Hey guys my Alien LE is about to ship out and Im being asked what color trim I want. Can anyone share their trim option so I can make a decision?
Thanks
(Topic ID: 106728)
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Alien (Heighway Pinball)
Heighway Pinball, 2017
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Quoted from spfxted:Black.
Blue looks terrible. MO
Green meh!
(best to powdercoat yourself)
Yeah green looks good on my AFMR, and blue .. doesn't even go with the theme. I think Im going with black.. but have a little bit more time to decide.
Quoted from bigdaddy07:Out of curiosity, when did you order yours?
Man I dont remember.. a long long time ago?
Quoted from bigdaddy07:We'll that sucks I ordered from Cointaker July of 2016. Still nothin. Complete BS.
I emailed them for an update they said they are going to call in 1-2 weeks for rest of payment then machines will be shipped in about 35 days
Quoted from WeirPinball:I've had the ball launch, targets blocking zeno mouth (still haven't got this one completely), one switch had to swap connectors, extra parts (I think) laying on the pf, adjust the trough eject and launch power settings, now the scoop isn't detecting balls. I don't even want to put the glass on anymore until it works 100% for a while - it is a total pain to take off.
OMG that many problems??
I really hope the Alien doesn't come soon. My wife finds out another pinball machine she'll probably kick me out of the house. I lied when I got my AFMRLE and told her i won it in a raffle.. oh well.
2 months later
I thought my LE was going to come anyday now.. haha.. well its over. I will likely ask for my deposit of 2k back. Check out my new video reviews, more to come! Just getting started!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJE2NBhlqLAvAF2IZ1IPDGA/featured?view_as=subscriber
This is too bad, I already told my wife I won another pinball machine and its on the way.. (trying to hide the cost of my machines from her). Oh well, guess Ill tell her the prize was taken back.
1 week later
I finally saw one and got to play one in Ann Arbor, MI today. I liked it. A little sluggish.. but looked fantastic. I haven't been keeping up with the thread, is it over 100%? Are we getting any deposits/money back soon?
Thanks
2 weeks later
So what are you guys who have one doing for tech support or parts? What if something goes wrong with it, what do you do?
1 week later
1 week later
1 week later
Well guess I missed the boat on this one 
. I put a deposit down a long time ago.. oh well. I guess I will wait for CGC # 3.. whenever that is announced.
Quoted from swenny:I'm one that isn't too happy. Damn thing has never worked correctly out of the gate. I bought it through CT and Melissa is kind of trying to help, but it's been slow going.
Can you tell me what is wrong, is it a board problem? Does it work at all?
Quoted from swenny:I suspect it is a board problem, possibly a bad connector or port somewhere as it will start out OK, but then act like the ball has drained mid-ball. Other times I get infinite multi-ball. Once in a great while I'll get a ball (not a whole game) where it will play normally, but that's not often.
Wish I could get it fixed, because on those rare occasions where it works correctly it really is an enjoyable pin.
Man that would be difficult to work with. I have an awesome pinball tech nearby he fixed my Adams family in seconds, was a broken wire soldered it and done. Hopefully you will figure it out !
Quoted from jonesjb:Interesting developments at Deeproot Pinball related to Heighway, I wonder what this means?
https://thisweekinpinball.com/deeproot-update-plus-interview-new-hire-new-building-new-creative-studio-new-licenses-and-help-offered-to-those-who-lost-money-on-pre-orders-from-other-companies/
"From October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, we will offer some form of relief to those affected customers of Heighway/Pinball Bros and Dutch Pinball who have not received their promised game or other relief. While it won’t make up for the wrongs, it is the right thing to do, and we are sure will be appreciated by the hundreds of affected customers.”
Can only mean good news!
Quoted from Mr68:So far, Deeproot has only announced their high end title. It's going to be Jpop's "Alice in Wonderland". At $50K a copy, I have zero interest no matter how limited the run is.
https://thisweekinpinball.com/twip-deeproot-pinballs-high-end-theme-revealed-scott-danesi-talks-new-game-todd-tuckey-pinball-books-more/
50k!! For Alice in Wonderland!? Off with their heads!
1 week later
I believe cointaker will take care of its customers.. may take time.. but will get it to everyone eventually.
Honestly this whole Alien pinball machine thing has given me lots of sleepless nights and anxiety. I wish it was never made. Im one of those that once I want something, I can't rest until I get it... and if I can't get it.. I get very very upset. Im going to go get a doughnut now.
Well Im in, I got an SE fully loaded (topper, shaker, lighted panels). Not the LE I wanted, but I think any other differences are minor. Most my collection are LEs,... my first standard edition
Quoted from QuickSilverShelby:How do you manage to continue going on in life? Your courage to face each day is truly an act of extraordinary courage.
QSS
I cant.. I can't sleep, I can't focus. This pinball stuff has taken my energy. I may go as far as make my own plaque and put it on the machine # 1 of 1
Quoted from Pale_Purple:People have made the inner lit side blades/rails?
Mine came with those stadium lights, looks good to me. Anything else the LE has that the SE doesn't have?
Does anyone know the best way to clean up the ramps a little bit, they have a lot of ball marks/scratches here and there on the metal areas
Quoted from Whysnow:By the sounds of it, approx 120 to 140 games were built.
Wow that’s it ? That’s including both le and se?
Quoted from Bartzenegger:Very nice!!! Where did you get the beacons?
The guy who sold it to me I guess already got it like that . It wasn’t working initially but figured out where to put the wires in a different thread. Sure does add to the suspense of the game !
I dont know about you guys, but my Alien SE is freaking loud! even at 1 its like unbearable. Guess I will have to made adjustments in the menu system to 50% for music, voice etc. Anyone else experience this? I dont know how Im going to play this game at night, it kind of freaks me out especially the ambush and queens nest mode with the lights going off.. almost crapped in my pants.
Quoted from WolfManCat:You can adjust the amplifier under the playfield for better sound.
http://www.heighwaypinball.com/documents/
Aha! thanks for the tip! That did the trick. Amazing sound system, especially the bass.. wow. Are the lights supposed to off during ambush? Mine don't .. unless its at the end of ambush because I fail pretty quickly anyways.
Quoted from OnTheSnap:Hopefully someday a good company gets the assets remaining and produces Alien. Until then...
Yes i hope so, this is a game pinball fans must experience.. must. The missions, sounds, videos.. this is hands down one of the best machines ever made. Im so happy I could get one, after waiting months for an LE, I gave up.. I know its never going to come. If you are a fan of the Aliens movie (or franchise in general), this is just an amazing piece to own.
Quoted from rubberducks:The retailer is obligated to cover it for one year, in the EU, minimum. Some countries require more. The obligation then falls to the manufacturer, or their distributing agent in the country, after that period.
By asking if there are any in stock, I assume he means from a dealer / retailer.
Man how come we dont have such rules in the States. Oh wait, we hate paying a tiny extra tax to fix the crappy roads. We want money to magically appear.
Hey guys I just realized my shaker motor wasn't working and when I opened the coin door its was unplugged.. does anyone know where it connects to?
Thanks
Quoted from Jvspin:Maybe it's just me, but due to those who have lost money on this game, I cringe a little when I see people raving about the game, discussing mods and looking for repair information in this thread.
Would it be better to ask for repair advice in the thread below? It would help keep the information in one place too.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/heighway-pinball-support-full-throttle-and-alien/page/12#post-4500519
I think there are review threads too that could be added to.
Oh ok.. lets not talk about alien in the alien thread. Ill move it to the other one you mentioned. We should leave this thread for complaining.
Thanks
Quoted from Jvspin:Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
Man this game sucks. Good thing the company went out business.. horrible horrible game. Wish I never bought it. Lost 10K for nothing. now I get a paper weight that does nothing but lights up, and makes weird sounds/music/call overs. I wish I lived on a second story building then I can throw it out the window. How can these idiots come up with such a piece of crap machine. Morons.. all morons
Does this sound better ?
Quoted from knockerlover:On the board just inside the coindoor is a connector that says “shaker motor” go figure..
haha.. thanks
man
Quoted from knockerlover:On the board just inside the coindoor is a connector that says “shaker motor” go figure..
Back to square one my se doesn’t seem to have that board
Dont know if this is the right thread, but that sentry gun mode is pretty cool. Right from the Aliens extended movie. I remember my mom saw it with me when it first came out in the movie theater. She was scared. Awesome scene.
Quoted from Whysnow:Yup, and then toss them in the trash where they belong!
haha. I guess I will try my Alien without them. They came installed from previous owner. Glad someone asked about this, dont want to miss out on what the Alien experience should be.
Quoted from greenhornet:you must choose... but choose wisely.
