A friend’s 300 has some intermittent ball count issues. Went over to his house to check it out, played four separate single player games and the ball counts went as follows (it’s set for 5-balls):

Game 1: 1-2-3-4-5 (no issues here)
Game 2: 1-1-2-3-4-5 (gave two ball 1’s)
Game 3: 1-1-2-3-4-4-5 (two ball 1 & 4)
Game 4: 1-2-3-4-5 (no issues again)

He’s told me the same thing happens with multiplayer games, extra balls get added.

Checking the possible paths for the Add Player Unit coil, I checked the U, P, and 1A switches all were operating properly per my voltmeter. I cleaned and adjusted 1A as this was an issue on a 300 that someone else had posted on this board. None of this cleared the issue.

Could the problem be with the NC Z1 & Z2 switches that are in the head? That’s probably where I’m going to look next, but I would appreciate extra guidance.

I’m wondering if the Z1 and Z2 switches are just barely closed and the action of the bonus ball counter in the head is messing up the flow of current from the power rail through the switches to the return path.

Regards

Alberto

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I did not check this (I should have) I’ll go back and take a look. I was so focused on the electrical part that I never checked the Player Unit mechanically.

Alberto

When I go back I’ll jumper those two switches (Z1 & Z2), see if that clears the problem.

Regards

Alberto

Update on this, went back this morning to troubleshoot some more. When the issue happens, the Player Unit was not stepping, but it was definitely intermittent.

I adjusted the NC Z1 and Z2 switches so they were closed a bit more, but still open when the coil pulled in. We played about a dozen single player games with no issues.

I thought I had resolved it until my buddy called me and said it happened a couple of times when he was playing a four player game with his grandsons. Player 3 got two extra balls and player 4 also got two extra balls. He did not have more details on which balls it was. So the issue is still there, just happening less.

Next time I go, I’m going to clean the Jones plugs (have not done that yet) and then re-check the Z1 and Z2 switches.

Could the issue be through one of the reset switches? The game resets with no issue, so those should all be open at the end of the reset cycle with only Z1 and Z2 closed, correct?

Alberto

kermit24

The bonus balls work and count well. The issue with this machine is that it Will intermittently give a player extra balls in play. For example, Player 2 might get two Ball 2’s before it moves on to the next Player or the next Ball.

Alberto

paulace

When you solder the contacts, are you soldering the edge of the contact point to the leaf blade or are you putting a drop on the solder on the portion you would normally flatten to install the contact point.

I’m going back to my buddy’s later this week to work some more on this issue.

Alberto

@paulace, it is because Z2 is connected in parallel with the reset switches on the Player 3 & 4 scores reels. Z1 takes care of Player 1 & 2.

Thanks again,

Alberto

I think the issue is solved. Cleaned and adjusted the Z2 switch again. Before that I squeezed the contacts down with some pliers. Played about 1/2 dozen games with no issues. Hopefully that was it.

My buddy’s “300” only came with 5 of the bonus balls. We tried unsuccessfully to find 5 more. He talked with a company that makes billiard balls, sent them the measurements, and they made him 10 replacement bonus balls. They are black but look fantastic.

The new balls are 8 grams heavier and also .05” wider in diameter but they look and work great. Total cost for 10 balls was $90.

Thanks again for all the help,

Alberto

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Same plastic as billiard balls.

Alberto

This problem is still not resolved. Intermittently it keeps giving extra balls but now to Player 1 and Player 2. What makes this hard to debug is that it’s intermittent.

I think my next step might be to rebuild the NC Z1 and Z2 switches.

Any other suggestions as to what switch in that chain might be the cause of the issue? I’m at a loss. Every time I think it’s resolved, the issue pops up again.

Thanks,

Alberto