EM Bonus/Stepper Problem

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Hi,

My Gottlieb EM "Solar City" is working fairly well, but there is a
problem with the bonus accumulation when a ball drops.

For each of the 15 drop-targets that fall, you are supposed to get 1000
points on bonus. However, the stepper unit under the playfield runs
through all 15 steps (right to left) after each ball drops, but the
correct amount of bonus is not added. Sometimes, if I hit any more than
2 targets, I might get 1000 or 2000 points, but no more.

When the ball is kicked into the shooter lane, the stepper unit resets
to the right, but I have noticed that it does not sit squarely on the
last contact (though it looks more aligned as it moves across the
pins). And it is only one of the springs (top one) that is making this
contact. The lower spring does not make contact with anything - it
seems to be defaulting to a position where there is no pin to touch.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'd be happy to provide more details
or photos.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

dave there is your problem, your stepper is messed up. every finger
should touch, make sure you clean all contacts and make sure contact by
the fingers are being made, common problem with em, steppers. but
remember not to much pressure

Ctsteps5

owner of
71 Bally Expressway, 72 Williams Superstar, 75 Gottlieb Fast Draw.

Moderator of EM Pinball Group
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/empinbalmachines/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Is there a way to know what contacts the fingers should be touching
when it is in the reset position? I have the small "manual" for the
game, but I don't think that it has this information.

DG

ctsteps5 wrote:
> dave there is your problem, your stepper is messed up. every finger
> should touch, make sure you clean all contacts and make sure contact by
> the fingers are being made, common problem with em, steppers. but
> remember not to much pressure
>
> Ctsteps5
>
> owner of
> 71 Bally Expressway, 72 Williams Superstar, 75 Gottlieb Fast Draw.
>
> Moderator of EM Pinball Group
> http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/empinbalmachines/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Hi folks,

Sorry to be practically carrying the thread by myself!

I removed the 'head' of the stepper unit (with hex key) and moved it
slightly so that both of the fingers touched contacts at the far right
of the unit. After re-tightening, it seems to be counting the bonus
perfectly.

Question - when a ball drops, the stepper unit searches through all of
the contacts to see which drop targets have fallen, whether any have
fallen or not before the next ball kicks out. In other words, even if
no drop targets are hit, it "checks" all 15 on the stepper unit
regardless before the next ball. Does this sound like the correct
operation for this unit? If so, I might say problem solved.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In article <1127777465.021432.295470@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
toshradio@hotmail.com wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Sorry to be practically carrying the thread by myself!
>
> I removed the 'head' of the stepper unit (with hex key) and moved it
> slightly so that both of the fingers touched contacts at the far right
> of the unit. After re-tightening, it seems to be counting the bonus
> perfectly.
>
> Question - when a ball drops, the stepper unit searches through all of
> the contacts to see which drop targets have fallen, whether any have
> fallen or not before the next ball kicks out. In other words, even if
> no drop targets are hit, it "checks" all 15 on the stepper unit
> regardless before the next ball. Does this sound like the correct
> operation for this unit? If so, I might say problem solved.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dave

Yes, that is correct. The 1000 score relay is activated only on the
dropped targets (via a switch that is closed when the target is down,
natch!)