Updating First Post

These are now available in my Shop, Free UPS Ground Shipping also $10 off if you buy in multiples (Code:multiple)
They are $229.99 "out the door"

https://cheapdrainz.myshopify.com/products/pinsight-hdd

Install Video

Support Thread
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinsight-hdd-troubleshooting#post-6827477

Here is an FAQ

What machines does this work with?

All modern Sterns running spike2 starting with Batman 66 up to the latest release currently Rush. Currently it requires a metal Apron so you either need a premium/LE or to replace the apron on your pro. I will be testing some alternatives the issue with pros is very minimal clearance between the glass and apron.

Will this work with other manufactures?

Currently I have tested on a Spooky game(Ultraman) and yes it will, it does require one different component do if you would like it for a Spooky please contact me.

Are there any known issues with the mod?

The only issue I have run into is a blanking of the 5 inch screen while playing. It appears this is mostly if not totally eliminated by making sure all connections are secure. It has however been seen by streamers too who split the Spike signal so I cannot guarantee it wont happen. Again it is not often, last only a few seconds and does not affect the main display. If this will bother you then you may want to wait or you can contact me to discuss further.

Other than that you just need to be careful, after much testing I think the screens are now fairly rugged, but they are small thin LED screens if you bend them enough or poke them hard they can crack. This should not be an issue as long as you exercise reasonable caution but I cannot be responsible if you are careless and crack it. This is one reason why the magnets are good no force required if you want to move it etc..

How does it attach to the apron?

It is using strong thin magnets, I personally think this is the best method as it is not permanent and allows you to easily reposition it. I have decided to ship with the magnets not installed so that you have the option of using double stick tape or another method if you prefer. You will just stick them on yourself. It also allows for better packing.

Will there be any visible wires?

No if you install it centered on the apron the PCB board and all wires will be hidden under the apron, there will be a ribbon cable that runs on the front of the apron but it will not be visible when the lock bar is installed.

What will I be getting when I order?

You will receive a 5 inch LED screen with a custom bezel, a signal converter to split the Spike to signal to the original monitor and the HDD as well as an HDMI cable and USB power cable, along with a few small parts for installation

How hard is it to install?

I would call this medium level, it’s not as simple as snapping in a 3D printed part but also not overly complex. You will need to install the splitter board in the backbox, there are a few connections that need to be removed, reconnected etc. I will tell you that the display connector is a bit finicky and its critical that its installed snuggly and correctly I will do my best to make this easier. There are also a few connections that have to be offset by one set of pins for example so it’s critical that you pay attention to the install instructions. Once this is done you simply route two cables(power and HDMI) to the lower apron, remove the apron, install the PCB and screen, put apron back and hope you made all you connections nice a solid

The below pics are my prototypes, the shipping product is what you see in the shop, although the ones that are shipping have a better viewing angle 0 washout!
20211214_194851 (resized).jpg20211214_194908 (resized).jpg20211214_194839 (resized).jpg20211214_194920 (resized).jpg20211214_194844 (resized).jpg20211214_194913 (resized).jpg20211214_194857 (resized).jpg20211214_194901 (resized).jpg

Yes, no modification of the apron required for the metal ones, the plastic ones different story I think.

I will try and keep track but the plan is once I finalize the parts I will start a pre-order and post it here.

Poll now working please vote !

Nice , free shipping

Thanks for the interest , a few things to note.

- I chose the center position as my testing shows it provides both the best screen brightness vs viewing from and angle and is also a little more ideal to see when the ball is moving fast!
- Really if you like it where the apron cards go you can mount it there just not with the custom bezel you see with the screws. If things go really well I could offer multiple options at some point.
- The Mod would include the board to split the display signal to the current monitor and the new mini one, all required cabling and of course the screen with the bezel. Godzilla and Turtles have the cover that came with the screen but its glass and metal I am worried it could scratch HD glass and doesnt look as good so I will have the one I designed professionally printed. The cool thing is you should be able to remove and paint it to your liking, or just leave it black.
- Pinball is still a fast game, I have found if you keep you eyes in awe of the screen you will drain LOL, but I can definitely get some quick info and see a few scenes I never noticed before!
- I experimented with a 7 inch screen as well, while this was really the ideal viewing size, aesthetically it is a bit too large. This 5 inch screen proves to be just the right size to look clean.

