Im in for a kit as well!!

I fixed my through issue by reflashing all IO boards and game softwares with a fresh download of 1.2 and .9 using a compatible flash drive. That solved my issue immediately! Game hasnt had any issues in over a week.

Alright, so you downgraded first to 0.9, then flashed 1.2 and then 1.3?
I will try to put 0.9 version on the IO boards again, or maybe replace one for the spare... maybe it helps.

What was your issue with the through? And what was resolved?

Thanks everybody for the tips. I can confirm ALL switches work as they should in test mode (so also the switch in the shooter lane).
Maybe one of the coders can tell me what triggers the shooter coil to fire sometimes (happens once every 5 mins or so).

I got a tip to adjust the switch in the shooter lane to trigger only when the ball is fully seated. Will try.

I can also reduce the ball eject power.

No. 1.2 is the software and 0.9 is I/o boards.
What do you have on the screen? You need to enter in service menu

I have 1.3, I don’t see why I should stay at 1.2

Anyhow upon further investigation I noticed 2 other things:

-Often the balls dont roll to the end in the through. Its a mechanical issue. There is nothing sticking out anywhere to block it, they just dont roll down (I tried different playfield angles and checked if game is set up horizontally sideways).
I’m sure my through has a problem.

BUT

Then there is this issue of the shooter coil randomly firing and I have a second much worse problem:
After some minutes of play the bottom flippers dont respond for a few secs, sometimes all flippers. I can push the buttons, nothing happens. Then they come back ‘alive’ and they flip again.
Sometimes all 4, somethings only bottom 2 or just left or right bottom.

Maybe all these things are related, maybe not. Any ideas?

As asked, I want to buy a spare through assy. Who has one.

And I will proceed to replace all the USB cables, just in case.
Which cables should I get?

The flippers going briefly dead is certainly unusual...Have you swapped out for a different IO board to that area, even if it's just to take one from the back and temporarily move to the front, to see if problem persists?

I had this problem with the upper right flipper. When I replaced the USB cables with shielded ones, the issue went away. I think this might be your problem with the flippers not responding for a few seconds.

Anyone remembers what lengths I should buy? 2m?

Thanks for the help guys

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/heighway-pinball-support-full-throttle-and-alien/page/14#post-4552168

Did you check to make sure the balls aren't magnetized?

Yep, and if there is any possibility the game has "Super Jets" or "Ninjas" (or any other plated ball) installed, you wanna get that junk outa there, Immediately!

Hey, guys...

Got a problem.
After the alien is switched on for about 15 minutes, the screen looks like this (photo attached below). I don't think it's the display, because after another 15 minutes the display returns to its original picture.
Even if I go to the menu, the display works normally again.
What can this be?

Thanks and greetings
Thomas

3BEE3DE7-66ED-471C-9CB8-BE77006184D9 (resized).jpeg

DBF37D08-7896-4FB8-A76A-F2A2A8CD2D12 (resized).jpeg

Check the wiring under the playfield at the monitor and at the mainboard.
Often the plugs are loose by vibration of the coil assemblies.

... or number two:
The thin cable from inside the monitor chassis rubbed blank on the chassis. . Some tape and if the cable cores are not damaged it will work again.

I've seen this report more often. Solution always: the cables.

Yes, i bought new balls a while ago. I didn't play any game anyway since I bought it (except some testing), so they should be fine.
I ordered new USB cables, double shielded and I will add ferrite chokes on both ends of the cable.

I'll report back if this helps on some things. I can also swap the IO board, I have one spare left.
I will also again look at the through assembly. Anyone knows someone that has a spare of this?

Out of curiosity; how does the software know what is which IO board? Dipswitches on the board, or the physical USB port its plugged in on the PC (like with the monitors).

Except if they are plated balls which magnetise Very easily.

The I/O board discovers that from the thing it’s plugged into on the hardware side (e.g. one of the lighting PCBs)

Thanks Ferret for the explanation.

I wrote WeirPinball for spare PCs (I'd like to have one). And he said if he gets about 5 orders he will make a batch.
I'm in, so need 4 more. Who wants one?

Edit: For those in the EU. I can have the entire batch shipped to me and distribute them, if that helps.

Do you have more detail or a photo?

I had an issue where the balls would jam up at the top of the trough. There are several says to fix it, the easies is to file out the hole a little bigger so the balls don't stack up at the entrance.

I'm guessing that isn't your issue though. So, you could try cutting some acrylic and make a "jam protector." Like this:
https://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=449

As mentioned double check your balls for magnetism. I've had brand new balls arrive magnetized before.

