Flaky Switches?

[Jthon]

MMR has been mostly treating me well, but I've been having a problem with a few switches not always registering.


Switch 62 the second switch for the peasants doesn't always seem to trigger. It wasn't working at all until I went and bent the metal clip a bit, but I'm not sure that was the correct solution.


I'm also having trouble with the switch inside the castle working intermittently. I've seen a castle destruction happen when shooting a ball into the ball/lock door. I've also had the ball go into both the castle and the ball lock without triggering anything. (Switch 44? Not sure how that mechanism works.)


I'm also seeing the left return lane switch 26 acting up and not always registering when the ball crosses. This seems to happen usually when a ball returns down the wireframe from the catapult or peasants. Since this works sometimes and not other times I'm not really sure how to go about debugging this.


Mostly posting here for general debug help as I'm relatively new to the whole fixing random pinball issues as my other machine was already dialed in when I got it.

[rand]

Hey man .. with all you situations you are encountering, could you relate to me what was your Limited Number ..
Just so I know mine wasn't in that same week of Production ...
Man,, seems you had more than 1 or 2 situations ..

Thanks ,

I am new to pinball, being this my 1st and hopefully it was a good choice ...Or do I start to worry about when the cloud looms closer over head.

[Lloyd Olson]

Please don't worry.

Should a problem arise PPS and CGC will work hard to help you.

LTG : )

[PPS]

Every comment that we receive I insure gets fed back to Lloyd (tech support), Chicago Gaming, and Stern - depending on what the comment/concern is.

[Jthon]

Any suggestions on debugging the switches? I can open a support ticket if that's preferred, but I thought a guide on how to handle this might help some of the other new pinball owners as well .


Thanks!

[Lloyd Olson]

They can be checked in switch edge test. In that test hit the switch and make sure the right one reports on the screen.

Flaky can be as simple as needing adjusting so a ball triggers it, to the connector to the board is loose.

You can put a meter on the switch with the game turned off and verify if the switch works.

On this new of a game, most problems will just be adjusting the switch so the ball triggers it.

LTG : )

[Cam]

Lloyd
Does your reference to "adjusting the switch" mean bending the metal rollovers?
Thx

[Lloyd Olson]

Depending on where the switch is. The micro minis - some can be loosened and the switch body moved up or down. Some you need to adjust the wire part the ball rolls over. Those you want to make any adjustments past the body of the switch, so you don't effect the part that pushes the plastic knob into the switch body. And check them after an adjustment in switch edge test. To be sure they work, and aren't too high or something and trap the ball.

A little tweaking and anyone can learn the fine art of switch adjusting.

LTG : )

[worldofglenn]

I'd also like to add that when checking switches, check with a ball.  Using your fingers and listening/feeling for that 'click' can yield deceptive results at times. 

[Cam]

Thanks for the responses... I've had to make various adjustments to my old High Speed over the years but not to my new HUO ones... Been lucky I guess... I think this is a good art for all collectors to know so they can keep their machines in fine working order, but I am not proficient at it... I am just hoping Lloyd you can please pass some of that "fine art" along to whomever is testing these wonderful machines before they are shipped.
Thx!
Cam

[Jthon]

How does one adjust a roll over switch?


I think I can get the peasants switch adjusted (just a bend) but I'm not sure what to bend for the fire rollover, or the rollover in the castle since those are giving me inconsistent results.

[Lloyd Olson]

The micro mini switch has a flat metal piece sticking out with a steel wire attached to it, bent in various shapes for it's position the playfield. The wire part is what you adjust, if it needs it.

You need to adjust the wire part the ball rolls over. Those you want to make any adjustments past the body of the switch, so you don't effect the part that pushes the plastic knob into the switch body. And check them after an adjustment in switch edge test. To be sure they work, and aren't too high or something and trap the ball.

LTG : )

[Leo]

I have to confirm that my switch 44 (ball lock) is not working properly and I don't think it's a hardware problem.


Every time, the switch does not register the ball event on the second shoot (the first one register correctly and the ball 1 is locked, but the second shoot does not lock the ball and only the third shoot register the ball 2 lock).


It also do not register on the second castle destruction: when the gate is opened, any forst shoot into the castle does not destroy it but only the second shoot does.


If it would be a flacky switch, the problem would not be so consistent and predictable.


I'll record a video of the problem this week end.

[Leo]

Problem solved. It was indeed the switch. I bent it and now when the ball rolls over it it registers all the time.