I goof around on youtube and made this unboxing video of my AIQ Prem

Hi,
Any other advice on this? My spinner is not registering hits but sensor appears to be centered and I even tried this fix to be sure. The red light on the board is slow blinking too in attached pics whereas other boards with red lights have a solid red.
Thanks in advance.

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Cant tell from the angle of the photo, but make sure the tip of the rod is not too close to the sensor. I had that problem once.

Also, thanks to the advice from earlier this week, changed the flipper bushings, coil sleeves and stops, and added some coil fans (why not). Everything is a lot more snippy with a good amount of force. I might revisit some minor adjustments later when i get the cliffy's later as I'm not sure the spacing really required between the bushing, flipper and the piston/arm thing that holds the flipper. But it looks right compared to some things i'm finding online.

The last thing I need to figure out is if I need to replace the motor that controls the lifting/lowering of the spinning disc. I'm getting occasional jams where it doesnt lower all the way. I have to take off the glass and push it down (gave up after the first time where I took it apart and forcibly rotated that part, so just pressed down from the 2nd+ occurance).

Will attest that with all my game play using the 1956Pinhead mod, it spins truer and fits better on the shaft, than original part. Have taken it apart to look and zero wear or issues.

Tonight I installed the all-metal disc mod from 1956PINHEAD that I bought this week.

The workmanship is really amazing. He includes all of the hardware, including Loctite. Shipping was quick as well.

I would suggest picking up a small wrench set, or very thin crescent wrench. The crescent wrenches that I have are far two wide to fit on the Stern shaft flats. A 4.5mm open end wrench fit perfectly. I also used dry lube on the bearing and the shaft.

I ended up cutting a piece of mylar to go over the sticker. That may or may be necessary, but now was the time. I also de-burred the machine screw a bit to keep any edges from wearing through the sticker.

The disc now spins so easily, and looks beautiful. The difference is absolutely amazing. As seen in the photo, the replacement disc is actually lighter than the factory. I would 100% order this again. Great job!

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Really beautiful job she did on this! Any possibility she could make one more that I could buy?

gorditas

Glad you are happy with this mod, and thank you for the review and comments. Very much appricated!

I hope to see others posting who now have this mod, and we can start our own little challange to compare Spin RPM's and Spin times

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So guys played a pro yesterday and a premium Jurassic Park. I am not a huge Marvel fan but damn this pin was fun. I have a Monster Bash remake SE I was going to trade in towards JP, but after playing AIQ I am torn.

So if I go AIQ, pro or premium? Is the premium up charge worth it? Cabinet art is pretty badass. I do own Guardians now. JP is a blast also. Thanks for any feedback.

I had a JP Pro that I just traded towards an IJTPA. I still think JP Pro is the best bang for the buck in pinball for a new or single game owner. But after getting an AIQ Premium, I hardly played JP. I love the theme of JP far more than any comic book, but the gameplay and smoother shots on AIQ are just that much better. I do think the Premium is worth it on AIQ, but it wasn't on JP to me.

Love hate relationship with Captain Marvel ramp. Inverted ramp is tough. Subway for Dr Strange is super.

Best playability experience game might be a combination of the Premium subway with the pro Captain Marvel set up.

If you can afford it, go for Premium. When I bought my Pro, it was buy a Pro OR sell Baywatch and buy a Premium. So AIQ Pro + Baywatch vs AIQ Premium and I stand by that choice. But the game is so good (either version) and the Premium is a worthwhile upgrade for the additional festures so you probably can't go wrong either way.

I love the Premium Captain Marvel ramp and my premium basically has zero rejects. Now... you still have to make a good shot or it won’t make the full ramp, but no more good shots rejected or falling through the open space.

The DIY Lexan fix (what I have) and the 3D printed fix both work great to stop CM ramp rejects! If not, check that the wireform isn't being flexed and reposition until better, usually moving the mount in front of the ramp will do it. Wax the playfield & ramp and you should be going binary with regularity!

I do also have PinMonk ’s flipper coil fans, but I play long games and they definitely help after an hour plus of continuous play.
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Both JP and AIQ are awesome games. Because of the theme JP gets a slight edge on AIQ for me. If I’m comparing gameplay alone it’s too close to call. They both have unique shots and fun rules that compliment each layout well.

