(Topic ID: 284032)

"Morning MU/TH/UR" Pinball Brothers Alien Remake Owners Club

By Red_Devils

3 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 18,574 posts
  • 627 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 hours ago by monkfe
  • Topic is favorited by 275 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic poll

“What are you in on an SE or LV?”

  • LV 62 votes
    33%
  • SE 59 votes
    32%
  • Not interested in this game 65 votes
    35%

(186 votes)

This poll has been closed.

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

43D1E155-4750-486A-BA9C-554B63E08F82.gif
DCB0A623-5863-4E1C-B512-8965B23DB9D4 (resized).jpeg
B12BA009-97AF-490D-89E0-F0F6EB66E2A8 (resized).jpeg
4831DBF6-A950-44B9-92C9-5A9620949223 (resized).jpeg
FEB62ADF-60AF-4D41-8ADC-729C95382A17 (resized).jpeg
C11359D6-60EE-4425-9879-332BB2FA9EEE (resized).jpeg
Screenshot_20240327_093813 (resized).jpg
64A46C57-0A2B-42CD-B33B-76DC2DC2E1A1 (resized).jpeg
37FCE19D-85D8-4B31-96AF-914DA051E645 (resized).jpeg
2702EF4A-76D7-4D61-9210-CF410C594601 (resized).jpeg
IMG_2711 (resized).jpeg
pasted_image (resized).jpeg
pasted_image (resized).png
20240325_231501 (resized).jpg
A6A6E2A3-579E-429A-93D8-6B77FC42C7B9 (resized).jpeg
69A6272E-06A0-46AB-882E-6F56825BDB2F (resized).jpeg

Topic index (key posts)

7 key posts have been marked in this topic

Display key post list sorted by: Post date | Keypost summary | User name

Post #1360 Video of one solution to sticky flippers. Posted by HurryUpPinball (2 years ago)

Post #3169 Minimizing electrical interference issues Posted by brado426 (2 years ago)

Post #5287 Some spare parts Posted by Baggerman (2 years ago)


Topic indices are generated from key posts and maintained by Pinside Editors. For more information, or to become an editor yourself read this post!

You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider digitaldocc.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

#852 2 years ago

Why do the magnets on my TWD work like a boss while the magnet that's supposed to catch the ball on alien only catches the slow traveling ones. Are they just bigger magnets or better quality on TWD?

#868 2 years ago

Hope PB will get everything figured out in time by the next Stern (after mando) and Spookey release. That way us buyers can have a 3 way dance.

If in a few months or so the alien game streams still have lost balls and failed magnet grabs then sadly I will have to cross it off the contenders list.

I'm rooting for you Pinball Brothers.

1 month later
#1182 2 years ago

Can you take a picture of the playfield issue?

Quoted from Red_Devils:

Took delivery of my Alien this morning but I'm unable to start a game. I get 2 error messages, 1. Pinball Missing I have taken out the balls and added them multiple times tried re-seating connections all to no avail, and the second message is switch error. Also all the bottom of the play field looks washed out like Easter colors and none of the lamp tests work on the bottom third of the paly field. I have opened a ticket with Pinball Brothers.

#1217 2 years ago
Quoted from Red_Devils:

Not a very good pic but I think you get the color, in Lamp Test menu the lights don't flash on the lower 2/3 of the playfield but the top ones do.
[quoted image]

For some reason I thought the actual playfield print was defective which would have been awful to deal with. I'm sure your lighting issue will get resolved. Best of luck.

11 months later
#7949 1 year ago

My alien landed yesterday and I was wondering if there was a pre amp out for a sub? Saw an optical out on the backbox computer. Anyone use that yet?

#7951 1 year ago

Well. At least I had 1 trouble free glorious night with Alien. The previous owner never had a tongue mech problem but today mine failed.

I'm noticing the gear slips and doesn't catch the teeth on the tongue.

edit..the fix was on pinball bother's support site

https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000709052-issue-xeno-calibration

#7971 1 year ago

Has anyone encountered flakey audio sometimes on boot. A power cycle or two on mine resolves the issue. Is there a fix for this as it's kind of annoying.

I'm on code 2.4 for reference.

#7979 1 year ago
Quoted from drypaint:

Are you talking about the crackling that comes from the speaker during bootup, but then goes away? Or is the sound still flakey and crunchy after it boots up and is playable?
Also, are you a new run game or one of the older/early run games?

My build date is 11/21 and the sound stays crunchy while I play.

#8001 1 year ago

I have alien parked next to godzilla in my lineup and I have to say that godzilla feels cheap when played back to back. Don't get me wrong I love godzilla but Alien just feels higher quality.

#8041 1 year ago

I put some dampening material that people suggest to use inside scoops or other big bounce issue locations.

