(Topic ID: 179489)
Roanoke, VA
Quoted from Heretic_9:I hate to rain on anyone's parade -- and of course this is much easier for US to say in most of Cali, where eclipse totality will not exceed 60 % -- but I think most folks will get better views of this on tv. The worldwide professional major media will have the best equipment, and the best vantage points. Add in high-def, which most people have access to these days. You'll get to see this over and over again, from every which way there is. I'd probably say something similar for a Super Bowl or World Series Game 7. You would see much more, in much greater detail, than if you were actually there. And you wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of huge crowds and terrible traffic. Yes, there is an excitement and a "historicity" (if that's a word one might coin here) that could only be had live, but it's a trade-off.
Gotta really disagree on this, there is no way the TV no matter how high-def can replace the eerie feel of everything around you going dark, just can't do it. Plus, all those replays and details will still be able to be watched later, or hell even at the same time if you want. There is simply no-trade off to going to where it is, as you still get everything else.
Oh wow. Must be seen in person. I was fortunate to be standing very close to the point of maximum totality with a clear view...
It begins with the crickets.
A few chirps at first, followed by a tsunami of clicking.
Next, the automated street lamps alight themselves. Artificial world aligning itself with the natural one.
The surrounding air cools. Sky fades to indigo-grey, quite unlike any sunset.
And then... at the peak of darkness... a majestic hole in the sky.... surrounded by a halo of starfire.
It defies belief. It feels utterly supernatural. The urge to hold one's breath is almost irresistible as all eyes fixate upon it.
And as it ends... the corona sparkles like ice as a prismatic knife slices through... splitting light into its component colors before releasing the sun's power upon the earth once more.
Monumental experience, and utterly humbling.
Well put, Nic
Here in Cincy, at 92% coverage, you could not tell a difference at the time of max eclipse.
Oh, well.
Quoted from NicoVolta:Oh wow. Must be seen in person. I was fortunate to be standing very close to the point of maximum totality with a clear view...
It begins with the crickets.
A few chirps at first, followed by a tsunami of clicking.
Next, the automated street lamps alight themselves. Artificial world aligning itself with the natural one.
The surrounding air cools. Sky fades to indigo-grey, quite unlike any sunset.
And then... at the peak of darkness... a majestic hole in the sky.... surrounded by a halo of starfire.
It defies belief. It feels utterly supernatural. The urge to hold one's breath is almost irresistible as all eyes fixate upon it.
And as it ends... the corona sparkles like ice as a prismatic knife slices through... splitting light into its component colors before releasing the sun's power upon the earth once more.
Monumental experience, and utterly humbling.
I don't know what it was, but it seems the eclipse brought out tons of crickets. I hardly ever seen crickets by my house, but during the eclipse they were about 40 of them on my sidewalk, and everywhere I stepped in the yard, had hoards of them jumping around in front of me. I have never seen that before on my property.
Quoted from Jjsmooth:Well put, Nic
Here in Cincy, at 92% coverage, you could not tell a difference at the time of max eclipse.
Oh, well.
It's amazing how much light 8% of the sun can put out. It was still a weird, spooky feeling, though. I had a fantastic experience in the penumbra.
We had 97% coverage in Atlanta and it was still a bit underwhelming unfortunately. Even with only 3% of the sun, it was barely more than shady.
My wife had the day off of work and went a couple of hours north for the full effect and said it was pretty awesome though.
Nic... just missed you as I was in Franklin, Ky just a bit east of you. Awe inspiring view for sure!!
I really wish everyone could have seen this in person, because I agree with everything you said. I read somewhere that anyone experiencing 99% totality or less had an experience similar to getting 5 out of the 6 winning lotto numbers on their ticket. Makes for a cool story, but not the same as winning.
Was fantastic here in St Louis. Some clouds right before totality, but perfect for the main event.
Our whole backyard took on an odd grey or tan-ish hue that was like looking at a photo with an iphone filter. It did not get as dark as I somehow thought it would (the corona puts out a fair amount of light), but it was dark enough to turn on our automatic porch light and startle our dogs a little bit!
It was very cool.
