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BITD I don't know of any electronic coin mechs that were around on the games I played that this could have possibly worked on. Mechanical coinmech - I would say its rubbish as the coin physically needs to hit the wire to close the switch. When I ran an arcade for a short time we had a major problem with a couple of kids using the insert from a piezo lighter. I call an experiment - I have an electronic lighter here at home (actually 2 different types), I also have games that range from 79 up to late 80's with all sorts of coin mechs-boards.
Clipper conspiracies aside, there is a common issue with the new lighters where the flint produces a spark but the gas does not ignite the flame. If you have refilled your lighter a few times it can be easy for grime and dirt to build up around the gas outlet in front of the wheel. Cleaning this will most likely fix your problem and get your clipper working smoothly again. It is no secret that the quality of clipper lighters has gone downhill. Many folks say that they have done this on purpose so they do not last as long as consumers have to buy more. If all above fails, make sure that there is actually gas in the lighter as it might need refilling! many newsagents and headshops sell gas bottles to refill lighters and it is much more eco-friendly to refill a lighter than to buy another and throw plastic away. If you want to, you can also replace the flint in your clipper and change the hexagon wheel using a nice round one from a different lighter.OK thanks for that answer Homepin, I do believe you and I know you would know how it works, but I'm a bit lost still. For it to work like that with the high voltage spark being applied to the outside of the coin mech, wouldn't that mean that if you inserted a coin normally when the coin moved the wire mech completing the circuit to register a credit that the current for that would be applied to the whole coin mech, potentially giving someone still touching the mech a bit of a buzz? It has an antenna that detects the high voltage spike and disconnects the mains power for about five seconds. This wipes any credits put up. Fact: I was a teenage arcade recidivist and used this technique to good effect on stand up Space Invader cabs. Didn't always work but was fruitful enough to pursue. We had my mates mums stove top lighter and also one that we pinched from a gas heater. Also used Spacies rapid on /off technique, had coins on strings - not that successful as you lost many a coin and did a good line in coins cut from lead flashing sheet which was probably the most successful. I remember a great run using these on the long line of Spacies at Central railway station. With a lot of the older games, the coin switch was connected directly to the input of TTL logic. A bit like hitting the circuit with static electricity. It could reset or confuse the IC. The problem was with all types of machines and mechs. It was very hard to know exactly which ones - I suspect that's why LAI started using that reset board in all video machines?
Which is why we need the experiment to put this to bed. I understand the logic but there are a lot of variables. This has probably been discussed here before, but I searched and couldn't find it, please post a link to old discussion if know of one, the subject has come up recently elsewhere so I'm looking for some solid facts to pass on. This is what I was thinking, but if the voltage was able to pass through to the second part of the circuit that the wire hits to close the circuit then it would be the same as physically closing it wouldn't it? But that would mean there are some serious grounding issues in the mech, and applying the correct voltage to all that solid metal plate so that just the correct voltage passed through the circuit, hmmm I dunno?If that does not work, try holding the gas lever down with your thumb, then spin the wheel with your other thumb to produce a spark whilst the gas is already coming out. This is the easiest workaround for all dodgy lighters that are not igniting. Homepin what type of coin mechs are you talking about? do you have a link to them? were they the common arcade mechanical ones? or something different? Some people use rubbing alcohol for this but it is dangerous as rubbing alcohol is highly flammable and your lighter could explode if you try to light it without cleaning the alcohol off! Definately worked when I .. and mates were doing it for a short while in the 80's. More specifically at the old downstairs William St 'Split Second' in Perth.
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