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Judge Dredd subway problem


felixthadog

Question

Occasionally when I am playing Judge Dredd (perhaps 1 in 30 games) the ball enters the subway and gets stuck in the small gap between the metal enclosure and the plastic ramp. Sometimes I can shake the machine enough to dislodge the ball without tilting, other times I have to tilt the machine and sometimes (rarely) I need to remove the glass and dislodge the ball manually. Is there something I can do to prevent the ball from getting stuck? Here is a photo, you can see the metal enclosure (under the pcb), the "gap", and then the plastic ramp.

 

Matthew

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I don't have a JD, but here is a generic reply...

 

Is there a reason this gap is there? Is the plastic subway or the metal box not quite installed properly?

 

Another thing - is that exactly where it gets stuck? It isn't getting stuck on the microswitch by any chance? I had that happen to me - the swich arm had popped off one of the pivots making it very hard for the ball to move it...

 

I'd check those out before moving to another fix, like something as simple as a flap of mylar stuck on the box side, but NOT on the subway side: On the subway side, I would put a smaller piece of mylar adhesive to adhesive with the main flap so it won't stick - you don't want to stick these pieces together!

 

Ah dammit this would be easier with a picture... let me know if you want to know what I am going on about.

 

Cheers

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I don't have a JD, but here is a generic reply...

 

Is there a reason this gap is there? Is the plastic subway or the metal box not quite installed properly?

 

Another thing - is that exactly where it gets stuck? It isn't getting stuck on the microswitch by any chance? I had that happen to me - the swich arm had popped off one of the pivots making it very hard for the ball to move it...

 

I'd check those out before moving to another fix, like something as simple as a flap of mylar stuck on the box side, but NOT on the subway side: On the subway side, I would put a smaller piece of mylar adhesive to adhesive with the main flap so it won't stick - you don't want to stick these pieces together!

 

Ah dammit this would be easier with a picture... let me know if you want to know what I am going on about.

 

Cheers

 

I can't see how the metal box or the plastic ramp could be installed incorrectly - the plastic ramp is secured to the playfield by 2 screws (if it was installed incorrectly the screws would not line up with the holes) and the metal box is connected to the playfield and to the drop target assembly (so again an incorrect installation would misalign the connections). I am also 100% sure that the ball is getting stuck in the "gap" between the metal enclosure and the plastic ramp and NOT on the switch inside the plastic ramp. I will take another look at the machine tonight to confirm the installation is correct and take some more pics.

 

Cheers,

Matthew

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Just a suggestion.... i have played a lot of pins that have been set up poorly ie machine not level, slope of playfield not correct.

 

Maybe u need to check if the machine is level or increase/decrease slope via adjustable feet on the 4 legs :unsure

 

Just a suggestion....

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Just a suggestion.... i have played a lot of pins that have been set up poorly ie machine not level, slope of playfield not correct.

 

Maybe u need to check if the machine is level or increase/decrease slope via adjustable feet on the 4 legs :unsure

 

Just a suggestion....

 

Your suggestion definitely has merit, I would like to get the machine setup correctly but I am unsure how to do this. How do I verify that the machine is level and the playfield angle is correct? :unsure

 

Matthew

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Your suggestion definitely has merit, I would like to get the machine setup correctly but I am unsure how to do this. How do I verify that the machine is level and the playfield angle is correct? :unsure

 

Matthew

 

I think the manual would be a good starting place...

 

Well u can usually tell if the machine aint level by looking at it ie it could be leaning off more to the left or right etc.

 

As for adjustment of incline/slope of playfield, i think most DMD pins have a small level located near the plunger. I am unsure as to how the playfield is adjusted... :unsure

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A couple of threads that cover levelling:

 

http://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php?t=1805&highlight=angle

 

http://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php?t=2494&highlight=playfield+angle

 

That gap does look too big (as you know with the ball getting stuck there!) - I hope the levelling may do the trick for you.

 

Cheers

 

Thanks for posting those links, now if only I could get my hands on an inclinometer .... ;)

 

Matthew

 

I think the manual would be a good starting place...

 

Well u can usually tell if the machine aint level by looking at it ie it could be leaning off more to the left or right etc.

 

As for adjustment of incline/slope of playfield, i think most DMD pins have a small level located near the plunger. I am unsure as to how the playfield is adjusted... :unsure

 

The JD machine does not have the spirit level near the plunger :cry

 

Matthew

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OK, I have taken another look at the subway problem and it seems to me that both the plastic ramp and the metal enclosure are installed correctly. However, the gap between the metal enclosure and the plastic ramp is quite large, and I have also found that the lip of the plastic ramp is lower than the lip of the metal enclosure. I have attached some photos which will hopefully show what I am describing. I'm not sure where to go from here, I'm hoping someone can suggest a remedy :confused:

 

Pic #1

Pic #2

Pic #3

Pic #4

Pic #5

Pic #6

Pic #7

Pic #8

Pic #9

Pic #10

Pic #11

 

Matthew

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Guest Burra749
Thanks for posting those links, now if only I could get my hands on an inclinometer .... ;)

The JD machine does not have the spirit level near the plunger :cry

Matthew

 

Some machines hide there inclinometers under the score cards, not sure about JD but maybe worth a look.

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What would be a good way to bridge the gap between the metal enclosure and the plastic ramp? Sticky tape (it would be a bitch to position correctly), cardboard, part of a ice-cream lid (like AK suggested), piece of metal or something else? :unsure

 

Matthew

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just bridge it with something temporary, even if it is sticky tape, and see if it solves your problem. If it does then I would be correcting it with something a bit more permanent or stronger like a thin strip of perspex.

 

Thats sounds like a good idea, I'll give it a go and see if it fixes the problem.

 

Cheers,

Matthew

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Well, I have implemented a solution that has proven successful with the many games I have played testing it out on. I cut a piece of metal to size (see pic) and secured it in the metal enclosure with an overhang to bridge the gap and rest snugly on the plastic ramp (see pics before and after). The piece of metal is on a slight angle which forces the ball to roll down to the plastic ramp, then the momentum causes the ball to roll down the plastic ramp to the kicker (instead of getting stuck as it did previously). I'll be doing some more testing just to make sure it works, but I'm pleased so far :D

 

Matthew

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