ALI/Fascination Repair

Note: This page is a work in progress. Please help get it to a completed state by adding any useful information to it.

For history of Allied Leisure see Allied Leisure.

1 Introduction

Allied Leisure (ALI) is best known for making machines with "short" playfields; the two "shaker ball" EM machines, and several "cocktail" pinball machines in the late 1970s, which they produced under the names "Allied Leisure Industries" and "Fascination International" with identical hardware (Gameplan was also making cocktail pinball machines in the late 1970s with completely different hardware based on Bally's designs). They also produced several "traditional form factor" solid-state pinball machines in the mid-1970s.

In September 1975, Allied Leisure released one of the first ever solid state pinball machines to be sold commercially named "Rock On". There is some debate about whether or not Micro Games released "Spirit of '76" first, as the two manufacturers released their titles right around the same time. Micro's specific release date does not appear to have been recorded.

Some history of Allied Leisure can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Some additional background information on Allied Leisure and their arcade games can be found here.

2 Games

2.1 Electromechanical

• Seahunt
• Spooksville

2.2 Solid State

• Rock On
• Dyn O' Mite (also written as Dyno-Mite, Dyno Mite, or Dynomite)
• T.N.T.
• Thunderbolt
• Boogie
• Roy Clark Super Picker
• Getaway
• Hoe Down

2.3 Cocktail

• Take Five
• Flame of Athens
• Hearts Spades
• Disco '79
• Star Shooter
• Circa 1933 (Fascination Int.)
• Eros II (Fascination Int.)
• Eros One (Fascination Int.)
• Roy Clark The Entertainer (Fascination Int.)

3 Technical Info

3.1 Board Set

3.1.1 Generation 1

The system with multiple circuit boards has been designated as "generation 1". It was used in Rock On, Dyn 'O Mite, T.N.T., Thunderbolt, and Boogie. All the games used the same cabinet and the same playfield layout (not all had the same artwork). Sounds were provided by a set of chimes. The wiring and components for the power section at the bottom of the cabinet varied somewhat between games.

3.1.1.1 Pinball Lamp Drivers (264-1-53)

There are two lamp driver boards. One of these boards is located in the backbox, and another in the cabinet.

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  Lamp Driver Board (Front)

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  Lamp Driver Board (Back)

3.1.1.2 Pinball Mode Interface / Mode Sequencer Interface (264-1-54)

This board is located in the backbox.

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  Mode Sequencer Interface Board (Front)

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  Mode Sequencer Interface Board (Back)

3.1.1.3 Pinball Player Up Logic (264-1-62)

This board is located in the backbox.

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  Player Up Logic Board (Front)

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  Player Up Logic Board (Back)

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  A variation of the Player Up Logic board. Note that the C6 and C13 components are unpopulated. On the schematics for this board dated 2/25/75, both C6 and C13 appear. It's unknown if there are other versions of the schematics with these components missing.

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  A variation of the Player Up Logic board. Note that the C6 and C13 components are populated.

One interesting thing about this board is that it seems to have been designed to accommodate up to 6 players, rather than just the usual 2 or 4.

3.1.1.4 Bonus Drain / Bonus Board (264-1-59)

This board is located in the backbox.

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  Bonus Board (Front)

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  Bonus Board (Back). Note the addition of the 0.1uF 12v ceramic capacitor.

3.1.1.5 Pinball Credit Circuit / Credit Board (264-1-56)

This board is located in the backbox.

3.1.1.5.1.1 Revision A

Revision A is marked with the number "PCB 264-9-10" and is a green-colored PCB. On revision B, this PCB number is followed by the letter "B". Revision A has a number of factory trace cuts and jumpers. These cuts and jumpers were fixed in revision B of this board with modifications to the traces.

Revision A is confirmed to have appeared in Dyno-Mite.

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  Credit Board Revision A (Front)

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  Credit Board Revision A (Back)

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Numbers

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Modification

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Modification

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Modification

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Modification

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  Credit Board Revision A Board Modification

3.1.1.5.1.2 Revision B

Revision B is marked with the number "PCB 264-9-10 B" and is a tan-colored PCB. Revision B includes trace changes that were late modifications to the revision A board, which were originally several trace cuts and additional jumpers.

