Fort Worth, TX
After a year plus of wanting an external volume control solution for my Attack From Mars Remake LE, I finally decided to move forward with the Pinnovators PinPAC 7 Roto-MAC CG3. At first I was skeptical thinking that the PinPAC solution only addressed headphone volume, but Sandra at Pinnovators (sales support) was extremely informative and helpful in explaining that they do have external volume control options for CGC pins. Within hours of emailing a sales inquiry, Sandra had provided me details with all of my options, links to videos on how some of them worked, and even promptly answered all of my follow-up questions until I was confident with my decision. Having all of my questions answered, I was ready to purchase.
I was out of town for the Independence Day weekend, but when I arrived home today a package from Pinnovators was awaiting me on the front porch. I opened the box, made sure everything was there, then hit the website for installation instructions. Unfortunately, I only sall the PinPAC 7 install directions and not the directions for the Roto-MAC (the accessory that allows you to adjust the cabinet speaker volume). I moved forward and decided to go ahead and install the PinPAC. Installation was simple given the easy to follow instructions with photos showing everything needed for each step. I got everything done in about 15 minutes, and it worked like a charm the first time - headphone jack, headphone volume control, and cabinet speaker on/off switch.
Knowing it was already late and today is a day off for most, I figured I'd send Sandra an email so I could get a response tomorrow regarding how to connect the Roto-MAC to control the external volume. To my surprise, in just a few minutes she had responded to my email and sent me a link to the installation manual. After taking a closer look, I realized the manual for this part was on their site the entire time, but in a different section towards the bottom of the page. Armed with the new install guide, I read through it and performed the install in about 10 minutes. Again, everything worked perfectly the first time I tested.
Pinnovators actually makes 3 different cabinet speaker volume control options depending upon your coin door setup and preference, but I'll leave that up to individual buyers to research. I chose the dial version since that's similar to what I have on my other pins. The dial that controls the speaker volume actually has a tactile click for each incremental volume change (i.e. one click clockwise raised the volume by one and one click counter-clockwise lowers the volume by one). The way it works (layman's description) is when you turn the dial it makes the machine think the coin door is open and you are using the volume up/down buttons. One click of the dial and you see "coin door open" message and volume goes up one. You can repeat this one click at a time, but I quickly learned if you click multiple clicks rapidly in succession (say 4) then you see the message pop up on the DMD once and the volume increments up 4 levels.
Anyway, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and this mod is available for the current 3 CGC titles (as well as others, I'm sure) | Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, and Monster Bash. I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to add the ability to control the cabinet speaker volume from an external control.
Coin Door from Outside
IMG_0247 (resized).JPG
Coin Door from Inside
IMG_0248 (resized).JPG
Also, I decided to add one of Pinnovators' PINpeg magnetic headphone holders to my order (actually, I did this first since it was so simple). They have several versions to choose from, and I selected their black Bar Knob. These are great as they stick via magnetism anywhere you want to place it on one of the pin's legs. They even have felt on the magnetic area that makes contact to avoid scratching the leg's finish.
Saint John, NB
