Melbourne
Maybe a chestburster that comes out of the PF ?? 
(Topic ID: 284032)
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Quoted from Red_Devils:So what are your thoughts on the image?
I feel the SE cabinet art is a bit plain/bland, which I guess is in line with the original Alien movie title iteslf but I would have liked them to have had a bit more artwork - possibly Alien movie images on one side and Aliens on the other. The PF has a nice gritty, industrial feel to it however the cabinet lacks that little something. I'm not sure what assets PB's were able to use but in dropping the lit cabinet artwork, I think the artwork needed to be a more bit more eye catching. Don't get me wrong, I still want an Alien machine!!
Quoted from iceman44:The PF screen and the huge monitor is a BIG deal for the LE
I love mine!
I get why they carved it out on the standard
If you think it makes no difference then you haven’t played my Alien LE
I do think Alien will be the 2021 pin winner!
It’s incredible
The PF screen for me was a key part of the package, so hoping that it will make it into the LV. Add dark powder coated trim, enhanced cabinet and backglass artwork, shaker motor, PDI glass and I'd be a very happy man.
For those with the original Alien, what are your thoughts on the beacons - do they bring something to game? I typically play in a lit room, so interested in your thoughts
Quoted from Royale-W-Cheese:Or Dark Green with flakes.
My comment was in regards to the PB Facebook post that the SE will have chrome for the backbox trim (T molding) - so if it's going to be chrome then hopefully black chrome (but this is more costly so doubt they would ever do that in reality). I assume you're referring to the cabinet trim?? In which I agree it's gotta be something dark - black with dark green ... and a lime green acid burn mark on the lockdown bar 
1 week later
Quoted from Indypin:Ditto on everything you said Aurich. The best 1-2 punch in the movie industry, right up there with Star Wars and Terminator. After the originals and the sequels, the other ones mentioned lost it's punch but still good entertainment.
Yes there's not many movies sequels out there that knocked it out of the park Alien 1-2, Terminator 1-2, Star Wars 1-2 - they are just all time classics.
So looking forward to my Alien
Quoted from Buthamburg:Hello to all
Here we are showing that our Digital Printed Playfields have Balls.
In this video we show that it is possible to digital print playfields without pooling, cracking and chipping. We were ask to produce Alien playfields for the Pinball Brothers, they didnt want to go cheap, they wanted quality playfields. In this video we tried extremly to achive pooling, chipping and cracking. The only thing we could destroy is our solid work bench.
Enjoy the video.
Leon and Peter
Buthamburg Team
Great video Peter and Leon - looks great. Thanks for sharing
Similar to how you've pulled down a star post and the washer, have you tested over tightening a ball guide to the point where it is almost cutting into the clear? As this is the other area that pooling or chipping occurs
Quoted from Buthamburg:Here we show over tightened lane guide cutting through. You can clearly see the ridge that the metal left in the clear coat. On the sides of the ridge you cannot see any pooling. We tested this before, in a long term test, no difference, no pooling. You can see with what force we tightened the guide,
the metal post totally bent under the force and even snapped.
Regards from Hamburg
Leon and Peter
Buthamburg Team
Thanks Peter & Leon - it's great to see this type of destructive testing and also shows the confidence that you have in your products. Well done!
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:I hear ya. They still have a couple more weeks to support their claim tho.
Maybe they've hit an unexpected issue in the build process or with the new game enhancements (extra magnet, the secret airlock entrance etc) ???
Either way I'm happy to sit tight and wait for the time being ....
Quoted from greenhornet:Maybe we could build a fire.
Sing a couple of songs?
Why don't we try that?
God damn it, that's not all! Because if one of those things gets down here then that will be all! Then all this - this bullshit that you think is so important, you can just kiss all that goodbye!
Quoted from wdennie:i watched a eval of this game on utube a couple days ago
For the Pinball Brothers (PB) Alien machine (not the original Heighway Alien)?? Can you post the link?
While the new is heavily based off the original is does have some new features (physical ball lock, extra magnet, removed the PF embedded LCD and replaced it with gun status LEDs) and it's also in a WPC styled cabinet with different artwork.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Zablon:Looks like they chromed everything out? Scoop, etc. And is it just a trick of the camera, or does the back box screen seem bigger than the proto pics?
Nah same size - it's just that they're not showing the whole backglass
Proto vs Gameplay - notice the 2 open eggs at the bottom left and right corners of the LCD
Alien screen - brochure (resized).JPGAlien screen - gameplay (resized).JPGGreat to see the post and I love the chrome it looks awesome, the sentry gun ammo inserts don't do much for me - think the white washes it out a bit (would prefer the embedded LCD). I'm with EaglePin I'm happy they're focusing on getting a solid reliable machine, and they need this to become a respected mainstream pinball manufacturer
Alien Sentry Guns (resized).JPGQuoted from Royale-W-Cheese:Generators are your best friends. It's crazy here with the rolling black outs. It was 3 degrees this morning.
Saw a news report last night on the conditions in TX - rolling blacks makes it even worse. 3 degrees in Celsius is cold for me but in Fahrenheit - I'd feel like a brass monkey
2 weeks later
In case anyone is not following the other Alien thread, there was a great post by David Thiel regarding the dubbed music in the above video but more importantly that PB has paid him for the original HP contract 
1 week later
Quoted from Millz:Confirmed - 1 Alien has arrived in Pennsylvania, not the first batch. This single shipment was to test shipping method and packaging. The game arrived safely with no issues. Standards are coming soon, and LV's will be later this summer.
Great news!
1 month later
2 weeks later
Quoted from BlackFlag:Hi for those who don't care about dialogs you can see a "living" machine on a french review :
EnjoyAlien (Standard)
So this is you and your machine? Great video, very professionally done and some nice playing skills as well
... just need one of my kids to interpret for me
2 weeks later
Quoted from Zablon:The first boat hasn't left yet. My guess is since it is behind, maybe they are loading up more than anticipated.
Given all the paperwork in exporting/importing and scheduling, I'd expect it'll be on another boat. Depending upon how many machines they a rolling off the production line, they may also go to 40ft container and double the number of machines in the next shipment.
Quoted from delt31:little do they know that lunatic pinball collectors are tracking their boat every step of the way! Love it.
I think they're pretty used to us obsessed pinheads following their every movement but typically it's boats leaving the US
Quoted from Yelobird:Are the sub references supposed to mean something I missed?
Averell is having some fun with those watching the ship bound for the US, that has the container full of PB Alien machines onboard - he's wanting to raise the value of the original ALIEN machines
Quoted from ElCid95:I’m relatively close near Shreveport, but not sure if I’m in the 1st or 2nd batch for the Q1 order.
When were you ask to pay the balance? Comparing that to when the others received their notice (posted in the thread) will tell you which container you're in
Quoted from ElCid95:I got my invoice on May 25th.
That lines up with the 2nd container that is scheduled to leave on the 8th June
1 week later
Quoted from dri:Getting my arcade ready for the beast to arrive. I can't find the width of the backbox in any of the docs. Are we talking WPC era width, Stern or something else? From the pictures I've seen it looks like a WPC widebody-width cab with a Stern-sized backbox.
The cabinet is supposed to based on a B/W cabinet - when I queried PB (prior to them shipping any) they weren't able to give me the actual dimensions but hopefully one of the guys that already has one can give us the dimensions
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:No notice of shipping on mine. Who said they were short on pallets? Is this really an issue?
Yup looks that way https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-09/the-forgotten-shipping-pallet-is-staging-a-pandemic-era-rally
I was aware of world wide shortages of construction timber but it looks like timber for pallets is also impacted. It must have made loading the container with pinball machines (minus a pallet) damn hard
Quoted from thewool:Is there no subway on this game? Where does the xeno eaten ball go, into an adjacent VUK?
It's a small subway - here are some pics and the link to the PB assembly diagram
Alien - Subway (resized).JPGAlien - Subway drawing (resized).JPG
https://www.pinballbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/214-50-02-00_Scoop_Back_Sub_Ass_Doc.pdf
Quoted from brado426:Wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue... At first I thought it was a software issue, but tonight I did some debugging and the problem is that the ball lock is sticking and not going up when a ball is in it. Without a ball, it works fine.
Has anyone else seen this issue? The hard part of fixing this is I don't know for sure how it is supposed to be. I have the playfield adjusted to 6.5 degrees, but the tilt detector seems to be hanging off-center.... so I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong with the leveling or if leveling could even cause such an issue.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Looks to me like the mech is dragging on the vertical post on the left that it slides up and down on - when it works or you were raising it by hand the screeching sound is the metal on metal as the airlock drags on the post. And as you say with the weight of the ball it's twisting the mech and I believe it's actually snags on the post that is stopping it from moving.
It'd be interesting to see how much play there is on someone else's airlock mech and also whether they get as much screeching sound when the mech opens & closes (the screeching is a result of the drag/friction on the post)
Alien - Airlock (resized).JPGQuoted from Red_Devils:Hmmmm, brand new unopened bag of 50 balls from Ball Baron carbon, I will have to check that out later. Thanks!
Definitely sounds like the balls had become magnetised (I've seen this sort of behaviour in other games). Ball Baron state that "if a machine has aggressive magnet usage, there is still a small chance the ball may become magnetized over time", however given it's only been a couple of days it does sound like the batch you received are quite susceptible to becoming magnetised.
Quoted from Red_Devils:Well they aren't magnetized I just tested them with a paper clip and they're the exact same diameter. So I'm at a loss I don't have a scale to weigh them, maybe European balls are heavier than US balls
delt31 These are opposite the ones that came with the game are shiny and the others are dull.
According to Ball Baron chrome balls weigh 2.8 oz (80 grams) while carbon balls weigh 2.9 oz (81 grams) - both have a diameter of 1-1/16″.
Interestingly their website also states "All carbon ball are made outside the USA. The US manufacturers all contract with foreign sources to make carbon steel balls for the secondary market as they cannot be used for high stress, low friction or low noise mechanical applications."
Quoted from Utesichiban:What about the warning light type flashers Ive seen on original Alien games? Anyone doing that mod?
The beacon lights came on the Heighway LE model but could be added to the SE. Believe some of the new owners are looking at whether the same beacon lights that fitted the OG can be added to the new PB machine - no info on what is possible as yet
Quoted from delt31:well - I've been playing this game for about a week (dedicated) and I can confidently say that Pinball Brothers did it. We have a new more refined alien pinball machine for a fantastic price. For those that don't like to tinker at all with your machines however, be prepared to be frustrated upon unboxing. From my experience, I had multiple "issues" when I unboxed which I was able to resolve myself but I must state that they were there, and many others have experienced them too (NIB owners). Good news is that thus far, it was an initial group of challenges that were minor, no doubt and I have been playing trouble free since then.
See my impressions below. I've owned 3 OG aliens before and played this game a ton so I know what to expect. This game is still my absolute favorite and PB's updates makes it even better.
-Love that new backbox. Great art and the lighting is very nice. High quality for sure. Chrome trim is also very nice. Still not a huge fan of the silver around the cab itself but that's what powder is for. Art on the cab is nice too - not low quality at all.
- The game is def brighter. everywhere. Insert lights, by the flippers, Much brighter than OG however it's still dark and keeps that great vibe.
- Playfield quality is very nice. OG had a great PF too and it was nice to see this one come high quality too.
- The sound on OG was incredible and I'm happy to report it's equally represented here as well however you NEED an external sub. Big time diff when I added that.
- Flipper strength is good, however my OG felt stronger (even too strong). Not sure the flipper strength adjustments work well though on the current code. They should look into that
- Pop bumpers are much more effective than my OGs. They pop like old school williams. Huge upgrade from my experience. Also the open egg pop bumper works on this version
- LOVE the new magnet on the top right along with the additional scoop entrance (which leads to additional strategy when shooting) and the hard lock. These are all great additions.
- Playfield speed/feel is very good. OG was very good as well - feels just like it.
- Beacons (or lack there of) is a bummer. Very cool on OG and really needs to be figured out on how to hook up. Mine are ready! Also no side art is a bummer too but I'm sure those will be coming (and lit as well).
- Stand up targets feel great and appear to be more durable than OG.
- The screen on the head is very nice. Bigger than stern but not as big as JJP. Any smaller, it would have been bad but the current size is fine. The lack of PF screen was actually better than I thought too. It made me look at the main screen since it was no longer a redundant screen (ala OG). During alien mb it actually made me feel much more pressured b/c I had to occasionally look up to see the screen vs always having that in front of me. This led to having the feeling where in the movie they had to look at the actual bugs on the radar screen and then shoot just like I'm now doing in the pinball game (looking at the screen on the head unit and then back down to make my shots). Very cool.
- Absolutely hate the lockdown bar this game has. Prob the worse one I've ever used.
- I believe there is some new game over music too. Music on this pin in general is some of the best, if not the best in pinball.
- Underneath the playfield is absolutely stunning and streamlined. Great job PB.
- I've said this many times before, but nicest ramps in pinball ever. Gorgeous in person.
- Mylar your scoop and shooter asap!
- Apron is better than before - just needs something on the left side. I'm thinking a sticker or something along those lines.
