Tech: Simple Shadow Wireform Switch Fix

From: Rick Swanson <>
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Tech: Simple Shadow Wireform Switch Fix

My Shadow has the problem that when you
shoot the left Phurba ramp the right
side wireform switch doesn’t always
register that the ramp has been made.
The problem is caused by the fact that a
well hit ball will fly over the top of
the switch arm. Here is a picture of the
switch I’m talking about.

http://webpages.charter.net/rswanson3354/SRBefore.JPG

Consequently, I took one of those micro
switches that comes with a “bend it
yourself” wire switch arm and configured
the wire arm so that a ball traveling
down the wireform must come in contact
with the switch arm. The micro switch
has a very heavy wire arm (darn near a
bicycle spoke) and it should keep its
shape for a long time. Here is what the
switch looks like after I put the bends
in the arm.

http://webpages.charter.net/rswanson3354/SRSwitch.JPG

This next picture is what the switch
looks like installed in the wireform.
The vertical portion of the switch arm
pretty much sits in the center of the
wireform channel. No ball is getting
past *that* switch arm!

http://webpages.charter.net/rswanson3354/SRInstalled.JPG

Here is what it looks like reinstalled
in the game.

http://webpages.charter.net/rswanson3354/SRInstalled.JPG

This was a very simple fix to this very
aggravating problem.

I wanted to post this simple fix in the
event others were having this same problem.

Rick Swanson