It doesn't look pretty but the zeno magnet catch ratio is near 100%

If I can find this material in clear it would be perfect.

20220615_194001 (resized).jpg20220615_194001 (resized).jpg

#8044 1 year ago
Quoted from Ceemunkey:

Great idea! Its just a little unsightly so yeah clear may be better. So far this mech is the only thing on the game I can level any criticism at, because it very rarely catches the ball. The targets just can't direct the ball towards the magnet enough as it seems to be a bit too far away, so I don't think software tweaks will ever truly fix it. Don't get me wrong its far from game breaking - but it's the central toy of the game, and when it does happen as intended, its so unbelievably cool you just wish it could be a bit more consistent.

Well, if you can deal with the ugly try this stuff out. Use hot glue as it's easy on easy off with no damage. If someone can locate a clear comparable material I'd switch this out in a heartbeat.

Isolate It!: Sorbothane Acoustic and Vibration Thin Film Square (0.080 x 6 x 6") 70 Duro - 1 Sheet https://a.co/d/7hcSFZ9

#8061 1 year ago
Quoted from digitaldocc:

I put some dampening material that people suggest to use inside scoops or other big bounce issue locations.
It doesn't look pretty but the zeno magnet catch ratio is near 100%
If I can find this material in clear it would be perfect.
[quoted image]

Ok. I've had 100% zeno grabs and guests have no idea the black strip is ugly. That being said by Sunday I have an assortment of clear Protectors arriving on Amazon. Thinking I can simulate zeno drool with hot glue and these Protectors. I'll let you know.

20220616_192757 (resized).jpg20220616_192757 (resized).jpg
#8067 1 year ago

I'm on 2.4 with max magnet setting. I think this is as good as it gets with the hardware. Hopefully by Monday I'll have a out of the box solution. Wish me luck.

#8092 1 year ago

I'm sure people are going to poke fun at me but hey this is what happens after a few beers and you give me a glue gun and rubber bumpers. My zeno hasn't missed a grab yet and I kinda got the alien drool Sci fi thing going on.

If anyone wants details let me know and I'll post the technique I used. 2 types of bumpers and the black vibration damping material on the left post and over the right post/rubber.


20220619_174146 (resized).jpg20220619_174146 (resized).jpg20220619_174147 (resized).jpg20220619_174147 (resized).jpg

#8096 1 year ago
Quoted from jdlang11:

Yeah man. I'm interested...let me or us know.

Will do.

#8097 1 year ago

Today was all day alien mods. Just ran the LEDs for the amazing backbox mod KJS Pinball (Kurt) made. Couldn't be happier. However I think I need invisaglass or something anti reflective. My led strips are reflecting.

Have any of you alien owners gone for some widebody anti reflection glass? What do people recommend?

#8099 1 year ago
Quoted from cleland:

That looks awesome! I'm waiting on my translite mod from KJS. What LED strip did you use? And did you go all the way around? Or just the left and right and not the top?

Hey Cleland, I went all the way around town and I'd be happy to link you to all the parts I used to make the install smooth. I should have some time tomorrow.

#8112 1 year ago
Quoted from cleland:

That looks awesome! I'm waiting on my translite mod from KJS. What LED strip did you use? And did you go all the way around? Or just the left and right and not the top?

I'm sure there are more elegant ways of doing this but this is how I pulled it off for an easy install and independent control of two strips.

12v RGB 5050 led strip lights(any brand 5050 will do)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K15PMT4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

switching power supply
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X1LBK19/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

2 Light Strip Controllers
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AF5YOK2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

hardwire adapter for strip controller
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015OCV5XY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

2 pack RGB Extension Cable (had extra cable I had to coil)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082FGJN7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

The only part I would do different is the LED strip on the top facing down reflects on the playfield. I would also suggest disconnecting the stock white led strips in the backbox LCD/computer. Here is the guide to do that https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000937592--how-to-check-test-led-strip-in-screen-box

overview video

#8116 1 year ago
Quoted from cleland:

Thanks for taking the time to post that, very helpful!

Happy to help.

#8117 1 year ago
Quoted from Sjoend:

I also have Kurt’s fantastic backbox mod and did install anti reflective glass, I can highly recommend it because the LED reflection is significantly less.

May I ask which anti reflective glass you ordered that fits alien?

#8131 1 year ago
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:

What is the general consensus guys?
Those of you that have just gotten this game, has it become your fave? How do you feel it shoots?

Hope you find one and get a chance to see for yourself how slick this machine really is. Well made and fun to play.

#8135 1 year ago

Here are the details of my $30 DIY fix that successfully increases the zeno grab. In fact, I've played at least 30 times since doing this and the zeno hasn't missed yet. All you need is a hot glue gun, some clear bumpers, and few beers for courage. Maybe this will inspire somebody to create a more elegant solution.

