Chicago Gaming
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1 Introduction
Churchill Cabinet Company, who makes cabinets and playfields for other pinball manufacturers, decided to venture into making their own pinball machine. These machines were made strictly for the home market under the name of Chicago Gaming Company.
2 Games
- Vacation America, December 2004, model 9000.
Cabinet is built very sturdy and is of commercial quality.
Notice the blank coin door has been installed upside down. The lock is over on the left instead of the right. The door can be removed and reinstalled in the usual orientation with the lock on the right. The ball shooter is a conventional Stern/Data East unit.
Decent single level playfield and conventional instruction cards in bottom apron.
3 Technical Info
Owner's Manual and schematics for Vacation America home model pinball. Does not include CPU board information or schematic nor does it include any parts listings.
Vacation America Owners Manual
Dimensions: 74" high by 53" long by 25.5" wide. Weight: 200 pounds
Most assemblies like pop bumpers, slingshots, ball shooter, etc. are all modern Stern Pinball or Data East/Sega units.
Chicago Gaming did not provide a schematic for the CPU/audio board.
There are three large circuit boards attached to the underside of the playfield.
4 Problems and Solutions
4.1 Power Problems
The power transformer, power supply board, and fuses are all located on the bottom floor of the machine. There are four fuses on the power supply board:
- F1 8 amp slow blow for the +45 volts to flippers
- F2 5 amp slow blow for the +24 volts
- F3 5 amp slow blow for the +38 volts to coils
- F4 3 amp slow blow for the +12 volts
There are a total of seven power indicating LED's on the power supply board:
- D1 indicates +45 volts present
- D2 indicates +24 volts present
- D3 indicates +38 volts present
- D4 indicates +12 volts unregulated present
- D5 indicates +5 volts present
- D6 indicates +12 volts regulated present
- D7 indicates -12 volts present
Bridge rectifiers.
- BR1 GBPC25-02, 25 amp 200 volt, is for the +38 volt coils
- BR2 GBPC25-02, 25 amp 200 volt, is for the +24 volt circuit
- BR3 GBPC25-02, 25 amp 200 volt, is for the +45 volts to the flipper coils
Electrolytic filter capacitors.
- C1 10,000 uf @ 50 volts snap mount is the filter for the +38 volt coils
- C2 10,000 uf @ 35 volts snap mount is the filter for the +24 volt circuit
- C3 10,000 uf @ 50 volts snap mount is the filter for the +45 volts to the flipper coils
Located between the power supply board and the power transformer is the switching regulator power supply board. It provides the following voltages:
- +5 volts @ 6 amps
- +12 volts @ 4 amps
- -12 volts @ 0.5 amps
The switching power supply board is circled in red. Chicago Gaming did not provide a schematic for it.
4.2 Solenoid Problems
There are two different types of MOSFET N-channel solenoid driver transistors in use in this machine. Types IRFZ34 (26 amps) and IRFZ44 (49 amps). Please do not confuse them. Jameco Electronics sells them as stock numbers 669935 and 669951 respectively. Mouser Electronics also stocks them as # 844-IRFZ34PBF and # 844-IRFZ44PBF respectively. These transistors also cross to NTE 2389 and NTE2395. These transistors are all in TO-220 packages.
4.3 Lamp Problems
Vacation America uses 658 wedge bulbs for general illumination. This is a low power 12v bulb that is difficult to find.
It uses 447 bulbs in the playfield inserts. This is a low power 555 equivalent.
4.4 Switch Problems
4.5 Display Problems
4.6 Sound Problems
Audio circuitry is part of the CPU board.
4.7 Flipper Problems
The flippers operate on 45 to 50 volts DC from the power supply board. They are modern Williams WPC units with normally open end-of-stroke switches. Flippers are driven from driver transistors.
Driver transistors (located on playfield PCB 1):
- Q110 Right Flipper "Flip", type IRFZ34
- Q111 Right Flipper "Hold", type IRFZ34
- Q18 Left Flipper "Flip", type IRFZ34
- Q112 Left Flipper "Hold", type IRFZ34 (Note: mistake in schematic calls this right flipper hold)
4.8 Pop Bumper Problems
Driver transistors (located on the playfield PCB 3):
- Q351 Top Jet, type IRFZ44
- Q352 Left Jet, type IRFZ44
- Q353 Bottom Jet, type IRFZ44
Each pop bumper assembly has a pop bumper opto board associated with it. On this opto board are a type TCRT5000 opto and a type 2N7002 transistor. Pop Bumper plastic lower housing # 545-5100-00.
4.9 Upkicker Problems
Driver transistors for each upkicker:
- Q16 Shooter Lane Upkicker, type IRFZ34, located on playfield PCB 1
- Q23 Upkicker PFAUX1, type IRFZ34, located on playfield PCB 2
- Q354 Top Upkicker, type IRFZ44, located on playfield PCB 3
There is an associated opto board with each upkicker unit.
4.10 Slingshot Problems
Slingshot driver transistors (located on playfield PCB 1):
- Q17 Left Slingshot, type IRFZ34
- Q19 Right Slingshot, type IRFZ34
Complete slingshot assembly # 500-5849-00. Slingshot mounting bracket assembly # 515-5339-01.
4.11 Opto Problems
The optos operate on +12 volts. If the +12 volts is bad or missing, none of the opto switches will work. Opto unit itself is type TCRT5000 and uses a type 2N4401 transistor with it except for the pop bumper boards which have a type 2N7002 transistor instead.
The TCRT5000 Reflective Optical Sensor (with NPN transistor output) can be purchased at Mouser Electronics as their stock # 782-TCRT5000.
The TCRT5000 opto unit used on the opto circuit boards throughout Vacation America. This machine uses these instead of rollover switches.