# Episode 76 - Testing Scoring in a Bingo **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-05-26 **Duration:** 7m 50s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-76-testing-scoring-in-a-bingo --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge provides detailed technical guidance on testing scoring functionality in bingo pinball machines without repeatedly resetting the machine state. He explains the mechanisms involved (timer unit, replay counters, anti-cheat relay, search index), the proper procedure for manual testing, and safety considerations. This is practical troubleshooting content for EM bingo machine enthusiasts and technicians. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Bingo machines have 120-volt circuits in fans and some components, but most systems run on 50 volts — _Nick Baldridge, technical safety discussion at opening_ - [HIGH] The timer unit automatically steps up over time to preserve motor lifespan and can be manually reset via a reset plunger — _Nick Baldridge, technical explanation of timer mechanics_ - [HIGH] The anti-cheat relay is located on the back door in some machines (e.g., Ticker Tape) but typically on the inside back box right side at top in most bingos — _Nick Baldridge, specific machine location guidance_ - [HIGH] If the reflex unit (auto circuit) is left connected, it will step up aggressively during testing and require many coin insertions or button presses to return to normal — _Nick Baldridge, practical testing warning_ - [HIGH] The search index coil actuates and pushes a metal plate into a gear to lock the search wipers when a winner is located — _Nick Baldridge, mechanical explanation of scoring detection_ ### Notable Quotes > "with the machine on it's possible to stick your hand inside the fan that cools the motors or touch something which has high voltage there are only a few circuits in a bingo that have 120 volts but they do exist so be cautious" > — **Nick Baldridge**, early > _Safety warning about high-voltage hazards in bingo machines_ > "You've lined up a winner, and you want to see if it scores correctly every single time" > — **Nick Baldridge**, early-middle > _Frames the core problem being addressed: efficient scoring verification_ > "When they locate a winner, the search wipers are going to stop. and they stop because the search index coil actuates and it pushes up a metal plate into a gear which locks those wipers at those particular rivets" > — **Nick Baldridge**, middle > _Technical explanation of the mechanical detection mechanism_ > "if you the type that leaves your reflex unit connected which again is the auto circuit in a bingo it going to step up like crazy" > — **Nick Baldridge**, late-middle > _Practical warning about a common testing mistake_ > "it doesn't make sense to shoot a whole game and line up the winners and then have to redo that over and over and over again just because the machine goes into tilt when you first turn it back on" > — **Nick Baldridge**, late > _Explains the motivation for the testing procedure being taught_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of 'For Amusement Only' EM and bingo pinball podcast; expert in bingo machine restoration and technical diagnostics; creator of Multi-Bingo homebrew machine | | For Amusement Only | organization | EM and bingo pinball podcast hosted by Nick Baldridge; distributes content via iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and libsyn website | | Ticker Tape | game | Bingo pinball machine model referenced as example where anti-cheat relay is located on the back door (differs from most other bingos) | ### Topics - **Primary:** Bingo machine scoring mechanics and testing procedures, Electromechanical machine safety and high voltage hazards, Search index, timer unit, and anti-cheat relay operation, Troubleshooting scoring problems without full machine resets - **Secondary:** Reflex unit (auto circuit) behavior during testing ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0.5) — Educational and technical in tone; matter-of-fact delivery focused on providing practical guidance; no emotional commentary or opinions expressed; balanced presentation of safety concerns and mechanical explanations ### Signals - **[operational_signal]** Detailed technical guidance on efficient testing procedures for bingo machine scoring without full machine resets; covers timer, replay counters, anti-cheat relay, and search index mechanics (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge provides step-by-step procedure for testing bingo scoring: reset timer unit, reset score replay counters, engage anti-cheat relay, manually trigger search wipers - **[design_philosophy]** Bingo machines are designed with fail-safe mechanisms that prevent scoring inconsistencies by requiring tilt/reset when machine is powered on after scoring tests (confidence: high) — Nick explains: 'it's not a good idea to have the machine boot up in an inconsistent state' and describes how machine prevents re-scoring by resetting search index relay on power-on - **[restoration_signal]** Practical methodology for diagnosing weak or absent search index coil pulses during bingo scoring verification (confidence: high) — Nick states: 'If that pulse is weak, then you have one set of things that you need to do. If it doesn't pulse at all, you've got a whole other set of things to do.' - **[operational_signal]** The reflex unit (auto circuit) in bingo machines will aggressively step up during manual testing if left connected, requiring