Not sure why this post as downvoted.. but thanks for the information
Does anyone know if replacement plastic pieces can be found anywhere? I was examining my play field more carefully today and noticed a crack on the right plastic set that is near the edge of the right play field.. small.. but there.
Thanks
Has anybody had a chance to hook up an external sub? I got that polk audio 10" from Amazon for like 99.00. I think I just wire it to the leads on the existing woofer in the cabinet, + / -.. and let the power to the sub take care of the rest
Quoted from Jvspin:Curious to see if you think the subwoofer adds much. As it is, I can feel the floor vibrate with the stock speakers on some of the low notes.
Yes the bass is already pretty good.. but I need more. I need to feel my pants vibrate.
Quoted from WeirPinball:Yes - I put extension wire on the existing leads and ran it out the bottom screen - sounds amazing.
Got to installing the sub this am. I just used some electrical tape to mount the speaker wire on top of the existing sub leads. Lucky for me.. my cabinet already had two holes near the shaker motor so I squeezed the speaker wire out through there.. haha. Looks like whoever installed the shaker didn't do it right the first time.. leaving two small holes.. enough for speaker wire!
Quoted from Kneissl:If you have the latest code, she says some things in ambush multiball
Vasquez is my favorite... you see her pic briefly when loading up the Marines, and then you hear her during Ambush.. awesome character.
1 week later
I put a 2k deposit with Cointaker for an LE some time ago. About 2 months ago told me they are getting me a NIB LE. I waited and waited and waited. I wrote them tons of emails no response. They claimed it shipped.. nothing. No response. One guy was selling an LE from Australia here on pinside.. my only chance. But stupid me held off because I had a deposit with Cointaker and I trusted them.. and guess what.. nothing. Nada. No NIB LE. One big fat lie. Got my deposit back, went to another source and all Alien LE sold out, and had to get an SE. No more cointaker for me. I know some people swear by them but if they had just told me we can't get it for you, I could have at least got the LE from the other seller. Wasted my time and opportunity
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Why Australia? There are some very few nib in Europe. That is still your opportunity
Thanks for the tip, I think I am satisifed with my SE since it works fine. Once in a while the ball gets stuck, and the Only thing I am missing is the LE plaque and the side art/blades that light up. But other then that its working .. I would hate to order one over seas and come broken.. that would make me sad
Quoted from NPO:GTFO of here with that shit.
He got his deposit back. He got a game some people put $8000 down for, didn't get their money back, and didn't get a game they were promised. You miss the previous 400+ pages where all of that happened? Hell, he is even thumbs-upping my post, and he did not verbally retort, but YOU did....?
Know your history before you tell me what to do and start throwing out personal attacks.
Shalimar is an indian restaurant in Ann arbor. It used to be good.. now it sucks. Indian restaurants are so hit or miss.
Finally hooked up an external woofer. I bought this polk audio for 99.00 from Amazon. Stripped some speaker wire, put alligator clips on one end and connected it right to the existing woofer in the cabinet. It definitely adds more bass. I also got the Pinstadium lights they look awesome. Lights up the play field much better and can be controlled with iphone app (colors/brightness etc). Just FYI in case anyone looking to do some upgrades
Quoted from knockerlover:Here are some quick answers..
- do I have to put some mylar on the playfield? (scoop, magnet,..)
Nope, nobody can make you do anything. But you should put some mylar on the scoop and buy/install a cliffy.
- Is it better to remove te post under the upper right flipper?
No, don't do that.
- Can I adjust my popbumpers? The doesn't "pop" a lot...
Yes you can, its the same adjustment as any other pinball machine.. The spoon switch.
- Can i buy a lock for my backbox?
Yes you can, they are available on amazon. amazon.com link »
Is getting a lock for the backbox optional for some versions of Alien? Because my SE has like two locks
Quoted from adamross:Would love to see pics of your pinstadium lights when you get a chance!
Here you go this is like 15% brightness
53DE59FE-5CF3-46B4-A004-38016EEE876F (resized).jpeg659DF8A5-2824-4745-94C8-B90A97EFE369 (resized).jpeg7E3D472C-D233-4574-B462-A4BB722E6C5B (resized).jpegA4599E7B-7837-4621-B0F6-81DE6CFFC8E7 (resized).jpegD71654F8-DD2D-4EF0-968B-4EC86E4ED685 (resized).jpegQuoted from TomDK:Woaahhh .. this little machine wil kill 25 jobs in China Great !!
@oneangrymo : Thanks for the pics ... too much LED for me but sure, intresting to play an Alien in the dark **AND** see the balls.
I think your right. The Pinstadium lights are nice, but they kept falling off, I dont think I installed them right because the adhesive on the magnetic strips aren't sticking good. I may just remove them completely and use the game as it was made from the factory. My opinion about adding extra lights to a game is kind of like a director making a movie. The game was designed to be this bright or that dark.. its what the designer wanted. Makes sense?
Mo
Yes I have played it in the dark and it is amazing.. but the only thing I didn't like was a little bit of green light bleeding in near the inserts which tell what mission you are under the Aliens movie section. Like near the APC insert. Anyone else notice this?
Mo
Quoted from Pale_Purple:Does your game have the lighted inner side blades? From pictures I’ve seen they seem to provide the perfect amount of light for the play field
No man I have the se . I was thinking if installing lighted blades but it looks hard.
Well I decided to replace the Pinstadium lights with the EL blakdes that Sunking posted about. Pretty pricey.. I hope its an easy install, but that should make my machine as close to an LE as possible, just no plaque. Anyone else have custom EL blades?
Quoted from Lamprey:I was pretty sure I had seem people mention making some, but I'm not finding the post(s) in my search.
If you do take the plunge let us know the details. I'm contemplating doing the EL panels myself. But, I was wondering what the LE panel dimensions are so I can match it up to how they are done.
Sunking made some posts about it before. I hope it works out good because it was expensive.. I bought extra parts just to make sure I dont run out. The inverter needs to be plugged in somewhere. Does anyone know if I can just cut the plug, strip it and plug it into the "V+" and "V-" in the power supply?
Thanks
Actually I change my mind about pinstadium lights, they arent that bad and with a setting of even small amt like 5-10% light it does add some needed light on the play field.. Im happy with it. I still ordered all the EL stuff, so I will post more when I get it
As far as the ball launch area, does anyone know the size of the screw that is flat to replace the rounded one near the ball trough area? I think someone else mentioned this was an issue, and I think it may actually be blocking some of my balls from going into the launch area appropriately some of the time
THanks
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Actually I change my mind about pinstadium lights, they arent that bad and with a setting of even small amt like 5-10% light it does add some needed light on the play field.. Im happy with it. I still ordered all the EL stuff, so I will post more when I get it
As far as the ball launch area, does anyone know the size of the screw that is flat to replace the rounded one near the ball trough area? I think someone else mentioned this was an issue, and I think it may actually be blocking some of my balls from going into the launch area appropriately some of the time
THanks
Ok so I just happened to find a small screw leftover from Ikea that happens to fit the slot, more flat then round (original screw to the right). So far its working fine. I hope it keeps up. Now only problem is EL blades which are on the way (this is going to be great fun), and some of the lighting from side panels falling down, some double sided tape should do the trick
IMG_1001 (resized).jpgThanks to Sunking, I dived into installing EL blades. Just got the set from England. First the parts.. I ordered too much, all the other inverters were excess, I hope the store can take them back. Anyways removing the blades were easy, all you had to do was unscrew them. Take them off, then put the EL blades on, I put two per blade, and taped them. This is test run.. check out photos. I will be done probably in couple days. few minutes here, few minutes there
IMG_1013 (resized).jpgIMG_1014 (resized).jpgIMG_1015 (resized).jpgIMG_1016 (resized).jpgQuoted from SunKing:Oh no - what happened?
I scratched the blade art a little bit while taking some tape off to readjust my EL blades . Didn't realize the tape was that strong and I ripped it too fast
took some mild art off. Maybe I will just scotch tape next time. Is that what you used?
Finally done this Am . Took me total about 2 hours but I’m not done wiring the power source into the machine. I think it looks cool but I don’t think it adds much light to the play field . I may either also add pinstadium lighting or I may wait for timbandits slingshot mod
0BAC96AE-221E-415D-8145-DC6595386F1D (resized).jpegQuoted from Oneangrymo:Finally done this Am . Took me total about 2 hours but I’m not done wiring the power source into the machine. I think it looks cool but I don’t think it adds much light to the play field . I may either also add pinstadium lighting or I may wait for timbandits slingshot mod
[quoted image]
Ok installation finished .. my gosh when I contacted the power there was a big spark I immediately turned off the machine ..