Cool stuff for your machine....and only $29.95!

https://www.amoktime.com/neca-alien-7-scale-action-figure-ultimate-40th-anniversary-big-chap.html?mc_cid=eb71f4a29d&mc_eid=45129cf6d6

Wanted to share some "sheltering in place" results, haha
So I really wanted to do something for the ramps...
So I traced the ramp bases, created some pics on photoshop of corridors inside the Nostromo, made some vinyl sticker prints, placed mylar over those sticker cut-outs and put them in their place...along with a pic of the LV-426 system at the center plastic in between the left ramps.
I think it turned out pretty cool.
IMG_20200406_132240 (resized).jpgIMG_20200406_140903 (resized).jpgIMG_20200410_213846 (resized).jpgimage000000_14~2 (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_094229 (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_153146 copy (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_153322 (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_153225 (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_153227 copy (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_162259 (resized).jpgIMG_20200413_162228 (resized).jpg

IMG_20200413_153326 (resized).jpg

Very cool. Love these! Would be in for a set if you decide to sell.

Those look fantastic, I’d love to buy a set as well if they were for sale...

Thanks guys! After a tedious tracing of the base of the ramps, a buddy of mine and I put it into CAD, and then we transferred those spec outlines into Photoshop, where we took pictures of Nostromo corridors and doors and chose which images we thought would be best. We chose an eerie grated design for the left and a more sterile clean and reflective corridor for the hypersleep ramp, and it seemed perfect to have a standard airlock door at the right horseshoe ramp. With those pictures we altered some colors and warped and twisted the designs so that they fit nicely and matched cleanly with the angles of the ramps from the player's perspective and worked well with the colors of the surrounding playfield, or so we felt.
Interestingly enough, I was able to get some high quality vinyl sticker printouts right at my local FedEx. I got a big square sheet of mylar from Marco, outlined the mylar, cut it out and then applied it to the top to protect the graphics (also gave it a nice shine). For the center plastic art, I actually used that same type of vinyl sticker and placed it on top. I know there's a lot of ways to "recreate" plastics/plastic designs, and I suppose getting a reverse printed sticker that has top adhesive and put that underneath could certainly be a nice option too, but I just chose to do it this way as it seemed to be the easiest and it doesn't stand out as unfitting when you look across the playfield.

If you guys would like a set, I'd be happy to make them for you à la carte, just give me a PM and I'm sure we could work it out. Alternatively, anyone who wants just the files (which are to scale and can be directly taken/emailed to your local FedEx or other store capable of printing on adhesive vinyl), let me know and I'd be more than happy to email those files to you.

Wow very cool idea!
PM sent

Holy crap is that playfield dimpled!!!! WOW!

Hahaha... Yeah, that one shot taken low to show the horseshoe ramp really caught the light and really made the playfield look insanely dimpled. I totally agree with the visual on that, and on those particular pics I noticed that too! Fortunately, when you look at the playfield itself it looks smooth, clean and gorgeous. But yeah, even though this game sees a fair amount of action, I agree, that picture really makes the pf look like a pothole fiesta!!

The dicussion about dimples is ridiculous, every playfield becomes dimpled sooner or later, and it doesn't matter if diamond plate, clearcoat, ceramic or aerospace super coating - all nonsens!

Unfortunately, you have a bad screen. This happened to mine as well. I purchased a new one and was up and running in about 10 minutes. Pretty easy to replace. I would purchase a few at the low cost and peace of mind not having to worry about another blowing out down the road. Takes about a week to arrive. With corona and shipping delays, expect longer.

Purchase from here:
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/-/32812494499.html

Update regarding my problems. I replaced all USB cables.
-Problem with random firing shooter coil still there. It just pops once in a while... (every 1-2 minutes or so). I think it only does it with balls in play.

-Infinite ball saver problem not tested yet.
I did Averells recommendation to make the outlet of the through straight. I don't recommend this, they bounce back in in my case. But also my ball through seems to have some mechanical flaws (it is not straight).
Anyone who has a spare trough, please contact me.

-Flippers going briefly dead gone as far as I could test BECAUSE new problem:

During play IO board 1 goes missing (where the scoop is). It doesn't come back unless you hard reset the entire machine.
Of course I checked if the cables are well seated; they are. I ordered extra wire harness standoffs to zip the USB cables to.

It happens repeatedly and within 3-4 minutes of play. Before USB cable replacement, this was not an issue....very strange.
Any other suggestions then already mentioned in the forum (keep away from amplifier, keep away from high power coil wiring etc.) I have ferrite chokes on both ends of the cables.

I guess IO board 1 is the one in the back that has also the worst connector.
Does anyone know why it does not come back to life? As I understood from Ferret the software should reconnect to the IO board automatically after a few seconds.

