Drain o beam speech was added into the Outlane drain speech selection list awhile back to , though the overlay is in conflict alittle with the purpose of the lamps which is stroke of luck lighting

I could use some troubleshooting help. I've recently started blowing fuse 115 (I think that's the right number- far right 5A fuse, controls the entire second lamp matrix).

No ideas on this one? When I replace the fuse, I get a few “open circuit” errors in the diagnostic test for Matrix A. All lights in Matrix B work during attract and test mode. As soon as the game exits test mode - fuse blows taking out all of Matrix B. I never get any “Short Circuit” errors in test.

Confirmed. Both times I've achieved "Payback Time" the ball stays in the scoop until the mode times out.

(In fact I came to this thread specifically trying to work out what "Payback Time" is!)

While I am here: thank you so much Apple Juice for your great work on the software. It's just awesome!

Thanks for the message. I am aware of this and will have a fix in v2.23 most likely. My original reply to rygar is quoted below. Payback time is only included in the list of awards the machine can choose from at the sol once you have collected a few awards and also played multi ball and martian attack once. ie its a reward for getting further in the game with my way of saying thank you to Williams T2 was a flagship game in my view from the early dmd days (along with some others) and I have fond memories of it hence the homage. Plus 'Payback Time' does fit the theme to. Give them aliens some payback!!!

Here's one for applejuice

I was running RFM on the original hardware (v2.22). Switched to Nucore when I bought a SWEP1 pf.

After playing with SWEP1 for a while I decided to switch back to RFM on my Nucore (not Pinbox) setup. Upgraded to v1.5 using the update folder and deleteing the nvram files. No issues. Worked like a charm.

Did the same procedure for v2.22. Nucore is now stuck in a restart loop.

I have restarted/tried this many times. Same result. No I am not forgetting to delete nvram or update files. Nucore can't seem to run the 2.22 for whatever reason.

Also. I have tried updating with your software just for shits & giggles. It will simply NOT connect. I keep getting SSH error -2.

Once again I tried troubleshooting. I even tried with regular network cable, crossover cable, fixed IP on both the laptop and nucore box, the passwords/usernames are correct. IP and subnet masks are good. Tried while the game is running, tried with the emulator off. Nothing works.

I *think* I ended up putting the NVRAM files back on mine to make the update work.

BINGO!

Thanks for that I wouldn't have thought to try it.

Thank god too. Couldn't make use of my 6-ball mod. Also it's too easy on the regular code. Played ONE game of v1.5 and Attacked Mars and won. Now not so much lol.

All cleaned and waxed I just finished shopping the pf while it was out for SWEP1. Game is so fast and sparkly/bright. Check out the crud I had under the inserts.

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Cleaning out some spare parts if anyone is interested:

- Complete Pinball 2000 Computer(audio amp, PRISM Board, etc) running RFM 2.22 and ATX PSU
- PRISM daughterboard with RFM ROMs

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I'm thinking of adding a light to the upper-right playfield where it is a bit dark. Has anyone added one next to this martian? If so, what did you attach it to?

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Might not be what you’re looking for, but taking cues from my Spiderman, I put in some spotlights to shine on the martians and send some light across the playfield. I originally pointed them directly at the martians for brightness there and into the corner, but 1) then the middle of the playfield was super dark and 2) it kept the top where the screen needs to reflect darker as well.

Spotlights sit next to the saucers , attached through the ramp on the slings.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I'm trying to match what I did on the other side which involves a soft blue led that makes the images have almost a UV effect. I'm thinking just above the martian.

On all of the RFMs I've seen, there are already spotlights there. They are elevated a bit though (with a hex post).

Oh really? And here I thought I was being clever haha. Yes, I have had it in mind to add a post to pick them up a bit higher.

Yeah, they're pretty tall, like 1.5" maybe. Probably don't need to be that tall.

Yes, IIRC they were there on the earlier games and got removed during production on later games...

Here's a curious one for applejuice ...

My flippers are permanently reversed! That is, I push the left button and the right flipper activates. I push the right button, and the left flipper activates!

I have been playing RFM for the past couple of weeks without any problems. But today when I turned it on, the flippers are reversed. Turning it on and off a couple of times didn't change that. Nor did reactivating 'drunk flipper mode in Martian Happy Hour' in the Adjustments.

Here's some history in case it helps.

When the tech who fixed my RFM, including kindly installing your wonderful software on it, delivered it back to me, drunk flipper mode was activated in the settings. I played a few games with it that way, but it did my head in, so I went into Adjustments and turned that mode off.

(Did I perhaps turn the machine off mid "drunk flipper" mode, causing some variable set somewhere to be permanently stored the wrong way...?

