Hi Everyone, We've had our HW pinball for less than a month now. Getting it to where it is installed, was a story in itself. We just luv our pinball machine. No doubt about it, it's the best machine available. We have absolutely hammered our machine. 500 5 ball games in 20days, 2000 balls. We just luv those airballs, it adds to the unpredictability of the game. Lots of small 1mm pit marks on the playfield though which gives it character. Not so good for pinball purists I suspect. The hw build of the machine is exceptional and the code is pretty bug free considering its complexity. Well done AP.
We ran the machine factory shipped 20.08.01 code for 80 games and encountered multiple A/V crashes as well as many stuck playfield lights. After installing 20.12.10 we only had an A/V crash a couple of days ago after 450 games. This time the screen went blank and then cycled the primary 3 colours every 5 secs. Reboot fixed it always. We still have the stuck light problem every session and I'll go through the RGB cabling as suggested to look for loose connectors in connector plugs. I'm an electrical engineer, worked at IBM prior 2000 as hw/sw/comms specialist, educator on all platforms. Its my job to maintain and root out problems and resolve them. My mate is permanently connected to oxygen 24/7, COPD, and not a bad pinball player. Hence the moniker, handle. We're two old blokes having a hell of a fun time on our first pinny. Did I say that we just luv our pinball machine. P.S. Our hands, legs and arms get very sore and we have to take a few days off to recover. RSI.

Generally speaking, you can replace a slow blow with a quick blow fuse but be prepared it could blow in use. Never replace a quick blow with a slow blow as extra damage to components and circuitry may result. When a fuse blows you need to investigate as to why did it blow. Usually its indicating a fault somewhere.

Just an aside on the energy usage of the HW pinball machine. It idles at 75W and when a game is in progress it goes up to about 100-160Watts. Every now and then it will surge to 500-600W only for a split second! An 8hr hard use session will see it use about 0.5kWh of energy ( 1.8MegaJoules) or about 10c of electricity. Very cheap entertainment.

Another task I assigned myself was to track down and purchase the Hero Cars in the game and place them inside the machine tied down with cable ties. We're creating a HW nook with HW posters on the wall with some depicting our favourite AFL footy team, Hawthorn. My mate (friend) is real big on American footy. A purple 1:18 scale HW dragster will be our topper or I may mount it at the bottom of the head. Here's what I discovered about the Hero Cars. The boneshaker on the spinner is unique. There are similar but the skull and crossbones are unique. The Twin Mill depicted is pretty plain so we went for the 1999 #960 4/4 Game Over Series. The Rodger Dodger is 2003 35th Anniv. Custom Rodger Dodger. Rip Rod is 2014 #120 HW Off Road and the purple sharkcruiser I bought in a lot of 8 cars. I don't know the details on that one.

I would tend to agree from a physics point of view. I'd remove the bracket and check that it is bent at 90 deg and then ensure it is perpendicular to the playfield. Bending to less than 90 deg would angle the target towards the playfield and not in to the air.

Sticking Shooter Plunger

Was finding the shooter plunger just didn't have the same strength that it use to, after a lot of use. I noticed that the plunger was binding in the plastic guide sleeve. I pulled the plunger back, applied a small amount, a pin heads worth, of a light grease around the plunger and plastic sleeve. Worked it in a bit, released the plunger, cleaned up excess around the washer with a tissue, and hey presto! The power in the shooter was back.

Yep .. cooling fans are the weakest link in electronic equipment. Used to carry a car load of AMDs ( air movement devices ) when I was servicing IBM processors an peripherals. Dry bronze bearing sleeves are the worst offender but they can sometimes be revived with cleaning and oil. Best to use ball bearing fans but they're not infallible either.

Had a couple of instances of the magnet not capturing the ball for race start, part way through a session. No attraction at all but the race starts. Magnet was not working for loop crash MB also.

Also had another A/V crash. No sound and blank screen. Reboot fixed both A/V and magnet. I can't get to the machine for the logs as we're in the middle of a snap 3 day covid lockdown. Both problems seem code related as reboot fixes it.

:PS)Working with Ferret to resolve problems. With the forum going silent, I can only assume everyone's playing their HW machines! I know I am.

It's been 2 months since we have had our HW machine and I have been busy as a beaver (Weazel)! I've been importing HW cars, posters, booklets and anything HW that appeals, from all around the world. This is what our setup looks like.20210421_145604 (resized).jpg20210428_140815 (resized).jpg

On the ceiling, either side and just forward of the player, we have illumination from two non directional frosted 12W LED bulbs. This helps with playfield dark areas and illuminates the walls surrounding the machine but doesn't detract from the amazing HW light show. On the walls are HW posters and the rules of the game from the HW Service Manual, next to the player. Each time we finish play, the machine is covered with a purple queen size fitted bed sheet to keep the dust off. We always wipe the glass, buttons and contact areas with streak free wipes before putting it to bed. Its amazing how much spittle builds up after play. No need to explain the use of the fan!

Inside the machine we have the 5 Hero Cars. Boneshaker on the spinner, Rodger Dodger, Twin Mill, SharkCruiser and Rip Rod. They are secured with very thin cable ties. However our piece de resistance is the 1:18 scale "Slightly Modified" purple dragster shown below. it came from Newfoundland.

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Did anyone notice that there is no dark spot next to the screen on my previous post? That's because there is a strip of leds on the heatsink of the amplifier. Please do not attempt this yourself unless you know what you're doing, are good at soldering and the use of heatshrink tubing. Wires twisted together won't cut it and you will void your warranty.

I have a question. What are the steps in making a playfield? I'm guessing there's a bit more to it than drilling some holes in a piece of plywood and slapping a bit of paint on it.

That's a very interesting video of the process. Thanks smitherssp

Now for something completely different. One of our pinballs sounded like Fred Flintstones car rolling down the playfield. A bit of adhesive and target was attached to one ball. As I was cleaning them up I noticed that on another ball, there was a circular surface on it that was highly cratered like the moon. We can tell by its sound which one it is. It seems as if the case hardening had not penetrated the ball entirely. That's one ball I wouldn't want in a bearing!
I've ordered a new set of balls from MrPinball but I'm wondering how often the balls should be replaced?

