Replacing the Reed Switch on a Lincoln Infinity Series Trap

When working on or around trap machines, always wear eye protection and proceed with extreme caution. Trap machines have pinch points and components that move rapidly. Safety information included in your owner’s manual must be read and understood before performing work on any trap machine.

The reed switch on a Lincoln Infinity Series Trap controls when the cocking motor runs and is critical to the operation of the trap. Reed switches can degrade over time with normal use, they can also be damaged by a surge or lack of power. This text provides instructions on how to replace the reed switch on your Lincoln Infinity Series Trap.

Step 1:

Make sure the target flight path is clear. Push the Rocker Switch (or toggle switch) to the down position momentarily to release the machine. At this point, the magnet shown in Figure 1 will be directly over the reed switch, which will make it difficult to access. In order to get better access to the reed switch, momentarily push the rocker switch up to the “ON” position and then immediately push it back down to the “OFF” position. This will run the motor long enough to move the magnet, but not long enough for the trap to cock. If the rocker switch is left in the “ON” position for too long and the trap does cock, release the trap and retry. Once the magnet has been successfully moved out of the way of the reed switch, disconnect one of the battery leads to ensure the trap is safe before working on it.

Step 2:

Locate the junction box on the right side of the trap. Open the junction box by removing the four screws and the lid. The reed switch cable is connected to the control box cable via three gray wire nuts, disconnect the reed switch from the control box cable by unscrewing these wire nuts. Separate the reed switch and control box wires, then remove the reed switch wires from the junction box.

Step 3:

On the left side of the trap, remove the bolt that secures the reed switch bracket assembly to the frame of the trap.

Step 4:

With the reed switch bracket assembly removed from the trap, remove the reed switch from the bracket by removing the two screws. Fasten the new reed switch to the bracket and secure it as shown in Figure 2. The switch has two slotted mounting points, it must be slid as far as possible toward the bend in the bracket before tightening the two screws.

Step 5:

Bolt the reed switch bracket assembly back onto the frame of the trap, ensure the placement of the bracket roughly matches the location shown in Figure 1.

Step 6:

Feed the reed switch wires back into the junction box through the grommet, if the grommet is missing or deteriorated, replace it. Inspect the grey wire nuts for any broken off pieces of wire that may be stuck inside, stuck bits of wire will inhibit proper connection to the reed switch. Use the wire nuts to connect the reed switch to the control box wires. The white reed switch wire goes to the #1 from the control box, the red reed switch wire goes to the #2 from the control box, and the black reed switch wire goes to the #3 from the control box.

Step 7:

Close the junction box by securing the lid with the four screws, do not overtighten.

Step 8:

The reed switch controls the point where the throwing arm stops in the cocked position, since the reed switch has been changed, it will need to be adjusted to ensure optimal target flight. Connect the battery cables and turn the trap on by pushing the rocker switch up to the “ON” position. From behind the machine, look under the magazine plate to where the target is sitting on the launch plate. When the trap is cocked, the throwing arm should be slightly spaced away from the throwing rim of the target. If the throwing arm is touching the throwing rim of the target, or if the trap is firing without stopping in the cocked position, then the reed switch must be moved toward the rear of the trap by moving the whole reed switch bracket assembly. If the arm stops in the cocked position, leaving a large gap between the throwing arm and the throwing rim of the target, the reed switch bracket assembly must be moved toward the front of the trap. Be sure to release the trap and disconnect a battery clip before making adjustments to the reed switch bracket assembly. Once the the throwing arm and throwing rim of the target appear similar to Figure 3, the reed switch has been properly adjusted.