7/10/2018 UPDATE: Finally discovered an "authentic" Summer Time in a FB Marketplace post (reference https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/travel-time-summer-time-owners-need-your-help-on-st-100k-lights#post-4486975 ) which confirms that my Summer Time -- and almost all the other known Summer Times -- appear to be Travel Time / Summer Time hybrids.

Original posting below:

TL;DR -- Summer Time appears to be configured (electromechanically) just like Travel Time with a Match stepper and separate light for 100K ... except Summer Time wasn't meant to use the Match feature, and the backglass is clearly designed to display 100K - 1M (in 100K increments) using what would be the match lights. I'm trying to see if there are Summer Times out there with this configured properly so I can figure out how to use this feature!

The full info:
I just recently finished shopping out a BEAUTIFUL Summer Time I picked up locally. Got everything working & adjusted properly, with one minor exception: the 100,000 lights.

Yes, lights.

Travel Time owners, you know you have a match unit in the backbox, with the 10 associated lights (00, 10, ... 90) near the top of the backglass. Presumably, like most other games, the stepper steps whenever you hit a 10 point (minimum available score increment) bumper, and then at the end of the game the 'random' number lights up.

You might be interested to know, since Summer Time is the non-replay version, there is no match feature -- and instead of the match numbers near the top of the backglass, it has lights for 100,000 and 200,000 and so on, all the way up to 1,000,000!

But here's the rub: in my Summer Time, the match unit is still present, and it still steps every time you score 10 points. This makes no sense, because then when the game's over, it lights up a random x00,000 score light.

I investigated further, and I found the 100,000 Point relay in the backbox. I verified this does activate at the appropriate time -- and when it does, it turns on a single light bulb which is hiding behind the top of the plume coming out of the volcano. I suspected this is where the 100,000 'text' is on Travel Time, as confirmed here in this video:

. This 'text' is not present on the Summer Time backglass. (I'll take a picture and post it in the next post.)

I don't have the schematic for Summer Time, as it's not on IPDB (though Travel Time's is present). It seems to me that perhaps the intent was to re-wire/re-configure the match stepper somehow, so that perhaps it would reset to 100K at the start of a game, light up when the 100K relay activates, and then step once for each additional 100K earned. However, this wouldn't work on mine either -- because it doesn't step up through them in order.

So, unless there's some way this whole thing was supposed to be set up (but isn't), then the best idea I can come up with is just relocate/rewire the volcano-plume light to Summer Time's 100K location, and abandon 200K-1M altogether. This would be somewhat disappointing, almost 'unfinished' in a way, not utilizing it to its full functionality, since the 200K-1M would never light up.

Fellow Summer Time owners (if there are any out there, lol), how does yours behave and/or how is it configured?

Here's what the back of the backglass looks like on Summer Time. Where Travel Time has match numbers 00-90, Summer Time has 100K - 1M. Also, you can see ST has no 100K above the volcano plume, and also no credit window. (FYI, credit stepper is present in the backbox -- without a wheel! Haha)

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Not a stupid question! I too considered this as a possibility, but there are two key pieces of evidence against this:
1) the Williams certification / serial number sticker is marked as "SUMMER TIME", and
2) the coil & hardware around the credit step-up unit appear completely clean & unused, and it lacks a credit wheel

Ok thanks, looking forward to whenever you get an opportunity.

I'm 90% certain that it does, but I will verify tonight, as I don't have a picture of it with me.

Yes I do; an odd bird indeed, and it's in such great shape! I'm very pleased with this machine and can't wait to put it in the lineup, once I get this last issue sorted out (one way or another).

Matching numbers on playfield sticker and lower cabinet. I did not find a number stamped onto the backbox.

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(Note, the 2 is stamped a little high, making it look like a 4 at a glance. Look closely, you'll see the top of the 2.)