Personally I think the extras on the premium are worth the money. The Capt Marvel ramp is so much fun to shoot. The pro spinner shot isn’t close to as satisfying.

Finally got my avengers set up that I bought from brobra. I don’t know why the bad rep from people I talked to about it I think it rocks . Happy with purchase !

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Thank you so much for your reply. JP definitely has the edge for me also for the same reasons. Will have to take my wife to try it.

Have you had any issues with the subway?

That’s what I figured, either choice is a good choice. I do prefer the artwork on the premium.

Awesome. Thank you for the heads up on the fix.

Ok thank you so much for your feedback. Definitely a tough choice between the two games.

Everyone has been so helpful and really appreciate all of your feedback. You guys have all been awesome.

I've played the pro a bunch and the game really didn't click with me. I understand the premise but the spinner felt wasted and the right side of the game felt barren. I originally didn't plan on purchasing any games this year as I was happy with my collection. Then I played a premium and an le of aiq and my issues with the games went away. The marvel ramp on both were dialed in and that shot was so satisfying. The Dr strange spinner rising up was awesome. The vuk made so much more sense. It just clicked. A guy had been asking if I would part of one of my machines and I made the decision to upgrade my guardians to the aiq premium as that would be the only version I'd want. The deal was made and now I've been waiting as it was supposed to have been here more than a month ago. Then I missed out on the build 2 weeks ago and now the machine is due maybe end of September. I can't pay an extra grand if that's what stern does in September from the rumors so looks like I may not end up with mine. Sucks

No. And just kicked in for the aluminum spinner.

The Antman Lab mod, Avengers Tower and Sanctum Sanatorium, and Pinstadiums are great mods for this machine.

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I think it comes down to people failing to grasp/understand the ruleset and all it has to offer. I believe that over time, people will play it more and realize the ruleset and code is one of the best out there making this pin more desirable.

It’s the best shooting Elwin so far, can’t wait to see what he puts out in September!

I agree with the previous post. It just comes from people that aren’t willing to put some time into learning the rule set. It is complex, but very fun and rewarding once you start figuring it out.

This game rates quite high....surprised there is negative feedback. I just got my premium on Friday and love it! I played this on location and ended up buying one a week later! Only thing I would love to change are some of the callouts. When I hear "I am Iron Man", should have been Robert Downey's voice....

Joined the team today……

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I've had a premium for a few months and I really enjoy it. It's the first pin my wife and I have owned and we're very happy with it. We already purchased our second (MBr SE) and have a pre-order for Halloween CE!

I recently ordered some art blades and pin stadiums after seeing my friend purchased an AIQ LE with pin stadiums and they are BEAUTIFUL.

Since these two things are the first mods I've ever worked on, I had a question:

Art Blades - do I need to remove the entire playfield? Is that what's recommended or can you put them on without removing the whole playfield - one video I watched of someone installing art blades on a Deadpool didn't remove the playfield, but another video of a JP art blade install the guy removed the entire thing. Is it just playfield specific or just up to how confident you're feeling?

Pin Stadiums - This doesn't seem too hard - watched a Cary Hardy video on him installing pin stadiums on a TMNT and it seems fairly straight forward. Except choosing exactly what lights to use. Should I just follow what Pin Stadium suggest in their thread or have people had better results using different ones?

Stoked to do my first additions to a beautiful machine!

Anyone interested in trading a premium AIQ for my HOU MBr SE bought in late 2019? Has mirror blades, alternate Tran light, factory tea light, Frankenstein sticker on apron by shooter lane, shaker, CPR topper with LEDs? Probably around 500 +/-plays. Will verify? Here’s video of the topper.

I installed my art blades by myself without removing the playfield. It is super frustrating though. I think next time I will remove it. I think either way if I’m doing it by myself it will be equally frustrating. Lol.

