Don't adjust the flippers until the new PIC is sent to you. Leave the flipper strength at default. CGC will be sending all the dealers a kit for us to distribute to our customers to address this. Below is a copy of the note that Doug Skor send out.

Larry
flipnoutpinball.com

Dear CGC customers:
Let me begin by wishing you all a very happy, successful New Year.
AFMR ONLY:
As I mentioned to a customer on the phone today, when it comes to service, we don’t necessarily have all the answers. As we move forward, it takes a collection of service tickets before we can piece together a trend that then leads to a resolution. In all cases, we at CGC are committed to correcting these concerns. We discovered a software glitch in the PIC that controls our solenoid driver board. While you might try setting down the power on your flippers, the fact remains that these settings are currently having little to no change on the flippers. Our software team has already corrected the problem, and we are testing the new software with a few select customers. Before we do any massive distribution, we want to thoroughly test the update. This might take a few more weeks, and we ask that you be patient as we start to distribute the PIC’s. In the meantime, there will be NO need for you to enter a service ticket at this time in order to obtain the update. Please wait for further instructions. However, we are going to ask that all customers immediately return their software settings to DEFAULT. We have found that if you are using the lower range of settings that it is likely that you will blow one of the FET’s on the Solenoid Driver Board.
More to come.
Thank you!
Doug Skor

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I was not notified by anyone that my AFMrLE had defective flipper firmware, and when I opened a ticket, I was told my dealer should have contacted me. Did anyone else get overlooked when it came to being notified of the flipper default setting? Are there any other notices I should be aware of? My dealer was Player One in Canada.

I only learned about it here on Pinside. No notice from my distributor (Automated). People who don't pay attention here are going to learn the hard way when their solenoid driver board dies.

Me too. I have the fix incoming but would have had no idea without Pinside.

UPDATE: I just got a call from Doug at CGC, and he said I should have received it from the dealer. I can't blame Doug, he has enough on his plate, but damn, it is frustrating as hell finding out about stuff in forums and not the dealer I spent money with.

Wow, your experience the exact opposite of mine; zero BS.

Did you get the notification email from Player One?

Has CGC actually started sending out the new PICs to their distributors?

fwiw, I've never received any "defect/recall" info from the 3 distributors I've purchased from over the years.

If it weren't for Pinside, I'd be out-of-the-loop. Considering most dealers aren't around the corner and often don't get involved in implementing the fixes, it's kind of sad they can't even reach out on issues like this. I'm sure some do, but it hasn't been my experience. I think in many cases, the manufacturers keep the distributors in the dark as well...so it's unclear whose "fault" this is.

Hopefully the manufacturers contribute to Pinside, since it obviously helps their cause

snaroff

From a distributor stand point, you'd be creating panic for those who aren't experiencing problems. Im sure everyone who's had an issue, the distributor you've done business with will disclose this as a potential fix. Also, to clarify, the distributor above had stated they're preparing packages for distributors to give out: "CGC will be sending all the dealers a kit for us to distribute to our customers to address this. Below is a copy of the note that Doug Skor send out."

I hope they come out soon with this. This game has too much power and is not playable. Balls jump all over the playfield

When I got my LE on 1/3/18 the topper didn’t work correctly. Only eyes lit and the light in front of the alien. No other lights (except saucer lights one time upon power up) or motor worked. Put in ticket with CGC. They quickly sent PIC 2 chip and an extraction tool. It’s a 40 pin chip and was fairly difficult for me with my limited repair skills to get it in the socket without bending the pins but I did it and it fixed the problem. If you are like me and haven’t changed one of those before, it’s trickier than it seems. I pulled the whole card out of the game and found it simple while the circuit board flat vs doing it in the cabinet where it was difficult to see. Bent the pins twice that way.

I don't understand why they just don't make it available (the part for the software change) online for anyone that has the AFMr to request. It should be simple, everyone that has sent in their warranty card is eligible for the software upgrade.

The last communication stated that it was under test and not yet available. Maybe that’s why?

FWIW - Game Room Guys contacted me about the fix and have even called me a few times and sent me a thank you card in the mail. I recommend them based on my experience.

Right now, my game is basically a box of lights, as the flippers are way too powerful. I was cringing every time I played.

Hope CGC releases a fix soon.

Anybody have problems with that bar and latch inside the coin door? Mine has been very shaky since day one but I was more worried about getting my topper working. Put some electrical tape on the back of the glass to get rid of the rattle (it worked) but now I can’t get that latch to work. All the jiggling and rocking in the world and that latch won’t catch. None of my pins have done this before. Not quite sure what to adjust.

There are 2 brass screws that allow you to adjust the lockdown bar. If you've never done it before, it can take some fiddling. Sometimes helps to lift the PF to see how the screws adjust the mechanism...

snaroff

Been playing around with them and can’t quite see what they are doing. Gone all the way from fairly tight to very loose. This is the kind of sh!T I didn’t expect to have to deal with. Moral of the story, buy local next time and have them set it up.

Its not too bad of an adjustment.
Make is so that the lockdown bar installs easily.
Then turn each screw 1/2 turn and check the tightness of the bar.
Do this a few times until you are happy with the tightness.

I prefer the have the lockdown bar fairly tight so that I have to lean or press very firmly on it for the inside lock handle to engage.

Yeah I am aware of that I was just responding to the panic theory.

Seriously....... theres a lot of viable complaints and then there a huge bunch of whiners. WTF..... I have never bought a game that played great right out of the box. I spend days, if not weeks tweaking in every aspect of the game. I cant believe were even bringing up stuff like.... had to adjust lock bar, my screws were loose, or my glass rattles with a shaker.

