[HN Gopher] The step-by-step mechanical logic of old pinball mac...
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       The step-by-step mechanical logic of old pinball machines [video]
        
       Author : zdw
       Score  : 79 points
       Date   : 2023-12-29 19:54 UTC (2 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.youtube.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.youtube.com)
        
       | djmips wrote:
       | I've learned a lot about these old machines from Joe's Classic
       | Video Games https://www.youtube.com/@LyonsArcade
       | 
       | There's several other channels that feature work on the old
       | Electromechanical pinball machines like Goat Shed EM Pinball
       | repair.
        
       | rezonant wrote:
       | Alec's (Technology Connections) videos on that pinball machine
       | are fantastically detailed, and his ability to map it all out and
       | present it visually is amazing.
       | 
       | I've been a supporter of TC for many years, he has a fantastic
       | backlog of videos on many topics. The series that hooked me
       | (especially since I do a lot of work around broadcast software)
       | was the one about the technology of television.
       | 
       | Give yourself a gift in the new year of watching through his
       | backlog, you will not be disappointed!
        
         | mistercow wrote:
         | If you're into the electromechanical stuff, his jukebox
         | dissection videos are also great.
        
         | larusso wrote:
         | I follow his videos for years. I enjoy is quibbles with being
         | in the US and constantly getting comments what is supposedly
         | saner in Europe ;) (I'm from Europe). I started when his
         | content was mainly about video/audio tech etc. But I also very
         | much enjoy his videos from the last two years which show
         | everyday or old time Technology.
        
         | starkparker wrote:
         | Of all things I think I liked his two on dishwashers the most.
         | Did not expect that, but it just utterly demystified something,
         | and it was refreshing to see someone go through a process, come
         | to a conclusion, _admit error_, and go into thorough detail
         | explaining it.
        
           | peetabix wrote:
           | Yeah, the ones on dishwashers doubled as a PSA.
        
           | abjr wrote:
           | That video literally changed how I use (and clean) my
           | dishwasher!
        
       | quijoteuniv wrote:
       | Wait for it ...
        
       | zyxin wrote:
       | Those schematics look surprisingly similar to ladder logic. I
       | always thought that ladder logic for programming PLCs makes
       | absolutely no sense compared to a proper programming language,
       | but now I see that it does make quite a lot of sense if you're
       | trying to get electrical engineers who used to design actual
       | physical logic circuits into programming PLCs.
        
         | Bloating wrote:
         | Not so much the EEs, but the techs who are
         | troubleshooting/tweaking in the field
        
         | cricalix wrote:
         | Tim Hunkin did a video on PLCs and the like, and talks about
         | precisely that, as memory serves. His videos are also a
         | treasure.
        
       | finnh wrote:
       | Nice! My family has a "Spirit of 76", inherited from my father-
       | in-law who bought it new. It's always fun to open the machine up
       | and trace through all of the connections.
       | 
       | About ten years ago we hired a pair of local guys to replace some
       | worn-out bits - nothing major, just bumpers and light bulbs. They
       | were exactly what you would hope for in such a duo: their initial
       | evaluation step was just one guy playing (the guy with long
       | hair), while the other guy (the guy with glasses) watched
       | closely. During this phase they communicated in grunts and
       | monosyllables, a tight code borne of years of shared experience
       | between them.
       | 
       | [update: The Spirit of 76 gameplay is nearly identical to the
       | Aztec shown in the vid]
        
       | a-dub wrote:
       | once had the pleasure of learning a bunch about these machines
       | from the operator of the pacific pinball museum (then called the
       | lucky juju) in alameda, ca about 20 years ago at a class at an
       | early proto-makerspace in west oakland called the crucible.
       | 
       | the scoring motors and relay logic were fascinating, but if you
       | want to see even more interesting electromechanical logic check
       | out the turing bombe and collosus rebuilds at bletchley park.
       | that em logic was credited with shaving years off of wwii and
       | came many decades before.
        
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       (page generated 2023-12-31 23:00 UTC)