Right now I am waiting a prototype screen that will eliminate a few steps from me making these and make for a cleaner install. Once I get that and confirm its good to go I will place an initial order with the various suppliers and start a pre-order. In the mean time I will continue to test, and make some for a few friends to make sure its reliable last thing I need is a lot of tech support

By the way if you have a JJP, or a Spooky I will look into that as well. It may actually be cheaper as I think they have a direct HDMI output and I could just sell the screen part. I would have to see if this particular screen likes their resolution output.

If you have a pro with a plastic apron I will get one and see what I can do, there is just so little clearance between the glass and that particular apron it may require a OLED screen or something. Id rather make a few sales before I take it too far. You of course could get a metal apron, they are nice

Hmm, great question. If anyone has one in the Triangle Area of North Carolina glad to try it. I would have to see how that thing outputs to the little screen. I would imagine stern did not re-invent the wheel here.

I mounted the Mando one with strong magnets, works great actually this would allow you to put it there if you wanted and move it. I think most will find the center is best. But I do think it looks nice with that custom bezel where the card goes no doubt, but functionally better in the center.

I think so, my friend has a GNR I will check if this particular screen works with it. Pretty sure that has straight HDMI out, so if it works will be cheaper as I may just need a signal splitter.

Yes right now I am leaning towards a strong magnet mount for the metal aprons , no holes drilled and you won't see the cables .

For those with Pro's you have a few options.

One you just "upgrade" to a metal apron
https://www.pinballlife.com/stern-bottom-apronarch-metal.html

Or I can work on custom plastic apron, but they cost about this same and this of course raises the price of the mod?

Kinda funny they are the same price, why would Stern not put the metal ones on the pros

Anyhow, that DMD on the AC/DC is very cool, it has to cost more than what I am doing as he built it into the apron which is very nice but trying to keep the mod reasonably priced.

Is it useful? I am having a few friends test, its definitely come in handy a few times while playing but if you expect that you can pay close attention to it during all fast paced action you may be disappointed.

For example, if you need to know the next shot to hit or how many left on a timed mode you can give it a quick glance vs looking up and then down. I also tend to notice some animations that I never did before. Thats my experience.

Seems like there is enough interest to do a first run, happy to keep going with it if people like them after that.

that could be cool! My wife has a Cricut, I have no clue how to make nice stuff like that

I should be getting the prototypes sent to me soon, I am quite confident they will work as they are basically just doing some of the work for me.

The bad news is everything takes forever right now, but...I may spring for Air Freight for the first batch just to get it in everyones hands sooner. I have already made several improvements from what I sent Nick.

Just wanted to give a quick update on this. I am still awaiting the final samples from China, they should be here any day now. Once I confirm they are good I can place a larger order. Now the Chinese new year starts on Jan 15 and apparently that last nearly a month..so...if I cannot get the order placed by then probably wont be until march. We shall see.

Maybe soon , new screens just got here ! Think they will work well better viewing angle than my original prototype .

Also these do work in the new spooky games , and easier than the sterns!

Not gonna take anyone's money till I finalize it , it's close.

These are technically 480P, the stern screen is 720P. Given their size this is fine.

So I did get the samples, I am not sure if they will be able to make the first batch until after the new year but...

The good news is the sample screen is an improvement from what I had, better viewing angle where as the original got a little washed out from the players perspective. Very happy with it now played several games of Mando on it yesterday. I have also improved the mounting system and made them a little stronger as they could break easily. I went with magnets , makes it easy to move if you want. Double stick once you set it forget it

Also, without my bezel and the mounting magnets they are pretty slim, maybe it will fit with the plastic apron I need to try again..but it would have no bezel and have to attach with ultra thin tape..even then I am not sure . Its just a matter of clearance from the glass and not breaking the screen or scratching the glass.

I am just waiting to get all the parts , in fact just sent an email for update Chinese new year got in the way . I think I will be ready to ship these late next month or so.

Once I get confirmation the parts are ready I I'll do a pre order .

Yes , will also work with the new spooky games .

