(Topic ID: 104158)

Special Force owners club

By Nokoro

9 years ago


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There are 380 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 8.
#101 8 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

I was thinking about trying to make some of the settings on Special Force a bit harder. One thing I noticed is that I always have a ton of rockets. More than I know what to do with. I was thinking about turning RECALL ROCKETS off, which I believe would reset the number of rockets after every ball. Has anyone done this or changed other settings to make things harder?
(I'm pretty generous with extra balls as well, so I could also up those target values.)

Rockets just seem a little half-baked in the rules. Having too many of them isn't the only problem---the other issue is that they have too little effect on gameplay to be worth trying to earn.

If I wanted to increase difficulty, I'd focus on dialing in the tilt (if you are finding it too easy to save outlane drains through the gates) and perhaps try some fatter rubber on the mini posts.

#102 8 years ago
Quoted from anthony691:

Rockets just seem a little half-baked in the rules. Having too many of them isn't the only problem---the other issue is that they have too little effect on gameplay to be worth trying to earn.
If I wanted to increase difficulty, I'd focus on dialing in the tilt (if you are finding it too easy to save outlane drains through the gates) and perhaps try some fatter rubber on the mini posts.

Yeah, the only use of the rockets is to clear the lanes. They do help as you try to build up the weapons value by shooting the tank blocking the right weapons ramp over and over. I just wish they were more difficult to earn. Getting two more with every ball plus all the ones you get by just having the balls bounce back and force on the targets, not to mention the lanes that spot a letter in the word ROCKET, it just is too easy.

#103 8 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

Yeah, the only use of the rockets is to clear the lanes. They do help as you try to build up the weapons value by shooting the tank blocking the right weapons ramp over and over. I just wish they were more difficult to earn. Getting two more with every ball plus all the ones you get by just having the balls bounce back and force on the targets, not to mention the lanes that spot a letter in the word ROCKET, it just is too easy.

My thinking is that the "R-O-C, K-E-T" standup targets are riskier shots than any of the DTs themselves...

#104 8 years ago
Quoted from anthony691:

My thinking is that the "R-O-C, K-E-T" standup targets are riskier shots than any of the DTs themselves...

I agree. I never shoot for them on purpose. But they are fairly easy to complete just by how the ball ricochetes around.

1 week later
#105 8 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

I was thinking about trying to make some of the settings on Special Force a bit harder. One thing I noticed is that I always have a ton of rockets. More than I know what to do with. I was thinking about turning RECALL ROCKETS off, which I believe would reset the number of rockets after every ball. Has anyone done this or changed other settings to make things harder?
(I'm pretty generous with extra balls as well, so I could also up those target values.)

Ok, I set RECALL ROCKETS in the features menu to 0, but the number of rockets I earn is still saved from ball to ball. What am I missing?

#106 8 years ago

I am missing some sounds, only noticed it b/c I saw some youtube videos. Missing the crickets but most other sounds are there.

My Sound board is recently capped and the game plays with most sounds. Capacitor mod is done @ C12 and I updated the AMP to a TDA2003. Test switch on sound board works too.
-Tried a factory reset(65) and then sounds = 3
-Swappped out the batteries for NVRAM, factory reset(65) and then sounds = 3

Still no crickets, any help appreciated.

#107 8 years ago

there is a way to set up waste rockets..it allows you to fire the rockets even when the Dts are down

#108 8 years ago
Quoted from Meatneck:

there is a way to set up waste rockets..it allows you to fire the rockets even when the Dts are down

Thanks. I know about that, but it is a different setting. Do you know what RECALL ROCKETS does? I figured if you turned it off, it would reset rockets to 2 after every ball, but apparently not.

#109 8 years ago

Ok, I figured it out. RECALL ROCKETS simply determines whether the R, O, C, K, E, T lights will reset after each ball or whether the ones you hit will stay hit. Turning that off doesn't do a lot to make my game harder. But, I did up the threshold values for getting an extra ball, so that may help.