- Material used on the sling shot bugs is stronger and more durable. I could tell by touching them. OG they would break apart. Nice to see that update made here.
- Xeno tongue works well however upon startup, the tongue comes out much slower and grinds. Doesn't happen during normal play though. OG it would boot up and act the same (as in normal gameplay).
Some fixes I applied to mine:
1) Both scoop and saucer needed to be adjusted. I ended up using some velcro tape and added it to both. The left saucer now kicks out very smooth to top left flipper where before it was a mess - didnt line up at all. The scoop was shooting too far to the left but the velcro trick helped resolve that as well. I just applied a piece underneath the scoop on the left side and its better. For the saucer I applied it against the left rail. See pics below. You can't see either from the players perspective.
2) Xeno had an error when I initially started up. I ended up resolving by going into the test menu and running calibration
3) Left flipper wire broke off - didn't work. Had to solder that back.
4) Ball trough - mine would get jammed (coil release would stick up) restricting the next ball from being released. I greased it a little and no more issues.
5) Turn around ramp - I had to bend mine down a little otherwise I was getting a ball stuck in there.
For this price in this insane market, this game is a steal. Will I sell mine for the collectors when that is released - hell yes. But that's b/c this game is my fav and I now know PB is not joking around. Happy to have alien back and happy to see many others will be able to enjoy this unbelievable game. Whether it's the OG (which is a great experience as well) or PBs, this game need to be experienced by the community. It's one of the best.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Thanks delt31 for the detailed review.
You mentioned you hate the lockdown bar, can you elaborate? Is it the way it latches or the feel when you're playing?
Also have you done the s/w upgrade? As brado426 indicated that after the upgrade he found the tongue moves faster at startup and isn't as loud
1 week later
Quoted from Mr_Outlane:I wish they'd put a Co-Op mode on Alien. This is a super fun feature I had on my ANCN that should be on most games IMO.
Yes co-op and teams modes are great fun - I'd really like to see this as a standard feature on all new games
1 week later
Quoted from Red_Devils:I just swapped that one out, easy peesy. Took about 15 minutes total. Just take pics of the connections, pull connectors and remove the 6mm screws, Install board, re-connect and have fun. Now my right ramp opto is working flawlessly it's nice to be able to finally get the double scoring
Out of interest, is PB getting you guys with failed PCBs to send any of them back for analysis?
Quoted from brado426:Yes... Cato told me he will want them back at some point. They will have DHL pick them up. He said to just hang onto them for now.
That's good to hear. Hopefully they are tracking failures and going to do some postmortem analysis to reduce potential issues moving forward.
1 week later
Quoted from djsoup:Oh man, thats rough. Pinball in general has forced me to buy so many tools, which isn’t a bad thing. I feel you on shipping that can be unnecessarily brutal.
My shipping costs are in the order of US$60-200, often more than the components I'm buying. End up using freight forwards to consolidate multiple purchases from various suppliers to save of shipping, although that service is not free either. Just something we live with to enjoy our hobby
Quoted from djsoup:I’m still stuck here. Just the main game screen and airlock boot up, nothing else. I get the LEDs for a split second when rebooting then they go dark. Was working fine before now I’m getting this with every reboot. Fuses are good, USBs are routed correctly and everything is still connected (nothing came loose) I’m stumped.
Have you logged a support call with PB to troubleshoot why the workaround isn't working and help get you back going? From all the posts I've read PB have great customer service, so hopefully they'll be able to sort it out for you.
1 week later
Quoted from Zablon:Are these proximity sensors basically MRs that don't show through the pf?
Could be inductors (which is what B/W used) or MR, and yes they sit under the PF (some of the B/W games have a cut out on the under side of the PF to get the inductor closer to the PF surface for detecting the ball).
2 weeks later
Quoted from PappyBoyington:I updated my game to 22D and it seems like the xeno grabs the ball a little better than 22E. 22E was a vast improvement. One time the magnet grabbed the ball for a split second then released it when the xeno screamed. This was the first time I have noticed that. Pretty cool. Cato has been busy!
Little confused - is there now 2.2E or were you meaning 2.2D?
Quoted from PappyBoyington:2.2E was a vast improvement with the xeno. Now there is a 2.2D and it's improved more.
Ok thanks. Would have thought 2.2E was a newer release that 2.2D, but maybe they have multiple beta development streams
Think PB needs to be told about some of these mechanical issues (if someone hasn't already let them know) as they should look to address them:
- HurryUpPinball found the upper flipper post is not long enough to be properly held by the T-Nut and causing PF damage
- brado426 found his APC coil shorting due to the coil lacking the lug to stop it twisting
And well done guys on troubleshooting and finding the root cause on these respective issues!
1 week later
Quoted from Munsters:It’s 22:00 now, so over 2 hours it’s friday, so maybe we get lucky and they reveal it
It's already Friday here (9am) ... just need to wait for the rest of the world to catch up 
Now what to do for the next 12+ hours ... 
... are we there yet ... ... what time is it now ... it's going to be a long day
2 weeks later
Quoted from AD72:Agreed it is an over center. It felt like a cam lock. I was able to push it into that state. The left one has just enough clearance that it does not happen. I think it is on the hairy edge of binding. I was thinking of looking at the linkage in my other games to see how different the geometry is. I have not reported it yet to Cato but will. I need to get my package of targets and flippers.
Yes this has minimal tolerance and could easily go over center and lock like yours did. A slightly longer coil stop, plunger linkage or mech arm would remove the possibly of this occurring. Also in thinking about it, it would become more likely as your coil stop wore down and it'd also put an increased load on the plunger linkage, potentially causing component failures in the future
1 month later
Quoted from kciaccio:Alright. I am in contact and working with the creator PinVision. Sending him pictures and see what we can do with that back wall.
Are you talking to Jimmy Lipham ( Compy )? He's fantastic and the nicest guy - he originally did the TZ interactive backboard (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-mod-twilight-zone-interactive-backboard-display) before Tron. They're very cool mods!
Quoted from Mageek:To be accurate the “Shotgun” gives you 2 xeno hits, so you can start Ambush with 2 hits remaining while you’re draining. All of the weapons are important and it is key to know when to use each
[quoted image]
Thanks for posting what the individual weapons do. Besides the shotgun it looks like the flamethrower would save a draining ball as well and also the smartgun would give you an extra ball (good if extra ball was lit and you were draining on your last ball). Pretty cool
Are you able to activate multiple weapons as the ball drains by alternating flipper and launch button presses?
1 week later
Quoted from monkfe:still getting a 404 on this when I try to download it...
While the "Download all files" on the top right hand side gives a 404, you can download it by clicking on Thing Files and then Download (see the yellow highlighted areas)
Quoted from Utesichiban:I remember seeing a mod on the origonal Alien where the game flashers were converted to tge warning beacon type of lights. Does anyone know who made it and if it will be available for the remake? Looked really cool on the vidro I watched one time.
Might be worth posting on the Heighway Alien thread as well (if you haven't already done so) - if you find the video or details please post them as I'd be interested in checking it out myself
1 week later
Quoted from crwjumper:On my Alien the two posts that should stop the balls when looping and allow them to drop into the eggs don’t ever seem to work. They work in the test mode however. I have to assume that these will be implemented in a (hopefully soon) code update.
Do these posts ever work on any machine? Could mine need tweaking?
Here's Ferret post on when the up-posts should feed the ball into the eggs (aka pops)
Quoted from KJS:Can anyone confirm the cab is the same dimensions as a Bally Williams wide body at all for me please?
I realise the hinge setup is different.
Courtesy of TinyBlackDog https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/22#post-6333007
PB also have some dimensions in their documentation https://www.pinballbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Unpacking_instruction_01_Dim.pdf
Quoted from KJS:Lucky new owner here...picked up today....
Lots of plans, worked out of box but xeno doesn't sound healthy....[quoted image]
Congrats mate!!! So looking forward to my LV ...
PS Love the custom Jaws - when's the reveal?
While I realise you were replying to a query for the Pinball Life link, just as an FYI (in case you weren't aware) if you are looking for parts we have a couple of local Melb suppliers, which helps if needing to get something quickly - for example here's their link for the above B/W leaf switch
https://www.pinballspareparts.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=SW-10A-48
https://www.rtbb.com.au/product/leaf-switch-flipper-bally-williams-sw-10a-48/
And congrats of the new pin and great to hear it's playing well & you're enjoying it!
Quoted from Mageek:Does anyone else have these Philips head M3 bolts securing the airlock screen?
[quoted image]
From looking at other posts, that's what is used
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/52#post-6495369
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/93#post-6663925
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/42#post-6460686
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/32#post-6380538
Quoted from oliator:I've finally solved my orbit post problem. Originally I thought that the boards are defective, but I exchanged them and that didn't work. Then I simply increased the voltage of the coils in the settings by 30% and suddenly they popped like they should. For me good to go now, but the root cause for this isn't clear yet, therefore I have the ticket still open at PB.
Interesting, this is similar to what 
earetz recently posted on the other Alien thread https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/is-cgc-going-to-manufacture-alien-pinball/page/82#post-6678321
Quoted from delt31:anyone else notice the back art on LV is diff than SE? I just noticed this - maybe late to the party! LV has a different back art all together (looks cool) and the original SE back art is now on the right inner side panel along with an extension of the universe feel. Left side art seems like all universe horizon (not as much of a fan). I didn't see any of the OG Alien side art carried forward (I believe it was alien eggs, which was very cool too).
Yep one of the LV features listed is "New lit up playfield backboard art"
Alien LV Feature List (resized).png 1 week later
Quoted from gliebig:I'm getting a ton of bounce-backs to drain from the gate. Ball goes through, hits the sling post rubber and goes back through before the gate closes.
Is mine mounted correctly? Thinking about reversing it to give the gate more room to drop.
Thought I'd check in here first since it seems like a job getting to that top screw holding it on.[quoted image]
If you reverse the gate, you will need to re-bend the end of the wire to allow the one-way gate to open correctly.
Alternatively how high can the gate open - is it much higher than the height of the ball? If you reduce the height that it can swing open (yet still allow the ball through) this will reduce the time it takes for the gate to close. I've seen various methods used on Stern's JP for this purpose however it's a bit hard to see the top of gate in your pic as to whether either of these would work
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jurassic-park-stern-2019-owners-club-welcome-to-jurassic-park/page/78#post-5456180
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jurassic-park-stern-2019-owners-club-welcome-to-jurassic-park/page/82#post-5486029
Quoted from gliebig:Slow-mo vid shows it is hitting the post and bouncing around.
It shouldn't be hitting that post as the ball should be going through higher up in the middle of the gate. I'd be adjusting the ball guide where it comes out from behind the APC targets. The other thing that'd affect this would be the pitch of the PF as the steeper the pitch the more likely it'll hit that post.
Quoted from gliebig:Don't think I can adjust that ball guide? Looks like it's screwed to the playfield right at the bottom.
Current pitch is 7.0
Loosen the screw(s), then push/flex the end of the ball guide up while doing up the screw - you don't need much change to affect the trajectory of the ball.
What pitch is recommended? For example if this game is designed/setup for 6.5 degrees, then this could be a consequences of making the game steeper and hence why you need to re-adjust the ball guide to direct the ball to gate
Quoted from zacaj:They should be low voltage gold plated contacts, which sanding will ruin. Unless you accidentally got the high voltage ones?
Does everyone have high voltage flipper leaf switches on their games or is it a smaller batch of machines that have them? It'd be interesting to hear Cato's thoughts on this if someone has discussed it with him
1 week later
Quoted from Baggerman:duuuuude..madness. Getting hypersleep multi by itself is a challenge with that wicked shot... I tried for like an hour and half. What i did notice is the flippers starting to fade out on me from heat? I am going to install flipper fans and see if the flippers stay nice and crisp.. LOL.
Have you raised the flipper fade with Cato, as I'm interested to know what PB are doing to address this or even if they acknowledge this as an issue?
1 week later
Quoted from nedry:Enough with the shipping delays, can we talk about the elephant in the room??? It seems like this machine is still in beta - manufacturing process has not been ironed out. Plus how much of PITA is it going to be to repair/maintain given that entire boards will have to be replaced? I have also heard people experience issues with random resetting and the xenomorph from hell
Quoted from nedry:The thing is I do want one. And there is a point to talk about the issues with this game and not sweep them under the rug. The Stern/CGC comparison doesn't make sense. How many pins has Stern & CGC made vs PB? I guess if it has issues I can just sell it on here
Have you read the entire thread? It covers the good, the bad and the ugly. There has been plenty of discussion around the issues people have found, the outstanding level of support they've received from PB and how issues have been addressed. The one thing I've noticed is how the more recent shipments from PB seem to have addressed most of the initial issues encountered.
Quoted from KJS:Decals done!
I really feel weird posting up pics when you guys have not got your games yet....but believe me it's worth the wait....!
Sorry if it makes the wait worse....
So custom decals, translite, apron, black ripple powdercoat, flipper bats hand painted, buttons, doors, mirror blades, fans etc....All done bar the custom backboard and a few custom plastics to fit my sheet of pdi glass when this is done.
