This is just a cringe fest. These guys shouldn't be touching AC period.

[joshforester]

I love Tested, but this video they released "modding" a pinball machine was a cringe fest. Guys didn't seem like they knew what they were talking about, and racked up a list of NEC violations. Serves as a reason to deny a insurance claim if the building ever burns down.

[Ian.M]

Its a plug in device - basically a glorified floor standing lamp, connected via an IEC 60320 C14 chassis mounted inlet - not a fixed installation, so I doubt the  NEC even applies.

The USA is a mess for appliance safety standards, but as its in the public area of a workplace, I bet OSHA wouldn't like it if an inspector saw it.

We never got to see the finished wiring in the large box, but assuming that the lid was secured so that tools would be required to remove it (and a cable tie through a drilled hole at each corner would suffice), and physical separation of low voltage control circuit and mains wiring was adequate, the only notable flaws would be failure to ground the metal toggle switch, and lack of grommets on the cable holes.    Also, crimps, wire nuts or Wago connectors should have been used for the mains wiring in the traffic light rather than lapped solder joints.

It *should* be fused - we didn't get to see if there was an inline fuse.  IMHO a fused C14 inlet should have been used.

If I was tackling that project, I'd mount all the SSRS on a grounded metal plate inside the traffic light, with the common wire of the low voltage side grounded,  put an inline fuseholder inside the traffic light, use a UL approved inline switch in the cord to the light, and put the Arduino and optoisolator board that connects to the matrix inside the pinball cabinet, powered by an isolated DC-DC converter so there are no issues with ground loops.

[Brumby]

I agree that it is just a glorified standard lamp - a plug-in device.  A lot less regulated than fixed wiring.  I also agree with keeping all the AC inside the lamp housing.  Running mains cabling to an exterior box is not necessary and is just spreading the risk to a larger area ... and I did not think that the box chosen was really acceptable, especially for an area accessible by the public.

The short duty cycle of the pulses would not have helped the RC network succeed and I wouldn't call this an EE project.  Certainly, these guys openly admitted their lack of circuit design skills and had some semblance of safety awareness - but for the "specialist" issues, they did refer to someone with some appropriate skills.

A fun exercise - but one thing I didn't see addressed was ... were the electrics of the solenoids and lights of the pinball machine they were tapping into isolated or mains referenced?

[james_s]

I will never understand why so many pinball collectors insist on making stupid modifications to their machines. I have one pinball and would have a few more if I had the space and originality is hugely important to me, I restore everything in my collection to be as close to as it was the day it left the factory. Any sort of modifications unless it's a fix for a significant weakness or replacement for unobtainable parts just ruins it.

[IanMacdonald]

Clearly you've never worked on a pin table. All of the table wiring is low voltage. There is mains on the transformer in the base, and possibly mains on some lighting in the head.  You can get a kick from the back EMF of solenoids, but it won't kill you. That said it's a fairly beefy transformer and shorted wiring could cause a fire.

[b_force]

What makes me absolutely cringe is that hobbyist can't be hobbyist anymore, as well as the absolute PARANOIA about everything that has to do with mains voltage.

The only thing that you could argue about is if it's wise to share that on a big YouTube channel.
On the other hand, everyone is responsible for themselves, at least that we think/the law works where I am from.

[Urs42]

Clearly you've never worked on a pin table. All of the table wiring is low voltage. There is mains on the transformer in the base, and possibly mains on some lighting in the head.

Depends on where you live, i remember that the transformer of one machine i was working on had an output of about 170V for the plasma display. That is below 230v so it is below my mains voltage 

[james_s]

Most pins in the 80s up through the mid 90s had neon displays, either Panaplex or dot matrix. They do use 170V, but it's transformer isolated and only run up into the backbox to the display board.

A few pinballs use 120V solenoid coils where a lot of power is required, the shooter in Hyperball comes to mind. Most are much lower voltage but you can still get a shock from the inductive kick. Some of them will pinch your finger too if you get it in the wrong place.

[mc172]

I hate this type of programme. Reminds me of the Ben Cack Show.

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

Yep me too. These are two annoying and "delicate" people who would never survive the Zombie Apocalypse without having to eat you, and then each other.
No common ground or heatsink for the SSR's, dodgy wiring in the fact there is no strain relief on the box, not to mention it's plastic, an extension cord is not rated for just being loosely running around, bad heatshrunk joints without wire nuts...Need I go on.....
But in their own minds "we're hackers".
 
Quote from: mc172 on 2018-07-13, 16:23:11

I hate this type of programme. Reminds me of the Ben Cack Show.

[exe]

You can get a kick from the back EMF of solenoids, but it won't kill you.

I dunno, it can be more than 100 volts... (but I'd expect to have a suppressor / filter on a well-designed machine)