I think first spike 2 was Aerosmith or maybe it was Batman 66 .

Getting close , all the parts are paid for I expect to be able to ship in about a month give or take .

I will announce final pricing and setup a way to order in the coming days .

Yes , to be fair I have not tested on every Spike 2 game yet but it should work .

Main reason for the metal apron is that the plastic ones have almost no clearance between them and the glass . It is possible I now have the screen thin enough to fit without the bezel and some ultra thin tape I need to test . But no bezel makes the screen more susceptible to breakage and the glass more susceptible to getting a scratch .

If anyone wants to buy the first ever production HDD PM me . I need to make sure the ordering site works , I should be able to ship it by the end of the week.

For the rest I will open up orders when the last major part gets here , Tuesday . These should start shipping the week of the 15th , will take me a week or two to ship them all of they sell out .

If anyone has one near me , I am sure it's doable might even be easier than the spike ones but I would need to test . Stern is 720p and I am guessing alien is 1080p so I would probably need to source a new screen . Same for JJP.

I have received two testers, shop seems to work well! I will get the link up here as soon as the last of the parts comes in early this week. I just dont want too many orders that I need to refund should something not show up, but should be good Once I have the last of the parts its really a matter of how many orders I get and how quick I can get them ready and out the door.

Ok, I am ready to roll with these. If you order please give me a week or two to get them shipped. It may be faster really depends how quick they sell , its just a matter of me packing it all together and such.

Please read the FAQ I have also posted some initial install instructions I plan to clean them up and make a video this weekend.

https://cheapdrainz.myshopify.com/products/pinsight-hdd

Also quick question, the screens are nicely sealed from the manufacture ...they will need the plastic bezel(just easily snaps on) and magnets placed on them(just stick on) I am leaning towards leaving the screens vacuum sealed and allowing you the customer to do those two things. Just seems better for shipping, and for the magnets gives you the option to use double sided tape if you want(but I suggest the magnets) .

Let me know If this is too much to ask

Adam

P.S. Use code multiple if you buy more than one, $10 off each one since its less work and shipping for me I pass that on to you!

For now I am leaving them sealed up, the bezel and magnets take about 20 seconds. Seems worth it to protect the screen First few orders have shipped out, I have not sold all 100 in one day so I should be getting them out in a reasonable time frame Thanks for the interest, install and troubleshooting video to be made this weekend.

Also, any customers have good suggestions if I implement them in future products I will defintely hook you up in the future with either a free or discounted setup. This is V1, if it's popular I am all about making it better.

Also if I do make improvements down the line I will make sure to find a cost effective way to upgrade my customers. Hopefully we nailed it the first time though

If you want to get it installed before I post the video feel free to contact me . There are instructions on the product page as well .

Awesome I filmed a video on install tonight , will edit and post tomorrow . One lesson learned was be careful with the insider connected . I lifted my playfield and forgot the apron was not secured .. ripped the ethermet Jack right off the QR reader , ugh .

This video may be helpful as far as connecting the HDMI adapter he said I could share .

Install Video

Also reference the above posted video as extra credit

All caught up on shipping.
I have started a "Support Thread" the main intent here is to provide some info for current and new customers. But also help make the product better, there are lots of smart pinballers out there and I am all about improving this. It's V1 and I know its not perfect. If people offer great new suggestions that I implement I will gladly reward you on a future purchase. I think its a great idea and hope together we can make it even better!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinsight-hdd-troubleshooting#post-6827477

JP prem for the win ! Yes definitely look closely at the pictures, the white connector you take out of th stern board needs to be offset by one set of pins you will see the right most pins have no wires so it's offset by one to make up for that . I'll try and edit my video to make it more clear .
connector-both (resized).jpg

Also if anyone is really good with molex connectors hit me up , I want to try and make the cable with the stern style connector on one end .. if it works I could see if they can make it overseas .

I can do both ! It's hard to explain I'll get good pics and add that info , I knew this would trip people up .

That would be a totally different mod because of the DMD display .. I think someone did it with ACDC ? I can look into it but I don't even have a SAM game right now .

I can do spooky gonna post that soon and I need to test JJP.