She's a thing of beauty..probaby the best looking game I've ever owned and customed out....thank you PB.
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That translite looks wicked. Awesome custom job Kurt!
Quoted from Lateralus:Thank you for the transparency and the update. It is safe to assume, and this is not in your control, that those dates will be pushed back further from the factory; just seems to be a pattern across all industries lately. They are a new company building a luxury, mechanical, electrical, carefully-engineered machine that are also on a different continent, so I'm not bashing anyone or any company - just stating facts.
AT that rate, this looks like it could take at least 2 years just to finish the LVs (not including any SVs). That doesn't include any expansion, increase in production, staffing, etc., so it could be faster, but at those initial dates for pacing, it's longer than I thought. It is what it is, though.
Since I'm #283, I have at the very least 6-9 months until I receive one which gives me time to buy and play other pins.
Again, thank you for the communication. It gave me a better perspective of realistic expectations. It goes a long way for us, or at least for me it does.
I'm assuming the build qtys that CT posted were those bound for the US and Canada (someone mentioned earlier that Canada gets theirs via CT) and excludes the qtys PB are building for Europe and the rest of the world, so overall they may be producing far more per month. And while you are #283, some of those in front of you may be overseas customers - not sure how game numbers were allocated to distributors around the world. The other variable is PB will most likely batch country shipments (eg they produce a container load of Australian LV's together regardless of the individual game numbers), rather than simply producing the machines in sequential order ... unless of course they gave countries specific blocks of game numbers.
Quoted from Zablon:Did you use do it yourself led's or the premade USB ones? I've been playing around with sound reactive ones, but for some reason the particular ones I have do not retain the settings after you cut the power.
What do you mean "they cut the power"??
Quoted from mbrave77:so you have to plug in cables under the cabinet before starting? Anything else that I should be aware of setting this one up thats different than Stern or JJP?
No - the target LEDs aren't used in the SV, hence the cables aren't plug in on purpose
Quoted from mbrave77:ah thanks. Is there an upgrade or something to them? Or they just wanted to wire both versions the same to make it easier?
Well we haven't seen an LV yet to know for sure, but believe PB have simply standardised on components across both versions. SV owners have tried plugging in the unused wire loom connectors to the LED targets but there is no s/w code to light them
Quoted from dyopp21:From the machine I received today I have a couple of issues I'm still dealing with, so figured I would share them here:
1. The left spinner switch is DOA. I removed it from the playfield to make sure it was connected. As well as from the board on the bottom of the PF. Connections were solid. No joy in switch test. Interestingly, neither spinner worked out of the box as both switch arms were bent so far downward neither spinner would close the switch. Once I properly bent them upwards the right spinner started working but the left, nah. In switch test I removed the plug from the board and shorted the two prongs, which activated the switch so I think I've satisfactorily narrowed it to the microswitch itself. I opened a ticket with PB.
2. The APC drop targets are a bit inconsistent. During reset about once per game one target won't lock in and it makes it impossible to complete the drops since in the down position if you knock down the other two, it will never be able to register a "drop" on the last remaining target. Additionally, if a ball gets stuck on the top of a drop target, when the machine goes into ball search, it never activates the drops so I had to tilt the the machine to break it loose.
3. The two posts at the top of the orbit are inconsistent. I believe they worked on the first couple of games, but even after a few reboots I don't think they are working now. I say this because it seems anytime you are on a mission that requires you to go into the pop bumpers (Derelict, etc), on a successful orbit shot one of the posts should activate to cause the ball to drop through one of the upper rollovers into the pop bumpers. Otherwise you really have no shot at getting to the pops at all. In my case I made several perfect orbit shots during the Derelict mission (and maybe one of the missions that required pops on the "Aliens" rule set?) and they just continued through the orbit back to bumper.
Having noted these small issues, I'll finish by saying that I have around 70 machines in my collection ranging from classics to the newer Godzilla and Rush. This machine is without a doubt immediately my favorite machine in my collection. The playfield flow, sound and light show (GI is a little dark) is beyond anything I've every experienced. The game is just a blast to play. If they fix these other small software issues, this machine will be hard to top.
Yopp
Hey Yopp - nice post, sorry to hear there are a few issues but liked the last paragraph… can’t wait to get mine.
In regards to the up posts for diverting into the pops, several people have reported this issue and it seems to be fixed by increasing the power for the left and right posts by 20%. Ref: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/115#post-6791900
Quoted from fsumassey:Thanks so much for this information! I actually had leftover bolts from another game. The old bolt went in no problem. I guess I got a semi stripped bolt? Looks stripped at the bottom.
I thought Alien used metric bolts or was that what was on the other game as well?
Quoted from Chalkey:Well... that's going to be a problem then unless they just up the hold power right (if they can without burning up the coil)? Otherwise there's no way for the flipper to know it's been knocked down.
Not all games need EOS switches or dual wound coils - they are s/w controlled and modulate the power to the coil to ensure they don't overheat.
https://docs.missionpinball.org/en/0.54/mechs/flippers/eos_switches.html
Quoted from fsumassey:I submitted a ticket so I'll let you know what they say!
I suspect that increasing the flipper power will also increase the hold power to avoid this scenario, however I'm interested to hear what Cato has to say regarding this matter.
It is interesting that there are spots to plug in flipper EOS switches, but obviously PB believe that they weren't necessary to address the knock down issue
Alien EOS connectors (resized).pngQuoted from fsumassey:Here is what Pinball Brothers said:
You can void this problem adding from 20% to 40% power to the flipper coils.
Quoted from Baggerman:Did Pbros state if by adding this extra power, you are adding extra heat which over time will reduce flipper strength or is it just a known that this will occur?
Yeah I wonder how many people are playing for extended periods with the power settings increased - if the coils are overheating causing people to either add fans or stop playing then it's not good and really needs PB to address it. Hope that tickets are being raised so that they know the extent of people seeing this issue
Quoted from Drain-O:I'm somewhere around 6.5, 6.6 and it's playing great. The only issue I'm having is with the kick out of the scoop. I'm level 0.0 left to right in the front and the back, and still many of the ejects wind up going SDTM. Is there a way to adjust kick-out angle from the scoop at all?
Have you reduced the coil power as this will change the trajectory
Quoted from Kkoss24:Is there really a XV ? Just seen it on the box and was wondering .
Quoted from rockrand:Thinking the same thing!
Maybe it will have a cool back glass like our custom games
PB have stated that they are only making SV and LV versions.
I assume that they got the packaging material manufactured prior to they original launch where they were toying with the idea to have another version (X = Xtreme ??). Of course PB could always change their mind and come out with another variant ...
Alien XV (resized).jpgQuoted from delt31:I wonder if any of those went to the US or does “us” mean UK and then AUS
CT posted that their first shipment of LV’s was due to ship the end of Feb, so “us” is most likely the US (although I did read it initially as us and thought they meant Europe). Maybe CT now has the ship name for you guys to track - our ship is still in port … the race is on
1 week later
Quoted from Boof-Ed:I thought they were sold out?
Think our local allotment was sold out - that might have been based off the number to fill a container??
Originally PB announced they were going to make no more than 500 LV's (when they first launched the Alien remake) but then when they released the LV details (~10 months later) they'd up'd it to 1000.
1 week later
Quoted from Sunsfan23:Do these slingshot coils look like they are facing the right direction?
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Quoted from Zablon:hmm..i think mine are still like this. You mean flip so the soldered sides are up? Isn't it metal rings on both sides though? A better solution would be locks so they don't turn? Or is there something else being done. Do you mean the entire coil flipped?
Yes but the bracket on the other end is far smaller and it also reduces the vibration on the solder joints by moving them further away from where the plunger is striking the coil stop.
You definitely want to ensure that your coils cannot twist around to where they are prone to shorting the coil lugs - see the pic 
Alien coil short (resized).jpgQuoted from RPZ:Two weeks are up!!! Where is my game???
I believe the container didn’t make the original ship (not sure what happened) and was rescheduled on a later boat - MSC Roma. It arrived in Singapore yesterday and is scheduled to make Sydney on 5th April - I assume the ship will then go onto Melb. So a bit longer mate
Quoted from Boof-Ed:The one he has available right now is $1000 more than what they were. Probably as it’s the last one.
The local pricing for both SV & LV went up by $1k to reflect the price increase by PB, although those that were already locked in were kept at the original price
2 weeks later
Quoted from kciaccio:This is the set I got along with the playfield protector.
I would suggest getting some slightly longer screws when installing. With the added thickness some of the screws barely get bite when re-installing.
https://www.playfield-protectors.net/products/alien-standard-edition-2021-pinball-brothers-plastic-protectors
I see that their plastic protectors are cut to the same size of the plastic (not marginally larger like I'm familiar with on protectors I've used in other games). Do you think that it adequately provides protection from the ball or is there still a chance that the ball could make enough impact on the game plastics to damage or crack it?
Quoted from brandonx76:It's been an active arcade repair weekend...Between my jealous Ghostbuster stern machine, and my other arcade games - its a fixit weekend for sure...hahah
I have the following remaining Alien LV problem (good news, most other problems have been resolved)
It seems there is a 'weak' ball launch.
Some have suggested that I 'adjust the metal' ball launch area, by bending parts, but I don't think that is the issue. It seems the launch is getting 'tired', especially during multi-ball modes (ex: ambush)
Examples:
I have attempted a 20% and 50% increase in auto launch...I am seeing inconsistent results, but the 50% increase seemed to help for a bit (maybe 2 hours) then it seems to have the same sluggishness.
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.
Hope everyone is having or had a great Easter Holiday.
What angle do you have your PF at?
Quoted from blacklightprod:Does anyone know of a link to the code updates? This game has a lot of firmware issues and someone said there was a code update. I looked on their website and see no link for code updates.
Quoted from brandonx76:Thanks man - yeah there is something going there - I made an adjustment which fixed the issue, but it reverts back after 20 minutes or a few multi balls...
Here's a video explaining what I did -I'm not sure how to get the alignment to stay.
What I noticed in your video was that the rubber head of the plunger (that hits the ball) sits back inside the coil sleeve. Is the rubber head jamming in the sleeve? I’d try shortening the sleeve such that it still comes through the bracket hole but short enough that the plunger head doesn’t sit inside the sleeve
Quoted from precisionk:So what is the purpose of this? Two plastic washers with with rings behind the egg. Block against airballs?[quoted image]
I'd guess it's to stop any airballs rolling down the plastic and getting caught up .between the Xeno and the egg. That said those posts with separate rubbers and the screw head on the plastic look like they could now hang up a ball - haven't heard of anyone experiencing any ball hangs in this area so most likely it's not an issue.
In looking at your pic, it looks like you have some minor chipping on the edge of the up-post hole as the up-post isn't flush with PF and needs adjusting - you might want to fix that
Quoted from brandonx76:So...getting a ball stuck before it can get to the launch area
I can shake it into position, but then it tilts. happening enough now that I'll probably disable the tilt until I've fixed it.Same video but tee'd up to where it happens again at 47 seconds:
I'm thinking some sort of material/cushion can be placed to help it bounce out, but looking for a proper solution.
Can you post some close-up pics of the area where the ball comes to rest (maybe some with and without the ball). Is the ball resting on the edge of the apron?
EDIT: just re-watched on my laptop (rather than my phone) where you can see the ball resting on the switch wire
Quoted from brandonx76:Anyone have an opinion about the targets on the LV? Was reading the history a bit on this thread, pretty interesting. (Gen 1 vs 2 etc)
One question I have - should I be 'bending' / pushing these back? I recall reading something about them 'moving' and needed to be adjusted. here's a couple of mine. I'd like them to be more sensitive, but they seem to need a dead on hit to register...perhaps that's how it should be.[quoted image]
From what I've seen, the targets have a small micro switch that is triggered when the spring steel with the white target face bends back enough to depress the switch. So if there is a gap between the spring steel and the switch button, then you would be able to adjust/bend the spring steel to sit closer to the switch.If however the spring steel is close to the switch button, then adjusting it further might not be possible and it might simply be the force required for the switch button to be depressed.
Quoted from brandonx76:Thanks - I'm wondering if I should be 'bending' the white plastic targets back to improve the targets registering?
One thing I did - probably not directly related, but maybe...I increased the bottom flippers 15%...definitely seeing more 'action' and target hits. Saw this gent mention it and gave it a shot
If the target is sitting off from the switch (ie there is a gap between the target & switch), then you can try bending the target back to see if it improves the shot registering
Quoted from brandonx76:Ok - new issue - drop target "C" is falling prematurely...I've seen this scenario before on a stern pin, and fixed it using a custom cut piece of pinball plastic.
Any suggestions? I haven't looked yet, but hoping I don't find a borked screw[quoted image]
precisionk posted about this the other day https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/144#post-6899013
Might be worth checking that the lifter is level and locking all targets properly in place (otherwise the vibration from the flipper mech is causing them to prematurely drop)
Quoted from precisionk:I am not seeing the chipping. Maybe just dust from the pic?
These were the spots I noticed (which also show in the reflection on the ball guide) but not sure what they are. Just double check that your post is flush with the PF surface so that the ball can't catch the edge of the hole.