Luckily everythjng ok .. I hate electrical work
Ok I think my machine is as close to an LE as possible without the plaque. The only remaining problem I have is the ball launch area. It gets hung up in that corner not all the time, but sometimes.. Ive noticed that the ball launch area on my Alien has a shorter metal siding compared to my other pinball machines. Does anyone have a part replacement or fix for that ?
Hey guys Ive noticed that some owners.. their xeno head jaw is completely closed then opens with the tongue/magnet. Mine is always open, opens a little bit more when it activates. Which one is normal? Does that mean my jaw is broken?
Thanks
Mo
Hey guys that switch to the left of the drop ship ramp on the right keeps getting stuck! I have to lift up the play field, unscrew it, play with it for a while, put it back, then it happens again. Does anyone have a fix for this situation?
Thanks
Quoted from Kneissl:Good to hear. If full throttle uses the same switching 70v power supply, they're likely to get the same result. You can do this mod for a fair bit less, we both used 100v caps.
[quoted image]
Can u guys do a write up on how to do this for noobies?
Im actually loving my Alien more and more. Yes there seems to always be something here and there that needs a little tweaking but I actually find the shots pretty satisfying when playing a mode. I dont know which mode is my favorite so far.. they are all pretty cool. I can't seem to get past that scene where he lifts that colonists head up during bug hunt. That shot is very hard.
Quoted from cyber-greg:the game uses the shaker too little, it is also his biggest fault.
Yes I hope that as community keeps working on their alien pins a new firmware will be released that uses it more often then just my failed apc mission !
1 week later
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Thanks.
Had also jaw stuck and it was the connector unplugged. It does not hold strongly, and i guess I would have this issue again in the future unless I stick it.
My attention was also catches with the board beside that was a bit askew coz was coming up against the EL inverter set ar the bottom of the cabinet. So I lowered it.
There are some loose cables with connectors. What are they used for?
Thanks[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Thats strange, thats the power interverter for the EL blades.. yours arent attached??
1 week later
Quoted from tatapolus:Yesterday I managed to complete all four Multiballs and was expecting "All out war" to start. But nothing happened and all the other multiballs were reset. Do I need to complete everything to get to All out war? Thanks.
I was under the impression that all out war was never completed unless there was an update to this?
2 weeks later
Going for a spin got it into basement wife still at Costco boom! Dirty carpet ! Need to vacuum got 1/2 hour left !
193C6AE4-82E3-4103-BA92-79E33EC7FDFD (resized).jpeg5E4E83A1-842B-4016-8FA4-B757489BCB1B (resized).jpeg82CCD929-81D0-48B9-A1B2-2AE91F3054A7 (resized).jpegAFF42716-E445-430F-8F79-F16DA7C8E327 (resized).jpegB5A59ADA-5F35-4D9C-A7D1-C9EDDB8C3328 (resized).jpegHey guys my ball launcher is really weak. It keeps going and going until finally the ball makes it over maybe on the 4-5 th attempt. I switched the power supply over to US on the big silver back power supply, is there another switch or something else Im missing here?
Thanks
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Hey guys my ball launcher is really weak. It keeps going and going until finally the ball makes it over maybe on the 4-5 th attempt. I switched the power supply over to US on the big silver back power supply, is there another switch or something else Im missing here?
Thanks
Hey guys I adjusted all power supplies to US 110 or whatever, but my launcher still is weak. Keeps firing probably 4-5 times before ball finally makes it! Any other advice?
Thanks
Quoted from Kneissl:Capacitor mod!
Ah man.. I didnt' want to get into that because Im not good at these things.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Ah man.. I didnt' want to get into that because Im not good at these things.
Quoted from Frli002:Sound like you have one of the previous games. The new games have super good launcher, i have mine on the lowest.
I dont know mine looks like its a new edition. It has a cliffy in the scoop, the sub speaker is actually white. THe wiring looks pretty good. Is it the autolaunch setting that I want to adjust? Do you think the spring is bad on the launcher, maybe it needs to be replaced?
Man U guys are great thanks for your interest in helping . My problem is #2.. not all the time but sometimes it just can’t make it up the wireform. If someone has an easy answer I would appreciate it
Quoted from spfxted:To own an Alien you have to be good at EVERYTHING.....
Oh yes for sure I spent hours on my se
Quoted from Jvspin:Could you describe the problem a little more?
1) Is it not making it to the launcher?
2) Is it launching but not making it up the wireform?
3) Is it launching and making it up the wireform but bouncing back?
Ok more to my problem # 2. It only happens if its autolaunching! Not when I press the button to launch the ball. If I press the button the launch is strong and 100% . If its multi ball or a scream save, then the launcher does this nonsense.. where does that point the problem to?
Hey guys just to update and seek opinions on my recent NIB LE:
1) The Xenomorph tongue was not working, it would get stuck going out. Thanks to you guys and Wayne I took the top of the xeno head off, and loosened the two bolts on the side of the device. This worked well! The Xenomorph works awesome now ! BUT! I dropped one of the damn screws on the side of the head, and it fell into either the cabinet or the one of the two troughs in the play field! I can't find it. Is this a big deal? Anyone know replacement size to get? Thanks
2) The left ramp switch kept getting stuck, but a little bend fixed that
3) Im still trying to figure out the shooter lane problem, without having to do the capacitor mod
Thanks for all your help guys!
Quoted from TomDK:Welcome to the club ... my Alien has it also. Specially if the glasmagazin is removed ...
But now we read why its noisy .... we have to live with it ...
Maybe it’s there to keep us Alert and awake during gameplay ?
Heres my launch problems. Do you think if I did that one fix by placing a washer under one of the bolts holding the launcher it will help angle it and this will be solved? ANy ideas?
Thanks
Quoted from Jvspin:Does it look like the plunger is striking the ball in the middle?
Did you try moving the coil manually to see if anything is binding?
You might try swapping the I/O board with one of other ones to see if that makes a difference. Be careful when removing and inserting the USB cable.
Hey thanks for the reply!
I dont think the coil is binding feels free to me. I will check when I get home to make sure its striking the middle of the ball. If not maybe I should try that washer fix that someone else mentioned? I hope its that easy because I dont want to get into removing boards and stuff!
Mo
Quoted from WeirPinball:You are having the same problem that many of us had - you need to adjust the angle of the plunger and/or ajust the "cliffy" protector it may be causing the ball to go off center when launched.
Man you guys are amazing ! That fixed it ! I put one washer and now it’s better then ever ! Awesome ! Now I just a replacement side panel some nuts missing from left plastics and I’m done !
1 week later
Quoted from iceman44:The people worldwide that are kicking F ing ass on this pin and the Alien community is AWESOME!
Andrew should have open sourced this venture a long time ago. Love this game!
Oh yeah man this game is the best! Its my favorite in my collection, and probably the rarest I guess. The gameplay is just amazingly fun. The LE i have is far superior build quality compared to the SE I had. The only problem I have.. only problem... is very rarely maybe 1 out of 100 times, the ball launcher launches two balls instead of one. It doesn't bother me too much, but the trough/launcher I think could have been made better. My favorite is the loader fight, the lights on the playfield with a circling yellow pattern is awesome. Adds to the intensity of the game.
Oh and the community is amazing. You guys helped me fix my launcher, i found a replacement side panel to my cracked LE panel. Amazing!
Quoted from Oneangrymo:I guess it took a good whack during transport does anyone have replacement parts ?
[quoted image]
Thanks to Daniel at free play I got
My replacement panel today ! It’s amazing ! My LE is now 100% mint . I feel like cartman at casa bonita!
22E639DA-609B-4ABA-9FFC-5EBC0C1DC17E (resized).jpegQuoted from Pale_Purple:I know there are not a lot of games out there but I was surprised to see no Alien videos on YouTube more recent than 6-8 months ago.
Ill post a review ! Check out my youtube channel full of Star Wars goodness!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJE2NBhlqLAvAF2IZ1IPDGA?view_as=subscriber
1 month later
Hey guys, as some of you are aware during moving my Alien LE, it fell onto my left leg causing a fracture. All is fine, Im recovering, and there wasn't a single damage to the Alien except one of siren lights is slightly tilted, so I ordered a replacement. Everything was working fine, but now the top two egg pop things don't light up. I tried the single lamp test, it doesn't work. Does anyone have any ideas? I lifted the play field everything is ok inside
THanks
IMG_0264 (resized).jpgQuoted from knockerlover:I posted this lamp matrix on pinwiki, http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Heighway_Pinball_Repair#Lamp_Matrix. These lamps work in a chain, and if one bulb is out or broken all the lamps after it in the chain will not work. In this case it looks like somewhere in the chain 1-A may have a bulb broken or missing. In single lamp test follow that chain from the beginning and see where the fault starts. If you don't have any extra LED lamps to test with, grab one from another string temporarily to test replace to see if you can find the culprit.