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  Credit Board Revision B (Front)

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  Credit Board Revision B (Back)

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  Credit Board Revision B Board Numbers

3.1.1.5.2 Jumper Settings

This board has jumpers for two settings--one coin per credit or two coins per credit.

Credit board coin selection jumpers

This board has jumpers to specify the number of credits given when the number of inserted coins is satisfied. The left-most jumpers are "1" and the right-most jumpers are "9". Coin 1 is the left slot, and Coin 2 is the right slot. There is a note in the Dyno-mite manual that says the game can only use the "coin 1" jumper setting.

Credit board credit selection jumpers

Examples:

• 25¢ per play - set "one coin per credit" and "1" for credits.
• 50¢ per play - set "two coins per credit" and "1" for credits.
• 50¢ for 3 plays - set "two coins per credit" and "3" for credits (note that there will be no "25¢ per play" option available for these settings).

3.1.1.6 Score Display Logic / Standard Digital Scoring Unit (264-1-60)

Depending upon if the game is a 2-player or 4-player game, either 2 or 4 of these boards are located in the backbox.

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  Score Display Logic Board (Front)

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  Score Display Logic Board (Back)

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  Score Display Logic Board (with Display Glass installed)

3.1.1.7 Score Display (5-digit) (264-1-75)

The score displays are inserted into the Score Display Logic boards (264-1-60).

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  Score Display (Front)

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  Score Display (Back)

3.1.1.8 Line 'Em Up Logic (264-1-57)

This board is located in the backbox.

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  Line 'Em Up Logic Board (Front)

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  Line 'Em Up Logic Board (Back)

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  Line 'Em Up Logic Board (with display installed)

3.1.1.9 Line 'Em Up Display (264-1-64)

The Line 'Em Up Display is inserted into the Line 'Em Up Logic board (264-1-57).

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  Line 'Em Up Display (Front)

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  Line 'Em Up Display (Back)

3.1.1.10 Credit Display (264-1-55)

This board is located in the backbox. Note that although it appears that the glass nipple is broken off, that is simply the way it was formed and the glass will still light up normally.

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  Credit Display (Front)

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  Credit Display (Back)

3.1.1.11 Pinball Playfield Scoring Logic (264-1-61)

This board is located in the cabinet.

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  Playfield Scoring Logic Board (Front)

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  Playfield Scoring Logic Board (Back)

3.1.1.12 Relay Drivers Board (264-1-52)

This board is located in the cabinet.

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  Relay Drivers Board (Front)

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  Relay Drivers Board (Back)

3.1.1.13 Chime Solenoid Circuit (264-1-189)

Part name & number found within a technican's printed notes. Unclear which game(s) it appears in. Note: Not present in Rock On, Dyn 'O Mite, or T.N.T. Possibly present in Thunderbolt, but this is unconfirmed.

3.2 Connectors & Pin Designations

3.2.1 Generation 1

3.2.1.1 50-pin (25x25) Connectors

The 50-pin connectors are used on all of the PCBs present in the game, except for the display boards and line em up logic board. The 50-pin connectors have two rows of 25 pins. The front-facing side is numbered from 1 to 25.

On the back row, the pins are assigned letters, but with a few missing (G, I, O, Q) and with a few additions (AA, BB, CC).

When looking at the the front of a board connector:

Pin Assignments for the 50-pin connectors

Pin Assignments

Back Row	A	B	C	D	E	F	H	J	K	L	M	N	P	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	AA	BB	CC
Front Row	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25

The edge connectors on the PCBs also correspond to these pin assignments. There are a few markings to indicate the start and end of the edge connector contact designations.

Front of PCB edge connector showing labels "1" and "25".

Back of PCB edge connector showing labels "A", "Z", and "C" (for "CC").

For boards that use only a single 50-pin connector, pin 25 is always ground and pin 23 is always the supplied voltage for the board.

For the Playfield Logic board, which has two 50-pin connectors, only connector P1B (on the right) uses pin 25 as ground, and pin 23 for the supplied power.

