Great work

... with your "how to" PDF

For sure

@J i m : not sure if you're still collecting ideas for a future release, but here're few :

- while in mystery, when you get COLLECT BONUS, pity there's nothing more on the screen than just these 2 words (would be easy to almost show how much points it is, or play the similar routine from the existing one when draining the ball, or program something similar but different)

- my son said : while in "drunk mode", if you start something else as amultiball (with HAPPY HOUR still running behind), flippers remain inverted... to me, i admit i like it that way (stay inverted), my son would prefer flippers back to normal (may be add this to choose in the settings)

- another possible setting about the "drunk mode" : may be having it enable always came a bit to often (in fact 1 mission out of 9)... than why not this 3rd option in settings : "mystery only drunk mode" : in this case, no/never drunk mode while starting HAPPY HOUR, but if you shoot the scoop with MYSTERY lit, than 1st gift will always be "drunk mode" until the end of the mission (or draining the ball)

- not sure if you can add/program some more animation which are not already in the game, but than :
you already add the SNEAK IN message for the scoop... why not adding a variable not resseting on every new game, and than every X sneak in (if player is not in multiball), you'll get the CRAZY BOB SLOT MACHINE : a slot machine is running on the screen, you'll stop it with the launch button (or by hitting the 4 actions buttons)... lots of various prizes can be created : 3 cow big points, 3 martians heads for small points, 3 pinballs for an extra ball, 3 missiles for +X missiles, 3 bombs for 1 smart bomb, 3 fuel for X seconds ball saver, 3 cars for .........................

- still have to check what it does now, but with the 4 in/outlanes : when you have already MYSTERY ready at the scoop, making all 4 lights again could give something else (+1 smart bomb, + X advance mutiplier bonus, light EB, bonus held)

- when ball is ejected from the scoop, if you control ball to aim and/or shoot directly ball back in it (with no other switch between), game is thinking ball was not ejected correctly and eject it again without doing nothing (and of course its initialy nice as it if pin as a coil fault)... but this could also be use as another added feature : SCOOP SKILLSHOT... may be setting a limit of X seconds to redo the shoot... reward could be + 10% of your actual score (this working ONLY 1 time per ball, else it could quickly become an easy & too lucrative shoot)

edit : about last idea, with having this availabke only once per ball, it also makes the strategy being very fun & nice with risk/reward to try do the shoot, always asking now... or later (never) !?

With my machine almost 20 years old I knew it was time to replace the batteries inside, but I had been putting this off because I was dreading having to separate the PRISM sandwich card to replace the BR2325 button cell. I don't have a divider tool, can't find a divider tool, and have no idea how to separate the card with a toothbrush like some people suggest. (I'm going to assume it's a secret like how people in the future use three seashells in the restroom.) Even if I did have a tool, that thing is sealed tight so I know it's not going to survive my accident-prone self from mangling it somehow.

So I figured out a way to do this in minutes without ever worrying about taking apart the PRISM card and breaking it. All you need is a small flat head screwdriver, needle nose pliers, some electrical tape and a pick tool like the one below...

https://imgur.com/dGBbWxx

First, take your small flat head screwdriver, direct it into the card (in the direction indicated below towards the battery) and stick it under the battery.

https://imgur.com/3QQmFCH

Leave the screwdriver there, then take some needle nose pliers and pull the battery out a bit so it's no longer fully in its socket. Remove the pliers for a moment so you can pull out the screwdriver. Now use the needle nose pliers again and this time pull the battery completely out of the sandwich card.

Next, I recommend wrapping electrical tape around the grips of the pliers for the next step of reinserting a replacement battery. (You don’t want to scratch and scuff up your new battery and – as I quickly learned while experimenting with the old battery – you WILL scratch and scuff it up if you don’t do this.)

But first you have to figure out a way to lift up the clip in the battery holder and keep it up. Enter the sandwich board from the opposite side with your pick tool (as depicted by the arrow in the below photo)...

https://imgur.com/UNyeGXa

Slip the prong of the pick tool underneath the clip from behind and gently lift it up. Then (with the electrical tape already applied to your needle nose pliers), enter the board from the opposite side and start to place your new battery under the raised clip (entering from the same direction as the first time you inserted the pliers). Once it has started to get under the clip, remove both tools to inspect. Then reinsert the needle nose pliers and continue gently sliding it in until its completely snug inside the battery holder. Super easy.

By the way, I was actually surprised after replacing both the BR2325 and the CR2032 (on the PC motherboard) that you do not lose your game’s ROM version, any settings, or high scores. The date/time resumes from when you removed the old CR2032 battery so the only inconvenience is you will now need to update the time after you power on the machine.