Yes it has both

The discs are a little thiner and strong for their size , originally was going to do strips but the ones that where strong enough are too thick, you could still get the glass on but it was close. Less of an issue on the main board. I think it's easier to get your fingers under the board too if you need to lift it with the strips since there is more room under the board.

Also if I have to be honest those disc magnets are pricey LOL. And super crazy strong I broke a few when the were pulled together from a distance.

I hope yours has continued to work well.

Be careful that's a lot of magnets

I want to thank everyone who as ordered so far, and I know its not perfect and will keep working to make it better. Everyone has been super positive and nice! I am selling them now for spooky games too, its actually a bit easier on them. No removal of apron needed and can use a simple HDMI splitter!

https://cheapdrainz.myshopify.com/products/pinsight-hdd-spooky

The actual screen would probably fit in the manner you are suggesting .. I think the usefulness starts go away if you make it mucn smaller . Originally I tried 7 inch but it was too big to fit and look clean . They may make 3.5 inch , keep in mind these are 16x9 aspect ratio . If you want to cut a joke in the apron likely many of the Amazon screens would work and it won't matter if they are too thick .

I'm not sure where exactly you want it ? Maybe circle it in a pic

I'll measure but you would probably want to make the TV a widescreen I was busy installing the flaming speakers they are cool .

I think he wants to put it under the apron with a cutout in the Apron .
Days if you can do that would be good for the pro owners !

The probablem with 4:3 is you are gonna cut off content since this mirrors the Stern Display , if it was just for show would be cool for the clips to play in 4:3 but really is meant as a "tool"

I'll do it tomorrow ended up spending longer than planned with the flaming speakers . It's very easy however basically just swap the LVDS to HDMI board with an HDMI splitter . Rest is the same and the way the spooky apron is you don't need to take it off .

One caveat there is less clearance between the game and the glass so you would want to remove the tape from those round magnets and just use them as a "double sided" magnet to make it a touch thinner .

Thanks Eagle14

Excuse the mess just testing at a friend's house but I can replicate either screen on GNR .. you guys want one , both ?

20220324_185254 (resized).jpg

Lounge

That I can do no issue , I left it like that at my buddy's house . In theory I would be ready to sell that next week or so . That is what you see in the picture with th larger 7 inch screen a test of the "main" display. The JJP was a little tricky , but I figured it out. Requires one extra part than the spooky one so price will be a touch more.

Lethal_Inc maybe we can look into that, I would need to know how they hook up their monitor. Also what resolution it is. PM and we can figure it out, I am sure we can get it to work. Hopefully it uses HDMI or something that I can easily convert to HDMI.

What I will say is I prefer selling this mod for JJP and Spooky dont have to worry about the LVDS converter board I use for stern which is the weakest link IMO.

Also I am looking into 7 inch screens as an option for JJPs since they have a lot of room on the left and right side but obviously you would mount them where the apron cards are not centered. This will be a while I need to get one to test which wont be until mid April at best then order them from China. I also need to get at least close to selling through my current stock The 5 inch is perfect if you like it centered and the screen is very good quality bright, good colors and contrast from all angles.

Got you order, I will PM you guess you could test it with the plastic one. Also if you feel creative since you have so many you cut make a cutout LOL.

I decided to go to TPF, orders will have to go out Monday if you placed one Last minute call LOL

Yes, I am now putting some special tape on it. Its a conductive cloth, kinda like a metal tape. I am pretty sure it will make it better, but I have not tried to intentionally ruin one. Hopefully they can do this in the factory in the future.

I am a little behind on shipping, went to TPF but I am catching up.

Learning as we go, really appreciate all the customers being super cool and understanding this is the first go at this!

Wow nice ..did you dremel it ? I thought about buying aprons and modding them but thr cost would be the same as someone buying a metal one

Yeah I can make that work , been tested ! Send me a PM.

You see this on the main screen too ? Sounds like a bad connection from the LVDS converter to the Stern board .. it's very particular make sure you get the cable in really good ... Try removing and reinserting it .

Also make sure the LVDS board is not too close to the other boards .. that said both screens pixelating is. It something I have really seen perhaps you can send me video of what you see.

