Americana III Selection issue

[rudy18d]

Greetings,

I am working on a 3300 that is only getting partial power to the control and latch assembly. With credits established on the coin register, the number 1 relay does energize but since the latch solenoid never energizes and  I don't get a credit light and the selection keys won't engage depressed. If I manually actuate the latch solenoid I do get a credit light and the selection keys will depress and stay engaged but nothing gets to the selection solenoid. Checking voltages at the latch assembly, there is 15VAC to the control switch that will energize the latch solenoid when you manually trip the control switch. Other than that there is only 15VAC to the 85 ohm resistor next to the Standard L.P. /T.T. connectors, but nowhere else. Including there is no power to the 175 ohm resistor above the 85 ohm resistor. The switches seem to opening and closing as they should.

The rest of the machine is functional, I can manually kick the pins up from the rear of the machine and the records do play and finish out the cycle.

Some care about items: 1. The owners told me that they had put a rubber band around the momentary free play switch for the last year and kept the unit on and in free play 24/7 ...so the number 1 relay stayed energized and on 24/7 for more than a year. I replaced the toasted number 1 relay and fixed some connectivity/path issues on the PCB board (had lost some of the copper leading between solders), re-capped and checked/replaced the out of spec resistors in the junction box. 2. They at one point had a complete Top Tunes unit assembly attached to the electric selector but it is no longer there and the connector cable is just dangling. I have a generic manual for the 3300 and it looks like a lot of the power to latch assembly switches go through the Top Tunes Control Unit (which I recapped and checked as well). 3. I pulled the key selector and it is super clean and all switches seem to work normally.

I usually work on older tube model Seeburgs and some older Wuritzers so this is different for area for expertise for me. I am just trying to figure out why they lost power to the Key Selector. So with that said aside from any of your experiences working on these units as to why you think it may be losing power to the selector, I REALLY need a schematic for the Top Tunes Control Unit with voltages and a schematic for the 3300 that has voltages as well. Can anyone help me with that?

Thanks for you help!

Eric Reutelhuber

Garland, Texas

[Ron Rich]

Hi Eric,
This is going to be speculative on my part as I too work on mostly 'Burgs--I'm thinking that the 15 AC should be 25 AC? Also, I am aware that WurliTzer used two suppliers for the latch coil--and they require different value resistors. That being said--the coil is energized thru a switch contact near that coil, that has a "bad habit", of not making good contact-- in fact all of the switches in the keyboard are poor for that --I would advise that you (analog) meter ALL closed contacts. The coil should get "full AC " with the contacts closed as they jump the resistor- As for the latch circuit going thru the gold bar-- I think a dummy plug takes care of that-- there is a list of suppliers in our FAQ's section-- you might contact them and see if more info is available ?? Ron Rich

[rudy18d]

Thanks for the reply Ron. Yes, only one of the 5 gwatt resistors is getting power so I am sure that is why the latch solenoid is not energizing. I will recheck the switches and order the dummy jumper switch. Just curious if I need to take the Top Tunes control unit out of the circuitry as well when I get the dummy jumper plug and install it....guess we will see by trial and error. Any ideas on where to find voltages on a schematic for the top tunes control unit? The schematic from jukeboxmanuals.com only has an occasional capacitor value and no voltages for the 3300 wiring diagram and absolutely nothing on the Top Tunes control unit that has electrolytics and 2 watt, 5 watt, and 7 watt resistors so it definitely has some serious power going to and through it. Only the schematic for the amplifier has voltages unfortunately. Thanks again Ron!

[Ron Rich]

Eric,
Would be my guess that the "dummy plug" will require the removal of the Golden Bar unit plug -- If it's AC voltage you are looking for-- follow it back to the transformer that supplies it -- Should be marked at the secondary windings ?? Ron Rich