Fathom problems, targets and extra ball loading

[Crashramp]

Hi guys,

I'm just trying to work out the final bugs in my Fathom. Apart from a few lighting problems which I now think could be an incorrectly wired connector the game had pretty much been fully working. The only thing play wise causing issues was that the blue x3 target at the top of the playfield would sometimes get hung up.

I removed the playfield to fix this issue and now that I've got it back in I've picked up acouple of new problems. On starting a game it will load up 2 balls into the shooter lane. One after the other. Also the full bank of blue inline drop targets at the top of the playfield now don't drop at the start of the game like they are suppose to. They don't seem to go through that cycle like the green inlines do.

In test they drop just fine so the small adjustment to x3 worked. I've also reseated all of the connectors incase I didn't put them back properly when I reinstalled the playfield. Any suggestions?

[Strangeways]

This assembly is a pain to configure and adjust.

The DTs need to be able to drop when the mini solenoid for that target is enabled. It can be a random occurrence because the nylon tip on the plunger does not hit the target nib that drops it. There are two mounting scews that can orientate the individual mini coil brackets to direct the plunger inwards to impact the DT harder. It is not really an adjustment, but sometimes it works. They always "play up" with NEW DTs. Put the old ones back in and it will work most of the time.

Two balls into the shooter lane sounds like there are 4 balls in the game instead of 3. Sounds like the game is working in test mode, and playing up during play. Did you remove the apron ? Did you disturb the trough switches when lifting and dropping the playfield ? These switches can be a pain if they are out of adjustment.

Check the connectors to the CPU as well.

[Crashramp]

Thanks Nino, I've worked out what the problem is and it's all my dodgy techs fault (that's me in case anyone's wondering ;0) ) I forgot that I'd also adjusted the top out hole kicker because whenever it kicked a ball out it would hit the first of the two little metal posts under the large ball gate (pic below) and bounce back in the hole again. Anyway I've disturbed the normally open button switch in the hole so that it was sitting there closed all the time. Thus the reason that both the targets would stay up and the second ball would launch out. As far as the game could tell there was already a ball in the out hole.
Thanks for the tips though and you are dead right about the new targets. I had to adjust them acouple of times before I had them working correctly. This last one, the x3 was a particularly stubborn one.

[Retropin]

Looks super clean.. is that one of the repro playfields???

[Pintoxicated]

Bummer, I was going to suggest that the machine was no good and you either sell it to me for $1500 CASH or leave it at my place for a few months so I could sort the problems out for you...(when I got around to it which would have been at least 6 months).

Gav this is more than likely one of THE nicest Fathom machines in Australia.  No expense spared, new everything that can be new and what wasn't replaced with something new was re-chromed, re-zinced or re-whatever could have been done to it.

[swinks]

looks beautiful 

hope you solve the problem soon.

[Crashramp]

Hi Gav, yes it's one of the recent run of 20 or 30 Fathom playfield's CPR did. I was very lucky to get it because the original one was cactus. There's as much house paint and black texta as there is original art left on it.





Thanks also for the kind words Blair but as you know a lot of people including yourself have helped me along the way with this machine. I'd never have been able to get it to were it is with out a lot of help input from others. Anyway I won't go into it to much here. It's all playing really well as of this afternoon, I just have to fix an issue I'm having with a few lights and I'll update my restoration thread with the finished machine.
Thanks also Jady, I'm really enjoying this game. It's a really really fun game.

[DSB]

Pretty sure nothing was wrong! Just another chance to show off that amazing work.   Looks stunning close up, Well done!

[Crashramp]

Pretty sure nothing was wrong! Just another chance to show off that amazing work.   Looks stunning close up, Well done!

Ha ha yes, I wish that were true! It's been fun getting this together but it's all the little things which take the time at the end to get right. Nearly there now though.

[GORGAR 1]

Looks awesome Adam well done :) you certainly know how to make a game shine :)

[Crashramp]

Looks awesome Adam well done :) you certainly know how to make a game shine :)

Thanks Peter, I just wish I knew how to get all of the lights to work!