Quoted from NicoVolta:Oh wow. Must be seen in person. I was fortunate to be standing very close to the point of maximum totality with a clear view...
It begins with the crickets.
A few chirps at first, followed by a tsunami of clicking.
Next, the automated street lamps alight themselves. Artificial world aligning itself with the natural one.
The surrounding air cools. Sky fades to indigo-grey, quite unlike any sunset.
And then... at the peak of darkness... a majestic hole in the sky.... surrounded by a halo of starfire.
It defies belief. It feels utterly supernatural. The urge to hold one's breath is almost irresistible as all eyes fixate upon it.
And as it ends... the corona sparkles like ice as a prismatic knife slices through... splitting light into its component colors before releasing the sun's power upon the earth once more.
Monumental experience, and utterly humbling.
Nick you sure have a way with words. Can't wait for your next adventure!
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Nick you sure have a way with words. Can't wait for your next adventure!
Nic is the Hedley Lamarr of pinball 
"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives"
Quoted from SirScott:Making me hungry...
looks like cat shit rolled in litter.
Chicago visit #1 -> Jay Smith (@backyardace) in Muncie, IN
The subjects: Aerobatics, Strikes And Spares
Well folks, we’re back on the road again. Seems I can’t help myself. Gotta fix the pins and spread the knowledge!
Seriously, “the eclipse made me do it!”. Since I was already driving all the way to Hopkinsville, Kentucky… might as well loop through big bad Chicago and back for a little encore, eh?
As mentioned, the eclipse was a monumental experience. People screamed. Then cried. Please do yourself a favor and mark your calendar for 2024. DO NOT miss the next one, and don’t settle for less than a 100% totality experience. It’s all that, and then some. You’ll see.
Muncie is ruled by the Dalek Empire, of which Jay is a serious devotee. He created this mobile animated Dalek which does not mess around when gliding through the public space.
Jay has met a few timelords in person and, of course, owns a Dr. Who pinball machine. A fleet of mini-Daleks await his next command.
(left to right) Jay & local pal/serious pinballer Mike eagerly anticipate a game of Aerobatics. It is one of Zaccaria’s best! Great art, plays fast, and can be adjusted for replay or add-a-ball action.
(sadly, I think the proper way to pronounce Zaccaria is like “diarrhea”, not Zaca-“RYE”-uh or Za-“Carry”-uh)
Aerobatics has been sitting idle for several months. Jay solicited advice online w/photos, but sometimes it takes a second pair of eyes in person to notice something amiss. In this case, the motor power selector pin had come loose.
Plugged it in, and *boom*, back in business! But not so fast… the motor was making creaky noises and failing to start/stop at the correct time. I cleaned the clutch and lightly oiled it with 3-in-1. All good again.
Zaccaria EM’s are commonly fitted with these squeaky little sound boards instead of chimes. Frankly, I prefer chimes… a lot. Which can be retrofitted with a little creativity.
The knocker was sticking, so we polished the plunger...
…and cleaned the sleeve.
However, it still stuck, because the sleeve had deformed over the years and was no longer straight. A new sleeve got things a-knockin’ again.
But what’s this? Special light not lighting? The bulb and socket were OK… so what gives?
Aha – disconnected wires to the relay means no electricity – which means no lights.
Diodes are sensitive to heat. When soldering them, I recommend attaching a flat metal clip to serve as a small heatsink.
Lights on, special specials!
Not just hitting the EM’s this time!
Strikes and Spares was experiencing runaway scoring. A little wiggling of the playfield targets revealed the switch at bowling pin 9 to be faulty (also confirmed with the switch diagnostic test). After removing a faulty capacitor, we were back in business.
Nearly all of the lamp sockets were rotating and poorly attached. It was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the tip-solder fix.
Bingo… all S-P-A-R-E targets were bright again and a homework assignment created for the rest.
Before setting sail for Lafayette, Jay and Mike joined me at Pizza King, a local Muncie favorite. Yes, the phones work for placing your order, and yes, they’ve already heard all of the Batman jokes.
Generally everyone wants to do pizza when I come a-knocking, but I’m glad I relented this time. Darn good stuff!
