Yea. 7v boards are dying. A board fails every game now. Replacing boards won't matter because next game they'll be dead. I need a different power supply I think.

So I'm going to ignore all your personal insults and only respond to the facts. Let's say I was "the light guy", what could I do about power spikes blowing out proprietary rgb boards myself? I feel nothing. But if you have suggestions, I'm open to hearing them. Certainly this isn't easily solved by inserting one of my 6.5v 555 LEDs. Lol.

As for exaggeration. My boards now die every game. I just swapped 10 boards with new 7v boards (LTG can confirm). First game when I got an extra ball, the light show blew out board 24. That was one that I didn't swap with a 7v so ok. I swapped with a new one using my spare. Next game, skill shot blew up 15. I bypassed that on the menus. 15 is a 7v board. Next game skill shot blew up something else. I didn't bother to figure out what. It doesn't matter as I have no spares left and even if I did something else would just blow up on my next game.

I don't know what it is, but the new animation on skill shot, extra ball, and replay is almost guaranteed to damage one of my led boards. I'm sure my case is unique which is why I'm saying I have a lemon and am not trash talking the whole JJP platform. Why do I complain about it? Because after 4 support calls and several board swaps, I shouldn't have to initiate contact and track down the head of the company to sort this out. His staff should be empowered to handle this via nothing more than a support ticket. When this is resolved one way or the other, I'll state how.

Currently, the game is powered off and unplayable. So you said I should "adapt or get out". If someone wants to buy me out for what I paid into this, I'll happily get out. But no one will buy this game in this state without taking a huge loss. I'm not sure what you suggest by adapt. But other than going through the support channels while the game sits idle or letting every insert blow out until there are no lights, not sure what you suggest there either.

That is pretty much what happened.

I can only do so much.

When a customer wants more than I can do, I tell them they'll have to go higher up the food chain. And Jack has been and is the most accessible manufacturer to deal with. I let them know what I can, and can't do.

So if I suggest going over my head, that is the quickest way. I go up the ladder myself, takes longer and less likely to happen. But per the person's concerns, I did send it on. Where it promptly stalled in all the holiday traffic. Everybody needs something yesterday, and everything takes longer.

If it were like other companies, I'd gladly send it on it's merry way. But for JJP, I try to get things going the fastest way possible so the customer can get the game going and enjoy it.

I am sorry if I offended the person, I only meant to help, the best way I know how.

LTG : )

Has to be something electrical. Isn't light boards causing that. If 7v are going then there is something really nasty voltage wise going on. This has been escalated.

Cool. Thank you.

Hey you didn't offend. . I have no complaint with you or Alex . I appreciate what you've done so far. My only comment was that it would been nice if you guys were more empowered so you didn't have to send people up the ladder when it was obvious that more of the same won't work.

Could something be getting shorted out intermittently from vibrations or ball collisions?

It happens very consistently on the new light shows for skill shot, replay, or extra ball. I'm pretty sure that's causing the power supply to work harder and mine just can't handle it.

The new animation creatures a very bright hot spot of white with the LEDs and moves it around in a cool manner.

Yes, this was my thinking. I wasn't just requesting a new board set to have a new board set. That wouldn't even help. As soon as I put the entire new board set in and started a game, boards would blow out. What I wanted was to take the next step, assume new boards won't solve this, and move to the next component. In my opinion, that's the power supply. Unfortunately, new power supplies are 7v. You cant put in a 7v power supply and run the old 5v boards on it. So I am not directly asking for a new boards set. I am directly asking for a new power supply, and indirectly asking for the 7v boards that run with the new power supply because the new power supply will for sure blow up the remainder of the 5v boards.

The part that I would think would happen here without escalation is the thinking above. "This guy doesn't just need new boards. Something is causing them. Let's send him *that* component. Oh crap, that new component will blow his boards, we'll need to send those as well". This is different than just asking for a bunch of new boards so I feel good.

Have you tried putting the game on a power regulator (like something from the Panamax AV lines)?

No. But I'm pretty sure its not an input power issue. I think its a rectified power issue only on the 5v line. I've had the game die in my game room, shop, and as jrivelli pointed out, at a trade show. All different input power.

Mine is from the first 150 and has been mainly problem free. Some of the new games are having loads of problems! So no, I'm glad I didn't postpone my game delivery

Ordered June 30, 2011, still waiting.

I would do it again, but priorities do change so I could see some will some will not do it again. I have even considered selling mine to fund other projects but my wife thinks I am crazy.

Just as an update: I received a small package from JJP yesterday and replaced the cord that was giving me problems. With juice flowing to the LED boards now, I ended up having three 5V singles out. Luckily, Ken had the foresight to include six new 7V boards with my cord. I am now officially back up and running! The wife, kids and I all played a bunch of games on it last night, which was a lot of fun, because it was like we just received a new pinball machine, it had been so long since we played it. My wife got her name in at 3rd place.

