Normal after the weekend junk! C1 plug meltdown . Heard there was smoke and flames! Pins melted inside plug! Rewired the plug, now have continuous cycle with sweep chatter for 0-66 only. Not a chassis issue. Rechecked rewire of plug and will do again, looks ok. Not a cycle start button, all appear ok. Gonna change out the SA, SB and SC while I wait for a reply from those who know these 82-70's better than I. Didn't find any melted wires under access plates but didn't dig to deep. Any ideas??? thanks, john

Check your C2A plug/harness. I'm sure with your C1 fiasco, some wires on the C2 are probably shorting out. Definitely a low voltage issue here.

Did you swap out the board with a known good one?

no visible burn on the C2 but it was a consideration. With C2 unplugged from the chassis , no chatter. I'll go change it out , even if it's not completely burn thru I have had them leak thru enough to disrupt function in the past. Thanks for your help . John

If you have the chassis hooked up and run the sweep from the contactor do you still get the chatter? I have a number of old duck combs with the last tine on but the next 4-5 broken off. They hang on the curtain wall and I hook under the top of the contactor to engage it.

OK, still hunting this mystery. Put a third chassis on the pinspotter, chatter has gone away but still has continuous cycle. Got the sweep to stop at zero by minupulating the sweep reverse and sweep run switches. Press the stepper and machine resumes continuous cycle. got the sweep to stop at zero again, decided to see if I had an intermittant switch at the cams. Tapped at the housing where the table cam switches reside, machine resumes continuous cycle. Figure I got it now, change out all the switches (I always change all the switches if I have trouble with one, they're all the same age,right?) turn her back on, continuous cycle resumes. I suppose it could be in the wire. I'll replace the cycle start switch tomorrow just in case my meter isn't telling the whole truth. I remember having a sweep issue that had something to do with the CB on the rear panel about 25 years ago or so. I rebuilt the CB on this machine about 25 years ago by drilling out the rivets and cleaning up the contacts so it will be easy to take a look and see if that's causing a low voltage situation. Had to move teams off that pair for league tonight. I hate it when that happens. Hope it isn't in the wire, gonna have to look at a schematic tomorrow , any input is appreciated. My brain is busy, maybe I will sleep well and have the answer when I wake up. Feel free to chime in on this one. thanks, john

What happens when you isolate wiring runs by unplugging A&MC connector and jumping manager control?

Kat, Don't recognise the connector you refer to. We have an older version of Vantech automatic scoring , I've checked the parameters and they are correct. I have not tried removing the 10th frame automatic cycle to see if that is causing the problem. The manager control switch is incorperated into the scorinng system and is always in the on position. john

Not all centres have the problem I am about to describe. Reading Kat's post I suspect he is thinking along the same lines.

If machines are incorrectly put on instructomat mode during a cycle, in some situations (especially with certain types of scoring installations) the chassis will go crazy with chattering relays, jumping motors and if left too long can cause wires to melt and probably eventually a fire. Sound like what happened to you?

The continual problems you have described since making repairs sound exactly like some of the trouble we have had with machines (constant cycle, constant sweep run, chattering) when they are switched to instrutomat incorrectly and left on instructomat.

Are you sure the machine is not in instructomat? Perhaps isolate the instructomat wires?

I'll be at the bowl within the hour and check that the weekend children didn't mess with the switch. The control panel is covered and they would really have to go out of their way to change it to instructomat. Maybe the switch had a meltdown ?? The center is close to 50 years old so there are lots of possiblities. I will check my work of yesterday first thing also and change out some switches to eliminate them from the possiblity list. This center was neglected for about 12 years (my time of absence from it) and had a number of unqualified people working there so who knows what may have been done. I know they wiped out my parts that I had built up over 17 years of service there, now I don't have even spare gearboxes. It will take years to get things back in the condition I left them in. John

Kat, I was out of bowling for 13 years and as much as I hate to admit it, I've forgotten a few things. I remember using jumpers in the junction box in the pit to turn on machines but for the life of me , I can't remember which terminals. 5&6? Thought it was 1&2 at first but that did nothing. I don't playing feely mealy with wires,that can cause fires. I did locate the plug you mentioned from the schematic. thanks, john

Remove A&MC plug from side of pinsetter and make a jumper plug that bridges A&MC pins 21/22. This will turn your machine on. If your continued cycle stops, then you found your problem; short or ground somewhere on the wiring run to the front. If not, then your issue lies in the machine.

Thanks Kat, I believe my plugs are lettered , not numbered but I'm guessing you are refering to the schematic. Manager control pair is all we are talking about, correct? thanks again, john

Yes, manager control. 21b/22e.

Bypassed manager control switch at front counter, no more continuous cycle , no more relay chatter either. Gonna be bypassing all these switches in the near future. Thanks Kat for shortening my road to success, heck you paved my road to success! John