This is basically correct. Certainly you have to have a Pinsound System installed, and at least the additional Shaker Motor Controller Board installed. In addition, you have to have a controllable media player (Sprite) which connects to the controller board. Then you have to have a video screen which plays the video (I posted earlier on this page, source is on YouTube). That video is file #000. In addition, other files have been created which are trigger by specific settings selected in Pinsound Studio. I have (6) files which are triggered, #001 through #006. These are brief "borg related" files which are keys to specific callouts. After they play, the video screen returns to file #000 which is the "loop file".

During pinball gameplay, if you were to never reach the Borg Multi-ball Challenge, the "loop media file" would continue to play for an hour, never repeating, video. So it's always new and interesting.
In talking with the designer of the media player, it's going to be possible in the future for the system to "pickup" where the loop file left off.
This is desirable in my case for this application, so all of the playback video topper media eventually gets seen.

Hope this answers your questions

Thanks for that detailed explanation. How do you trigger specific videos based on the specific sounds using pinsound studio and that media player?

Actually, there are 5 "fixes" that need to be done and its a TON of work. That's why STTNG has a bad reputation about being hard to keep running.

1. Tie Back
2. Cannon Looms
3. Rebuild drop target
4. Pull, clean, and rebuild subway
5. (and I can't stress this enough) Clean all the Optos!

Everything else will gust make the game play better or feel better. If any of these 5 are down or broken, you will have problems finding balls, loading balls, or the coils just won't work.

6. Additionally, inspect the opto boards in the ball trough. They usually have been hacked on or have soldered wire messes.
7. Inspect your General Illumination connectors on the Power Driver Board. Many cases they have been burned, broken, rigged, hacked and have wiring bypasses.
8. Removed your battery holder from the cpu board and at least use a new battery holder / batteries extended to the bottom of the cabinet.

Optos make or break the system's ability to operate correctly. there are 16 sets throughout the playfield and below. Some you can only get to when removing stuff to clean and/or fix. Take time with this or the game will frustrate you later.

I have multiple files on a high speed thumbdrive. The looping or normal file is #000. All other additional files are numbered #001 through #009.
You CAN'T play a specific video media file, however I have created a pinsound profile to trigger the media player to activate on specific Pinsound "Borg" verbal callouts. "Send to Star Fleet, we have engaged the Borg" will fire a trigger, playing (1) of the nine Borg media files.

Everytime a Borg reference happens, the media player will play a new Borg media file. Files are about 50 seconds each. After a clip finishes, it fades to black and the normal topper media fades up from black seamlessly.

The media all has sounds to match what is being seen at any time.

As previously mentioned, there are multiple systems working together to make this interactive media topper work. Listening to actual game code (like Pinsound Plus boards do) would be great however no reason to reinvent the wheel.

TECH TIP of the Week:
Want to upgrade your speakers in your STTNG? But the tiny right speaker hole holding you back? Consider changing your speaker panel without the hassle of hole cutting, and messing with T-nuts.
VirtuaPin is your solution. In addition to providing installation of a matching 5.25" speaker, and better sound....it makes installing led speaker mods practical.

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I've become an expert at cutting a larger hole having done it on my STTNG, Judge Dredd, Demo Man and Indiana Jones. All but Indiana Jones have speaker lights. EATPM is next to get done.

The Force is strong with you! I've done it once or twice... It's worth the $39. plus shipping for me lol

Started getting 2 balls at a time now and again. I never took a close look at the trough opto boards until now and noticed a soldered wire on one. Time to replace them, I had some issues with my Judge Dredd years ago, replaced the boards and haven't had any problems since.

Could someone send me a pic of the connections on their trough boards. I’ve had a bit of a hack done to the cabling connection of mine but as they’ve never failed I’ve been reluctant to change and tidy it out. Had the game for 10years and still rate it as one of the best shooters with great flow!

Take lots of pictures! It can help to label each of the connectors as well.

Can you remove the door from the hinges to the room? That is what I needed to do. I don't suggest removing the head off the machine, unless you really know what you're doing.

Hello everyone. Thought I would repost this STTNG Mod with additional information
INTERACTIVE VIDEO TOPPER

Basically this is a cool video topper which can play on a screen sitting on top of a machine, or on a larger display mounted to the wall of your game room.
Enhance your game experience!
More than an hour of 1080HD media, includes nebula, starfields, Starfleet ships, Romulan Ships, Klingon ships, Federation Logos and more, even a clip from the Engine Room. Complete with ship engine sounds and more.