Alien uppost (resized).jpgQuoted from brandonx76:Thanks! yeah, I was afraid to check for the broken screw - but I may have to, lol. So I'm not quite sure what's going on, but the coil that drives the drop targets is very loose and rotates - is this ok?
Then, I think there is some kind of inconsistent spring grab happening - the "C" seems to have a different method of catching, or its catching the whole set of targets.
Any thoughts on what I need to tweak here?and
Thanks
The drop target seems very similar to the B/W WPC drop target design. Don't worry that you can rotate the coil back & forth that's normal. When the PF is down the plunger and lifter mech should move freely, typically after the coil activates raising the drop targets the metal lifter will fall back down - in your video with the PF right up, the lifter doesn't fall back down as it relies on gravity. As to the drop targets, they have a small lip on the front that when the target is raised catches on the "stop target" (the plastic bar) holding it in the up position - there is a small spring (in behind the PCB) to assist keeping the target on stop target bar but a ball hitting the target will push the target off the stop target and the long spring attached to the bottom of the mech will pull the target down.
If the "C" target is not catching the "stop target", then it could be that the lifter is not lifting the drop target high enough to lock into place - precisionk indicated an issue with the metal lifter not being level, so the lower side might not lift that target high enough. It could also be that the lip on the target or the edge of the stop target is damaged/misformed, such that the target cannot be held up. Another option could be that you are missing the small spring on the "C" target that holds the target forward to help it catch on the stop target. You'll need to investigate further to identify the cause
While the PB article doesn't relate to your issue, it does show the details of the mech and how to disassemble/assemble which should be useful
https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000966101--001-drop-target-bank-coil-short-circuit-
Quoted from Ceemunkey:Mark is picking some up on Monday for Sydney delivery including mine - not long to wait mate!
Quoted from jokerpoker:I’ll see I’ll have to see if I can get in on his delivery. That might be easier.
He already has them onboard ....
Quoted from Deadpin:Interesting... I see numbers 252,253, 256 & 258 there, yet I am number "231" and I haven't even been asked for final payment.
Advanced Alien math....
How game numbers are assigned across distributors, countries and regions; and the order in which they are built is entirely up to the manufacturer - typically they will batch together the machines for a distributor/country to minimise shipping costs regardless of the assigned game numbers.
As an example, I acquired my LV spot on 19th Dec 2020 and I have #258 but that does not mean that PB have manufactured and shipped over 250 LV's
Just a quick post, my LV is setup and running perfectly - no electronic issues powered on first time and been running flawlessly (installed with 2.5 so undecided whether I should upgrade to 2.6) and only had one mechanical issue out of the box with the ball jamming in the U bend of the hypersleep ramp. I recalled seeing this mentioned previously, seems when the plastic on the top of the ramp (to stop airballs) is installed it can pull the bottom of the U in just enough to stop the ball - I simply removed the plastic, had to just very lightly squeeze the outer sides of the U bend by hand which widened the gap at the bottom of the U, I was able to put the plastic back on and screwed it down without any alteration - a 2 minute job to fix.
So very happy with the game, it was securely packed, has a solid well made cabinet, beautiful artwork and lighting, outstanding A/V package and integration, ... and it kicks my arse! Now to focus on the gameplay
Quoted from ultimategameroom:Damn that van looks like it’s prepped for some Serious front end collusions!
Kangaroos or?
You’ll find most trucks and 4wds have bullbars - predominantly for roos, but cattle as well. The main highways in the outback cut straight through cattle stations and cattle will lay down and sleep on the bitumen roads overnight (the bitumen is still warm from the sun). Hence why the truck also has high powered driving lights hanging off the bullbar to help you spot them.
Quoted from brandonx76:Hey folks...another (I believe minor) problem...
Xeno seems to be struggling. I noticed it seems to test on boot up 'ok' but maybe it just got lucky. During play, it is failing to 'drive', or come out of its shell... there's a few suggestions out there, but anyone have direct experience with this? I read something about loosening some screws around the Xeno mech - I will probably try that, but if anyone has any additional guidance / thoughts, definitely appreciated.and
I'd suggest that you log a support call with PB
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:Would love to hear from Manny65 I know he has Stern’s JP just like I do, and curious to hear how Alien shoots in comparison.
Maybe TwilightZone can chime in too since he has TZ.
How does it shoot? Help a brother out
Ok here's my comparison ...
- JP has more flow and is smoother. That said I got a 5 way combo on Alien (don't ask me what the shots were, as I was more focused on keeping the ball in play lol)
- I guess you could draw a comparison to TZ, as both have scoop/VUK which creates a more stop and go type feel to it. But Alien has cool video clips that keep you engaged.
- I find right inlane to have more ball bounce then I'd like. The left inlane curves to the ball smoothly down to the flippers, however the right inlane has to also cater for the ball coming in from the right (from behind the APC drop targets), similar to IJ (WMS). So balls being launched, or coming from the right ramp, or simply entering the top of the right inlane tend to bounce when hitting lower angled part of the return guide which breaks the flow to the flipper. I need to do some more investigation to see what adjustments are possible to get this to flow a little smoother (I haven't done any dialing in)
- Having 4 flippers creates extra shots and dynamic, making the widebody play faster and the PF is more open than TZ
- As for gameplay (and this is based on my skillset), I feel that getting to "All out war" will be more achievable than Escape Nublar on JP (lets not even mention WDRTE). That said it's not going to be easy and you tend to play the MB modes (eg Sentry Guns & Ambush) multiple times along the way (stacking helps).
- The modes have a great variety of shots that you need to make, add to that the amazing soundtrack and call outs to really hook you in, as well as the light show send you into sensory overload. I particularly like the different call outs when you've completed a mode or getting the GC (you don't hear these as often and so it's always fun to see what call out you're going to get)
- I tend to like my themes and the integration with the movie clips and callouts is stella and can't be topped. I'm really enjoying the detail in the BG and I'm sure there are things that I'm yet to notice; the cabinet artwork and colour scheme works well, and I like how PB have to 2 colour schemes for the SV (Alien) and LV (Aliens)
So overall I'm very, very happy - what a package!!
Quoted from Meadows22:So I'm running into a few issues with my Alien if anyone can point out any solutions but basically my mother scoop coil keeps on firing when I start up the game.i lifted up the playfield to try and do some diagnostic and when I put it back down I started to have light board issues with the top of the playofeld staying on and the bottom not lighting up. Went through to see if I could find anything that was disconnected but as of today havnt found anything to note.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
So the switch in the scoop is stuck closed.
Alien docs (design, mechs, electronics etc) can be found here https://www.pinballbrothers.com/alien/alien-docs/
Looking at the scoop mech doc it's an opto switch - so start by checking if the opto LED is working. I'm unsure if PB use a LED that can be seen by the naked eye or if it is IR like on B/W machines in which case a facetime camera on your mobile will normally show it (facetime camera doesn't has a IR filter). It could of course be that you're not getting power to the LED, for example a wire or connector has become disconnected.
The fact that after you raised the PF you now have lighting issues, indicates to me that maybe you have one of more loose connectors, so I'd start there. Also it's good to raise a support ticket https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/home such that PB has visibility to these issues, as well as help you diagnose and correct the issue
Quoted from Boof-Ed:I’m getting about 9 out of 10 airlock ejects going straight down the middle. Is this a common problem and is it easily fixed?
PB have posted this https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000961821--how-to-adjust-airlock-scoop
Others have also successfully added foam strips in the scoop to help direct the ball - think there's a few posts in the thread on exactly what/where they added it
Quoted from brandonx76:Ahh..brother I feel your pain...that's a bit of a whoops...hah...so far PB Support has been solid, but the little things like this are frustrating especially when you want to play. I am curious about the opto's too...its very cool when the left drain gets a save - but I wonder how that works. (it's magic!) lol
They’re eddy sensors that detect the metal ball. Actually the game has 9 (IIRC) of them - 2 in the left outlane, left inlane, right inlane, right outlane, right and left orbits, top 2 rollover lanes.
Lots of games has used them over the years like TZ, STTNG, MB ….
Quoted from Ceemunkey:The wiring is pretty dang tight underneath isn't it? Makes me a bit nervous that pulling the playfield out a few times might break/disconnect something.
Yes when I first went to lift the PF into it's fully vertical position I noticed that the cable from the backbox to PF was too tight and was going to bend the PF backboard or damage the cable. On investigation the cables were zip tied into a bundle which runs through a white plastic ring at the base of the backbox to keep the cables away from the Xeno but the zip-tie was fouling on the plastic ring - I managed to slide the zip tie further up the cable bundle such that the cable could freely move through the ring and provide enough slack.
I've also noticed a few connectors under strain from the zip ties, so adjusted those as well.
Quoted from CoPinfan:I had this problem where the uturn on the ramp is too narrow and the ball can’t go through. I had to pull the ramp apart and push the ramp apart at the bend.
For anyone having the ball jam in the U turn of the hypersleep ramp, mine was quite a quick fix - simply remove the top plastic off the ramp and slightly squeeze/spring the ramp by hand where the red arrows are, this will force the outer section of the U bend out (where the yellow arrow is). It doesn't need much pressure pressure at all to fix it and just be sure when reinstalling the plastic that it doesn't spread the steel edges where the red arrows are (as this will narrow the gap in the U bend). I think that the holes in the plastic (where the red arrows are) should be slightly closer together as there is no margin for error if it flexes the ramp. Hope this helps
Alien Hypersleep ramp (resized).jpgQuoted from brandonx76:7. Cabinet front door - hard to shut - Not sure what's causing this - have to give it a good slam to get in position to lock - sometimes lock get stuck. Noticed a fallen off / loose screw on the inside- remounted - still hard to shut (not fixed)
The connector for the right coin slot light hits the edge of the PF, forcing/bending the connector down in order for the coin door to close - see pics.
Alien Coin Door issue (resized).jpgAlien Coin Door globe connector (resized).jpg
To give it more space to allow the coin door to close more easily, I simply bent both the connectors on the right coin slot to be angled down at 45 degrees. It's a simple fix.
Quoted from Eagle14:Has anybody found a way to put in light up flipper buttons?
Kurt (@jakusu) had them on his machine, although he might have powered off the additional power supply he added to the machine. Hopefully he'll confirm how he did it
Quoted from Baggerman:I have a stand alone power supply for mods, but the coin door lights are 12V believe.
Correct the coin door lights are definitely 12V, so don't go replacing the incandescent globes in the door with 6.3V LEDs
Quoted from jokerpoker:Haha now he tells me. I put some green LEDs in. What’s that funny smell, whipped them out quick smart. I’ll get some 12v ones.
Well I only know because someone over in the west had the same experience as you
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:yes. I recently did a code update for a friend's on a Halloween and I noticed that the GUI showing the progress would sometimes be shown on the screen and sometimes it would not. I know this because Halloween was particularly glitchy and I had to RE-DO the update several times. It was really arbitrary as to when it would show or wold not really.
I can't say for sure that this is the same here, as this is a different game but - maybe - the software they used for packing/unpacking the update is the same. That is my guess.
At least the GUI I am seeing seems familiar to the user interface seen in Halloween when I was doing it. I can see the picture is being clipped off in the little screen so it is obviously not meant to be shown there. In halloween is the same, which is why it is arbitrary as to whether it is shown or not, because there is no USER interaction needed with the application. It just does its job and you just wait, the image is unnecessary and confusing.
It’s a character based interface (sometimes referred to as CHUI, CLI, terminal or console). It’s been around on computers from when they moved from card readers to CRT’s (around 1980) and existed well before GUI’s. The embedded computer (aka PC) runs a Linux operating system, which is standard on all modern pinball machines in order to provide video content (previous DMD based games ran proprietary code - for example B/W games used an assembly written system called APPLE). You’ll see character output as Linux boots when you turn on your machine, after which the GUI will start. Also when doing reloads or updates, you will sometimes see the output from the scripts being displayed which can give you an idea of what is happening.
Anyway back to pinball
Quoted from chuckwurt:Shame. Wish other distributors got those games.
My understanding is that it is more a requirement of the manufacturer, not the distributor, that the goods are paid prior to shipping. We had to do the same for our LV’s in Australia. Of course it doesn’t stop a distributor from buying and paying for games themselves, although they then carry the risk and would need to cover any extra costs.
Quoted from jokerpoker:I’m inclined to agree. I have a few minor glitches 1 with the opto ball lock 1 in hypersleep chamber which I will look at today but apart from that game seems to be ok. The update doesn’t seem worth the risk as it is introducing problems on some games that were working ok.
They have scratched the Artblades from factory which I have raised a ticket for. Haven’t even removed the protective layer yet but can see damage under it. Couple of imperfections in the powdercoat on legs. I put those towards the back so not a big deal. Lockdown bar is causing slight damage to top corner of cabinet. I’ll keep an eye on it. I spread the ends open a bit more to try to give it some more room.
Mate I went to 2.6 the other day, I had held off as like yours mine played well, but no issues with 2.6. Running all factory settings except I lowered the trough kickout and shooter lane coils.