Most of us do like I do and thats why our games play perfect..... period!

I think you know the answer. Some folks are fairly new to this...that's all.

I'm sure the remakes are popular with folks skeptical of owning 30 year old pinball machines (due to maintenance issues). Now they have their freshly made pinball and realize that even newly built games have issues (some more than others). The shooter lane issue we both worked on and numerous other issues are likely disturbing to the virgins among us. Patience

snaroff

Not trying to complain when asking about lock bar, just not sure how to fix it and looking for advice. I've had a few pins and never had this problem. Honestly, still not sure how to fix it as those brass screws loose and the silver latch part too low. I found if I reach inside and push it up it will catch. Also needed a new chip to make the topper even work. Hardly whining. People bash on Stern but my NIB MET had zero problem out of the box and I guess I expected the same. This has been more like the JD I bought.

Tighten or loosen the brass screws to adjust how the lock bar closes. It's a very simple adjustment. I had an issue with this on my dialed in.

Is the pin perfectly level? I had a hard time getting my bar to latch but simply making sure pin was perfectly level solved the problem. I think the pin must have been torqued slightly and leveling it up solved it.

But whining aside... I love this pin, by far, more than any other. Even my wife and kids who really don’t like pinball like and play it. I’ll play around with the lock bar more but at least I figured out how to lock it even if unconventional. Next up is the doing the ramp bend.

Its not a design flaw. It a modern design. When have you seen anything but smd led around? even the 555, 88, 89 and other bulbs are smd. The ancient bulb holder has its own flaws. If you are electronically inclined and are current and you cant do surface mount stuff then you are not an electronics tech. And nowhere did I see anyone claim pinballs were user servicable goods.

I remember the days of carbeurators and no emiision control systems life was easy for mechanics too.

I would love to see laptops today or even cell phones for that matter if they did not use smds. Its here its now. If you want difficult then just think BGA. All kinds of specialized expensive equipment required and experience. Those leds are easy.

I don't think anyone is whining ( sounds childish )... most of us are super-into this and are on a mission to perfect... so all the 'negatives' come to light and get dealt with that way. How do you know something is the best unless you try to punch a hole in it? If it was all sunshine and lollipops, the quality and design would never improve, so all the 'complaints' is actually valuable feedback companies used to pay focus groups for. If someone does not care, they won't give strong feedback and demand more. ( supply and demand ). The worse thing that can happen is people lose interest, and that won't happens anytime soon by the looks of the posts

The TNA are having LED problems. Having a way to swap out LED 'pods' is what I had in mind, not reverting back to legacy style LEDs. The future is modular.

Yep. And to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the B/W lockdown bar design. Stern adopted a simple 2-hinge design on all their pins and it works great. Initially, Stern customers thought the design was purely a cost cutting measure, however Steve Ritchie apparently lobbied for it because it's sturdy and didn't require adjustments. Not implying CGC should have adopted the Stern mechanism, just pointing out that CGC inherited a so-so design (just like the ancient shooter mech, which requires fiddling). In the future, I really hope CGC looks to improve on the B/W design when cost effective and practical.

snaroff

Same for me, they are great to deal with.

Tend to disagree here. Stern bars have no adjustment. So when they get loose... then what. I had a LOTR that had a loose lock bar, I never could figure a way to tighten it. I really like W/B lock bars because they can adjust. I have all my games dialed in just right on the lock bar tightness.

Not me ........ all my new Sterns get changed over to the BW style. For me it’s worth the extra 100 bucks

In reference to the QC with CGC remakes. I am hearing that so far there is disappointment with how the remakes are selling. The expectation was that the AFMr LE was expected to sell out in three months. They are not meeting their sales goals. This is why I believe it very important to establish and maintain a good QC program.

Hadn't thought of that!

They made too many of them. My guess is that 1000 LEs will satisfy most of the demand and the SE and classics will be very short runs. MMR was a bit different with all the excitement it had due to its ridiculous price it was fetching before the remake. People who thought they would never be able to own one were lining up to get them at a significantly reduced price.

I wonder how close they are to selling out the LEs? I know they aren’t going in absolute chronological order but mine is 763 so I imaging they have to be getting close to selling all 1000.

Stern parts just the original style. Old habits are hard to break

That's cool. I know some folks feel strongly about one vs. the other. All the Stern's I've owned with the hinge adjustments "just work" without fiddling.

LOTR doesn't use the new fangled hinges I'm talking about, so it's not a relevant comparison. My LOTR has a B/W like lockdown that can be adjusted.

snaroff

Not very close when PPS has 300 of them in stock....

Fake news.

Maybe Maybe not but that's what I was told.

And if you think it's Fake News Then I am waiting for your research....

Call Rick and ask him how many LEs he has in stock.

Are your ufos also flashing during the video mode ?

Looks not normal to me...

Glass off. Lift playfield and lean back. Put lockdown bar on. Look at the innards with a flashlight. See which way things need to go and adjust accordingly.

LTG : )

And you think he will tell you the truth? OK

Yup. You may not like Rick or think he has a snuggly personality, but he is a straight shooter.

He may be all of those things, but I wouldn't divulge that information if I were him.

I love my LE green #255/1000... they can have in stock 998* and I don’t mind that at all, I’m grateful with mine every single day. My distributor here in Canada told us that he can’t order no more L.E.’s, I didn’t ask why, we thought that it was sold out.

*My Brother bought another LE in green too #81/1000