Blackout
Williams, 1980You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider swillie.
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Quoted from nicknack66:I changed my EOS switches, but the ball still didn't make the orbit loop in most cases (falling just short) so I decreased the angle closer to 4.75 and that seems to have fixed the problem.
Replacing the flipper button switch was the thing that worked for mine, can make the orbit shot most times now.
Quoted from mof:Who can post a movie of the gameplay this weekend? It would be nice to see the action on a well-cared for Blackout...
-mof
Made this video awhile ago before I reworked the right flipper to make the orbit shot better.
Quoted from mof:Curious, did you ever shoot top right spinner? If not why not? Trying to learn the rules, goals...
Mof
When you clear the yellow target bank twice, the right spinner lanes light (red arrows) and value increases to 1000 points per spin, makes a cool sound as it takes it's time adding those spinner points once you hit it. I don't think I ever did on that video, but if they are lit I shoot for them. Hitting the yellow bank 3 times lights blackout and once collected it remains lit for multiple chances at it until the ball drains. Another reason why it is important to get that right flipper working strong.
Quoted from mof:Wait, you can light spinners in Blackout? Why don't we see you going for that in the video? I don't think you shot at either right spinner.
Here you go, I tried my best to get those spinners lit and also show the orbit shot...Blackout had other ideas, couldn't get the orbit going till last couple balls...one went straight down the middle as others have said. I too want to tweak it so that doesn't happen... as it stands a little nudge as it is coming back down out of the top right spinner helps get it to the left flipper.
Quoted from Lysurgeon:Do you roll your game often set to 5-ball?
Didn't used too but now that my right flipper can make the orbit shot I can flip the score much easier. I have the game set to earn a free ball at 560,000 and 760,000, but I am going to remove those now that the orbit is obtainable.
Quoted from wiredoug:yes there is .. I have pm you a link..
i have also submitted it to ipdb
anyone else who wants it just ask
I also would like that link too if you don't mind
and thank you !
Quoted from nicknack66:On my Blackout the 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the circles at the bottom right corner of the backglass do not work (and yes I changed the bulbs). What are these numbers for and what connector on which board powers them? Thanks.
The lights show if it is a 1,2,3 or 4 player game. Is the 20 light in the center of the bonus circle working? I would guess either a break in the ground wire leading into the player 1-4 lights, or a faulty transistor on the lamp driver. I do not have the schematic to narrow down which transistor, nor am I an expert at troubleshooting, just a couple ideas.
I recall that my 20 lamp base was grounding on the bonus light assembly underneath the playfield. I had numerous lights all over the place either not working correctly or not at all, until I put electrical tape around that lamp base and it fixed all those lamp issues.
Good Luck !!
Yep, only one extra ball per ball. I was surprised by this as well. I have mine set so you only get an extra ball with the saucer at this point. Makes the game tough but rewarding.
Beautiful game Budman. Work those yellow targets. 2 times in one ball lites the spinners for more points. You can hit all 3 yellow drops from both flippers. Those red targets can make you pay with a center drain so I usually let chance take care of those unless it is all I need left. Wait till you have blackout and extra ball lit...no pressure
Quoted from Schwaggs:Hey guys, I ran into this the other day and was wondering if anyone else has seen it. I earned an extra ball through score. I then enabled the playfield extra ball (left orbit). When the extra ball light turned on next to the scoop, the Shoot Again light from the score based EB I had earned, turned off!
Wow, I can't recall ever seeing that scenario either. Will check it out later and report back...
Quoted from nicknack66:I haven't seen that, but to be honest, I haven't focused on it (but will now or next time I have the glass off will try and simulate it). My problem is I either have a game where I obtain zero extra balls, or I have a really good ball and technically would have obtained three extra balls from the score and the scoop, but then as was explained to me on this forum, the game doesn't stack extra balls so in the end i just end up with one. Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off letting a ball drain just before the next extra ball score, but that's probably a bad idea since I'll break my rhythm (I've learned not to walk away in the middle of a game to take care of something and then come back and inevitably when I return my next ball is crap).
