Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Stern, 2004Quoted from StrangeSubset1:Hi, just joined the club. First thing, pull the batteries, and here it fails already. I took the cam lock out (key was missing), and tried to lift the translate out....no go, it won't lift up enough to get the bottom over the speaker panel. Is there some secret hidden restrain on this pin?
Thanks
Not that I'm aware of. Mine just lifts out once the lock is undone. It can be a bit stubborn sometimes
Got it open. One of the foam side cushions decided to stick to the tape that holds the translate and wouldn't budge.
So I seem to have a couple problems, biggest one, multiball. Every time I lock to balls and I get the 'multiball engaged message and the 3rd ball goes into the main VUK (the center one), the machine just freezes up.
Turn on and off, nothing. Cannot even get into diagnostic mode. I have to take the glass off and manually pull out the ball in the FUN assembly to get the game back up. Any idea?
Quoted from oldskool1969:Switch test and check it has latest code Dude. Good luck
Wow. This is my first post 2000 pin. That is some weird diagnostic menus. What is the latest ROM version if I may ask.
The diagnostic tech has 3 switched and one optos malfunction, I'll check those on the weekend. Playfield is in really good condition but it is filthy, sound like an opto issue, similar to STTNG.
Btw. the tech report is funny....listing error of switches that if you look them up don't exist . Matrix lists them as not used. Very funny.
At least there is no battery damage, boards look like they came out of factory yesterday, still with original batteries (nvram on order). Audit menus shows 95 games played, seems too low though. Haven't looked through the menus in too much detail yet, but is that audit a hard one (only reset by pulling batteries) or can it be reset by the software. Previous owner did have the machine for 10 years, and it wasn't used much in the last couple years, but 95 just seems way too low.
You can reset through the software I'm 99% sure. Latest code should be 3.2. Not sure about the freezing up problem. I'm kind of a noob, some guys here with much more experience can probably help you out on that one
Joined the club a couple months ago with RBION as my first pin. Great game and really enjoying it. Anyone else having issues with the scoop shooting the ball straight down the middle drain missing the left flipper completely. Mine seems pointed straight down the drain and almost looks bent to the right. Does that sound like a broken weld. Guess I should take it off and check. I'd guess 30% of the time it's not even possible to touch the ball. I've had 6 Million point games where the only points scored were skill shots.
Quoted from Rackleye:I've had 6Nillion point games where the only points scored were skill shots.
haha this game can be your worst nightare if you want it to. The adjustable outlanes on this game make all the diff'rence because the flipper gap isn't big.
I would check the scoop and make sure it's screwed in with all the screws and non are lose, that's an easy way it could be screwy....but obviuosly check for welds.
Ok, went through all optos and all switches. Couldn't find any issue on the main VUK, but I am guessing when the ball roles in from the rear hole, it might not trigger the switch long enough to engage the coil. Will bend the leg and see how it goes.
Otherwise, I oy found one optos that is not working. Opto 23, shrunken head opto. Question, how do I find out if it is the optos or the optos board. Have not really any experience with optos, first game I own that have them.
EDIT:
So I found what is causing my multiball crash. Coil 13 (lock kicker) not firing. Instead, when I test is in the diagnostics, once I try to fire it, the diagnostic menu crashes and exits. Start screen and the weird 3 tick noise from the back box is coming up. I disconnected the coil and get the same result, sounds like some sort of short somewhere. Any help is appreciated.
Another edit, and apologies for asking so many questions.
So I pulled the J9 connector from the board, just to see if it was a wiring short in the harness.
I test coil 9-12 and obviously nothing happens, coil 13 and the diagnostics crash. On any other game I would have suspected battery damage, but this thing looks like it came out of the factory yesterday.
Quoted from Rackleye:Joined the club a couple months ago with RBION as my first pin. Great game and really enjoying it. Anyone else having issues with the scoop shooting the ball straight down the middle drain missing the left flipper completely. Mine seems pointed straight down the drain and almost looks bent to the right. Does that sound like a broken weld. Guess I should take it off and check. I'd guess 30% of the time it's not even possible to touch the ball. I've had 6 Million point games where the only points scored were skill shots.
Is there a Cliffy on it?
Geez. Keep on finding more issues. The flashers behave weirdly as in not all all. If I go into the cycling flashers menu, all that is flashing is #30. And it is not the bulbs.
Quoted from StrangeSubset1:Geez. Keep on finding more issues. The flashers behave weirdly as in not all all. If I go into the cycling flashers menu, all that is flashing is #30. And it is not the bulbs.
Are the connectors in the right sockets? check with manual. Always hard to tell over the inter web.
Dont mess with it any more after that if your not sure, pay the $ and get a tech. Ask the tech lots of questions re optos while he/she is there. There are a few tricks to do with camera on the phone.