How to overview

Sorbothane
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0100M67A4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

cone bumbers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KWVTJV

cab bumpers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DHNIKHC

alternative smaller bumpers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S1RUVS

Gameplay (code 2.4 w magnet power on max)

#8140 1 year ago
Quoted from Chalkey:

The foam in front of the targets is not an acceptable fix no diggity

Works for me at the moment. I'll gladly take it off in a second if somebody can make a better option.

What are the odds pinball bros will send everyone new targets or a magical software improvement that supercharges a small magnet?

#8149 1 year ago
Quoted from Baggerman:

like this? more of a stock look but perhaps it would work? amazon.com link »

I thought the same thing actually as that was my second attempt. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough of an improvement. That's what led me to the cone and smaller bumber combo that had a culminating effect. The other game changer was the black dampening material on both sides of the targets. That prevented the bounce away from the magnet when the ball cought the edge of the targets on an angle.

I don't want to discourage you from trying your idea because you may find a better material than I did and then folks would have a clean look solution.

I took a pic before I took it off.

20220619_153850 (resized).jpg20220619_153850 (resized).jpg
#8181 1 year ago
Quoted from Mageek:

Lookey what I got from jolly old England today .. Thanks Colywobbles
[quoted image]

Can you show us what they look like installed?

#8216 1 year ago
Quoted from brandonx76:

Had a recurring issue - Alien mouth gets stuck with tongue out - and holding a ball. Never pulls in. When the game/mode finishes, it doesn't reset. Only fix is to power/on off, but has fixed both times this has occurred (maybe once a month)
I'm on version 2.6. Was considering upgrading to 2.7 but admittedly the game appears pretty stable aside from this issue and occasional lock up when on for over 3 hours or so, requiring a reboot.
Before I upgrade to 2.7, does anyone have an experience downgrading back to a previous version (i.e. version 2.6) or can forward instructions? Would rather not temporarily brick the system by way of a failed update.
Thanks

The tounge would get bit and stay stuck out on mine too. Wasn't code related and the fix is on the support page. You got to tighten up the bolt is all.

https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000709052-issue-xeno-calibration

#8234 1 year ago
Quoted from Mageek:

Here they are installed, they look great!
[quoted image]

Looks great.

3 months later
#10511 1 year ago

Anyone notice loose connections in the backbox or under the playfield control boxes? Some of the fuses and USB connections (anything other than molex) didn't seat that tight on mine. On all the connections I applied a small bead of hot glue and never had random freezes, lockups, or gameplay glitches again.

Just thought I'd share that.

#10574 1 year ago
Quoted from rockrand:

Very frustrating! I love my aliens from pinball bros and had an orginal also but I like bros better and don’t miss the screen but stuff like this is ridiculous,what else could that set screw be hell it could be some umbraco exotic bolt folks here have never seen or heard of.

Months ago I followed the same PB guide to fix the tongue slip. Classic symtom was the jaw biting the tongue. I remember it was a PITA but my bolt was able to turn. Maybe your bolt got stripped at the factory? It does stop the slip issue if your able to deal with that screw.

Really wish PD redesigned the mech with the savings of not having a PF screen.

1 week later
#10717 1 year ago

The other day I rolled the dice and upgraded to 3.0. So far so good. I also wanted to say thanks to the people that let everyone know to hook up the unplugged stand-up target LEDs 1-5. Thankfully, my node boards were recent enough to accommodate the target RGB LEDs.

I hooked up #5 anyway knowing the code doesn't do anything for that target yet. Now I'm wondering why the others were unplugged at factory. Should I unplug #5 until the code calls for it?

#10802 1 year ago

It would be nice if those LV lighted side blades were also for sale as an upgrade.

#10803 1 year ago
Quoted from hank527:

seeing the Linux commands on the screen. My thoughts are that the resolution to the screen is corrupt.
So I did a full reload of 2.8 and no good as the problem persists.

I know this seems low tech but sometimes it's just a bad hdmi cable. Replace with a known working one. Also I drop a dab of hot glue on usb, fuses, and hdmi connectors on all the control boxes. Worked great for all my weird bugs. I'm solid with 2.2 image and 3.0 code.

#10900 1 year ago

Can anyone tell me what exactly is the chestbuster mod?

#10917 1 year ago
Quoted from paulbaptiste:

Yes you are right. His name is applejuice

Thanks for the info guys.

#10926 1 year ago
Quoted from Utesichiban:

I own a GZ Premium as well as Alien SV. I recently wrote reviews for both. I like but don't love GZ and enjoy Alien a lot more.
My honest review of as an owner of GZ was 8.1 overall (it isn't in my personal top 6 games and I don't consider it a long term keeper) and you'd think I gave it a 5 based on the flags and reaction I got from some of the GZ and Stern worshippers. Pinside can be a petty place at times.

