Airborne
Capcom, 1996You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider Sonic.
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I'm going to be joining the club this weekend....just hitting the club up for any suggestions regarding mods/things to look out for/ upgrades...I need to shop it - any suggestions for rubbers? I was thinking going Titan silicone light blue on the flips and clear everywhere else. Probably a Cliffy ramp protector....I think I'll need to update the ROMs....
Always open for feedback!
Matt
M&M Creations
I've 'landed' an Airborne....I'm officially in the club...
Drove from Indy to Long Island last weekend with my son...bought it from a guy that had it 10 years and wasn't on Pinside, RGP nor Facebook...he had a lot of NOS mechs to go with it...
So, first thing I've done is got Cliffy the specs for the left ramp flap - mine was half there - but now Cliffy will be making replacements for all owners!
I've got to de-LED the backbox- no OCD board - he didn't understand that...maybe one will come up soon and I can keep them...I've got to replace the flipper bats - but all I can find is black - be nice to find some yellow - but black won't look too bad....re-rubber with Titans...update the ROMs, replace some drop target decals, fix a popped weld on one of the wireforms, put on a kickout and right ramp protector...
And rebuilt the 4 standup targets - the plastic on them are shot....and no foam backings...one of them is missing the gold contact on the blade - what have folks been doing for the standups....looks like some are in Australia - but I assume they can be rebuilt....
Anyway - open to feedback as I head towards the shop job....
IMG_20220619_094616 (resized).jpgI saw some pretty nutty ways to get a Capcom playfield up and open for shop....but to be honest - it made little sense to me how it stayed put - the things I saw could easily cause the playfield to dislodge...maybe there was a secret that wasn't depicted in the photos (I reached out to the OP's but no one cared to clarify) - but I would not recommend what I saw....so here's what I did....simply make a jig to hold it....scrap wood and 30 minutes and it was done....Airborne ready for shopping!
IMG20220706151324 (resized).jpgIMG20220706151344 (resized).jpgIMG20220706151400 (resized).jpgNearing completion on the shop-job....um, yeah - wow....but anyway - I found out quickly that the manual and ALL the kits I found out there are not correct if you choose to replace all the rubber in the pin....here is the correct and complete rubber kit (you don't have to mimic my colors) for Airborne:
Quoted from mgpasman:I found someone willing to overhaul my existing opto trough transmitter and receiver boards. He found that the current resistors on the transmitter board are 330 ohm, but according to the schematics they should be 620 ohm.
What should we do? Change them for 620 ohm?
Edit: I found a topic on a German forum (https://www.pinballz.net/index.php?thread/4071-capcom-opto-problem/) at least his board also has 330 ohm resistors. Can I safely assume the manual is wrong, or might they have decided to up the resistors later, I read somewhere these boards overheating a lot...?
4 years later...I found my left scoop opto wasn't working - and saw the resistor was missing...same thing...all the resistors are 330 ohm, but in the manual/schems it calls for a different value...as soon as I snag one to replace I'll report back - but the manual is definitely wrong...
Matt
Quoted from Sonic:4 years later...I found my left scoop opto wasn't working - and saw the resistor was missing...same thing...all the resistors are 330 ohm, but in the manual/schems it calls for a different value...as soon as I snag one to replace I'll report back - but the manual is definitely wrong...
Matt
So...since my partner at M&M has a proto-Airborne - we confirmed the manual matches the proto for the opto board resistors (560 ohms) but that is not what went into production (330 ohms)....got the left scoop fixed and the flippers rebuilt...Airborne is done! Lots of work for that pin...but damn is this a fun pin!
matt
Got word from Randy P today that Airborne colorization is in progress...no ETA...but sounds promising....I can't wait to see those dots....
Matt
Quoted from jeffreymabq:Hello Airborne fans,
There is an Airborne available out here in New Mexico, and it appears priced pretty well at $2,700. I am not the seller (nor do I know the seller), but when I saw what they are selling for here in the market, I thought you might like to know about it. Checkout Craigslist for Albuquerque.
That's a steal no matter the condition.....
Quoted from vikeking27:Yep so, here's what I figured out so far - the main ribbon cable that goes from the driver board to the switch board to the CPU is touchy - I blasted it with some canned air and re-seated it, and that seemed to resolve part of the issue with the lamps freezing. The other issue was one of the wires in the connector for J2 needed to be jostled around a bit. So here we are, lamp issues 'solved' (I think I should get a new ribbon cable and fix the J2 connector just to be safe) - but that Tower Diverter coil which is the purple/brown wire that goes to J21.1 still won't fire. I traced the wire from the coil all the way to the driver board and it seems 'fine' - anything I could test further to diagnose?