Quoted from oldskool1969:Are the connectors in the right sockets? check with manual. Always hard to tell over the inter web.
Dont mess with it any more after that if your not sure, pay the $ and get a tech. Ask the tech lots of questions re optos while he/she is there. There are a few tricks to do with camera on the phone.
Yup. Everything is connected correctly.
Not sure if I need a tech. Pretty good with multimeter and diagnostics, as long as I know what I am looking for.
I just have no idea what the game reset on firing the coil 13 is causing. After I found this out through the coil test, I tested it in the game. The VUK is fine. Must have been a coincident on the first game I played. It is the coil. Once all three balls are in the lock (and the switches all register), the game crashes. I assume it is once the signal is sent.
Could this be a defective ROM?
Quoted from Cash_Riprock:Is there a Cliffy on it?
Yep. I rebuilt it today. Welds are fine but cliffy was bent favoring the center rather than left. I reshaped the cliffy and retightened everything. Man the wear around the hole is pretty bad. Seems like that's pretty common for Ripleys. Plays much better after the work I did today. Thanks for everyone's contribution to this thread. I'll order a new Cliffy for later as well but for now seems much better.
Quoted from Rackleye:Joined the club a couple months ago with RBION as my first pin. Great game and really enjoying it. Anyone else having issues with the scoop shooting the ball straight down the middle drain missing the left flipper completely. Mine seems pointed straight down the drain and almost looks bent to the right. Does that sound like a broken weld. Guess I should take it off and check. I'd guess 30% of the time it's not even possible to touch the ball. I've had 6 Million point games where the only points scored were skill shots.
I bet you money it's a broken weld. Mine did almost the same thing until rewelded.
Edit: just saw your post above saying the welds looked good. 
mine has a cliffy and it doesn't affect the ball trajectory at all. I'd just tweak the scoop
Here's what I have found. For whatever reason, (or as Rackleye posted he re-shaped Cliffy)after awhile of time of a Cliffy in RBION the SDTM 'syndrome is bound to happen. I change the Cliffy and back in action. I'd rather replace and keep pf protected and also keep Cliffy in business! : )
If you see this Cliffy thanks again for the great products and hope all is well!
Hey guys just joined the club and can't wait to start this journey. Had a few questions for you pros. Would a shaker be worth it on this pin? I also have some call outs going in and out when I hit the middle ramp (left ramp) as it goes to the upper play field,could the sound Roms have a problem? And what's the differences between 3.01 and 3.02 version? Thanks for any help.
Just on-boarded an RBION recently, and my first order of business was to remedy Stern's lack of playfield toys. (Third photo, across the top: unicorn, Neptune, Loch Ness Monster, Taj Mahal, Phoenix, Yeti, Mayan Temple, Giant Squid, Parthenon, Jackelope, Pyramids.)
The Idol was made from a paper cup and an old plastic lei. The first version looked even better, with easter basket grass for hair, but tended to get in the way of the habitrail, so I cut it down a little. The alien undergoing the autopsy actually sits really securely but the occasional airborne ball jiggles it; thus far I haven't had to take off the glass to fix it. Bigfoot's going nowhere; very, very solid placement because it has adjustable limbs, so I just fiddled with it until it was wedged in securely.
As a more major project, I'd like to take off the tombstone standups and paint actual tombstones on them.
Quoted from TheLaw:As an RBION lover that's like pictures of your kids being abducted.
EDIT: Oh ffs I thought this was the mod removers thread
He should check to make sure that tiki idol isn't flammable. Like, hold a lighter under it for a few minutes. Last thing you want it a lamp setting it off.
Quoted from Lawlor_and_Order:Just on-boarded an RBION recently, and my first order of business was to remedy Stern's lack of playfield toys. (Third photo, across the top: unicorn, Neptune, Loch Ness Monster, Taj Mahal, Phoenix, Yeti, Mayan Temple, Giant Squid, Parthenon, Jackelope, Pyramids.)
The Idol was made from a paper cup and an old plastic lei. The first version looked even better, with easter basket grass for hair, but tended to get in the way of the habitrail, so I cut it down a little. The alien undergoing the autopsy actually sits really securely but the occasional airborne ball jiggles it; thus far I haven't had to take off the glass to fix it. Bigfoot's going nowhere; very, very solid placement because it has adjustable limbs, so I just fiddled with it until it was wedged in securely.
Quoted from Lawlor_and_Order:As a more major project, I'd like to take off the tombstone standups and paint actual tombstones on them.
there are decals for that, FYI.
Quoted from Lawlor_and_Order:And yes, this sucker's inside, between the glass and the display.