Next stop -> Tommy Skinner & Main Street Amusements in Lafayette, IN
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Nick you sure have a way with words. Can't wait for your next adventure!
Quoted from CaptainNeo:looks like cat shit rolled in litter.
You sir, also have a way with words! 
Quoted from Insane:Awesome Dalek, that is frickin cool as F&%*.
Thanks!
Quoted from NicoVolta:Remember folks if you're in the Chicago area and would like to participate, send me a PM. Class will be this Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:30am.
Are you doing two 1 day classes or one 2 day class?
Quoted from vdojaq:Are you doing two 1 day classes or one 2 day class?
Two day class, but there is enough overlap to stop in and learn at almost any point. Lots to cover. Ideal day is Saturday to get the basics with everyone.
How about one final class in the DFW area before departing on your next most awesome adventure to Cascadia?
Quoted from Sunny1989:How about one final class in the DFW area before departing on your next most awesome adventure to Cascadia?
I can do this.
We had six attendees today and two games (Orbit and Pioneer), both fixed. Lots of material covered!
Okay, so here's your next job, Nic...
You know all those streaming gameplay videos people do whenever they get their game? For God's sake...people actually donate to Jack Danger to watch him play pinball!
I'd happily donate to watch you stream live repair classes, then archive them for future access on a pay website like Pinball Ninja does.
You could also take questions from people and live stream fixes for them using machines that you have that are similar so that they would know where to look.
IMO, that would be one of the most interesting and beneficial aids to pinball hobbyists out there...and you could reach the world rather than just a roomful of people.
Quoted from NicoVolta:I can do this.
We had six attendees today and two games (Orbit and Pioneer), both fixed. Lots of material covered!
Great class today... I finally got my feet wet on EM pinball repair... looking forward to tinkering and hoarding even more pinballs!!
Quoted from beelzeboob:.people actually donate to Jack Danger to watch him play pinball!
Credit to Jack Danger, he has to hustle and invest a lot of time and money into making that work as well as it does. Its no small feat to collect that many viewers and retain them, let alone get them to pony up money continuously. If Nic did this, it would have great value, but IMO not more, just a different kind.
I do agree 100% on hoping that Nic does more to promote and build more of us into brave world of repair and improvement of these older machines.
Quoted from VacFink:I do agree 100% on hoping that Nic does more to promote and build more of us into brave world of repair and improvement of these older machines.
I'd like me to do more too. :p :p :p However, I'm between gigs and hustling to make ends meet right now... and stopping everything to create a technical video training program in a world where effort is paid via view counts isn't going to work with a community this small.
Donation-based projects annoy me, but I can't see any other way to get (good) videos produced until I can fund it myself and give it away for free as a pure side hobby. Which will require me landing a steady gig again once I get relocated to Los Angeles.
Anyone can turn on a camera and start talking, but it takes creativity and time to make a memorable training program... which is what I want to do. So, for the moment, the best way I can deliver that experience is in person via one-on-one or small classes. And get a few games running again as well.
Quoted from VacFink:Credit to Jack Danger, he has to hustle and invest a lot of time and money into making that work as well as it does. Its no small feat to collect that many viewers and retain them, let alone get them to pony up money continuously.
No argument...I totally agree. But at the end of the day, people are paying money to watch somebody play pinball. 
Quoted from NicoVolta:in a world where effort is paid via view counts isn't going to work with a community this small.
Donation-based projects annoy me, but I can't see any other way to get (good) videos produced until I can fund it myself and give it away for free as a pure side hobby.
Agree entirely. The per-view model on YouTube now only rewards the largest groups. Patreon is where the funding comes from for niche groups, but even they require some size and scale, and even then its a risk. Ultimately the best approach is what your stating. Make it for free as a passion at your own pace when the time is right. You can plug in any of those other pay models as a bonus way to fund side project like another road trip or something else.
I always think of eevblog on YouTube (a favorite channel for nerds). He posted one video with details of how much money he makes from YouTube. More than 400,000 subscribers, millions and millions of views, and he makes a paltry $40,000/year. You would never be able to get close to those numbers with technical pinball material.
