That's interesting....you could try finding a good pictures and make your own cardpaper cutouts of the letters and tape them to the section. The lights should be segregated so it only lights up the letters (via the wood on the lightbox).

Of course this would only work if the reason it doesn't light up is that it's all 'open'. If it is all 'dark', then it probably won't work as it isn't letting light through.

Not sure if you can because of the new account, but if you can shoot us some pics!
And welcome to Pinside and ... congrats on the first pin. Get ready to make room for more!

Leaving the club unfortunately. The pin is going to a great home though. Will sure miss the game.

Anyone ever add a shaker motor to your Time Machine? I think it would be a pretty cool effect during the "Star Warp" sequence. Any info on how to install one would be appreciated!

just picked up a time machine and have a few questions.

#1: does the knocker fire during multi ball with the coils? for some reason my knocker fires like a chime should. pretty sure thats not right.

#2: the lights on the back panel above the roll over lanes are always somewhat lit. its never just one thing specifically lit. thats night right either correct?

#3: did anyone ever make scans of the apron or is there replacement decals anywhere? previous owners at some point painted the apron and it looks bad. I want to get it back to original

Joined the club when a friend dropped of a Time Machine he bought at auction. This thing is a basket case toilet. But I have managed to get it playable in a few hours.
My issue: the sound.
I'm very weak when it comes to figuring out sound issues. Certain background sounds and switches are crystal clear. Anything with speech is obnoxious static.
All 3 speakers work, so I'm not convinced it's an amplifier issue. My guess would be a bad ROM or bad RAM on the CPU? Open to all suggestions. Thx. Can't wait to get this cleaned up!!

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Mine did this too. It sounds horrible. I actually cut the wire which led to it.

I’m thinking it’s a wiring issue. Looking at the chime unit and the knocker, it’s almost as the chime to the far left is wired to be the knocker and the knocker is ran in series to the chimes. I don’t want to go cutting and adding wires until I know for sure that’s what it is.

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If the double grey wires have anything to do with it

mine fires the knocker along with the chimes also I think it may be normal operation

The knocker is supposed to simulate the sound of old score reals turning.

Well I’m glad my games not 100% broken then. Sounds like the knocker coil needs disabled

I have a flatbed scanner and can run mine through if need be.

I would start with the rom chips, some of my issues were fixed by removing them, gently cleaning the legs with an eraser and re-installing. I did all the socketed ones on the sound board on general principle.

I'm a double member of the club as of yesterday!

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That's a good looking Time Machine you've got there. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it. It was really nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you too John!

Its a beautiful machine but going to cause me much work trying to bring up the first to match it!

You did a fantastic job!

If you could it would be much appreciated

There is also a setting that affects how powerful the coils and knocker fire for multiball, I found the setting after a good year of owning the game. It defaults to the loud setting whenever batteries go dead or are changed with power off. Its not a huge improvement but certainty better on the lower setting.

Just put time machine out on location. Hopefully it gets the love it deserves. The only thing I’m not too excited about is how much it gives out extra balls through the rollovers.

I think you can change that in expanded settings.

I think there are a couple of adjustments that control this. If you're seeing that extra ball is offered too much as a prize for completing the top 3 rollovers then that can be adjusted by expanded adjustment 57. This adjust controls how often each item is selected (as a percentage). There are 3 settings (easy, factory, hard) and for the extra ball setting it's 30%, 20%, 15% respectively.

There are a couple of other settings that dictate when an extra ball could be awarded that you could also adjust if it's happening too often. Things like lighting an extra ball lane for reaching 1950 twice in the same ball (expanded adjustment 55) or lighting the extra ball outlane when completing the top 3 lanes 6 times (exp. adj. 56).

Hopefully that helps give you an idea of some adjustments you could make if it turns out that too many free balls are being awarded.

Dave

Since we are talking adjustments; what setting turns on "target lights special"?

I'm assuming instead of extra ball as a reward, credit for a free game? The light tests out fine but I have not seen it light once during gameplay.

I don't see anything in the settings that seems to be related to that particular light. Given that the targets normally set up the decades for locking a ball I'm wondering if there's a setting/adjustment for turning off multi-ball or something else that would change what the targets do. To be honest, I don't recall that light ever being on but I've never really been looking for it either.

I changed a few settings and it did indeed come on, just choose credit instead of extra ball.

Here you go; someone with modest Photoshop or Gimp skills should be able to clean the scans up, touch up the images and make suitable for decal printing.