Quoted from c818919taylor:Been waiting on an SV too. Heard delivery of SVs has trickled off since LVs. Only five produced last bunch/or made it to Cointaker…?
Been a long road on this. Hoping to see my SV before the last LV (1,000) but starting to wonder. Wouldnt be as terrible if the paid in full didnt happen in Sept 21.
Dallas : Well... some of you may have figured out we're not home yet, we're only half way there. Mother's interrupted the course of our journey. She's programmed to do that should certain conditions arise. They have. It seems that she has... intercepted a transmission of unknown origin. She got us up to check it out.
Australia got a container of SV’s last week - not sure the exact number but it’d be 30-40 games. So they are still being produced
Quoted from DropGems:anybody get one without any tweaks and adjustments needed? I have limited time and tools on site to be constantly fixing and adjusting and researching. Kinda nervous.
There's a big difference between getting a machine that didn't need any adjustments and one that needs constant fixing. There seem to be a reasonable number of machines out there now that don't need "constant fixing" but that's not to say that the owners haven't had to make some simple adjustments (whether they be via settings or something mechanical).
Quoted from DropGems:Yea I get that. I don’t mean dialing the game in settings wise and leveling etc. I mean a bunch of diy fixes to make it shoot right I guess.
While you see a lot of posts on those having issues, I believe there are a growing number of newer owners that aren’t experiencing issues.
Quoted from brandonx76:Ok - also revisiting this...what is up with my targets?
Issue: Some of the targets aren't registering hits. It was mentioned to "lock tite them targets."
On what am I supposed to locktite? The screws? Parts of the target?
I haven't tested them via the machine test - but I was just checking out two different targets. The one on the left doesn't click when pushed, while the one on the right does! I only have one target that doesn't 'click'. I read something about version 1 and version 2 targets for this machine, and thought, well maybe I have a version 1 for just one of my targets...HOWEVER..upon further inspection, the one on the left doesn't have a switch/click attached.
Is this a problem? I suspect the other targets needs to be adjusted still (i.e. the ones that click) but not sure how (yet).
Any help appreciated.
cheers[quoted image]
Yes the one on the left is missing the small push button micro-switch, hence why it won’t work. Did it ever work (wondering if they were manufactured incorrectly or whether the micro-switch has fell off during gameplay and is in the bottom of your machine)?
Suggest you check the other switches that aren’t working to see if they have the same issue.
Quoted from jokerpoker:I’ve got the droop on the lower flippers from a hard knock down but not worrying me that much at this stage.
I noticed the other day the alignment of my left lower flipper was drooped compared to the lower right. But I haven’t realigned the bat yet as I can make all my shots
Quoted from precisionk:Good to know. Problem is we shouldn't have to unplug and replug in to get it to work let alone powerdown/up. This makes me believe it is infact a handshake issue as someone alluded to.
Is reseating the HDMI cable being done while the system is powered on?
Quoted from Gd2103:I am LV #15 and my game has bricked. I had been getting just the black screen, but was still able to play it, etc, and once I turned it on/off, worked just fine. I turned it on today and it’s just a black screen, it won’t load up at all. It starts the process but on the first boot up screen it says wrong EfI loader signature, then goes blank. Anyone else had this issue and have a solution? I opened a ticket with PB brothers, but wanted to check to see if I’m the only one having this issue.
Yes other's have encountered this error, I suspect you'll need to reinstall the S/W (if the bootloader is corrupted then the OS & software won't be able to boot up)
Quoted from Gd2103:I will give it a shot, but how do I reinstall it since nothing works, I guess I could try putting a usb with the old firmware, but there is no way to make it run, since the coin door buttons don’t do anything while it’s bricked.
Instructions are on the PB Support website https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000843825--how-to-rebuild-machine-alien-2-2 after this you'll need to upgrade to 2.6 (as you've done previously)
1 week later
Quoted from grahamharley:i am on 2.6 and have a LV. I get an occasional blank screen at boot, but power down and wait a few seconds
tonight during the start up sequence the volume screen came up with the number 6 and the flippers would activate on there own and flip several times. Once they stopped moving the screen would still be on volume 6(the six almost looked like it was trying to change)
the game was dead other than the screen showing volume 6 and the flippers working when pressed.
not sure if anyone has had this happen
While slightly different it's worth checking your fuses & reseating cables as per PB's service note https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000596607-volume-is-flickering-up-down
Other have reported having the screen stuck on the volume setting and have needed to get a replacement controller, so if the above doesn't fix it then best to log a support ticket with PB (can be done from the above webpage)
Quoted from boogies:Happy new (2nd) owner of a SV.
Its playing great with a bit of 'sticky flippers' that I may dig into if it bugs me enough.
Did manuals come with the games?
No there is no printed manual however they have documentation online https://www.pinballbrothers.com/alien/alien-docs/
Also PB Alien Support page has info on various issues and fixes: https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions
In regards to the sticky flipper, there is a key post in this thread plus other posts on the subject (think the earlier games suffered more from this than the later ones). Below is the key post plus another one that might be useful
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/28#post-6354530
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/88#post-6643675
Quoted from AD72:Any advice for solving the ball not detected in in the hypersleep lock. I thought I had it working better but it is still erratic.
Is the ball catching on the lip of the lifting mech and not being seen by the Lock 1 opto? Check where the ball is stopping in the hypersleep chamber and also check whether Lock 2 is active in the active switch test mode
Also what version of code are you on, as when I upgraded from 2.5 to 2.6 I've noticed that the lock wouldn't initially be detected but it would after it had triggered a ball search - I haven't upgraded to 2.7 but planning on doing this soon
Quoted from brandonx76:Anyone recommend how to make this tough shot? Is it makeable from the lower left flipper?
Whenever I get to the "Bug Hunt" mode, and attempt to complete before the colonist 'chest burster' scene, I can never make this shot.
I'm thinking i need to start from the bottom right flipper, bounce to the "MU/TH/R" , and then attempt to shoot from the mid left. Any suggestions?[quoted image]
Up to Muthr and then shoot it with the upper left flipper ... my Muthr eject is a little variable, so it's not the easiest. I have hit it several times by chance from the lower left but my flipper is slightly drooped and it is possibly dependent upon the ball speed as it comes onto the flipper from the return lane. I've been meaning to realign my flippers but once I discovered this shot was possible I've held off for the time being.
Quoted from ticktockman:We were talking about the LV, which has additional lighting that the Standard doesn't have.
Can anyone tell me the width of the machine? I'm seeing if I'll need to move a pin out of my gameroom and into my office when the LV arrives.
The dimensions are listed on the PB website but you’ll also find them mentioned in several posts in this thread (you can search the thread at the top of the page)
Have a query in regards to the delta updates. The PB instructions for 2.7 state "Update will work on any previous updates. Alien(s) - V2.0R1.2 → v2.2 → 2.3→ 2.4→ 2.5→ 2.6 → 2.7". So saying it'll work on any previous update, I've assumed that if I was running 2.5 I could go directly to 2.7, yet I see that the 2.6 update is 44MB while 2.7 is only 396KB ... hence I'm now thinking that delta updates need to be applied sequentially in order (eg 2.5→ 2.6 → 2.7).
For those who have rebuilt their game with 2.2, were you able to then update it directly to the latest release or did you need to sequentially update via each of the minor releases? I'm thinking this might have been possible previously but maybe the 2.7 update can only be applied to 2.6??
Quoted from cpr9999:Are they delivering in order of LV # or is it random?
Well it's not by LV # which might be due to people requesting specific game numbers. Also different countries seemed to have received different blocks of game numbers but even those weren't all sequential
Quoted from mbrave77:Has there been discussion on this thread about balls getting stuck on the hypersleep lock release? Ball gets stuck on the screws. Any fix?
Quoted from mbrave77:gotcha. ill have to take some slow mo videos of it in action. My xeno grab is like 25% now. I tried adding some of those plastic nubs on the targets but that did nothing. Would love someone to post exactly the target covers they have used that work
The only screws I can see in the hypersleep lock chamber are for the opto boards, but they're positioned up out of the way of the ball and the top plastic should keep the balls from getting to much height - are these the screws you're referring to? Certainly there have been various issues with the lock mech but I've not heard of this problem.
Think a slo mo clip would help to see what is happening.
Quoted from Chosen_S:Does anyone know the forum post of the staged flipper fix?
The LV has staged flipper switches and software to use them. Not sure if the SV is able to now be retrofitted with a dual flipper switch stack, as it is dependent upon whether it is coded in the firmware or software for the SV.
Quoted from PtownPin:Anyone install mirrored game blades on an Alien SV? If so where was your source?
Thanks
Kurt (KJS) checked both Stern and B/W as he sells them and posted that Stern is the better fit.
Quoted from Baggerman:Just broke my second wire form for the ball launch.. Original welds failed at bottom closest to the launch.. the replacment (2 weeks old) just failed at 2 spots up top near ball drop. Anyone else having this wireform shit the bed?
I turned the power down on the shooter lane plunger (and also the trough kickout) as I found the plunger way more powerful than it needed to be - maybe that is contributing to the welds on your wireform breaking (that's not to dismiss the fact that the wireforms should be able to handle the default power setting).
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:what do you mean by vertical to playfield?
Are you referring to the bracket orientation to the player/bottom of the cabinet?
That would be perhaps more like a parallel orientation to the bottom/top or perpendicular to the side?, and square to the playfield.
If someone can post a pic that would be great.
They are referring to how the spinner sits at rest - so the face of the spinner is vertical (or close to perpendicular to the PF surface). If it's not (which alot of the machines aren't) then getting the spinner turning absorbs more power / momentum from the ball and can affect the orbit shot.
Quoted from Waxx:So my hyper sleep was nearly impossible. I took apart the ramp and found it is actually impossible. The ball can not physically make it around and gets stuck in the narrowest point. Was this an issue at one point?
I ask because I got a ramp in a box from a previous owner and that one was smooth as butter. So whoever has owned my game was playing on hard mode. Baffling…
Edit:
The ball is stuck in the photo, will not move.
[quoted image]
A few of us have had this issue and it can be caused when the plastic is screwed on to the top of the ramp it slightly bends the ramp out of shape - seems the plastic holes for the left & right side of the ramp are slightly wider and it ever so slightly spreads the width of the ramp sides that therefore narrows the U bend. To fix you just need to remove the top plastic and give lightly squeeze the sides of the ramp together, you may need to file/dremel the holes in the plastic to be slightly closer (although I didn't) and just check the ramp doesn't change shape when reinstalling the plastic. I included some pics of this fix here https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/148#post-6917860
1 week later
Quoted from PinBalt:Hey Alien owners. I just received my LV and am waiting on Tech Support. While waiting I was curious if others have experienced this issue : one pop bumper keeps auto firing without being hit by the ball but triggers with other switches being hit in the game. The coil gets very hot! Meanwhile, the other two bumpers are totally dead with no action.
Is the pop bumper switch just too sensitive, and it's being activated by the vibration from other coils and potentially even itself? Equally are the other bumper switches either gapped too much or are permanently closed (causing the game to disable them)?
I'd suggest going into switch test mode and see what the pop bumper switches are doing
Quoted from paulbaptiste:Anyone experienced with this issue and get a resolution? I randomly looked in my audits to see how many games I’ve played in the 3 weeks I’ve owned the game and saw something strange. I long suspected my posts weren’t diverting the ball as they should and this would be the reason why. Did the up post loop test as well and only the left most post engages. Right post does nothing in loop test. I can activate the posts individually though.
If the game is awesome now while not functioning the way it should (bent hypersleep ramp, inactive right post/right orbit ) I think it’s going to be that much sweeter when I can actually fall into the pops when I need to.
[quoted image]
Here is how to test/confirm if the right orbit eddy switch is working https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000969317-5-right-orbit
Quoted from paulbaptiste:That was one of the tests I was referring to having completed. Right post does not activate in loop test (left does) and right orbit switch is not active at all during switch test while rolling a ball over the area.
Looks like you might have a dead eddy switch - have you logged a ticket?
Quoted from hollyw00d:In the video I do pull it all the way forward until it hits the stoppers. It's near the end of the video. Problem is, when I begin to lift, the playfield slides back down the incline. I actually hurt my back trying like hell to keep the playfield at the top of the incline while I lifted it back towards the backbox.
Also, just so you know, support sent me a video, and the end of the playfield rail is supposed to sit on top of the tabbed stopper, not in the U bracket. Note, this is from their video, it's not my machine[quoted image]
Do you have a link to their video?
2 weeks later
3 weeks later
Quoted from Audioenslaved:What do we have the auto launch % set to? I had it at -20% but if two balls eject then it won’t launch them. +20% and the ball might go through the back of the launch lane!!
I have mine on -20%. Fortunately I haven’t had the issue with 2 balls in the shooter lane
2 weeks later
Quoted from hank527:I flashed everything and still having issues with start button and coin door not always working.
Who do I contact at PB?
Log a support ticket from here https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/home
I was just looking at the Top 100 on Pinside and noticed the LV isn't listed - turns out "This game has received 22 approved Pinsider ratings. 8 more approved ratings are needed to get a rating and for it to be eligible for the Pinside Pinball Top 100 ranking."