Quoted from xsvtoys:eevblog on YouTub
One of my favorite channels and agree. What's more alarming for those that depend on it for an income, YouTube is constantly changing how it measures and rates for payment, making payment inconsistent and often changing without notice
Quoted from xsvtoys:I always think of eevblog on YouTube (a favorite channel for nerds). He posted one video with details of how much money he makes from YouTube. More than 400,000 subscribers, millions and millions of views, and he makes a paltry $40,000/year. You would never be able to get close to those numbers with technical pinball material.
I wish I made 40k a year.
Thanks for the clinic, Nic. I think I achieved the trifecta...
1) Met very nice people and had a great time.
2) Learned a bunch.
3) Had Nic beat me on my own game!!
He had the top score of the 5-6 of us that played the 'World Fair challenge'. He lit up all cars for a special, then blasted through the score replays for a total of 5 replays won. I hope to avenge this loss some day
Nic thanks again for an awesome class this past weekend...wish I'd been able to attend both days.
Saturday was amazing...I'm new to pinball and EM's and keep falling deeper into fun of all of Pinball's aspects.
Saturday we had some really interesting issues to cover, the most memorable:
- Orbit was kicking out a ball after the last ball drained (effectively an extra ball)
- Pioneer was failing to keep proper scoring in a myriad of ways
These were great to cover all of the main EM components (I'm sure I'll get terms wrong here)
- Relays/Switches and how to rebuild/adjust them
- Player Reel's "stepper" and how it functions in the game's
- Scoring reels and how they function (how to rebuild/adjust)
- Scoring "Motor" (I think of it as an iterator) and demystifying its function
- Main logic/state retention and how they control the game
And more details than you can imagine.
Thanks to all who brought games and the great stories that came with them...
Not to mention how they were kept in really excellent shape (Pioneer especially!)
It would be great to capture the interactive nature of Nic's class in a streaming environment...but it would seem quite challenging to me.
A couple of key things I'd thing would be very challenging to address in a stream:
- The class was constantly moving around the machine, often with a limited view.
- Everyone was contributing something to moving towards a solution...I'd think that'd make audio tough.
- The pace of the conversation was pretty quick relative to a "chat/text" environment
But most of all a stream would have kept me from discovering the somewhat magical physical feel of EM machines.
A fantastic experience, and I learned a ton...I'd highly recommend attending if you are remotely interested.
-Dale
ps. Don't forget rulesets on EM's can be complicated too!
Quoted from CaptainNeo:I wish I made 40k a year.
Trying to take a pay cut?
Quoted from NicoVolta:I can do this.
We had six attendees today and two games (Orbit and Pioneer), both fixed. Lots of material covered!
I wish I had decided to open this thread earlier as I just could not make this weekend happen. You NicoVolta now have an open invitation to hold a repair class here at my facility in Crystal Lake, IL(far NW suburb of Chicago, but easy enough to get to) the next time you decide to swing through. I have all the room in the world here and would be open to an EM or SS type class. I can have 2 non working EM's here in a heartbeat.
Jack
Quoted from NicoVolta:I'll come back when it happens again. Have to see it at least one more time. It was one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen.
Just hope it isn't cloudy when it does!
Big party at my place in Arkansas for the next eclipse.. it's smack in the center of the area of totality. Let's keep in touch and see where you are.
Quoted from PinballHelp:Big party at my place in Arkansas for the next eclipse.. it's smack in the center of the area of totality. Let's keep in touch and see where you are.
can the wife and I come?
Quoted from beelzeboob:No argument...I totally agree. But at the end of the day, people are paying money to watch somebody play pinball.
I've only watched Dead Flip a couple of times. I'm a Twitch partner and am terrible at the games I play. People ultimately donate or subscribe more because of the personality than the gameplay in these instances.
Quoted from vdojaq:Trying to take a pay cut?
paycut. It's more like double my yearly salary now. Playfield restoration is a long slow process. You think i'm joking when I say I make $4 an hr sometimes. I'm not. There are plenty of playfields i've made $4 hr on. Couple was even $2hr. I've increased my prices but still my hourly rate is low. There is only so much I can charge before you outprice yourself. It's very very time consuming. If I had 4 of me, I could crank out 10 playfields a month and make a lot more.
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