Bally slot machine randomly activating hopper until timeout reset.

[Aqua69420]

I recently got a Bally Em slot machine, it is an 809-B 5 coin multiplier machine. I have one major issue with the machine and that is at random after some lever pulls, but not all. The hopper will start running until the machine’s safety timer shuts it off. I do not know why I have a video attached displaying the behavior in action. Any help would be appreciated.

[wolftalk]

it's not a 809-B ... at least, not anymore.

since it's a jackpot only style machine ... meaning less frequent pays but higher pays when it does hit - you have a hopper mixer relay that turns on the hopper at some blank positions of reel 1.   The idea is to level the coin in the hopper.

an 809-N is a "lightning" game that should be pretty close to whatever you have.  Schematic is in https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/809-N/

key thing is the hopper mixer relay should only power when a reel mech B switch closes during the spin.  The switch should not be closed after a spin is over.

reel mech B switches are the horizontal ones on the left side of the reel mech above the coin relay.  You want to look at a switch with yellow and orange/black wires on it to make sure it's not stuck closed.

there's also the possibility if someone has assembled your game from pieces that there's an issue in the hopper plug wiring, but if you stick a piece of paper between the contacts of the B switch, the hopper mixer relay shouldn't ever power.

if the mixing is annoying, you can also just disconnect the hopper mixer relay.  Remove the red/yellow wire from the coil terminal on that relay. 

[Aqua69420]

I tried adjusting the contacts that you told me about but I still get the same behavior. Maybe something looks wrong but I attached a video of the contacts in question and they open and close.

[wolftalk]

it's the horizontal switch behind - which looks open.

what wire colors are on the blades and hunt around the machine for the hopper mixer relay and see what wire colors are on the coil.  It's often on the hopper someplace, and will have a switch or pair of redundant switches with white and white/blue wires on the blades.

it may help to identify your reels ... there's codes stamped into the slotted metal index discs - what are they?

[Aqua69420]

In the hopper I was able to locate the hopper mixer relay. The issue was that the relay was not able to properly reset to the open position,  I added some mini rubber bands to the side of the relay with the spring and it fixed the problem entirely. Thanks for your help.

[wolftalk]

it's actually the blade tension on the long/moving blades that mainly lift the armature plate back up.  The spring just helps at the end create the contact gap.

you can bend the long/moving blades some to increase the "up" pressure.  For bad video, see https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/videos/Switch_Adjust.m4v