Fish Tales error "Pinball Missing"

[Steve C]

Just set FT up tonight and in my excitement I turned it on without putting my balls in

Anyway quickly took glass off and rolled 3 balls down but still keep getting error message "Pinball Missing"

Tried adding a 4th ball but still same message.

This must have happened before/be a common fault on machines - any ideas guys??

Cheers

 

[kevlar]

Dodgy trough switch? Put in switch test and check each switch registers.

 

[myPinballs]

Take the 4th ball out!

Switch test is your friend. Test the 3 trough switches and the outhole switch. Replace them all is good practice these days anyway

 

[DRD]

when you test the switches, remember to do it with pinballs

if they are microswitches, these can fail when the two bolts that hold them in place are over-tightened

 

[myPinballs]

Also, take the apron off so you can see how it loads the balls into the trough

A bad /worn outhole or trough switch can cause all sorts of issues but is pretty easily identified

 

[edsr]

Had this the other day on BW, I’d caught the diode and pullled it off the upper/left most switch. A touch of solder fixed it.


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[Steve C]

Cheers guys, didn't have time before Christmas so have just had a quick look this afternoon.

Fourth ball added was removed straightaway as just tried it once to see if it made any difference.

Good tip about removing apron as woz thinking will struggle to see from underneath

Not much luck with the switch test or nothing that makes any sense to me?

Switch 24 closed, that mean anything? Everything else open?

 

[pinballmania]

So did you test any switches in switch test? Go around and activate each switch and see what works and what doesn’t. Look for a pattern of non working switches like all the switches in one row or column. Or list the non working switches here by switch number so we’ve got something to go on.

 

[Steve C]

Yes did switch test and that is what is confusing as nothing seems to be working.

T3 test for single switches, selected switch 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26 and nothing, all open.

T1 test pressed switches and switch pressed isn't showing on matrix, all that registers are flippers and control buttons

 

[pinballmania]

As you have switch 24 closed that implies the cpu is still able to read closed switches. The only thing common to all switches being out but switch 24 still working is one of the connectors at the bottom of the cpu being disconnected. One is white based. One is green

 

[Steve C]

Spot on Andy, just checked cpu board/connectors and looks like both connectors must have come loose when machine has been folded down

Have one that is white based and one that is green based but 4 options to plug in to, J206, J207, J208, J209.

Looking in the manual it shows J206 and J208 as N/C and J207 as green based and J209 as white based so am I ok to connect green to J207 and white to J209?

 

[pinballmania]

Yes. Whichever they plug onto. The one above the lower one is the same in parallel so either of the pair.