3.2.1.2 12-pin Plug/Receptacle Connectors

There are eighteen 12-pin plug & receptacle connectors throughout the machine. Each plug/receptacle has a number directly below each pin on the inside of the plug/receptacle. Good lighting and a magnifying glass may be needed to see them.

Connector numbering

To separate the connectors, two hands are necessary, since they are always very tightly connected. With one hand, pinch the two contacts tightly. Then, pull on the ridges of the plug. Try to avoid yanking on the actual wires themselves, or they might be pulled from their connectors.

The pins used in these connectors are not the standard Molex 0.084" pin and socket connectors used in most games in later years from other manufacturers. They are AMP Commercial Mate-N-Lok connectors. These connectors are not compatible with Molex connectors, so neither a pin nor socket Molex connector can be substituted. Molex connectors will also not fit properly in the plugs or receptacles.

Various part numbers for pin connectors:

• 60620-1 (Pin, 14-20 AWG, tin-plated brass)
• 60620-4 (Pin, 14-20 AWG, tin-plated phosphor bronze)
• 60618-1 (Pin, 18-22 AWG, tin-plated brass)
• 60618-4 (Pin, 18-22 AWG, tin-plated phosphor bronze)

Various part numbers for socket connectors:

• 60619-1 (Socket, 14-20 AWG, tin-plated brass)
• 60619-4 (Socket, 14-20 AWG, tin-plated phosphor bronze)
• 60617-1 (Socket, 18-22 AWG, tin-plated brass)
• 60617-4 (Socket, 18-22 AWG, tin-plated phosphor bronze)

The pins tend to be corroded and cause connectivity issues. If certain features on your game are not functioning properly, the problem is likely caused by a corroded pin and socket. Additionally, a single signal path may travel through upwards of 5 connection points between the source and destination, so any one of those connectors could be causing a problem because of resistance caused by the corrosion, or lack of any contact at all. Also keep in mind that while replacing pins will restore connectivity and resolve certain issues, some new issues might be introduced that were previously masked by being disconnected (such as tilt/slams switches being in the wrong position).

Corrodded pins

Corrodded sockets

It is recommended to replace all the Mate-N-Lok connector pins if there are signs of corrosion. However, the connectors are rather pricey compared to their Molex counterparts, so the cost will add up quickly.

One alternate suggestion is to instead replace everything with standard 12-pin Molex housings and 0.084" connectors. However, the original connector housings are color-coded instead of keyed, so the color coding would be lost and it would be very easy to mix up the plugs and receptacles and connect the wrong ones together. Also, it is currently not confirmed if the standard Molex housings will fit through the mounting brackets.

Since there are different gauge wires in use, and some cases where two wires are crimped into a single connector, a small number of 14-20awg connectors will be needed, but the majority of the will be 18-22awg.

To remove the connector pins, a small pair of needle nose pliers will be needed. To remove the socket connectors, a Waldom W-HT-2038 will be needed.

3.2.1.3 6-pin Plug/Receptacle Connector

There is one 6-pin (3x2) connector for the chime assembly. Everything that applies to the 12-pin Plug/Receptacle Connectors also applies to this connector.

3.2.1.4 Connector Designations

The connectors for the PCBs, display boards, and line em up logic board have no J# connector designations in the schematics. They are simply referred to as the board they are connected to. For instance, the connector for the relay driver board is simply referred to as the "relay driver board connector".

The 12-pin and 6-pin pin & socket connectors have designations from J1 through J20, but J17 is not used. Unfortunately, not all of the connectors are explicitly labeled within the cabinet. However, they are color-coded, so even with out the J# designations, they can still be matched up visually if they are disconnected.

J# Cabinet Connector Designations with approximate relative positions in the cabinet and backbox

3.2.1.5 Relay Sockets

Allied Leisure uses 14-pin relay sockets for all relays. Part number (?).

Bank of relays. Cover removed from one relay, and an exposed relay socket next to it.

To remove a socket from a bracket, press the socket towards the side with the lock tang. Then swing the socket out (while still placing pressure on the tang). Then remove the socket from the bracket. To install a socket into a bracket, follow the steps in reverse order.

The pins in these sockets act as pincers and grip each leg of the relay. Part number (?).

