Woof, glad I went for the apron mod for my LV. Since the dog tag only appears to be glued on, I'll swap it over.
Was hoping for something, anything from PB on the apron and they really dropped the ball.
(Topic ID: 284032)
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Quoted from cpr9999:Is there a place to see this?
I assume you mean $2000 over list price?
It's on the PinballBrothers FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/pinballbrothers/posts/875583006487887
Quoted from Lamberger:might be a little longer wait guys. "Joe Biden will require essential, non-resident travelers crossing US land borders, such as truck drivers to be fully vaccinated by January 22, 2022, 78% of truck drivers still unvaccinated"
Longer wait for whom?
All this says is that folks traveling to the US by land that aren't residents will require vaccination. The pins aren't coming in on trucks from Canada or Mexico.
1 month later
Quoted from javagrind888:I'm still not getting a response...
passive aggression surely will get you a response
2 months later
Quoted from mitchzizzle:No worries I have no idea what youre talking about, nor do I understand why you would cast a pall of negativity over this forum if you do not now, or have any intention of owning an Alien machine in the future
If I was a bitter, old troglodyte who lived in the middle of nowhere with no prospects, I would probably spend every waking moment on the internet crying and being a pain in everyone's ass, too 
1 month later
Quoted from mitchzizzle:Thats one way to do it. I cant find the link but I would probably try bending the metal bracket behind the switch to try to achieve the same outcome before Id put foam tape on such a prominent spot
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nAbEz6VHpTw8Kl0FMe9Gfh8GaA52Q2-uChS36ffJNn4/edit
I believe this is the doc you're looking for
4 weeks later
Quoted from flipper-happy:Just received mine today and was checking connections. Only found this wire not attached to the launch button and am not sure which lug it is supposed to go on. Anyone have a snap of theirs so I can compare? Thanks!
[quoted image]
Middle terminal, the one marked NO, e.g. Normally Open. When you press the switch, it will close the circuit and connect the two terminals Common and Normally Open.
Standard switch behavior.
1 month later
Quoted from Kkoss24:Have you noticed it only happening when hitting “start” too early ? I will look more into this tonight .
Quoted from OutpostKodelia:No, it also happens if you do not press any buttons. Saw it on both 2.6 and 2.7. Staying away from 2.8 for now. Since you see the low res Linux boot up, then it goes black when it switches to the high res UI, if this were my PC, I'd be looking at the graphics driver.
Quoted from JDub03:Outpost is correct. I boot my games and walk away for a bit, so nobody is touching them as they boot. I agree that it is likely a graphics driver conflict of some sort. I also get the linux boot at bios start up. Hopefully it will be resolved in a future patch. Game has progressed nicely so far.
I'm assuming it's the same issue as this:
2 months later
Quoted from Zablon:Nah, as much as I love Aliens, Alien is still superior. They just aren't the same genre at all.
They're both great and perfect examples of their genres, but like you say, apples and oranges.
Finally got my LV on Wednesday, now I just need to get some parts, mods, protectors, etc. Pleased to report it's working well out of the box. I went over connectors, wiring to the solenoids, etc, and everything looked good. Had some trouble with the Alien mech/playfield magnet not grabbing, but setting my pitch correctly has solved that, even with hard shots to the Alien targets. It looks like they may be bending all of the targets forward out of the box, as all of mine have significant forward pitch.
Also updated to 3.0 from 2.7 without incident. Anybody know if there's been a new firmware or is 0.57 still the latest? Release notes state 0.70 firmware as coming soon but that was months ago.
1 week later
Quoted from Zablon:It's not wrong to say cheaply made, but so are all the other manufacturers pins these days. Most of Alien's issues though are around the code - and transit shifting lots of stuff (and/or maybe breaking things). No other manufacturers pins are traveling around the world to the US. I say give it some time. You are frustrated now, but PB will get you set right eventually.
Gotta say, Alien doesn't feel 'cheaply made' compared to Stern, JJP, and Spooky. Compared to CGC or Dutch Pinball? In that case, yes, but I think those two are the closest to the height of Bally/Williams heyday. Their cabs feel solid, use great parts, and have great overall fit and finish. Seriously, my MMR LE and TBL are solid like an old Volvo.
My Rush LE from earlier this year came broken (CPU Node board in backbox was DOA, no idea how that passed QC) and took two months to get going thanks to jumping through hoops with Stern Support and my distributor. You can see the plywood grain through the paint/clear, and after a couple hundred plays it's dimpled to shit. Not saying I don't love my Rush LE, but it's not what I expect from a manufacturer that has decades of experience.
