Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Forum => Topic started by: OOA442 on September 18, 2015, 09:22:16 pm

Title: Rockola 442 write-in process
Post by: OOA442 on September 18, 2015, 09:22:16 pm
Was given a Rockola 442 that needed cleaning and a few adjustments.  It was also altered for free play. Got it cleaned and working, then donated it to our local senior center.  Loaded it up with polkas, big bands, some C/W and some 50's.  They LOVE it.  However, it recently quit selecting H through V selections.  A through G work fine.  Pressing a non-working selection (example H5) causes the write-in carriage to search and find the active circuit (selector pin for H5).  However, the hammer solenoid barely moves.   Not enough to trip the selection lever so that selection doesn't play.  Same happens for the other write-in carriage. Following the manuals explanation of the write-in process talks about an ADR (attract delay relay) and it's suppose to guarantee a "FAT" pulse to the write-in hammers.  This box does not have coin credit related hardware (ADR).  It was removed and a modification made for free play.  I'm stumped because A through G work fine.  I'm thinking it's something in the selection button circuits.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  The old folks at the senior center (I'm one of them) keep asking me when I'm going to get the jukebox fixed.  I need help!

Thanks in advance
Old Man Bob
Title: Re: Rockola 442 write-in process
Post by: jennifer on September 19, 2015, 01:04:30 am
   I"d be all curious how you got that to freeplay,. Mine was fitted with a pushbutton, if you were to hold this button down it frys  the resistors in the credit unit rendering it usless. beside the point I know but just interested.... The power supply in that thing pretty much controls the show, I would start there with voltage tests, The hammer coils  would be my next concern.
Title: Re: Rockola 442 write-in process
Post by: OOA442 on September 21, 2015, 08:49:06 am
Jukebox was already altered for free-play when I got it.  Hammer coils (both sides of carriage) work fine with a strong pulse for A through G selections so I've pretty much eliminated the coils as the problem.
Title: Re: Rockola 442 write-in process
Post by: jennifer on September 21, 2015, 10:46:05 pm
   I would take a really good look at that power supply....With a decent meter.
Title: Re: Rockola 442 write-in process
Post by: OOA442 on October 09, 2015, 11:21:58 pm
Got my problem figured out. Will share it with anyone interested. With all buttons at the unselected position they are linked in series starting with "A" and continuing to "V".  When a button is pushed it redirects the series link to begin building the "live" circuit that the write-in carriage scans for.  When found the related selection lever is set and the buttons are reset for the next selection, thereby restoring the series circuit to all buttons.  In my case the series connection from button "G" to button "H" was faulty and not being made resulting in "A" thru "G" selections working and "H" thru "V" not working.  Carefully bending in the outer contacts on button "G" so the slider would make a tight connection fixed the problem.