INTERACTIVE portion: When you encounter the Borg during pinball gameplay, the screen switches to 9 different Borg encounters.
Requirements:

You must have, or are going to purchase:
* Pinsound System
* Shaker Motor / Controller Board
* Provide your own HDMI display (recommend the display have sound)
* Recommend a soundbar for better audio
* suggested but not required, some experience with Pinsound Studio Pro

Additional info:
more information: [email protected]

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How about just leaving one bolt holding the backbox and rotating the head around as a pivot.
You should be able to turn it enought to fit the doorway.

Take the door Jamb out, much easier than removing or turning the back box

Just take the head off it’s not a big deal. Unplug all the connectors from the boards and the rest will be obvious. Even the Enterprise would separate from its lower section occasionally and they did it all in their pajamas.

Here are some pictures from my machine after I fixed it. Mine had a few hacks that I removed when I repaired the connectors and harness. Your power connector on the LED PCB assembly may have 4 wires on it. Mine did before I fixed it so it now matches the manual. When I spliced the harness I used all the correct wire colors and sizes, spaced the joints out so they weren’t all at the same position and used the Chris Hutchins method of strain relief on the connectors.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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This is actually not that difficult to do. But before you go through the effort, verify that the machine cant slide through sideways with the machine on its back and strapped (shipping position)

Before you start buy these to lable your connectors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNXKVVK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1

NOTE:
Even though every cable is supposed to be keyed so they cant be put on wrong, you just never know. Use those label ties on every connector you remove (there are many) as you need to remove every connector from the two cable harnesses that go into the cabinet; one is for the playfield and the other for the cabinet. All these cables should be in two split loom conduits that are tie wrapped to the head, you will need cut these tie wraps to free them from the head; you can either drop them all into the cabinet (recommended) or feed them through the cutouts in the head as its being removed.

Actually removing the head is a fairly easy process and while this can be done by yourself, it should be done with 2 people:
1) Remove the back glass and set it aside.
2) Open the back glass light board.
3) Lower the speaker panel and disconnect all wiring; remove the speaker panel from the head.
4) Disconnect and label ALL wiring between the head and the cabinet and remove any ties securing these harnesses to the head.
5) Close the backbox light board, lock it in place and install the 1/4" hex screw to secure it in place.
6) Ensure you actually have the 2 wing nuts installed that secure the head to the cabinet.
7) Release the head clamp clamp in the back of the machine.
8) Remove the nuts/bolts/washers (3 on each side) that secure the 2 hinge plates (one on each side) to the head. Hold these while the last nut is removed on each side and then lower them down. You shouldn't have to remove these from the cabinet but its gonna be a pretty tight fit with the hinge plates still on the cabinet if you leave them on use some painters tape to keep them from flopping around.
9) At this point the only thing holding the head to the cabinet is the 2 wing nuts. With a second person supporting the head remove the two wing nuts, then pull the head away from the machine and set it aside.

I hope I didn't miss anything ...

Hope this helps ... good luck.

Resolved... trough power has been restored...
Issue was the daisy chained ground wire through the IDC on the left Eddy Sensor .. broken wire .

Thanks to smiley for the extra help!
Every repair you learn a little more .

Well guys,

I went ahead and rebuilt my right flipper and changed the coil as well. I switched it for the stronger coil that was supposed to be in the prototype STTNG. All said and done I can see and feel a difference, but the right flipper is still a tad bit weaker than the left. I thought I read somewhere in the thread that this could be a software issue. Regardless, the game is playing nicely. New balls, waxed playfield, 6.8 pitch, rebuilt cannon VUK's and new flipper rubbers has me coming back for "one more game". Oh, I also did the tie back mod. Up next is some trough and rear playfield lighting!

Did you pull the flipper boards and clean the u shaped optos under each flipper button. you would be surprised how much better the game plays if you clean ALL the optos.

I did the same thing but those coils have a terrible hold… a fast downward ball will push your flipper down, or make it flick sending any cradled ball back into play. I ended up pulling them out and putting In the normal blue coils… zero noticeable difference in strength between the two after a complete rebuild of everything possible mech wise. My game plays as fast as a standard body WPC as shown in my video below.

Picked up a ST:TNG last week. Brother used to own one and I always loved it so not having a Steve Richie game in the collection I thought, why not add one?

Overall pretty clean aside from a few cracks in the delta ramp. Have rebuilt the flippers and completed the tie back mod, now about to start chasing down an opto gremlin and repair the A-17356 board. Thankfully got to cut my teeth working on a couple other WPC95's before this so hopefully won't be as daunting.

Plans are change LEDS to a natural white, colour DMD, new ROM and enjoy it for many years to come.

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P I N S O U N D P L U S board is worth considering too

STTNG and TZ look amazing together!

Indy would have something to say about that!

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In case someone here wants a second one

Machine - For Sale

Star Trek: The Next Generation Archived

Fully shopped/refurbished - “Plays great, all led except a few flashers maybe. Cabinet is in great shape. Has cliffys installed, upgraded cannons with lasers, mode start scoop lighting. I think it has the lane...”