(EDIT: Sorry about the links. I can't figure out how to post photos in between the text in my tutorial!)

did you check the cpu fan at the same time? also check the MB caps?

I did not. Was surprised by how dust-free the inside looked (along with the fan) so I left everything else alone.

I'm not looking forward to fixing this...does anyone have a scan or picture of this area that they can send me? I think this is the insert I need-
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-7166-2
75540257_10220752581987502_5189785876279853056_n (resized).jpg

What the flying fack? SOmeone drill through the insert? Did it melt?

My best guess is incandescent bulbs weakened it over time and maybe an airball landed on it squarely?

We have had it in our pinball club for a couple years now.

I'll send a pic along later today.

Also, the insert appears to be the star type:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=Green+star+insert

Any update on when the MRS reproduction will begin? I had no issue with mine until today - diverter would not trigger for about 15 games, then it is all back to normal. I am assuming this is because at least one of the MRS is on its way out (diverter triggers just fine in settings menu).

Back in production.....just PM me to be put on the list.....they are hand-made - so it'll take a few weeks to get to you.....(Plus everyone wants typically 3 an order...some even more - just shipped 4 to a customer today - 10 to a customer not too long ago!). In addition to the MRS-R (R=reproduction) I also make an MRS-CFTBL for the whirlpool in Creech.

Recently joined the club. Game is in pretty good condition except some wear in couple inserts and cabinet decals need replacing. Loving it so far, what a joy to maintain vs older Williamses. Everything comes off so easily.

A question about bulb brightness. I have incandescent bulbs everywhere and they seem to be quite dim. I'm wondering if they're supposed to be like this or if my driver board needs some service. A bit hard to describe the brightness so I attached a pic with 44 and 555 bulbs showing. The spotlight brightness is normal but the 44 in the back is really dim compared. Could anyone share a similar comparison pic? A DSLR camera with same settings would help. This one I just grabbed with cell but can take another if someone can help to compare.

Reason I started doubting if this is a normal brightness at all it is that I had a weird glitch with 8A column lights suddenly getting really bright while rest stayed normal. Switched the machine off, inspected wiring and driver board w/o finding anything and retried with everything back normal again. Driver board does need a wash but it's not terribly dusty, so I wonder if ULN or TIPs could have had a one time lock (which sounds odd to me).

EDIT: There was some reason for driver board to get upset. I replaced all bulbs when I did a full PF tear down and clean up and used pinball center's bulbs, which seem to be really poor quality. One of then had double internals and game reported it as short, see the pic. Few just didn't work and one was lit really dim but still was getting extremely hot. You can see it in upper left corner of the attached pic, inside the apron. The dual head mutant bulb wasn't in the column the got really bright but the hottie bulb was, so wonder if the high current could have affected the circuitry without blowing a fuse.
IMG_20191230_202548 (resized).jpg
IMG_20191230_210018 (resized).jpg

Thanks P1nhead !

How much would cost an invoice to France for 3 of them?

It's been pretty darn consistent....to Europe or Australia is $15.....

Welcome to the club, its a fun game with great humor.

Regarding the dark illumination, I've Always thought the pf is rather dark so the tv reflection would be easily visible. Too much ambient light and the screen picture will look bland.

Just got my RFM up and running agin after my last Pinbox PC build bit the dust.

Went for something more ready made this time, I can recommend a Dell Optiplex 780 which can be picked up very cheap these days as a great plug and play option. Make sure you get the Small form factor (SFF) as it is a good size to just slot in and has the parallel port. It runs very smooth!

Plus loaded up the new 2.20 code while I was building the Pinbox and its awesome! I've made my donation towards further code updates

Also if people are thinking about building a Pinbox machine, this post helped! http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=159188.0 made getting it up and running really quick.

Working on the next batch of MRS' - PM if interested!

MRS-R (resized).jpg

I have an Optiplex 760 SFF on the bench now can confirm it and various other flavors run well. With the right video card, you can even support existing CRTs.

Interested in your setup procedure and target OS+PB2K engine

Any info on CRT compatible video cards?

Pinbox seems to crash less than Nucore, which is a little ironic. The OS is a part of the install. The only issue with Pinbox is you have to fiddle with the settings a bit to get the CRT to work.

Flavors of the Radeon 5450 will work. Get the one with the dedicated ports and not the one that needs the pigtail/splitter connection.

I was never 100% satisfied with where I landed with this in either case. I ended up getting an ArcadeVGA as a last resort for pinbox... and I had issues with my sound settings (driver or whatever) in new core. I got busy with restoration so I stopped working on it.

I had better luck with Intel over AMD on my builds, but you're right. Neither are perfect. I also have extra parts for the factory hardware just in case.

