I think you have got a point there .

Just as OP describes above, JPOP developed this mechanism in 1994 for WCS and implemented it in TOTAN in 1996. Seems very straightforward: hit genie switch, magnet activates, coil pulls ball down into playfield, subway ramp switch confirms disappearing ball success. And METLE isn't even trying to get the hammer lock to toss the ball around with the magnet like the genie does in TOTAN. I don't understand why this is such an issue in 2013 when Stern is copying a design that is almost 20 years old. I hope it gets fixed before I take delivery of my METLE in a few weeks.

Never had the second or third issue at all. Just started having the phantom hammers. The only time this happens is when lock is lit but not collected and Sparky MB is lit and not collected. It will repeatedly happen until one of the two are collected. It happens prior to all three locks and I have recreated both ways by qualifying Sparky first and then lighting lock first.

Otherwise the only problem I have with the hammer lock is hard shot from the right flipper ricochet off to the left where they are not locked. Never really more than two or three extra hits to lock.

I apologize if this has nothing to do with what the OP is saying...

... Game Feature adj #75= Coffin Magnet Detect/Cap.B.Hit
This feature is set to OFF.

If you were to set that to ON, would that be the line of code you're asking for? I'm not changing any settings to find out what exactly that means. Everything working great here.

Again, sorry if I'm totally lost. It's happened many times before!

Yes but it doesn't seem to do anything on my game except disable the whole thing. It changes from OFF to a value between 2000 - 5000 msec. I believe the intent is the magnet turns on for 2-5 sec on a captive ball hit, but no where in the patch notes is this adjustment mentioned so it does not seem functional. (yet?)

To the OP: this is a 'solution' that has been brought up a number of times in other threads (by myself as well). Currently the attitude is that that is not the intended functionality of the device. The lock shot is currently not intended to be the same shot as the captive ball shot - the lock is to be a roll over shot in it's present state. What remains to be seen is if a) they can get it working repeatably by increasing the strength or functionality of the sensing system or b) they elect to either combine the rollover sensor with captive ball shots or abandon the rollover idea completely.

Based on the last couple software releases, I'd hedge a bet that Lyman is dedicating time to a specific couple modes/features in the game for each release. Last update was Fuel and Snake MB, before that it was the Snake lock function. I'd be willing to bet based on the unfinished nature of the coffin MB locks (mismatched sound, awkward lighting phases) that at some point Coffin MB will become a focus and that's when we will see whether or not anything becomes solved.

Just curious if this is what Stern told you?

It should be a rollover type shot, but I think it should also activate when you hit the captiveball block. That's how "I" would like to see it implemented anyhow

No Stern has not told me this. It's just been stated here, and there is presently no link between captive ball hits and the lock (other than lighting it). You can trip that switch all day, it does not activate the lock in test mode or in game. The ball MUST roll onto the plate and be detected.

As a side request - I would like to see an indication that lock is lit on the playfield - make the coffin slowly pulse or something, obviously differently than a Hurry Up. Currently the only way to know lock is lit for sure is to look at the DMD after a captive ball hit, which is not when I want to be looking up.

Got ya...

I changed my ball hits to 5 / 5 / 5, since it takes so many extra hits to lock it, it only seems fair to me and plays better IMO...

I changed mine to 5 / 5 / 5 also, 5 / 10 / 10 is just crazy.

Great point Dave. Now go n email those Sternies.

Yeah I've also changed mine to 5 / 5 / 5 more coffin MB action

It's just so odd that some games get phantom hammer hits and others don't? I don't get any after V1.2 this I just don't get! It must be code by why some and not others?

my metle was delivered two weeks ago with the code V1.18 and i had no problem of phantom lock. I made the update yesterday and with the code V1.2 the hammer just go crazy.