#BatteryAcid

Readers Comments (85)

  1. John & Crystal March 25, 2019 @ 11:59 pm

    Great and informative post. Thank you for a marvelous game saving and very affordable invention!

  2. Allen Clark May 27, 2019 @ 10:22 pm

    I purchased a few of the CR2032 Battery boards from you at Pinfest this year. Can I use this in a Judge Dredd game?

    I see you have Judge dredd listed under a different board, but I could not see a difference between the two.

    Thank you!

    • admin May 30, 2019 @ 1:37 pm

      Hi Allen, yes, you can use the WPC board in your Judge Dredd. The WPC-95 board will work as well, the pin spacing is the same, just moved to a different position to allow easier access to the mounting screws in the WPC-95 system.

  3. James Halko August 22, 2019 @ 11:28 am

    When is part III coming? 🙂

  4. John September 9, 2019 @ 1:25 am

    Thumbs up, nice detailed pictures and step by step explinations.

  5. James Halko September 9, 2019 @ 2:28 pm

    Good read! Although, no mention of the Grand Slam you happened to run into while servicing our GB. Played a few games last night and it’s awesome as always! The flip up targets are fantastic, hopefully someone at some point will bring it back.

    • Frank September 11, 2019 @ 11:05 pm

      Thank you! I just have to make myself sit down and get these posts done. Id like to try to do one a week. I was going to mention that but I decided to write a separate post for it. I’ll update part III with a link to it when I write it. I’ll probably do that next.

  6. Laurie October 14, 2019 @ 3:20 pm

    I have a question abput goldball I have two of them Nd one of them is missing something for the rectifier. I just dont know what its called I have a picture of what i am talking about if you could email me please

  7. Thomas February 3, 2020 @ 9:10 am

    Thank you for taking the time to share!

  8. Charlie Shelden March 2, 2020 @ 12:18 am

    Great post up Frank, appreciate the blog!

  9. KEITH FOY May 1, 2020 @ 9:14 am

    You mention in the instructions that you can save settings and high scores by piggybacking the battery. I have WPC and WPC95 games that I am considering changing to your board, How do you suggest the piggyback procedure?

    • Frank May 1, 2020 @ 3:06 pm

      If you feel comfortable with it yes, you can piggy back a secondary battery pack to the board. Solder the wires by using small temporary connections. Connect the black wire to a ground point and the red wire to the banded side of the blocking diode which is D2, you can also attach it to D1, it doesn’t matter since they are tied together. D2 prevents the game from charging the batteries and D1 is there to isolate the RAM chip power so the batteries aren’t trying to power the rest of the board. Then you can remove the old battery pack and install the new battery board. I’ve done it this way several times in the past for customers who really wanted to save their existing scores and settings. There’s always a small chance it won’t hold but I’ve had luck in the past. You really don’t have to go through all of that and I really don’t recommend it unless there’s some sentimental value to the scores on your game.

  10. Clay May 1, 2020 @ 11:05 am

    Will your remote batter board work in an F-14 Tomcat? If so, is it simply a matter of plugging your connector to my board and then sticking your board somewhere inside the back box? Thanks.

    • Frank May 1, 2020 @ 3:16 pm

      You can use the remote board but I don’t recommend it. The F-14 Tomcat uses the System 7-11 board. Your logic board will need to be removed to install the correct board. If you want to use the remote board you can simply remove your AA batteries and cut the holder out. If you have any acid damage, that will need to be addressed first. You will still need to solder wires to the board for a dependable connection. The problem with a remote holder approach is that if you need to remove your board for service you will have a battery flopping around while trying to do repairs. Another issue is if it falls from it’s mounting it can touch something it’s not supposed to and cause shorts or even damage to your game. The correct System 7-11 board is a clean, permanent and dependable solution and the best option.