#110 8 years ago
Quoted from eh97ac:

I am missing some sounds, only noticed it b/c I saw some youtube videos. Missing the crickets but most other sounds are there.
My Sound board is recently capped and the game plays with most sounds. Capacitor mod is done @ C12 and I updated the AMP to a TDA2003. Test switch on sound board works too.
-Tried a factory reset(65) and then sounds = 3
-Swappped out the batteries for NVRAM, factory reset(65) and then sounds = 3
Still no crickets, any help appreciated.

Sounds=3 should work so if you don't have crickets, maybe something else is wrong. Is the ball triggering the top ramp switch on the plunge, or is the switch malfunctioning? Also, are you sure you are actually saving a value of 3 and it isn't reverting to 2? I've had problems hitting the right buttons to save values before.

1 week later
#111 8 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

Sounds=3 should work so if you don't have crickets, maybe something else is wrong. Is the ball triggering the top ramp switch on the plunge, or is the switch malfunctioning? Also, are you sure you are actually saving a value of 3 and it isn't reverting to 2? I've had problems hitting the right buttons to save values before.

Still no luck. I am going to write an image to the NVRAM directly, just have to order a couple of parts. Image is preset from PinMame

#112 8 years ago

Hi all. I am new to the club. Just picked up a Special Force about a month ago. Ironed out most of the issues with the machine but cannot figure this out. Once you start the game, it is constantly earning rockets, without so much as firing the ball into the playfield. You can watch the machine to just pile on the points. Super annoying and not sure where to start? Any ideas?

#113 8 years ago
Quoted from mtgedney:

Hi all. I am new to the club. Just picked up a Special Force about a month ago. Ironed out most of the issues with the machine but cannot figure this out. Once you start the game, it is constantly earning rockets, without so much as firing the ball into the playfield. You can watch the machine to just pile on the points. Super annoying and not sure where to start? Any ideas?

Welcome! First check to see if one of the switches is gapped too close. I would check the inlane switches which each spot a letter in rocket. If gapped ok, it could be a capacitor on the switch. I had a faulty capacitor on the bomb M target and it constantly fired at random times.

#114 8 years ago

It looks like your suggestion should fix the problem. I noticed that the "O" switch had no cap and the "C" switch's cap was no good. I suspect if I replace those the problem should be resolved? We will see...

#115 8 years ago

I bet that will resolve the problem. Good luck and report back.

#116 8 years ago

I used 47 pF ceramics. Seems to working. Thx for the help

#117 8 years ago

Well it did not last long. Back to the random scoring with rockets. Caps look good. Any other ideas?

#118 8 years ago

I should mention it has always been temperamental. Sometimes they rockets are not self awarding. Often it seems to be triggered by engaging the flippers. Maybe diode issue? It's seems to have improved since I add those two caps but sadly still inconsistent.

#119 8 years ago
Quoted from mtgedney:

I should mention it has always been temperamental. Sometimes they rockets are not self awarding. Often it seems to be triggered by engaging the flippers. Maybe diode issue? It's seems to have improved since I add those two caps but sadly still inconsistent.

I think you also have a situation in which several of the switches are too closely gapped. I had this as well, and multiple switches would fire from the vibration of the machine -- sometimes just the flippers would do it. First, identify which switches are firing. You can bang around on the playfield with your fist or trigger the flipper. Then, check the gap of the leaf switch. It is probably too close. This is a very handy tool to use to adjust those switches:

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1518

#120 8 years ago

Inline switches were gapped too close. Fixed the problem. Thx

2 weeks later
#121 8 years ago

Does anyone here recall a member that hacked into the SF code to grab some sounds or something? I can't find the post.

#122 8 years ago
Quoted from Drano:

Does anyone here recall a member that hacked into the SF code to grab some sounds or something? I can't find the post.

Was it me? I had posted about looking into the roms and editing text. I didn't get far with the sound roms.

#123 8 years ago
Quoted from winteriscoming:

Was it me? I had posted about looking into the roms and editing text. I didn't get far with the sound roms.

