# Episode 62 - Tech - Search Disc Woes

**Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2015-05-12  
**Duration:** 16m 17s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-62-tech-search-disc-woes

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## Analysis

Nick Baldridge troubleshoots search disc wiper finger adjustment issues on his Ticker Tape bingo machine after disassembly. He explains the mechanics of search discs, tension arms, slip rings, and search relays, detailing diagnostic procedures and common failure points. The episode covers how card scoring works in 6-card bingo machines and the cascading problems that arose during his repair efforts.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Search discs in bingo machines use wiper fingers that must be centered on rivets simultaneously to register scoring — _Nick Baldridge explaining the mechanics of search disc operation on his Ticker Tape machine_
- [HIGH] Ticker Tape has two separate search disks: one for cards 1-3 and another for cards 4-6 — _Nick states this directly when describing his specific machine configuration_
- [HIGH] Search index relays require ultra-fine adjustment and are a common source of scoring problems — _Nick mentions this multiple times as a recurring issue in his bingo repair experience_
- [HIGH] Ticker Tape has a vertically-oriented control unit shaft, unlike other bingo machines he has worked on — _Nick explicitly states this difference when discussing reassembly precautions_
- [HIGH] Tension arms on search disc assemblies frequently break or become misaligned — _Nick identifies this as the first thing to check when troubleshooting scoring failures_

### Notable Quotes

> "Cards 4, 5, and 6 won't score on mine because some of the wiper fingers are not adjusted appropriately."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 0:00-1:00
> _States the core problem motivating the technical discussion_

> "A search disc is comprised of about seven fingers on an arm that wipe across rivets...the way that the game determines winners is if there are balls in three adjacent holes, it will put voltage through three of those fingers at the same time."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 1:00-3:00
> _Fundamental explanation of how search disc scoring mechanics work_

> "The important thing when you're adjusting is that each of them is on the center of a rivet at the same time. You don't want one to be slightly ahead or slightly behind the other fingers."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 3:00-4:00
> _Core adjustment principle for search disc repairs_

> "Everything is just perfect, which is infuriating."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 7:00-8:00
> _Expresses frustration when continuity testing shows no obvious electrical problems_

> "The counterbalance tension spring...is very tense, and it will go flying if you don't keep careful track of it."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 12:00-13:00
> _Safety warning about disassembly hazards_

> "Those search relays are going to go off multiple times depending on the position of the wipers in the rotation...it's very tricky to troubleshoot."
> — **Nick Baldridge**, 10:00-11:00
> _Explains why 6-card bingo troubleshooting is more complex than single-card machines_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Nick Baldridge | person | Host of For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast, bingo machine repair enthusiast and operator |
| Ticker Tape | game | Six-card bingo machine owned by Nick Baldridge that he is currently repairing; has vertically-oriented control unit |
| Steve | person | Visitor to Nick's location who was present when card 5 scoring problem was first noticed |
| For Amusement Only | organization | EM and bingo pinball podcast hosted by Nick Baldridge |
| Magic Screen | game | Six-card bingo machine referenced as comparison for search disc design and troubleshooting procedures |
| Mystic Line | game | Six-card bingo machine referenced as comparison for horizontal control unit orientation |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Search disc mechanics and adjustment, Bingo machine scoring system troubleshooting, Search index relay function and adjustment, Wiper finger and tension arm maintenance, Search disc disassembly and reassembly procedures
- **Secondary:** Continuity testing diagnostic methods, Slip ring and rivet contact systems, Multi-card bingo vs single-card bingo troubleshooting complexity

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0)

### Signals

- **[restoration_signal]** Detailed explanation of search disc disassembly, adjustment, and reassembly procedures for 6-card bingo machines, including handling of counterbalance springs and slip ring components (confidence: high) — Nick provides step-by-step guidance on removing wiper arm brackets, main shaft screw, counterbalance spring, washers, and pressure lock rings, with emphasis on proper reassembly sequence
- **[operational_signal]** Multi-card bingo machines present significantly higher troubleshooting complexity than single-card machines due to relay chatter patterns and multiple scoring sections per card (confidence: high) — Nick contrasts 6-card vs single-card bingo troubleshooting: 'Now here's the really hard thing about troubleshooting a 6 card bingo versus a single card which is all I've dealt with previously. Those search relays are going to go off multiple times depending on the position of the wipers'
- **[product_concern]** Wiper finger alignment is extremely sensitive; even slight misalignment (slightly ahead or behind center) can cause incomplete solenoid engagement or prevent scoring entirely (confidence: high) — Nick describes: 'when the fingers are slightly out of adjustment, what's going to happen is you'll see the search index coil pull in just barely. Not enough to actually hold the gear'
- **[restoration_signal]** Continuity testing procedure using multimeter to verify electrical connections between tension arms and wiper fingers on search discs can identify broken components (confidence: high) — Nick explains: 'You can check this by taking a meter and attaching a probe or a jumper wire to the end of the meter and then plugging it into the disc and then taking the other end and plugging it into the top or the solder joint on that little wiper arm'
- **[operational_signal]** Disassembling one component (search disk 4-6) led to unintended issues in another (search disk 1-3), illustrating how interconnected systems require holistic understanding (confidence: high) — Nick states: 'I developed a problem in scoring on cards one through three I hadn't touched cards one through three' after finding that following switches were touching each other
- **[restoration_signal]** Search relay gap adjustment is critical to timing; improper gaps prevent proper solenoid engagement with gear teeth and affect overall scoring function (confidence: high) — Nick explains: 'If they're gapped differently it's possible that they won't pull in at the appropriate time' and describes the search index relay requiring 'ultra-fine adjustment'

