I'm glad its not just me

I've notice on multiple occasions when I have doctor ghost lit(where next shot to VUK should start mode) it will take at least three attempts to actually start the mode. These are full VUK activated shots so I'm not sure whats up with that. I also noticed and I think someone else mentioned that in hotel ghost mode only a couple of the shots are flashing at start of the mode when I'm pretty sure all of the shots should be flashing.

Maybe this is what you were already thinking, but the right way to do it would be to increase the ball search timeout X seconds based on the pre-determined length of the ball capture hold (or pause the search feature for those X seconds)

Hate to bring this up, Ben--I'm loving the fixes to v 22 that I've been running on my machine--but now two games in a row I've had the "endless multiball" problem when both Minion MB and Hellevator MB are running simultaneously. I've waited 5 minutes and tried even just letting the balls drain, but the multiball just keeps going until I shut off the machine. Sorry. I'm running V 22 for both code and A/V.

Joes typically that is a trough switch error from my experience for what it's worth and not code related. I would start checking those out.

Thanks--I'll do that. Perhaps that could explain the credit dot I'm sometimes getting upon boot as well? Can't hurt to try. Maybe it could even be the balls getting magnetized and screwing up the trough switches? I'll try replacing the balls with new ones, since the game has now had 500 plays. Thanks for the idea.

Thanks for the reply, Ben!

Regarding my earlier post about "endless multiball," I've replicated it again twice tonight. Here's the sequence: Lock 2 balls in hellevator, reveal and defeat 2 minions (but don't reveal minion 3), lock ball 3 in hellevator (starting multiball), reveal and defeat minion 3 (starting minion multiball), and endless multiball begins. There was a suggestion that it's a trough switch error, but I can't find anything wrong with the trough switches, and the fact that this occurs every time I follow this sequence and at no other point during the game makes me wonder if there is still a bug. I'm running v 22 for both firmware and A/V.

If any other AMH owners can try this sequence to confirm or deny I'd be grateful, or if anyone thinks I'm full of it, you can let me know that too.

I'll give it a shot tomorrow morning Joe, if not then definitely Monday. Sunday I'm running out to CP to enjoy their last Sunday.

Putting a reminder for myself to test that out as soon as I get home today. I'll edit this post with what I find.

Edit: Followed those steps and did not have endless multiball. Tried it shuffled around in different orders as well but still was not able to recreate the issue.

Ben> If you want to do some messing around with the glass off on our game, LMK and we can arrange a time.

Thanks to all for replies. I'll test this out further over the weekend and answer Ben's questions.

Hey Joe,

It might be a long shot but try this. With all 4 balls in the trough. Go in to switch test and activate both of the right sling shot switches separately. Does one of the right slingshot switches cause your 4 balls to disappear from the matrix. If so, your sling shot is wired wrong.

This is worth checking out and not just for the slings. I would check as many switches as you can, especially those in the Hellevator. A reverse wired switch in the machine can confuse the trough and result in endless ballsavers.

Thanks so much for these ideas, guys. I really appreciate it. I'll check things out on Saturday and post what I find out.

Okay, The_1up, I don't know how the hell you knew, but you nailed it (I sense the voice of experience). Indeed one of the right sling switches caused the 4 balls in the trough to disappear from the matrix in switch test (thanks for your very clear explanation). So I'm guessing this is a known problem that others have encountered. My question is, exactly what do I do now?

Picture below shows my right sling wiring, with the culprit switch being in the bottom of the photo--that is, the switch without the diode. Advice on next steps highly appreciated. I can solder--I just need to know what goes to what. I can take a better picture if needed.

Right_Sling_Wiring.jpg

Unsolder the white wire from the bottom switch. Now run a new piece of wire from the newly empty switch tab to the diode switch, banded side. Your left sling switch will need this modification also. Check the left sling switch in switch test and you will see some strange switch activity also. I will make a bold statement and say all AMH's made up to the end of September are wired this way. But it could be just yours and mine.

SpookSlingR.jpg

Left side.

SpookSlingL.jpg

Thanks for the advice and pix--I'll compare these pix carefully to what I've got before doing anything. I've actually tested the left sling switch with all four balls in the trough and gotten normal behavior, but I trust your advice and pix, and I am very grateful.

