Phonoland

hello all,
First, thanks to all who have replied and helped me out on this project so far. You have been a great help. Currently, I have most of the machine cleaned, put back together (minus the amp and speakers) and power applied. I am now ready to begin working through the cycle of operation. There are several issues along the way I'm sure. Below is a quick overview of where I am at this point of the restoration:

-Machine will power on. The upper fluorescent lights comes on along with the "select" light.
-Once I move the service switch to 'OPER', the magazine spins along with the read out carriage and the turntable motor is spinning as well, they never stop but I think that's because i have no "home switch" yet. The same goes using the 'SCAN' side of this switch.
-Once I drop a quarter, it moves something in the accumulator but I can't tell what (happens fast). I then can make a selection and the buttons stay pressed.

This is where my cycle ends! Keep in mind the magazine and turntable are still spinning. It is my understanding that the depressed buttons are to start the 'Write-in' sequence moving the inner carriage and tripping the selection on the disc. This isn't happening. What would be the first place to look for the issue? I know the write in motor works per it can be operated manually, so I am assuming the issue is between the push button assembly and the write in motor? Which has wires tracing back to the Control Box and the power distribution unit. if someone could point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi
Could be a number of things such as dirty contacts on the write in relay, dirty contacts on the push button switches, loose plug connection, contact points on the latch and lock switch blades or possibly the stepper plug is missing on the write in unit which i think will cause this problem
clones

Will it stop if you move a pin over?

Clones, I think midst of the connections are tight, and I have cleaned most of the other things you have mentioned. I'm not sure what the stepper plug is. Could you point me in that direction?
Eddie, yes the outer carriage and magazine will stop if I manually move a pin on the selector. However, the cycle stops there again.

Hi
There should be a plug with no wire loom on it only wires jumpered ina socket on the write in unit. It is labelled usually wallbox stepper. Post a photo to doublecheck
Clones

There is one labeled "Receiver" that fits your description. It's located on the same unit as the accumulator. here is what it looks like. It appears to have one of the wires cut. A yellow one to be exact.

Hi
Yes thats the plug, i would jumper that wire together and see how it goes, i took a look at the units i have and the top row of pins are jumpered with the bottom row and the two middle pins are jumpered together. I have attached a photos of two units i have, wire colours are different but this doesn't matter so long as the correct pins are jumpered together
clones

Not sure if the photos attached, just trying again

Clones,
That worked! I replaced the damaged wire in the receiver plug and the cycle now goes on......to a point.

Now the cycle stops after the read out is complete. I can make a selection using the buttons, write in motor moves the pin, and the read out carriage (which is constantly rotating per no home switch) selects the correct corresponding pin, then nothing. At this point, the gripper motor is supposed to start picking up a record but nothing happens. I know that, in the play control box, the trip coil is activated as the read out makes the selection and the release coil is relaxed. So I am thinking it could be dirty contacts on the trip because it does one of its two functions (stopping the magazine) but not the other (starting the gripper motor). Any advice on cleaning or taking apart the play control box and its components?

If anyone has any other ideas please feel free to share. Thanks in advance.

Hi Ed,
Try "spinning" the gripper motor, using your fingers on the "knurled-screw", at the point it should turn--does it have power? If so, you probably have a "gummed-up" gripper assembly. If not, the relay and plugs are the next suspect--motor bad, is the last suspect. Ron Rich

Hi
As Ron said I would suspect the motor first, see if you can turn motor manually to move the gripper arm,if you're lucky the motor might kick into action,or the interlock relay which in the control box which should start the motor, the box can be removed but its difficult enough to clean contacts. In all of the rockolas i have gone through they rarely give problems. Check gripper plug connection to at control box
clones

Thanks guys,
The motor will turn freely and it didn't feel like it was trying to catch, or power was even applied. I'm going to attempt a thorough cleaning of the play control box later. Also, pretty sure the gripper gears and such are not gummed. I'm able to manually rotate it all the way through a cycle and they've been changed and lubricated.

A meter should make this easy to trace.

Hi
Check the mtor for power where its enters the control box, could be even a loose wire
clones

I checked the power going into the control box from the gripper motor about 30V. Its the same at the plug going out of the control box. I basically checked both side of that plug when the cycle is supposed to start the motor. In my limited knowledge, this seems to be a bad motor? There seems to be no power at the motor, the knurled end spins relatively freely and i don't feel it fighting me, like its attempting to spin. Any ideas?