  11. Laura May 5, 2020 @ 1:30 pm

    We have one of the Bally Gilligan’s Island pinball machines which stopped working sometime since Christmas 2019 (when I know it was used). We had it repaired a couple years ago after a move, and after it had been in storage awhile. The repairman couldn’t fix it all, but now I am wondering if you can guide me to someone who could fix it? We don’t know of anyone good in this area (Orange County, CA). I was unable to follow all of your technical post above, and I don’t know what is wrong with it. Any ideas to replace the “guts” or to fix it…or…??? Thanks so much!

    • Frank May 7, 2020 @ 11:37 pm

      I don’t know of anyone personally in the CA area, you could join some of the Facebook pinball groups and they might know of someone. One of the biggest problems could be battery corrosion damage if you game still has the original AA batteries in it. When you say it doesn’t work, what do you mean? Does any lights come on at all? Do you get any messages on the display? If you give me some more specific info I may be able to point you in the right direction to fix it on your own. Let me know, Frank

    • ted January 20, 2022 @ 12:53 pm

      are you still needing help with you Gilligans island pinball?

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    • Frank August 11, 2020 @ 7:54 pm

      Thank you for your feedback. I’m glad I inspired you to create your own site. It’s fun and rewarding. I just checked out your link, the site looks great!

  13. Gene Lewin August 5, 2020 @ 7:28 pm

    Hi, I bought 3 of your pro version on ebay. I like what you did with these. I want to get more of them. I have a store where I sell pinball machines and classic video games. I noticed you don’t have the pro version on your website.

    • Frank August 11, 2020 @ 7:49 pm

      Hi Gene, Yes I am familiar with your store. I think you were featured on the History Channel show 80’s Tech. Let me know what you need and I’ll put a package together for you.

      Frank

  14. William Moschini August 11, 2020 @ 4:50 pm

    I purchased a dual battery Pro Black Edition WPC-95 board for my Cirqus Voltaire. Would i be able to use the 2 battery Pro Black Edition WPC-95 board on my Indiana Jones that calls for the single battery WPC board? If it is compatible what is the advantage of using the 2 battery board on the Indy? Thanks

    • Frank August 11, 2020 @ 7:52 pm

      Yes, you can use either the single or dual boards interchangeably. The dual battery board gives you longer battery life if you use both batteries, or you can use just one at a time if you want to change out an old one by putting a new one in the vacant holder, then take out the old one. This allows you to change the batteries with the power off without losing your settings or high scores.

  15. John August 13, 2020 @ 2:40 pm

    Frank, is there a battery board for a Stern SAM system?

  16. Tom Test September 24, 2020 @ 8:06 pm

    I just bought a bunch of your boards and want to install one of the System 11 boards in my Diner but I don’t see any connection instructions.

  17. Patrick Arnold November 7, 2020 @ 10:33 pm

    Very nice part! Well built! Thanks for the popcorn!

  18. Steven Gary Kahn December 26, 2020 @ 9:02 pm

    Aloha Frank
    Received your CR2032 board for my Bally Corvette. Didn’t include instructions.
    How do I install?

  19. HUTCHENS3729 January 8, 2021 @ 1:38 am

    Thank you!!1

  20. RENOUF3924 January 9, 2021 @ 10:03 am

    Thank you!!1

  21. Gary March 1, 2021 @ 7:32 am

    Thanks for the battery replacement board for my KISS machine. Great fix for a potentially nasty thing waiting to happen. Easy install. Don’t forget to write down your soft set-up data before making the swap.

  22. Don Dougherty March 21, 2021 @ 10:41 am

    Frank, thanks for replacing the battery on my old Arena Pinball game with your new battery board; and for all the repairs that you did because of the leakage from the old battery. Your passion for pinball (and pinball repair) is evident; and I am looking forward to many more years of playing Arena Pinball!

  23. Charlie Roth March 21, 2021 @ 5:12 pm

    Frank’s Battery Board for Stern Whitestar has helped modernize my Stern Monopoly Pinball Machine. The old AA batteries in the original battery box were a potential recipe for disaster for a machine that we expect to enjoy for many decades.