Will I keep the machine? I need to really put some time in on it over the next couple of weeks, but I'm really liking where the software is right now and it sounds like we can only go up. If it holds together and stays lit, it just might be a keeper.

As Markmon is having continued difficulties with his particular machine, JJP should consider either - moving the mountain to Mohammed or moving Mohammed to the mountain.

I suggest JJP consider either having the game shipped back to the factory to be fixed once and for all or sending a technician to his place to fix it. It is one thing to send out parts and offer tech support by phone in order to resolve 98% of the problems, but when this doesn't work after a few rounds, a more thorough diagnostic should be applied. Of these two options, I think the first one would work best.

I agree. The warranty should cover a tech coming out and fixing the issues. or JJP should swap out the game for a new one.

What do you mean? Are you sure it even needs to be fixed? I thought that you said that he and Alpha were lying??

.

This thread is making me consider cancelling my Hobbit preorder.

Sorry you are having all those problems Markmon. I'm sure it will get resolved properly. I thought you were just trying to start problems and I lumped you in with the crowd noted above.

Why not call/email Jack?

Congrats on getting you pin up and running too Alpha....

That's awesome you were trying to help, but I'll still point out the main issue here was. It doesn't matter if it "technically" would've taken longer in your mind to escalate to jack through you becuase to us, as the customer, that makes 0 sense. Someone calls me at work because there website isn't working and they have email troubles. Over my head, but do I tell them to go call a different department etc? No, I transfer them over or I say "let me help you with that by speaking with someone else and I'll get back to you shortly with a ball back etc". Overall I think it is just a quick lesson in customer support. The customer always wants to be supported and if they have to go out of their way during a tech support issue then that ball has been dropped. However, an easy situation to rectify and carry on for the next one! Hey, JJP is super new to all of this. I'm sure now there will be a more accurate process or JAck will be in some steps to get this handled. He is bigger now then he was before and everything gets scaled up

So, overall I'm hoping he can delegate more and empower some of you guys to send authorize the sending out of various things like boards, power supplies or whatever other big item may be broken etc. You are both good at what you do, so Jack should be able to trust you guys did fantastic troubleshooting and the cust is ready for a new whatever part

I wouldn't if I were you...I think you'll kick yourself somewhere down the road. I'm in the top ten in terms of problems I've had with my WOZ. After three months and many repairs, it's finally settling in with only minor hiccups, which are to be expected. When you're an early adopter of anything, you've got to expect bugs, and I'm still glad I was an early adopter. It taught me how to fix my own machine, and if the JJP tech support wasn't as good as it is (which is a 10 in my book!), I'd be singing a different tune right now. It's astonishing to me that there are people out there that volunteer to work for JJP and give of their time on the weekends and holidays to patiently help people out. And their service record has made all the difference for me in deciding whether or not to continue my Hobbit payments.

I'm still in on the Hobbit without any reservations at all. I know it'll be a great machine, and I know they'll learn from their mistakes on WOZ. Sometime in 2015, I'll have TWO amazing pinball machines!

Well I'm an early reciever....and I have no regrets.
Have had my share of issues, but JJP has been A+ in resolving any of those issues. Like all of us, waiting for the game to settle down. And once it does, we can look forward to more JJP games....this one is pretty special.

I have found JJP to be nothing less than extraordinary in its level of customer service. More than that, I know of two occasions on which Jack himself has displayed amazing generosity. (I'd love to say more, but I promised not to make a thing of it.) I cannot account for others' experience of the company, but mine has been exemplary.

So a quick update. Ken emailed me today and I'm getting a new power supply and board set sent out after the holiday. I did not have to call Jack. Looks like LTG took care of it. Very cool. Will update when it arrives.

I hope that solves the problem. Good luck!

On a side note, great job on the GI lighting mod for Woz Jrivelli

Cool. Hope this fixes your issue.

Wasn't in my mind. Unbeknownst to everybody, back around the 15th I already sent this up the line. Where nothing happened.

No idea why. Maybe the holidays, maybe they are busy.

I was just trying to get the customer help the fastest way I could. I am sorry if anyone is upset with me for trying to get the problem resolved the quickest way I knew how.

Don't worry, I won't make that mistake again. I'll do what makes sense, no matter how long it takes.

LTG

...and you wonder why I think you're awesome, Lloyd!!!

PS - Enjoy the cold up there in Minnesota...and stop sending it our way in Jersey. -5 degrees on Thursday night... WHAAAAAT???