Awesome thanks for the advice I’ll try this
Quoted from knockerlover:I posted this lamp matrix on pinwiki, http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Heighway_Pinball_Repair#Lamp_Matrix. These lamps work in a chain, and if one bulb is out or broken all the lamps after it in the chain will not work. In this case it looks like somewhere in the chain 1-A may have a bulb broken or missing. In single lamp test follow that chain from the beginning and see where the fault starts. If you don't have any extra LED lamps to test with, grab one from another string temporarily to test replace to see if you can find the culprit.
Ok so single lamp test shows that lamp 1-A1 doesn't light up.. then the rest of the lights work until I get to 1-A11. Then the rest doesn't work. So does that mean both 1-A1 and 1-A11 should be replaced? And does anyone know the right LED bulb to match? But you know what, temporarily both eggs lit up yesterday, then went out again. So I dont think its those Jet bulbs that are the problem.
Thanks!!
Quoted from Ferret:First thing I’d check would simply be the security of bulbs 1A-10, 1A-11, 1A-12 in their sockets... since it sounds like the game took a Big Bang (sorry about your leg — heal quickly!) it easily could’ve loosened a lamp in its socket, causing intermittent connection down the chain of lights.
If you do need a new lamp (which sounds like might be the case for 1A-1), TimeBandit is selling replacements that seem to get thumbs-up from those who’ve bought them (which reminds me that I should order some for myself!).
It’s also possible that there’s a bad trace on the PCB, but start with the easiest solution first.
Good luck!
Thanks for all the advice guys. I took apart the 1A-10 etc egg and looked at the light, it looked fine, and was hooked up fine. The 1A bulb is like impossible to get to, its all the way in the left upper corner, if someone has a good way please let me know. I think this is too complicated for me, so I gave up.. at least one egg lights up I guess
Quoted from MK6PIN:That's going to be my approach...in my case, the concern is all of the led's light in the GI (white) only, so in single lamp test, they all just stay on. In theory, A1 could still be the problem, but also suspicious of the pops. Changing (touching) those I/O boards makes me nervous for the very reason you state. That connection is so poor....
It amazes me how some areas of the game are over engineered, where other, very basic concepts (connectivity) where not. Those ramps had to be crazy expensive to make and assemble, yet the Apron is the worst I've ever seen (1 example).....we stay the course.....
Please keep me updated with ur results . I’m going to order a replacement a1 and start there , thanks for everyone’s help
Quoted from MK6PIN:UPDATE - The good news: oneangrymo - bcd and ferret were correct in my case, 1-A1 was the problem...swapped out an easy one to grab, and life is good (have spares from timebandit, will assemble a few for stash and replace the one I robbed.
The not so good news - I was able to loosen the screws and pull the board just enough (barely) to get that one (1-A1) changed....if it's further down that string, you'll need to loosen other screws, that can only be accessed by removing the I/O board (can be done, but a much riskier task). This could really be a PITA to troubleshoot. Hopefully, your 1-A1 is simply bad or knocked loose....good luck!!!!
Total time to change it out - <20 minutes..... (putting new replacement in will be very quick)...Alien alive and back to full strength!!!!!
Awesome I think that is my problem now I just need a replacement I messaged time bandit . Is it just like a regular bulb ? Or is it one of those flat led things like under the poppers ?
1 month later
hey guys I recently turned on my Alien after several weeks, and the left sling just keeps triggering like crazy. The test mode, shows that the lower left sling is "active" where do u think the problem is? Anyone had this issue before?
do you think it is all related to my two top pop bumpers which lights go intermittently go in and out or is that a separate issue?
Thanks
Quoted from Jvspin:I would start by checking the blade switches on that slingshot.
Hey man thanks for the reply, yes that seems to be the problem, if I don't move the rubber band it says "active" if I move the rubber band free up that leaf switch it goes "inactive". maybe that leaf switch needs to be replaced?? Where do I even find one? I have never worked on a sling before
THanks!
2 months later
Hey guys I’m about to replace my tilted siren with a new one . Looks there are three bolts that hold it into the back box. Does anyone know more about the clips that hold the wires in how to undo them ? Also I had a right sling problem and fixed it but beware in case it’s not known the right upper sling and Lower sling are mislabeled in the single switch test !
Quoted from noitbe1:Hello all. I m part of the club too now. What a pin...[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Zutalors! Awesome.
Quoted from Lamprey:beeping or buzzing?
Buzzing is normal, unfortunately.
Its not a buzzing, it sounds like a computer beeping. The left flipper.
Quoted from PinDoctor82:The sheer amount of posts in this thread, many of which seem to be about issues with the game, have me worried if I ever am lucky enough to have Alien in my collection. That said, I hope that dream comes true and I am really freaking jealous of those of you who have one. I missed out on getting one this past week and I'm kicking myself so badly for it. I have some truly killer Aliens stuff to eventually display in my future mancave, and this pin would be utterly amazing to have there with it all.
For me .. obtaining one was nothing but stress for months. I put deposits down had to spend even more to get one , it’s been a very crazy ride. It was the best pinball delivery I ever had , came in a huge crate from Australia. Uncrating it was like opening the ark. Plus even tho I have an le and A later manufactured one I still put a lot of time into maintaining it . It’s a great game but if u do end up getting one be ready to read this thread... like a lot .. oh and don’t move it by yourself !
Quoted from BladeFury:You guys do realize somebody did a write up on here of how to do your own?
Yes do that that’s what I did on my se
Quoted from delt31:I'll tell you I've had folks already offer a good amount on it and I've said no. I spent a good amount myself on it and this is my favorite game super special and even the reboot, if it comes out won't have this feel, style, look etc. One of a kind. It's the total package imo and a later model too now with SE and LE art
How much were you offered? Just curious ?
Quoted from delt31:put yours up for sale and check it out. Seems like you've been looking to do so - why not just do it? Market is hungry it seems. GL!
Oh I don’t want to sell mine . Was just curious . I spent too much time and effort to obtain this le it ain’t going anywhere
Quoted from delt31:For the guys that hooked up an external sub to alien, please post how you did it. Thinking about adding mine and the alligator clip method seems to work but maybe they're is a better way with the amp
I just took a speaker wire and mounted some alligator clips to one end then put it directly on the woofer speaker . The sound system in alien is already so good I didn’t think it added that Much but that’s my opinion
Quoted from delt31:Also is the Shaker worth it now? In my original it barely went off. If so which one did you guys buy? I think my first one was red tremor cointaker
Shaker is ayight. It mostly goes off with crash with the drop ship and the apc vehicle crash
Did u mount the sirens urself ? I need to replace one of mine how did u screw into the backbox withiut hitting the giant lcd screen ?
finally installed my alien siren, looks good as new. Dropped about 3 damn washers behind the LCD screen, can't get them, but I dont think they will cause any issues. Maybe I need a string with a magnet at the end. If anyone has the clips that are attached to your siren wires all you do is lift up the lever all the way and pull out the wire (if you ever need to replace a siren.). Now down to the last thing..fixing the intermittent light issues with the two back eggs.. has to be a loose connection. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I believe the fan noise is from the power block thingy to the EL blades, but not sure. Reminds me of an Xbox 360.
yesterday got two balls in the airlock and took about 2 minutes of continuous ejecting for them to finally come out. Never had that happen before, must have been the angle they were sitting in there.
1 week later
Well the Weyland yutani reebok shoes in my size are sold out .. thank god I didn’t want to waste more money
Quoted from MK6PIN:Agreed, and thankfully, they used Aurichs version ( left) on the LE's , w text changed as he mentioned...
Bam!!...Lit the coin slot..Just grabbed 12v off the PS and disconnected the harness ( 12v bulb, obviously)[quoted image]
That under cabinet green lighting is pretty cool, can you tell me which item/product you got for that?
Thanks
Quoted from dung:Well, got my alien yesterday. It is in the garage for the moment. Had an interesting time looking at it though. We fired it up, fan was making a lot of noise that I will have to look into. Try and play a ball and first thing I do is put it in the saucer on the left. Game doesn't register it and won't kick it out. Game wasn't registering a lot of things and numerous coils were out. Look it over, reboot it, works fine. Anyone run into that before?
Need to get the plastic that covers the back of the playfield, mine has a break. Also need a new magnet core as this one is worn. Any parts I should try and stock up on? Need to figure out how to convert this to work above .94 code. I know the lightboards. I need to check the io boards. This game is full throttle number 100. Not sure how many aliens got out without an alien serial.
Is it a NIB or did you buy it second hand?
Just curious. I had a second hand SE, the guy who was previous owner did a hack job, took a lot of my time to clean things up.
1 week later
1 week later
Quoted from Averell:I bought an ALIEN LE today and now I am waiting for delivery next week.
Can hardly wait joinig the club.
