Trapshoot classic - remote issue or transmitter issue?

jehuie

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Trapshoot classic - remote issue or transmitter issue?

I posted about this a while back but thought I would revisit it. My Trapshoot Classic wall game uses an RF garage door opener as the trigger. It works most of the time but intermittently stops firing. I thought at first it was because of the complicated series of buttons on the switch (pics below). However, the light on the controller flashes each time it's pressed so I know the switch is operating right.

Any ideas on how to check to see if the problem is with the remote versus the receiver? I suppose it could be an interference problem out there of some sort but I don't know how to test for that either.

Here's the controller:
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As you can see, the red button on the housing simply presses on a standard garage door opener remote button made by LiftMaster:
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Which, in turn, presses on the small I-beam looking white plastic piece:
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Which then presses down on the tiny electronic switch button:
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The receiver is a Lift Master model 412LM. When it's working I can hear the relay click inside the receiver. But when it's not, I can't. I tried replacing the relay but it didn't fix the problem.

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<snip>
Any ideas on how to check to see if the problem is with the remote versus the receiver? I suppose it could be an interference problem out there of some sort but I don't know how to test for that either.

I suggest opening up the receiver box and see if you can probe the inputs to the relay, and work your way back along the path to try to figure out where the signal gets lost. I don't know how they build those things, but it's likely either +5 or +12. If it's +5, use a logic probe, if it's +12 get one of those cheap 12 volt test lights and use it the same way.

Unfortunately, what you really need is some way to monitor the RF signal, which I don't know a good way to do.

If you suspect interference, then you might want to hunt down some Liftmaster docs - that dip switch in the remote will be setting either frequency or code or something. There ought to be some corresponding way to set a code in the receiver, and you might play with it a bit to see if changing the code helps any.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking the same thing about changing the code. I don't think this model lets you set the freq. Unfortunately, probing the circuit is tricky since the problem is so intermittent. It makes it very difficult to reproduce when needed.
 
My Trapshoot Classic wall game uses an RF garage door opener as the trigger. It works most of the time but intermittently stops firing. I thought at first it was because of the complicated series of buttons on the switch (pics below). However, the light on the controller flashes each time it's pressed so I know the switch is operating right.

Any ideas on how to check to see if the problem is with the remote versus the receiver?

As you can see, the red button on the housing simply presses on a standard garage door opener remote button made by LiftMaster:

The receiver is a Lift Master model 412LM.

Maybe this guy can help and will chime in?

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=179459&highlight=garage

And if he can get another LiftMaster 412LM, I'd like to get one too!
 
Maybe try checking to see if that microswitch is making contact every time it is depressed, it looks original. For that matter, check the contacts in the transmitter as well. Got any neon lights near the game? Those can be a problem too.
 
Maybe this guy can help and will chime in?

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=179459&highlight=garage

And if he can get another LiftMaster 412LM, I'd like to get one too!

Yep, already asked him. He says he can't get them. :(

Maybe try checking to see if that microswitch is making contact every time it is depressed, it looks original. For that matter, check the contacts in the transmitter as well. Got any neon lights near the game? Those can be a problem too.

I'm pretty sure the microswitch is working fine since the LED flashes each time I press it. Even when the receiver doesn't get a signal.
 
does the receiver have a learn button in it ? i was looking on line you may be able to use a different remote. i wondering if a 61 lm will work it has dip switchs in it same as the pic
 
Yep, already asked him. He says he can't get them. :(



I'm pretty sure the microswitch is working fine since the LED flashes each time I press it. Even when the receiver doesn't get a signal.
i talk to my friend i can get you a remote and a receiver but have to check out the price on the receiver i add a pic of the remote i can get you
 

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i talk to my friend i can get you a remote and a receiver but have to check out the price on the receiver i add a pic of the remote i can get you

That looks exactly like the one to me. If you can get them for a reasonable price I'll probably buy one just to have a spare. And it may fix my problem too. Yes, it does have a learn mode so perhaps another transmitter could be used. But I know this one fits and lines up perfectly inside the controller housing so I'd rather go with the original model.
 
That looks exactly like the one to me. If you can get them for a reasonable price I'll probably buy one just to have a spare. And it may fix my problem too. Yes, it does have a learn mode so perhaps another transmitter could be used. But I know this one fits and lines up perfectly inside the controller housing so I'd rather go with the original model.

If you get really stuck and think it's the button, you could remove the button from the outer casing, replace it with an actual switch (that is, something with contacts, instead of just a bit of plastic), and tear apart the opener to wire the switch to the board in place of the little button.
 
That looks exactly like the one to me. If you can get them for a reasonable price I'll probably buy one just to have a spare. And it may fix my problem too. Yes, it does have a learn mode so perhaps another transmitter could be used. But I know this one fits and lines up perfectly inside the controller housing so I'd rather go with the original model.
ya i can get you the remote just send me a pm and the one you can use for the learn code button would look like this one. let me know what one you want ?
 

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Just thought I'd circle around and explain how I finally ended up fixing this intermittent problem. Rather than continuing to diagnose it, I just upgraded the thing to a newer remote/transmitter combination and now it works perfect.

Originally the game had a 412LM receiver and a remote (not sure the model#) which both operate at the 390 mhz frequency. Replacing them is pretty expensive. They are out there but fairly scarce and tend to be pricey.

However, the 312HM receiver looks identical on the outside (the internal board is slightly different) and operates at 315 mhz so it's not compatible with the other remote. So you have to also get a remote for it. I chose the 373LM.

I got the 312HM receiver from Amazon for around $25 and the 373LM remote for around $10.00 I believe. The transmitter bolts in exactly where the old one does so there's no problem there.

The transmitter, however, is a different size and shape. It also has a different feel to it that the old one so I chose to continue using the original remote inside the case. But to make it work, I decased the board from the new remote and mounted it inside the housing along side the original. Then I soldered wires from the button on the original to the leads on the button on the new one so it would actually be activated when the button on the old remote was pressed.

It works great. Another advantage is that the newer remotes use the button style lithium batteries which are longer lasting, cheaper and easier to find. Also, now I can purchase extra remotes for very little cash to have on hand in case something breaks.
 
Bumping this 4 year old thread because someone asked for pictures.

Here's the remote from the side. The button on the outside is really just a dummy button that simply pushes through and depresses the actual button on the garage-door remote inside:

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The little circuit board came from inside the newer style remote. The button on the far left can be depressed to fire a shot. I simply ran wires from that button to the connectors on the button inside the old remote that is mounted below it:

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And here is the underside of that board where I soldered the wires to the button:

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