I believe you should be able to fire that coil - have to double check the schematics (you have them right?) or PinWiki/Clay's guide - like any other coil - by grounding the tab on the transistor for that coil - that will tell you 1 of 2 things...it'll at least tell you that power is present and that wiring is good - but that doesn't mean the transistor is good - you are technically bypassing it...you should be able to test the transistor in circuit though - and get a read of that...before you replaced the driver or switch board - did it work?
Matt
General Solenoids in Capcom machines are driven by an STP20N10L logic level N-channel MOSFET. When a solenoid problem occurs the software will report a solenoid problem in the diagnostics.
Locked on solenoid A locked on coil is often caused by a defective MOSFET driver on the driver board. With the power off, first test the resistance between pin 2 (middle) and 3 (right) of the MOSFET, disconnect the connector to the affected coil first so you only measure on the MOSFET. When the resistance is zero or close to zero the MOSFET is defective and needs to be replaced. Before powering on the machine after replacing a defective MOSFET, test the coil's resistance and check the tie back diode and it's connections because these are the main causes for a defective MOSFET. If the MOSFET seems to be good next to test is the input of the MOSFET on pin 1 (left) for a signal. When there's no pulse on pin 1 while testing the solenoid in diagnostics it could be a defective 74LS74 driving the MOSFET.
Non working solenoid A non working solenoid is often caused by a broken wire but other causes are possible. The easiest to check is the solenoid itself so check the resistance of the coil first. When the solenoid's resistance is very high or when it doesn't have any resistance at all the coil wire might be broken from the solder tab. When the solenoid seems ok check for continuity of the wires to the coil. When the wires check out fine as well the problem might be caused by a defective MOSFET driver. Check pin 1 (most left pin) of the MOSFET for a signal while the solenoid is activated in diagnostics, if there's a signal the MOSFET is probably broken, if there isn't any signal on pin 1 it's probably caused by a defective 74LS74 driving the MOSFET. After replacing a MOSFET, check the tie back diode and it's connections because in this case this is the main cause for a defective MOSFET.
Repeatedly broken MOSFET driver When a defective MOSFET is replaced but fails again after a short period of use, or even the first solenoid activation, test the coil's resistance and check the tie back diode and it's connections because these are the main causes for a defective MOSFET. This also occurs when a wrong type of MOSFET is used, a non logic level MOSFET (IRF540 for example) will not be driven correctly because the gate voltage will be insufficient to fully drive the MOSFET causing it to get too hot and fail.
STP20N10L MOSFET alternative In case of a defect STP20N10L MOSFET, this part is getting scarce but it can be replaced by the IRL540N which is readily available. Do NOT use the IRF540N instead (not logic level)! Please note that these MOSFETS are quite sensitive to static electricity.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/mampm-creations-mrs-catalog/page/3#post-7682526
We have developed the first MRS application for a spinner...luckily for Airborne owners - it was chosen first to demonstrate the technology....From the Capcom catalog it appears that BBB uses a different style for it's spinner, Breakshot has none, who really owns a Kingpin, and let's not mention the soccer one - leaving Airborne and - it seems - Pinball Magic for this application. That said, Airborne is easy to install - but Pinball Magic is much more difficult to reach and install....
Matt & Dan - M&M Creations
Thought I'd pass it along for what it's worth....put a spacer on the 8" woofer in your Airborne (probably Pinball Magic and other Capcom's are the same)...stock speaker, or not!!
I was upgrading cabinet mid/woof's in some pins...invariably, I thought why not upgrade my Airborne mid/woof....I'm not sure what made me check - but I realized the new speaker was bottomed out on the cabinet (I thought it could)...out of curiosity after examining it, I put the original woofer back in and noticed it too was bottomed out - from the factory!!! There are only 3 Airborne's in my state - and tonight I was able to check the other 2 as well - same deal....even though Capcom put a decent woofer in the cabinet - they did not use a spacer and the foam surround is bottomed out - robbing you of bass...I printed a spacer and noticed an improvement in the stock, I kept the spacer for the new speaker as well....very viable improvement in bass - -check for yourself!
Matt
Quoted from SilverUnicorn:OH SNAP! ColorDMD released for Airborne!
https://shop.colordmd.com/led-replacement-display-for-airborne-pinball-machine/
They did an awesome job on Pinball Magic and Breakshot. I imagine this will be no less awesome.
Chris
Ordering today.....
Matt
Quoted from TomDK:I can not find the firmware download right now ?!
Will swap the colordms´s a little around before buy the next.
Typical Randy....he noted in the email I got 'targeted' for release on 1/12....so, I'd expect any day now the ROM will be up on the site....
Matt
Quoted from TomDK:My fault .. yes a language thing
I thought a bummer is a cool thing , over the top ...
So lets say. The coloring is over the top ! The other Capcoms are also very good, but on AB are now things to see, I never saw with the original display. I also tried a pin2dmd with blue color , it was horrible.
Was thinking the same thing, but figured it was a language misuse....mine arrives today - I'll post pics and give my opin....