Another interesting thought / observation. This picture here http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2636&picno=71363&zoom=1 shows the inside of the backbox on a Travel Time. On my Summer Time, the placards/labels for the small jones plugs in the middle (for Replay vs Extra Time, and for Match On/Off) appear to be 'strategically' omitted. The Point Score Adjustment placard is still present, however, although none of the jones plugs are installed -- presumably since Summer Time wouldn't be set up to award replays for score.

I intend to test these to see if they function, just out of curiosity. From a production line standpoint, it would make sense for these to be here -- but then by not labeling them, you'd presume the operator wouldn't mess with them? Speculation, I suppose. Anyway, just more information.

Holy crap, only 30??? The Pinside info here says 570 (which is still very small), but only 30?!

From a production line standpoint, I can totally understand the similarities, but maybe a planned change or two got missed and/or never implemented...? Having worked in an aircraft factory, I've seen first-hand that often it's cheaper/more efficient just to build them the same and then make a few simple modifications later.

We'd be further along if we could compare schematics and/or have a look at another Summer Time out there.

Sorry I haven't tested the Replay plugs yet; hope to get to it this week.

Interesting. Not that I have any reason to doubt you, but I'm curious -- where did you get your info? And oh, if only this rarity actually translated into value ... this machine is in beautiful shape, and as much as I enjoy it, I'd happily give it up for the ability to step into a higher-end game...

Most definitely -- seems like there should be a different (simpler, 1-10) stepper in there, with reset capability... this would be easier than trying to deal with the match unit.

Interesting. I'll have to look at that too. Sure hope we can find another Summer Time to compare mine to ... it'd be a shame if I submitted all this info to IPDB and mine turned out to be some sort of aberration.

In the meantime ... man ... 1 of 30 ... someone buy this from me for big bucks!

I had some more time to mess with the game tonight. Here's what I found. I hope you'll read it all, frobozz (and anyone else keeping up), because I have a few more thoughts to consider.

In tinkering around tonight, here's what I determined on these features.

First, for Replay vs. Extra Time.
--> Through testing, I've determined the Replay vs. Extra Time controls the reward for the Score achievements. (In other words, TRAVEL and TIME specials award extra time no matter what.) On my Summer Time, setting the jones plug to Replay DOES, in fact, "award" a replay -- as evidenced by the single knocker strike and the wheel-less credit stepper stepping up one time. With the jones plug set to Extra Time, the machine awards 25 seconds (and knocker strikes five times, once for each 5-second increment). Of course, the score(s) at which the award is given is controlled by the Point Score Adjustment jones plugs.

As we've discussed, Summer Time is not supposed to have a Replay feature -- so I theorize that for simplicity in production, the machine is configured the same as Travel Time, but the jones plug is set for Extra Time, and the label showing Replay vs Extra Time is not included, so an operator wouldn't know it could be changed.

Next -- for the Match Feature On/Off plugs.
--> With Match set to On, the Match/100K stepper advances when 10 point increments are scored, and the applicable 100K - 1M light turns on at the end of the game. (Reference the previous posts about how the 100K - 1M lights are in the place of the Match lights.) However, when a 'successful' match occurs (where, for example 400,000 on Summer Time = 30 on Travel Time, as determined per my backglass configuration and the 30 lit up here in this video

), a replay is NOT awarded (as evidenced by no knocker strike nor stepping of the wheel-less credit stepper). I'll admit I was surprised at this, but without the schematics to compare...
--> With Match set to Off, the Match/100K stepper still advances when 10 point increments are scored, but the applicable 100K - 1M light does NOT turn on at the end of the game. I believe this is standard behavior of regular EMs when Match is set to off; stepper still steps, but no number lights up nor credit awarded at the end.

But, as we've previously discussed, why wasn't Summer Time then configured to work the 100K lights correctly? Why do they operate like a Match feature? And what about the light (that turns on per the 100K relay upon actually scoring 100K) located where Travel Time's 100K light is? You had a statement that made me wonder:

One additional piece of evidence that may support this "Sample" run ... my Summer Time has a single coin mech in the door -- but DOES NOT HAVE A COIN ENTRANCE. All three 'windows' for coin entry are just a solid plate with a Williams logo. Would this be consisent of a sample sent to a distributor?