I think I am going to for now pull the stern board from sale. I am getting some reports from customers of the screen going black(which we knew was possible) but then eventually them needing to reboot machine for it to come back.

My one troublesome game has been Mando and it works great now for sever games, but I do eventually get a dropped signal that comes back so I will keep working with this. I have some ideas, but this may or may not be in my hands as I dont make the board. If you want a stern screen and are willing to accept the risk that comes with it just contact me.

With that said I think I have this working perfectly on Spooky Games and pretty sure JJP as well first customer will get his to mirror the playfield screen next week(has been working well at a friends house) so those will remain for sale.

If you have already purchased one and see his issue but want to use it for JJP or Spooky we can do that without too much cost just contact me, or hang in there I want to figure this out. I can play most of my games for quite some time with no issues so its hard to pin down , but I also typically dont play them for more than about 20-30 minutes each at any given time. I will take my troubleshooting over to the troubleshooting thread.

I have all my games running pretty well, the one that always seems to have an issue is Mando but even that only happens after I have played it for 20-30 minutes. I did one time have it go totally bonkers on me and I had to reboot the machine(really if you just unplug the LVDS cable it put it back its fixed but easier to reboot). So it does seem to be the little LVDS board having an issue and not the screens themselves.

I have reached out to the manufacture of those boards to see what we can do, but I am not holding out hope on them.

As an FYI and its all in the troubleshooting I have done the following.

I have an EDID adapter that forces it to 480P the native res of the mini screen(This may help but I dont think it does, they are $20 each and need to be custom programmed)
I have put some of those little ferrite magnet collars on the LVDS cable, this may help again not really sure its not 100%
I have put some heat synchs on the a few chips on the boards, this also may help
I even went as far as to put some fans in there.

I have tried several other things that I do not think help at all and aren't worth the effort.

At any rate if anyone wants to try the ferrite magnets and/or heat sinks those are cheap and easy to get on Amazon let me know and I can tell you what to get. If something proves to be the magic fix I can try and get them out to you all but I dont want to keep mailing stuff that doesnt work.

IMO we need to avoid anyone having to reboot the machine, if the screen goes blank for a couple seconds after 15 minutes we may need to live with that, but it being out for lengthy time or needing a reboot more than once in a blue moon just not a good thing.

I will say I have 3 games now and a 4th I traded. Only Mando seems to give me trouble and I played it for a good 45 minutes with only a blanking or two. Godzilla and TMNT seem to be great, and my Elvira was solid and the new owner says he plays it everyday and its not going out on him so I just dont know why some have more issues than others.

Its definitely not title specific there is no rhyme or reason.

I tried 3 different boards on Mando..but yeah I may switch it with Zilla and see. I just hate to mess up one that works perfect LOL.

That said my Mando is not bad at all, and every time I think its perfect then about 20-30 minutes in it gets a blanking for a couple seconds. Then if I dont play for a while and have it turned off it is good again for 20-30. But I am also typically messing with it, plugging and unplugging the cable and such in between since I am testing.

Hoping with all this data the manufacture can provide guidance. People doing streaming see it too there is another thread, the screen are great that I am confident.

Little update, the manufacture suggested swapping the cables on the LVDS board so the black cable would be on top, the one going to the stern monitor on bottom. I highly doubt this will help but worth a go if anyone wants to try it that has/had an issue. While you are in there re-seat the cable that goes to the stern board why not.

The other next step is they have a different version of the board, it does not split the signal however so I would need a separate LVDS splitter so it shows on both screens. I will get a few of these and test.

I’m gonna try a different board and a splitter . Not holding out huge hope since the same company makes it . Also not happy they don’t offer it to me to test free

JJP and Spooky are flawless so far .

UPDATE! I have played a good hour and a half on my Mando with the new board and splitter and seen not one black screen. I am not even close to calling this a win yet, but maybe we can make this work 100% or at least 98.5%

I have one extra setup I would like to send to a willing tester. My as is this, you have not only blanking but also the reported screen thats totally dead and requires you to restart the machine and this this on a regular basis, also that you feel you are somewhat tech savvy and willing to really put this through the paces. If this fixes it for the tester than I can order a few more for additional testing , or I can point people how to acquire them. Long term I would make a bulk order but I have made that mistake once already and currently sit on a bunch of the boards thats aren't working perfect.