Is it NIB?
1 week later
It seems like buying an Alien LE is like going to this steak house I used to go to in Chicago. Every time I ordered the Prime Rib, they would say " You are in luck, we only have one left!" . Literally.. every single time and I went there like 20 times. Must be more LE NIB hanging around like prime ribs.
can't still figure out my back two rear eggs. One game they are fine, another they go in and out. Has to be loose connection somewhere.I guess Ill just lift the playfield and start pushing on things.
1 week later
Is there a pre-made undercab lighting kit that is easy to install for Alien? I wouldn't mind having a green light underneath. can someone point it out for me?
Key word being "easy"
thanks
Has anyone figured out a permnant fix to a ball going from trough into lane, hit the lane wall and bounce back into trough ?
Quoted from Ferret:Reduce the strength of the trough eject coil?
Yes I did that, I reduced it all the way
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Yes I did that, I reduced it all the way
Maybe keep messing with trough settings? Any other ideas ?
C386AE46-D590-4461-BB0E-B2D1EDC48CA9 (resized).jpegSeems like I need to take it up a notch in my
Collection need to learn soldering and get a hot glue gun .
Quoted from DrDoom:I had the same problem with the ball through.
Adjusting the strength of the trough eject coil did not completely solved the issue.
My solution was a extra rubber sleeve and a little repositining of the Heighway factory cliffy.
In addition, I have attached a metal protector to the wooden rail.
[quoted image]
That looks like my answer ! Can u share which materials u got so I can order same?
Well my pinball tech came and said the two rear bumpers aren’t lighting up because Io board problem so I guess I know the issue will order that and see what happens
Quoted from mavantix:Unlikely it's the IO board, more likely it's the large bottom PCB or lose connection where the pops plug into it...
He tried every connection and even plugged the eggs into connector for front egg and they lit up . So he said either Io board or the big one . He said start with new io board. I guess I could order both and see . Any other ideas ?
Quoted from megaladon:Since backboard is unobtainable right now, I made my own “protector/hider” of the crack plastic And took advantage of the already existent screw holes. When I was replacing the motor on the alien head, I rotated the playfield and for some reason that plastic edge catches and it broke. Peeved me off! Be careful for any other alien owners when you have the playfield up.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Man that looks awesome, did you machine them yourself? Can u sell me a set ?
Mo
The latest pinball video on YouTube shows them playing and fixing an alien se. this happens to be the machine I sold ! Haha! I recognize it because of a very small crack in the play field just left to the upper right flipper and I sold it with the pinstadoum lights . Looks like they put new flippers ? It looks like it plays awesome
Quoted from megaladon:For the Alien community! I was brave enough to pull the plastic backboard off. Going to Find a place they can scan it in. You can see where the corner right side is cracked maybe you can clean up digitally?[quoted image][quoted image]
Its so small, just leave it alone?
Quoted from adamross:I’m going blind playing my Alien in the dark. Can anyone advise on the best way to add some PF illumination? I’ve considered Pinstadium but in the pics I’ve seen appear to ruin the mood.
is your pin SE or LE? I have LE now, but when I had an SE I hated the darkness, illuminating the side panels helped a lot.
1 week later
My pinball tech replaced the io board and now my back two eggs are once again operational and also that g1 or whatever bulb. The eggs do flash randomly very very rarely but pretty much back to normal . I was hoping it would get rid of that left flipper beeping and the right flipper ball save flashing but nope
The sound on my Alien is incredible its even better or maybe its placebo, does that IO board that I swapped have anything to do with that?
My Xeno tongue came off again with the ball haha. So I guess I will do what another user said and apply some hot glue. While Im at it I may add some lube to that Xeno tongue. Has anyone made a nice wedge for the ball launcher to use instead of using a couple old washers? Something more permanent to angle it up a bit?
Hey guys so after replacing the IO board the two back eggs are working better. They still flash when I first boot up the machine and during gameplay they are 100% fine. But its very rarely maybe once every couple minutes they will flash or be out of sync. Do you think it could still be the pCb board? My tech is convinced its a software issue
THanks
Hey guys my Xeno tongue magnet fell off and I hot glued it three times and it’s still fallling
Off any other advice ?
Ok I bent it too much now from trying and it’s all deformed does anyone know where I czn get replacement ?
So now Im down to only three problems! 1) the magnet fell off from tongue 2) the airlock can't get two balls out when they are in there, it just keeps trying and trying then gives up 3) the flickering eggs, I think you guys are right its that G1 light that flickers, Ill have my tech look at it.
But man, I changed the balls to new ones, and polished the playfield a bit, what a worlds of difference! I can make every shot now and its like smooth! The new balls are heavier then the ones that came w/ the machine too. I think that has helped a lot.
Quoted from dung:I have my old head I was going to sell if you cannot find any other source. Not gonna part it out unless someone else wants the shell for a custom paint job.
Also, what kind of plugs do the boards on these use? Need to order some for my new jaw/tongue pcb as well as the new drop target.
That’s cool If no one else wants please let me know but how do I fix it to the tongue ? Should I try gorilla glue instead ?
Man Im telling you cleaning my playfield and getting new balls has changed my Alien machine. Its like crazy awesome now. I had so far 10 flawless games, everything worked, no launch problems, no light problems, smooth, fast, awesome sounding. I put some electrical black tape near the launcher where the ball hits the side wall, no more bouncing back into the trough! Im back baby, Im back!
c32f19b2ec910d689a64fd6d72682488 (resized).jpgQuoted from jonesjb:The new Jurassic Park Loos pretty good, nice to see another toy that eats the ball!
I dont know.. I think Ill wait on that one. The art work doesn't impress me, and no clips from movie. I also dont like that look of that cheapy truck with the balls sticking out. But, hey, need to see the play video on Monday! Back to Alien!
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Epoxy working so far thanks guys ![quoted image]
Magnet works great ! But now ball keeps hitting lower jaw ! What the heck man
does anyone actually have Alien on route? I dont know how well it would do, probably have an out of order sign all the time. Something always goes wrong, this is my experience with two Aliens so far.
But man when it works, and there is a flawless game, this is my fav pin.. its amazing. Just wish it was more reliable.
Quoted from maur:There is one on route in Chicago. I played it last week and it was flawless. It also had stadium lights on it. The playfield was definitely brighter but I thought it took away from the overall "mood" of the game. I'm in LA next week. Anyone know of one on route there?
Yeah I think that’s the se I sold them some years ago . I did a lot
Of work on it and I think they did more (ghost arcade ?)
Quoted from MK6PIN:No reason one couldn't live and thrive on route if the basics were sorted. This pin is not for everybody from a tech standpoint...no schematics, proprietary components, and things have to be adjusted for it to behave properly.
Mine has been rock solid for hundreds and hundreds of plays (thinking over 1200 and still looks great). Playfield looks amazing, PETG replacement, everything works, w final nail in the coffin being the upgrade to a beefier 12vdc power supply, virtually eliminating resets.
Again, not for the weak of heart, but amazing once it's finally sorted.....
Ur machine sounds awesome ! Did u have to fix any trough issues and what did u do ? Mine ejects two balls sometimes and pisses me off
Quoted from MK6PIN:Balls probably magnetized...Change them out and see if it persists.
Is carbon steel what Im looking for?
THanks
Quoted from razorsedge:Correct
You know right when I changed the balls just 1-2 weeks ago everything was great, then it started acting weird again especially with the ball trough .. so maybe it is this whole magnetism, thing.. heres crossing my fingers
Thanks
Quoted from razorsedge:You want standard pinballs, (carbon steel).
"Bling Balls" might be nice and shiney for those whom like shiney things, but I would never put that junk in any of my machines.
This is what I ordered. The balls I have in the machine right now are from gameroomyguys, standard steel balls.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H6A83BA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Man here we go[quoted image][quoted image]
Thank god !
59A474A9-6EF0-4087-BA84-E6E753B4A323 (resized).jpegHappy to report my Alien working fantastic once again. No ball hiccups, no trough problems (crossing my fingers), no xeno problems. But.. the ball doesn't seem to catch that magnet on the play field very often before Ambush. Could just be chance i guess. I finally got to hyper sleep multi ball, that was pretty damn cool. Liked the music. Best game period.
Quoted from MK6PIN:Mechanical issue?
Ya looks like the plastic front of the switch keeps getting stuck on the metal sides of the switch I’ll remove it and play around with it unless u got another suggestion
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Spoke
Too soon now target 2-13 stuck in active .. back to the drawing board
Tried
Messing with the switch for like an hour I think the problem is it’s just not High enough to get past playfield so it gets stuck . I gave up and just deactivated it . It’s not a very used switch anyways. It’s the weapons switch all the way to the right side of playfield kind of above the apc drop targets
Quoted from razorsedge:Correct
So much for these carbon steel balls, but so far machine working fine with current balls no more trough problems I hope and all switches operational !
