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Adjusting Microswitches Correctly?

Carl Spiby

Carl Spiby

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Joined
Feb 24, 2013
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Location
Kendal, Cumbria
I'm trying to adjust the ball switches in the ball lock to reliably detect the ball is present, it often needs a nudge to help the balls settle and activate the switch.

What is the correct way to do this? I have pulled the metal arm with pliers from the underside of the playfield so that it sits lower but now the switch only just and so activates when the arm is flush with the playfield.

Its worked 2 out of 2 times but I thought I might as well just find out exactly the right procedure.
 
I'd be interested in this too, they can be fiddly to get right. I have learned not to overtighten the 2 little screws that hold the switch in place, that can stop a switch working altogether.
 
Sorry, yes Shadow.

You just reminded me @kevlar regarding the screws, one is usually eloingared so the switch itself can be adjusted to activate sooner. i.e. angled upwards slightly
 
It's just a case of tweaking. You can tilt it a tiny amount by using the 2 mounting screws. You can take the armature off and clip it on further back on the switch. Or you can physically bend the metal armature up But generally it means it's probably in need of replacing
 
"it often needs a nudge to help the balls settle and activate the switch"

Magnetised Balls?
 
Did a similar thing in the scoop on my Tron. Every now and then I'd make a shot and it would chuck the ball right back at me without registering a scoop entry. Tried every damn thing position wise but the mounting points were just that little bit too low. Fixed it with a small bead of epoxy on the microswitch contact point (the little piece of plastic the arm presses on to activatethe switch)
 
Get bending it Carl, looks like it could be a bend it and see scenario, a little bit then test and so on till your happy with it.
 
Just spent the best part of the night bending it to see.

In the end I moved the pivot on the arm back and bent the wire in all different ways, it seems to work fairly well now (well 2 out of 2 is a much better success rate than before).

The ball was just sitting to one side of the wire and not pushing it down, I made the table steeper too in case that would help.
 
Is this problem with the shadow lock area? You need to set the blade of the switch nearest the button so that it only needs slight movement to activate it when the arm is resting against the underside if the playfield. Then adjust the pointy bit through the playfield as low as you can so that a ball that travels behind the switch has enough weight to roll over the lowly set switch wire to activate. I was working on this same problem last week.
 
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