# Episode 155 - Bally's Thoughtfulness **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-08-13 **Duration:** 6m 43s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-155-ballys-thoughtfulness --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge discusses the maintenance-friendly design of Bally bingo pinball machines, using his recent acquisition of a Gay Time machine as a case study. He highlights Bally's thoughtful engineering that enables easy access to game mechanisms and motors through fold-down back panels and removable back doors, contrasting this with the challenges of working on machines in tight spaces. The episode sets up future discussions on replacing control unit motors in bingo games. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Bally bingo machines have control units mounted in the head of the game, making most work accessible while standing, with minimal bending required. — _Nick Baldridge, speaking from hands-on experience working on Gay Time and other Bally bingos_ - [HIGH] The back panel of Bally bingos can fold down from the front to access mechanisms behind the bingo card without opening the back door. — _Nick Baldridge describing the fold-down back panel feature_ - [HIGH] Bally bingo back doors are hinged on posts rather than pins, allowing the entire door to be removed and laid flat for easier work. — _Nick Baldridge explaining the hinge design and its benefits for rebuilding and troubleshooting_ - [HIGH] The back door has a built-in prop that latches when fully opened, allowing hands-free access to control unit and mixer motor operation. — _Nick Baldridge detailing the back door safety and access features_ - [HIGH] The control unit motor in Nick's Gay Time was not turning when he acquired it, prompting him to source a replacement from Dennis Dodell. — _Nick Baldridge describing his current restoration project_ ### Notable Quotes > "I've talked before about how incredibly simple bally made maintenance of these beautiful games." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Early in episode > _Sets the main theme: Bally's thoughtful design for serviceability_ > "You're pretty much standing up the whole time you're working on it. There's very few things you need to bend over and look at." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode > _Highlights ergonomic design advantage of Bally bingos_ > "You can see the position of various switches from the front and turn the motor with your hand if you need to all from the front without having to open the back door." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode > _Demonstrates accessibility without full disassembly_ > "If you have a couple saw horses nearby, what you can do is actually take the back door off... you can lay the entire back door down and then work on it have the game running even while the door in that position and troubleshoot it fantastic." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Later in episode > _Describes the practical benefit of removable doors for active troubleshooting_ > "I've worked on various issues with Steve Smith on some of his games where he took the back door off and it just made life a whole heck of a lot easier." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Later in episode > _Personal corroboration from another experienced technician_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast, pinball technician and enthusiast working on Bally bingo restoration | | Dennis Dodell | person | Source for spare control unit motor for Nick's Gay Time restoration project | | Steve Smith | person | Pinball collector/operator with whom Nick has collaborated on bingo machine maintenance and repairs | | Gay Time | game | Bally bingo pinball machine recently acquired by Nick Baldridge from New Jersey; featured in current restoration episode | | Double Up | game | Bally bingo machine owned by Nick Baldridge that may require back door removal and mixer rebuild | | Bally | company | Vintage pinball manufacturer known for thoughtful maintenance design in their bingo machines | | For Amusement Only | organization | EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast hosted by Nick Baldridge; also stylized as 4 Amusement Only | ### Topics - **Primary:** Bally bingo machine design and engineering, Pinball machine maintenance and repair techniques, Control unit motor replacement and troubleshooting, Back panel and back door accessibility features - **Secondary:** Vintage pinball restoration projects, Ergonomic design in vintage arcade machines - **Mentioned:** Magic Screen game mechanisms ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0) ### Signals - **[design_philosophy]** Bally's intentional engineering of bingo machines prioritized ease of maintenance and repair, with fold-down panels, removable doors on post hinges, and controls accessible from the front. (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's detailed description of fold-down back panels, removable back doors, and front-accessible control units across multiple Bally bingo models - **[historical_signal]** Bally applied lessons from earlier horse race games (like one-ball horse race) to bingo machines, improving service accessibility through iterative design. (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge compares bingo design to earlier horse race games with fold-out shelves, showing Bally's design progression - **[restoration_signal]** Nick Baldridge is documenting practical techniques for Bally bingo restoration, including control unit motor replacement, with plans for future episodes on specific procedures. (confidence: high) — Episode focuses on Gay Time restoration, with upcoming episodes planned on motor replacement; mentions collaboration with Steve Smith on multiple restoration projects - **[community_signal]** The podcast serves as educational content for the EM/bingo pinball community, sharing hands-on repair knowledge and best practices. (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's detailed technical explanations and references to collaborative work with other enthusiasts like Steve Smith - **[product_concern]** Nick acknowledges space constraints force him to work on machines vertically rather than in optimal horizontal/door-removed position, indicating common practical limitations for home technicians. (confidence: medium) — Nick states: 'most of the time today because I'm so space constrained in my own game room I do things vertically it's not the best way to do it but it works' --- ## 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. Today I started working on the gorgeous, beautiful, amazing condition, gay time that I brought back from New Jersey. This game had an issue. The control unit motor which drives the brain of the game was not turning. Knowing that this was the case, I went ahead and got a spare control unit motor that would function in this game from Dennis Dodell. Over the next episode or two I'm going to talk about exactly how you change a motor in a bally bingo. But before I did that I wanted to touch on something which I've talked about before and that's how incredibly simple bally made maintenance of these beautiful games. I've talked before about how the one ball horse race games and the camp talked about and the episode last night about the little shelf that comes out of the front door with the kickstand allows you to work on the horse race games very simply Well the bingos kind of took that up a step Since everything is in the head of the game, except for the lifter motor and a couple other odds and ends, You're pretty much standing up the whole time you're working on it. There's very few things you need to bend over and look at, anything of that nature. So you walk up to a bingo and even if it's pushed against the wall, if you take the side rail off, at the back glass you can fold down the back panel the panel with all the lamps in it this allows you access all the mechanisms behind the bingo card that allow the numbers to move or change lamps etc but in the center is a control unit So you can see the position of various switches from the front and turn the motor with your hand if you need to all from the front without having to open the back door. Now let's talk about the back door because it's a pretty special topic in and of itself. You wouldn't think so, but it is. First of all the backdoor has a built prop So when you open it all the way it actually latches into position Once it latched into position you can examine the operation of both the control unit and the mixer motor Mixer operates in the top of the backdoor. And then you have your trip bank and your various relays that handle the game specific functions as well as some steppers for odds or winners or your sequence unit in a magic screen game. All that stuff is on the backdoor. So to make it easy to work on one of these, Dally made it so that The hinges are actually not pins that go all the way through but instead posts that the door rests on. So if you have a couple saw horses nearby, what you can do is actually take the back door off. You have to loosen a and a bracket that holds wire bundle in place but you can lay the entire back door down and then work on it have the game running even while the door in that position and troubleshoot it fantastic and again you can use a chair you can sit down and take your time I heard it fantastic for rebuilding mixers and I probably going to have to do that in my double up though I avoided it for several years It It needs to happen I think so That's how I'm going to do it I've worked on various issues With Steve Smith on some of his games where he took the back door off and it just made life a whole heck of a lot easier and trying to do it vertically now most of the time today because I'm so space constrained in my own game room I do things vertically it's not the best way to do it but it works so I am really excited to be back on my feet and in the back of this Wonderful new addition to the game room. Well, thank you very much for joining me. My name again is Nicholas Baldridge. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com, or you can call me on the bingo line at 724-BINGOS1. 724-246-4671. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Cast via RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Bingo Podcast, Instagram, or listen to us on our website for amusement only dot libsyn dot com. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: fd0a3235-f458-4aef-aefa-cacee494880d*