problem with search motor

I have a 1963 ami rowe jal 200. The problem I am having is the search motor will run continually after making a selection And nothing else. I think the problem might be that the s1 letter selection silinoid is not firing. How can I test this silinoid And could there be another issue for this. I do have the service manual for this unit. Any help you could offer would be very much appreciated.

Kris
location: Windsor Ont Canada

Kris, the fact that the search unit continues to run indicates that wipers have not made contact with the selected 'hot" circuit from keyboard to search unit traces.

Typical causes:

Broken sliding contacts in the keyboard assembly. This is what Rowe went to a different design a couple of years later.

Poor contact in the edge connector at the search unit. This can also happen in the Jones plug at the keyboard, but it is less likely.

Worn chase wipers on the search traces. The wiper blades must have adequate contact pressure with the board traces. The stem of the blades should be --slightly-- bowed indicating adequate downward pressure. Easy to inspect.

Someone with more current experience may have additional suggestions.

Rob/NYC

Hello Kris,

Welcome to the forum.

The 1100 mechanism used on the 1963 JAL/JEL through to the 1976 R-80 search unit issues usually can be repaired by checking the connections going to the search unit for alignement (the connections in the middle of the tracks on the search unit PCB), a cracked or worn out PCB (the tracks can be linked over cracks if not in the wiper circle, remember to repair cracks on both sides of the board). I suggest that you clean the two open relay contacts on the keyboard R1 & R5 (best done with a paper taper or fibre glass pencil) also clean S1 & S2 open relay contacts on the search unit.

Please let us know how you get on.

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK