Just came across this thread. Cool project building an Orbitor 1!

I've got one in my Pinball Museum and it actually gets played a lot. People find it very interesting because it's so different than any other game. I actually think the game is under-rated. It's really a fairly hard game to master. Making those long shots to the upper drop targets is really difficult with the bowl shaped playfield. It could have definitely been better with a more complex rule set and some additional targets to hit, but it's not that bad compared to some other games of that era.

I have come across one issue. The flipper rebuild kit that's sold through several pinball parts suppliers is not exactly the right kit for Orbitor 1. I'm assuming mine has stock flipper assemblies. They sure look stock to me. The kits do have the correct plunger, link, spring, and coil sleeve. The EOS switch that comes in the kit doesn't include the secondary "flipper time check" switch that is stacked on the EOS switch. But the EOS switch in the kit will work, you just have to take apart the switch stack and replace only the EOS portion. The issue is the coil stop. What's in the kit is not even close. I haven't been able to find the correct coil stop yet. I made due by filing down the original. If anyone knows of a source (or even the part number) that would be a big help!

Good luck with your build! If you run into anything that you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask. I have mine apart at the moment to do some much needed maintenance. If you need any photos of the inner workings, let me know.

Thanks,
Dave

I can tell you that the plastic piece that the cardboard light tubes are glued to is very thin and brittle (at least mine is). Preceed with caution. Mine chips very easily on the edges of holes in the plastic. I would also be careful using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften adhesive. The plastic is thin and vacuum formed. I'm sure it wouldn't take much heat to deform it.

I don't know what type of adhesive was originally used. If I had to take a guess (and it's only a guess) , I would say the plastic is some type of styrene. It has the same feel and texture as styrene. The good news there is that styrene is very easy to glue with a variety of adhesives.

On mine, all the cardboard tubes are still firmly attached. So I have not attempted to reglue them. Several of the cardboard tubes have started to peel apart though. Most of them are deformed into oval shapes from the spring pressure of the lamp sockets. I have wrapped the outside in masking tape to hold the cardboard together and then put a plastic wire tie around the outside to help hold the light socket in place. This seems to work well. I have thought about replacing the cardboard with a piece of plastic tubing, but I'm not sure if I can get the cardboard off without damaging the thin plastic they are glued to.

Did anyone ever find a suitable replacement for the spinner motor? One of the motors on my Orbitor 1 has failed now. The motor is a Multi Products. It has the number 300-54. The motors run on 115VAC 60Hz and the failed one is the CW rotation unit (the is one each of CW and CCW rotation in the game). Google hasn't been too helpful.

These are 115 Volt AC motors. You can't change the direction of the motor by reversing the polarity of the wires. There are two different motors and they are marked from the factory as CW and CCW. The motors spin different directions intentionally.

This is most likely a problem with the optical sensor PCB, not the motor itself.

Iso,

I certainly don't want to start an argument and I did not mean any disrespect with my previous post. Please keep in mind that nearly 900 Orbitors were made, which would be about 1800 motors total. It's not uncommon for there to be multiple sources for parts used in production and some may be marked differently. It's entirely possible that motors used on some games were not marked and others were.

My Orbitor definitely has two different motors and they are marked CW and CCW. See the photo of the one I just removed from the game (I didn't get a photo of the other motor since it's still installed, but I have seen the CCW mark on it.)

Also, see the attached page taken from the Orbitor 1 manual that calls out two different part numbers for the motor (clockwise and counterclockwise).

These small AC motors are known as shaded pole single phase induction motors. All AC induction motors will happily run in either direction once started. There are various methods to determine which direction the motor starts turning.

For larger motors, there is a start winding and start capacitor. The start capacitor causes a small phase shift in the start winding. The relative phase difference between the start winding and the stator winding will determine which direction the motor starts rotating. This is accomplished by reversing the polarity of the start winding. This will be documented with the motor datasheet.

For shaded pole AC induction motors like the kind used in Orbitor 1, the shading coils (single loops of heavy gauge copper wire in the stator) have an induced current by the magnetic field in the stator. This current produces a second, smaller magnetic field with a slight phase shift similar to the start winding in a larger motor. This smaller magnetic field creates a small starting torque. It's the physical position of the shading coils that determine the direction of rotation. To reverse the direction of this type of shaded pole AC induction motor, you have to physically disassemble the motor and flip the stator over. See the two links below for more information.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaded-pole_motor

https://woodgears.ca/reader/walters/reverse_motor.html

Again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful at all. I just want to post accurate information for the benefit of others. I'm an electrical engineer and I've worked in R&D departments of some large companies designing both consumer and industrial products with all kinds of motors and motor controls for nearly 20 years now.

