(Topic ID: 317886)

Fathom: Solenoid issue, only the knocker is working

By Deathdive

1 year ago


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  • 18 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by Deathdive
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    #1 1 year ago

    Hello from Germany,
    my Fathom isn't working any longer. The deep I dive in to the tech, the more I learn, but I'm running out of Ideas.

    Game was working but after a restart the solenoids were out of order.

    In the solenoid test routine, only the knocker and the coin lockout are working. No drop target, is moving at the start routine, the fathom never has been so quite.
    The fuse are all new. I changed the three elkos on the solenoid driver board, no effect. Testpoints looking good.

    Solenoid expander board lamp is lighting in the test routine and at the start.

    Any ideas? Connection for the solenoid board? J3? But nearly all at the same time, without a blown fuse?

    Thank you for ideas,

    Thomas

    #2 1 year ago
    Quoted from Deathdive:

    Hello from Germany,
    my Fathom isn't working any longer. The deep I dive in to the tech, the more I learn, but I'm running out of Ideas.
    Game was working but after a restart the solenoids were out of order.
    In the solenoid test routine, only the knocker is working. No drop target, is moving at the start routine, the fathom never has been so quite.
    The fuse are all new. I changed the three elkos on the solenoid driver board, no effect. Testpoints looking good.
    Solenoid expander board lamp is lighting in the test routine and at the start.
    Any ideas? Connection for the solenoid board? J3? But nearly all at the same time, without a blown fuse?
    Thank you for ideas,
    Thomas

    Check you fuse under the playfield near the flippers with a meter.

    I think the knocker is not fused at that location.

    #3 1 year ago

    1 amp slow blow fuse beneath the playfield

    #4 1 year ago

    I checked the fuse under the playfield a second time, and tried a new fuse 1amp slow blow. No effect.

    I noticed that the clicking sound(perhaps the solenoid expander) at the start is missing.

    #5 1 year ago

    Confirm to see if you have voltage at all coils/lugs when the game is first powered on.

    Put the black lead on the ground braid in the cabinet and the red lead on each lug on each coil under the PF to check for DC volts. Yes, you can test either lug, they should both have voltage just like @ the knocker coil. Remember, a coil is just a long piece of wire.

    Quoted from Deathdive:

    I noticed that the clicking sound(perhaps the solenoid expander) at the start is missing.

    It is possible that you have a bad solenoid driver board. But let's first confirm your voltage at the coils on the playfield.

    #6 1 year ago
    Quoted from snyper2099:

    Confirm to see if you have voltage at all coils/lugs when the game is first powered on.
    Put the black lead on the ground braid in the cabinet and the red lead on each lug on each coil under the PF to check for DC volts. Yes, you can test either lug, they should both have voltage just like @ the knocker coil. Remember, a coil is just a long piece of wire.

    It is possible that you have a bad solenoid driver board. But let's first confirm your voltage at the coils on the playfield.

    The knocker is firing, I'd verify there is power at other coils first or manually try to fire them by grounding the tab on the drivers.

    #7 1 year ago

    Even if the fuse is good, check the fuse holder and replace if necessary. Those playfield fuse holders wear out and stop properly gripping the fuse.

    #8 1 year ago
    Quoted from BigAl56:

    Even if the fuse is good, check the fuse holder and replace if necessary. Those playfield fuse holders wear out and stop properly gripping the fuse.

    Good advice, this was the problem a half year ago. So the fuse holder is new. It must be an other problem. Thank you

    #9 1 year ago

    Next step is to verify you have 43v. Take out a meter and measure the voltage at both sides of the fuse holder then trace backwards to the rectifier board. 43v leave the rectifier on a brown wire, J1 pin 7. It goes to the fuse holder then out on a yellow wire.

    #10 1 year ago
    Quoted from gdonovan:

    The knocker is firing, I'd verify there is power at other coils first or manually try to fire them by grounding the tab on the drivers.

    The Knocker Q3 and the coin lockout Q19 are working. I was possible to fire the knocker manually by grounding the tab of the driver, as recommended. No effect on the other Drivers. Both got around 43DC at the driver and at the coil. The DMM measurement at the lugs of the not working coils, showed 0.002VDC.

    Could it be possible, that so many drivers had been killed at the same time?

    No it must be a problem in the 43VDC Bus... but were?

    #11 1 year ago
    Quoted from BigAl56:

    Next step is to verify you have 43v. Take out a meter and measure the voltage at both sides of the fuse holder then trace backwards to the rectifier board. 43v leave the rectifier on a brown wire, J1 pin 7. It goes to the fuse holder then out on a yellow wire.

    Research is the easy with your detailed instruction. Thank you. I checked: 43v are leaving the rectifier on a brown wire, J1 pin 7. That's fine.

    #12 1 year ago
    Quoted from Deathdive:

    Research is the easy with your detailed instruction. Thank you. I checked: 43v are leaving the rectifier on a brown wire, J1 pin 7. That's fine.

    What is the voltage after the playfield coil fuse? If power is making it through fuse I suspect the first coil in the chain the bus wire came off.

    #13 1 year ago
    Quoted from gdonovan:

    What is the voltage after the playfield coil fuse? If power is making it through fuse I suspect the first coil in the chain the bus wire came off.

    Now, I'm totally confused. All the coils got 40VDC, but the coindoor lockout git 70VDC and the Knocker got nothing but is working in the testprogram.

    #14 1 year ago

    Not familiar with Fathom but I had the same problem on a SpeakEasy-4.

    The 43VDC relay (under the playfield) was faulty (not sure if this relay is also on a Fathom expander board)
    Trying to give you more options

    #15 1 year ago
    Quoted from Deathdive:

    Now, I'm totally confused. All the coils got 40VDC, but the coindoor lockout git 70VDC and the Knocker got nothing but is working in the testprogram.

    This tells me you may not be testing for DC voltage properly or, your ground braids are possibly not connected between the coin door, cabinet, and backbox. See post #5 for testing procedure. All the coils gets voltage from the same DC supply rail and should always match (IN A BALLY GAME). Remember for testing purposes, always use the ground braid for your black meter lead when testing for DC coil voltages.

    You can also test for voltage at that relay under the playfield if you suspect it's having a problem. The one on my game has it's leads labeled on the PCB. They are notorious for having cold solder joints. Speaking of that relay, it requires a working incandescent 555 bulb next to it to function properly. Lamp (or socket!) could be faulty if it's not clicking during your "all lamps test". (The one in my Fathom was never even grounded properly at the factory.) The relay itself could also have issues. Sometimes you can remove the plastic cover on them and clean the leads with ultra fine sand paper to get them going again but I would refrain from trying to adjust it unless you are familiar with using a proper pinball "switch adjustment" tool.

    2 weeks later
    #16 1 year ago
    Quoted from Thor-NL:

    Not familiar with Fathom but I had the same problem on a SpeakEasy-4.
    The 43VDC relay (under the playfield) was faulty (not sure if this relay is also on a Fathom expander board)
    Trying to give you more options

    Tried a new solenoid expander board. No effect.

    #17 1 year ago
    Quoted from gdonovan:

    What is the voltage after the playfield coil fuse? If power is making it through fuse I suspect the first coil in the chain the bus wire came off.

    Which is the first coil in the chain? The first behind the fuse? How can can I figure it out?

    #18 1 year ago

    I'm a big step further. I took a wire an take the voltage from the working knocker to an other coil. Surprise everything is working. Now I had to figure out where the broken connection is...

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