I don't think so. This person had been able to extract some compressed music or something like that.

1 week later
#124 8 years ago

Im still having Flasher problems, checked all the bulbs, getting voltage but none of the flashers work. Anyone have any other suggestions?

#125 8 years ago

I was having an intermittent problem where ball 1 (or any ball as long as there wasn't a ball locked) would, when drained, not register in the trough. DMM said all the trough switches were good. what I thought was an electrical problem, turned out to be a mechanical one. In the attached picture, there is 2 screws right above the rightmost ball. it controls the width of the trough, allowing a ball to pass thru when the coil fires to add a ball into the launch lane.

the trough was too wide allowing the balls to pass over the switches letting the machine think that ball was still in play. loosened said screws up, tightened the overall width and voila! good to go. I wanted this posted so if anyone else is having this prob in the future, check here first before you get too deep trying to figure out a phantom problem.

12920352_1319143914768204_4093539153399849676_n_(resized).jpg12920352_1319143914768204_4093539153399849676_n_(resized).jpg

#126 8 years ago
Quoted from fusion301:

Im still having Flasher problems, checked all the bulbs, getting voltage but none of the flashers work. Anyone have any other suggestions?

They don't work in test mode? I believe the flashers are driven by the transistors that drive solenoids. So the flashers are tested in solenoid test.

#127 8 years ago
Quoted from Meatneck:

I wanted this posted so if anyone else is having this prob in the future, check here first before you get too deep trying to figure out a phantom problem.

thanks for the post!

may come in handy sometime.

#128 8 years ago
Quoted from Whysnow:

thanks for the post!
may come in handy sometime.

Yes, thanks. You learn something new about this game every day.

#129 8 years ago

Thanks for sharing Joe.

#130 7 years ago
Quoted from fusion301:

Im still having Flasher problems, checked all the bulbs, getting voltage but none of the flashers work. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Did you get your flashers working?

2 months later
#131 7 years ago

A friend picked up a SF at TPF and I'm finally getting a chance to play test it. Everything is within my fixing, but need some suggestions for making the ramps. I can make the left ramp, but rarely. I have not made the right ramp once. I've been close a few times, but zero makes. The game has rebuilt flippers, but there's a video on YT where the player is making ramps left and right. I don't need to beat the game to death, just looking for a little more oomph.

#132 7 years ago

Clean and waxy playfield. raise the playfield angle (seems backwards but trust me) fresh flipper rubber. check the slop in your flipper linkages.

#133 7 years ago

Superbands might be a requirement as well.

4 weeks later
#134 7 years ago

What pitch is everyone's playfield at? I'm releveling my games, and I'm not sure of the proper pitch for Special Force. Thanks!

1 week later
#135 7 years ago
Quoted from Melbourne:

Thanks, I did it myself. My original side rails were pitted. Its nothing fancy, just took off the parts/cleaned and spray painted it red with a few coats of clear. I liked the look SkitB did on Predator and just borrowed the idea on this machine.

You should get red t moulding for tye head

1 week later
#136 7 years ago

So I have fixed the ball trough issue and that plays great without blowing a fuse every 5 games. Now I'm down to the ramp shots being next to impossible. Without having them right in front of me, should I look at going to the next level up in coil strength, or doing the completely awesome thing and swap in some Williams mechs?

1 month later
#137 7 years ago
Quoted from desertT1:

So I have fixed the ball trough issue and that plays great without blowing a fuse every 5 games. Now I'm down to the ramp shots being next to impossible. Without having them right in front of me, should I look at going to the next level up in coil strength, or doing the completely awesome thing and swap in some Williams mechs?

I put in some slightly stronger coils and now the ramps are make-able. The right one more than the left one, but an accurate shot will work for either.

