Target Alpha Stuck on Last Ball

[GUARD]

So I've been reading and watching all afternoon about old Gottlieb relays but I can't find an answer to this.
Game resets and starts just fine but is stuck on ball 5 through all 4 players over and over, game never ends. I tried some advice and switched it to a 3 ball game and it was the same except for, obviously, the ball in play stayed on ball 3. I'm torn on whether it' the BX or "last ball" relay that needs my attention........

 

[sylvain]

Does the BX / Last Ball relay properly trip upon getting to the last ball?
Make sure the rivets are clean on the Player unit for this (and make sure the small flex wire is present where it should be between the sprung pins on the wiper disk).
Then, also check that the contact stacks are tight on the BX/Last Ball relay, and make sure that the contacts are properly adjusted.

Adjusting contacts on the AX and BX relays in Gottlieb EMs is a bit of an art - because there is not much distance that the armature moves - so the contacts adjustments are critical on those relays for proper game playing.

Good luck!
-Sylvain.

 

[GUARD]

Nothing trips at all as it never gets to "last ball".....in a sense.

It's always "last ball"......like Groundhog Day. I know the BX certainly doesn' 'click' like the AX does so I'll start with it.

Thank you....Merci. ....

 

[GUARD]

Maybe I didn' explain properly......it' always ball 5 even when I start a new game. It plays all 4 players on ball 5 over and over......just like the show, the game never ends.

Unless I shut it off or start a new game which just resets the scores to zero and then carries on at ball 5 and all 4 players.

 

[sylvain]

Hmmm, is the Player Unit in the head resetting to its zero position at game start?
How about the Coin Unit in the cabinet?
Basically, I would look for anything gummed-up on those steppers/ratchets and fix before chasing an electrical issue. Difficult to troubleshoot remotely without seeing what is actually happening...

For the start-up sequence, this Mr.Pinball Target Alpha Startup Sequence should help you:
http://user.xmission.com/~daina/tips/pub/tip0457.html

Good luck!
-Sylvain.

 

[GUARD]

Thanks....I will do that.

I read that today......I really hope it makes more sense to me tomorrow when I'm at home with both the machine and schematics.

 

[Jay]

Thanks....I will do that.

I read that today......I really hope it makes more sense to me tomorrow when I'm at home with both the machine and schematics.

Have you figured out the problem? I live in Guelph and may be able to help.

 

[GUARD]

Have you figured out the problem? I live in Guelph and may be able to help.

I haven't even had time to play over the holidays between family and overtime. I'm hoping to get back to semi-normal by next weekend and would love to have some help. Thank you....

 

[Jay]

Ok well,same here things are hectic, but ya ...in a week or two...we can get together....I'm no pinball tech...but I brought mine back from the dead. It had almost every problem that could be had. I'm a millwright so that helps.

 

[GUARD]

I will PM you my address and phone number. Much appreciated.

 

[GUARD]

Target Alpha Lives!!!!

Thanks so much to Jay for his time and knowledge today, hope I can retain some of it.
And thanks to Sylvain, after checking all the obvious relays we went back to your post and checked out the coin unit. For some reason the large spring was loose and had looped around another 'post' and wouldn't allow the mechanism to move. Jay tightened and cleaned and, voila, it came to life. I was quite surprised to see that the coin unit would control even the GI lights in the head.

 

[Jay]

Was a good day, thanks for the hospitality....any help in the future ... don't hesitate to ask!!!!

 

[GUARD]

Ok......doesn't quite "live". Plays four players all the time and doesn't want to finish the last [match I think] procedure at the end of ball 5.

Back to looking at pictures......

 

[Jay]

Are you off at all during the week this week?

 

[GUARD]

Not a lot. I may be off all day Tuesday but I'm hoping to get a call from the overtime fairy....
If you have time, could you send me a picture from above of your coin mech playing just one player?

EDIT: Off Friday

 

[Jay]

Pretty sure I can come over Friday, I think I know what s happening with it.

 

[Jay]

Ok......doesn't quite "live". Plays four players all the time and doesn't want to finish the last [match I think] procedure at the end of ball 5.

Back to looking at pictures......

The match feature runs off the tiny stepper fs or something like that...the one you were cleaning in the back box lower right... check that... remember it got misaligned... it's probably out by one.

 

[sylvain]

If it plays 4 players all the time, even with a 1-player game started, then the Coin Unit in the cabinet is not resetting at its 1st position at game start...

- Sylvain.

 

[Jay]

I figured this also little more tension on the spring, it seemed to step not to bad by hand, the spring had the extra bend in it, I think it relaxed a bit.

 

[Jay]

I was going to tighten it a bit more, but we tried it a couple times and it seemed ok at the time.