I know just what you mean, but I figure once you get close just set your sights on the next free ball score and try to lose the ball just before that one, lol. Maybe we should just turn them off so the orbit extra ball is the only way to achieve it.
Quoted from Schwaggs:Hey guys, I ran into this the other day and was wondering if anyone else has seen it. I earned an extra ball through score. I then enabled the playfield extra ball (left orbit). When the extra ball light turned on next to the scoop, the Shoot Again light from the score based EB I had earned, turned off!
Pulled the glass and ran up score till I earned the extra ball light. Racked up the orbit until scoop was lit for extra ball...the shoot again light stayed on. I dropped the ball out, game awarded me the extra ball and once in play the EB light went out. Hit the scoop and lit EB again. There you go, not sure why yours did that and I cannot find any setting to adjust it that way.
Quoted from Budman:Maybe a dumb question but.....I can't figure out the 1-20 lights in the middle of the playfield and how it relates to scoring?
Those are the bonus points, x(1000) x(multiplier), awarded at end of each ball. Each time you hit all 3 rollovers up top the bonus multiplier advances one, and carrys over to next ball untill you are awarded 5x, than it resets.
Quoted from Budman:When I hit say, two of the three red drop targets and then drain the ball and the targets reset, shouldn't the game remember that , and only require me to hit the third target to light the red " blackout " light on the next two balls? Currently, the only way to light the yellow or red "blackout lights "is to hit all of the corresponding targets on the same ball. The game remembers which green stand ups you hit throughout all three balls. If this is not the way the game plays, how do I fix it?
Thanks
It's working correctly, you gotta clear all 3 drops on the red or yellow bank with the same ball. Clear yellow bank twice to light spinners, thrice to light blackout and it stays lit if you collect it with same ball. Also if you hit yellow drops multiple times than one times cleared status carries over to next ball. I think, something like that.
I finally got around to adjusting the geometry on the game a bit. When you hit the orbit shot it would drop a bit up top and fall back into the lanes. If you got a clean shot it would make the orbit but the exit rail to the right of the upper right spinner would send the ball SDTM so you had to nudge right as it come outta there to get a left flipper tip to right flipper save. Nerve racking, you should not be punished for making the orbit. So anyway the rail along top edge above lanes was dipped down in the middle...I used a hammer and nail set to tap the 2 nails holding the rail tighter and that removed the dip so now a lighter orbit shot still can make the full loop. Under the upper right plastic is an adjustable bracket which allowed me to set the end of the rail closer to the spinner, so the orbit shots head over to the left flipper every time now. The lower right spinner rail, if the ball headed backwards thru it from above, would also go SDTM. No adjustment notch on the rail bracket there, I just used a crescent wrench to bend the last inch or so of the rail to the left again so the ball heads over to the left flipper too.
Really changed the game, the orbit shot is so fun to hit now and I'm getting more chances at the extra ball shot. Outlanes are still a pain in the ass but I battle with them till I feel I've played a respectable game. Screw you, outlanes. 
No I didn't and I should have. All three points I adjusted on the two rails have a thin 'reference' line parallel to them on the playfield. I will snap a few pics later to show how it is setup now. Really only maybe 1/8" adjustments was enough to kick the ball over to the flipper.
That's normal. Other day I was holding the ball on the left flipper and adding up the bonus and was pretty sure if I let the ball fall out I would of beat my 'closest to 1 million without going over' score which is 995870. But I had blackout and extra ball lit...I made the shot and rolled it to 1.3 million or so.
2nd time in one game? That would be a helluva good run. 3 ball? Now I have a challenge. I'm not even sure what scores 10 points on that game. Unlit pop bumpers maybe? Lit rollovers? Coming closer than that will be very difficult to set up.