And so ... if the only Summer Times built were samples ... is it possible that they hadn't yet determined how to reconfigure/replace the Match stepper to accommodate the 100K - 1M scoring? Perhaps this was a feature that would be finished/incorporated if/when the game went into full production?

Interesting questions, especially now that I've looked a little more closely at the flyer (http://ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2415&picno=4361&zoom=1) ... I see the artwork on the PF on the flyer shows S-U-M-M-E-R ... and yet the flyer text itself says T-R-A-V-E-L. Mine has T-R-A-V-E-L. Also, mine has 100 point bumper caps, and I'm 98% certain they all score 100. The center saucer reads 5,000, and again, 98% sure it scores 5,000. (Pretty sure I would've noticed a 50K point increase.)

You'll notice, the other Summer Time with photos on IPDB appears the same -- 100 caps, 5,000 saucer, and T-R-A-V-E-L. Again, perhaps S-U-M-M-E-R, 50K, and 1,000 cap was planned for production? Such a mystery!

My playfield:

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Interesting -- and thanks for the subsequent post with the photo shoot machine. Hey, there's at least ONE machine out there with the right playfield...

Good point. 50K scoring would definitely get you up there more quickly ... though with the ability to continue to earn extra time, the games could get up there. We haven't played much and yet my 6-year-old daughter had a game over 200K already.

Although my machine didn't have the left instruction card installed when I got it, I found the card sitting inside the cabinet and -- it's labeled Travel Time. I was going to make a new one (which would say Summer Time to match the backglass), but haven't yet, hence why it's not installed in my photo above.

Seriously! APB on finding Summer Times! We need to re-name this thread to "Solving the Travel Time / Summer Time Mystery".

FYI I added wiring to "relocate" the 100K light. It wasn't as simple as jumpering (due to the configuration of the existing circuits I guess) so I just disconnected both the Travel Time & Summer Time 100K locations, and extended the wires from TT light to ST light. Also added various labels for future reference, and disconnected match stepper (since it's pointless in this application).

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Now we need to find the other Summer Time owners to solve the big mystery!

I'd like to invite CactusJack and FrankJ over to this thread. I was trying to do a little more digging to solve this mystery, and found a little discussion they were having starting here (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/some-nice-looking-em-classics-just-came-up-on-cl/page/275#post-2845348) about Travel Time vs. Summer Time. Perhaps my thread can help enlighten them, or their they can enlighten us.

Also continuing the same-playfield-mystery, pinaholic posted a picture of one over here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/rarest-game-you-own/page/10#post-4315800

Inactive member DJpHbalance posted pics of his on his stories page (https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/djphbalance/stories/1972-williams-summer-time-pinball-machine), and his shows the Travel Time playfield too. (Also interesting: his serial number is 151482 ... and mine is 151512 ... and frobozz says they only made 30 ... I wonder if Travel Time serial numbers are mixed in with Summer Times? Something else for me to dig into later.

The mystery continues...

Frobozz and I have discussed this above, and while it's certainly a possibility, that may not be the case. Evidence (and/or theory) against it:
-- Upper apron certificate/label is stamped Summer Time, with 151512 serial number; cabinet serial number matches, as does backglass (obviously).
-- The only other few STs we've seen with enough detail so far are similar to mine -- with the TT setup playfield. The one built for the flyer is the only one we've seen so far with ST letters & scoring values. We need to find more ST owners!
-- Absence of credit wheel (wouldn't need it in a game not intended to give Replays)
-- Absence of labels identifying Replay vs. Extra Time, and Match On/Off. (Theory: with ST being 'AAB' version, it could be built the same as TT for ease of production, set plugs for Extra Time and Match Off, and not label them so operation wouldn't know they could be changed.)

That is correct. It is labeled as such in mine, and functions as such in mine as well -- lighting up a light behind the volcano plume, which is where the 100,000 text is on the Travel Time backglass. For functionality purposes, I have rerouted the wiring so at least my 100,000 lights up when applicable.