My GZ is next to my alien. Love them both but haven't ranked either of them yet. The variety between the two is awesome. I'd have to tip my hat towards Alien if I had to choose.

#10973 1 year ago
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:

So…I updated to 3.0 at home. Worked well, only had one lock up in attract. I bring it to my location and boom…it’s like bug city. Lock ups, multiple bad boots in a row etc. I reseated the visible cables under playfield. Anything else I should check? I also had an instance of a ball not being recognized in both scoops and a double ball launch into the trough that never went into ball search. And my Xeno magnet is working half as well as it was at home…Weird. Also, Do these games ship with carbon non magnetizing balls? Or do I need to install them? Any help is appreciated!

The guy I bought my alien from told me that the fuses come loose and from the intermittent connections problems arise. Take it one step further and reseat all the fuses, usb, and hdmi connections on the two control boxes. The one in the backbox and under the playfield. Likely you bumped all that stuff which already has loose connections to begin with. I also dropped a dab of hot glue on each of those connections to keep everything tight. I'm on 3.0 with 0 issues. Hope that helps.

#10988 1 year ago
Quoted from brado426:

All 5 skinny targets lighting up!

Looks like it is coming in a future system update! Looks awesome!

Is that a newer beta code your testing? I'll glad I decided to plug that last target in.

Quoted from mpdpvdpin:

This is good advice thank you!
Update for anyone wondering. I had the game running from noon-10pm on location getting played allll day on a super busy Comic Con Saturday with no issue.
She was a real trooper! So hopefully my issues yesterday were just growing pains or maybe she was just cranky from being moved haha.

I'm glad she settled down and is playing nice for your location. So many people are going to get a chance to play now and experience how cool this game really is.

#11055 1 year ago
Quoted from FtrMech:

Well, concerning the Top 100...it is obvious it is not a reliable useful tool, the rankings are irrelevant. To be able to bump a game to from number 1 to 50 in a week's time tells me the system is broke. What is usable are the comments...read them and take away what you feel you can use. If I were Pinside, I would put everything in alphabetical order and only have a comments section...remove all ratings and rankings. Change the name to "Players Opinions".

That makes sense. Good idea.

#11094 1 year ago
Quoted from madamyates:

Anyone's lockbar latches ludicrously tight? I bust a finger every time I unlatch them.

No but my glass is so damn tight I have to bend the top part evertime so the glass fits.

#11095 1 year ago
Quoted from Mattyk:

Here’s a poll. Everyone please vote
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pb-alien-owners-poll#post-7232840
It’s hard to really get a feel for how many issues are really out there

I voted but I think the more interesting data would be knowing the build date as well. That way if the people with issues all have similar gen node boards. Then pinball bros can change them out. That is if the people without issues are all on the same hardware revisions.

I supposed it could be all random but we will never know unless the poll has more info.

Maybe someone else can chime in on this thought.

1 month later
#11917 1 year ago
Quoted from henning:

Mine had them connected from the factory, as were several others, too. Lookup on posts #4344, #4346 and so on. There was definitely a timeframe in which they delivered games with the pre-installed connectors. No need for any bad vibes.

Quoted from henning:

I just tried it and yes, it works with the SV as well and I can confirm it‘s a straight connection.
[quoted image][quoted image]

I have 4 working fine on my sv. What do I need to get the 5th fired up?

#11918 1 year ago
Quoted from cleland:

Can this cable be purchased somewhere? I'd love to get target 5 working on my SV. I was able to plug in the unconnected cables on 1-4 and those all light up and change color now.

Is this for sale somewhere? If not can anyone drop a link to the connectors and pin size?

1 month later
#12671 1 year ago

Just tried this out but I was wondering what you guys thought.

Placing the neca sentry guns is super easy inside the backbox if you have the 3d translight. They rest right on the control box. Currently I disabled the control box leds.

I think it would be cool to use the playfield sentry fire leds as a trigger to light up the toys. If it was an older game I'd just tap into the lamp or flasher but these boards are not friendly and I have no idea how to make the lighting interactive.

So this is just a concept that may or may not be cool or doable.

20230124_194254 (resized).jpg20230124_194254 (resized).jpg20230124_194638 (resized).jpg20230124_194638 (resized).jpg20230124_194852 (resized).jpg20230124_194852 (resized).jpg
#12742 1 year ago

I caught some face huggers today as well.