My mate is keen to get some Magiglass sold by API. Can anyone offer some objective advice on whether it's worth the extra cost and how 'see through' it is? Not sure if we can get some in Australia.

I would suggest looking for any HW merchandise you like and incorporate it in to your setup. Hero cars, posters etc. Ebay is a good resource. Magiglass is a big winner. Make sure your machine is leveled properly at installation. Eventually get a new set of rubbers, balls and target decals. Your journey is just beginning! Have fun and lots of it.

A tip for Noobs ( that's us and I just luv that term). Every 300 games or so, rotate the slingshot rubbers and flipper rubbers a small amount, so that the tip rubber is rotated behind the flippers and the slingshot rubber tips are rotated to a "quieter"area. The tips of the rubbers take an absolute hammering and this is where they are likely to crack and break. This will prolong the life of the rubbers. But if you're really desperate, like we were! You can use a couple of heavy duty staples with a bit of UV glue and you are back in business! Next post I have will be about how to fix stuck lights and the LED matrix issue. ( I have been investigating. )

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One of the many unbelievable situations that this game can serve up! Words cannot describe what sometimes happens.

We've been driving our HW pinball machine in Australia, hard, for 6 months now. Car number 202. My mate likes driving, as do I, but I haven't been able to spend as much time under the hood as I would like. So we have been cruising the streets trying to get a bit of experience as learner drivers without crashing in to something. Its my job to make sure its always mobile one way or another. 1,500 trips and 10,000 kms (balls) on the clock and it still looks and drives like brand new. Trips were very short at the beginning but we now drive a lot longer with less trips in a day. (We're getting better)
Had a roadside puncture of the left flipper at about trip 600. Required a couple of staples and UV glue to get us mobile again before a complete set of new tyres arrived from the API shop. We rotate the tyres (flippers and slingshots) every 300 trips or so to get more life from these tyres. (Keep an eye on the tips and corners for damage, tears and wear.)

This machine was built to last the distance. A tough cookie. Beautifully engineered under the hood with quality components and a fantastic driving experience! So anyone um and arrghing , tyre kicking; get one!! You won't be disappointed and won't suffer from "buyers remorse".

Sorry to hear of some 48V engine problems that some new cars are experiencing. Replace it with a 15.7A or greater engine or call the trusty API engineering roadside assistance who will help you in a jiffy when you open a service ticket. They are truly the best in the business when it comes to service and support and have helped us with a few minor glitches for which we have submitted time of occurrence, description and log from the machine.

We just luv driving this machine, hard, and can't get enough of it!

Where Weasels dare. A lair in progress. Experimenting with a few ideas.

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TheBeefSupreme ... 6 Degrees is the recommended setting .. it's important. To dial down the difficulty, go in to settings, go to presets and select ExtraEasy. Medium is the default.

A very long extension bar or a stack of shorter extension bars will help.

A Ferret is smarter and a highly unsung hero of the HW coding department. He works diligently to apply polish to the code. That is, analyse code problems, devise fixes or workarounds and incorporate all fixes , new enhancements in to a new release of code after compiling and creating an executable code that we install on our machines. So a big shoutout to Joe Schober of API. He does an amazing job and has extensive experience in the pinball and coding industry.

A Weasel provides Ferret with code problems we find and keeps the HW machines hardware always running, in the far away land of Aus. He tries to be helpful on the forum with his extensive experience as an electrical engineer and former IT educator, specialist in HW and SW.

The latest take on our topper. The dragsters move when the machine shakes or you shake it.

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Pinball Expo 2021 ... 28th October 7pm ... " American Pinball Update and Special Announcement" ... Speaker: David Fix

Not very long to wait now. The expos schedule of events and competition is huge. You could learn so much in such a short time.
The gaming area closes at 2am.

A bit too late for an old Weazel!

In about 1500 minutes from now is my guess.

The new code appears rock solid. Not one glitch in a good session of play. Tried out Co-op mode and it all works well. No spoiler alert here as to the other enhancements. Try the new code. You won't be disappointed and best of all ... no stuck lights .. winner! Enjoy!

A big thanks to Joe, Josh and the HW team behind the scenes at AP. I saw a lot of you at the AP presentation at PinballExpo 2021 and enjoyed the presentation very much. Nice giveaways! You have really got a great product in HW and I hope many more people get to enjoy the fantastic pinball experience HW is.

The "Release Notes" download, a PDF document, has info on how to install the code and what to do to turn on Co-op mode. The process is very easy.

We encountered the same bug as well but it cleared itself pretty quickly now that RYE_ mentions it. A lot happens in such a short time.

Australia's Great Yearly Motor Race. The "Bathurst 1000" at Mt. Panorama. Sunday, 5 Dec. 01:00UTC

Located 200km West of Sydney, NSW is the rural town of Bathurst. Just out of town is a race circuit called Mount Panorama which is 6.2km long and has a height difference of 174m (571 ft). Each lap ( 2 mins and a few seconds) the cars climb up and down the mountain in an endurance/sprint race for 161 laps making a total of 1000km or 600 miles. During the 6 hours of continuous racing there are compulsory driver change, brake pad changes and the usual tyres and gas.

This makes for one very exciting race and it takes its toll on drivers and cars. Ford and GM are the main V8 protagonists with the Mustang having a slight advantage but there are rules and regulations applying to each make of car so that it is evened up somewhat. Thrills and spills abound with the uphill mountain straight, 1.1km, being a horsepower contest, then up in to the steep curving cutting requiring 2nd gear. At Skyline the cars are approaching 200km/hr plus across the top of the mountain but have to brake hard for the steep downhill dipper a series of sharp left and right turns which leads to an elbow turn on to downhill Conrod straight, 2km, speeds reaching 300km/hr plus. A chicane, "The Chase" was added to the straight to slow cars down as many bad fatal high speed accidents were occurring. Conrod straight leads to the pit, start/finish "main straight" of 500m . They turn left and do it all again.

Practice and racing of the different classes has been happening since yesterday. This is a real big event with fans setting up tent cities and bars at the top of the mountain. Motorized ice chests with drinks inside are big. Very creative mob up there. lol

Been busy keeping Ferret busy with code problems we have been finding.