To be clear by setup I mean new board not entire HDD with screen

Thanks, been running into some issues with the signal splitter needed for stern(JJP and Spooky work great) so have not been pushing it until I can resolve. There is some hope(see above).

In parallel also working on a custom board with another pinsider.

I believe I have my tester, stay tuned!

I can do either or both .. no bugs with JJP.

Ok … I have my tester but maybe I can send you the one I am using after I test a little more .

In talking to them I may be able to return what I have left to use as credit for new ones .
Sooo and I don’t know who is reading this If you have patience and want to send me your “bad” board back I could “swap” them too . The new setup costs me a little more but if it works it’s worth it .

I’ll figure out something for all existing customers but still need to more thoroughly test the new one not gonna bulk order again until it’s more battle tested lesson learned .

What got me is it’s very random .. some games are totally fine including most of mine and my friend who was a tester so I thought we were good to go The good news is the screens and the rest of the gear is great so you only would need to change the board .

If anyone is super adventurous ,not frugal and wants to just order them yourself I can point you to them but it will not be the most cost effective route especially if you want fast shipping

What game do you want it for an what screen ? I will add them soon was just making sure it was solid .

I have an ask out for 7 inch prototypes. It may fit but only on left it right not centered .

DanielJDougherty they are now in my store

https://www.cheapdrainz.com

I need to find the ones my friend send me but here is me testing both screens .

0AB672B1-D900-47F9-A672-4E2ABD75EF7B (resized).jpeg

I can do the main screen, the playfield screen or both. I need to know which one when you order it (there is an option) as I have to program a small adapter for it to work correctly and that’s different depending which screen .

I gotcha, I need to get him to send me pics. But it looks like like the stern and spooky ones you see nothing other than the screen. You can see the one thats under the glass is how it will look. Or if you want to do both screens probably go where the apron cards go but wires will all be hidden under the apron.

Yes these should work just great on GNR , been fine for my friend for a while. The first order that comes in will ship immediately.. others will take about 48 hours need to stock up on one small part .

Here you go

B746765F-4BBC-420B-9507-36F507A8B508 (resized).jpeg

DC3675D0-5030-44FE-B7BF-CBF9165F47D5 (resized).jpeg

You can really put the screen wherever you want on the apron .. or even do one on each side ! If centered you will need to remove the little rubber nub .

Unless you go double screen !

Also second tester having good results with new board set !

It should work on WOZ , happy to sell you one and you can return it if it doesn’t work . The main issue is the apron those wood ones don’t leave much room ?

I do have some red paint but not sure it’s ruby red I can send you a raw frame and you can paint it however you please if you want !

I still need an aliens to test .. I think it’s likely not hard but who knows . Probably similarity to JJP where I just need to make sure I force correct EDIDs.

As for Stern new board set seems good I have not had a report of it not working . As such they are back for sale .

As you can see from ZoraShinoda setup you can really put the screen wherever you like He also sent me some better instructions for the JJPs so thanks for that ! I will get them on my site.

https://cheapdrainz.com/products/pinsight-hdd

Sweet you should have it soon , let me know if you have any issues with install .

New board sets cost a little more but leaving the price for now on my site .

Awesome thanks SterlingRush ! Has it been working 100% for you ? I am yet to hear of any issues with the new setup but always try to not count my chickens haha .

The setup is pretty simple but a couple of connections you need to line up right . I do my best to do the work ahead of time .

Hoping to get some of what I learned implemented from the factory if I do another run . Need to see how many screens I have left . Got a pretty good amount of orders this week .

You can wrap a little Electric tape around it to make it a tighter fit .

Also is It the light or does you bezel have a slight round edge? Let me know I can print you a new one if I missed that .

Yeah for the most part once it’s good it’s good but it’s not the tightest fit. I may start sending them again with a little tape it just make it a touch more snug .

One person did it but requires modifying their apron . I have a pro apron now .. I’ll see if I can figure out a way but it’s very tight to the glass .

That would work , or masking / electrical . Something to strong and you risk damage when removing .