I have a Pinbits jam protector and modified it to fit the trough,thanks for the tip.

Sounds like your USB connector at I/O #1 may have come loose and is not making full contact of the cable prong. Thats the issue with those ports on the board and why using USB there is a shoddy design flaw.

Actually I'm not sure if it is really IO board 1. If I see the problems reported by other users (like Maurice) they all have the IO board 1 missing.
It is possible that for everybody it is IO board 1 with the problem, but I doubt it...

It may be a combo with the software & communication lost that is the issue, because the software is SUPPOSED to redetect the boards, but it doesnt.
Instead, half the things don't work (like the scoop and the bumpers). I have exactly the behavior Maurice described and only a hard reset will work.
So maybe someone that has the code can also have a look if a reconnect from software can work.

In any case I will play around with cables later this week and see what helps...

I made some extra cable clips on the back that, if you close the playfield, make sure the high power cables end up on one side, the usb etc on the other side.
After doing this I was able to play at least 15 minutes without issues.

So for now I only have the shooter left that randomly fires and the unreliable ball through.

I noticed that if you press down the switch on the shooter lane the software directly triggers the shooter. The switch is not too sensitive for sure.... will keep updated on progress.

Hyberberic Sleep Chamber Mod Update:

A few weeks back I posted a sneak peak pic of a motorized chamber I was working on similar to the pirates jjp mod that has been very successful. The mod replaced the factory 2D plastic piece and utilizes factory mounting points. As the video shows I have hit a dead end with the mod and need some help from the community. Currently I have it fully functioning with a servo and a battery but not integrated into the game which is the next step. Also to add LED lights.

Ideally I’d like the chamber to open up once the lock is lit lights up on the playfield. This game doesn’t use standard lights as we know so hooking up alligator clips to a light socket (original plan) is out the window...

I’m a maker by trade, I teach metal fabrication. But I’m not an electrician. I dabble but nothing like this before. I’d love to see if the community could help get this project finished. If so, I’d be interested in making a run of these if there is interest. I know 7 of you already messaged me with interest after just showing a teaser picture. The YouTube clip is linked. Thoughts? And as always, Thank you!

Very interested and a definite buy for me once completed. Given all the lighting is 12v, might not be too bad to incorporate w gameplay, except the actual interface could be a pita...guessing you want the trigger as mentioned and some GI?

There's so many minor, cool things I need to do to mine...think they've piled up enough that I can justify taking the game "offline" for a bit to modify. Just love playing it so much.....

That is badass and I'm down for some single chamber action.
Great work! Count me in!!!

Here is the single hyperberic sleep chamber next to the triple in CAD

A2D15403-4449-4AA3-8C0A-B85A8367F2D2 (resized).jpeg

I can maybe come up with a solution based on what I have now that uses a switch input (5.4V about). I have no doubt this also works if I hook it up to a LED.

However, why not use the switch input or the coil.
When the ball rolls over it my print gives output signal for X seconds (adjustable). So the lid opens for this amount of time when ball triggers the switch. If you see my video I posted I added a simple LED on top and it lights a few secs when the ball has triggered the switch.

It will also light when the lock is not active however, so in this case the coil would be better, or indeed the lock light LED.

I sent a PM

Another idea: Have lids on all 3 chambers and open/close based on how many balls are locked.
Maybe a light when its open.

Very cool. Count me in.

If you want to mimic output of the "Lock" insert: Could be done with an optical gate (transistor) or a LDR (light dependant resistor) in a basic circuit. This would "detect" the light being on, providing a signal that can be used to control a relay (or similar) for any voltage supply you desire.

Actually... isn't there a kit in this thread already, for this actual purpose?

I'd be down for the 3 bed camber setup!

Where would the LDR go? Makes sense but how would it get the input. It’s a circuit board of lights. Also wouldn’t it pick up light from other lights?

What if it was triggered by the coils? The apc coil kicks on when the drop target is complete. The coil only fires when all targets are completed which lites the lock and then the other coil that raises the plastic piece into position stop the ball could close the lid. How do those coils get told when to fire? Is it the middle wire? Signal wire? 5v? 12v? Is it just grounded? I know the flippers are 48v right?

Holy heck! I’m up for all the mods pls! Incredible!really!

count me in please.

Indeed the light driver mod I seen here was based on switches, not LEDs.

The Sensor would need to go in the gap between LED and the insert, so that it can activate at a distinct threshold as the lock insert is lit. It can be remote (wires) from any circuit board.

+ 1. Really fantastic stuff guys!

Same here!

I could talk to Matt w Backalley creations to do a group paint job on the sleep chambers if y’all want?