20230127_174934 (resized).jpg20230127_174934 (resized).jpg20230127_174942 (resized).jpg20230127_174942 (resized).jpg
2 weeks later
#12972 1 year ago
Quoted from Loganpinball:

Came with the machine so not sure?
Last mod post here, but I have the proto type tail whip mod figured out. Maybe you can see the potential in it now. This is friction plates on a swivel, it is loose and sloppy as a result. I wont have the bearings until Monday. The tail will be supported and installed through a ball bearing housing just behind the scoop. Damn it it is alive! And there is my blodd on it already….
Redesigning tail to be lighter going to use black wireform loom and weld spikes only on spine. The loom should look good, we will see. Heres the topic I am going to use that over owners thread.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/alien-xenomorph-whipping-tail-wireform-mod

Very cool. Your onto something special. Keep up the great work and let us know when it's time log into PayPal.

1 week later
#13181 1 year ago

Here is my sentry mod. Neca toys and interactive flashing led strips. If you guys like it I shot a bench test video explaining how I did it using the playfield sentry LEDs as the trigger.

#13223 1 year ago

The mirror blades enhance the atmosphere IMO. Typically, I don't care for mirror blades but in this case I dig it.

Any chance someone can post some installed tilt blade pics?

#13238 1 year ago
Quoted from GamerRick:

How is everyone’s game doing that’s running 3.2? I’ve got about 20 boot ups from off since upgrading to 3.2 and I have not had one single boot up issue and not one single glitch during any game. That’s not to say that the new code is flawless but it does seem like they fixed those annoying problems we were having. How’s everyone else doing with it?

I'm still getting boot to black screen issues. Otherwise, everything seems to be stable. The new tounge action is night and day better.

#13247 1 year ago
Quoted from Captchaos:

I just purchased some mini beacons. Can anyone help as to where and how to get them working.

Got a link to the mini becans?

#13249 1 year ago
Quoted from Zablon:

Finally got started on this. It's a smaller version than King Henry's but I managed to find some nano's that fit pretty well.

I like what you and King H are doing with these sentry toys.

Any chance the smaller ones might fit here with the base removed? Not sure if the wires can be run either but this would be the ideal location for me.

In the pic, I've circled the locations. My idea would be to have them pointed towards the back and start moving with the corresponding sentry lamp insert and the flash I've already modded in.
20230224_204547 (resized).jpg20230224_204547 (resized).jpg

#13252 1 year ago
Quoted from Zablon:

You could remove the base...and I considered it, but you would still need it to be able to move and would have to come up with a new type of base and servos take up space and you would have to have most of the servo outside the gun piece, so you wouldn't really gain any space.
The way I think he did it and I did it was we inverted the servos up inside, and use the base as the pivot on the servo. You could potentially do this without the base and make your own washer type base that fits under neath the plastic, but I don't know how much clearance you have for the ball, so it would have to be pretty small.
Unfortunately even these smaller ones are too big as a whole unit so it looks like I may be putting them around the areas circled in green. [quoted image]

The locations you are thinking of would probably work great for me too. However, I'm going to sit this one out since I have no idea where to get started.

If you are thinking about adding some lighting effects to your sentry guns, I uploaded my bench test video that may give you some ideas.

Bench test

Playtest

#13259 1 year ago

Thanks for showing the mounting solutions you guys came up with.

Does neca also make the smaller sentry toys? I may have missed the link if it was shared before.

Haven't used a nano yet. Are you guys using a 3.3-5v trigger to start the rotating or is this an always on thing?

#13270 1 year ago
Quoted from Zablon:

I'm still figuring it out. I think this is mostly how the final product will act. I'll PM you in regards to details as I am assuming you don't have access to your current code and this has a bunch of extra stuff you probably don't want.

You really nailed that animation. Could you link me to those tiny becans? It looks pretty sweet.

Also is there a smaller profile version of the sentry toy?

#13284 1 year ago
Quoted from KING-HENRY:

trying to help the cause here..here are those mini beacons on Amazon amazon.com link » ordering a set today, and will get here Friday...so much faster than across the pond..They are RC car/truck mini beacons..

One advantage is when the lights are DOA you can easily return on Amazon. Downside is these little buggers add up cost wise. Thanks for the option.

#13292 1 year ago
Quoted from Mageek:

Soooo, played some games today and it happened again twice so checked the balls .. yep magnetized pretty good. Replaced them without rebooting it to rule a reboot out. Played several multiball stacked games without issue. I do use high carbon balls but they too get magnetized just not as fast, I have neglected replacing them for quite awhile.
We need a degausser built into the trough

Would a degaussing coil like the ones used for tube monitors actually work?