556D12F5-E910-4705-8F75-613E99BA675B (resized).jpeg
Today my playfield monitor went off for like a second, dont know what that was all about , but its fine now. During Ambush two balls once again got stuck in the airlock and after trying to get the balls out, its like the machine just gave up. Do you guys have any tips on how to fix this? This is like 3rd time it has happened to me. Other then that my Xeno is fixed, the targets/switches are fixed, the trough is fixed. I hope this is the last of it.
Thanks
Quoted from noitbe1:For the screen I know issue could happen with heat from indernees. It could also come from a bad USB connection.
For the airlock, you can start by increasing the solenoid power to get a better chance to get those ball back.
It happen to me in the past but never since I have new USB and PS.
Hey man thanks
For info . I don’t think I have a power supply issue when u mean new usb u mean new usb cord ? Ok increasing my scoop kickout to +10% has helped when two balls in airlock, haven't had any issues on 3-4 tries.
Then my display on playfield went crazy.. all these red lines, then went away! Does that mean a usb connection issue? I hope display isn't going bad, it looks fine otherwise
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Hey man thanks
For info . I don’t think I have a power supply issue when u mean new usb u mean new usb cord ? Ok increasing my scoop kickout to +10% has helped when two balls in airlock, haven't had any issues on 3-4 tries.
Then my display on playfield went crazy.. all these red lines, then went away! Does that mean a usb connection issue? I hope display isn't going bad, it looks fine otherwise
9F3FB854-161A-4272-85BB-9A9DD070BE90 (resized).jpegQuoted from Oneangrymo:I cleaned and waxed playfield but what is best way to get rid of these marks ?[quoted image][quoted image]
Would u guys try novus 2 followed by novus 1 and wax on these areas ?
Quoted from MK6PIN:Yikes!!!! Ball Baron for the win....
Hey man can u give me a link to which balls u recommend for alien ? Believe it or not I had brand new gameroomguys balls and I think they scratched my
Playfield display ! I’m so bummed on closer inspection they had tiny bit pitting!
Hey guys just curious is the playfield display something that can be swapped out also replacing the piece on the actual playfield that the ball rolls or is the top of the screen on the playfield part of the playfield itself ? Like if I remove the display is there a big hole in the playfield?
Quoted from Ferret:Novus?
I’m going to try this but I think they r too deep, I can feel my fingernail in it. I guess I will try starting with Novus 2, then 1 . If doesnt work, I may try the 3 but I hope I dont cause more problems. I can get a replacement but I think replacing it is going to be kind of a pain by myself. Or I can I guess I can just leave it alone, its not too bad, I just hate small imperfections. Anyone have any other suggestions?
Stupid pinballs! I bought them from gameroomguys on amazon, and didnt even look at them before I put them in the machine thinking ok they have to be new! Stupid me!
Quoted from luvthatapex2:I wouldn;t let a few nicks or scratches in the cover bother me. Just enjoy the game!
yeah I guess they are hardly noticeable when the game is on. Thanks for the advice. Stupid balls.
Quoted from Dee-Bow:Novus 2 then novus 1
No go, I think scratches are too deep. Oh well, does anyone have a simple cover to protect it from future scuffs and scratches? other then mylar? Novus 3 actually made it worse.
Quoted from Roostking:Sorry to say, you need to stop trying to fix it. Pull it out and take it to a body shop and let them take care of it.
Also, find the game cleaning thread by Vid. It is a wealth of knowledge.
do you think those two rounds spots on my play field are fixable? Maybe be buffed out? I have no idea what happened! I know I may have gotten some Novus 1 on the play field, but not 2, and absolutely not the 3. But I thought 1 wouldn't cause this kind of issue.
Well I just got off the phone with an expert on playfields and clear coats/paint. He thinks im getting these circles because its a Mirco playfield and he makes bad playfields or something
Anyone heard of this problem before?
Quoted from VividPsychosis:Yup, please see JJP and Wonka clear coat issues.
Great ! My favorite pin !
What do you guys advise. He reassured me like 100 times I did nothing wrong. I ordered another playfield and could do a swap, but Im scared, never done anything like that before.
Quoted from delt31:The circles you're talking about are very subtle. I wouldn't do anything b/c every time I see you do something it seems to get worse. For now, I would leave it unless it drives you crazy....then roll the dice but have someone else, not you do it. GL
Good advice ! But hey.. it still plays awesome! Love it!
9 (resized).jpgYou guys gotta remember this is the “famous” le that fell completely on its side crushing my tibia placing me in an immobilizer for 3 months and occurring 1 week before our daughter was born . It was left toppled on its side for nearly 2-3 months until I was able to find someone to help me lift it back up . Only exterior damage was the left siren which I replaced . No other visible damage other then the two back eggs which flicker rarely and I think it’s just a loose connection . Me and this pin got a long history together I can’t have anything go wrong with it ! It’s one of my prized posessions . Now which one of u is going to come fix it for freeeeeee. ?
Quoted from luvthatapex2:Looks very minor, just play your game and enjoy it. It won't be the last imperfection you'll see. These things are made to be played, get on it man!!
Yeah ur right . I’ll just play . I contacted the playfield manufacturer they said nothing significant can easily be fixed with 3 m green polish . I just decided leave it alone ... finaly
Quoted from Durzel:How on earth did it fall on its side? That's a hell of a story you've got to tell there!
I was using that pinball dolly and it was top heavy . Started leaning over and In my desperation to push it back before it fell the whole thing flipped over on me pinning
Me underneath . Believe it or not I yelled for help and my wife who was 39 weeks pregnant and my mother in law came
Running . My
Mother in law lifted the machine off my
Leg so I could crawl out 
I lost conscious for a few mins then the first thing I asked is the machine ok !? The paramedics came saw all my machines and laughed at me and told me to “walk it off”. Idiots
Ok I decided to move on to playfield swap. the new playfield is on the way, so I decided to get started this am by removing the power supply. It made a large snap noise and a flash. Man.. this is not my week.
Quoted from NPO:I would highly recommend you get the game to someone that knows this stuff inside and out. A PF swap is a pretty big endeavor on the common B/W games, and to it to a boutique machine with a lot of custom subsystems may be more than most are capable of completing.
Know your limits on something like this.
Yeah Im just joking, Im not ever going to mess with my Alien ever again. Does anyone know anyone in Michigan who can come and polish/buff out those spots on my playfield?
Quoted from jonesjb:Aw man that sucks. I’m sorry man. It’s definitely noticeable, but maybe in time it will fade? Or at least in a dark environment you won’t see it.
Mirco said it’s not a big deal and can be polished out I just don’t want to do it because I already caused the issue and I’m just not good with that kind of thing
Quoted from jonesjb:As long as it’s not a big deal to you, that’s all that matters.
It’s not that big of a deal but the thing that bothers me most was this was preventable if I didn’t use any stupid novus because it all started after I used it . I must have gotten some novus 3 on the playfield accidentally. Anyways i guess I can call them acid burns on the playfield my wife didn’t see them but she doesn’t give a two rats ass about my machines . It plays awesome and I will take another users advice which is just play and have fun. I love this game so immersive . I do think it’s fixable but it needs like an expert . If I ever do sell it at least I can give that buyer a replacement playfield if they ever wanted to do anythjng . But again someone happens to be in Michigan come on over have beer and fix my spots ! (If U know how !)
But man I love this game !
F7856E74-710B-4DE0-A52E-7A045A8FD23E (resized).jpegQuoted from jonesjb:This, oneangrymo. It does seem like a big deal to you. Of course it will be no big deal to Mirco.
It’s almost like you are trying to talk yourself into it not being an issue to you. Me personally, I wouldn’t buy a pin used if I saw that on the play field, so it may affect the resell value. But if you will be keeping it and it genuinely doesn’t bother you, then just accept it.
If it really does bother you, have it fixed professionally. Good luck!
Like by who ? Fixed by who ? I’m willing to pay but who !!!??
Quoted from MK6PIN:Agree w jonesjb and roostking comments. You seem like a great Pinsider (I tried to buy your TWDLE, and have had several PM's)....absolutely no shame in reaching out to get this taken care of. I've made a million mistakes when I started working on these things..have come a long, long way electronically, but PF restoration is definitely not in my wheelhouse. Having a spare pf is cool, but highly doubt you will need it, and surely don't want to pay someone to swap out, given you're only dealing w some swirl marks.
As I read through the threads, it seems you've had several issues (switches, lights, screens, and pf surface), all of which can be handled by someone who is used to working on these games. I'd reach out to a local, reputable operator or distributor in your area and get their take.