2023-05-23

Eau Claire, WI

Iamthelaw

6,500 (OBO)

Archived after: 2 days

Viewed: 231 times

Status: Not sold

Thanks Eric, will look into it.

Couldn't agree more...still moving my other machines to the new space, 5 pins in a 2 bdrm was getting a little ridiculous....to some.

Really nice line up, would love an IJ and always on the look out for a players condition machine as I don't have a Mark Richie game yet and that's definitely a favorite of his designs.

wow - what a beautiful line up. I can only dream.......

It can never be easy.

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So dumb when people use those terminal strip things thinking they're doing the right thing.

That image needs to be in the “Pinball Horror Pics!!” thread. WTF were they thinking? So many hacks connecting to the opto boards keep coming up. Besides the lamp connectors on the driver this seems to be one of the most hacked boards.

Whoever replaced the header on the optic board probably destroyed the thru hole while prying out the old header, for those that don't know, you do not use any force when de-soldering a component.

After spending hours tidying up the wire harness and rechecking all connections yet another broken wire (white-blue) this time . Repaired and game functions as should ...
2nd test game destroyed by Delta Ramp.

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Anybody in Australia able to burn the new LX-8 firmware?

I have been chasing a weak catapult for a week and wanted to share the solution. It would make the top sinkhole about 90% of the time and then suddenly last week it wouldn't make it at all, not even close. I was checking coil, mechanism, etc. then just on whim with the glass off, I held my finger on top of the wireform and presto, it makes it. I was aware that I have broken spot welds where the support leg is welded to the wire just ahead of the catapult and it seems like there is enough flex in the ramp that it eats up all of the energy of the ball launch. I used a couple of zip ties to tie down the ramp (see below) and now it is making the hole every time. It's ugly but until I can get a new (used?) ramp it will do the trick. I wanted to re-weld this one but with the (ugly) purple powder coat, I would have to clean it all off to even have anyone attempt to re-weld, then who knows if it's going to distort etc. Maybe a next winter project.

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Looks like you need a new ramp and some Cliffy Protectors, likely on the other ramps too. This machine is worthy of the time and restoration expense.

May I suggest the machine you have likely has MANY other similar issues too, based on who previously owned it. That horrible example of hack-work on the trough opt board is likely elsewhere. Certainly closely examine your Power Driver Board (the GI connectors specifically). Bet you a $1.00 you find more dumbness there. Another area to look at is the main Opto Board under the playfield. Original boards got hot and you may see non-wonderful creative hacking there.

If you haven't removed your 3 double AA batteries, check there for damage.

Now you have to get purple zip ties for that spot to blend better. They do make them, I checked

Spot welds are pretty easy to replicate. Even with a silly Harbor Freight welder.
https://pinballmakers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Construction#Wireforms

After a quick clean, repaired the A-17356 board, threw in some white LEDS with a couple spotlights and added the neutral zone protector. Fixed up the gremlins with the optos, resoldered a few shady looking connections and the subway got a good cleaning too. Before photo was a few posts up.

Added some domes to the cannons although have an issue that the left cannon doesn't light up at all unless it's in use, where as the right cannon will light up during attract mode and regular game play, so I will have to suss that one out. Have ordered some green windows and flashers for the borg ship as well as some new rubbers (will also straighten the flippers and fix the plastic protectors). Just chasing an LX-8 Rom for now.

Thanks to everybody on this forum as it's already been a huge wealth of information in ironing out some bugs.

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I have found other issues, including replacing the canon wiring (a mess of electrical tape), GI connector problem and resetting problem. I think there was 30 year old dirt in the subways. Now I know why I got a good deal on it. Batteries are off the board. I'm pretty confident l have addressed all the problems for now and can move on to my SW Data East sound problem.

https://www.starship-fantasy.com/ramps/Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation-Delta-Ramp

you guys are the best !

reached out to Larry and ordered a set ..

This suggestion is time consuming, however extremely worthwhile and is recommended. AFTER labeling each connector, removed the Power Driver Board and carefully REFLOW all of the connector locations. Many many problems are solved (even problems you may not yet be aware of). While the board is out, bridge rectifier replacement is typically recommended after 30 years, and is simple (if you have a "solder sucking soldering iron").

Have you done the TIE BACK MOD yet? required.

Electrical tape huh? Wow... I am not surprised. On a horrible Judge Dredd machine I repaired, they didn't even bother with tape!!

With the wear your machine has, it's very likely some of your metal deflectors and tack welded scoops are damaged or broken. Look specifically at the deflector under the Borg ship.

Also, while the Subway is removed, if you wanted to light the 3 ramps from below, now is the time. I'll include some photos
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