Figured I’d post this here because it applies to this game too. I use an $8 “bent plastic” DMD glare guard on my Star Wars Episode 1 to eliminate the translite glare from the playfield glass. Lift the translite, insert the guard into the channel and set the translite back in place.

3rd pic show the reflection of the translite on the playfield glass with the guard off.
Last pic shows the glass with the guard on.
4433b6c876339de711aaa4974126e6d3a78315a0.jpeg (resized).jpg4e2b94aa91b1e03a057d5bfec58105165fa17eb1.jpeg (resized).jpg449d01f53dd558c8665f29a076e4d6d692d5443f (resized).jpg54b479f5d1714bc7e997a60c864519b8623a50c7 (resized).jpg

If you are still running the CRT is there a video amp still around to boost it up like the ultimarc? Or is that the only option? I'm seeing a dead link on their page for it. I did a cap kit on the monitor new flyback and hot and now it's running great it just seems weak. Before I rule out a weak tube, I'd like to try a video amp for it and keep my CRT a little longer. Thanks!

Looks like he moved the link, here it is: https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade-vga-and-video/arcadevga-accessories/arcade-monitor-video-amplifier/

Should get you the output you're looking for No RFM with a CRT should be without one.

I've been looking for something like this for a while. Where did you find this?

Awesome thanks! Ordered! Yea I'm hoping this brings me some life out of that tube! It's really weak looking. Sometimes you get lucky with a cap kit but not this time. I've been stock piling parts for my RFM so I can shop it out finally. It's in great shape and I can't seem to stop playing it enough for a full shop out so I keep doing one part at a time and play it more

Pinball Life have them, possibly other places too.

Yes , pinball life is where I bought it. I have one on all my dmd pins.

Ah, it's listed under "Bent Plastic", no wonder I had trouble searching for it lol.

THIS. You nailed it man. See picture. Just upgraded my RFM to all LEDs from Comet. Single SMD lamps. Thought it would be cool. Way to freaking bright compared to the monitor now. I had already recapped, installed a video amp, and had a bright monitor.

Going back to incandescent with a bunch of it. P2K owners need to be VERY careful with LED lighting. I had to completely remove some LED GI lamps in the back playfield where the monitor reflects.

The GI lighting also strobes a bit, due to how the lighting matrix works. LED GI in RFM makes the ball hard to follow when moving fast. Attached a picture of what my oscilloscope shows on a RFM GI lamp. You can't see the strobing by just looking at a LED lamp, but man, it shows up with a fast moving ball!

My advice: Buy LED lamps for most of the playfield inserts. Color match your LEDs to the inserts for all colors, expect for the yellow inserts. Go warm white with the yellow inserts, yellow LEDs looked pretty dull compared to warm whites in the same insert.

IMG_20200131_222817 (resized).jpg

IMG_20200131_223830 (resized).jpg

You're suggesting LED for the inserts, but incandescent for everything else?

Mine was LED-ified, but thinking about going back to incandescent.

Bye bye the club.
Will miss rfm but that's the way it is..
Have fun!

Try green LEDs under the red ramps in the back of the playfield, The red ramps cancel out the green light going up to the monitor

See ya, hope ya get a fun game to replace it with.

Hope to get a deadpool

I'm thinking about getting a CRT to put into my RFM. It came with a crap little LCD, which I replaced with a much nicer one. I kind of want to try a CRT in there just for fun. Can most any monitor fit? Does it need a special shaped frame to fit in there or will something like a Wells Gardner K7000 or K4900 fit?

Also, is there anyone in the Portland, OR area that has a CRT I might be able to get from them. I'm OK with monitors that have burn-in. It seems to be my lot in life that I have to keep doing tube swaps, even though they are hard as hell to find around here.

LEDs are so subjective to preference. On one hand they make the machine more attractive, turn on/off quicker, run cooler, etc. It's just something that you need to experiment with. I can see now why many veterans here don't recommend LED kits.

I think a lot of RFM owners suffer from a dim monitor. I'm trying to establish a reference point for monitor brightness. I made this post (see link below)before I realized there was a thread dedicated to this game. I'd like to compare what other RFM owners measure form their monitors.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/revenge-from-mars-monitor-brightness-actual-measurements-included

You might want to hit up Melvyns28 - He just put an LCD in his.

still looking for this plastic...........anyone?

4b8916ea831442ec0a390656c70f10c5bb33fe57 (resized).jpeg

https://www.pinball.center/en/shop/pinball-parts/playfield-parts/plastics/

Type revenge in search they have them

unfortunately they do not ship to the U.S. unless you go thru ZITT here on pinside