#13305 1 year ago
Quoted from KING-HENRY:

well, if great minds think alike..OR you are up to something else..this is the next phase I'm going to..back approx 10" IPS LCD Screen back there, with footage of the sentry guns (slow pan from the film), and possibly other elements..I'm just in the 'idea phase' on this, and I think would bring this pin to #1 on the charts..and could be setup to change various clips from Aliens during certain modes..but I kinda like the simplistic backdrop of a few scenes..thoughts?
[quoted image]

Funny you mentioned that. I was thinking the exact same thing except 2 IPS panels. 1 for each side with enough space for the tounge mech in-between. Also was thinking to use a triggerable video player for clips to change. For instance, imagine the background loop video was of eggs set in a cool background then when you hit the pops the eggs get fried.

I'm about to order a uno and or nano to start tinkering. With the sentry idea for starters. Not ready for the video project yet.

Iron sharpens iron. Mod on fellas.

#13311 1 year ago
Quoted from smoothbore19:

Added the Pinstadiums. I have them set to green and turned down to about 25% I’ll play around with some other settings, but I think the green adds just enough light to make it easier to see the playfield.
[quoted image]

Out of curiosity are the flashers hooked up to coils like other pinstadium setups I see? Would love to see video if that's the case.

1 week later
#13406 1 year ago

Not as cool as I imagined it but here is my mini becan triggered by the right magnet grab using a reed switch. I've included a bench test video to show how it works. Was tricky to place it on the magnet because they are weaker than a stern magnet.

In action

Same technique was used to mod the stasis mod but this time a reed switch was placed on each post coil.

The image wasn't my final placement but you get the idea. It's a primitive technique but keeps the game completely safe using a switching power supply.

20230311_161548 (resized).jpg20230311_161548 (resized).jpg
#13408 1 year ago

Thanks man. I'm the Forest Gump of mods. Can't wait to see your Sentry Guns rocking and rolling. I haven't even ordered an arduino yet let alone tinker with servo code.

#13416 1 year ago
Quoted from fsumassey:

Does anyone have the issue of their fuses being knocked loose? Particularly the one that controls the right flippers and ball launch? I have to reset it all the time. I tried using electric tape to keep it in place but to no avail. Any recommendations?

Yes, I put a dab of hot glue on all my fuses and USB connections. Others have posted this product.

MG Chemicals 1035-80ML Non Corrosive Translucent 1-Part RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant, 85 ml Tube https://a.co/d/iTwhdlD

#13417 1 year ago
Quoted from Damonator:

It's finicky - the instructions are old and refer to torx screws which are no longer used on the newer games. The natural inclination is to use the washer on top of the connectors when it really needs to go on the bottom. The connectors are super tight too because the screw heads are taller than the old torx heads. But once you get all that figured out, it fits nice and tight.
[quoted image]

Looks really cool what you did. Also seems like they are higher than the stock plastic giving the ball more clearance. Say someone wanted to mount a small sentry gun on top it may be possible with this.

Any chance you could snap a pic with the ball under the open circle?

#13420 1 year ago
Quoted from GamerRick:

They are higher than the stock plastic.

Thanks for the info. Did you have to alter the mod to fit like in the mezel reviews I read?

#13422 1 year ago
Quoted from GamerRick:

I wrote one of the reviews lol. The bracket that holds the space truss that goes right up against the shooter wire form was protruding into the wire form and blocking the ball from launching. So I filed down that one piece to perfectly match the edge of the wire form and it looks perfect it holds perfect and I haven’t had any problems since. I definitely like the space truss much better than the plastic.

I think I'm going to go for it. Not sure how you painted the aged effect but after seeing what you did I have to try.

#13423 1 year ago

Same technique. Here is a led strip triggered red by the center magnet. Got some nice flickering from upping the pulses a little in settings. Some other weekend I'll flash it green with the hypersleep coil and blue or yellow with the scoop eject.

Nothing groundbreaking here but all the subtle lighting tweaks add up.

#13431 1 year ago

Opposite. My glass was so tight it required two people to slide it back in. When I got a slice of voodoo glass it was worse. Fixed by using a heat gun to realign the plastic on the top.

#13448 1 year ago

Two games in a row went south from the ball getting stuck on the hypersleep ramp. Mech seems to be trapping it.

Was it my imagination or did someone just have this problem. Curious if it's easy to fix.

20230313_190227 (resized).jpg20230313_190227 (resized).jpg
#13461 1 year ago
Quoted from Thunder22:

Funny how this only happens at around 100 million, seriously though, the mechanism is a bit grindy and I think if it's not completely plumb little metal burs form on the shaft they restrict it from starting. For now I put a little grease on the shaft.

As it turns out on the top of the ramp where the bend is the width narrowed. Bent it back out and it's shooting up better than ever. Now I know all those rejects wasn't totally my fault.