If you have someone to help you hold the art blades, it may be easier. Take it back…starting out I did have someone help hold the front end while I was lining it up in the back, but they kept accidentally letting it stick. They got frustrated because I was getting picky haha. I can’t help it. Gotta be straight and barely below the glass at the same time. The playfield seemed to be much tighter on the left side(side with Avengers’ faces) and gave me the most trouble. I was pulling it off a lot. I always use the dry method too, so maybe that’s part of my trouble.
I’ve never taken the playfield out but I can’t imagine it being much worse than trying to line the blades up over and over. I’m sure others have installed way more art blades than I have. AIQ was only my second set of those. Mirror blades are much easier. They are flat and screw on. No worry with sticking. I do love the art blades though, and happy I went that route.
Be patient, I’m sure you’ll be okay. Also I’d recommend getting some pinball universe art blades protectors to protect your investment. They’re nice and handy to have if you are getting into your game a lot. Slap them over your blades once they are in, and no worries of damaging them when raising and lowering the playfield.
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You don’t have to remove the playfield to install art blades, and it’s super simple to do yourself. Here’s the secret: Before installing them just spray or wipe on a thin film of soapy water. Then apply the blades. You will be able to slide them around until they are perfect. Then use a small towel to squeegee out the water from between the blade and the cabinet. Also, put a couple of towels in the cabinet to catch any drips that might roll down while applying. I’ve done this dozens of times with perfect results each time. They stick perfectly.

pluto I have had some great luck with installing the stern blades without removing the playfield. I use the wet method. Agree with crwjumper except I have used windex instead of soapy water. Pull the playfield to service postion - little windex on art blade shimmy blade into place move playfield to smooth it out and done. You tube video showing it. Have done 4 sterns this way no issues.

I received my AIQ premium a few days ago (I haven’t posted my photos yet ) and tried to slide the art blades but it was just too close. I removed the playfield. Problem was the coax cable went from the top of the head box all the way to the bottom of the play field. My wife and I ended up pulling it out and she stood it up at an angle While I applied the blades. If I was by myself I could have cleaned it against the machine with a towel. Just remember any time you take something apart… Take photos.

Removing the playfield wasnt too difficult and it gave me a lot of space to work with. I felt then and feel now that it was worth it to make the actual installation go smoother.

The debate between AIQ and JP is VERY tough! I hope I never have to choose between them for whatever reason but if I did, I would go with AIQ for the shots, sound and overall experience. Not to take anything away from JP, its DAMN cool and the experience is freaking awesome as well, but the shots on AIQ are so dang smooth, it would be that one. The decision is one molecule away from each other though, I hate even thinking about having to choose!

As far as an AIQ Pro vs Premium, my personal opinion is AIQ and Stranger Things are simply two games you MUST go Premium/LE! No discussion, get the Premium/LE!!! If money is an issue, then wait and save, don't compromise, you're missing too much with the Pro IMO.

Two cents deposited

I'm only about a month and a half into AIQ ownership and I've had a JP, really though call for me if I had to pick one over the other. Recency bias makes me lean towards AIQ, but JP is a really really great game and I'd have it back in a flash. I had a Pro and I think it is the right move on JP, all the shots are there with the exception of the Raptor pen and the Pro flows better imo. The missing CM ramp on the Pro AIQ and the whole rework of the right side in general would make me agree, AIQ Prem is the way to go. Elwin games really do it for me, love IMDN too.

I have installed many art blades. Tried one wet...maybe I used too much windex but man it was a nightmare. Sliding all over the place, couldn't get it to stick, hard time getting it squished out, etc. Never again. The dry method is nice and easy. Just be deliberate and take your time. Both Stern and Tilt Graphics are forgiving enough to allow you to pull off and reposition as long as you do not press them down hard. I have done about 50/50 playfield in or out. Out is certainly easier, but putting the pf upright it really isn't that bad. I have settled in that Spike games come out since they disconnect so easily with only a couple wires disconnected. Seriously takes all of 3 minutes to pull the playfield, and I can do it myself (though an extra person makes it much easier to put back in safely since I'm short). Earlier games that are more work to disconnect I just leave in. It's not bad either way. It looks much more intimidating than it actually is. After your first one, it will be no big deal. I agree that the Pinball Universe protectors are well worth the price, especially if you have a few machines with blades. Without them it's VERY easy to snag one no matter how careful you are. You can buy them from Pinball Life.