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## Transcript

 what's that sound it's for amusement only the em and bingo pinball podcast welcome back to for amusement only this is Nicholas Baldridge well i've done it ticker tape won't score on cards number four five or six so i had this problem uh last time Steve came over, and that was that card number 5 had stopped scoring. So I decided tonight was the night I was going to take it apart and get that fixed. Well, cards 4, 5, and 6 score on their own search disk. I haven't really talked about the search disc before, so I thought tonight would be the night since I am in the middle of the search disc problem. Cards 4, 5, and 6 won't score on mine because some of the wiper fingers are not adjusted appropriately. A search disc is comprised of about seven fingers on an arm that wipe across rivets. Depending on the type of bingo that you have, there are four different arms on four different points, almost like compass points, on a shaft, and they rotate. There's also a disc that's just filled with rivets. Many, many, many rivets. and the way that the game determines winners is if there are balls in three adjacent holes, it will put voltage through three of those fingers at the same time and that will engage the search index coil which will stop the shaft from spinning. So the problem with mine currently was caused because I took it apart, and when I reassembled it, some of the fingers are just very slightly out of adjustment. And I've been fiddling with it a little bit, and I decided to stop and record this podcast to collect my thoughts, basically. basically. But, um, when the fingers are slightly out of adjustment, what's going to happen is you'll see the search index coil pull in just barely. Not enough to actually hold the gear that prevents, uh, any more travel, but enough to look like it's, uh, having a tiny little spasm. So, So, when you look at the wiper fingers that extend from those arms, the important thing when you're adjusting is that each of them is on the center of a rivet at the same time. You don't want one to be slightly ahead or slightly behind the other fingers. and one of them is just barely ahead or behind, and I'm having trouble seeing it. So it might be time to get the old magnifying glass out. But if you're having trouble scoring and it's not pulling in at all, what you need to look at first are the little tension arms which attach to the shaft beside the search disk or above depending on the layout of your game Those little tension arms like to break and also the little groove that they ride in will become filled with crud over time. You can check this by taking a meter and attaching a probe or a jumper wire to the end of the meter and then plugging it into the disc and then taking the other end and plugging it into the top or the solder joint on that little wiper arm, little tension arm rather, and see if it beeps for continuity. If it does, then you're good to go. If it doesn't, then you know that something is not right. And take a close look. The little grooves are spaced very closely together, and it's easy to have those in the wrong spot. When I first picked up ticker tape, one of the really minor problems was that one of the tension arms was not adjusted correctly, and so it flopped back behind where it was supposed to. so that's a quick fix. You just loosen the nut a little bit, adjust the arm, then tighten it back up. Now, in my case, everything's getting the appropriate voltage on all of the cards, except for card number 5. now the thing to check there ordinarily on say a magic screen game is the continuity between the slip rings which are in the arm itself embedded riveted in place and the end of the wiper well there's continuity between all of those and i can score in any position on any other card except now four five and six because i messed them up but one two and three scored perfectly. Never had a problem there. Haven't disassembled one, two, or three, so that's in good shape. But as is typical with any troubleshooting process, other problems may appear. Now, this is a game that I haven't fully shopped out. I haven't cleaned every switch in the game. I haven't scotch or cleaned the search disks yet. They're actually in pretty good shape. But I went ahead and took the wiper arm off of the game, took it out and checked continuity between itself at every point. Everything is just perfect, which is infuriating. and while it was out I scrubbed and lubricated the search disk and in ticker tape there are two different search disks one for cards one through three and the second for cards four through six so that's all clean put it back together and I figured once it's reassembled I'll have a little bit more adjusting to do because that's just the nature of the beast when you take switches out of the game, there's usually some cleanup efforts that have to happen afterwards. So I get it reassembled and get balls in the appropriate pockets and check and see what happens, and nothing. And even worse, I developed a problem in scoring on cards one through three I hadn touched cards one through three so I was super excited The problem there was that there are two following switches on a second arm that extends out and they were touching each other. They do have continuity at the end, but you don't want them to have continuity the entire time with each rivet. So, I ended up having to adjust that a little bit. What the symptom it was causing was that every number on the bingo card was blinking in rapid succession. Then I had a problem with scoring