I think we need to get it up there on the list 
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:A quick google search may also reveal that they are out of stock, they don’t carry individual plastics and that the entire set costs 246AUD before shipping. That’s a hard nut to swallow for a single .5 in broken piece of plastic.
[quoted image]
That website is not in AUD (ie Australian dollar), that’s Euro … so it’s even more expensive than maybe you first realised.
Quoted from Pinkitten:Hello LE owners! How is everyone finding the build quality and reliability with the new LEs? I’m considering one and I’ve heard many early bugs were worked out and build quality is good. Is that accurate? Thanks!
Have had my LV for 6 months and it's playing great. Haven't had any electrical issues, just a few minor mechanical ones initially (broken flipper spring, drop target issue and an adjustment on the hypersleep U bend)
Cabinet is rock solid and the build quality is as good (if not better) than other manufacturers. I feel that the thickness of the steel used in the mech brackets is a bit thin (compared to my B/W machines), yet it's holding up to the rigors of being played just fine. PB have continued to improve their product, with newer versions of the PCBs and some mechs, as well as updates to the code base, predominantly addressing issues seen by owners (rather than game enhancement).
Quoted from PersonX99:Got my SV. Luckily, I have been following this thread a little and I lifted the playfield to check connectors before turning it on. There were a number of connectors on the light boards there were no connected at all. I think most of them were for the stand up targets. No big deal as it was obvious where to plug them in. Once plugged in, machine powered up and almost all is well. I had one stand up target out, and it looks like it is an issue in the board under the playfied since the led works when plugged into to another connector. I submitted a ticket, and hopefully the support is as good as everyone has been saying it is.
Overall, this game is a lot of fun. No regrets so far.
More than likely you are referring to the 5th standup target, which isn't coded or fully wired (needs a jumper cable b/n 2 of the PCBs under the PF). That said brado426 has just posted recently that he's testing the next version of unreleased code which now includes code for the 5th target and has commented on the cabled that'll be required.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/220#post-7225868
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/220#post-7226204
Quoted from DropGems:My 2nd flipper return spring busted. Does it matter what springs I use for a replacement? Any recommendations?
Seems common. Based on the below post, Cato @ PB has stated it's a Sega/Stern Flipper Extension Spring https://www.pinballlife.com/segastern-flipper-extension-spring.html
1 week later
1 week later
Quoted from brooklynknight:OK so I joined the club and after setting it up it appears I have only one issue. When the alien takes the ball into his mouth, every so often the ball will not release from the mechanism, and I have to go into the test menu to release it by running the mouth test. I also notice that when the device comes out of the mouth it makes a fairly large grinding sound. I swear that was an issue someone here had a fixed, however can not find it. Is it difficult to take the alien head off? Once I can nail these down I will have it dialed In.
The tongue needs to be retracted far enough into the mouth such that the ball is pushed off the permanent magnet. If the tongue switch’s actuator arm isn’t adjusted right that can cause an issue. I’d initially suggest running calibrate as this maybe all you need to do. If you need to get to the switch, you need to remove the 2 Phillips’s screws (one on either side of the Xeno head) to remove the head.
Yes that’s normal. I think that one of the reasons why it makes noise is that the tongue’s teeth (which are on the bottom edge of the tongue) are sliding over the plastic guide/shute. So I see no way of addressing this without a complete mech redesign.
Quoted from Ceemunkey:It was just blind luck first time I did it - I had a ball locked in hypersleep, and also had extra ball lit. The ball was draining and sometimes I'll use the shotgun or smart gun as it can save the drain by starting a multiball for you (eg, shotgun can start Ambush MB if you only need 2 more xeno hits).
Anyway, I used the smart gun, and the game gifted me the Hypersleep shot - which started the multiball, thereby saving the drain and also awarded me the extra ball. It was bloody amazing! I've managed to do it a couple more times since then.
Yep collecting and using weapons (specifically shotgun, smart gun & flamethrower) can be key to surviving - I really enjoy making the most of them and think it really makes this game brilliant. There are some subtle things about them though, as I tried to use the smart gun to start All Out War (couldn't hit the Xeno and was starting to choke) yet it didn't award me that shot (I can't remember what I got for it).
1 week later
Quoted from paulbaptiste:This ball trap happens too often. Maybe 1 in 5 games. Need to figure out how to cover this area or what makes mine different from others.
[quoted image]
How/where is the ball getting airborne? Are the orbit up-posts flush with the PF?
Quoted from ABE_FLIPS:So why is it the SV version can't stage flip? Cant I just upgrade the switches?
What bugs me the most is, that the flipper have a different timing on drop catches.
They drop differently, like more instant wich leads to alot of drains because there is less resistance on the flippers.
If they could add a few milliseconds of delay that would feel more naturally i guess.
What do you guys think on this?
I have noticed that the flipper springs used in the PB machine have a lot more tension compared to Stern or B/W games. I have had 2 springs break and others have reported failed springs which I suspect is due to the strain from the greater tension. Now in reading your comments I wonder whether the timing difference that you are noticing in doing a drop catch is associated with the stronger spring pulling the flipper down marginally faster?? It might be worth swapping out the springs with B/W springs to see if that addresses your issue.
BTW awesome Youtube channel, thanks for helping us play better
I recorded my settings then did a factory reset, followed by updating the f/w and then the s/w, then reapplied my settings (lower power on the left eject, trough and plunger). Initial games were all fine.
Xeno magnet is catching the ball but I now have the ball is not releasing in the Xeno mouth, I tried calibrating but still an issue. I think the issue might be the set screw of the gear onto the drive shaft might have come loose and allowing the gear to slip.
I switched to staged flippers but discovered my right upper flipper switch isn't being detected. Seems the solder joint under the heat shrink is the issue.
So a few things to address but these aren't associated with doing the upgrade
Quoted from Mageek:Yikes the A drop target is installed ass backwards
Quoted from DropGems:Lol yea I just realized this. I thought it just got smashed
I don't think it is as the back of the target isn't flat (has ribs to strengthen the target). In the pic the artwork is on the front of the target and the target face is flat. To me it looks like the target was deformed during manufacturing, unless the top of the target is partially broken and leaning forward but I can't see any stress/fracture on the side of the target
Quoted from Jarbyjibbo:So for the LV specifically do we just need to plug in the existing cables for the targets that are unplugged and then update the code?
Shouldn’t matter which order you do it. I had mine already connected as 3.0 lit 4 of the 5 targets.
Quoted from Boof-Ed:I’ve just changed the settings on the flippers to stage but it seems they stage the wrong way around. Is this normal or have my switches been connected the wrong way around?
Yep mine are wrong as well - hoping to find some time in the next few days to swap the wires
Quoted from teddyb73:I love the theme and I play the original one at Allentown pinfest 5 years ago and enjoyed it.
Well based on your comment, I think you have your answer already in regards to gameplay
As for reliability, while some people have had initial h/w teething issues, once these are resolved the machine seems pretty solid. There has been quite a lot of s/w related issues but on the whole PB seem to be getting on top of them - the challenge is that updates and code work for some and not others, now that may be associated with PB making changes to the PCB's during production such that different owners have different H/W revisions. Certainly there seems to be less issues from those receiving more recent games. Also PB support is very good in working with you to resolve any issue.
Hope this helps
Quoted from Chalkey:They haven't been connected wrong, you just need to adjust the flipper button leaf switches to close in the correct order.
Yes this was the issue - a quick adjustment of the flipper leaf switches solved that one!
Thanks for the tip
Quoted from punkin:Thanks, i was going old school and bend the mech until you mentioned the software option, that's great.
Yep think I have mine at -30% and works perfectly. Definitely worth trying before doing physical adjustments
Quoted from paulbaptiste:I had my first (since rebuilding my game from 2.2-2.6-3.0-3.1) instance of the same after several days without issue. This is the longest I've ever had the game without having any black screen issues or game freezes. The ony reason I needed to restart was due to the tongue issue mentioned about. Please send those logs to PB when these issues happen. As Shawn instructed me, hit the launch button 15 times right before you save you debug log as it will help them find the exact spot in the game where the issue occurred. Highly suggest others do the same.
Oh I thought your rebuild fixed the Xeno ball release issue.
Seems like there's a few of us with this issue on the new code - while the tongue works perfectly without the ball attached, it stops short when it's caught the ball. I suspect that the new code (in making it quieter and faster) has reduced the torque, such that as the tongue retracts with the ball it no longer has the power required to pull the tongue off the ball. Given the tongue has a permanent magnet, it's possible that the magnets in our machines are slightly stronger than what other's have and combined with the new code we are now seeing this issue.
I have the issue logged with PB support but haven't provided logs so will do this. BTW does yours ever manage to release the ball - since the upgrade mine never does
Quoted from Deez:Black screen of death on the latest code. Huge bummer.
[quoted image]
Have you tried powering off, waiting 10-15 seconds and powering on again? This is a common issue that PB are aware of and working on a fix
Quoted from Deez:Game was running just with no display. Playfield display was working fine as well as lighting and sounds. Just the main display was black. I'm not sure if it came up when it was booting as I turned the game on and walked away for a bit.
On powering up, the screen will initially display the PB logo and will then show the serial console as the machine's computer boots. The issue seems to occur when the computer switches to graphics mode - possibly a HDMI handshake issue between the graphics driver and the main monitor (the PF screen is unaffected).
Yes the game will run as per normal, except that the main screen is off.
Quoted from Baggerman:All the links are "stickied" at top of main page for this forum. Good stuff for sure.
Looks like PB have added the flipper coil sleeve part # to the list, that isn't in your key post - not sure if you can edit your post to add that part, as I'm sure we'll all be looking for it in the future 
Quoted from Kkoss24:The upper left flipper has a erection that won’t go down .Too tired now ,I’ll deal with it tomorrow
My money's on it being a broken spring.
Quoted from Kkoss24:I took my back bolts down inside the threaded hole about 1/4 and Mercy is this playing lightning fast .First few games were aggravating but now that I’m used to it ,I’m playing much longer games and it’s really exiting .Made my top 5 twice already
Out of interest, do you know what pitch your game is now at?
Quoted from Baggerman:I think that the brackets are "cut" and there is a sharp edge on the spring tab... im gonna sandem down.
Yep it seems a lot of us have had springs break - definitely worth some closer inspection. I noticed that the PB spring provides much more tension compared to Stern or B/W games, I threw a new B/W spring in that I had on hand and was surprised at how much less force there was on the flipper bat to pull it back but it works just as well and I cannot detect any difference between the left (PB spring) and right (B/W spring) flippers during play. Possibly the greater tension of the spring combined with sharper bracket edges? Of course it could simply be the batch of springs they're using is slightly more brittle and prone to break
Quoted from Kkoss24:If anyone know anything about this purple wire (couple posts up ) and if it should connect to the kicker switch please lmk .I don’t need anymore issues today .
[quoted image]
Switches (like that used in the saucer) normally only has 2 wires connected. So a I doubt that's where the wire is supposed to go.
Edit: Ok sounds like it's part of the apron mod
Quoted from GamerRick:I am at 6.8 right now. OK so I should up the flipper power a bit? Are you referring to just the upper right flipper or all four flippers? And I just had two calls get stuck in the hyper lock neither one of them ejected even involved surge mode. I had to take the glass off and manually pull up the chamber. It has worked before every time a ball is been in there so I am assuming it just got stuck and isn’t broken but there was no way to test it in the service menus. Have you had that issue before?
Go into switch test mode and load balls one at a time into the hypersleep chamber - you should see switches Lock 1, Lock 2 & Lock3 be triggered. Note you may see several switch activations as the ball rolls past the the various lock positions
If the game is not seeing the lock switch, then it won’t know to raise the hypersleep elevator to release the ball
Quoted from GamerRick:OK I’m in the switch test and I can’t even find the switch for the hyper lock in either the active switches or the regular switches so I don’t even know where to look but when I was in the switches and I put a ball into the hyperlock nothing happened so I have no idea how to test this can you help?
Lock1 = sw#57, Lock2 = sw#58 & Lock3 = sw#59
Go into switch edge test, press for example a standup target and there should be an audible tone and the switch info will be displayed on the large monitor. If that's working, now roll a ball into the hypersleep chamber - you may see Lock 3 & 2 temporarily activate as the ball rolls past but Lock 1 should now be triggered (showing that the game sees the ball in the hypersleep lock). If this works then roll another ball into Lock2 and another ball into Lock3. If you now went out of switch edge test and into active switches you'd see the 3 lock switches as active as you scrolled through the list.