Pro vs Premium...for me it always comes down to if the changes significantly change how the game plays (and then if I find it to be for the better, LOL). For me games like Stranger Things, Jurassic Park, etc do not change the game enough to be worth the upgrade (to me!). They are mostly eye candy. Sweet eye candy, but still...the basic gameplay is the same with very minor differences. With AIQ, there are significant gameplay changes. The obvious one is the Captain Marvel ramp, which while it is a very tough shot, it might be the single most satisfying shot ever. The raising disc is also a huge difference in how portal locks and mode starts are handled. It is a very satisfying mech (even if you bypass the physical locks, it is still awesome to smack a ball into the portal). The pro is still a very cool game, but to me the premium makes enough significant play changes to make it worth the upgrade.

JP vs AIQ? Ugg. No. Just no. Can't make that choice, LOL. I love both machines so much I finally broke down and added an Iron Maiden to the collection to complete the trifecta. If absolutely forced to choose, I think I would keep JP, but man, it's close. I might give a different answer tomorrow. I think for me the JP ruleset is just a bit more amazing...things like the way you can boost the T-Rex hurry-up and jackpot values by hitting shots before cashing in on the hurry-up, the ability to make a single stand-up target feel like the ultimate sniper shot for a smart missile, the four way combo skill shot, etc are freaking brilliant. And that is not to even mention any of the three types of modes (of which the T-Rex modes are all super intense and crazy fun). I'm not taking ANYTHING away from AIQ, which also has an amazing ruleset, but I guess that is my thought if I was forced to choose between them. I find the layouts pretty even, both being super satisfying all around. Theme is even for me. AIQ has better art overall, but I really do love JP's cabinet and translite (pf is brought way down by the insane decision to put Nedry on it...ugg). Every inch of AIQ is beautiful. A/V assets are a wash for me...I know it's a point of complaint for many people on both machines, but I love them both. The dinosaur animations on JP are alot of fun. A personal favorite is the ankylosaurus smacking the ball back into play for the ball save. The default truck windshield paddock view is a little meh, but not bad. T-Rex mode animations are awesome. AIQ I really love the motion comic style. To me it's perfect...I actually like it better than if it were full motion. And since changing the default view from the trophy room (ugg) to the sanctum, I have zero complaints. Audio again to me is just fine for both games. Not mind blowing on either, but perfectly fitting and enjoyable. Overall, both are awesome games and you can't go wrong with either.

Completely agree! I installed the disc mod I bought from 1956PINHEAD last night. Easy install with the included instructions. The most time consuming part for me was putting on the decal, ensuring it was centered and bubble-free. (The instructions included some great tips for how to do this well).

The disc is really well made and looks fantastic installed. There is some light from the portal below the disc that creates a slight red glow around the disc. Really nice looking. The disc spins noticeably more freely than the stock disc. I don't think it will be long before we set a new disc RPM record (the current record, set with the stock disc, is just over 1,000 rpm)

I've put art blades on several machines and never removed the playfield. If you have another person to help, Stern playfields aren't difficult to remove and would allow the most space.

If leaving the playfield in, the "wet" method using Windex or soapy water works better than dry in my opinion. I've done both. Wet method allows more adjustability... once it dries it will stay in place.

Just received my magnetic wizpanel from wizardmod for my Avengers Premium. I went with their LE version since I had already replaced the black T Molding with yellow. I like the look!

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That looks great

Yeah for JP the Pro is definitely fine, I was just saying for AIQ and Stranger Things the Prem/LE is a must. JP IS awesome and I would hate to have to decide between them as both are incredible!

Glad you like the Disc mod. I like the way it looks too, but then I'm a little bias What most who have purchased this mod will find is how much longer the disc keeps spinning over the original. When I get a decent hit on the Disc post I'll try to trap up the ball when possible just to watch the disc spin and see the score ticking upward. Its like watching a slot machine paying out a jackpot in Vegas

Love the Disc mod it is a MUST if you have the The Avengers Infinity Quest Pin. Thank You PINHEAD!

