Me every evening going into the home arcade:

It's the wood that makes it good

Everything. Lights, games, signs, computer, etc etc

LTG : )

You need another poll option.
I have 20 pins & arcades on 5 different switches. If I’m just playing a couple of games I’ll turn on only the switch for the group that includes the machine I’m gonna start on. If I’m spending an evening, I’ll turn on at least all the pins.

I only turn on the game I want to play initially, but will leave it on if I go and play others. By the end of the night, at least half the machines are powered up.

One at a time. 99% of the time it's just me playing anyway, and pretty much the only time I trip breakers or get boot errors is when turning a bank of them on at a time.

If my wife gets there ahead of me it will be her. (I hope)

Sometimes I just leave them on so I can get a quick game in between work stuff. Other times I'll turn everything on (usually if someone iscoming over).

We have a huge tv mounted above everything that you can watch from the landing where the couch is, or from down the pin row. That goes on last, if at all.

Several windows are cut into the set which have monitors playing content. One is a rotating set of videos of a spaceship window orbiting a planet, the other is a 1940s TV which plays Twilight Zone episodes on a loop. Those both stay on all the time.

Ouch! I turn on more than one at a time, and mostly I don’t even know the rules!

I can’t really argue much of the rest.

- Professional Engineer

I turn on just the game I’m playing, but I’ll leave it on as I move to another machine.

After a good game session, it’s fun to sit back and look at all the pinball machines doing their attract stuff, and all the EMs lazily blinking their #455s in the marque.

Games, lights , signs- everything. It gives it that “ambiance”.

It then tempts me to play them all. (My excuse is the EM’s need played daily to keep running smooth, then the others “feel” left out. So gotta play them too!)

I do notice a slight hum from the electric meter once I turn everything on. (Faster than a well hit spinner!)

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I never turn mine off

On weekends every pin and arcade in the basement is turned on. They run a anywhere from 10 to 14 hour's each day durring that time. Durring the week I pick one machine a day after work and play that one. Truth be told some days I don't even play. I just like to have one on took at.

I turn them all on every time I play (except for the ones that aren't playable). All neon and beer signs too. I try and get a few games on each one but sometimes I'll get bogged down on one (just one more game and I can beat it, I just know it) and don't get around to all.

There's also times that I'll wind up sitting around soaking up the light shows, enjoying the backglass art, not playing anything, but thinking lofty thoughts or thinking about all the stuff I should be doing rather than what I am actually doing... Not all the time, but sometimes.

I have everything connected to my custom home automation, so I just walk into the room and say "Alexa, turn on the pinball machines"

Usually I only turn on what I am going to play at first. But then I ended up turning them all on eventually. Once in a while I will turn them all on from the start.

It really depends on my mood. If I'm getting in a few quick games, it is only one pin. However, some nights I like to just setup in my basement. And if I'm going to be in there for a couple / few hours, I'm turning it all on. The games, the crown molding lights, the background lights, the slot machine, the arcade consoles, the TV (tuned to some sports). Everything.

I suppose it is a waste of electricity. But I'm always happy at the end of those nights. On nights like that I'm not concentrating on high scores, I'm just relaxing, playing pins, watching some sports, having a glass of wine, and just enjoying my little arcade.

Girls

Some of my games are set up as a series like Gtb series 1 and 80.
At night I'll turn on all of these. Same for EM's and (e-gad) bingos!
But more often than not just fire up the one I'm playing, especially
during the day.

If it’s just me playing I flip on a game and play and leave it on for the day. Sometimes 3-4 end up on because i played a few different games. Basically, if I am going to play it then it comes on and I leave on for the day. Unless I leave the house at any point, then off they go cause its a fire hazard to leave em on and leave the house.

If I am having people over. ALL on

I have that exact same Coors light neon sign. It gets turned on to add just a little bit of lighting, along with Centipede and the two newer sterns every time. The older machines only get turned on when I actually play them. 36 year old and 54 year old pins don’t need the stress.

90% of the time, I turn on just the game on that I'm playing.

All of them are on zigbee smartplugs controlled by voice via Alexa
I just say "Alexa, turn on Avengers" and I'm good to go

IF I want ALL of them on, I have a group and a routine set up
I just say "Alexa, let's play pinball" and all 40 come to life

IF I want the club sound system on
I just say "Alexa, let's party" and the 2 SVS subs and the receiver come on

Alexa and zigbee are a dream for flexibility

My blog post on the subject
https://thepinballloft.com/2020/01/26/dumb-smart-plugs/

How many games do I turn on?




ALL THE GAMES!!!!

I only turn them all on when there's a party.

Wholly smokes

TWO SVS SUBS?!??

YOU SIR, ARE LIVING THE DREAM!!
(and ur 40 pins....)

Nope, I’ve got 4 operational pins, and if I’m the shop to play, they are all on.

I still have my SVS ultra12/2 from 2006. They make one hell of a sub.

Crap. What a (true) stereotype.

EE here. The only games that are on in my garage are the ones that are actively being played.

My three year old daughter is already on the right path. “Dad, your game just ended and you haven’t turned it off yet. You’re wasting power”

Sorry pb12 plus 2. Had it so long I forgot the old naming system.

A real game night starts with my early 50's Manley Aristocrat first! Just need a fresh batch of popcorn kick it off...

Then on to my modest collection of Arachnid Super 6, the pins, and vids... But it always seems to be popcorn and darts first!

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All or nothing!!

Disclaimer: not an engineer

Yup. Exactly what I use to shut them down.
Doesn’t matter if I have 1 or 21 running

“Alexa, game over” and they all power down

And here they are coming alive

Like others, it depends on my intent. Sometimes I'll pre turn on a few games I know I want to play at that time...other times, I will just turn everything on just because it's cool and relaxing to look at for awhile....sets a mood.

This, for the most part. Don't always get through half the games.

One at a time these days. If other games are powered on, its a guarantee a four player game will be running on each as my 2 year old loves to press a flashing start button.

Have a GOTG and Iron Maiden and a Golden tee 2017 in between both. Most times I turn them all on even when its just me around. Just like having that "vibe" around me I guess.

You need 1 more Category ;-})
We have most of our Pins on dedicated 20 Amp Circuits with 20 Amp wall switches, going from 3 Pins per Circuit (1 group) to 6 Pins per Circuit (3 groups) so If it's just the Wife & I playing I'll turn on (& off) each group as we're playing them.
If we're having company ALL the Games are ON.

I had this set up, but I must have ended up buying flaky wifi outlets, because they all eventually disconnected from the network, and they are not connected in a very accessible place

whoa !

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That looks like the beauty of the zigbee outlets. They create their own network essentially and don't rely on the home wifi network. Definitely seems like the way to go for an automated arcade! I'm 100% percent in on this system and ordered the goodies myself today

You nailed it. I tried the wifi route first but most home routers have max number of connections.
I can't remember exactly how many of the wifi plugs I installed before "the next one" would not connect
Had to box em all up and ship them back to Amazon

I only turn on the one I'm playing.