Quoted from gutz:2nd time in separate games! 3 ball. Although, my all time high score on blackout is 1.8 million. I reallllly wanted to roll it twice but I couldn't make it
Mine is set on 3 ball too. Funny, my hi score is also 1.8 million, but I scored that when it was set on 5 ball. My current hi score is 1.4 million. Now that the orbit is working better maybe I can approach your score.
Here are a few pics of the adjustments I made to help with the orbit shot. The top rail should run parallel to the red line on playfield. You can see that between the nails it still dips down a bit. Resetting those nails helped a lot as it was way worse, actually crossing over the red line. I might tap a hole and add another nail so it seats flat against the top wood frame.
If you look at the end of both rails by the right spinners, you can see that I have them hooked slightly so they almost touch the red line. It's not much but that's all it needs to redirect the ball to the left flipper. At least on my game. Neither could be set to drop to the right flipper as there is a playfield rubber below each that would interrupt the ball and I wanted the orbit to come all the way back to the flipper.
IMG_1647 (resized).JPG
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IMG_1645 (resized).jpg
Quoted from hepgeek:I've given up on ever finding two unbroken caps to fix up mine.
PM sent
Quoted from Robotworkshop:There was no trim on this. Do these normally just have the lift rail at the bottom or are they also supposed to have side trim? Some pictures I've seen seem to indicate that this only used a stainless lift rail on the bottom. Can someone confirm that and also if that rail is supposed to be 3/16" so I can order the proper lift rail? For the moment I'm just going to keep this in the package until I get the lift rail and put it in the game.
Robert
Guess I can't say for sure, but my original Blackout backglass had a 3/16" lift trim as well as black plastic side and top trim. It all fit perfectly on the repro.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/gatecrashers-hardware-vids-review
Last page has current catalogue...my repro backglass measures 28.5 inches wide, same as his stainless lift channel and it comes with the 3 plastic trim pieces for free to finish it off.
Hmm... just checked, mine has white flippers but yellow accent on the caps. Who knows what may have been modified in 27 years.
Quoted from John_In_WI:Mine had two with the white accent when I got the machine. The third was from another machine. I bought a couple on-line never considering they may not match. Now I have two white's and two yellows. Once I find a third, I'll match the flippers to the color I end up using.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/478207860/williams-blackout-pinball-pop-bumper?ref=shop_home_active_31
I inquired, no modifications made to caps just screwed on. Says 3 available.
Quoted from Robotworkshop:Lookin for recommendations and options for instruction cards and inserts for the apron. I'm missing the pricing card and plastic window covering it.
Quoted from Inkochnito:Maybe you should put in the "divided by 10" roms.
http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/317/blkou_t1.zip
At least it would save your correct score.
This would be great! Is there somewhere I can purchase them? I do not have the capability to burn them myself.
Exactly what hd60609 said, should fit close but not difficult. The friction tape makes for a tighter fit, protects the glass and once its on there awhile it isn't coming off easily. I used a rubber mallet to gently coax it over the friction tape but was not super tight.
Quoted from Robotworkshop:Did you get a set? I am going to make a set for mine and could probably make an extra while I'm at it if you haven't already ordered a set.
No I did not! If you are able to do this I will cover the costs, that would be awesome. I do wonder if that rom will work with the real game, or only in pinmame.
Quoted from Robotworkshop:Just got a message that they are mailing me a 3/16" kit which should work since I probably got the 1/8" by mistake....
That's good news. Black friction tape is at Lowes in electrical by the wire nuts, ect.
Awesome to here you are up and running!! Hopefully the horseshoe drops just need a good cleaning. Mine were sticking, the contacts were bent out to far and causing too much friction against the circuit board.
Robert was nice enough to meet up and give me the divide by 10 rom and it works great. It's an adjustment to play with such lower scores after so long the normal way but now that flipping the score is not a problem I love it.
Your game looks really nice! Definitely doing more than I did with mine. Where did you get the 'fire' LEDs...are they red and flicker? I like that idea and would like to add something like that behing my backglass.