If you are not seeing any of these Lock switches triggering, but the standup target test worked (ie verified the switch edge test is working) then there is an issue with all 3 optos in the hypersleep chamber and you should log a support ticket with PB
Quoted from GamerRick:Thank you I was able to find the test with that information. So this is what happened. I raised the Playfield earlier and I’m wondering if that made something loose I have no idea but when I raised the playfield to check the connections for the hyperlock I didn’t see anything loose but after I put the Playfield down and started the game up again I had the same error codes I got when I first booted up my brand new machine. The cabinet switch wasn’t registering and the tilt was stuck. I raise the playfield again and checked all the connections very carefully and put the Playfield down again and everything was working again. I think when you raise the playfield it sometimes loosens a connection. I was able to test the optos and all three of them did trigger and the lock did release a ball a couple of times when I just played a game with the glass off and testing it. However it kept several balls in there without starting multi ball and it did not release the balls at the end of the game. That’s not normal right? So I don’t get it the elevator still seems to work and the optos are working why would this happen I don’t think this is a code issue? Thank you so much for your help so far I’m not sure what the issue is at this point.
While you're playing a game, if believe that the game should be releasing the ball from hypersleep but it isn't, immediately open the coin door and go into Test -> Active Switch and scroll through the list of active switches looking for the lock switches and ensure that they are matching the balls in the hypersleep chamber. Some people have had issues where the ball doesn't roll all the way into the elevator (gets caught on it's leading edge), others (myself included) have had the ball go too far forward into the elevator such that the opto beam is detected behind the ball. If the game is correctly recognising the balls in the chamber but not releasing them, then check that the elevator can slide up & down smoothly.
Let us know what you find
Quoted from GamerRick:Well I just spent an interesting hour and a half in my machine but in the end, all is well! Once again you guys and PB support got me up and running quickly. Here is what I discovered on examining my machine. One of the coil stops had lost a screw and both nuts. I found them and replaced them. I also found another nut that clearly went with a coil and I found where that was missing from. It seems as if the screws and nuts on the coil stops are going to keep coming loose and probably need to be loctited. I think I read several posts that people had done that but I’m going to ask PB support before I do that. My lower right flipper coil is missing a screw that fixes it to the playfield. I will need to get a spare from PB. I have one small nut that exactly matches the nuts that go on all of the stand up targets but I cannot find any missing nuts I looked extremely carefully for about a half an hour. Finally, PB was right and the coil power was too low on lock post number 21 which controls the hyper sleep lock. I was advised to raise it 40% and lower it from there if it worked to find where the lowest power increase worked. So after raising it to 40% it works perfectly and I got it down to 15% plus and it’s still working I think I’m gonna leave it there for now. Everything seems fully operational again. It’s a labor of love with this machine I’ve definitely had more mechanical issues than any other pin I’ve ever had and all just right out of the gate but they’ve all been easy to fix. PB support is outstanding. The other good news is nothing serious has broken these are all minor issues like power settings or missing nuts. That’s not bad considering the journey it took to arrive at my house. Super impressed with this company so far and not regretting my purchase at all.
Glad to hear you’re back in operation!
Quoted from KING-HENRY:BTW this machine has very low plays and is serial #61. Built in April '22.
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Just in case you weren’t aware the LV games did not roll out of the factory in sequential LV # order. For example Australia received a container load in March and our’s were numbered around the 250’s
Quoted from WizardsCastle:Still confused haha.
Do you have to do the shots in that order? Are the inserts coloured to let you know progress?
I see a lot of lit inserts all the time, but no idea what they mean .
And when you say complete L and V, does that mean you just have to complete the labels up there a certain number of times?
Thanks
Quoted from Zablon:Lighting both L & V will raise your multiplier. That's the numbers in the middle of the pf. 2 4 6 it goes up to 12x i think (the inserts light up differently). Dropship bonus will double pf points (left ramp/right ramp).
The lifecycle thing is how you get to Newt Multiball. The inserts do light up, but honestly not sure if they light when it's next, or after you've got them. You can see their inserts though, facehuggers, eggs, chestburster...orbits, vents, chestburster lane.
L + V lane rollovers at the top right of the PF (note flippers don't do lane change) will light the bonus multiplier starting at 2 (as in 2x), then 4 (the 2 insert is turned off), 6 (the 4 insert is turned off), 2+6 (ie 8x), 4+6 (ie 10x) & finally 2+4+6 (ie 12x) which is the max multiplier. And then, from what Baggerman posted, if you light L+V again it'll light extra ball or maybe it awards you an extra ball - I'm not sure.
Lifecycle must be shot in this order - egg, facehugger, chestbuster, alien. The next required lifecycle insert will be flashing and you only need one of the eggs and facehuggers (as there are multiple of those targets available). Repeat 3 times from Newt MB and to light extra ball.
Quoted from PeterG:Updated tonight, went ok, LV Xeno is much more quiet. Shaker not yet, just shorter. But won't bother me that much. About 2 stage flippers, it works but the right flipper the above flipperbat goes first and then the below. I woudl like that reversed to make the ramp shot from the right flipper without blocking it with the other flipperbat. Is that fixable? do I need to rewire the switch?
Yes I needed to regap both left and right switches to correct the order, although a fellow Aussie had his leaf switches wired backwards. The leaf switch closest to the cabinet wall should be your lower flipper.
Quoted from paulbaptiste:Also make sure your auto plunger isn’t pressing against your right leaf switch. I have to move my playfield over semi often as it will work it’s way against the flipper leaf switch and cause problems.
My NIB LV came with thumb screws on the PF hangers, which I'd never seen before but guess it holds things locked in place during shipping. If your PF is shifting slightly and causing problems with the flipper leaf switch, then maybe throwing in one of those thumb screws would help stop that?
Quoted from conester:still not sure how to select weapons easily since the flippers are used to cycle the weapons...hard to pick what you need. MAN what an AWESOME machine!!!
Yes it's very easy to stuff it up, especially on a centre drain when you don't have much time. I tend to use the handgun during play if having a good ball and have completed multiple modes, or otherwise when I start playing my 3rd ball - this way I have one less option to flip through to save a ball. The pulse rifle I activate on the next multiball, again I try to minimise how many collected weapons I have available. Sometimes I'll use the smart gun during play if extra ball and lock are lit, although it is useful on a drain as it can start one of the multi-balls ... although I discovered it didn't start All Out War 
While it's not always easy, it's fantastic when you get it right and it's one of the game's features that I love the most
Quoted from Kabball:Okay I got mine today and here she is. Things of note is that it says this one is #339 which I thought sounded low, weren’t other recent people on here reporting getting into the 500’s or am I misremembering? Also looks like code is on 3.1A1 and firmware 0.57 so looks like I gotta update.
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The LV number is not assigned in sequence with when the game was produced.
S/W 3.1A1 sounds like it's newer than what is available via the PB website (it only has 3.1) however it's interesting that it has the old firmware. I'd suggest only doing a F/W update to .71
Quoted from violinfather:I owned a Heighway Alien which I totally loved. I ended up selling it because I am not very handy and didn’t want to own a pin that had no more company support or parts. Can anyone who owned a Heighway model or played one give me their feedback on the Pinball Bros version as I am thinking of buying one?
Here's some detailed reviews by guys that have owned both
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/146#post-6904169
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/152#post-6930137
Quoted from Kabball:So you may have seen my post from a couple hours ago - proud new owner of the Alien LV and been playing a few games with the kids in bed. Can I get a quick summary recap maybe of all the various flippers adjustments on power etc people have done.
Thankfully so far I have not noticed anything wrong with my machine everything seems to be working ( still on firmware 0.56 need a new 2.0 USB stick before I can do that )
I only have a few games and will play a bunch more before I adjust anything but it does seem maybe the flippers are a little under powered to make those far end of flipper orbit shots perhaps. Plunger once in a while doesn't get the ball all the way there first try, no biggie but happens. Still watching for more.
What pitch do you have on the PF? I'm currently 6.5 degrees with the below coil adjustments, I haven't needed to change the flipper power or adjust the flipper bat angle ... maybe I've just got lucky with how mine were set in the factory (unsure??)
#1 Auto Launch - 10% weaker
#2 Trough Release - 20% weaker
#19 Left Eject - 30% weaker
1 week later
Quoted from Kabball:Pointers on knocking down APC targets. I mostly get them on random frantic ball action.
You should be able to shoot them from either left flipper. I find the C the hardest from the lower flipper, so tend to use the upper flipper for it. You need to work out where the ball needs to be on the flipper bat in order to hit the target, after which you then focus solely on flipper at that point. Cradling the ball on the lower flipper, then dropping the flipper bat will create consistency in the ball speed and make it easier to make the shot (compared to having the ball coming down the flipper bat at different speeds from the return lane). The upper left flipper is feed by the saucer eject (which I have lowered the power setting to -30%) such that the feed to the flipper is consistent and down the face of the bat.
Quoted from Greaseman:The good news is the 2-stage flippers work on my Alien LV. The bad news is the upper flipper fires first so it appears they are wired incorrectly. Before I ask PB support, I wanted to see if anyone here has a best suggestion to correct this? Not sure if it's easiest to switch the wires (guessing they are soldered on) or if there is a simpler solution. Pic of right flipper stack attached (looks like they have collected some dust!).
Side note: That locking nut that holds the green flipper in place recently just fell out. Just a heads up in case you start playing a game and your flipper fires once and stays stuck in the up position. Was obviously a quick fix...but that did surprise me a bit.
Side note #2: I love the game....absolutely dig it. But I keep chasing down issues so it's admittedly bumming me out a bit. I'm still working on fixing my Xeno - won't pull the ball into the mouth so Ambush MB is messed up (I posted recently on it). PB support is fantastic so I'm going to keep working through fixes so I can get this beast back to where it should be.
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The leaf switch closest to the cabinet wall should activate your lower flipper, if it is but it's firing after the upper flipper then you just need to regap the leaf switches to correct the order, otherwise the leaf switches are wired backwards and you should swap the wires.
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:I got a replacement upper playfield post from PB, but it’s not making sense. The new post has that thicker skirt below the nut looking base which is not letting me screw the post all the way down to the playfield. Wanting to put a carbon fiber washer there as well as another metal washer and the post won’t hold them in place if I can’t screw it down to the playfield. Do I need to open that opening in the playfield more around the T-nut? Don’t really want to tear up the playfield anymore than it already is.
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I assume your game is an earlier production unit as your PF has the artwork right up to the post hole, and I wonder if PB/Buthamburg not only changed the newer PF's to not have artwork under the post's washer but also put in a larger hole to accommodate at more sturdy post??
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:Exactly what I’m wondering too. Do all you newer game owners have that post with the nut base all the way against the playfield right?
Yep it's pushed all the way down - it has a metal washer between the PF and the post's hex head
Quoted from kciaccio:When it comes to beacons more is better. I have seen the low beacons in action and you can't even tell they are going off. The apron beacons you can.
I am bringing my machine to TPF and Pinball Brothers told me they are bringing Alien LV again. If you are there you can be the judge..lol
I have my LV in the corner of a room, so when the beacons activate there is plenty of reflection off all the walls and in a semi-darkened room they give a great ambience. But I could see how if your game is more in the middle of a larger room, they would not be nearly as noticeable.
Quoted from Greaseman:Thanks - that's helpful. I just checked and the the leaf switch closest to the cabinet is firing first and it's activating the upper flipper on both sides. So, it does look like I need to switch the wires. I'll check with PB to be sure before I start cutting, stripping and soldering.
I guess it would be possible to simply regap the leaf switches to change the order in which they trigger, without switching the wires. I was just working off what Andrea (PB) had provided SuperMica https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/211#post-7182643
3 weeks later
Quoted from Ferret:Nope.
Part 1: escape the Nostromo
Part 2: escape on the escape ship
Part 3: profit! (Literally!)
Yep getting through the phases of Self Destruct is awesome.
Loader Battle however kicks my arse ... (note to self - need to play better )
Quoted from Mudflaps:That’s odd. I’m LV 368 and mine is missing that harness as well. Is this a thing?
Originally all 5 standup weapon targets didn't use the LED in the target (and it's connector was left disconnected).
In one of the updates (I don't recall which version) the new code enabled the LEDs on the first 4 targets (not the far right target) as skillshots when plunging the ball. Note the 5th target is not active for the skill shot. Owners needed to plug the target LED connectors in if they wanted this feature
I believe v3.0 of the code, can now light the 5th target (although I believe it is still not active as a skillshot) but it does require a wire harness to bridge 2 boards under the PF. Some people have made up their own cables and there have been posts indicating that LV customers are able to get these cables from PB or their distributor. I'm not sure if that means the 5th target isn't coded for SV's.
Quoted from Ferret:Hmmm. Phase 1 of Loader Battle is harder than Phase 1 of Self Destruct. But Phase 2 of Loader Battle is easy -- L Ramp, R Ramp, L Ramp, R Ramp, Airlock, boom.
I do love the victory choreography for each phase of Self Destruct, though.
Yes it’s trying to get through phase 1 of Loader Battle where I struggle. I can hit the orbits throughout other modes but when I get to Loader Battle I brick almost every shot. But it keeps me coming back for another crack at it
Quoted from punkin:Update was succesful yesti, thanks to paulbaptise and shawn, but bugger, this morning i have a login screen.
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I've seen that once (unsure if it was with 3.1 or 3.2).
Did it come up correctly after cycling the power again?
Quoted from Deez:Well had this happen today on 3.2
Disappointed. [quoted image]
Was this on power up, during game play or while the machine was left running in attract mode?