In any case, I'd appreciate any advice you could give on how I could get my flippers back so I can enjoy your software some more

Cheers and thanks again.

Sounds like you turned on party mode - drunk flippers in the settings. There are 2 places in the settings for drunk flippers. One for the mode itself, and the other is party mode which reverses flippers all the time.

Sorry for the delay, but will respond to PMs shortly.

Went to play today and nothing happens when you shoot to end the scene. Is this an optical sensor that lets the machine know the ball has been launched up there? Thanks.

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The whole lexan shield moves back and triggers a switch that’s right behind the spot I circled. Go into switch test and move the plastic “wall” back to see if it triggers.

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Thanks, I tried to do a switch test, but could only find the automatic method. I'll do a little more digging, but thanks for sending me in the right direction.

(lamp errors from LED)

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If you run my software updates you can disable erroneous led lamp errors in the settings.

I would go through all the reported switch problems and check/adjust/replace as required, especially the up/down ramp flap one

I've got a new intermittant problem popping up. The video squishes briefly (see video) - I suspect it is something to do with the tv circuit since it doesn't affect gameplay. Any thoughts?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dE0H-zsGgYQBqaWOuFEW1inhuYxRdqmG/view?usp=sharing

Could be a cold solder joint on the chassis, reflowing the chassis could help.

Dirty Vertical hold or size pot?
If not; I'm be concerned about high voltage on that monitor. When was the last time that monitor was capped?
Hopefully not a duckscan.

I wouldn't play the game until you figure out the answers to these questions - else you risk frying the high voltage flyback in the monitor.

Check all of your monitor connections and make sure everything is clean and tight. That's where I would start, at least.

Thanks guys. I have to learn what all these terms mean. The machine has never had anything done as far as I know....the connections seem a good place to start, it is very intermittent. No problems in the 20+ games today

The flyback is a transformer device that takes lower voltages and "amplifies" to a high voltage used in the CRT tube to force electrons to the front grid. I don't know what the voltage on the low side is... probably 100 volts or so... and the CRT tube needs like 15000-25000 Volts (no not a typo); to generate the beam that hits the inside phosphor to generate the RGB colors of the monitor.

The flyback is an AC device; but the CRT tube need DC ... so there are diodes and capacitors to convert the AC to DC.
The flyback is unobtanium just like the CRT. If either is damaged; the monitor is landfill.

Caps dry out with Age and Temperature and are usually rated for as low as 5000 hours. The high voltage and high temperature in the monitor chassis leads to pre-mature aging of those caps.
If the Caps short; they can take the flyback with it.

The video you posted looks very much like a fluctuating high voltage rail... which probably means you have bad caps "loading" that rail... which means you're flyback is seriously at risk.

Given you don't know that the monitor and it's high voltage caps have been replaced... you're asking for disappointment when you have to toss that monitor.

One of the first things I did a decade ago when I got my RFM is recap the monitor so "in theory" - mine is good for another 10-15 years. Yours is already past it's shelf date if it hasn't been recapped.

I've installed Jims / Apllejuices 6-ball-mod and it seems to be working well. Good to have cleaned under the apron now as well (it had become a little less colorfull there ).

About the caps on the monitor: I don't know if mine have been replaced, but I suppose it's good to find out and search for which capacitors to replace.

If you post good pictures of the monitor circuit boards, we can probably identify it and then you can buy a cap kit for it. Cap kits are fairly easy if you’ve ever done board work before. The only scary part is discharging the monitor.

Sharing little info on things added to the next update v2.23, which is in the works at the mo but not yet released. Possibly an early 2021 release for it

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v2.23 RFM Update (Working In Progress ONLY)

Power Drain - fixed a minor issue where the feature may still run at the end of multiball if it was queued up previously. Ie it wasn’t been canceled cleanly
Mothership - is now trough aware and will launch 1 - the max number of trough balls at mode start. i.e 3 or 5.
Alien Abduction - added more speech, some adult!
Attract - added More Speech to flipper button presses
Paris in Peril - Added more Speech
End of Ball - Added More Speech
Ball Save - Added mMore Speech
Secret Weapon - Added more Speech
Right Popper (Stroke of Luck) - Improved logic to fix a bug where a payback time award would conflict with a lit martian attack mode and result in no ball being kicked out for the payback time duration
Stroke Of Luck - Added new award - ‘Odd Change’
Stroke Of Luck - Added new award - ’10% Player Score’
Stroke of Luck - Improved Collect Bonus Integration. End of Ball Graphics now play when awarded aswell as receiving the score calculated

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I am also thinking about a new party mode that has popped into my head whilst relaxing over the xmas break.

I would like to hear peoples thoughts on it.

