LOTR Sub Not Working. Please Help

[quarter grabber]

I recently purchased a LOTR standard edition. The seller told me the sub was working then he moved to his new house and when he set LOTR up the speakers were working but the sub was not anymore. So I did know this when I purchased it now I'm just trying to trouble shoot the problem. Also in case it's relevant to the issue, the previous owner also had an external powered sub hooked up to LOTR while the sub was still working. This is what I have tried so far.

1) checked the wire for a break, there was none
2) reflowed the solder to the speaker & sub connector on CPU board
3) changed the female connector for the speakers on the CPU board
4) pulled sub out of LOTR and tested it in another machine, the sub works fine
5) connected a Polk audio sub to the sub wires in LOTR and no sound from the sub, so no power going through the sub wires?

Can someone familiar with white star boards please help me and let me know what the next step would be in solving this issue. Thanks in advance.

 

[Menace]

Ryan,

As we discussed previously, this is likely an issue with the amp section on the MPU/Sound PCB. This game uses two TDA2030 amp's (U50 & U51), one for backbox and one for lower cabinet. I am willing to bet that the one powering the lower cabinet speaker is blown and needs to be replaced.

If you're not really comfortable with PCB repair I do not suggest trying to replace this on your own. I have seen other people attempt this and ruin all 5 traces on the PCB to this part.

D

 

[quarter grabber]

Ryan,

As we discussed previously, this is likely an issue with the amp section on the MPU/Sound PCB. This game uses two TDA2030 amp's (U50 & U51), one for backbox and one for lower cabinet. I am willing to bet that the one powering the lower cabinet speaker is blown and needs to be replaced.

If you're not really comfortable with PCB repair I do not suggest trying to replace this on your own. I have seen other people attempt this and ruin all 5 traces on the PCB to this part.

D

Thanks Doug, you da man!

 

[quarter grabber]

U101 & U102????

 

[Menace]

Yep, sorry I was looking at the SAM schematics I guess? As for which one, you will have to tell me which 2 pins of the speaker connector go to the lower cabinet and then I can confirm via the correct schematics.

D

 

[quarter grabber]

It is the top two yellow/white, yellow/black wires on this connector beside U101 & U102

 

[Menace]

If it's in fact the yellow set on pins 6 & 7 that drives the sub then you're looking at the TDA @ U102. I will say the red set of wires in the IDC connector looks suspect too, like the wires got pulled out and someone mashed them in again with whatever they could find...

D

 

[quarter grabber]

If it's in fact the yellow set on pins 6 & 7 that drives the sub then you're looking at the TDA @ U102. I will say the red set of wires in the IDC connector looks suspect too, like the wires got pulled out and someone mashed them in again with whatever they could find...

D

Lol, that was me
In an attempt to repair the problem I pulled the wires out of the old connector, cut off the tip of the wires that was in the connector, and then I mashed the wires into a new connector with the IDE mashing tool I got from Pinbits for my Tron ramp kit. I guess I did an armature job

 

[quarter grabber]

I did use a lot of force when mashing them in. Should I remash them?

 

[Menace]

Nah, If you're replacing the connector you should ditch the IDC connectors all together and use a crimp trifuricon pin.

D

 

[quarter grabber]

This is too advanced for me. I will be taking the board to Jamie at Millennium Amusements to replace U102 for me so I don't screw the board up. Thanks for tracking down the problem for me Doug!

 

[mwong168]

You should buy one of these ratcheting crimpers from amazon.com for $23usd. If someone else wants one you guys can get free shipping (within the US only I think). I organized a group buy within my friends and ordered 15 of them last year. Here is a video of how it works:

This will come in handy if your original or existing GI connectors are burned and need to be replaced. If you are going through the trouble of replacing an IDC connector you might as well replace it with molex and trifuricons. They are by far superior and provide a better connection too.

https://greatplainselectronics.com/categories.asp?cat=35

I usually order all my parts such as connectors, trifuricon pins and pin headers from GPE (Great Plains Electronics). For the connectors you can stock size specific ones but because there are so many different sized connectors I would just buy the largest one possible and cut down or in your case you could "mash" (please don't break my hip) the connector down to the size you require

 

[quarter grabber]

 

[spiroagnew]

+1 for the wratchet crimper, I have one and use it all the time. Great Plains Electronics is the go-to place for all connector needs. Take the plunge...it really is simple once you successfully complete your first few repairs.

BTW, I think you just accidentally created a new nickname for yourself, Ryan....Quarter Masher!

 

[quarter grabber]

I'm Definintly going to pick up that tool. I can change connectors and stuff like that no problem and I can solder coils and stuff under the playfield but board soldering I don't feel comfortable with yet because it takes a gentle touch which I haven't mastered yet . I could use a better solder iron though if someone could recommend one. Sylvain did a house call for me once and he brought this soldering iron that was shaped like a gun and as soon as he plugged it in it was ready to use. It heated up to temperature instantly, it was amazing. I bought a soldering gun that looked like it at Home Depot and it sucked, I had to return it. It wouldn't heat up unless you held a trigger down and you had to hold the tigger down for like 3 minutes before it would get hot, it was terrible. Can someone recommend a good soldering gun?

 

[cdnpinballer]

I use a Hakko FX-888D, I think they sell them for around $100 at Active Electronics or probably also available on e-bay.

 

[mwong168]

I recently upgraded from my old Tenma digital soldering station which served me well for the past 4 years. My Tenma was good for most of the general stuff like coils, light sockets, switches, etc...

A wire had broken off my friend's coil on his STTNG so he went to soak the sponge as I plugged in his Hakko. I saw it hit 750 so I started warming up the coil lug and reattached the broken wire before he got back with the sponge. I know if I was using my Tenma I probably would have had to hold the iron much longer and keep fidgeting with it until I got a good solid connection made. I was converted immediately and bought my Hakko the next day from Amazon for $93usd shipped despite it looking like a 5 year old's toy.

I never understood what the difference was when Menace was cursing every time he had to use monkeybug's Tenma. The problem was the almost instant heat loss at the tip of the Tenma iron making it harder to do things. I can see thing being extra annoying if you are doing lots of board work and causing potential damage such as have to apply more or too much heat resulting in lifted/ripped traces.

I'm not saying having a Hakko FX-888D (or even a Hakko FR-300) will make you an instant pro at board repairs like Menace (aka Doug). It has more to do with your skill, experience, troubleshooting abilities such as reading and understand schematics and touch. Someone like Doug can probably use a crappy $5-10 iron and still do better then an average person with the best Hakko temperature controlled iron. He just has the "midas" touch and extremely good at what he does. It's too bad you live so far away Ryan (aka Quarter Masher) and I think a lot of us in the GTA are fortunate to be able to call Doug for a house call.

 

[mwong168]

Stupid board is treating my amazon product links as MEDIA. Here are the URLs for the ratcheting crimper and Hakko in case you want to order it Ryan.

Hakko FX-888D $91.33
http://tinyurl.com/of7emt2

Ratcheting Crimper $23.00
http://tinyurl.com/p29uegh

You might also want to get a desoldering pump to have in case you do get brave and do some board work.

Desoldering Vacuum Pump $3.00
http://tinyurl.com/pwyn5yq

 

[quarter grabber]

Damn I tried to order the Hakko and it doesn't ship to Canada. I knew that price was too good to be true. Also is this mobile? So can I take it over to a lifted playfield and solder switches and coils or is it only stationary and I have to sit down at a work bench with it?

 

[spiroagnew]

Check Pinside for a "Group Buy" thread for the Hakko. It's just a company that will send you a promo code when you PM them.