To remove a pin from the relay socket, the lock tang on the pin needs to be pressed down. Insert a small tool or jeweler's screwdriver in the opening of the socket to press down the tang, then pull out the pin.

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  Detailed view of a relay socket pin.

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  Insert small tool to press down lock tang on pin.

3.3 Switches

3.3.1 Generation 1

All the game's switches feed into the Playfield Scoring Logic board. At least one LED will light when a switch makes contact. Some switches only trigger one LED, while others can trigger several.

By default, all the LEDs should be off except for the power LED and the outhole LED. If drop targets are in the down position, LEDs will also be lit for those until the game goes through its playfield reset cycle.

3.3.2 Generation 2

All generation 2/3 solid-state ALI / Fascination games use the exact same MPU board and software; game "rules" are changed simply by rearranging the placement of switches, targets, lamps, pop bumpers, and other elements on the playfield.

#	J1	J1 reverse	J2	J2 reverse	J3	J3 reverse	#	#	J4	J5	J6	#	credit disp	player disp	#
1	unused	unused	7k bonus lamp	8k bonus lamp	p2 disp LED 2	p2 disp LED 5	A	1	Q66	drop target C coil	100 pt chime	1	data	data	1
2	unused	unused	4k bonus lamp	6k bonus lamp	p2 disp LED 3	p2 disp LED 4	B	2	right gate coil	C bumper coil	10 pt chime	2	blank	blank	2
3	unused	special w/lit switch	1k bonus lamp	2k bonus lamp	shoot again lamp	unused	C	3	Q62	L slingshot coil	play counter	3	+6v dc	+6v dc	3
4	10 pt rail switch	ball in play switch	unused	3k bonus lamp	unused	unused	D	4	flipper power relay	drop target B coil	unused	4	ground	ground	4
5	outhole switch	R bumper switch	9k bonus lamp	5k bonus lamp	unused	unused	E	5	unused	unused	unused	5	clock	clock	5
6	L bumper switch	R collect val switch	p1 disp LED 1	score display E	unused	unused	F	6	unused	drop target D coil	replay counter	6	+5v dc	+5v dc	6
7	L collect val switch	R slingshot switch	score display H	p1 disp LED 3	unused	unused	H	7	40v return	R bumper coil	unused	7		LED 5	7
8	C bumper switch	L slingshot switch	L 1k pt lamp	unused	unused	unused	J	8	40v return	unused	unused	8		LED 3	8
9	drop target C switch	drop target D switch	L 2k pt lamp	unused	unused	unused	K	9	40v return	drop target A coil	unused	9		LED 1	9
10	unused		L 3k pt lamp	unused	unused	unused	L	10	+5v dc	unused	Q30	10		LED 4	10
11	roll tilt switch	credit button	unused	L 4k pt lamp	unused	unused	M	11	+5v dc	unused	unused	11		LED 2	11
12	raise drop A switch	raise drop D switch	2X bonus lamp	10k bonus lamp	unused	unused	N	12	+5v dc	outhole coil	unused	12
13		close gate switch	R 1k pt lamp	3X bonus lamp	unused	unused	P	13	5v return	R slingshot coil	1000 pt chime	13
14	500 pt rollover switch	raise drop B switch	R 2k pt lamp	R 4k pt lamp	unused	unused	R	14	5v return	unused	knocker coil	14
15	raise drop C switch	E.B. w/lit switch	special lamp	R 3k pt lamp	unused	unused	S	15	5v return	L bumper coil	GI relay?	15
16	slam tilt switch	2P jumper	unused	unused	unused	unused	T	16
17		test button	p2 disp LED 1	extra ball lamp	unused	unused	U	17
18			unused	unused	unused	unused	V	18
19	2P jumper		unused	credit/start button	unused	unused	W	19
20		score display 24	coin 3	coin 3	unused	unused	X	20
21	credit disp clock	score display 2	coin 2	coin 2	unused	unused	Y	21
22	p2 disp clock	p1 disp clock	coin 1	coin 1	drop target B switch	drop target B switch	Z	22
23	score display 3	score display 23	+5v dc out	+5v dc out	+5v dc out	+5v dc out	a	23
24		p2 disp blank	unused	slam tilt switch 2	drop target A switch	drop target A switch	b	24
25	p1 disp blank	all disp data	cabinet switch ret	cabinet switch ret	pf switch ret	pf switch ret	c	25

3.4 Relay/Solenoid Drivers

3.4.1 Generation 1

3.4.1.1 Dyno-mite

While the relay drive board is fully populated, not all the transistors are actually in use.