Being new to pinball, we find it difficult to see the screen as we are learning the ability to glance at it and still control the ball without letting it drain.
So we normally call out to each other when the turbo is active, automatically now, so some indication on the playfield tacho would be most helpful to us. Wondering what others think?
Also, being old fellas we like the sound down low. I'm slightly deaf as well which doesn't help.

Team Weazel, two of us, managed to topple the factory TGR (The Great Racer?) of their perch. Me a month ago with 4min 17secs and yesterday, my other half managed 4 mins flat. We are definitely getting better after 10 months of intensive training.

We're wondering what ARI means for the factory wizard name. A Real I....( expert) ?

We have experienced the same, as described in the previous posts. Most eloquently described, by satisfied customers. HW is rock solid and a fantastic game for new pinball players, to learn the ropes. We have had no end of fun, in the 10 months that we have had our HW machine.
It cost us twice as much as you would pay in the USA, so it was a substantial decision to purchase one but guess what; we didn't suffer buyers remorse and always want that extra game. I personally think its the best thing I've ever bought in my lifetime which is getting rather substantial now.
I travel 50kms every 2 days to play the machine at my mates place, although lately its been every day. We just can't get enough of it, challenging ourselves, to get that slightly higher score.
This is our 1st pinball machine and it too will not be going anywhere, anytime soon. We have grown to luv pinball through this machine.

Had a race time of 2min 41secs the other day, after 8 months of not being able to crack 5 mins. and displace TGR, the factory racer.
At the end of each game we fumed that it was the only factory default name we had not managed to change. Besides ARI of legend status.
So I'm pretty stoked with that time.

We made the breakthrough 2 months ago when our skill improved heaps, from 5 simple tips, and I beat the 5 mins. My mate then beat me but I have claimed the title again. Lots of low level competitive fun!

Being rookies we have run the machine on the Very Easy preset, right from the beginning. We get a lot of extra chances that way. My mate has managed to obtain a score of 10 billion having had some experience with pinball machines before we bought HW, while I can manage only 3 billion being a true rookie. We call ball 5, the "Sympathy" ball.

Hope this encourages any frustrated rookies to keep persevering. It's worth the reward!

This tool is what I use to adjust leaf spring switches.

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Its actually an IBM 082 card sorter, shute blade adjustment tool from the pre 1980s era, when 80 column punched cards existed. The shute blades, metal strips, had to be adjusted so as to not spear the card edge as the card went by at speed.

Check out Rosh's comments on the Legends of Valhalla thread.

Can empathize with you all waiting for HW NIB deliveries. We had to wait 2 weeks a year ago and that was bad enough. No set day for delivery and a dodgy deliverer. We were pulling our hair out.

Our HW machines' 1st birthday, will be on the 25th of Feb., so I will post soon on our perspectives, as new rookie players, learning to play pinball and how the machine went over a years intensive play. We just luv playing this machine. It never gets boring.

Lower right hand corner, looking at the head, at the back of the machine.
Serial Number will be 3xxx where 3 means HW and xxx is the serial number.
The build month and year are also specified.

Yep ... Game 13 off the production line.

Good thing the machine is rock solid but you never know what the machines' personality is like.
Keep us posted.

Vale Shane Warne

Shane was a legendary Australian cricketing sportsman, who will be sadly missed.
He was found unresponsive in a villa in Thailand. Heart attack at 52.
He was larger than life, and a charismatic man. Some would say controversial.
HW dedicated a car to him in 2012.

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Remove the three screws holding the magnet bracket so that you can wiggle the core out of the playfield without damaging the playfield.
Your machine has large burrs on the core that need to be filed off. They will prevent you from turning the core as it is.
Reinstall the magnet assembly and adjust the core to the correct height and lock with the big nut.
Its not a hard job as mentioned.

If you are experiencing a high speed fan like noise coming from your magnet when active, the coil will need packing between the playfield cutout for the coil and the coil itself. I used a cardboard gasket that I made from 2mm thick cardboard.

Your machine, number 16 off the production line, has had a fair amount of use, as our magnet core looked the same after 2800 games and 17,333 balls!

Magnet Coil Noise. ("high speed fan noise")

A HW machine should be noiseless.
There is a fan in the power supply but you should not be able to hear it with the sound turned off.

If you hear a loud sound which sounds like a high speed fan, when the magnet is active, then the coil is vibrating.
The sound will stop and start abruptly, not like a fan.
To test if the coil is loose and possibly vibrating, wiggle the coil, and see if you can rotate it.
It should be snug, and no rotation should be possible.

If it moves, you can pack out the space between the coil cutout in the playfield, and the coil by making a 2mm cardboard gasket that covers the entire face of the coil. Once the coil is snug, the sound will be gone.

A bit of background. The magnet is in fact an AC electromagnet that is pulsed by electronically switching, a DC power supply. Changing polarity about 500 times a second. This is the sound you hear as the coil moves back and forth around the steel core.
In effect, it acts like a loudspeaker coil in a magnetic field, if the coil is loose.
The AC magnet also prevents balls from being permanently magnetized.
Carbon pinballs lose residual magnetism when they impact each other.

Hope this helps with understanding the magnet action a bit better.

I tried a selection of different gaskets, soft and hard, but found the grey cardboard gasket was the best.

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Yes ... I filed and shaped it so it has a smoother ramp up to the magnet top.
The burrs, mushrooming,need to be removed so that you can get the coil off the core.

There is a thermal fuse to prevent meltdown of the coil situated under the insulation tape on the outer edge of the coil, I think.
I have not yet gone there as I have had no problems in this regard.
You can use a multimeter set on ohms to see if the coil has continuity and is not an open circuit.

If the coil is open, I would suggest unwrapping the insulation tape and finding the thermal fuse, identify its temperature rating and replace it with a similar thermal fuse. Maybe an extra 10 or 20F degrees would not hurt. Also check the current rating as well.
Rewrap the coil with new tape and you should be back in business.