Quoted from Robotworkshop:Have you tried any of the fire LED's? I used 8 of them on the machine. 5 on the playfield GI inder the meteors, 3 in the upper center of the backglass. Looks awesome. I also picked up a couple UV LED's and was going to try one in the blackout light.
Where did you get the fire LEDs? I want those, sounds perfect. Also I tried the UV blacklight LED bulb for the cup also, but just didn't 'pop' enough. I think the deep purple shade of the color changer looks more like what I thought the blacklight bulb would be like, so I would suggest a purple instead. Buy both, they are so inexpensive anyway.
Quoted from dfester007:Well, I pick up my Blackout mid next week... should be sweet!
Welcome to the Michigan Blackout owners club!
For me I don't like it, the original effect of the whole game going dark is too cool. To each there own.
So I used a toothpick to hold that left gate open and I really like it!! Game feels like it flows better and shooting for that new right orbit is fun. Mine is staying this way for now.
5 orbits lights the blackout saucer extra ball shot...having the gate open means less time up top in the checkout lanes but the game has more flow in my opinion.
Quoted from Da-Shaker:Exactly. More flow and you get completed orbits in either direction. You can remove the gate easily with 2 screws. If you don't like it, you can reinstall in minutes.
In fact the gate bracket has a hole in the top...I just broke off a toothpick at an angle in that hole and has held the bracket open for awhile now.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/williams-blackout-plastics-spinner-3x-bumper-cap
Not my add but saw and thought I’d post it here...
Everything thru step #2 as described is normal. Will play a game later and see if the display changes after attract mode blackout triggers...
Quoted from gdonovan:Question for fellow Blackout owners-
Never owned one before and I noticed something curious and was wondering if normal.
1) Start a one player game and left it finish as normal. Displays 2, 3 & 4 will all show 000,000.
2) Machine will go into game over mode. Display one will show last score and alternate with high score. All other displays will show 000,000 still.
3) After period of time machine will go into attract mode- state "BLACKOUT" drop the GI lights and displays and then go back to alternating high score mode.
4) Player one display will alternate last score and high score but the other three displays will now show highscore instead of 000,000.
Is this normal?
Yep, just confirmed mine behaves exactly the same as yours.
9F79461B-3D57-4EA9-BA1B-AE11B0B7470A-1048-000001807F0143CA (resized).png
Quoted from danczaz:Long Shot... anyone have an empty blackout back box.... the one on my project is crap... Also looking for a nice backglass... is there repo for Blackout available for purchase?
http://www.planetarypinball.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PPS-BLACKOUT-BG
Quoted from SteelNation:I just picked up a Blackout last night so I'm happy to join the group. My first old game. I'm not sure how active this thread still is but I hope I can learn some tips on working on one of these old Williams machines. A lot to learn. Time to start catching up on the 800 posts.
First task is getting the cigarette smell out. It does bring back some nostalgia of 80's bars though.
Congratulations, it’s a great game yuh
Quoted from Rampton:Tangential post:
I've recently installed oldschoolbob 's drop target sensors and have them working nicely. They drop, reset, score and make the sounds they should. However, I noted something that I thought was anomalous to my machine.
When a non-lit drop target drops, it scores what it should (2000) and make the score sound. However, when a lit drop target drops, it scores correctly (5000), but makes a 'red noise'-like sound before making the scoring sound. It does this for the red and orange sets.
Now, I thought there was something peculiar about my machine that I thought I'd have to trace, but watching some Blackout videos on youtube, they do the exact same thing. I'll attach a video below - skip to 9:00 (I've tried to link to that time) and listen for the sound when the right-hand lit orange drop target drops. That low-frequency 'hiss'.
Does everyone else's make the same sound? If not, how should it sound? (In which case, how would I go about fixing it?)
Thanks!!
Mine makes the same noise as yours ...
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Berkeley Springs, WV