Original files sizes are around 1 mb each, forum shrinks them when posted.

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anyone got any cool instruction cards?

Came up with a few years ago.

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sweet. thank you

Hanging out in the game room..

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Knocker on mine just has a chunk of extra foam stuffed in it, sounds much better as you can actually hear the chimes now.

Hey guy 'n gals. I'm in da club and i'm very happy about that. This thing is in dire need of an LED job. I usually use 2 smd frosted from Comet. I'm not gong to rainbow puke this thing but has anyone had a spot where one or two(max) colored bulb looks tasteful in the GI anywhere? IE: a blue under a ramp or something?

I'm still playing about with mine, this is what I came up with. The rear GI are single blue SMD from comet in with purple LED under the subway return ramp, which is homage to my wife. The 3x target inserts really pop if you use red/yellow/blue LED in location instead of just white.

The large 1950-1960-1970-1980 inserts have quad LED in each one and flashers are 8 smd, also from comet.

The rest of the GI lights are single SMD lamps with clear domes.

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Thx, I usually do color match my inserts. I like the look of that, the purple under the ramp looks good.

So, I have a couple dozen games in now. Is anyone else as ridiculously bad as me at hitting the ramps. Well, I shouldn't say "hit". I mean actually getting a successful ramp shot? Man, am I bad. The two left side ramps, I bet i'm batting a .178 or less.

My back legs are as low as they can go and I still find the ramps to be sooo steep. I don't need them any higher as the game plays fast already.

The far left ramp is a bitch, my hit rate on that one is fairly low. You have to get it just right to make the shot. Star Warp ramp I can tag 50% of the time with the right flipper, much lower hit rate with the left flipper. My last game I collected the SW bonus four times which is astounding. Last time I did audits I think it stated successful SW ramp shots were at 25% or 26%

Far right ramp I can get fairly regular, call it 70-75% if I take my time, cradle the ball and then take the shot.

Usually the DE flipper are too powerful and it isn't unusual to send the ball flying clean off the ramp. I even replaced with flipper elastics on one with black units that were several years old which helped somewhat. If your flippers are weak, make sure the EOS switch isn't hitting early and the coil sleeves are in good shape.

Right at the flap entrance to the right ramp, its screwed down too steep and the ball goes flying off the ramp off the glass in to the right corner of pin, Maybe i'll make a ramp protector to cover that entrance with a piece of lexan. I have a bunch of spare stuff after I had to make ramp protectors fro my Monopoly.. I'll check the sleeves and EOS switch. Dude I bought it from had it cleaned up and shopped out. But you never know quite how deep he went.

Well, my Comet order came in the other day so I gots to the Time Machine today.

Colour matched the inserts, did cool white in the G.I. Installed pop LED pads under the pop caps. Put in one twin flex purple under the re-entry ramp to put a colour into that ramp. Overall, very pleased. Looks like a completely new pin.
Put in some red silicone rubbers on the flippers. Nice and grabby! Still can’t hit the star warp ramp worth a shit, but
If I cradle with left flipper I’m fairly consistent on right ramp and I’m actually quite good at hitting left ramp also.

Love everything about this pin, theme, artwork, rules, sound package, other than I feel there might not be enough shots for me.

Mine kicks my butt. Plays super fast and hitting ramps is crazy hard. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

You should be able to shoot the star warp ramp from your left flipper I actually found it easier when I had mine. It does have a lack of shots on it but you can harden settings and lower the star warp shot to 500k to make the game much more interesting.

I don't think I have got it once from left flipper, it rattles the ramp and doesn't make it all the way, frustration.

I've done it several times, it is much more difficult though compared to the right flipper.

Here's my Time Machine after I finished it. I made the custom topper and several of the playfield toys.

Holy shit!!!!! That topper!
I love almost all of it. Little bit too busy for me with the light show, but wow man!
Hope you love it

OMG, you KILLED it on this title! Such and awesome job and now my new benchmark and goal for my Time Machine. Love this game and your work and makeover on it are incredible.

So impressed!

Hope you’ll help a brother out with advice as I begin mine!

Thanks man! I'll be glad to help any way I can. You're pretty close to me. I live in Bristol TN.

Nice look. Love the yellows!

Who would be interested in buying a set of new plastics for their Time Machine if Cpr made them? If you would buy a set, post in the linked forum:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/data-east-time-machine-cpr-plastics-interest