    The lithium coin batteries are a much more modern, and longer lasting solution for an item that needs attention every few years.

    Thanks, Frank. You are a treasure for those of us who want to keep those older games still humming and without the worry of checking the old AA’s every few months. It’s one less thing, as Forrest Gump might say.

  24. Greg Franklin March 30, 2021 @ 9:57 pm

    I purchased Frank’s battery board for my Gold Wings pinball. My family and I had been using a white board to keep track of our high scores ever since the machine’s original battery died. I always intended to hire a professional repairman but then I finally decided to take on the task of replacing the battery myself. In looking for quick and easy solution I came across Frank’s battery board. Awesome product! It was so easy to install (as long as your not afraid of a little soldering). Like one reviewer said, it took longer to unplug all of the cables and to remove the PCB than it did to replace the battery! My family and I are playing more pinball now that the high score is being stored again. I highly recommend this product! Thanks Frank!

    • Frank April 14, 2021 @ 10:27 am

      Thank you for taking the time to comment! I’m glad you found the confidence to install it and now your game works like it should.

  25. Evon Williams June 30, 2021 @ 11:28 am

    I do a varing amount of electrical work and it’s nice to see someone who likes to merge the mods back onto the original circuitry to make the work invisible. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the customer ask ” where was the mod, I can’t see any difference”.

    • Frank July 9, 2021 @ 3:54 pm

      It’s definitely refreshing, isn’t it? There’s a level of satisfaction in doing the job right, even if most people never see it.

  26. Mike Willett August 17, 2021 @ 6:40 pm

    I have recently purchased a number of remote battery boards from Frank. I am very happy with the easiness of installation and that I shouldn’t have to worry about battery leakage any longer.
    Thanks Frank for a great product!

  27. helmar October 4, 2021 @ 3:09 pm

    Hello, I have a question, what should this pinball cost, I mean generelly in USD or EUR. 100% functional and clean condintion ?

    many thx

  28. Jeffrey February 5, 2022 @ 7:49 pm

    I ordered the Battery Board Pro WPC for my Addams Family. It arrived quickly and I watched the “How To” Youtube video. I had it installed in under an hour and it works great! Thank you Frank! -Jeffrey

  29. Todd Tuckey February 13, 2022 @ 8:20 pm

    This will help lots of people Frank!

  30. Johnny Pinball February 27, 2022 @ 7:35 pm

    Great and very informative post. Thank you!

  31. Joe Szabo May 19, 2022 @ 4:09 pm

    Hi Frank, going to look at a Corvette pin that looks like new. Don’t think he is a pin head as he collects Corvettes and just wanted this for his mancave. I know the batteries are dead and will check for corrosion, what else should I be looking for? I have had several older early solid state pins but nothing this new. Any other information such as what generation/class this pin is would be appreciated.
    Thanks
    Joe Szabo Dayton Ohio

    • Frank May 25, 2022 @ 5:27 pm

      Hey Joe, besides corrosion you’ll want to look for rust, mold or any other signs the game has gotten wet or was kept in a damp area. You should also look for hack repairs or mods that may have been sloppily installed. Depending on the amount of wear it may need a flipper rebuild. Feel free to email me at frank@noquartersarcade.com if you have more questions.

  32. Thomas Beetwhick May 31, 2022 @ 8:05 am

    Curious how you ended the article. Solid state machines coil lock due to no reason?
    How do you solve for that?

    • Frank June 12, 2022 @ 11:17 am

      Usually, a solid-state pinball machine coil will lock on when the drive transistor is shorted, that’s the most common reason. If the transistor is blown, you’ll need to make sure the diode isn’t shorted. Best practice is to replace the diode anyway since it only costs a few cents.

  33. Matt September 26, 2022 @ 11:40 am

    I have some questions on your battery board for a Pinbot machine please give me a call on ***-***-****. Thank you.

