) None of settings are being remembered. Owner says this happens frequently if he doesn’t play game for a good while. It has a memory backup capacitor in it. But he left it on for a good few hours last night and switched it off and back on again and it’s still not remembering stuff. I’m guessing that capacitor has gone bad (I replaced R12 resistor per repair guides). So I’ve recommended he fit a remote battery holder.

2) Score displays are flickering and displaying weird random number combinations. For instance sometimes it shows ball 50 in play. Sometimes random numbers or no numbers on a player’s score screen but then displays correct score when that player is playing and then back to random numbers when that player has finished and next player comes up. We’ve reseated all the score display connectors and on the MPU board. Anyone had similar on a Bally of this era? First thoughts are power issue and for the sake of £90 owner has ordered new Xpin rectifier board.

Thanks

Andy

 

[Arv]

If i remember correctly weird shizzle like that on the displays was down to alkaline on the connectors. I'd recommend re-pining the cables that go to the MPU.

Don't just look at them and go "they look okay."

 

[AlanJ]

you could have a dodgy display. remove all bar player 1. does it still display dodgy stuff, if so try swap for another. if problem still there repin j1 on mpu, or try a new mpu.

 

[Fantazia2]

There is a FPGA replacement MPU for sale in the parts section at the moment, might be a quick fix for the memory issues and it adds freeplay and LED compatibility, or does it have already have an Altek?

 

[AlfonsoB]

Indeed swop the displays around and see if the problem follows the with display
Briansoton should have replacement (six and 7 digit) displays for this at around £20 quid each. Got a few off him myself.

The MPU is still for sale. I am selling the one I'd been using on my speakeasy but have a few spare boards which were built recently.
I might even have a spare display come to think....

 

[Andy B]

you could have a dodgy display. remove all bar player 1. does it still display dodgy stuff, if so try swap for another. if problem still there repin j1 on mpu, or try a new mpu.

Thanks. Are you saying one dodgy display could throw them all out? They are all displaying random stuff. So if I try one at a time and see which one is dodgey?

 

[Andy B]

There is a FPGA replacement MPU for sale in the parts section at the moment, might be a quick fix for the memory issues and it adds freeplay and LED compatibility, or does it have already have an Altek?

Has original board in it.

Just reading the description of that MPU features and it talks about an option to reduce Flickering LEDs - is that something that happens with these older machines when you put LEDs in. This one has LEDs installed in all G.I. And all of the bright whites are flickering (almost rapidly strobing I would say).

I will tell the guy about that board that’s listed for £100 but it has a “PM’d” message and n it now so might have been sold. I will check. Thanks for the tip off.

 

[stevebm1]

it could just be the decoder chip failed on the display,or the 100k resistors(you can usually tell as they will be burnt up),I have had that before causing wierd issues

 

[Fantazia2]

Has original board in it.

Just reading the description of that MPU features and it talks about an option to reduce Flickering LEDs - is that something that happens with these older machines when you put LEDs in. This one has LEDs installed in all G.I. And all of the bright whites are flickering (almost rapidly strobing I would say).

I will tell the guy about that board that’s listed for £100 but it has a “PM’d” message and n it now so might have been sold. I will check. Thanks for the tip off.

LED flicker is for the controlled Lamps, dont think it has anything to do with the GI lamps. Not sure what would be causing them to flicker other than possibly the incoming power for the GI being unstable.

 

[AlanJ]

LED flicker is for the controlled Lamps, dont think it has anything to do with the GI lamps. Not sure what would be causing them to flicker other than possibly the incoming power for the GI being unstable.

GI should be ok with LEDS, but if he's put cheap leds in they will probably flicker.

 

[Pick Holder]

Change the pins and headers - do not just do one or the other.

Those boards are old now, and reliable once re-done.

Do not make the mistake of just changing the pins.

On the memory thing. Fit a CR2032 in a holder - even if they run out they wont leak...... Memory capacitors I tend to shy away from, also I have no idea on how long a memory cap takes to charge up.

 

[AlanJ]

Change the pins and headers - do not just do one or the other.

Those boards are old now, and reliable once re-done.

Do not make the mistake of just changing the pins.

On the memory thing. Fit a CR2032 in a holder - even if they run out they wont leak...... Memory capacitors I tend to shy away from, also I have no idea on how long a memory cap takes to charge up.

memory cap charges up in almost no time. one game is more than enough. they retain the memory for a good two months.

 

[Pick Holder]

memory cap charges up in almost no time. one game is more than enough. they retain the memory for a good two months.

Is it likely the cap could be faulty (thanks for the info ! I was not sure)?

 

[Andy B]

I’ve made up a remote battery pack so we can try that next time I’m at the machine - probably Thursday.

Told the guy to do the swap the displays test for the flickering random numbers displays.

 

[Andy B]

Remote battery pack fixed the memory issue so must have been faulty cap.

New Aux Power board fitted and pins reflowed on one dodgy display which sorted the problem with all the other displays flickering.

Thanks for the excellent tips, advice and support as ever.