The black main monitor during power up is a common intermittent issue, although I've not seen the PB lamp stuck on red before.
Quoted from Thunder22:Was the upper and lower flippers wired backwards? If so how did you rewire them?
It depends, some owners have found the leaf switches wired backwards while others (including myself) simply needed to adjust the leaf gaps to correct the order. As driph has indicated the leaf closest to the button activates the lower flipper.
Note this has only come to light since staged flippers has been supported in the code, so the order the 2 leafs activated weren't important when most of our machines were built as it wasn't yet implemented in the code and had no impact on game play.
Quoted from Thunder22:Yes, I believe my right side is wired backwards. Do you know if the wiring to the leaf is soldered under the heat shrink? My gaps are good. If it were the left side I wouldn't care; lol.
As I understand it (based on what others have posted) yes just need to swap the wires over and resolder.
First thing is to confirm whether the leaf switch closest the button/cabinet wall is activating the lower flipper - ensure the game is set to staged flippers, then use a piece of thick paper to stop the inner most leaf switch from closing and press the flipper button. If the lower flipper activates the wiring is correct, so if removing the piece of paper the upper flipper activates before the lower flipper, then the button is closing the inner leaf (upper flipper) prior to the outer leaf (lower flipper) - in this case you just need to adjust the leafs such that the outer leafs (closest the button) closes first. If however with the paper inserted the upper flipper activates then wiring to the leafs is incorrect and needs to be swapped around and resoldered.
Quoted from ChiPin1978:Any try Novus 3 and Novus 2 on the playfield? Mine is looking very scratched after relatively few games. Looking for tips to clean it up
Novus 2 & 3 have abrasives, so I wouldn't be using those. PB recommends Carnauba Wax and soft cloths made for polishing or sponge. Do not use microfiber cloth.
https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80000685194-polishing-the-playfield
Quoted from skywalker:Hey all,
Finally getting solid game play now & ironed out some Re booting issues with the fantastic help from PB.
this is a new issue I'm getting now just after replacing some boards in the screen box, the playfield screen show up on the main screen, I've seen someone else post about this issue with no resole,
Should I replace the HDMI cable with a better quality one?
TIA
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Check your connectors at the mini screen and cpu. Although when Boof-Ed had this issue he had to replace the PF screen, so worth logging a support ticket
Quoted from ryalter:Bought a brand new Alien LV pinball from Tommy at Nitro pinball up here in Canada. Ordered Feb 23, delivered yesterday. Got about... 30 games in and the PSU is dying already...
https://streamable.com/9g4fos
Sounds like something is rubbing against or caught in the fan in the power supply
Quoted from Hershy:I am looking to add light up flipper buttons. for that, the voltage of the start button needs to be the same as standard bulbs. anyone know if that's the case?
Believe all the cabinet lamps (coin door lamps, start and launch buttons) are 12v, not 6.3v - there are various posts from people who have found out the hard way
Quoted from Thunder22:Although the sttng is not exactly phaser shaped and is basically the same gun for t2, I see your point. It's just the launch button is so damn basic.
Although having a launch button does make it far easier to fire weapons during gameplay
2 weeks later
Quoted from megaladon:Before I put in a ticket… Does anybody have any quick links for the rubber rings. One of my slingshots snapped. I guess they don’t make them like he used to because this game doesn’t get a ton of plays.
Is this what you're after https://www.pinballbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1004-01-02-00_Rev_A_Alien_Rubber_List.pdf
Quoted from Itglows:My hypersleep lock isn't recognizing balls all the time, if I shake the machine usually it will recognize it, but the machine is getting confused and doesn't realize there is a ball up there. I'll be in a multiball and drain but the machine thinks I'm still playing
How can I adjust the lock to recognize the balls? I heard there was a screw you can adjust
Don't know what screw you're referring to. I was having an issue with Lock1 intermittently recognising the ball, working with PB I had to bend the vertical part of the front to the lock chamber such that the ball would sit slightly further forward in the chamber as the ball wasn't completely blocking the LED opto beam. Note that it only required a small change as both Lock2 and Lock3 were always being detected when those balls are stacked up behind the first ball. The best way is to go it single switch test mode, select Lock1 and send a ball up into the hypersleep chamber, what I was seeing was that Lock1 would initially go active but then go inactive - what was happening was that the ball had enough momentum to flex the front vertical part of the chamber and fully block the beam (activating the switch) but when the ball came to rest in the chamber the opto beam would be detected again (hence the switch went inactive). The opto is quite forward and low in the chamber, so even with the ball in the chamber the beam wasn't being fully blocked - bending the vertically metal piece towards the front of the machine allows the ball to sit slightly further forward (~1mm) which ensures the beam stays fully blocked and the game knows there's a ball in Lock1.
Hope this helps
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:This is the kind of feedback I was looking for!
Don’t have an LV, but are those games equipped with 2-stage flippers? That is a pretty significant difference between the gsmes. I assumed they were all the same. Code is up to date.
I have had a LOT of balls drain off the flippers - the ball returns to say the left flipper, and it will roll itself over the bat then just drain hard. Hopefully there is a fix for that
Besides the Muther eject, I also turned the trough kickout and plunger power down until they just had enough power to work properly. I found the plunger was overkill for what it needed to do and some people have had issues with the shooter lane wireform breaking (the wireform welds aren't that strong and I think the plunger power could be contributing to this issue).
1 week later
Quoted from Utesichiban:Thank you. It says out of stock which would be disappointing if true .Does anyone know how to contact Pinball Bros. customer support directtlty?
Has anyone else had this problem? Wondering wht this would be out of stock. I've never just had a switch come off a machine during gameplay like this one did.
I'd suggest logging a support ticket from the below URL (you need to create an account if you don't already have one), more than likely they'll ship you a replacement one.
Quoted from madamyates:Installed the apron mod and beacons and now the right and left EOS switches are not working. Upper flippers work fine but the lower flippers do not. Coils fire in test, switches 49 and 50 do not activate. Any thoughts?
Edit: Updated from 3.1 to 3.2 and they work now. Whatever lol.
Alien doesn't have EOS switches, flipper power is software controlled when the flipper button is held in.
I'm not near my machine but believe switches 49 and 50 are the flipper button switches - I assume you have a LV with dual stack flipper button switches? Do you have staged flippers turned on or off?
Quoted from NashtyFunk:Can anyone give me some basic guidance here? [quoted image]
Looks like the boot drive (with the underlying OS and game code) has failed or is corrupted. I’ve not seen anyone have this issue previously, best to log a support ticket with PB - the customer service is great
6 months later
Quoted from Aurich:Yup, Kelly and Lior worked together to re-render the doors to match the frame.
PB offered to fly me out to Expo this year, but I just couldn't fit it into my schedule, got a lot of my plate right now. Sorry I didn't get to see anyone there, hope people had a good time. Was fun to see all the pics of the cab on the show floor instead of just having Photoshop.
Aurich do you know if they are re-rendering the backbox screen image to match the new ER translite (similar to what they did for the LV)?
Quoted from Dr-pin:What does the ripley version lack in comparision to the lv-version?
The beacons and shaker were included in the LV, but are optional add-ons to the RV.
The LV has lit side blades, custom cut & painted armour, LV cabinet artwork and translite
While the RV has different cabinet artwork and translite, and Lior's sculpted LCD frame, hand-painted Xeno and magnetic apron decal. All of these are available to purchase separately
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:The heavy price tag. Get the RV it's the way to go.
Pbros really stuck it to LV owners. Not a popular move in my book
From a pricing point of view, it depends on which country you're in - here the RV is selling for the same price that I bought my LV. I was in the first round of LV's and the price did go up later on; but with the lit side blades, shaker and becons all included in the LV I'd say it was good value.
I'm definitely excited about the new RV release, as it has reinvigorated Alien in the world of pinball with new videos & callouts, plus the topper & add-ons, and as Kabball posted PB will continue to fix and support the game for longer which is great especially for spare parts and the longevity of the game.
1 week later
Quoted from Kabball:Follow up post now for some reason after putting the playfiend back down and glass in etc etc the auto launching of the balls won't stop. It just does one after another endlessly. Seems very odd with the timing of me lifting up my playfield to inspect things. Any thoughts on where to check? anyone else had this issue?
EDIT - It thinks its missing a ball accoridng to a system message but it is not. All 6 are in there.
Take all the balls out and check the status of all the trough switches and the shooter lane (none should be active). Then drop one ball at a time into the trough checking that the appropriate trough switch closes - most likely one of the trough switches isn't working or has an intermittent wiring connection
Quoted from Kabball:Hey guys a few more details about my missing ball problem. Hoping for some help here as I was really digging the machine and playing a lot lately. I had every shot so dialed in even the hypersleep shot I hit at least half the tries I had. Now I flushed all those fine tunings down the toilet with a factory reset trying to fix my issue
Okay first the image, I found the one circled in red loose not connected to anything. Guessing I did that as I was trying to get the balls before I lifted the playfield and the machine got turned on with it unplugged. I have since plugged it back in but has not helped, the machine is still reacting the same way. Is it plugged into the right spot?
Next are videos showing the situation that seems to clearly indicate that the machine is almost acting like it has a bad connection completely wigging out the trough counter or trough ejecter. Maybe its just ejecting them so quick it always thinks a ball is missing?
EDIT - never mind I can't put in the videos but imagine an infinite loop of ball ejecting from the trough over and overendlessly.
Any thoughts appreciated.
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Did you go into switch test mode and drop the balls into the trough one at a time - are any of the trough switches working or are they all out? You can often verify an IR opto LED in working using the front camera on a mobile phone (note the rear camera typically has an IR filter so you can't use that)
1 week later
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:do they sell the side decals too? tempted to replace my LV decals
Yes cabinet decals sets are available for all 3 versions (SV, LV & ER) - here's the link to the ER set https://pbusasales.com/spare-parts/alien/cabinet/decals/alien-ellen-ripley-decal-set
Quoted from punkin:Just been fucking with it now, but broke a spring.
What does 'Flipper pull duty' do?
I suspect the pull duty is the length of time it applies the power when activating the flipper, so your flipper strength is a combination of the flipper power and pull duty settings.
1 week later
Quoted from Mudflaps:Dumb question. I just updated my code to 4.0, but my firmware is at .57. Do I need to update the firmware also? Game functions normally, no issues.
Yes the f/w update is separate and was released a year ago, I think it was required as part of the 3.1 update
https://pinballbrothers.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/80001052810-firmware-update-0-71
Quoted from ktcoady12:Busted the post in front of the upper right flipper today. Epic fail on Ripley day. I improvised. Does anyone know the post size replacement? Thank you
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PB don't list a replacement, but if switching to an imperial threaded post remember to change the nut side as well.
Here's a few posts on what others have used
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/286#post-7649852
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-brothers-alien-remake-owners-club/page/168#post-7014835
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:Hey guys. I installed my dual switches like this as shown in this post and my flippers are going off opposite as intended. Meaning my first contact on each button is firing my upper flippers first and then the second contact on each is firing my lower flippers. Both switches are wired the same way into the quick connect. They need to be switched and don’t know the easiest way to do this.
No you just need to adjust the leafs as they are contacting in the wrong order (a few of us had this issue when they first released the staged flipper code).
First thing is to confirm the leaf switch closest the button/cabinet wall is activating the lower flipper - ensure the game is set to staged flippers, then use a piece of thick paper to stop the inner most leaf switch from closing and press the flipper button. If the lower flipper activates the wiring is correct, so if removing the piece of paper the upper flipper activates before the lower flipper, then the button is closing the inner leaf (upper flipper) prior to the outer leaf (lower flipper) - in this case you just need to adjust the leafs such that the outer leafs (closest the button) closes first. But if, with the paper inserted, the upper flipper activates then wiring to the leafs is incorrect and needs to be swapped around.
1 month later
Quoted from cookpins:So, these do screw in from the underside. I got one in, but the fitting on the other kept coming out. Even with it out it seems like something within the hole wasn’t installed properly. I think I’ll just leave it with one.
Wonder if this was a new add to the RV model since PB didn’t even know there was a way to secure the backbox beyond the latch.
[quoted image]
The T-nut flange should be on the opposite side from where you're screwing in the screw, such that it pulls everything between the T-nut flange and screw head together. If the "fitting" (I assume you're referring to the T-nut) is coming out, then it implies that the T-nut is installed on the wrong side of the hole or the screw needs to be installed from the other side. As a reference the T-nut in your picture is the wrong way around (the T-nut's prongs should be facing towards the screw head.
Here's how it should look - hope this helps
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Utesichiban:I am finally getting around to updating code on my game to 4.0. When I went to Pinball Bros site to download the code, it was confusing.
It says to go the bottom of the page to download but I don't see a link there. A bit above that it has Link 1 and Link 2. Are those links the download for 4.0 updated code? Which one? Any insight from original SV or LV owners is appreciated.
Yes those are links to download the software - the first one is to Dropbox and the second to Google drive (both contain the same code update, I guess they provide both in case one site is down or someone has problem with downloading it from one of the sites).
You need to upgrade to 3.2 first and also upgrade the firmware to 0.71
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