Orbitor1CWMotor (resized).jpgOrbitor1PlayfieldPartsHL.pdf

PBR can and will rebuild it. I was hoping to find a faster solution.

I spoke to Steve Young at PBR about this yesterday. He has already talked to Multi Products about these motors. They don't have any current model that would work for a replacement, but they can run a small batch production run of new motors. He said the minimum run would be 100 motors (50 each of CW and CCW). He estimated he would have to price them at about $100 each. The big unknown for him is just how much demand there would be. I told him I would buy a set. If you really want some replacements made, call up Steve and tell him you would buy them. If he gets enough interest, he'll have a batch made.

In the mean time, I've sent my bad motor to him for repair.

No worries.

I have a great deal of respect for what you have done. It's very ambitious to take on a project to do a scratch build of Orbitor 1. There are lots of rare and unique parts that are practically unobtainable. I struggle sometimes just trying to find parts to keep my complete one up and running.

I know you have a great deal of knowledge about this game and all its unusual, hard to find parts. This thread has been a great resource for me when I'm working on my game and I truly do appreciate it.

I hope that my posts didn't come across too strong. I certainly didn't mean for that to happen and I'm sorry if it did.

I've been doing this stuff for more years than I care to admit and I still learn something new almost every day. That's actually what keeps it interesting for me. There is always some new challenge coming along.

Since I have the motor removed from my game, I've also got the opto PCB and bracket out with it. I repaired one of my opto boards a few months back. I can probably make a reproduction board while I'm waiting for my motor repair. I have plenty of sources that can make PCBs and handle the assembly at reasonable costs. But I don't want to reinvent the wheel if you are already going down that path.

I could also create a 3D model of the sheet metal bracket if that would help. I have some sources for sheet metal fabrication, unfortunately they are typically not cheap for low volume runs like this. Maybe if I create the model you can find a reasonably priced source for the brackets.

I would be happy to help out any way that I can.

I found a compatible opto that is in stock at DigiKey. I had to replace one of mine that failed a few months ago. I'll search through my DigiKey orders and find the exact part number.

The substitute opto is an Optek OPB866T51. DigiKey 365-1747-ND.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tt-electronics-optek-technology/OPB866T51/1638054?s=N4IgTCBcDaIMwDYCsBaAjAdgCwZQOwBMQBdAXyA

I posted this in the prototype thread also.

Sorry, I haven't read through all the thread yet. I'll go back and take a look so I'll be caught up.

I do quite a bit of sheet metal design work for custom enclosures and various brackets. I can create 3D sheet metal models that you can then send to various fabrication shops to have them made. I usually work with ProtoCase https://www.protocase.com/ or ProtoLabs https://www.protolabs.com/ for fabrication. They specialize in quick turn, low volume production. Unfortunately they aren't cheap. But if you have the model, you should be able to shop around and find someone local who can do it at a much lower cost with a longer lead time. Forming sheet metal is still cheaper than CNC machining most of the time. Most shops will also be able to do the self-clinching, press in studs for the opto board mounts.

The fabrication industry in general is moving away from 2D drawings to specify parts. Most shops now use CNC in at least part of the fabrication process and they convert the 3D model directly into the CNC files. For sheet metal work, they use the 3D model to create the flat cutout shape and cut the sheet on a CNC laser cutter or water jet. Some shops even use CNC forming machines.

I haven't done detailed 2D drawings in years. Dimensioning a 2D drawing is a royal pain, and takes as much (or even more) time as creating the 3D model itself. I do include a 2D overview drawing with my models. It shows only the extents dimensions and includes manufacturing notes, self-clenching fasteners, and thread callouts, etc. But the 3D model now serves as the master and all dimensions are derived from the model. This saves a significant amount of time in documenting the design and is actually less prone to error than using only a 2D drawing.

You might try using a magnet from the topside to move the nut back into place and see if you can thread the post screw back into the nut from the top. Be aware that the nut could scratch the underside of the playfield as it slides across. Good luck!

That's a KEPS nut (built in star lockwasher.) As you start tightening the post from the top, the washer teeth will probably grab the plastic and hold it well enough to tighten the post. Keep in mind that you don't want it too tight or it will cause cracks in the acrylic. You can put a small drop of blue locktite threadlocker on the post threads before assembly to keep it from working loose again. If it were me, I would try this first before taking everything apart.

If you do end up taking it apart, I think using a nylock nut, like tjw suggested, is a good idea. They also make low profile nylock nuts, which may fit in the limited space a little better.

Super glue will fog the acrylic and probably wouldn't hold up for very long either.