I can forgive PBros quality issues, this is their first release. Stern, on the other hand, has zero excuse.
As an aside, my Alien LV has had zero issues outside of some minor complaints (software a little buggy, flipper buttons feel mushy), but most of it is easily remedied.
1 week later
Quoted from fsumassey:This might be stupid but do you keep the diode on?
Not a diode, it's a ceramic capacitor, and no you should remove it.
Quoted from fsumassey:I'm dumb. Thank you so much. Did yall have to get new screws? They don't seem long enough for these switches. If so, what did you get or what did you do
Speaking from my own experience, I replaced the flipper leaf switches on my LV with the Stern double stack ones from Pinball Life and used the existing screws just fine.
Can't speak for SV, though.
3 weeks later
Quoted from ABE_FLIPS:For those of you who think the hypersleep shot is hard, it's not.
I just put a 20$ mini fan into the cabinet, which points at the upper left flipper.
[quoted image]
It feels very good to make that shot. Got it five times in a row.
I didn't want to waste another 200$ for a cooling kit, but i guess it's required, also for the bottom flippers.
Test the cheap fan out if you hesitate to make the full purchase.
There are other options, albeit require more work and that you have tools of your own to make cables, etc.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-pinball-flipper-coil-fans/
Quoted from PDX-Mike:LV owner here, yesterday I received a shipping notification from CoinTaker. Apparently a two day express delivery from what I am gathering form USPS tracking. Could this be the cord everyone is talking about? Because I do not recall ordering anything from CoinTaker.
It's likely a holiday gift from them (a couple of locally, hand made sausages and a local wine). I received one as well when I was expecting my lit apron for TBL.
1 week later
Quoted from EDUB919:If dropping $750 on $100 worth of electronics, lights and metal, combined with $100 worth of someone’s spare time to apply specific skill/knowledge to assemble those resources makes you feel good when playing a game
Metal fabrication and powder coating, even at scale, are still going to add cost to that figure.
And that's entirely it, you pay others a premium to do things you can't or don't want to do yourself. Take your car to a mechanic and try to get them to do work for the cost of parts and see how that goes. I'll do most work myself, but there definitely is a cost/benefit proposition at play and my time is valuable.
Not here to justify why I bought the apron, when I saw the videos I was in and I think it's a fair price given all the work that went into it, but what you're saying isn't factual despite your claims to the contrary.
Quoted from Kkoss24:Gotta be at least 7.5 .I don’t care if I keep breaking shit , that was the most fun I’ve had playing pinball in a long while .Put it this way , Im playing GZ now and it feels like a Widebody .That’s 100% true
Did you have to raise your autolaunch coil power? I recently raised the pitch on mine from 6.5 and after a game or two it started having serious trouble getting up launch wireform. Wondering if it's normal to increase that coil power due to the pitch or if maybe my plunger isn't aligned properly.
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Quoted from Lamoraldus:Check if the plunger came loose. Then it wont shoot reliably.
Definitely not loose; I had to loosen it up to install the apron/tracker mods and then I tightened it back down. It continued to launch fine until I raised the pitch.
Quoted from Mageek:edit: I see from your pic that your left spinner is not sitting perpendicular to the playfield, that will kill your orbit shots. You will want to adjust it by bending the switch actuator arm and or the spinner arm such that it sits straight up and down but still spins freely and actuates the switch.
Seconding. Every new machine should be checked to ensure the spinners sit correctly otherwise they rob the ball of momentum, and even if it manages to make it around the orbit they can cause the ball to be a little unpredictable when it exits.
2 weeks later
Quoted from KING-HENRY:just getting my LV setup this morning, and can't get the damned backglass out..every little turn, with the cam out, doesn't allow it to slide up..and hot tips before I go mad? lol..
If the cam is popped out, you're good to go.
Sliding the translight out is a pain and requires quite a bit of force. It will flex at bottom, at least from my experience. I'm very tempted to see if I can route the top slot a little deeper to make this easier.
1 week later
Quoted from ReadyPO:I got a notice from Melissa it was in their warehouse and I paid the invoice on the 25th of January, it has only been a week. It has been 15 months so a little longer is no big deal. I just didn't get a shipping notice from FedEx or whoever they are using to get it from PA to IL. and I was just curious if it would just show up or if other people got a notice. I would just prefer not to get home and it has been sitting out in my driveway all day long.
FedEx will contact you to arrange the delivery date just like any other freight company. They will not deliver without ensuring someone is there to sign for it.