Dyno-Mite Relay Drivers

Pin	Transistor	Relay
B	Q22	Replay Relay
C	Q23	Ball Reset Relay
D	Q24	Gate Relay
E	Q19	Game Relay
F	Q20	Tilt Relay
H	Q21	Playfield Lights Relay
K	Q17	Target A Relay
L	Q18	Target B Relay
M	Q13	10 Point Relay
N	Q14	100 Point Relay
P	Q15	1000 Point Relay
U	Q7	Target D Relay
V	Q8	Target C Relay

4 Problems & Fixes

4.1 Fuse Holders

The fuse holders in all full-size Allied Leisure pinball machines are known for poor tension and clips breaking easily because of the thin, weak metal that was used. This can lead to intermittent and unreliable operation.

In order to ensure proper and reliable operation, go through and replace all the fuse holders. This is a required modification.

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  A strip of original fuse holders. Notice that at least one of the fuses is basically falling out of its holder.

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  An original fuse holder strip. Notice all the bent and broken clips.

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  Fuse holders replaced with Bussmann BK/S-8001-1-R holders in Dyno-mite.

Make sure to label the wires in some way before desoldering so that they don't get mixed up accidently. The easist way to desolder the holders without accidently melting the insulation on neighboring wires is to start with the bottom most fuses of each strip and work your way up.

Drill a hole on each black dot for each mounting screw. This way, the fuse holder will be level with the labels and it will be easy to tell which label corresponds with which fuse holder. A #6 1/2" screw can be used to mount each new holder.

When soldering the wires to the new fuse holders, start from the bottom most fuse, and work your way up. This should help prevent the soldering iron from accidentally grazing and melting the insulation of neighboring wires, like when desoldering the original strip of fuse holders.

5 Parts Substitutions & Replacements

5.1 Coils

Note: Because there are a lot of nylon/plastic parts, it's important to make sure the coil is not too powerful, or it may damage these (irreplaceable) parts.

• 264-1-102 (11 ohms). Uses 26awg wire. Substitute: Williams A2-26-1300 (12 ohms) or AE-26-1200 (10.7 ohms, but might be too strong) (needs verification). Marco Specialties has a 264-1-102 aftermarket coil, and it has two wrappers on it--the hidden wrapper has a number of B-27-2300, but it is not actually a B-27-2300 coil.
• 264-1-46 (9 ohms). Uses 26awg wire. Substitute: Williams A-26-1100 (9.4 ohms) (needs verification)

Note: Williams coils are slightly longer than genuine Allied Leisure coils, however, since the brackets are slotted, coils that are a different length can be accommodated to a certain degree.

5.2 Playfield

5.2.1 Generation 1

5.2.1.1 Lamp Sockets

Many of the lamp sockets are flaky after 40 years and are in need of replacement.

• 1-1/8" #44/#47 lamp sockets: #E-120-127. Pinball Life Marco Specialties All Electronics
• 1/2" #44/#47 lamp sockets: #E-120-81. Marco Specialties
• Coin door lamp sockets: ?
• Pop bumper lamp socket: ?

5.4 Cabinet

5.4.1 Chimes

• Solenoid Plunger 235-1-45 substitute: Gottlieb Plunger GTB-A1487+
• Solenoid Bracket #2 264-3-53 substitute: Gottlieb EM slingshot coil bracket (Part #?)
• Chime Bar Grommet 235-8-119 substitute: Gottlieb GTB-2752
• Flat Nylon Washer 10190045 3/16" ID substitute: Gottlieb GTB-104316E

5.4.2 Playfield Rails

The playfield rails inside the cabinet appear to be nearly identical to the playfield rails found in Gottlieb System 1 games. However, the Allied Leisure rails are painted what what looks like a heat-resistant flat black, rather than left bare.