There have been changes to the way the magnet is pulsed in the Beta code. That is when we noticed the loud noise coming from our coil that sounded like a jet engine, as BrandonLaw describes it.
Ferret has been busily working away at the code for the magnet coming on when it shouldn't.
A certain sequence of switches turns the magnet on he informed me.
Power has been reduced to the magnet in the Beta code to reduce heat production.
A work in progress.
Happens with all complex machines.

Just got an insight or "light bulb"moment.

The coil vibration of the playfield is related to LED playfield problems of stuck leds and all sorts of strange goings on with the leds.
The vibration is transmitted to the led connectors. They move.
Since I installed the gasket we have had zero led problems.

Looks good .. no problems there and the height is good also.

Roostking You are correct. On closer examination of the photo, the back of the magnet core looks lower but it could be just an illusion due to the angle the photo was taken at

Suggest RandomRetro check the magnet for front to back level.

The magnet needs to be slightly higher than the PF so that the lower edge of the bevel on the core, is flush with the PF.
This is so the ball rises slightly above the edge of the PF around the magnet so as to not damage the PF edge.
The ball gets a slight lift and descent away from the magnet so the ball never touches the edge of the PF.

I think this is how it should be, but Dave brenna98 would be the best person to comment on the height setting of the core, relative to the PF.

A known bug in the latest Beta code. Ferret has been working on it and a few other issues.

We have just clocked 3000 games, 18,000 balls in 14 months and I have to say, that the HW machine has never broken down and let us down.
We have had the usual rubber slingshots and flipper rubbers, that had to be replaced, and one minor leaf switch adjustment on the left slingshot was needed.
We have gone through 3 sets of balls!
That's what I call reliability.
100% uptime.

Well done AP, for sure!

We have added some Pin Stadium lighting to our machine, so that we can play it in the dark.
We opted for the basic kit as we couldn't really see the benefit of all the "bells and whistles", since the lighting of HW is excellent in the first place, and we didn't really want to detract from that.

Our setting is white on all the time for GI.
The UV leds connected to flashers are something else.
Especially when RedLineMania gets underway.
A deep red, bluish glow with plastic ramps glowing.

There was still a problem, of flipper illumination in the dark.
So I mounted a bank of 6 strip leds on a small angle bracket. (Needed 2 of them.)
These are stuck under the handhold area so they point up the drains and illuminate the flippers.
Power is supplied from 2 wires running from the 12V GI lighting in the head, to the flipper area.
This is just sufficient to illuminate the flipper area. Could be a bit brighter.

Now we can play it in the dark.

The Pin Stadiums that we have, have only one flasher trigger connection.
I connected our flasher trigger directly to the right front flasher.
Works well for us but if you have another connection point in mind, I would like to see the photo.

Agree about the lousy install instructions.
There were none. Good thing the Weasels an electrical/electronics engineer. No problem.

I emailed them and suggested they update the install instructions video, on the web, to cater for the many variations/evolution of PS and pluggings, and show how to place a trigger wire tapping in to a connector.
I found a video buried in there website somewhere showing how to tap in.
There was even a couple of HW photos I found, showing where to connect the GI and Flasher triggers, but it was buried, badly in the bowels of the website.

They thanked me for my suggestions and said they were in the process of making a new installation video to cover variations and plugging.

Don't get me wrong but Pin Stadiums are an excellent Americian product. (And I told them so.)
Good technology that works, a little pricey (AUD$500) but very much worth it, very versatile and still evolving.
A lot of research and development has gone in to this product hence the price.

I'm sure PS will lift their game when it comes to installation instructions. (Marketing hype always takes precedence.)
Please support them and do the country a favor by buying a set.

There's a bit more to it than 2 strips of 12V leds stuck to the sides.
Take a look at post #3543 , 2 pages ago, of before and after.
The GI at the center of the playfield is terrific. No more dark areas.

Great discussion on lighting mods for HW.
I was thinking of using spots hidden under the handhold area to light up the flipper area.
The HW flasher, 12V led bulb or similar, looks like a candidate for a spot.
There are all sorts of leds, of varying brightness, enclosures on the market now. Houdini spots for example.

Scoot Best place to obtain 12V GI power, is from the led strip connectors, in the HW head, in the lower right corner.
Yellow is positive. Black negative.
You can run a pair of twisted wires to wherever you want then. Cable tie as you go.
If you need continuous 12V power then I would be looking for yellow and black wires exiting the power supply plug and trace them back to a connection point that can be made. Be most careful in making tidy reliable connections and never short circuit the two wires.

Safety first always.
Pull the mains power plug out before working on the machine.

That's why Weasel has lived to a ripe old age after 50 years of meddling with electricity.
3 shocks in total, one that pushed me back against a wall. (Neutral bar went live, so did I)
They are not pleasant and can be lethal. Haven't had a shock for 40 years.
Thank goodness for residual current circuit breakers.
They make life a lot safer for people.
So be careful and stay safe.

Contact Dave brenna98 or he will contact you to troubleshoot.
Also go to the AP website and log a "service ticket" report.
Support, Request Service.

Haven't posted for a loooooong time. A year ago in fact. Have been driving the wheels off car number 202 ( serial number).
The 202 was a 3.3 liter straight 6 produced by GM. And a delightfully reliable carburetored engine it was, but somewhat fuel inefficient, by today standards.

We are coming up to 2 years that we have had our HW machine (25th Feb.) and we have played it, with much vigor. (i.e. hammered it to see what punishment it could take) 4100 games, 26,500 balls, 5000 extras; gone through 6 sets of balls, a few slingshots and reformed/reshaped the magnet core, by filing, several times. It really needs a new core. )

I'll post again shortly to give a "warts and all" reliability assessment of what we have encountered, hardware wise, on our journey. It's been interesting. A tip for Dave regarding pop rods that connect the flags as well. ( They can fatigue and snap where the thread joins the rod.)

As rookie drivers, we have learnt how to maintain and play pinball with this machine and I'd have to say we are getting pretty good at it now. ( 15b top score, 3b extra ball, 7k rpm in 5th gear and 2:29 for the race, Draven rarely, no legends here yet )

We set the machine to the "extra easy" preset, haven't looked back and can't get enough of it. We really enjoy the speed of this game and the multiball mayhem when things really start speeding up. Top Game. Playing other pinballs seems so sloooow in comparison. Great for eye/hand coordination and alertness. Just like when you're driving!