1 week later
#13562 1 year ago
Quoted from Damonator:

I like the Mezel Mods trusses but they were a bit too monotone for me. First I added some aging (bottom truss is original color):
[quoted image]
Then I had a little fun and added some acid to match the acid on the Evolution apron:
[quoted image]

Well. I tried a different technique which IMO doesn't look as good as yours. My hunch was to leave more lighter color under the black gunk for the apron mod to bounce light off. The jury is still out until I see how it looks in gameplay. Can always black wash over and try again.

20230322_181216 (resized).jpg20230322_181216 (resized).jpg
#13570 1 year ago
Quoted from Zablon:

Finally got the mini beacons installed. Decided to use them to as an alert to when a ball is going to shoot out of the airlock.

Can't believe I missed this. Love how you trigger the becans while the ball is in the airlock. So it's not a photosensor since there isnt a led
on durring that time , nor a reed switch which would just be a flash.

So what's the secret sauce man? Kiss and tell!

#13625 1 year ago
Quoted from Thunder22:

Anyone interested in letting some light through? Simply apply acetone to the screen print on the underside of the bottom plastic to simulate Acid Burn.
[quoted image]

That looks really cool the way the light shines through. I'd have to practice on some junk plastics before I'm brave enough to try this. What brand acetone did you use and did you apply with a brush or cloth? If you get a chance could you take a pic from the distance of the players head?

#13626 1 year ago
Quoted from Zablon:

Hey Everyone,
Sorry for the slow response regarding the beacon mod. After posting what I had done, I was made aware of a new mod coming out that will basically allow you to accomplish the same thing (using the method I found) and a whole lot more. I was given permission to share this with the rest of you from the Evolution Mods team to give you an idea of what they are working on.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bzeRNuK_dVtNlqba_WGSNsovRexUpXru3ZoEK_FIZiU/edit?usp=sharing
Basically it would be a mod that allows you to trigger LED's to do what you want from many different things in what I think is almost any game easily. It sounds pretty awesome and I'm anxious to see what all it can do.
Note that I am not affiliated with the Evolution Mods team and I don't know any more than what is in the PDF really, but since I've had some people asking about kits for the beacons, I felt that they may be unnecessary with this new mod coming out.
I will still share how and what I did if people want to do it themselves, but I have a feeling many may prefer to go with the new board.
All that being said what I used is pretty simple:
1x ATTiny85 - I programmed this using an Arduino Nano. The ATTiny can use Arduino code, you could also just use an Ardunio, but the chips are much cheaper! You can test using an Arduino, then program the same code to the ATTiny. Note you will need to change the pins to what pins the chip has. There are multiple ways to program the microcontroller, but doing as I did is the cheapest solution. There are many youtube videos out there that show you how to set this up and how to program it so I won't go into that part here.
1x 10k resistor
1x photo resistor
beacons (only the red/brown wires are used for this implementation) *Note that while many LED tutorials tell you to use a resistor, these beacons have resistors built in so you don't need any additional ones.
5v buck converter - I am drawing power from what would be the staged flippers (I think). They are unused but provide 12V. The Apron mod seems to grab power from the launch button, you could probably use that too as the beacons are very minimal draw.
Attached is a rough schematic of how to wire it all up.
The placement of the photo resistor is shown in the other photo. This is the board directly to the left of the airlock. If you look at the bottom of the airlock you should see green wires coming out (the opto) of the sides of the trough. Follow those to the bottom of the board. Right above the connectors there should be a green LED that is lit. This is the opto status LED for the airlock opto. It is on when the opto circuit is closed, and off when the circuit is open (ball in the trough).
I used a hot glue gun to place the photo sensor in place. Make sure you don't get hot glue between the sensor and the LED. You will also need to place something dark over it to keep other light out. I used electrical tape.
**Note that this part will be required trigger the beacons whether you do this yourself or get EM's mod boards. If you wanted to get really fancy, you could also wire into the opto wiring (which is what my initial plan was), but i feel this is the easiest less intrusive solution.
(I don't have the code on this PC so I'll post it a bit later, it's small and simple though)
[quoted image][quoted image]

Added 3 days ago: Beacon code:
const int PHOTO_PIN = A1; // the analog pin that the photoresistor is attached to
const int LED_PIN = 3; // the number of the LED pin
int photoValue = 0; // variable to store the photoresistor value
void setup() {
pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
// read the photoresistor value
photoValue = analogRead(PHOTO_PIN);
// if the photoresistor value is below a certain threshold, turn on the LED
if (photoValue < 100) { // you may need to adjust this threshold value to suit your specific photoresistor
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH); //turn high led
} else {
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW); // turn off led
}
}

Added 3 days ago: Note it did not keep the formatting of the code

Thanks for sharing all of this info. You really nailed it and so cool how you used that LED on the node board to trigger the mini Becans. I never would have thought of that.

Also... I'll be all over those PINNUNCIATOR pcbs when they are available.

