Foil Armoury Question

Hello all.
Does anybody know what would make a foil give off-target lights when
it hits the opponent's bell guard? The light shows as the tip is
released.

It would have to be my favorite weapon, of course. Grrr.

Thanks for your help!
Kate

Could be any number of things.

1. Broke wire in the tip.
2. Oxidation on the bell or tip.
3. Weak spring in the tip.
4. Loose barrel.
5. Bad connection on your opponents weapon.
6. Bad connection with your blade.
7. Bad body cord, yours or your opponent.
8. Bad connection with the real or score box on your side or you opponents
side.
9. Tip is bent and is grounding out on the barrel.


"Qatet" <qatet@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7e09bf6a.0210040739.705a07b4@posting.google.c om...
> Hello all.
> Does anybody know what would make a foil give off-target lights when
> it hits the opponent's bell guard? The light shows as the tip is
> released.
>
> It would have to be my favorite weapon, of course. Grrr.
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Kate

"Qatet" <qatet@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7e09bf6a.0210040739.705a07b4@posting.google.c om...
> Hello all.
> Does anybody know what would make a foil give off-target lights when
> it hits the opponent's bell guard? The light shows as the tip is
> released.
>
> It would have to be my favorite weapon, of course. Grrr.
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Kate

If the light is not coming on until the release, you could have a sticky tip
that is staying depressed for a split second after the pressure is removed
and it is no longer in contact with the bell guard.

Tyson Patterson

In article <7e09bf6a.0210040739.705a07b4@posting.google.com >, qatet@hotmail.com
(Qatet) writes:

>Does anybody know what would make a foil give off-target lights when
>it hits the opponent's bell guard? The light shows as the tip is
>released.
>
>It would have to be my favorite weapon, of course. Grrr.

In addition to the list in the other answer, it might be a dented in barrel,
perhaps compounded by dirt. If the tip is slow in returning to its undepressed
condition, the circuit might remain open long enough to turn the light on.

Bill Hall

"Qatet" <qatet@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7e09bf6a.0210040739.705a07b4@posting.google.c om...
> > Hello all.
> > Does anybody know what would make a foil give off-target lights when
> > it hits the opponent's bell guard? The light shows as the tip is
> > released.

On Fri, 4 Oct 2002 13:26:39 -0500, "Richard Garner"
<rgarner@vidnet.net> replied:

> Could be any number of things.
>
> 1. Broke wire in the tip.

Possible, but unlikely. This usually causes off-target lights even
when you're not hitting anything at all, which Qatet didn't mention.

> 2. Oxidation on the bell or tip.

Very possible. (That's oxidation on the opponent's guard, of course,
not on yours.)

> 3. Weak spring in the tip.

No. It doesn't matter how weak the spring is. Once the tip is in
contact with the opponent's guard no touch will be scored regardless
of whether the tip is depressed or not.

> 4. Loose barrel.

Possible, but unlikely. Like the broken wire, this generally causes
off-target lights even when you're not hitting anything at all.

> 5. Bad connection on your opponents weapon.

No. The opponent would be getting white lights, which Qatet didn't
mention.

> 6. Bad connection with your blade.

No. If the problem is a broken connection in your weapon, it has to
be on the wire side, because once the tip is depressed, the blade is
out of the circuit.

> 7. Bad body cord, yours or your opponent.

Opponent's, no. The opponent would be getting white lights.
Yours, a definite possibility. If the A and B lines are crossed, it
will show white lights when you hit the opponent's guard. There's an
easy test for this - if you put the flat of the blade on the
opponent's lame and depress the tip by hand, it shows a valid touch.

> 8. Bad connection with the real or score box on your side or you opponents
> side.

Opponent's, no. The opponent would be getting white lights.
Yours, possible but unlikely, like the loose barrel/broken wire. (Or
if the A & B lines are crossed as in the body cord case. But unless
this is the first bout of the day and the reels/floor cords haven't
been tested, you're pretty much assured this isn't the problem.)

> 9. Tip is bent and is grounding out on the barrel.

No. This causes no lights at all, not white lights.

You missed one additional possibility.

10. The tip is starting to come apart, and the button is no longer
electrically connected to the contact inside the barrel.

-Mark-

Well, I pulled the foil out of my bag for a closer look at the tip,
and find that it's a type of tip I've never seen before (bought on a
wired blade). There are no tip screws, just two slits along the sides
of the bit just below the tip. Then there's a plastic collar and then
the tip itself. The plastic collar is currently floating between the
barrel and the tip. Could that be the problem?

As a bit more info, Mark, you're right to guess that there are no
other troublesome lights. The weapon works perfectly in every other
respect. Also, the problem has come up with several opponents on
various strips.

And how on earth do I open up this strange tip-screwless point?

Thanks again!
Kate

On 5 Oct 2002 06:18:31 -0700, qatet@hotmail.com (Qatet) wrote:

> Well, I pulled the foil out of my bag for a closer look at the tip,
> and find that it's a type of tip I've never seen before (bought on a
> wired blade). There are no tip screws, just two slits along the sides
> of the bit just below the tip. Then there's a plastic collar and then
> the tip itself. The plastic collar is currently floating between the
> barrel and the tip. Could that be the problem?

That sounds as if the tip is coming apart. The solution is to replace
the tip.

Your description of the point sounds like the Schermasport model,
which is sold by American Fencers Supply (and maybe others). See if
this looks like it:

http://www.amfence.com/html/art__198...sport_scr.html

-Mark-

Well, my mystery tip is similar in that there are no screws, but
there's a plastic collar between the metal tip and the barrel and
there are two slits on the sides of the barrel, perpendicular to the
length of the blade. There's a seam just below the plastic ring, as
though perhaps it would unscrew there, but I've tried unscrewing it,
to no avail.

I compared it to another of these tips, one on a working weapon, and
they look pretty much the same. The plastic collar on the working one
also has some travel. Maybe it's just a matter of time before that
one dies, too. Hooray.

Kate

ortonmc+rsf@erols.com (Mark C. Orton) wrote in message news:<3d9f6046.905574@news.erols.com>...
> On 5 Oct 2002 06:18:31 -0700, qatet@hotmail.com (Qatet) wrote:
>
> > Well, I pulled the foil out of my bag for a closer look at the tip,
> > and find that it's a type of tip I've never seen before (bought on a
> > wired blade). There are no tip screws, just two slits along the sides
> > of the bit just below the tip. Then there's a plastic collar and then
> > the tip itself. The plastic collar is currently floating between the
> > barrel and the tip. Could that be the problem?
>
> That sounds as if the tip is coming apart. The solution is to replace
> the tip.
>
> Your description of the point sounds like the Schermasport model,
> which is sold by American Fencers Supply (and maybe others). See if
> this looks like it:
>
> http://www.amfence.com/html/art__198...sport_scr.html
>
> -Mark-