Oh my god. I turned on my machine just now and a bunch of lights are out. No big deal, I find out which board is dead, and change it out. Now, the whole machine has gone dead (again!) except for the monitor showing a splash screen, which was my original problem that went unfixed for 48 days! Back to square one! Excuse me, I need to go punch the crap out of something for a while...

I can't f'ing believe this.

Ouch.

I am sorry this happened.

If there is a reset button inside label on top of the big box with the metal boards, please push it once. If no label, then please try jump starting the motherboard, literally briefly short the two pins on the motherboard where a start button would plug onto. I'll put a picture here.

I can't do more right now, there is a huge problem up the line on the internet and much of my things like email and service phone are down. Can't even get through to them to find out how long to fix.

LTG : )

photo 2.JPG

The connector in that picture I circled is JFP1

LTG : )

Yes, I know it well.

Very sorry to hear this. This kind of thing along with moving machines around is the worst part of the hobby. For the record, I'm the one that had originally agreed to purchase the $7000 ECLE. (I apologized up and down to the seller as backing out is not my way and even offered up compensation if the machine did not sell quickly as a token of my apology.) But when I found out that the warranty was not transferable, I just couldn't do it. There are too many stories like this about the unreliability of WOZ. Even if the warranty was undoubtedly intact, I would still have an issue with a potential breakdown at any given time on a nearly brand new machine. However, that question was not adequately resolved in my mind's eye, which is why I definitely had no choice but to back away. This machine is way too expensive and way too complicated not to have an iron clad warranty available to a second owner.

All machines are susceptible to a break down- no question. But there seems to be a disproportionate amount with this machine. And after spending 7K-- a GIANT stretch for me-- I would just be devastated with it broken down and seemingly nothing I could do about it in the immediate.

Many on here are helpful and that is nice, but I don't want the machine "in the shop" more often than I can play it (especially with me as the mechanic being "walked through" the necessary repairs). I just would not be able to stand for that. Even as helpful as LTG is, I often don't know what the heck he is even talking about when he tells people what to do. In some respects, it's like a foreign language to me. For example, "jump start" the motherboard? Huh? I'm truly not an idiot, but that advice would do me no good, especially when I'm in a frantic and/or frustrated state from a broken down 7K game.

Wow. I don't have mine yet, ordered 2/2012. This thread is incredibly scary to a new owner. Makes me want to not open it until things shake out. But I mean that could still be a ways off. The window for getting one in 2013 is rapidly closing

Does anyone know if it is safe to say that WoZ with a manufacture date in 2014 will be more reliable than 2013? I think if stuff remains the same we could speculate on that now.

Edit : you have no idea how much it pains me to say this unless you know me, then surely you do, but TeeKee is right. Would have been way smarter to simply wait to answer the OP.

Mine should be within a few weeks and i am thinking of telling them to hold off on mine for a while. I want to play it not work on it. Tough decision as some people are reporting no problems...........

They are all reliable. You only read the worst, which isn't many, and can happen to any game. Especially considering how many are out there.

And JJP is working to resolve issues if they come up.

My game, in commercial use since July 3rd, lost one #15, months ago. Which I replaced with an old version #15, and it's been fine ever since.

LTG : )

Mine has been great, no problems, got it first of October....two minor switch adjustments..

Shame these guys are having such problems...

Yes...keep in mind that there must be close to 1000 WOZes out there by now...and it seems like only about 2-5 percent--if that--are having chronic problems. Mine was one of the unlucky few, but with JJP's awesome support, my machine has finally stabilized (knock wood). Now that I said that, of course, it should crap out in the next 24 hours...

Got mine on 10/17/13. No problems. I wonder if anyone with the light board problems received their WOZ after I did. Just curious if that's all fixed now or if I have something to look forward to down the road.

We have been playing it more than any of the other pins and can now get to battle the witch mode pretty regularly.

Remember when WOZ first shipped & there were no videos of gameplay?

Wonder why?

No. Why do you think that ?

LTG : )

I would do it again

People were too busy having fun playing it to film the damn thing.

PS - Videos were out on YouTube pretty early - there's even a video of the first one being delivered by Jack, so I have no idea what you're talking about.

If I was totally into Judy Garland, you couldn't have kept me off the list. As it is, when is that Hobbit due?

This is trolling, or poking the bear.

Don't poke the bear.

bear.jpg

Okay, I ended up re-installing 1.24 and it's working again. Sigh. I guess I need to keep a USB stick loaded with the current OS in the coin box and just re-install it every morning. It wiped out all my settings and my awesome, 8 year old daughter just got her name in the machine last night, too.

With the warranty being non-transferable, I'm not sure I can even unload this thing on anyone else? Has anyone had luck selling their machine HUO?

Lol OK

Because they didn't know how to short out motherboard pins

This was going on long before WOZ.

LTG