[Jukebox-list] Seeburg Q-160 selection button issue

[Jay Hennigan]

Aaron Heverin wrote:
> Evening all,
> 
> Fuse resistors aside...I got the amp and selection receiver working on my brother-in-law's Q-160. Everything works and sounds great except for one little annoying issue. Whenever I make a selection - say A-1....the buttons latch, the selection is made, and the mech takes off to play the selection accurately. However, the number button - which is the last button pressed in the sequence - always stays down. To make another selection, I have to press another number down very slowly until the depressed button pops back up. The number button won't stay down if I make a selection and press a letter then a number button down very lightly so that it never bottoms out. I couldn't find anything in the service manual about this and I'm completely unfamiliar with these Seeburg models to know if this is what's supposed to happen or not. I'm guessing "not." It's really bizzare because if you don't realize that one of the number buttons is still down and you go and press a letter, there g
oes the mech to play that mystery selection.

There is a metal bar with ramps that runs through the actuator levers 
for the numbers, and another for the letters.  This is the "latch bar" 
that latches the buttons.  With no credit, neither the letter nor number 
buttons should latch down.  When credit is made, the latch bar solenoid 
engages, allowing both latch bars to hold the buttons locked in.

When a selection is made, the latch bar solenoid should release briefly 
to allow both the letter and number buttons to pop up.

With no credits or with the juke turned off, do the number buttons stay 
latched?

There should be an adjustment described in the manual for the latch bar, 
or there may be a missing spring or lever or gunked-up part of the 
mechanism that isn't allowing them to release.  Compare the action of 
the number buttons to that of the letters, you should be able to see 
what is going on differently.

> My second question is more for all the guys who repair jukes for a living or on the side for cash. My brother-in-law wants to pay me for my time working on the amp and receiver. Since he's family, I'm not going to take anything, but I am curious as to what a fair hourly rate is. In the old days, I would quote a price for an entire job but then always...ALWAYS wind up getting screwed because the juke has so many hidden problems above and beyond the original quote. I've heard that a lot of guys charge by the hour...but then you have to keep track of your hours. Regardless, what's considered fair? $25 an hour? $75 an hour? More or less?

Can't speak for that, I work on them as a semi-hobby.  I rebuild 
amplifiers, and generally charge by the job rather than by the hour.

--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay at impulse.net
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