# Episode 139 - The Control Unit - Payout Switches **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-07-28 **Duration:** 6m 40s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-139-the-control-unit-payout-switches --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge provides a technical deep-dive into the control unit switches on a 1972 Double Up bingo pinball machine, focusing on payout mechanisms. He explains how cams L, M, N, and O control payouts when players win sections, stepping up meters and winner discs. Critical attention is given to switch stacks U and V, which handle half-win features and winner searching respectively, with warnings about the delicate adjustment required for switch V to function correctly. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Cams L, M, N, and O control payouts in Double Up when you win in a section — _Nick Baldridge, explaining control unit mechanics_ - [HIGH] Switch stack V controls replay winner circuits to search index coil and is critically important in searching for winners — _Nick Baldridge, technical description_ - [HIGH] Switch V adjustment is incredibly easy to get out of time with the rest of the cam if not adjusted properly, resulting in no payoff detection — _Nick Baldridge, troubleshooting warning_ - [HIGH] The pictorial diagram shows the correct adjustment relationship between switch stack N and switch stack V on the backside — _Nick Baldridge, referencing documentation_ - [HIGH] Switch U completes the circuit from half win feature relay to replay register step up for the half-win color feature in Double Up — _Nick Baldridge, technical explanation_ ### Notable Quotes > "These are critically important in payout." > — **Nick Baldridge**, mid-episode > _Emphasizes the importance of cams L, M, N, O in the payout mechanism_ > "It is incredibly easy for it to get out of time with the rest of the cam and therefore never detect a winner." > — **Nick Baldridge**, mid-episode > _Warning about the sensitivity of switch V adjustment_ > "A picture's worth a thousand words. It really helps to look at this, but it's very crucially important that it be adjusted exactly as in the picture." > — **Nick Baldridge**, late-episode > _Emphasizes reliance on pictorial documentation for correct adjustment_ > "If it's even a little bit out of whack, then the whole thing falls apart and you don't get any payoff." > — **Nick Baldridge**, conclusion > _Summarizes the sensitivity and importance of switch V calibration_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of 4 Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast, technical expert on electromechanical pinball machines | | Double Up | game | 1972 Bally bingo pinball machine being discussed in detail; features color-based scoring, half-win features, and payout mechanisms | | 4 Amusement Only | organization | EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast focused on electromechanical and bingo pinball restoration and technical topics | | Bally | company | Manufacturer of Double Up (1972) | ### Topics - **Primary:** Control unit switches and cams, Payout mechanisms in bingo pinball, Electromechanical machine repair and adjustment, Double Up (1972) technical specifications, Switch stack calibration and tolerance ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0) — Educational and technical content delivered in a straightforward manner. No promotional language or subjective opinion; purely informational troubleshooting and technical guidance. ### Signals - **[restoration_signal]** Detailed guidance on adjusting payout control unit switches (particularly switch V) on 1972 Double Up, with emphasis on tight tolerance requirements and common failure points (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's complete walkthrough of switch stacks U and V adjustment procedures and the consequences of improper calibration - **[design_philosophy]** 1972 Bally Double Up exhibits highly sensitive mechanical tolerances in the payout control unit, where minor misalignments in switch V prevent winner detection entirely (confidence: high) — Multiple warnings about switch V sensitivity and the requirement for exact adjustment per pictorial diagram - **[operational_signal]** Systematic approach to diagnosing payout failures in bingo pinball: check basic gameplay features first, then examine control unit switches if issues persist (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's structured explanation of diagnostic hierarchy --- ## Transcript What's that sound? It's 4 Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to 4 Amusement Only, this is Nicholas Baldridge. Where we left off last night, where we're going through the individual switches on the control unit, from cams C to cam G, in a 1972 double up. Now, I'm going to skip ahead a little bit, but I'll give you the short version here. CAMH through CAMK, including switches which are labeled ST in the switch stack on X, are basically involved in normal gameplay. If you have gameplay features which are not working and you've already checked the basic things like the switch that controls them from the foot rail or other things which you know are in the circuit then it's a good idea to check the control unit switches. Particularly, just giving you the short version here because I know last night's was a little too in depth probably but we looking at controls for step ups for red yellow blue and green scores extra ball step ups, moving the mixer number three disc. Various special features in the game, like the double feature or the NE2 in the Star Zone scores a red letter. So all that to say, we're about to get to the exciting part. The next clutch, which can be disengaged with the coil at switch stack Y over towards the middle right of the control unit, will rotate cams L, M, N, and O. So, now, what those do is control payouts. When you win in a section in double up, the switches rotate on this third set of cams in order to step up the meter, in order to step up the winner discs for each color, or to step up the 300 replays overflow disc So these are critically important in payout Now, as with the other sections I mentioned, there's a backside, and switch stacks U and V are involved. Now, looking at the diagram, When you have Switch U Made It completes the circuit from half win feature relay To replay register step up So on double up There's a feature where you can set One particular color If you have the feature lit To double And the rest of the colors become One half wins So if your odds are at 32 on a given color for 3 in the section, and you have that color lit for half, you only score 16. Then you have switch V, and V completes all replay winner circuits to search index coil. This switch is crucially important in the searching of winners. unfortunately both of these switches can be adjusted from the back side and V more than U is a problem if you make an adjustment on this it is incredibly easy for it to get out of time with the rest of the cam and therefore never detect a winner So looking at the chart, there is a handy chart in the pictorial diagram of the control unit. It shows switch stack N and on the back side is switch stack V. and it shows how to adjust. Now when switch stack N has just fallen over one of the bumps in the cam, switch stack V should be about to go down. And a picture's worth a thousand words. It really helps to look at this, but it's very crucially important that it be adjusted exactly as in the picture. If it's even a little bit out of whack, then the whole thing falls apart and you don't get any payoff. Well, that's all for tonight. Thank you again for joining me. My name again is Nick Baldrige. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast.gmail.com or you can call me at 724-BINGOS1. That's 724-246-4671. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Cast, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter, at Bingo Podcast. You can follow me on Instagram, at nbaldrich. Or you can listen to us on our website, which is foramusementonly.libsyn.com Thank you very much for listening, and I'll talk to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e4ec5820-644a-4087-ba81-4442c47464e7*