Three dumb questions to be sure I don't screw up: (1) Looking at the pix, when you say the "bottom switch" you mean bottom on the RIGHT sling, but top on the LEFT sling, correct? (2) After unsoldering the white wire from the switch, I assume that I still want to keep that connection intact otherwise--in other words, I would still have a "solid" white wire connection with two ends soldered together, which I could cover with shrink tubing--correct? (3) Looking at my left side sling wiring (see below), would you say that my left sling does need the same modification? I don't see the unsoldered white wire in your left sling picture, but I assume it's just out of the picture.

My_Left_Side.jpg

The mis-wired left sling doesn't affect the trough. It messes with some other switches. A pop or target or orb lane.

(1) Right sling, bottom switch, non diode switch. Left sling is a little different.

(2) Unsoldering the wire from the tab, the wire will stay intact, heat shrink or tape it. Then run the gray jumper you see in my pic.

(3) Your left sling is wired wrong. The fix is different than the right. You have 3 white wires.

1st wire comes from elsewhere and is attached to the non band diode connection. Leave that one alone.

2nd wire comes from elsewhere and goes to the no-diode switch. Unsolder or cut that wire and attach it to the non band diode connection where the 1st wire is attached.

3rd wire jumps from no-diode switch to non band diode connection. Move the wire from the non band end to the banded end.

I'm glad I could help.

Thank you!

I can follow that, and I'm very grateful for the additional detail. I'll post once I've done the work (might not get to it today) to confirm.

Is the tilt lag/delay going to be fixed for the next version?

Thats awesome your getting it all worked out

I'll post once I do my sling rewiring, Ben, to confirm, but based on the detail above and confidence from The_1up, I'm assuming that the endless multiball was not a code issue at all, and that v 22 indeed took care of it. Thanks for letting me temporarily highjack your code thread.

Ben, can "Extra ball is lit" be announced sooner than it currently is? Most of the time I get the extra ball and shortly after hear the call out of "Extra ball is lit". It's not a huge deal but wanted to mention it since you're working on V23.

Dan

I don't know about me, buy I'm feeling 23

Suggestion for next update: Make it so the scoop ball saver can be disabled or decreased in time during multiball.

Edit: Also I brought the game to two tournaments this past weekend, and it was a high request from players that there be a way to check the scores of other players before plunging your ball.

So, when the ghost catches the ball, what about adding some code so that it doesn't just drop it straight down? Lots of times, it wants to drop it straight down the middle.

Lots of stern games have it where it whips the ball around on the magnet before it releases it.

I think it depends on how you have your game setup, mine never goes SDTM from the ghost. If it got whipped around the ghost shots would be much more risky and therefore less likely to be worth shooting.

+1 for both of these suggestions. More time where all scores are displayed would be helpful during competitive play.

Maybe. But I checked my game 3 times, perfectly level side to side, plays that way too. 6.5 degrees. I can save it, but sometimes not without a tilt warning.

I'm not sure if there is anything I can do. Minor issue though.

Yeah, that's actually exactly what people were hoping to do.

Yup that'd be great. Also any way the scoop ball save could also act on an outlane ala Stern games? Because as it is now it protects against SDTM drains, however it doesn't protect against balls that hit the top of the sling and go directly to an outlane.

I may be buying a amh and was wondering if there is any difference from the say first 10 production ones to the later ones? Someone mentioned to me that the first ones used different cpu and maybe some other things? Is this true and if so does it matter?

All games as far as I know all use the same heck board,I believe they could have change the power supply at one point in production.i have an early game and all Is good but not unlike most or all of the games proudced they will need some adjusting and tweeting to get then to play at there best.

Ok cool ive heard a few different things but I guess they are all basically the same

all are very similar from what I know. A few small tweaks here and there with ball flow and guides. Possible the first few did not have a post at right scoop entrance?

Chuck would be the best person to email and ask.

Our programmer just pointed this out to me... and yep, the slings are basically wired wrong. It's not an issue until something (like the sling switch) gets stuck.

So... we fix, we adjust, we learn. Thanks big time to Joe and 1up for finding this... just one of those things we didn't see in testing.

There were different 5 & 12v power supplies in some early games... the board set won't change at all until we get to RZ. We're eliminating all those troublesome .100 pins / connectors.

Wahoo! Those .100 IDCs have been making me crazy for months.

My early AMH does not have a post by the scoop entrance. I wasn't even aware this was added to later games. Is that confirmed?

can confirm on the one on route from mid 60s range.

is this something EVERY AMH owner should go check and correct?

Interesting. I wonder when this was added in production.

Yea im interested also , all the ones I have played had no post by the scoop.. Seems like the only purpose wld be to make the shot more difficult ?