See comment above regarding my theory for not adding those labels in ST.

All good considerations. Unfortunately, unless we can find more Summer Times -- including ANY that might have the actual ST playfield shown in the flyer, we make never definitively solve this. On this note, I remembered I forgot to look at the serial number database ... (http://www.ipsnd.net/details.aspx?id=57994)... it appears someone by the user name 'Fun House' submitted my S/N photo from this thread about a week ago, lol ... who are you? There are only two others in there, but one has a photo that only shows the S/N on the cabinet, and the other doesn't have a photo at all.

^ Exactly as you guys have deduced, there are some challenges with this idea -- I'd have to add & incorporate a reset coil, and then determine & rearrange the lamp wiring order. The latter would be relatively simple, the former a little more complicated.

As tempted as I am to attempt this, I'm going to hold off for now. I have two other project machines going currently (High Speed, and a gorgeous Far Out I just picked up a few days ago), and since Summer Time is fully playable right now, I'd like to keep it that way for a while. Since it uses the Travel Time scoring scheme, we'll see how much 'demand' there actually is for use of the 200K+ lights. (As I mentioned previously, I relocated/rewired the 100K light, so that works properly.) If people play it and 200K+ is rarely achieved, there really won't be much need/point in putting in the extra effort.

Now, we just need to find more Summer Times to solve the mystery!

Yes it could, by the set of jones plugs labeled Replay / Extra Time. My Summer Time has these same plugs -- and they do allow it to function both ways -- but they're not labeled. As mentioned previously, I theorize this was to allow for streamlined production -- but without a label, the operator wouldn't know it could be changed from Extra Time to replay.

Thanks for jumping in! So here's another one set up like a Travel Time -- we haven't yet found a Summer Time that looks like the flyer.

Five questions for you:

1) In the backbox, do you have labels identifying plugs for Replay / Extra Time, and Match On / Off?

2) Does your credit stepper (if it has one) in the backbox have a credit wheel?

3) When you say "inside bottom board", what part do you mean?

4) Is your manufacturer's label (upper apron at top of playfield) marked Summer Time?

5) What is your serial number?

EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENT in the mystery!

Today on Facebook Marketplace, another Summer Time popped up: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/212206572768906/

I contacted the seller to request additional photos, and lo & behold, THIS ONE IS A LEGITIMATE SUMMER TIME!!! I've attached the pictures below.

- Playfield shows correct score increments
- Playfield shows correct S-U-M-M-E-R targets & text
- Stepper in the backbox is located up near the 100K-1M lights and is labeled "100,000 UNIT"; this stepper has two coils as expected, presumably one to step it and one to reset it
- The jones plug setup for the Special in this actual Summer Time shows either EXTRA TIME or NOVELTY (instead of EXTRA TIME or REPLAY like in actual Travel Times). For Summer Time, according to the card shown in the backbox, NOVELTY can be an award of 200K, 300K, or 400K points. (Seller had never tried this; verified at my request.)

So ... I suppose this may confirm the notion that there probably were "correct" Summer Time machines (with the same playfield in the flyer).

It doesn't tell us why there are so many Travel Times out there with Summer Time backglasses. It also doesn't explain the odd coincidence (?) of the lack of credit wheel and labeling of Extra Time vs. Replay. I think someone suggested earlier that perhaps they just made way too many ST backglasses -- so perhaps made & sold some TT/ST hybrids to use them up...?

Here are the "real" summer time pics.

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The S/N on this machine (per apron sticker) is 128837, which is quite different from the hybrid machines we've seen...

Yes I suppose that certainly could be a possibility...

Oh wow, wouldn't that be cool! So we still need to find another true Summer Time to be certain they ever made more!...

Interesting, thanks for contributing, Eric! So yours sounds exactly like mine, a hybrid. Can you confirm your stepper unit in the back behaves like a match unit and not a 100K - 1M point stepper?

That's because your unlabeled Match feature jones plugs are set to Match - Off. Check out my blue-tape labels in post #26, then you can move that plug and see how it behaves.