TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

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johnstewart
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TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by johnstewart »

I have had this Tales From the Crypt for a month or two. It's mostly been okay (had some loose screws on a VUK causing issues, but that I sorted).

This weekend I had a party and it was failing. Basically, when the ball is supposed to feed into the launch area, it doesn't. It thinks it's shot the ball into the launcher, but it's not there. You can't launch the ball since it's not been fed to the launch area yet, but the game thinks it has. The "fix" is to open it up, manually eject all the balls, and then some of the time it will work.

Then, occasionally, sort of the opposite problem... it'll feed MULTIPLE balls into the launch area.

I don't *think* this is a problem with the solenoid shooting the balls up itself... I'm thinking this is more likely a sensor... either showing a ball is there when it shouldn't be, or vice versa.

Does this sound like I'm on the right track? Definitely a new problem to me! (although I've been doing this less than a year, so most problems are new to me). =)

thanks!

John
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Chris K
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by Chris K »

Have you done a switch test? The outlane, trough, or shooter switches might be confused. Considering that ejecting all the balls and reloading fixes it, my money's on a trough switch. Open up the apron and see if anything is reading wrong in the switch test as you shoot and drain balls.
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ralphwiggum
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by ralphwiggum »

Yeah, this is definitely sounding like a switch related issue. Does TFTC use the roller switches in the trough (have little roller wheels on the switch end) like a lot of the 6 ball DE games do? If so, those things are notorious for needing adjustment.
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johnstewart
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by johnstewart »

I don't know what type of switches this thing has. I will say it's a pain in the arse to get the balls out of that 6-ball holder... have to keep manually ejecting, power cycle, manually ejecting.

I will try to do some switch testing; thanks, gents!
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Chris K
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by Chris K »

I don't know what TFTC's mechs look like, but you can probably just power it off and manually actuate the switch with your hand. You also might be able to poke a pen or something in there to pop them out.

Or just lift the table and watch them all fly, like all of us have done once or twice. ;)
Our pinball table breeding stock:
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johnstewart
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by johnstewart »

I'll take pics when I work on it, but when you pop up the playfield, they're all locked into a 6-ball caddy of some sort, so they don't flop out. I have to manually trigger the solenoid to get the 1st to eject (and then, when powered on, it seems to move them all up a spot).
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Chris K
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by Chris K »

Yup, that's pretty much every table. Some tables have an eject program, you can trigger in the utilities menu, but it's usually fastest to just pop them out by hand.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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BigDaddyBanjo
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Re: TFtC Ball Launcher Issues

Post by BigDaddyBanjo »

One thing you get good at is manually "ejecting" balls out of the trough with your fingers to do maintenance of one kind or another. On most DE (I haven't owned TFTC specifically) it is just a matter of giving a sharp push on the eject plunger from the bottom to pop the ball into the shooter lane where you can grab it. The next ball should then just roll into place and you repeat the process. _MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF WHEN YOU DO THIS_ Often times it works better to when the playfield is all the way down rather than resting on the sliders.

If that isn't working for you can use one of those $3 magnet on a telescoping rod tools to pull the balls out. Again turn off the power before you start poking around.
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