Thinking....If going the DIY route I bet using one of these can eliminate the Arduino completely. Just need to wire normally closed then when the led goes out on the node board the mini Becans turn on.

https://www.amazon.com/Excelity-Photosensitive-Resistor-Module-Photo-resistor/dp/B07TGKNDRB/ref=sr_1_1

#13633 1 year ago
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

I'm going to integrate a couple of those into the Mezelmods I just bought. Their designs are amazing and add a lot to the game, but I found the lack of game integration lacking a bit. I want the Hypersleep chamber mod to light up only when that lock is qualified, and make some changes to the backboard lighting and integrate that in with the GI.
It also drives me crazy there's no spotlight on the Xenomorph when it grabs the ball!

Let us know how you make out with all those ideas. IMO the hypersleep lock situation has the least amount cool stuff happening so having an interactive mod for that is very needed.

Quoted from Zablon:

Ah! See I didn't know about those, but again this is all new to me. I might grab a few of those to play with. One thing that was mentioned to me is it may even be possible to just use the beacons all on their own using the trigger lead, but in my playing around with it I could never get it to do what I wanted using that as the trigger. This just happened to be the solution I figured out that worked. I was already messing with the Sentry code, and the beacons were an after thought during that process. I'm guessing there are lots of alternative ways.
I've not looked further yet, but my assumption is that the board LED's correspond to lots of different optos and could potentially be used for other triggers if they act the same way.

I really need to mess around with an Arduino. What you guys are doing with the Sentry gun toys and servos is just awesome.

#13652 12 months ago
Quoted from kciaccio:

This is why I am glad I got the SV and put pinstadiums on. Way more customisable and I love my uv flash when I hit the Alien.
People loved it when they saw my game at TPF.

Curious. How does the pinstadiums use the alien hit for a trigger? Does it tap into the magnet connector? Could you show a video or image of the effect?

Here is my poStadium solution.

#13665 12 months ago
Quoted from Kkoss24:

Has anyone had an issue when power is turned on the ball eject and auto plunge keeps shooting balls over and over ?

Yes, happened to me because the trough opto to node board 1 connector got pulled out by accident. Try reseating connections.

#13685 12 months ago
Quoted from Kkoss24:

Is anything supposed to be plugged in this circle ? I’ll re seat all just checking .Not seeing any wires laying around .
[quoted image]

Also follow the wires to the node board and check there. If all looks good and you still have the issue contact PB support.

#13724 11 months ago
Quoted from Hershmeister:

Was hoping for something more in depth. Having read a bunch on this post, there seem to be some opinions on differences in play and perhaps other features?
I’ve enjoyed playing it at my local place and thinking of getting one - so looking to gather insights. Thanks!

I went SV, mirror blades, apron/ beacons upgrade, and 3d translight along with some diy led modding and I feel like I got exactly the right amount of atmosphere. Of course I've never seen an LV in person to compare it to.

If I had to do it all over again it would be about budgeting with the price of the apron mod. IMO you would need it on either the SV or LV because it's that good of an upgrade.

I bet whatever the choice you will be happy.

2 weeks later
#13867 11 months ago

Here is my roll out of the whipping tale mod by Logans pinball. Decided to integrate a figure I had laying around and couldn't be happier. He does great work.

#13922 11 months ago
Quoted from paulbaptiste:

Yes. Shawn sent me one a few weeks ago after I asked. I recently installed the cable on my game and now all targets light up like God intended.

Who is Shawn? PB Support? I'd like to request this cable for my target 5.

3 weeks later
#14032 10 months ago
Quoted from dmess:

Good morning all-
Is there a way to add shaker to the SV? Is this an easy plug and play, or a nightmare?
Thanks

That's a good question. Anything plug and play?

1 week later
#14080 10 months ago

From what I've read Heighway has stock mega bass in their alien. In my PB alien I've got a powered sub and in my opinion that's a must have mod that compliments the sound design.

5 months later
#16118 4 months ago

SV owner here and could care less about the price drop. My SV beats most LVs out there so all I care about is if PB will make the extra bling available.

Will they?

1 week later
#16249 4 months ago
Quoted from Yipykya:

Good news! I just got confirmation from Lior at Art of Pinball he has "many more" treats coming for Alien Ripley and he said the "Hyper Sleep Chamber is one of them."

That's good to hear. I've been waiting for something interesting. Hopefully it's interactive in some way.

3 months later
#17879 31 days ago
Quoted from Pinball-Cruiser:

Nice update, now if we could all just get our toppers so we can enjoy the new topper effects.

Does the topper move?

Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
$ 7,995.00
Pinball Machine
Pinball Traders
Pinball Machine

You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider digitaldocc.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club?tu=digitaldocc and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.