I drive 50km every 2nd day to play the HW beast, at my mates place, for a 5 hour intense session. A dedicated player am I.
Owners' don't know how lucky they are to own such a diabolical device!
or do you?

Regards to LTG , you do great work.

Help.. Palatine, we have a problem.

I suspect that the fixed disk is on the way out in the CPU box.
Symptoms very early on, were the lower playfield lights stayed on white. I thought it was a connector problem, but no.
Reboot fixed it after a couple of goes.
Friday (my birthday) we couldn't finish a game without it rebooting. Did it about 5 times. Once an hour.
( I'll tell you that this game has got it in for me!)
Yesterday it was good for about 4 hours and then started rebooting every 10 minutes.
At reboot it has a single line message.. [FAILED] Failed to start Rotate log files
Sometimes has an extra line [FAILED] Failed to start ??????????????
Reboots are random and even happen in attract mode.

If it's just the fixed disk, I will replace it with a 128GB SSD (Samsung PM871 128GB) but I'd prefer Dave to advise on a course of action, so I'll open a service ticket but I would be interested to see if anyone else has had a similar problem, or can offer advice.

Thanks Ferret ... I have to say, that we have had a darned good run with the machine so far. These things happen.

4,400 games 28,000 balls. Had a push/pull rod failure on a pop which is now minus its flag as I put in a bulk standard one which doesn't have the threaded rod to secure the flag. Need new flags as well. They've taken a hammering!
Opened a service ticket with Dave.

What a day!! Had the best ball ever. Was at 1.6 bill on ball2 and had this Car Chaos like no other.
3rd gear, 10k rpm, 6 balls and that thing was going off. Lasted forever.
34 bill when I finished. Continued on a couple of shots and the darned thing rebooted. Couldn't believe it.
It recorded my time and score which I took a pix of, but no cigar! No high score or highest car chaos score and whatever else.

CPU has reset/rebooted frequently today. Tried a separate 12V supply to the CPU box but it didn't work. Reloaded code. No success.

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The fact that I can reload the code seems to say the SSD is OK. Motherboard with the CPU or RAM are suspect.
Always get the one or two line [FAILED] error code at switch on or when it randomly reboots.
Everything freezes when the problem occurs and the reboot commences.

Just waiting for a heads up from API service team to use the "Advance Replacement" option at the API shop for the HW Computer ELE0025-00-1
This basically ships you a refurbished computer and you return the old one and get a credit for usable parts.

Thanks for the focus everyone. Appreciated.

Just to clarify what I did.
I have a 12V 20A SMPS lurking in the garage, so I put a plug on it and fed it in to the CPU box direct.
Was thinking if I have a 12v problem with the power supply in the machine, then direct power from another supply would stabilise the CPU.
Only problem was, it didn't seem to work. CPU box didn't power up. Maybe I needed the negative connected to the negative common in the machine.
A better way would be to incorporate my 20A supply in to the power supply, in place of the 12V 8A supply in the machine but its a bit bigger and I took the easy way out. Time was against me.

By this stage I was like an octopus on high alert. Reversed everything and had a game. Just couldn't resist!
Maybe that's what dialed me in for 34bill I knew it was going to reboot so no great surprise.

Consequently I still don't know the status of the 12V supply in the machine. It appears stable (playfield LEDS) but looks can be deceiving.
So today when I'm at the machine, I will rig up a meter and watch the 12V supply.
I'll take logs as well and upload to the API service team.

New computer is US$395 at API shop. $600 for Australia and about another hundred for shipping.

Hi to Josh and Smitherssp.

OK .. so today it rebooted about 3 times. Took 2hrs and 20mins before the first one occurred in attract mode and 32mins after that again in attract mode.(Machine idle).
Played many games in between. Then, just to rub my face in it, it rebooted a couple of times as I downloaded logs.

PowerSupply: Measured 12V with a decent meter. Attached to the inside of the coin door connector. Yellow wires,+ 12V; black wire next door, zero volt common.(slipped a couple of wires through the coin return area)
Some measurements: 12.05V attract mode and between turns, 12.07V RLM playfield black, 12.03V pops or shooter active, brief excursion to 11.98V when the shaker starts. Voltage was always stable and I was staring at the meter when it rebooted. Stable as. Conclusion. CPU box faulty.

Ordered new CPU box from API shop, express shipping.

That's a really nice collection of machines Ferret . Can't imagine having that many machines at my place.
I'd be like a kid in a candy shop!

I wonder what the fusion of Hot Wheels and Dr. Who will give me.

Had a constant reboot problem with my Dr. Who game as well. It's a bit battered.
Just flushed all the data ribbon cable connectors with contact cleaner and cleaned up pin headers from the CPU board to I/O boards.
That fixed it but its not quite that simple with Hot Wheels.

For those interested in how all the hardware works in HW, learn about P3-ROC, (Remote Operations Controller) and all its associated I/O control. Coils, switches, leds, etc.
There is a good write up in the Houdini Service Manual about P3-ROC and also on the manufacturers website, Multimorphic Inc.
I wonder what Chatgpt has to say about it?

To cut a long story short, our reboot problem turned out to be a faulty intermittent 8GB memory module.

I fixed it 4 days ago and it is soooo nice to have a fully functional machine again.
Just bad luck we had a CPU problem. Usually these are most reliable, like a PC.

The specs on the memory module for those who might like a bit of cheap insurance are:

8MB 2400MHz DDR4 260pins SO-DIMM (PC4, laptop mem, short form)

Joe and Josh are both talented coders with a heap of experience.

I think they really nailed it with Hot Wheels.
Its challenging and hard to make it to the end.
I don't think anyone has made it to legend status yet.
I just can't stop playing it and just luv the way it all works!

No buyers remorse involved with HW.
You won't regret it.

We've made some mods to our HW machine over the 2 years we have had it. ( I've been a very busy Weazel )

Shaker and knocker are a must.
Topper is very basic so you can create your own.
Ours is a purple HW dragster suspended on springy wire so it moves around.