Ohhh yikes!!! How creepy! Maybe a welcome addition to an AF machine though
I just did the impossible. Atlantis on ball 1...believe it or not! I've gotten Atlantis a few times before, but never that early. When you get all 7 letters the first time through you get a perfect letter bonus of 10 million. Plus I get through all the continents again with only 3 letters this time and it gave the perfect bonus again. I guess the code doesn't account for that scenario. 111 million after ball 1. Ended up with 156 million. It was AMAZING!
It wasn't all roses though. On my ball 1 I got 5 Super Jackpots and I couldn't get the last two for Frog Frenzy. 
I hit one right as I drained out of multiball, but it didn't give me credit for it. Man I love this game. Had it for years and it never gets old. What a challenge!
Note to self, fix the last S LED. It's hardly ever lit so I didn't know it was out.
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Quoted from LesManley:Ended up with 156 million. It was AMAZING!
It wasn't all roses though. On my ball 1 I got 5 Super Jackpots and I couldn't get the last two for Frog Frenzy. .
haha damn dude that's awesome! I thk we've talked before aboot the Altantis scores always being close together....right around 150m. Perfect letter score...that's a new one.
Frog Frenzy...so impossible. I had a game awHile ago I got like 4 SJ on the first MB and then not 1 more the rest of the game...wtf!!
Quoted from TheLaw:haha damn dude that's awesome! I thk we've talked before aboot the Altantis scores always being close together....right around 150m. Perfect letter score...that's a new one.
Frog Frenzy...so impossible. I had a game awHile ago I got like 4 SJ on the first MB and then not 1 more the rest of the game...wtf!!
I had never gotten Atlantis the first time through so the perfect letter bonus was new to me too. So close to my second ever Frog Frenzy, I thought with 5 SJPs on ball I would get there again, but that dream died.
Quoted from ItsBwalt:Just joined the club! My first pin! It's pretty freakin awesome. Just curious as well if anyone has added a Shaker motor to theirs and if its worth it on this game?
Quoted from Wildbill327:Welcome to the club I just joined a few weeks ago and so far this game is kicking my butt. I'm also curious about a shaker motor so hopefully someone could let us know how it is. Have fun with your new toy!
From what I've read I'm not even sure if a shaker motor will even work with this pin? It's not on any of the shaker motor compatibility lists I can find.
Another new member here! I found a super clean one and am thrilled to own it. I have a question for you guys. I read somewhere that you need an updated Rom chip for Frog Madness. Is that true? If so, what's the chip version # to look for?
p.s. Don't worry. It's not this purple in person.
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:p.s. Thankfully, it's not this purple in person.
it better not be 
I've never heard of that but don;t worry you won;t be getting there anyway most likely.
3.20 is current.
Welcome to the club!
Hey guys, maybe a dumb question, but after I finish a continent, what triggers the next continent to start blinking on the playfield?
Right ramp re lights continents when not lit and then either vary target or sometimes VUK will start mode. If I remember right.
Quoted from oldskool1969:Right ramp re lights continents when not lit and then either vary target or sometimes VUK will start mode. If I remember right.
Thanks!!
One more thing I havnt figured out. What's the function of the sign in the back right corner that says " believe it or not, kick up score when lit" and it has the A, B, C that are sometimes lit.
Hey guys - I'm having my Ripley's delivered this week and am geeking out a little bit, having been a fan of the game for years. The pinball arcade has a great set of rules, but it's tough in the middle of a game to remember what the goals of each continent are, how to trigger a super jackpot, etc. I borrowed from the instructions in that game pretty liberally and made my own physical copy. My amazing wife laminated them and we're going to have them next to the machine for us and our guests to check out if they're interested. Here are some shots of the first two pages (7 or 8 in total). If anyone would like a copy of the .pdf PM me your email address and I'll send them your way. Glad to be part of the RBION club.
Quoted from oldskool1969:Right ramp re lights continents when not lit and then either vary target or sometimes VUK will start mode. If I remember right.
What a lot of people don't realize because the mode timers are so quick is that you can stack modes. Start one, hit the right ramp and then the vari target and start another mode while the first is going. It's hard to do since there isn't a lot of time, but if you can start two modes and then hit your multiball start under the shrunken head for instance, it can be very helpful for killing two birds with one stone.
Is there any way to increase the timers (like hit another shot) in the continents? I always run out of time so I've never gotten them all completed.
Quoted from luvthatapex2:Is there any way to increase the timers (like hit another shot) in the continents? I always run out of time so I've never gotten them all completed.
Once you start a continent, getting a shot into the scoop will add more time in certain modes.
Thats helpful thanks!!!
Quoted from BubbaBeast:Once you start a continent, getting a shot into the scoop will add more time in certain modes.
My wife just made a topper for our RBION and I thought it was too cool not to share!
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