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Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: Hoagie_one on February 01, 2005, 02:24:10 pm

Title: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: Hoagie_one on February 01, 2005, 02:24:10 pm
i've always wondered what theyhave inside that gives that loud thunderclap sound when you score a free game?
Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: HaRuMaN on February 01, 2005, 02:42:47 pm
Me, too... always makes me jump when I am playing and get the replay.
Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: Witchboard on February 01, 2005, 03:13:45 pm
It's called a knocker.  They also used a knocker in Q*Bert when you or the snake would fall off the... whatever it is you were on.
Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: RayB on February 01, 2005, 04:39:54 pm
It's a solenoid. Same thing they use to pop the ball out of a pinball kick-hole, or to knock the ball around when it hits a bumper.

I believe it's basically an electro-magnet that when turned on causes an armature to shoot forward. When power is off, the armature moves back.

They use this and make it knock against the wood of the cabinet.

Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: OSCAR on February 01, 2005, 05:50:11 pm
Ray is correct, it is a standard pinball knocker assembly.  When the coil is energized, the plunger strikes a plate mounted inside the backbox.  Here is a shot of my Creech, the knocker coil located in the upper left of the backbox and is yellow.

Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: Hoagie_one on February 02, 2005, 08:31:10 am
cool, i learned something
Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: fredster on February 02, 2005, 10:56:39 pm
Yeah, it's the same type of coil that runs the pop bumpers in my Genesis.  Mine's mounted under the ball plunger.
Title: Re: what causes that hammer on wood sound when you score a free game in pinball?
Post by: SirPoonga on February 03, 2005, 07:45:32 pm
Technical term is solenoid.

It's an electromagnet with a pin.  When a current goes through it pushes or pulls the pin.