Matt
Quoted from TomDK:My fault .. yes a language thing
I thought a bummer is a cool thing , over the top ...
So lets say. The coloring is over the top ! The other Capcoms are also very good, but on AB are now things to see, I never saw with the original display. I also tried a pin2dmd with blue color , it was horrible.
Got it installed this evening - pretty simple install. I agree...the animations that were always present are now strikingly visible in greater detail than I expected...this is really impressive...it is very fascinating for me to see what Williams/DE was doing vs Capcom - I have ColorDMD's in TFTC, CFTBL and TS...and they look great with ColorDMD's, but the Capcom animation/dot work is superior and the ColorDMD really emphasizes this....
Quoted from sandviper:Thx! Yes, I found this place, but the problem is that when I turned off the buy-in, it still appears at the end of every game. The other functions have the same problem, for example, I set a replay reward - extra ball, but this also does not happen, maybe there is some kind of lock that does not allow all gameplay changes into the game? Regarding light bulbs. Sorry, I didn’t word it correctly, but ALL the light bulbs are strobing - GI, backbox, inserts.
For the software oddity - I'd do a factory reset...it's the only thing left...otherwise - I believe the strobing - you may want to look up how the transformer is wired - should be in the manual - to make sure the correct European wiring was chosen...it may be set config'd for US...you should be 230V/50Hz...i'm not certain the 50hz matters much - but double check our outlet voltage is at 230...then pins 1 & 7 are your in with a jumper at 3 & 9...you could be config'd at 215 or your outlet voltage is at 215 and you are config'd for 230...
IMG20240203091330 (resized).jpgQuoted from sandviper:jumper in the transformer connection - the first thing we checked, the second was replacing the capacitors, the third was checking all the chips with an oscilloscope... nothing helped. Thank you, I'll try to do a factor reset. As for the strobe, it seems to me that this is a problem with all airborns. But if I insert any led bulb into the GI, it just blinks and does not light up.
Correct. You cannot use LED's in Capcom pins without an OCDLED board and that same board CAN also work with incandescent bulbs too....but devils' in the details...make sure what the voltage coming in to the house is...you cannot assume...if it's low at 215 - then you need to change your jumpers...in the US - it is said to be 110...120...115 (it varies) ...so it's possible you have 215 coming in and config'd for 230....my Airborne lights do not strobe - I'm still using incandescent...
Quoted from sandviper:Yes, I know about led osd for Capcom, but it’s not possible to buy it yet. but it is in the plans. Even if there are no LED lamps, all the lamps strobe.
The main problem for me is that the audit settings do NOT work, and they do not work even after a factor reset. I can’t turn off buy-in (it doesn’t matter if it’s turned on in the settings or not) and I just can’t play because buy-in makes me want to break the pinball.
Maybe there is some kind of mechanical way to turn off the buy-in? like the freeplay switch on the right side near the flipper button?
Did I ask the basic question - what ROM's are you on?
Matt
Quoted from sandviper:my mistake, I didn’t update, I’ll do it one of these days.[quoted image]
Those are prototype ROMS my man!
Matt
Quoted from sandviper:Rare) I hope my highscore doesn't crash after installing the rom update.
My friend had proto XB ROMs, and updated to v1.6 last year....I'm pretty sure your highscore will be gone...sadly...
Quoted from sandviper:Could you ask your friend a couple of things? I was persuaded to put 1.6 and this is a terrible disappointment, my highscore was erased, it’s frustrating, even though I was ready for it.
1) in the prototype I wanted to turn off the buy-in because the music in it really annoyed me... and now when you make high-score, the same nasty music plays and you can’t turn it off, is it possible to somehow return the absence of music after you put on high score?
2) the left ramp in the prototype was lowered only for events, and you could do a complex combo, in which if you missed, the ramp immediately rose and stopped the combo, and in 1.6, when the ramp goes down, it DOES NOT RISE AT ALL, even when the ball lock is lit under it, and the combo has now lost its significance since if you miss, the ramp does not rise and you can get there as much as you want.... Can this be somehow turned off or will I have to put back the prototype roms?
3) the base force of flippers in 1.6 is 12, and not 13 as in the prototype, the force of 12 is not enough to get from the left flipper to the right ramp and roll the ball along its full length over the plane. Can you do a long loop on the right ramp at power 12?
Thank you!
1) I don't believe the music can be adjusted in such a way - that I am aware of...
2) I believe the flipper strength goes to 16...default is 12...so simply turn it up...
3) Not sure, but look at B2-04 adjustment - this is the game starts ramp down, or ramp up setting...to be more confusing early games - like yours - featured an UP ramp - that is when the game is started - the ramp was UP by nature of its design. Later pins, like mine - had a different type of ramp - and the game started with it down...thus that setting may help with your problem as the default is ramp down...you may be used to default ramp UP...thus changing the setting to NO - may put you back to what you are used to...
Matt
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