This would be a new Party Mode option added to the list of party modes and would be only for games where there are multiple players started.
The titled of it would be 'Score War' and the the Stroke of Luck shot would be changed to only give out either fixed point reduction for all other players or a percentage decrease of their scores. Everything else would be the same and the SOL would be lit & collected in the same way. Could be a fun option to play with your friends (if you know each other well!!)

Let me know what you think anyway.

Respectfully, flybacks are not unobtanium. They aren't easy to get, but they are out there. The only reason to trash a CRT is if the neck is broken and even then a tube swap can be performed, though donor tubes are getting tougher and tougher to source.

Pinball collectors are much different than arcade collectors. Pin guys have to have it NOW. Arcade guys understand that sometimes you just have to be patient.

Put up a link to the flyback transformers used in Duckscan and the Well garner monitor chassis.
If those links point to an actual manufacture that doesn't do it out of his garage; then I will eat my words.

If they aren't available in high volume outlets; then you just proved my point.

Other than that; I do agree "in general terms" with your statements.
That said CRT screens are on life support; and they are on Do Not Resuscitate orders. If you disagree; well... then you aren't paying attention.

Other CRT monitors can be swapped in without a ton of difficulty. My RFM was a re-import from Italy and came to me with a Hantarex MTC9000 monitor swapped in to the original Ducksan frame. CRT's *are* a dying breed, don't get me wrong, but with so many vid guys swapping out CRTs for LCD screens because they don't want to deal with them, the supply isn't going to dry up for a bit yet.

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I'd first try working the connections, pulling the video and monitor connections on and off a few times. If it continues, try to determine how long your game has been on when it happens. If it's a cold/cracked solder joint, those tend to show up after a game has been on a while and warmed up. If it persists and gets worse and you do need a capacitor kit eventually, I or another local can help you. In non-pandemic times, we have a lot of repair parties in Spring and Summer around Washington where people can bring pins, monitors, arcade games, boardsets, etc. and get help fixing them... hopefully we can do some this Summer if thing start to return to normal.

I've heard complaints with RFM the LCD conversion doesn't show pure black, so you see the entire frame mirrored and it doesn't look that great.

That depends...I’ve gone LCD and have no complaints. Someone else may look at it and say “yuck, that LCD looks bad”. It’s a very subjective thing.

I'm sure I'd go LCD if my monitor quits, but I've got a WG in there and they are generally rock solid and totally repairable. I collect arcade games too, so doing cap kits and replacing flybacks is normal stuff for me.

Where are the flybacks for the DuckScan?
I'd happy buy a new one as a spare for later repair.

Flyback for the Wells Gardner K7302 can be bought here: https://www.arcadepartsandrepair.com/store/monitors/monitor-flybacks/dnf-fa2019-wells-gardner-k7300-series-19-monitor-flyback/

Ducksan? Who cares? That chassis is garbage. Once that dog goes bad just replace it with a better chassis. Even one of those cheap universal chassis would be better.

applejuice , I love what you did with the power drain feature!
I have some recommendations for it based on my time with Dialed In.
* Add shaker effects while it is active
* Add lighting effects while it is active (maybe the corresponding left/right alien eye above the flippers blinking with it)
* Shorten the pulses sent to the flipper so that they do not make a full extension. They are extremely short on Dialed In and it makes it feel like you are stunned.

Thank you so making this game even better

The 22" Walmart brand (Onn) LED monitor I installed looks amazing. WAY better than the CRT in it or my Star Wars Ep 1 ever did. I had to swap since I went with a PC based Pinbox system to replace a dead original PC.

I put an actual arcade LCD. I think I got the Vision Pro so it didn't need a VGA converter just plugged right in. I made a custom frame to block out all the back light. I think it looks pretty good. I had the Duckscan and did a recap but didn't fix the problems as it really needed a flyback. After looking and asking around for a flyback with no avail I ended up just trashing it and going LCD. I actually think it looks pretty good.

Shortly after my last post was playing a game. And I knew about the Martian Bowling Bug from 1.5 I believe it was. Well it struck and it's the first time I have had it and I am running software version 2.21. I have been playing it months with no issue and then today it struck. Has anyone else had this issue pop back up. After it shut down and rebooted played fine. On the plus side I wasn't having a stellar game.

I’ve never managed to get that to happen reliably on my game , but if someone can tell me what the sequence of events is for it to occur I will take a look and see if I can fix it once and for all. Williams did say they fixed it originally and I’ve never looked at it so yes it’s still there.

Good call on the shaker effects I will look at that. Lamp effects and Martian eyes for which side is going to ‘power drain’ are included already

Do RFM and AFM share the same audio call outs?

No

I had the issue first game after upgrade.after reboot it has played fine (3 games).