Re: Rockola 442

[Budd Paashaus]

Budd Paashaus;696365 Wrote:
> I have a Rockola 442, circa 1970. When making a selection, it does one
> of three things. 1. The selector wheel runs and the gripper removes
> the right record and plays it. 2. The selector wheel simply does not
> move when the solenoid releases....or 3. The selector wheel will simply
> revolve twice and then stop at the null where would normally stop after
> the last selection. Any advice? Contacts are clean, write-in and stop
> relays are new.

As I have gotten no responses on this, perhaps I didn't make it clear in
my original post what I was trying to say. I would really like to come
up with a fix on this, so let me try again: The selection USUALLY (I'd
say 3 times out of 5) plays just fine when I press the appropriate
buttons on the panel. But sometimes when I select a record, the wheel
will simply cycle through both the odd and even numbers and return to
the null (off) position and then stop....or else the select solenoid
will just release and nothing happens, wheel doesn't turn, no record is
selected. This seems rather erratic in nature. All solenoids on the
selector wheel are good, both write-in and stop relays have been replace
with new, and the contacts on the side of the pin wheel have been
cleaned and burnished. What next? I also sprayed contact cleaner on
all the selector buttons just in case......didn't make any difference.




--
Budd Paashaus

[Budd Paashaus]

Budd Paashaus;696407 Wrote:
> As I have gotten no responses on this, perhaps I didn't make it clear in
> my original post what I was trying to say. I would really like to come
> up with a fix on this, so let me try again: The selection USUALLY (I'd
> say 3 times out of 5) plays just fine when I press the appropriate
> buttons on the panel. But sometimes when I select a record, the wheel
> will simply cycle through both the odd and even numbers and return to
> the null (off) position and then stop....or else the select solenoid
> will just release and nothing happens, wheel doesn't turn, no record is
> selected. This seems rather erratic in nature. All solenoids on the
> selector wheel are good, both write-in and stop relays have been replace
> with new, and the contacts on the side of the pin wheel have been
> cleaned and burnished. What next? I also sprayed contact cleaner on
> all the selector buttons just in case......didn't make any difference.

This is probably the last time I will post here, unless I get some kind
of response, even a hint. According to your records it has been viewed
but has not gotten so much as one response from anyone. I cannot
believe there is no one out there with expertise on a Rockola 442. As
you can see from past posts, this is an intermittent problem, and
doesn't appear every time I make a selection, making it especially
frustrating. It would seem I'm checking every contact and connection in
vain, while something very obvious is probably going on right under my
nose that I can't see. Please, can I get a little help here? Someone
just reply to this so I know it's getting posted. Thanks.




--
Budd Paashaus

[John Robertson]

Do you have the service manual? Without the service manual it is
difficult to get these machines running...and there is a very good
troubleshooting guide included which covers how each section operates
and the circuits that are used to enable the function. You can order the
manual from Victory Glass.

Untill you have the manual and have tried following the troubleshooting
you are just wasting time by shotgun fixing methods.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

[DesotoFireflite]

To: Budd Paashaus
Re: Re: Rockola 442
By: Budd Paashaus to alt.collecting.juke-boxes on Sat May 10 2014 12:41 pm

BP> just reply to this so I know it's getting posted. Thanks.

You are getting out. Sorry I can't help on Rockola. If it was a Seeburg or
Wurlitzer, I might be able to get you through it. What exectly is it doing, and
I will ask a friend that runs a shop.

- Fartvergnugen: The pleasure of breaking wind.

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[Budd Paashaus]

DesotoFireflite;696419 Wrote:
> To: Budd Paashaus

Thanks, DesotoFireflite, I was just going to give up on this post,
thinking maybe I was doing something wrong, but it is nice to know it's
getting out there. I'll leave this on for a while. hopefully there's a
Rockola pro out there who knows what's going on with my machine.
Nothing is quite as aggravating as intermittent problems, they're hard
to track down. Thanks again for responding




--
Budd Paashaus

[John Robertson]

On 05/10/2014 4:41 AM, Budd Paashaus wrote:
>

Ignoring replies also doesn't do well. I suggested that you get the
service manual and follow the troubleshooting guide there - no response
from you.

So, I'll give you one more bit of free advice - try removing the spring
from the solenoid plunger that releases pressure on the microswitch that
registers that a selection has been made. I find the spring is
redundent, and - in fact - can interfere with easy movement of the lever
that operates the microswitch and thus a selection can't be made. This
is also caused by too short a write-in pulse so the solenoid that pulls
the lever doesn't get a clean pull - enough to allow the pin to shift
quickly enough.

It's been at least ten years since I last worked on a 442, but this
fixed that machine, no complaints since then by my customer. I've done
it on other Rockolas of similar vintage with success too. Don't have any
pictures, but the solenoid is on the outside top edge of the selection
memory disc as I recall.

[Budd Paashaus]

DesotoFireflite;696419 Wrote:
> To: Budd Paashaus

OK, DesotoFireflite: You asked me to let you know exactly what the juke
box is doing, so I am going to try. The Rockola 442 holds 80 records, 8
rows of 10. There is a write-in and stop relay on the rear firewall of
the mechanism module. The record carousel is on the left hand side and
runs around holding the records vertically. When a selection is made, a
gripper arm moves up out of the mechanism, grabs the record and deposits
it on the turntable (near the center of the machine) horizontally.
After the record plays the process repeats itself. The selection
mechanism is keyed by a two-sided selector wheel on the right side of
the turntable. When selection is made an electromagnetic relay throws a
pin....another mechanism on the other side of the selector wheel catches
the thrown pin and selects the record.

Under ideal conditions, this is the way it works. The entire mechanism
is operated by letter and number keypads on front of the machine. If
all is well, when a selection is made, the visible display (mechanical)
cycles through first the odd selections (side ones) and the even (side
twos). When it encounters the thrown pin, it selects the record and
plays it.

The problem I have been having is that maybe 2 times out of 5 the
display simply cycles through both the odd and even selections without
recognizing the thrown pin and returns to the null position, after which
it just stops. Then again, it might simply do nothing....the keypads
simply just pop back up and the selector wheel doesn't move at all.

I hope this is clear, it's rather hard to describe. Hope maybe your
friend can help.




--
Budd Paashaus

[DesotoFireflite]

To: Budd Paashaus
Re: Re: Rockola 442
By: Budd Paashaus to alt.collecting.juke-boxes on Fri May 23 2014 03:48 am

BP> The problem I have been having is that maybe 2 times out of 5 the
BP> display simply cycles through both the odd and even selections without
BP> recognizing the thrown pin and returns to the null position, after which
BP> it just stops. Then again, it might simply do nothing....the keypads
BP> simply just pop back up and the selector wheel doesn't move at all.

Sounds like a write in circuit problem. I'll run it by a friend of mine.

- CAT (n.), Furry keyboard cover.

[john.ph...@gmail.com]

I agree, it does sound like a write in issue. That would explain why the carousel just rotates through and doesn't stop before returning to home position.

Are there certain selections that work everytime and certain ones that never work or intermittently work?

If that's the case, my best guess is you need to re-align the write-in arm. It's probably throwing some levers and missing others. The procedure for doing that would be in the service manual. Hope this helps!