FT volume stuck on max

[MarkS]

Just got an FT and unfortunately it looks like both "Escape" and "-" control buttons don't work Struggled through the menus by resetting power each time to get back out...

Since the volume was a bit on the high side (kids gone to bed too), I figured the "+" was bound to cycle right-round back to the minimum... ummm, guess not. Now I'm stuck with it on max volume Any ideas? Will a factory reset actually reset the volume? (I'm a bit worried about doing this as there is a label inside suggesting the default is German, und mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut, although I have found the manual online so hopefully I can manage to reset to English through A.1.21?)

 

[Carl Spiby]

Can't you just jump the negative switch with a bit of wire?

 

[MarkS]

Thanks Carl, I could if I knew what any of that really meant... When it comes to electronics I'm clueless and can just about change a battery... are the buttons complicated or should they be something like 2 bits of metal touching which I could check? Is that what you mean about the wire?

 

[Wizcat]

Yep, Carl means to use a jumper wire to simulate pressing the switches

You need a strip of wire, one end connected to ground, and the other end you touch against a pin on J205. Pin 7 would be volume down (and pin 8 volume up)

You can see an example of the procedure at around 2m 20s in this video (though as explained in the video, it doesn't work for this guy due to issues on his cpu board)

 

[MarkS]

Thanks for that link... I really need to get a grip on some basic electronics I think, although that at least made sense on the vid.

Once the penny dropped that the switch must be physically creating a contact I hoped it was just sticky and/or a poor contact so worked it up and down about a hundred times and then tried again - got it to work once after a few attempts and held it in which brought the volume back down to a civilised level

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Calimori]

Sounds like the switch may be the fault and not the wiring/boards so see if you can give it a clean and fix it.

 

[pinballmania]

The easy way. Look at the back of the non working switch. Each has a unique wire plus a common wire between each switch. The common connection is adjacent to the unique wire on the switch. Use a flat screwdriver to short these two points together , simulating the switch closure. It may be easier if you remove the switch assembly from its mounting, by undoing the two screws either end of the switch array.

 

[MarkS]

I had another look last night as I thought I might be able to clean the button/switch - but I can't see how it comes apart (if it does)? All I can easily see is the plastic cap/button and the spring, does that come apart or would I need to somehow get inside the underneath bit? Another stupid question, by "clean it" do you mean clean the metal switches? What would I need to clean them?

Any talk of shorting things worries me being an electronics dunce, although I follow the logic there - I guess I should at least have a multi-meter to check the wires first should I? Although as this is the FT you had in a few weeks ago Andy I should be confident it's not a death trap

Sorry for the basic questions guys and thanks for your patience!

 

[pinballmania]

Shorting is what you are doing when you operate the switch. Just connect the two terminals together externally.

It is possible to open the switch and clean it, but I wouldn't recommend if. Each switch needs to be removed from the frame, then disassembled, there's many small parts that can easily go astray.

 

[pinballmania]

If you want to get a flaky switch to operate press it down very slowly and wiggle it about as you lower it.