2 weeks later
Quoted from megaladon:I updated to 3.2 and ordered the new wiring harness for target number five but I was told I need to upgrade the new firmware to quiet the tongue. I currently have .57 but I try to upgrade the firmware and it says no update available? Is the firmware a different download or should it be on the 3.2 I pulled off the website?
https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80001052810-firmware-update-0-71
Separate file, you can find it at the bottom of that page.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Nepi23:Did you have to enlarge the shaft holes on the pinball in order to make the precision flippers work? I think I read somewhere that some user had to do that in order to get the shaft in. Thanks for info!
If you use the precision bushings, then you will likely have to do that. I had to do it, and at least 2 others I've seen had to do it. PBros made the tolerances on the hole pretty tight.
Quoted from Mageek:I did not have to do this, please don't say that everyone does , maybe there are different sizes or tolerances of bushings out there, maybe some are worn more than others.
We're not talking about drilling the plastic bushings to make the precision flippers fit, but the hole the through the playfield to make the precision bushings fit.
If you use the precision bushings from Precision Pinball Products, you will very likely have to increase the diameter of the hole slightly in order for them to fit. Obviously, try it first to see if they'll fit, but otherwise be prepared to do that.
Quoted from Damonator:You do have to enlarge the bushing holes slightly. 15/32 is the US drill bit size (although I started with 7/16, then 29/64 and finally 15/32 to remove as little material as possible each time).
I would not recommend this. Very easy to damage/chip the clear surrounding the hole this way.
It may take a little longer, but a dremel or dowel wrapped in sandpaper is the way to go.
1 month later
Quoted from Cheddar:I drew up the connections but I lack the tools to make a schematic. If anyone has the tools and wants the drawing I can share.
KiCAD
EAGLE
EasyEDA
There's tons of them if you're interested in making schematics or fabricating your own PCBs.
4 months later
Quoted from Nyraiderfan:Thanks Red Devils but Unfortunately I just got a hard no from the wife as I already spent on the NIB, do you sell just the beacons separately?
Quoted from rockrand:We wish
There's nothing special about the beacons that come with the aftermarket apron if you just want to replace the stock ones. Double-check the voltage of the stock ones and just buy what you prefer off aliexpress.
6 months later
Quoted from monkfe:I have them on my machine...they're nice no doubt...you may need about 15 longer machine screws(like 10mm) as they're quite thick and some screws won't reach....
You definitely want longer screws because it's very tight, otherwise, and if you overtighten you risk cracking the protectors/plastics.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Appears to be an issue not just with pinball. I put a deposit down for a guitar in JULY last year and just received it on Thursday. New manufacturer, I think they had some supply issues
Try buying a Jackson Custom Shop guitar. Pay in full upfront, wait 3 years.
Pinsiders whine way too fucking much.
Quoted from Meadows22:Did he have the apron mod? I’m pretty sure the back box expansion kit came stock as a bundle with the apron and beacons mods.
Maybe later runs, but my apron mod from the first run did not.
Quoted from Merendino:My best guess is that he ordered it simply because it was available or didn't understand that it did not come with the translite. He had lots of other mods pre-installed but the backbox lighting kit and extra beacons were new in box.
The translite in question is made by KJS, you can see more here:
Don't know if he's still making them or not, but he's the person to ask.
4 weeks later
Quoted from Jerickso77:Any tips on adjusting the one way gate? I hate when a ball comes through fast and bounces out before it closes.
Some folks have reported it coming from the factory installed backwards, you may want to doublecheck that.
You don't need schematics. Look at the other 2 adjacent circuits, they're all using identical parts, so you can reasonably assume U7 is the same part as U6 and U8.
Quoted from Jahkub:As i said, that marking isn't easy to find. After looking up many FZY parts, none of them match the marking convention of this part. I could dig through the FZ markings, but that's a much bigger list.
I'll just need to get the part number from them.
Looking at this list, we see some with FZY markings, and then it's a matter of narrowing it down by package type. Looks like SOT-25 to me, so you have two possibilities.
If you google those part numbers and look at the data sheets, you can see that the last marking, M, just represents the lot number so it's not significant in determining the purpose or spec of the part. Otherwise, the two SOT-25 parts appear to be identical in spec.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Jahkub:Poor little feller
[quoted image]
THAT RIGHT THERE may be much more of a problem. That's an ARM Cortex M0 MCU, and depending on how PBros use it, could come with code pre-loaded in flash.
You could replace it, but then still be out of luck because it doesn't have the necessary firmware loaded.
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