well... count me in - goofy face and all

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Quick Question - Opened up the backbox to install my NVRAM (hooray already socketed U25) and noticed all my other roms are all Revision 1. (which makes sense, it's an early in the production run macine).

Anyway - I see on IPDB there is a Revision 2. Anyone have any ideas if it's worth burning new roms or its minor at best? I know some games have new revisions that only affect German language updates.

I mean, I have a ROM burner, so worst case scenario I burn a handful, give it a spin, and see if I notice anything. I don't think Williams kept actual revision documentation until the early 90s. I'd rather not tie up 5 or 6 ROMs for nothing if the changes are minimal though. I guess I can always burn and clear if I don't notice anything.

Add me to that list. I burned the L2s last night for shits and giggles and haven't noticed a difference. Given I was just messing around and trying for random stuff... Settings we're the same too. I'll keep an eye out and report back if anything changes.

so... It's been almost a month and you know what that means... Of course something started acting up.

Question - What is the best plan of a attack for the 5 bank drop target optos? I'm experiencing them not registering... and at first I could give the machine a smack and it would register... but now, not so much. I tried unplugging/replugging connectors but that doesn't seem to help. Anyone have a recommended checking order? (male pin solder joints, new connectors, specific parts on the board itself, optos themselves, etc). I'm guessing it isn't the optos themselves since it's affecting all 5 targets more or less all at once.

Thanks.

I have a follow up question on the stupid drop targets... I replaced the right connector with a standard molex/trifuricon connection - but am still having issues. I'm guessing it's the other IDC connector - but the wires run through the connector. Anyone with experience on this? I've read that basically you can either put two wires into the connector and kinda go with it - or you put the two wires together with a third and make a 'Y' for each. I'm hoping to do the repair tonight - Which approach worked for the people on this thread?

It's a rarer one to find which help keep it in a collection. it's not like an Addams or WCS 94 or something that, while an excellent pin, is likely in half the locations, barcades, and collections you play at. I think they made something like 3,500 of them and supposedly a lot of them were tagged for Euro export so it isn't one you see often. I just bought mine about six months ago and it's a keeper. No the rules aren't extremely deep - but there are plenty of things to shoot for. The playfield is busy enough that three ball Multi is a challenge to trap and control with (even with zero pops). Swords is just a really neat game and the last of Steve Kirk's strange design influence.

Bump - I have and burned the Pinbot fix for solar value and it balances the game nicely. I would be awesome if someone made that type of fix for the rest of these system 11s with the incremental JP.

Was it the guy from Finland also on Pinside? I just sent him a message since I have a ROM burner and could fire these up pretty easily. If not, I may try to do a little searching around. Pinbot became a much more balanced game where, especially when set to extra painful settings (open outlanes, max incline, etc) you could make a case for ramps or planets instead of just visor/multi/jackpot.

I have the patch as well, but am in the middle of a move. my PC is packed and I won't be in my new place till the end of April, so it would be awhile. I have a rom burner too and can help folks out then if nobody else is able in the meantime.

That's by design... If it's a slower shot that barely makes it over and doesn't trigger the upper saucer - it's supposed to shoot out a 2 ball. Mine does it. PAPA's does it. etc.

Do you have a copy of the fixed Jackpot ROMs? I had a guy send me the file the script to update files with, but never got around to creating the file yet. If I had the ROMs themselves it would be a pretty quick fix.

Pretty sure they are 27256 chips. I know my Pinbot solar value ROMs use 1 27256 and 1 27128, but with Swords being newer it may just be 2 256 chips. What are the sizes of the ROM files? See the attached pic for more info.

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I've burned the Pinbot ROMs for people in that owner group - If someone can send me the file I can warm up the burner. PM for detail.

Thanks to Zacaj - I have the file. I burned one last night and installed it in my machine. Oddly, my jackpot showed at 1,775,000 the first game I played, but then reverted to 1,500,000 and hasn't moved since. I'm guessing it resets the value at the end of a game and not in the beginning similar to how the Pin*Bot fixed Jackpot ROM operates.

Very interesting. Either way - I have it and it works. Thanks again Zacaj!

hey guys - I read back over the 5 bank target troubleshooting (even my own newb question for a few years back) in this thread and had a quick question - Anyone know off hand which connector(s) on the power board to check for cold solder when troubleshooting this stupid bank? I had pulled the mech out, cleaned, and repined the whole board, and things worked great for a few months... but I just went to play today and it's starting to get flakey again. I'm guessing it had to be the opto board - so I want to tackle both the board itself and the power connector.

if not - I can check the schematics - I was just being a bit lazy here at work in a pre-turkey day lull.

Pulled the power board - reflowed the entire top row and added some additional solder... Played without a single blip for 20 minutes and I focused on just the top PF. Thanks for the tip - I could definitely see a few cracked solder joints when I flipped it over and even though I was testing a pretty solid 11.2V at the opto connector, this seems to have done the trick. Thanks Chosen_s and everyone else in the thread.

Now back to some hardcore Lionman-ing.

When you take the originals off - match them up or look for the size imprinted on it. Even dirty and dry rotted, the overall size will be decernable. There is a rubber list in the manual, but oddly no letter on any of the diagrams to match it up.

If you have any specific questions - I can pop the glass off mine and take a peek. I replaced mine when I got it, but did the trick I mentioned above.

As a SOF owner who's biggest complaint has been the damn drop target bank - Take out your power board and reflow the solder at the top. I found 3 cracked joints and have been rock solid ever since.

It has nothing to do with the drop target board. I thought the same thing when I had issues (mine was targets would drop, but not register) - I cut the original connectors out and rewired everything for Trifuricon crimps... Then reflowed the whole board... Each time improved things a little, but still relatively unplayable. Taking out the power board and reflowing the top connector row made the machine rock solid for months on end now.

Unfortunately - they didn't really do a meaningful change log back in the 80s for many of these. Unless it's a big game changer (and it isn't) - it very well could be an update to text in the German version for all we know.

That said - I burned the Jackpot Reset ROMs for mine that are based on L2 and reset the jackpot to a set value each game - that's awesome for all Sys 11s that support it IMO. (have one in my Pinbot as well)

You can use a white LED strip across the bottom to accent the main guy. Comet Matrix lighting is a quick and easy choice if you don't feel like doing anything custom.

Repin your power board... i had random issues with my 5 bank for months that turned out to be less than solid 5v to the opto board (and it was at the power board... first repinned the opto board, redid the connector, etc etc... helped, but had been rock solid since the power board repin)