  34. Lucio October 24, 2022 @ 5:17 pm

    Hey Frank! I recently received my order for Williams system 7-11 and I am very happy with it. Thank you for including an autographed card and also for the popcorn! 🙂

    Thank you

    Lucio

  35. glen peters October 30, 2022 @ 1:40 pm

    i have an asteroids arcade game. id does not have any high voltage. it plays blind. you can hear the game playing but i have no picture. used to play but the picture would fade out.
    replaced caps on the high voltage and deflect boards, still no picture. no static coming from picture tube. please advise. thank you.
    glen

    • Frank October 31, 2022 @ 6:40 pm

      Hey Glen, check to make sure all solder joints are good. You may need to replace the flyback and/or the high voltage diode for the flyback. You can get them from Arcade Shop: https://www.arcadeshop.com/d/72/parts-kits.htm

      Also make sure the spot killer isn’t coming on too. Look for the LED on the deflection board, it prevents the beam from burning a hole in the phosphors on the tube in the event of a logic board failure.

      Let me know how you make out.

      Frank

  36. Mike December 14, 2022 @ 6:16 pm

    Good article. I’ve seen these in the bottom of some of my games and wondered what they were for. Some questions:

    1) Why do you need these when you have the glass fuse right down the line, like the one in your 2nd picture (blown fuse)? Off the top of my head, I think all my games have the glass fuse at the main. Doesn’t the fuse do the same?

    2) It sounds like you recommend installing these in all my classic games and pins? How do I know what rating varistor to get?

    3) Always install it on the output side of the line filter? Is there a polarity issue?

    • Frank December 15, 2022 @ 4:41 am

      Thanks Mike, the varistor protects your game from over voltageline or input side of the line filter after the fuse. This way any over voltages won’t get to the game components.

      Resistors, including varistors, have no polarity so you can connect it either way.

      Hope this helps,
      Frank

  37. Diane Walgren December 14, 2022 @ 9:51 pm

    I just bought an 1979 asteroid game. It was playing great for the first several weeks, and now, at times, the screen will go dark, except for the cursor. Any suggestions?

    • Frank December 16, 2022 @ 7:15 am

      It depends on what, if any, preventive maintenance work has been done. When the screen goes blank can you still hear the game playing? Does bumping the cabinet make the picture go on and off? I’m not sure what you mean by the screen going blank except for the cursor, can you provide a picture for clarification?

      Thanks,
      Frank

  38. JC December 20, 2022 @ 10:49 am

    Thanks for the write up. Can you explain the advice that one can use a higher voltage fuse without problem (but as you explain above, not a higher amperage fuse).

    • Frank December 20, 2022 @ 10:57 am

      You’re welcome, glad to be able to help you have a deeper understanding of how your games work. The fuse voltage is a safety rating. Any voltage can be used on the fuse as long as the working voltage does not exceed the fuse’s voltage rating. This is similar to capacitors. You can use a capacitor with a higher voltage rating than what is specified. I think it would only become an issue if you’re using fuses that are designed to work at much higher voltages as in the thousands and tens of thousands of voltage. Since the fuses in typical pinball machines and arcade video games are in the 250v range it won’t be an issue.

  39. Brian Harris January 14, 2023 @ 11:03 am

    Hey Frank, I just purchased and installed two of your remote coin cell battery boards. They are working great! The only issue I have is there’s no way to mount directly to the Punch-Out board (original holes from AA battery not aligning) so I mounted the coin cell battery board to the side of the cage. Any thoughts on a better solution for Punch-Out?

    • Frank January 16, 2023 @ 4:40 pm

      Hey Brian, I made the remote board with the intention of mounting it on a panel near the logic board. I don’t have access to a Punch Out board to make a dedicated board for it. I would also need for there to be more of a demand before taking the time to make one.