anything, and it was related to the search relay number 3. Cleaned and adjusted that. and while I was at it I cleaned and adjusted 1 through 5 in their entirety because they were all gapped differently and the timing of those relays is very important. If they're gapped differently it's possible that they won't pull in at the appropriate time. Now here's the really hard thing about troubleshooting a 6 card bingo versus a single card which is all I've dealt with previously. those search relays are going to go off multiple times depending on the position of the wipers in the rotation so there are three distinct sections of the search disk for each card and as it spins it's going to chatter those relays based on the positions of the bingo numbers that are lit up on the back glass so it's very tricky to troubleshoot uh you have to look at the manual and the schematic in order to make any sense of what's going on because the manual shows the positions which are the scoring positions for each card the schematic shows all the switches which are connected to the scoring so you've got your search index relay which is positioned underneath of the search disk and contains two switches. Now, this is the same search index relay, which I've mentioned numerous times, that requires ultra-fine adjustment. And so what's happening to me now is that that relay is pulsing either at the wrong time or without enough strength. If it's without enough strength, it's the wiper arms that need adjusting. If it's pulsing at the wrong time, I need to check the gap on those switches because it's trying to smack into the gear to stop it, and it's not hitting a blank space, it's hitting the actual tooth of the gear. So that's not something I want to repeat frequently, but at any rate, I will resolve this. This too shall pass, as they say. it won't take very much but it's an example of a scoring problem that you can have especially as you are shopping a machine or you start to clean various pieces you may realize that where you didn't have a scoring problem before all of a sudden you do this has happened to me numerous times throughout my bingo repair career here so the important thing to remember when you're disassembling the search disk and you want to take those wiper arms off depending on the game you're going to have to remove the two brackets that hold the wiper arm unit in place on top of that you're going to have to remove the main screw that holds the shaft together So all the stuff that on the control unit shaft is held in place by this counterbalance tension spring It like a very highly tense barrel spring from a chute rod So when you're taking it apart, you want to be pretty careful about loosening it because it is very tense, and it will go flying if you don't keep careful track of it. Now, because ticker tape has its control unit oriented vertically instead of horizontally, like any of the other bingos that I've worked on, it's super important that you make sure. You also want to pay careful attention to your hands position, because you don't want it to slam into the side of the game if you're working on a magic screen or mystic line game. But on these six cards, you want to make sure that you are applying pressure to the spring as you loosen it. Otherwise, it's going to rocket into the air and you will never find it again. There are also a few washers and so forth, which come with that. And then there's a pressure lock ring that holds all the slip rings in place, and you can take that off with a clip remover or a pair of pliers if you're very careful. You don't want to bend that up. Ideally, you want to reuse that unless it breaks. Now, you can also cut it off and just replace it, but again, I'm a cheapskate, so I try not to do that unless I have to. and I've never had to. So, when you're reassembling, you want to do the same thing in reverse. You want to make sure to apply the appropriate pressure as you're screwing it in. Now, each of the components of that counterbalance unit comprised of the spring and the washers and so forth is incredibly important. So, you don't want to lose any pieces or leave any pieces out when you reassemble or it's going to apply incorrect force on the shaft and back to the motor, which will burn it out. So, stuff to pay attention to if you ever have to go down this route. And this scoring problem, as I say, I'll have the cards number 4 and 6 resolved here soon. Card number five is eluding me right now. Everything's toning out, and because I can score in any position normally on cards four and six, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless there's some kind of problem underneath the search disk, which is comprised of a whole bunch of messy-looking jumper wires. They jump from rivet to rivet in order to provide continuity. for card number 5 if this doesn't correct it once I get 4 and 6 working again I'm probably going to have to delve into that nest and that requires even further disassembly and removal from the shaft so wish me luck hopefully I'll have this up and running tomorrow and we should be in good shape alright thank you again for joining me my name again is Nicholas Baldridge and I failed miserably at a play segment tonight, but tech was on my mind. You can reach me at foreamusementonlypodcast at gmail.com and you can find us online at foreamusementonly.libsyn.com. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS on Facebook and on our website. Thank you again for joining me and I'll talk to you next time.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0b3262d8-dea7-470c-b93a-155c83fe8fe4*