I have a couple of issues I'm seeking help to resolve and appreciate the help. I've emailed stern support who were helpful in resolving something else but have gone radio silent over the past week

1) The Dr Strange spinning disc is not level. It's tilted up towards the backbox causing frequent airballs when shooting the capt america shot or that spinner. I had heard there was a service kit available for this issue and would like to request one unless this issue can be resolved via an existing adjustment without the kit.

2) I have started to get frequent ball searches when I have two balls locked in the portal. When the game doesn't load a ball and eventually goes into ball search, I have noticed that the ball in the portal closest to exiting via the ant man VUK is sitting a ball length in front of the last opto inside the portal...this likely explains why the game can't find it. In each instance where I've noticed this, the second ball is always properly sitting in the subway aligned to the middle opto. How can I adjust this? I've attached a pic where, if you zoom, you can see that the ball is sitting in front of the opto where I expect it shouldn't be sitting.

Thanks!

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Update as Stern finally reached out:

1) They are sending me the disc leveling service kit

2) They are suggesting that I replace the walking mech for the portal. Before doing that, has anyone had this issue and possibly adjusted the walking mech to fix this. I want to rule out a potential adjustment before going down the route of replacement.

Got my second highest score on AIQ last night... 4.3 Billion! (High score is 6.3 Billion!)

Set a couple other high score records during the game as well, here's the ending to show the scores!

I might need to reach out to them for the walking mech as well. Debating... I think their new tray, or whatever is called, has the middle slit running all the way to the end of the subway which makes it harder for it to get stuck at the lip. Mine on a semi regular basis when the ball shoots into that hole from the playfield, it'll bounce a bit and jump INTO the subway and get stuck there at the lip. I end up just lifting it from the side to have it slide down, but if the new slit eliminates it, I might request it as well.

per3per3
I can offer up some assistance with respect to the disc not being level. In my specific case my game had the entire mechanism (the sheet metal box that the white plastic leveling bushing attaches to) screwed to the playfleid with a gap on the forward mounting flange area resulting in the front of the disc being low and the rear being high, similar to what you are describing.

If I recall there are six screws (three on each side of the sheet metal mounting flanges) that attach the sheet metal box to the playfleid. I corrected this condition by placing some thin washers between the flanges on the sheet metal box and the playfleid at the rear. The result lowered the back of the disc and raised the front to put it level with the playfleid. It doesn't take much to change the angle, but after I corrected this the disc was centered better and it was level with the playfleid. Problem solved in my case.

I'm not sure you could correct this by just using a washer (or washers) between the plastic leveling bushing and the sheet metal box due to the clocking of the three mounting screws, but you might want to check that option too.

Full 4.3 Billion game if anyone is interested...

awesome1

Looks like you have that Shaker cranked up to 'Earthquake Mode'! You may have to check your floor now and then to make sure you aren't boring any holes in it

I'm interested. Can you please send these skills to my brain so I can duplicate this?

Fore Sure! Between the shaker and external sub, I think the whole house can feel me playing!

Funny in this game that it didn't start out as that good of a game... usually I have a huge first ball on my big games and I was struggling early in this one before I got my groove going.

Has anyone had issues with an oversensitive disc (in certain positions)? I have tried realigning my sensor multiple times and can't seem to get fs values above 150 in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. fs values are in the 350-450 range for 12 and 6. During gameplay I tend to get phantom spins when the disc in the 3 or 9 position.

There's a good chance I am just bad at realigning the sensor, but I wanted to get some internet opinions before I call a tech.

I am a new member to the club with an AIQ Prem born on 8-17. I have read and watched many tutorials so have the gist of the game.

In a game today, I attempted to put the Power Gem (Red) on Blank Panther. The ball went up and through the star rollover but the gem got put on the pops lane (Capt America). I found this odd so I took off the glass and tried the same thing and got same result. I tried a third time but made the ball make the full orbit and it was placed on Black Panther.

I thought maybe a switch was incorrect but I get credit for black panther ramps and get flank attacks when going up black panther and through the star rollover. All switches seem to be registering correct.

Is this the same behavior that others see? Is this because that isn’t considered a full black panther shot but rather a flank attack?

Black Panther shot should always require a full orbit/ramp. Anything that stops short is a flank attack. It sounds like your machine acted correctly putting the gem on the Cap shot since a flank attack would lead into the pops.