Alien is scarier due to lack of schematics, parts, etc., and truthfully, can be a pita to get everything sorted (wait until you decide to replace the acrylics w PETG...nightmare!!!). Those swirls in the pf can certainly be addressed and disappear however.
My OCD is quite high regarding my machines...everything has to be right. With that said, playfields will dimple, parts will wear, and clear pf windows will get nicks if you play the game at all over time.
Look through the pinside directory...maybe someone pops up close.....you have a great game!!!
Hey man thanks for the advice I’m pretty nit picky when it comes to my machines any small imperfection makes me sad . I so ocd that sometimes I can’t even sleep at night. My monster bash has the smallest scratch on the backside by the delivery people but u need a flash light and have to be 1” away from the cab to see if and I couldn’t sleep for 3-4 days . Haha. Anyways I’ll find
Someone eventually . As for the rest of my issues all have been fixed there is absolutely nothing wrong with it but here is a list of things fixed in case it helps someone in future:
1) first thing to go wrong was launcher would hit the ball partially up wireform then come down . Fix - added a washer in between playfield and launcher to angle it
Up more - fixed
2) the left and right slings started going crazy and triggering themselves. Fixing the leaf switch helped just be careful not to mess up the leds behind them - fixed
3) the Xeno tongue magnet fell off. Hot glue did not work has to be epoxy - fixed
4) after the machine fell the two back eggs wouldn’t work right . Tech replaced io board it’s better - fixed
5) the launcher would occasionally launch two balls . Using a spare rubber post put it at the plastic edge between trough and launcher this prevents ball from rolling back into trough - fixed
6) the Xeno jaw would hit the front switched causing it to partially open . Pushed forward these switches - fixed
7) playfield swirl marks - work in progress
updates firmware to new io board causing system crash and couldn’t
Boot. Reinstalled software from scratch - fixed
9) left siren broken from fall got replacement easy to install lift levers on clip to release wires - fixed
10) two balls kept getting stuck in scoop during ambush , increasing coil power solved this - fixed
Quoted from Nepi23:Had problems with two balls getting stuck into the scoop in my last game. The switch seemed ok, so I just adjusted the coil strength to + 15 %. Did the same adjustment for the magnet, since it was not managing to catch the ball for the multiball start. Here you can see that I am taking my Aliens-business very seriously [quoted image]
yes mine did the same thing increasing strength a notce for that scoop worked great!
Looks like your a dentist?
Quoted from Nethawk86:Anyone know the fix to the heighway login screen after factory reset?
U have to reinstall the software using keyboard mouse and the complete install software I think it’s on the wierpinball site
Quoted from Nethawk86:It's not working. Plugged in a USB hub to the pc with mouse and keyboard and USB with the iso attached and it still comes up with login. Tried USB directly and still requests login. USB is 2.0.
Did u install Ubuntu ?
Quoted from adamross:Desperate for a set of lit side blades. I play the game in the dark and my eyes are starting to get sore.
You can just buy the EL blades and install them yourself, I did that on my SE . There is a guide by sunking
Quoted from adamross:Where are they for sale?
Look here
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/heighway-pinball-support-full-throttle-and-alien/page/12
Quoted from Nethawk86:Any ideas on why the balls keep launching in play? Like all 6?
Launcher switch getting stuck ?
Quoted from Nethawk86:First of my many mods done. Still have to refine it a bit and find a tie in so that they will only activate in certain modes. I can control the speed and flash mode as well. As soon as I get the details nailed down, I may make more. Have lots more immersive mods planned. I think this adds much more depth to the pin, especially ambush!!
Wow that’s awesome can u please sell a kit and is it easy to install ?
Quoted from delt31:What am I looking at? The left and right beacons on the slingshot areas right? Happens so quickly....
I counted total 6 two sling shots two airlock and two on ramp to sleep chamber ball lock
Hey guys I finally got to self destruct in Alien modes. Of course I failed, but there was no cutscene when the timer ended, it just went to aliens modes. Maybe because I had rescue going on at the same time, is there a "failed" cut scene if you fail self destruct?
Just curious.
Quoted from dgpinball:I didn't like the large black bases on the beacons that I saw, so did some searching and came up with these, to me they are an improvement.[quoted image]
Looks great especially since it can be seen from "great distances"
Quoted from delt31:Yeah - it was kind of tongue and cheek as it's hard to say what's truly the best ever. Here's the way I think about it. I've gone through a ton of games. There is only one I ever regretted selling and one I would sell absolutely last, if ever.
That game is Alien.
As for JP Prem, I'm getting one in October. I've played it though and it's fun but it's not special like Alien.
Totally agree I have 13-14 pins in my collection best is alien . No holds barred
Was playing some alien and the xeno mouth went crazy kept opening and closing even when the game
Was over anyone seen that before.
Jp le ordered will see when I get it. But alien movie clips , cutscenes and shots are amazing. I mean it’s got Vasquez !
I think pinball ownership has given me a degree of anxiety, lack of sleep and depression. I think Im going to slowly get out, starting with pins that I do not feel "satisfying shots".
Quoted from NPO:Wait. What? Why????
No one said you cant learn how to fix or work on them yourself.
Oh I work on my pins all day long.. I think that is where the anxiety comes from. Like yesterday the Xeno jaw opened and closed crazily after a game and kept going until I turned off and on the pin. then it was fine ever since. But all day yesterday and night I kept asking myself.. why did it do that?? Why!? Then I didnt sleep. I can't handle this stuff anymore.
Quoted from NPO:Dont sell Alien or your other games. Take a break or do another hobby for a bit. Dont make an emotional decision that you may regret. Maybe the code got stuck in an endless loop.
Sleep on it. Hate to see you make a big decision like that on what may be a temporary feeling.
Then I have JP LE on the way, 3 weeks they said ! I mean my wife is going to kill me. I have no room, she was about to leave when Black Knight Le showed up.. what am I going to do! I think I will get it shipped to my parents house, store it there until I do have room. Then she wont know. And everything has to be damn limited edition. Limited edition this, collector edition that.. only 500 made of this, 100 of that.. Im tired of it! Im going to have a panic attack!
I should have just stuck with my MMR LE sitting in the corner all by itself.. but no... Alien LE with green trim, last of its kind.. oh la la la la.
I think I need a vacation.... away.
Quoted from NPO:What are you going to do: maybe......not buy games?
And why does everything have to be LE....?
Sorry, I am not trying to come across as condescending, but these are some insane 1st world problems. Some people in the world make less in a year than what we spend on a Pro tier pinball machine.
And going behind your wife's back hoping she wont find out doesnt help matters. I dunno, man. Maybe you have a problem with "when to say 'when'"...?
Just my thoughts. Sorry to derail the thread.
True is that.. true is that.
Quoted from Nethawk86:Any ideas on why the balls keep launching in play? Like all 6?
Mine is doing same thing now !
Hey guys my launcher was doing great.. lasted a couple weeks, now doing the same old crap again, sometime two balls get into the launcher. Does that mean its magnetized. Take a paperclip to each ball and find out? At least I get a couple good weeks in there before unreliability sets in again.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:So I used Novus on the plastic piece, no go. But somehow, and I have no idea how, these two hazy circles showed up on my playfield! I tried waxing, nothing works. Any suggestions, you guys were right should have just left those stupid small scratches alone[quoted image]
Those spots are gone w/ 3M ultrafine polish. I just need a tiny 1" ro buffer and get rid of some tiny microscratches and I will be all set. I really think these spots and original scratches are from using Novus 2. I am never going to use that product again. Too abrasive. Some others on pinside have had same experience.
Maybe Alien playfield has a special coating. Mirco told me its "self healing".
IMG_2514 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from Averell:I've heard it's ceramic based clear coated and very strong against wear and tear.
yes that is what he said. I just need to use a little buffer on those swirl marks and I think I will be back to as good as new. As far as the plastic in playfield display screen, that is full of scratches. i may get a removable plastic laminate sheet to cover it, maybe it will hide some of the marks. I do have a replacement, but Im sure that will be full of scratches in no time.
Owning an alien can be a real pain the rear . I got all the way to the last mode in alien with hyperlseep multiball going on and of course something had to go wrong ! Almost all the balls got stuck in the airlock. Game
Done had to reset the machine . My trough also kicks 3-4x sometimes until it gets the ball in the launcher. I guess these are just the quirks of owning this machine
Quoted from delt31:I hate to say this to someone having issues but I've owned my alien now for months and not 1 issue so I think it's dependent on your game.
Yeah I figured
Quoted from noitbe1:Maybe the ball stuck in the airlock come from the software already resetting and not the other way around. Did you check the extra ball win? Try to deactivate the win to start.