The first thing we did was exchange some of the HW cars with cars as close to that displayed in the game.
Tied them down with thin clear cable ties to reduce their visibility.
They will come off if you don't tie them down.

The next thing we decided was that we wanted to play it in the dark but to keep the playfield the same with no additional lights on the playfield.
To accomplish this I bought a basic PinStadium setup (the UV is unreal in RedLineMania) and set up a 3x3 array of 12V strip leds to illuminate each flipper. They are situated under the handhold area so you cannot see them and they get their power from the 12V GI in the backbox. (long run of telephone wire)
We leave the PinStadium on full white when GI is on.

To top the lighting off, we have a sound sensitive RGB strip controller, under the machine with a seperate power supply, with handheld remote and bluetooth app connectivity that gives a fantastic floor color display as the machine rattles and bangs. The RGB led strips are under cabinet base edges and down the inside of the legs using JST connectors, so that you cannot see them when facing the machine. Cost about $25 on Ebay.

Pics of the led array to illuminate flippers and RGB sound activated RGB strip controller.

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Nice to see some 2 year owners following.

Was wondering if JagDaniels and smitherssp would like to comment on the performance of their machines, mods and how much fun they have had with HW, over the past 2 years?
We've had a darned good run and so much fun!

An amazing collection of machines you have in the 2 years that you have started pinball! Thanks for the post.

Talking of interesting collections. HoneyBadger , your collection is fantantic.

It seems that big collection owners love their HW machines.

It's a challenging game so Weazel has some tips on how to beat the machine.
I'll post once I have collected my thoughts.
It's easy to get to a billion when you know how. That's when things really start cooking!
We manage to get 20 mins each game generally and a game less than a billion is a disappointment for us.

Would you believe hammering it in to submission but the machine wins.

Weazels Tips to Higher Scoring.

Secure ExtraBalls ASAP. Use a MB to secure them. (Easier said than done!)
Go for the RightVerticalUpkicker (RVUK, Dravens' Castle) for rewards and CarChaos.
10 mill points and Adv Tacho are running jokes for us.

Get in early with increasing RPM, it advances quickly. Left orbit skill shot as well helps. It's harder to increase it once it has dropped off.
Use MBs to increase RPM. When targets become "sensitive" that's the time to bag RLMania with an orbit or target.
The shooter will finish it off. Third gear and things start cooking.
Let the balls drain SDTM if there are too many balls around the flippers so you can get a clear shot, in RLM.

Advance LCMB by following red arrows.
Glance at the playfield colored and flashing arrows to guide the way.
You learn the colors and their meanings with practice.

Don't focus on race position too much. You can still get a high score from 10th position.
Work on advancing LCMB and CarChaos most of the time.
These will score you the most if you keep them going and have 10k RPM.
Look out for the shooter white "super flash",as we call it out, in play. Get a couple of those in CarChaos with 6 balls and you are cooking big time!!
EPIC, creature battles and TMB are "by the way" but look out for them. (There's a lot going on!)

Multiballs.
Try to hold on to the balls presented for as long as possible. A drain will cause the autolaunch to start.
Stack MBs if possible. LCMB can be very lucrative during VictoryLap.
Use the TMB to increase RPM. Chances are that the total will be minimal. LVUK, RPM targets and shooter.
Once the RPM is high, terminate TMB and follow up RPM targets and/or shooter, to change gear.

We still have not mastered HW after 2 years; 1500hrs of practice for me. We learn new things all the time.
Very deep. HW seems to like the high speed ball but it's difficult to learn the high speed shot past the flipper.
It's very rewarding when you do.

Have fun everyone.

A game from yesterday. I'm player 2 and 4. My other half 1 and 3. He's pretty good but I'm hot on his heels with extra practice.

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Wireforms the same color as the existing ramps with UV fluorescence are my initial thoughts.

I would suggest that you initially, keep it simple, to reduce the price.
Wireforms that follow the existing ramps with maybe a corkscrew.
You can always offer a deluxe model later on.

Got to 8k RPM in 5th gear yesterday. I was going for broke.
Don't know what happens when you get to 10k. No 6th gear.
Maybe nothing happens.

It doesn't always go well. Big contrast for ol mate. 7.78 bill and 147 mill.

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Can't stop laughing.
I'd like to see that!

Snakes emerging from the machine is a possibility in Australia pinball2020 .
Pythons love roof spaces that are warm in winter.
See them all the time on tv being extracted. They're big but not venomous.
Just a nuisance. ("Clean up in isle 5".)

Even in urban environments you see a few.
Green tree snake OK. Brown snake not OK. Highly venomous.
They move quickly like you wouldn't believe.

Maybe that's what's needed in New York.

Old mate, where the HW machine is, had a yard long iguana type lizard walk in the back door a few years back.
Didn't that cause a ruckus!
Under the beds with brooms.
Hilarious!
Some brave soul grabbed it by the tail and hurled it in to bush land close by.

Copyright, royalties, contracts, etc. could be a problem.

I"ll try and help. You describe pop bumpers not working previously and lower GI intermittent.
First thing to do is check all connectors on the underside of the playfield. Make sure they are snug.

Use a 8GB memory stick that is formatted for FAT32, not extended FAT. Extended FAT causes reload problems.
Download the code and try the code install again.
If the computer was running before, you should be able to reload the code again.

I see Draven's tower. Very nice.

The Weazel den. Just added a bar fridge. Cold drinks on tap, sort of.
We have had so much fun with this machine. Topper needs a bit of attention.
Some lighting would help.

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It's OK to bypass the thermal fuse for awhile, until you get a new thermal fuse, or preferably a resettable thermal switch.
The chances of a thermal meltdown of the coil is low, if a short occurs in the coil driver output transistor.
Best to replace it as soon as possible, however.

10Amps at 80-100deg C, normally closed, should do it.
Many different types and sizes are available on Ebay for minimal cost.
The coil steel core can get quite hot, due to magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents in the core, during play.

Found this gem, while ferreting around in the local BestandLess store. If it looks familiar, you would be right.

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I'm not even in the ballpark.

