AMI Continental 2 does not power up :(

My AMI was working ok for a few days back, but then I decided to try and install a bluetooth receiver/adapter for the AMI.

I am a complete newbie in maintaining jukeboxes or electronics, but in order to install the bluetooth receiver, I followed the instructions included with the bluetooth adapter and:

- plugged two pins from the adapter to the 110V output on AMI's transformer
- interrupted one of the connections to the mute relay (A1 or A2 on the amplifier ) using the adapter's block connector
- put the adapter's yellow wire to the yellow wire on the scan control switch (switches the ground (-v) to the
scan motor) - I did this by splicing the adapter's yellow wire to the AMI's yellow wire
- connected the adapter's red wire to the +30v supply. (Cam switch No6. on the mech) - I did this by splicing the adapter's red wire to the AMI's red wire
- my AMI is a mono machine, so I had also to insert the short RCA plug from the adapter into the socket on
the main amplifier.
- removed the volume control centre wire from the middle connection on the control amplifier (B2) and connected it to
the adapter

After I had made the modifications, the AMI did not boot anymore. There is a silent hummm-sound, nothing else. I also measured the output volts on the transformer's 110V outputs and they showed only 1 volt.

I reversed the modifications I had made and removed the bluetooth-adapter, but still the AMI does not power up anymore.
According to the seller I must have disturbed the AMI in some way when making the modifications. Any tips, what I should check to get the AMI to power up again? I found 6 fuses in my AMI and they all seemed to be ok.

Thanks for any help, I am myself quite a bit lost here!

O.k. Marko,

a Bluetooth Receiver in an old Jukebox, How Awesome!

There is also a fuse 2 A SlowBlow inside the Junction Box, the box left beside the Amplifier, with the transformer on it. Maybe this fuse is blown.

Greetings Helmut



2 mal bearbeitet. Zuletzt am 08.05.21 12:36.

I think I found the fuse, but it was sadly ok. (pic IMG_0361)

Attached are pics of the fuses that I have spotted thus far and that have been ok.

Hi, Marko,
the fuse I mean is not on your IMG 0361. This is the fuse for the Coin contacts on the Credit Unit.

You have to take a look inside the Junction Box on your IMG_0364. Unscrew it from the Cabinet and you will find the fuse inside.

Greetings!
Helmut

Ok, thanks for the tip. I did manage to open it, but the fuse seemed to be ok.

I had to splice the bluetooth adapter's wires into the yellow and red wire on the top of the Ami and I haven't covered their "wounds" yet with tape, but surely that cannot be the reason that the Ami won't boot up?

Might there be some safety feature that since the upper white deck of the ami under the pad for the singles is removed, it would not start?

Hello Marko,

No, there is no safety feature at all.

You wrote, all fuses SEEMED o.k. How did you find out this ?
The only way to find out a good fuse is to test it with an ohmmeter. Visual control is not sure to find a blown fuse!

Greetings Helmut

I tested with the meter's "beep" -function, they all gave the beep. Then there is the one fuse in front, behind the "Ami Continental 2" -panel - it also gave the "beep". I have to admit, the fuse in the junction box did not seem at first to give the beep-sound, but it did, when I changed the meter's prongs' orientation.

The maker of the bluetooth-mod was the opinion that it must be something simple and that I somehow might have disturbed the AMI somehow internally. I've been trying to look at it visually, but I do not see broken wires etc (well, except the wires, where I connected the splicing connectors).

Hi Marko,

In the junction Box on your IMG_0406 the wiring looks a bit confused. There are three110 VAC cables coming into the Box, originally it should be only one cable. I can not identify what this cables do, or where the go to. Somebody has done a non professional job once in the long lifetime of this machine. So it is impossible for me to help you from the distance.
Sorry!
Helmut

Oh, that's no good, someone has made some macgyver-connections there then... Thanks for your help in any case!

I made some progress. With the help of guidance from a friend I removed the cable marked with purple and measured the points marked with red: 010. I also measured the points marked with yellow: 231.

It seems that my transformer is toast and I must start looking for a new one. Any tips in that regard?