I'm still blowing the 1A slo-blo fuse under the playfield every now and then. It's the one with the brown wire going in and the red/black one coming out. I see that the red/black side is going into the relay right there as well. Tracing that further, it goes to the slings. The manual says a lot of stuff runs off of that fuse. Slings, pops, pretty much everything that isn't a flipper. That makes it hard to narrow down what might be causing it because the game fully works as far as I can tell, until the fuse blows.

#138 7 years ago
Quoted from desertT1:

I put in some slightly stronger coils and now the ramps are make-able. The right one more than the left one, but an accurate shot will work for either.
I'm still blowing the 1A slo-blo fuse under the playfield every now and then. It's the one with the brown wire going in and the red/black one coming out. I see that the red/black side is going into the relay right there as well. Tracing that further, it goes to the slings. The manual says a lot of stuff runs off of that fuse. Slings, pops, pretty much everything that isn't a flipper. That makes it hard to narrow down what might be causing it because the game fully works as far as I can tell, until the fuse blows.

What coils did you buy?

#140 7 years ago

I have a new clue for the fuse blowing. In the single solenoid test, some of them were making the fuse glow. Some of them were able to cycle several times, even though I didn't do this for everything, but I had a hunch from a previous fuse that it was the knocker dealing the final blow. See for yourself. If I pass by a test without showing the fuse it is because it does not make the fuse glow. The manual calls for a 1A and that's what's there...

#141 7 years ago

Thanks for the coil number. I recently switched to Titan silicone rubber rings for the flippers, and the right ramp has been impossible ever since. The rings have a bit more tack than normal rubber. There is some thought that after time, when they get a bit dirty, I'll have better luck. But, maybe switching to a better coil is the way to go.

Good luck with your fuse problem. That's outside of my knowledge base. You may want to start a separate thread asking for help. There are a lot of 6803 experts out there, but not all are a part of this thread.

#142 7 years ago

Nope still no flashers, all other solenoids work - wondering if its something with the relay on the board?

1 month later
#143 7 years ago

anyone know where i could find a back glass for my special force? the image on mine is all dried out and cracked.

please send me a PM if you have one or a lead

#144 7 years ago

My roommate just got a special force. I have it mostly working, but there are still a few small issues to work out on it. Would anyone have the schematics scanned in a better resolution than the ones on ipbd? If I print those ones out they're unreadable. Someone havked the display connectors real good, and I need the pin out list specifically, and I need the transistor diagrams so I can follow which transistors fire which coils.

Cheers in advance

#145 7 years ago
Quoted from gregh:

My roommate just got a special force. I have it mostly working, but there are still a few small issues to work out on it. Would anyone have the schematics scanned in a better resolution than the ones on ipbd? If I print those ones out they're unreadable. Someone havked the display connectors real good, and I need the pin out list specifically, and I need the transistor diagrams so I can follow which transistors fire which coils.
Cheers in advance

I'm traveling. If you don't get it sooner, pm me over the weekend. I can take some photos of my manual.

#146 7 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

I'm traveling. If you don't get it sooner, pm me over the weekend. I can take some photos of my manual.

Thanks very much!

#147 7 years ago
Quoted from gregh:

My roommate just got a special force. I have it mostly working, but there are still a few small issues to work out on it. Would anyone have the schematics scanned in a better resolution than the ones on ipbd? If I print those ones out they're unreadable. Someone havked the display connectors real good, and I need the pin out list specifically, and I need the transistor diagrams so I can follow which transistors fire which coils.
Cheers in advance

Ill send you pics in a little bit. Just let me get through one beer and then I'll get those up for you.

#148 7 years ago

Here are some.... If you need more let me know. The book has small print so I hope you can read these. Let me know, I'll check back later to see how you made out.

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#149 7 years ago

Perfect thanks! The other page I cold use is 2-19 if you have that too. It has the wire positions for all the connectors and their colors. Specifically the 3 display ones. Cheers!

#150 7 years ago
Quoted from gregh:

Perfect thanks! The other page I cold use is 2-19 if you have that too. It has the wire positions for all the connectors and their colors. Specifically the 3 display ones. Cheers!

I'll send it to you later today.

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