Check all flipper mechanical components. Pull out the plunger in the flipper coil. Look for any wear on the plunger and clean the plunger and coil interior to remove the black dust. Isopropyl alcohol is a good cleaning fluid.
Black dust and wear cause friction and power loss to the flippers. Coil alignment may be required if wear is occurring.

It's also possible to change the power to the coils by settings.
You can change just about everything on this machine.
We're on the Extra Easy preset with all settings on factory default.
We haven't had to change any settings.

Computer Battery Replacement

Having given this some thought as to the various ways this can be implemented, this is my conclusion on the simplest way with no future hassles with replacing the battery.

Buy a 2032 Li button battery holder from your local electronics store.
Cut red and black wires off, close to the battery. (Don't mess around with removing soldered wires on the motherboard. This is fraught with danger for the inexperienced. Bare feet on the floor as a static precaution.)
Remove a small amount of insulation from the 2 wire ends and tin with solder. (Be careful not to drop any solder on the motherboard. Use a paper tissue under the wires as a precaution.)
Tin connectors on the battery holder.
Solder black wire to the center contact and red wire to outer edge body contact.
Flatten joints and apply quick setting epoxy or UV glue to cover exposed soldered contacts.
Apply some thick doubled sided foam tape to the battery holder base and stick on motherboard where the old sticker was.

Hello easy battery replacement!

Green Screens, Snakes and Memory Modules:

.

Been awhile since I posted but its been chaotic. I'm still playing this game after 3 years and have only wanted to play it more as I improve.
My other half is now unable to play.

It seems we have "cooked" another 8GB memory module. This time last year I replaced the memory module in our computer with the memory module inside the replacement computer from API to get up and running again. The computer that was shipped only worked in attract/demo mode and the screen went blank when a game was started. So basically I was shipped a dud computer. Anyway the memory module fixed the problem.

Everything was fine for many months and then the random and strange playfield lights became stuck on and random reboots started. Realizing that the same thing was happening again I got to talking with some snakes. They suggested I buy in some Viper high performance gaming memory for $25 on Ebay as the memory modules I had, were a POC. Unbranded with a 3 sided bird icon, I couldn't identify the brand but could see where it was made. 20240330_084805 (resized).jpg20240330_084911 (resized).jpgThe new Viper memory module I installed, has black flat heatsinks installed on the memory chips each side and I hope not to have any more problems with memory failure. Replacing the memory module is a relatively easy task. Our computer has the sealed lithium battery so I will have to replace it with a 2032 holder some time in the future. Its also time to replace all the rubber rings, reshape the magnet, replace the broken VUK and shooter plastics, replace 2 pop rods and reinstate the missing flag with new flag decals and tighten eccentric weight on shaker motor as it squeaks and we turned it off. Yep, I've got a few things to do after 5,000 games that progressively got longer as we got better.

The reason I say "cooked" memory modules is that ambient temperature was 31/88 deg C/F during summer and the problem developed at the same time of the year. It is unlikely it was a just a random coincidence. The 1st memory module that came with the machine lasted 2 years but was suspect right from the beginning. I just thought it was bugs in the code at first and consulted with Ferret . Eventually that memory module wouldn't boot at all after 2 years and a new computer was purchased. The 2nd memory module that came with the dud replacement computer lasted exactly 1 year and it got to rebooting every game before I called it a day and installed the Viper module 2 days ago and now the machine operates as it should and doesn't reboot anymore. The CPU fan works and the vents in the back box are clear.

Symptoms and Observations of a Crook Memory Module:

Random reboots at any time. Frequency gets slowly greater until it wont boot at all or you cant even get through a game.
Rotate error log and Failed to start, operating system messages at boot.
Strange behaviour of the playfield lights during play; some lane arrows glow white and remain stuck on so you cant tell whats happening.
Other lights can be stuck on in different colours and usually reset during play but sometimes it takes a reboot to reset them. I have had instances of the lights not resetting and diving under the machine looking for loose connectors only to find nothing wrong. Infrequent continuous ball launch during multi-ball, particularly track MB. General computer confusion by not doing what it should taking in to account the bugs that exist in the code.

Green screens?

Certainly got a lot of those before I replaced the memory module. I haven't had time to read all of the last years posts but rosh is indicating that green screens can be the result of a slowed down computer and crook memory certainly fits this bill if its retrying a lot of operations.
Scrambled control segment instructions are causing the reboots, stack errors are evident during play but the data segments seem mostly intact but I have seen a few funnies with scoring.

Green Screens

I can definitely say that the green screens are related to the memory module and the best way to fix it, is replace your memory module with a high performance memory module with a CAS latency (CL) of 15 or smaller. It's worth a try and not expensive.

.

I gave our machine a real good work out today for 3 solid hours, looking for green screens, with the new high performance memory module installed. The green screens usually occur when extra ball is lit starts in a small window or at the start of and during track MB. I can remember how long and extensive they were when our memory module was failing and on its last legs.

The new Patriot Viper Steel 8GB CAS15 memory module is really performing well and I can see the green screen for about a tenth of a second as extra ball and track MB start, sometimes. Track MB is free of green screens and no others occurred at any stage.
Screen transitions are crisp and quick compared to before. The computer is now flying. Good old snakes.

I'm really surprised at how much heat the computer generates. At the end of today's session I felt how hot the computer case was and it was hot and borderline being too hot. I could also feel the heat in the backbox wood behind the computer with my hand even though the computer and wood have a gap between them. It was 25/77 deg C/F ambient air temp today.

Yep ... 31deg inside where the machine is and the computer is way way too hot and I've cooked my nice new high performance memory module. Reboots occasionally but the green screens are minimal and still quick to disappear. I measured 44 deg above the computer with a remote sensor with the computer case being at least 50 deg I estimate. Hotter inside the case I'm guessing.

Definitely a case of "Standby, while engine cools".

I've spent the last few days figuring out how to get some cooling happening inside the back box. The temperature across the front glass is a good indicator of whats going on inside the back box, temperature wise. The screen generates a fair amount of heat as well.

