Rock-ola 429 Write out - solonoid not firing

Hey guys.
Been working on a problem for a few months and am a little stuck.
I have a Rockola starlet 429 - 100 select.
This machine was working flawlesly until we moved
The movers carried it almost upside down before I caught them.

Now ... the unit still take coin, selects, and does everything it was designed to do except,
the solenoids for resetting the selector pins rarely fire now, and the record would play over and
over if i don't manually reset the selector pins via the lever on the write out carriage.

I have cleaned contacts, and switches with deoxit, Checked conectors and solder joints, have been testing circuits
and switches with multimeter and all seem to be operating as per spec from the manual,
although the manual does leave much to be desired in its explanations and clarity.
And every so often, (every few days) i might see those solenoids slightly move, as if there is not enough power or there is a short.
Tonight it actually works perfect for one selection then went dead again.
All the relays are switching and as I said , the rest of the maching is working perfectly

N0.2 microswitch controls the firing of these solenoids the manual states and it seems that
the signal gets as far as the control box underneath mech. But thats where I stop folowing the path, is that control box.

I think i'm at a road block now.

•I dont know there is enough power getting to the coils
•or if there is a problem in the control box
•What should the voltage be at No2 micro switch?
• is there a way to manually test the carriage solonoids?
•What should the voltage be at the solenioids and where else should I look?

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Russ

Hi
Does the gripper motor slow down as it sets the record down, n0 2 micro switch controls this along with the reset of the selection pin. It may be that the micro switch is faulty, the voltage there should be -28vdc, other possibilities include dirt on the slip rings on the wobble plate,, contacts on interlock relay in the control box below the chassis and possibly faulty solenoid on the read out arm, although you say they work sometimes, does the fault occur with A and B sides
regards
Clones

Hi thanks for your reply.
Not sure what you mean by slowing down, but if I believe what I think you are asking, yes it slows down.
Yes I had the N0.2 microswitch out and cleaned.
I think i got -25 and then it fell of dramatically.
I was using a digital meter.
I tried to manually activate the microswitch but I guess it is only active when it is being fed by another circuit and not in standby mode.

I do not know what the slip rings are., could you elaborate as i cannot find any reference to them in the manual.

The solenoids on the read in carriage arm fire no problem.
I have the control box open and after the record is placed on the turntable, you can hear and see the release coils operating.

As i said, this machine was working 100 % until i moved , the movers carried it backside up and the mechanism lockdown bots gave out and let loose.
Is there a quick way to send isolated power to the Write out carriage coils as the fault is on both sides A&B on the write out side of the selector plate

As for working sometimes.
Lets say this.
I can test it for a wek straight and it may "A" side, work once, a few time it looks as if its trying but just cant do the job,
95% of the time nothing.

Is there a place to purchase these antiquated parts such as the N0.2 microswitch if need be and other parts.?


Thanks
Russ

Russ,
You have me confuzed ( I'm a simple guy!)--
Which arm are you speaking of--the WRITE IN arm ( used to "initialize" the pin, into the select position), or the READ-OUT,
arm ( used to return pin to non-selected state) ?
If the read out arm, check the alignment of it (in the manual)--sounds to me like maybe it is not properly aligned so the sensor is past the pin, or possibly jammed against the pin ? ( I do not, off hand recall exactly how that works--)

Just saw latest post--READ above--"New-used parts--where to find--"
Ron Rich

Hi
Sorry, for any confusion'
The arm in question is the read out arm used to return pin to non-selected state

Thanks, how is it to be aligned?
A little before the pin, Right against it?
Is there a specific measurement, or just wing it
Thanks for fast responses.

Russ

Just want to say, that i ran the juke through its cycle, and as a quick test i was applying pressure
on the Write out carriage , forcing it minutely away from the pin.
Well, the record set down and low and behold the solonoid fired and reset the selector pin!

Great. Now I have to perform a few tests and duplicate the positive result.
Thanks to all who have helped.
Seems alignment is critical. I had no idea how much so!
Jukeboxes are an amazing piece of electro-mechanical engineering!
Always learning something!
Ill let you know after re-alignment!
Russ

Russ,
I believe the "alignment procedure" is in the Service manual--it is on most RO models--
BUT ---first determine if "your movers" "bent" anything--I'd bet on it ! ALL jukeboxes should be PROPERLY "bolted for shippment", prior to being moved !
Ron Rich

Wanted to update,
It was the alignment of the carriage write out.
Works perfectly now.
Thanks a lot


Regards
Russ

Russ,
Er, that's "READ-OUT"--but glad you "got it"-- Ron Rich

Hey guys, i'm back again with the same problem.
Read out solenoids not firing.
Im starting to think, that the adjustment was a fluke.
Could the wobble plate switch have anything to do with read out solenoid not firing and resetting select pins?

Or how do I start from zero and adjust this read out carriage.
I assume that it (reset lever or carriage, must be within a certain distance from the pin or circuit to activate.

manual just tells me how to align basket /via the carriage
Really startin to pull my hair out over this
LOL

Russ

Russ,
This is pretty typical of RockOla's --the "wobble plate" has nothing to do with this problem, unless it's "jamming" a pin--but only one pin would be so jammed, in most cases.
I would assume, that it's the same"slip-ring/contact" problem. I would remove the read-out arm, check the condition of the contact points, "dress" them with a burnishing tool, adjust "contact spring pressure" as per manual, then use Deoxit #5, on both, the contact rings, and the contact points. Ron Rich

I have a question regarding the wiper contacts
there are 5 double bladed contacts
are the two blades on each wiper supposed to be in contact with each other
i.e top an d bottom of the wiper blade.

This concerns the read out carriage wiper blades
Asking cause I have the read out carriage off the selector disk.
I did find one of the copper leads to the innner ring "B" side ciontacts cracked and had to resolder it.

Yes--they come from the same set of rivets-- so they "havetabe"--Ron Rich

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear, what I meant was do the two blades need to be together or should they be separated?
a couple of the upper blades have been bent over the years and I just want to be shure they are position properly.

Hope i'm clear
Russ

Hi Russ,
Unfortunately, I'm "not clear" ?? I don't have one here to look at, but going from my great, but not too long, memory, I think that, the arm had several "sets" of blades--If two are coming from "the same place", electrically, they are the same, so "touching each other" or not, will not mater, as they are "touching" inside the insulator.
Since you have now stated that the "blades have been bent", I ASSUME that this is the cause of your problems. Look at your service manual, most RO manuals give blade "pressure adjustments" for both of the arms. Any/all "kinks" must first be removed, or you will need to locate another arm. Ron Rich