      Frank

  40. Tom Longest January 16, 2023 @ 5:15 am

    Williams shuffle alley 1991 parts restoration. I ama new commander of the oldest American Legion in MD and need advice forsome repairs please. I was a bench tech for years but not recent so I am able to do the soldering and respect this vintage shuffle bowl machine we love. Need to look at the led switch over, some contact or solenoid or lever replacements for pins not going up and a few arms onthe board if possible

    • Frank January 16, 2023 @ 4:44 pm

      Hey Tom, that game most likely needs a lot of work but will be fully reliable when finished. Unfortunately it’s too much to go into detail here but to summarize you’ll need to replace the capacitors on the power supply and logic board, replace the AA batteries with my battery board, the switch rollovers will need to be cleaned and the pivot pins peened to make them tight again. Also new pins, fluorescent lamps with starters and ballasts. The pin section will need to be cleaned as well and possibly have the mechanisms adjusted.

      Frank

  41. kuentz February 8, 2023 @ 5:25 am

    Good morning
    I have a Road Riot 4WD arcade terminal from Atari and I have a GAL6001 HS slot 14F
    136089-1010. I cannot find the LAG program on the internet. I saw that Aaron Gilles posted on the internet https://aarongiles.com/old/gallery/
    but not the 14F I don’t know where to look or where to get information because we can’t read the GAL6001 because it is protected tell me where I can find the program because I have 2 Road Riot 4WD. Or at I can find out. Or if we can find the GAL6001 14F already programmed.
    Thanks very much

    • Frank February 9, 2023 @ 12:05 pm

      Good morning, unfortunately I do not have the GAL or the file for it but I spoke to Todd at TNT Amusements and he may have a board set that you could purchase. You can call him at 215-953-1188 or email him at tntquality@aol.com

      Thanks,
      Frank

  42. Keith Pretti March 13, 2023 @ 4:54 pm

    Hi – I have a Sega Mary Sheely’s Frankenstein pinball with your Servo board in it. It stopped working after a brown out power drop. I replaced the motor and still no ucj so I am wondering if the board or program chip got erased when the poer went down. Any way I have the enable light just blinking steady and the ADH light steady on. It is the 2014-2018 board version 3.1 R1 What are your thoughts on what to check? Do I need a new board? Thanks!

  43. Herbert Molzen March 16, 2023 @ 1:26 pm

    Instead of de-soldering ZENERs you can simply short the base of either Q35 or Q37. You’ll get an instant RESET. If one of the ZENERs or relating resistors R53, R54, R57, R60 are not OK it may result in constant RESET or malfunction. With a meter you can also check ZENERs: Red wire to Kathode, black wire to Anode – reading shall be the 6V8 or 3V9. At higher reading, the ZENER is dead, at lower readings check resistors.

  44. Mike April 11, 2023 @ 4:07 pm

    Thanks so much for this documentation! I just discovered your site and it’s fantastic! I do have a question…

    “I’ve written a few times before about using your multimeter in diode test to find faulty 74xx series logic chips.”

    I’ve been looking for such articles on your site, but haven’t found one. Can you point me in the right direction?

    • Annah Maarira April 17, 2023 @ 3:12 am

      Hell Sir Thank you for the articeo.I am looking for your articles on using diode mode test to find faults.May you please send a link to such aricles.Thanks again

  45. Dave May 7, 2023 @ 1:57 pm

    Where can I find your notes about working on the EROS 1 cocktail pinball?

  47. PapaPinPaul June 25, 2025 @ 7:51 pm

    I just installed Famous boards in my Sharkeys Shootout and Gorgar. Yeah, I was pretty brave to mess with a Sys 6 board set on the Gorgar, of course I had some issues after separating the game boards to make soldering easier and reinstalling. Frank hung with me for several hours to help resolve non-battery board issues. He went above and beyond in customer service to get my game watching properly (aka fixed)and helped simplify my pinball collection battery maintenance routine. Thanks again, Paul

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