numerous coin insertions or button presses to reset (confidence: high) — Nick warns: 'if you the type that leaves your reflex unit connected...it going to step up like crazy and you will have to insert an awful lot of coins' --- ## 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 as promised i wanted to talk with you about um testing the scoring of your bingo without having to reset the machine state every single time. In the bingo, there exists several units that function together in order to help achieve scoring and also lock you out of re-scoring. So there are several things that you need to keep in mind. first of all with the machine on it's possible to stick your hand inside the fan that cools the motors or touch something which has high voltage there are only a few circuits in a bingo that have 120 volts but they do exist so be cautious when doing this most everything else runs off of 50 volts. 50 volts is nothing to sneeze at, but it's not 120 volts, so it is slightly better if you get shocked with 50 volts than it would be with 120. So, all that out of the way. You've lined up a winner, and you want to see if it scores correctly every single time. going to the back of your game you're going to want to do the following things if your game is a later game which is what I'm going to be focusing on that has an R button or a C button that releases the search index magnet which allows the search wipers to turn then this you know knowledge will apply to you On other machines it going to constantly turn and so things work differently, and you don't have to worry about applying the same procedure. Also, the time tree works differently, or not at all, depending on the vintage game. So, What you need to do is locate your timer unit. Your timer unit will automatically step up after a period of time to try to preserve the motor's useful life. And there's a step-up solenoid and then a reset solenoid. So you just push in the reset plunger, and it will reset the timer back to its default one position, or zero, depending on if you're a computer person or not. Aside from the timer, you also need to reset the scores, assuming that you've collected them. So in a bingo, there are units which count the number of replays for each color. Assuming you have triple deck scoring, which is also going to be a machine with a time tree and so forth, then you're going to want to locate the unit which counts those replays. There are going to be at least three of those units in any given bingo, available to plunge, assuming you didn't win in multiple colors. Push in that reset solenoid and that tell the machine that you have not won in that particular color Then you need to locate the anti relay Depending on the machine it going to be in a different place For example, in my ticker tape, it's on the back door. In almost every other bingo that I've ever worked on, it is the relay on the inside of the backbox on the right at the top. And it's labeled anti-cheat. Push that in and it will latch on. This will light the cards, light the numbers, rather, on the bingo card. And allow you to then push in the lock on the search wipers, which will allow the search wipers to rotate. Now, when they locate a winner, the search wipers are going to stop. and they stop because the search index coil actuates and it pushes up a metal plate into a gear which locks those wipers at those particular rivets. If that pulse is weak, then you have one set of things that you need to do. If it doesn't pulse at all, you've got a whole other set of things to do. But from that point, the machine is going to count, assuming you've done those preceding things. Once it finishes counting, then you can turn the machine off and back on, which will dump the register, so you'll be back at zero replays. Push in the timer, push in the anti-cheat relay, and push in the colored section numbers, and you will be able to then push in that metal latch again and it score again as if you hadn scored the first time Now the only word of caution I have for this is if you the type that leaves your reflex unit connected which again is the auto circuit in a bingo it going to step up like crazy and you will have to insert an awful lot of coins or push a lot of buttons, depending on if you have FreePlay set, in order to crank get back down to its normal, fully connected position. So, this is how I test any bingo that has scoring problems. It doesn't make sense to shoot a whole game and line up the winners and then have to redo that over and over and over again just because the machine goes into tilt when you first turn it back on. it does that to prevent you from doing exactly this, which is rescoring in a way that the machine didn't score previously. So, and as with many things, it's fail-safe. You know, it's not a good idea to have the machine boot up in an inconsistent state. So, assuming you turned it off because there was some kind of scoring problem, then when you turn it back on the machine is not going to hold in using the search index relay and therefore the search wipers will return to their default position. A good thing. So, that's all for tonight. Thank you again for joining me. My name again is Nicholas Baldridge. You can reach me at forwardamusementonlypodcast at gmail.com and you can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on our website, which is foramusementonly.libsyn.com. Thanks again for joining me, and I'll talk to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: b48b0432-6cc2-48de-ab80-6777ebfbd8b4*