I tried a 40mm fan above the the computer at half speed and full speed and found half speed better as at full speed it was just pulling in hot air from the the adjacent vents.
Change of tack and I decided to place the fan at the bottom of the back box where there is a hole on the right side, 50mm x 42mm to the lower cabinet. The same sized hole is under the screen that has 2 half inch flexible conduit, containing cables. I sealed this off with a piece of plastic sheet to prevent pressurized air in the back box, leaking back in to lower cabinet.
Copious amounts of warm air are now exiting the 3 top vents in the backbox with the fan drawing cooler air from the vents at floor level underneath the lower cabinet. The computer is now cooler within acceptable limits and I can no longer cook an egg on the top of it! The front glass is now cool all over.

I'll eventually replace the 40mm fan with a 50mm ball bearing fan for longevity, post some pics and put in a new memory module. The weather is cooling quickly now and 5 months of 31 deg temps will fall to 20 deg in the next few months. The plan is to watch what happens from now on and see if the situation stabilizes now that extra cooling has been provided.

Update: No green screens or reboots today with the new cooling system.

It was 32 deg room temp and 29 deg under the machine.
The forced cooling is working a treat but time will tell.
I thought I cured the reboot problem by replacing the memory module. But no...

Green screens last less than quarter of a second which is about twice as long as when I first put in the high performance memory module, initially.
I may have damaged it by overheating but prolonged green screens have gone. I feel sorry for the person who gets green screens when a flipper is activated. That seems like an extreme case of green screens.
.

and yes I will post some pics and details when I have finished and finalized the cooling fix after more testing and observation time.

There is only one 8GB memory module and 1 socket in the computer and 8GB is the max it can take.

Its a full blown computer in a small case and draws 60W, thats 5 amps at 12V.
Imagine an old 60W light bulb inside that case. It's going to get hot.

I found a similar computer, same external appearance, for sale on Alibaba a couple of years ago, called a J1900.
(I like to know what I am dealing with and how everything works.)
Specs for that were Intel Celeron J1900 Quad core 2.4GHz, 8GB, 2.5" drives or SSD, mini PCI-E, HDMI, Gigabit Lan, 3xUSB

Room temp was 33 deg today and 29 under the machine. No reboots or increase in green screens.

I gave up and put the air con on as I couldn't stand it anymore and was sweating up big.
I tried to get it to reboot by giving it a real hammering but it wouldn't. (All games over 1bill, mostly 2-4bill)

I've got it figured now: excessive heat leads to green screens, reboots and damaged memory modules.
Unless you are running the machine in a really cool environment, you're going to have problems.
I'll have more to say about this soon.

Great post and interesting to see the computer will accept a 16GB module. I found the screens snappy as well with high performance memory installed. I will also leave the computer cover off.

The baffle plate covering the 3 top vents in the backbox allow 34% natural convection airflow, I calculated.
I am thinking of removing it temporarily and also using a 40mm fan to blow air up from the hole where the cable conduits are and in to the computer area. Another thought is to mount the computer under the amplifier and hit it with forced air from the lower right vent to the lower cabinet.

The Patriot Viper Steel CL15 module I installed has now finished its life after less than a month. Constant reboots now, green screens appeared after none and became progressively longer and frequent, and stuck on lights. I'm going to replace the memory module with a cheap Kingston CL17 8GB module and see what happens. Its been hot at 30 deg consistently but yesterday, it was 20 deg and it was rebooting like you wouldn't believe. I know when I put in a new memory module, everything will be back to normal, for a while!

What's causing my computer to eat up memory modules?
It could be the heat but it could be the computer.
Maybe the regulation of the 1.2V to the memory module, is higher than it should be resulting in degradation and failure.
Time will tell and I might have to buy yet another computer.

From previous posts it seems green screens are a big problem and persist in other machines.

I have thought about this and I think I will rotate the computer 180 deg, take the cover off and mount the computer under the amplifier.
It's a lot cooler there and I already have a 40mm fan blowing in to that area.
It's really hot above the screen where it is currently mounted.

There are 5 high wattage, low resistance, SMD resistors under the SSD and 2 near the CPU in the computer.
These emit a fair amount of heat and I noticed the SSD side emits more heat than the RAM side, during observations.
The RAM emits 3W for every 8GB of memory, the SSD about 8W which isn't much in the overall picture of 60W.

Donation of memory modules will be gratefully accepted.
My computer is hungry for the next and dispatched the high performance module quickly with a burp!

Sodimm Memory Module Characteristics and Operation

I have delved in to the workings of memory modules and its complex but I will summarize it in plain language.

Physically it has a 264 pin capability but 4 pins are not used and it becomes a 260 pin with odd numbered pins on the front and even numbered pins on the back. Many signal lines are surrounded by ground or 1.2V external power supply lines to give it waveguide characteristics as we are talking GHz.
1.2V is supplied to pins between 112 to 160 on the back of the module. Min 1.14V and max 1.26V . That's pretty tight regulation.
Max temp. is 85 deg but extended range 85-95 deg can be allowed for if the CPU slows things down.
DRAM refresh is done on the module to maintain the memory cells at a 1 or a 0 and column and row address strobes determine a memory cell to access for read or write functions.

There is an SPD (Serial Presence Detect) chip that sends 128 hex bytes of timing and module characteristics from an EEPROM, to the BIOS during POST so the CPU knows what timings and parameters to use to effectively communicate with the memory module. 1 beep means everything's OK with the hardware.

The module has the ability for CRC error detection with commands and addresses, has extensive internal memory recovery functions which again slow things down. The module will wait some time purposely while this happens. Error reporting is via the Alert_n signal line.

So basically the module slows down when things go wrong and green screens are the result.

Yes this is the most noticable green screen that occurs and when I put in my high performance module there was no green screen at this point or anywhere else. As days went by the green screens at extra ball PiP became only just noticeable and then got longer and longer, 10secs or more, and at other places during track MB and the announcement of Car Chaos. Reboots then started. I have consulted with Ferret extensively in the past and green screens are not a code problem.

With my machine, I am trying to determine the source of why memory modules are being degraded to the point of total failure and help with the understanding of the green screen problem. Don't be too concerned as a bit of experimentation and research is going on here to get to the seat of the problem.