Strange behavior could come from bad installation, plug, IO... but seems like your Alien have more issues than the other one around
You know I think it may actually be more simple then that perhaps my game
Isn’t leveled right ? Maybe I need to increase the angle ? Maybe balls not sitting in trough launch and airlock appropriately
Quoted from Ferret:If you manage to send several balls into the Airlock before it kicks them out, this is possible. Shouldn't need to reset the game completely for this, though... a telescoping magnet should be able to pull them out. Where to put them afterwards is a bit of a hassle, but you could try one in the Airlock, one in the launcher lane, one in the Vent 1 saucer, and I guess throw any others in the trough. (All this because of the high power interlock that prevents you from just putting them all on a raised flipper... though perhaps you can do that if there's a nearby friend to help. The glass cartridge is a serious PITA in this situation though.)
Can you tell if the ball doesn't half enough oomph to reach the launcher lane, or if it has so much oomph that it's hitting the side wall and bouncing back into the trough? In the former case, try nudging up the power of the trough eject coil by one notch (5%); in the latter case, nudge the power down one notch.
And yes, game level and slope can affect these sorts of things too. 6.5 degrees of slope and level side-to-side is ideal.
Thanks for the advice, so far things are ok since I put the rear legs up for more angle. The launcher is more smooth, only had one hiccup so far, the airlock had to fire two times before getting two balls out, but Ill take that over getting stuck
Quoted from Ferret:Kickers like the Airlock do make themselves stronger automatically if the first couple kickout attempts fail.
Spoke too soon. Argh two balls stuck in airlock again. Oh well, I give up. Ill just deal with it I guess. I already had set it stronger kickoout, but it keeps fumbling and just can't get the balls out. Eventually the game just gives up, and when it goes into ball search mode, it does manage to get one ball out, but the other one remains like the machine totally forgot about it. But if I turn off and on the machine, it can easily kick them out. Does that mean its a software problem?
Maybe I have the older air scoop? Does someone have a picture of what the newer one looks like, I guess there is some plastic block in there?
Maybe I can make one and put it in there with some adhesive
Quoted from razorsedge:You are having a pretty bad run aren't you. There is a ball serve update to make the balls come out reliably, I think it was in one of the other threads... involves a small post and trimming the lane protector plate. Another helpful fix was to put the fuzzy side of vecro on shooter lane wall to prevent balls bouncing back into ball serve.
Seems local games here haven't been having anywhere near the degree of issues you're describing. Maybe it's just that we recieved all late run SE games in our container, or perhaps blind luck... who knows.
I hope it all comes good for you there!
Not too many more problems. I had an se before this le is far better quality I’m just down to two issues air scoop and 98% launcher is fine it’s that 2% that bothers me . I want my machine to be worthy of an arcade and on and being used all day long without any errors
Ok guys.. Im really sad now. I just leveled the Alien and played like 20 games. All excellent. No more scoop issues no more launch issues. During game play.. dark. It just lost power. Now it wont even turn on. It looks like it wants to, but the airlock LCD panel flashes just a bit then dark.
WHAT TO DO!?
Quoted from Ferret:Man, you seriously have a jinxed Alien, don'tcha?
You might check the fuses. It's been quite awhile since I've had to lift the playfield on mine, but if I remember correctly, every fuse has an indicator LED, so if any of those are not illuminated, start with that. If those are all OK, then Roostking's suggestion is solid. Either way, if you're swapping fuses or tightening connections, make sure you do it with the power off. (If you're not sure if the power's off, pull the cord out to be sure.)
Could the whole machine just not turn on if there is a problem with that g1 led all the way in the back left corner ? That one used to flicker but it’s been fine for weeks . Guess I’ll call my pinball tech again . Hey at least the scoop and launcher where working 100% even with 3 balls in the scoop ! Was just leveling !
Ok I just turned it on to see if the fuses lit up the actual wire going into the outlet started burning and smoking and literally almost caught on fire at the end going into the outlet ! What the hell does that mean !
I hope this did not damage my machine if it was just a crappy wire
10C8C808-6D12-4F2D-8D21-4D70C74870E4 (resized).jpeg
Alien back online faulty power cord ! Can u believe that ! Just FYI my reflection in the Alien black glass is not an accurate representation of what I actually look like. In fact, in this photo I would say I resemble McLovin from Superbad. Not too shabby!
EDDFE508-1F24-478D-98B0-54950DA2BC25 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from delt31:This is the same alien that fell on top of you right? I think it's possessed and wants to harm you. Forget pinside... You might want to find a priest to perform an exorcist!
Yes I think you are right. U guys r going to think I’m a weirdo but my wife and I had a hard time conceiving so we hired a shaman . He came to the house and wanted me to get rid of all my pinball machines and said there was a vortex in the basement . He said there were also unwelcome people in the backyard . He did a ceremony and ever since then my wife and I don’t have nightmares anymore and we have a baby now . When I used to be in the basement I would feel like
Something was behind me and this cold wind would be on my neck . Made me shiver . Ever since his ceremony it went away
Quoted from knockerlover:That is the most elaborate way for a wife to try and get rid of pinball machines I've heard of yet..
The first one he said should go is my TWD LE. He took one look at it, closed his eyes and made some prayer and said this needs to go asap. Well its still in my basement, and I finally got that well walker switch fixed. Until I complete CDC mode, its not going anywhere for now
Quoted from Averell:Today I received the new Knocker Bracket from my local workshop.
They are perfect as the original Shooter Lane Brackets should have been.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
regards
Averell
So what are these for? A knocker install or the shooter lane? Where do these go?
Quoted from MK6PIN:Great stuff!!!...Been chuckling all day w this one...
Umm .. I’m being serious
I installed a new io board version 1.4b some time ago but I can’t update it to new version 0.9 if I try then the whole computer won’t boot and I have to reinstall software all over again . How do I update it ?
Quick update, everything on my Alien is working nearly 100%. I think switching that power cord actually was the problem, isnt that weird? Maybe this whole time the power cord I bought off Amazon wasn't giving the machine enough juice? The only problem I still has the VUK in the airlock. It can kick out 1 and 3 balls, but 2 it still fumbles. I will try to change the spring and on the vUk and see if that helps.. but so far launcher and trough all good!
Quoted from TomDK:This is in the coat ! I have the same on an other area !! Nothing to do woth "bad balls", wrong cleaning or so ... it is an issue in the coat !
Too bad we have no one responsible to contact We have to live with it. I have an other playfield bought as an "decoration only" witch has other issues but the coat is okay.
Those areas on my machine are gone, (I used some 3m ultra fine polish) but I do have some micro scratches , my play field plastic display also has scratches. I dont think there is anything i could have done to prevent it (other than play field protector), and it doesn't bother me anymore. I play the game several times everyday, and I think its going to get scratches at times no matter what I do.
Quoted from TomDK:It is a pinball machine, is a pinball machine is a pinball machine ...
I have ordered a spare plastic for the playfield and even a spare playfield "for later". I also just play my pin.
But I could not polish this area in my cc out. But does not matter.
I do not use a playfieldprotector on Alien ...
I have a feeling eventually all Alien owners are going to witness problems with their play fields. Whether its swirls, haziness, scratches etc. Mirco said to me "alien play-field is a bad design". Take it for whatever it means.
I did the same thing, I bought a plastic display cover for future and another playfield. I will wait 10 years depending on condition then do a playfield swap. If Im still alive in 10 years. My haunted Alien may kill me before then.
Quoted from jonesjb:Man playing this game is so much fun, but it seems like each plunge is a lottery shoot of "will this next game break my pin".
Thats why I have spent hours fixing and fine tuning my pin. Feels flawless now. But yes I know what you mean!
I mean my crappy Amazon power cord caught on fire! haha!
Did most of you guys change your plastics to PETG? Some of mine are starting to fall apart especially near the flippers. Its crazy, its like the drawings/coloring is just coming off .. hilarious.
1 month later
yes Alien is awesome, including all these cool mods you guys made. Im into modding now, so Im getting this life size Queen mod. Im going to put it behind and above the back of the pinball machine, should look cool.
The exclusive version comes with a longer extended mouth biting thing.
Elm-HCG-Alien-Queen-2018-8-01 (resized).jpgQuoted from Averell:The rebuild knocker assy is ready to use now.
Connected to P12 (third row from above), left yellow wire (Plus) and next to it the black wire (Minus).
The connection at the coil doesn't matter, because the diodes are installed on the powerdriver.
The knocker can be activated in the menu using coil C3.
[quoted image]
Ru going to be selling this set ?
Does anyone have a fix for occasional ball being hung up right ramp where the playfield meets the metal part of the ramp?
Quoted from Dee-Bow:Did u try yelling at it jusssst kidding bud.. good to see u back on here... cheers!
Yeah that didnt work.. it got me banned from playing Alien for one week
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