5.4.3 Legs

Generation 1 Allied Leisure legs are 29.5", painted gray, and have a 5-1/4" rib (instead of a rib going down the whole length of the leg). The leg is pinched slightly around the length of the rib. The placement of the holes for the bolts are non-standard and will not match the spacing on legs from other manufacturers. The original part number was 264-3-42.

If replacement legs are needed, new holes will need to be drilled in the cabinet with new leg bolt plates, or holes will need to be drilled in the newer legs. Approximate visual style matches:

• A Gottlieb 28.5" dark gray non-ribbed leg might be a close possible substitution (Part LEG-28GR from PBResource).
• A Williams System 11 28.5" half-rib leg might also be a close substitution.

6 Recommended Modifications

6.1 Generation 1

6.1.1 Player-Up Logic Board

In order to assist with game diagnostics concerning the ball-in-play count or the players, certain jumpers can be replaced with LEDs in order to more easily determine what the logic board is doing.

• Player-Up section
  • 2-player game: LD20, LD21, LD22
  • 4-player game: LD20, LD21, LD22, LD23, LD24
  • Legend (player #): LD20=0, LD21=1, LD22=2, LD23=3, LD24=4

• Number of Players section
  • 2-player game: LD27, LD28, LD29
  • 4-player game: LD27, LD28, LD29, LD30, LD31
  • Legend (# of players): LD27=0, LD28=1, LD29=2, LD30=3, LD31=4

• Ball-in-Play section
  • LD34, LD35, LD36, LD37, LD38, LD39
  • Legend (ball #): LD34=0, LD35=1, LD36=2, LD37=3, LD38=4, LD39=5

Contrary to the way these sections are boxed in with the PCB mask/labels, this is how they should actually be sectioned off instead:

Player and Ball count indicator sections

Jumpers to replace with LEDs

The LEDs installed in place of jumpers on a 2-player game

7 Safety

7.1 Generation 1

If any work or adjustments need to be performed in the power supply section of the cabinet, the game should be unplugged for at least two hours in order to allow the large high-voltage capacitors to discharge to safe levels. Otherwise, getting hit with significant voltage levels, or shorting out and damaging components is a real possibility.

Because this was early days for solid state games, they weren't as refined games in later years, and as a result, there are a lot of exposed contact points in the power section and also very little grounding.

8 Documentation

8.1 Manuals & Schematics

Manuals, schematics, and theory of operation guides can be obtained from flippers.com. PBResource.com may also have the paperwork for certain games.

8.2 Parts Catalog

The 1976 parts catalog is available as a PDF from flippers.com

8.3 Service Bulletins

This includes modifications to the game's power sections which are not included in the original schematics: Allied Leisure Service Bulletin - 180V Power Supply & 5V Regulator Modifications

8.4 General Information

Some information on Generation 2/3 games can be found on flippers.com

8.5 Errors

8.5.1 Incorrect Fuse Labels

On Dyno-mite, the bottom panel has an incorrect fuse value for the 5VDC fuse in the upper left. 5 Amp is printed on the label, however, the schematics call for an 8 Amp fuse. For later games, be sure to check the schematics to verify the correct fuse value.

8.5.2 Incorrect Relay & Timing Circuit Labels

In Dyno-mite, the row of relays on the bottom panel correctly correspond to their labels. However, the "Timing Circuits" that correspond the Relays for targets A through D are mislabeled.

The left-most terminal strip in the timing circuits section should be designated "D", followed by "C", "B", and "A" all the way on the right.

The row of relays. Note that the bracket that normally secures the relays has been removed.

The row of terminal strips in the timing circuits section. Note that the labels are incorrect. The left-most label should instead be "Target D" and descend alphabetically to "Target A" on the right.

To check which terminal strip is associated with each relay:

1. Remove relays for targets A through D from their sockets
2. On one of the the terminal strips in the "Timing Circuits" section, touch one of the multimeter leads on the bottom terminal (closest to the bank of relays).
3. Use the multimeter's other lead to probe pin 14 of each relay socket until the multimeter buzzes. When it buzzes, label the terminal strip appropriately to match the relay's label.