(Topic ID: 124988)
Linked Games
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Williams, 1993
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Picture of display + 2 video's look like everything works as it should. Only one switch - #16 left return lane - is closed as it shouldn't.
Maybe a picture of display from switch-test directly after loading goes wrong will give more information.
So, start machine, load 6 balls into trough and let machine load the 3 locks. From the moment it spits the first ball back, enter the switch-edges and see where the balls are located.
Quoted from zaza:Picture of display + 2 video's look like everything works as it should. Only one switch - #16 left return lane - is closed as it shouldn't.
Maybe a picture of display from switch-test directly after loading goes wrong will give more information.
So, start machine, load 6 balls into trough and let machine load the 3 locks. From the moment it spits the first ball back, enter the switch-edges and see where the balls are located.
Took a video of this process. Hopefully this is what you meant:
Quoted from zaza:Yes, that is what I meant.
Still got the idea that one diverter is longer activated than normal, maybe someone with a ST:TNG can verify this.
besides that, everything looks normal.
I'm little bit out of ideas here.
Yeah, this is a strange one to me. It seems like the right cannon is never being loaded.
Quoted from halomojo:It seems like the right cannon is never being loaded.
Yes, hope someone can tell the order of loading the locks
I believe the correct ball loading sequence should be:
1. Right gun
2. Left gun
3. Left popper
And 3 balls remaining in the through.
It's possible though if ball #1 is ending up in the Left gun it's still accepted, and the system tries again loading a ball to the Right gun. To me it seems that that #2 ball is ending up in the Left popper and therefor gets rejected. So something is preventing balls going to either Left or Right gun.
You should be able to watch this action through the coin door and see if the coil triggering seems normal. To load a ball to the Right gun the inner diverter (as seen from the coin door) must work properly, for the Left gun it's the diverter closets to you. The Timing is rather critical and the coils must engage long enough for the balls to be diverted to correct destination.
Another idea would be to try filming the subway and coils action and try to capture the exact moment the ball is diverted, or supposed to be.
Quoted from mrq:I believe the correct ball loading sequence should be:
1. Right gun
2. Left gun
3. Left popper
And 3 balls remaining in the through.
It's possible though if ball #1 is ending up in the Left gun it's still accepted, and the system tries again loading a ball to the Right gun. To me it seems that that #2 ball is ending up in the Left popper and therefor gets rejected. So something is preventing balls going to either Left or Right gun.
You should be able to watch this action through the coin door and see if the coil triggering seems normal. To load a ball to the Right gun the inner diverter (as seen from the coin door) must work properly, for the Left gun it's the diverter closets to you. The Timing is rather critical and the coils must engage long enough for the balls to be diverted to correct destination.
Another idea would be to try filming the subway and coils action and try to capture the exact moment the ball is diverted, or supposed to be.
Tried my luck at filming beneath the playfield. Pretty tricky to get the correct angle but I think this might be the key to my problem! It looks like the Under Playfield TOP Diverter isn't pushing the ball far enough to the right in order for it to load the right cannon. It looks like the ball gets hung up for a second when the coil engages and then keeps dropping down to the left. Is this just a matter of adjusting the angle of the diverter arm? Check out the video:
Quoted from halomojo:Is this just a matter of adjusting the angle of the diverter arm?
Yeah it should be, probably only a slight adjustment needed.
Thanks mrq for helping !
It looks very much a mechanical problem. seems the ball doesn't want to enter the other direction.
Well gang...The problem is FIXED! It's been a long thread. I've learned a TON in the process and thank you so much to everyone who offered advice and loads of ideas. The Under Playfield Top Diverter was adjusted too far towards the right subway so when the coil fired, the space was not large enough for the ball to pass through. It was getting held up at the junction and then would drop down towards the left after the diverter disengaged.
As a quick recap if anyone else comes across the same issue:
1. Machine got stuck in loop continuously trying to place balls
2. One of the fuses was blown
3. Accidentally overfused with 15A fuse instead of 3A
4. Burnt up Under Playfield Diverter TOP & blew a transistor on the small auxiliary power driver board (original board had some sketchy looking work done to it by previous owner).
5. Replaced Coil & Power Driver Board but problem still persisted including 4 coils not working (Under Diverter Top/Bottom, Drop Up/Down)
6. Found Ball Trough Optos to be faulty as well as cable running from Aux Power Driver Board to main Power Driver Assembly
7. Replaced these and now all coils and switches were operating correctly but balls were still not getting to the right cannon.
8. Turns out that Under Playfield Diverter TOP angle was adjusted incorrectly and would not physically let a ball pass by when it was engaged. Adjusted angle and now it works good as new! Found this out by listening closely after the ball would fall behind the drop target, the diverter coil would engage but you could hear the ball stop. Then once the coil disengaged, you would hear the ball drop to the left. Also, taking a video beneath the playfield during this process helped a bunch.
Thanks again!
Quoted from halomojo:I've learned a TON in the process
Well done !! Thanks for the final update.
So it seems that this problem has reared it's head again. I'm sure that the issue is just adjusting the angle of the diverter again, but I can't seem to get it right. I just tried 10 times in a row.
Remove all the balls
Lift the Playfield
Adjust the diverter angle
Lower the playfield
Test
Doesn't work
Repeat
Is there a trick to setting the proper angle of the under playfield diverter?
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