Salle Boise Fencing Club • How To

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Troubleshooting Guide
(Identifying the source of problem)

On the Strip

False Off-targets (off-target lights without hitting anything):

Is it the weapon?

Unplug the weapon from the body cord. Using the bell guard, short either the two prongs or the tip of the bayonet to the base of the bayonet. If the off-targets stop, the problem is in the weapon. If they don't, it is not the weapon.

Check to see if the barrel is tight (especially if you have determined that it IS the weapon). This is one of the most common sources of false off-targets. Grab the barrel and try to turn it. You should not be able to turn it with your bare hands (not even a little bit). If you can turn the barrel, use a pair of pliers to snug the barrel down.
Switch weapons with your opponent. If the problem switches sides, then it was the weapon. If the problem does not switch, then it was not the weapon.

Is it the body-cord? (Rule out the weapon first!)

Pull the body cord partially out of the reel plug. Slide a blade between the center prong and the prong that is farthest from the center. Press the blade against both prongs shorting them together while plugging the body cord back in the reel as far as it will go. If the off-targets continue while these are shorted together, then the problem is not in the body cord OR the weapon.

Completely unplug from the reel and switch sides with opponent. If the problem switches also, then the problem is either in the body-cord or the weapon. If the problem does not switch, then the problem is not in the cord or the weapon.

Is it the Reel? (Rule out the weapon and the body-cord first!)

Pull the floor cord partially out of the reel. Slide a blade between the center prong and the prong that is farthest from the center, just as when troubleshooting the body-cord. Plug the floor-cord back in the reel as far as it will go while shorting the two prongs together. If the problem stops, and the body-cord and weapon have already been eliminated, then the problem is in the reel. If the problem persists, then it is not in the reel.
Unplug the reel and switch with the reel on the other side of the strip. If the problem switches sides (and the weapon and body-cord have been eliminated as the issue), then the problem is in the reel. If the problem does not switch sides, then the problem is not in the reel.

Is it the floor cord? (Rule out the weapon, body cord, and reel first!)

If all else has been ruled out, then it is probably the floor cord. At the scoring box, switch the sides that the floor cords are plugged into. If the problem switches sides (and everything else has been ruled out), then the problem is in the floor cord. If the problem does not switch sides, then the problem may be in the box. Before tossing the box, try change the floor-cord, reel, body-cord, and weapon.

If the problem seems to be the body cord or the floor cord, check that the male end of the plugs are making good contact with the female socket. For older cords, the prongs may need to be spread out to make good contact. Use a small flat-head screwdriver to spread the blades of the prongs on the cord.

The problem may also be where the wires attach to the prongs. Tighten the screws holding the wires in the prongs as outlined in step 6 of Troubleshooting off the Strip: Check the body cord.