A Little More Love

Well, I was able to do a little more work last night.

I've added the right hand ramp, as well as placed the pop bumpers roughly where I want them.

The right ramp originally had two metal rods that would carry the ball to the left-hand outlane, and was originally placed a couple of inches to the left of it's new location. While I don't plan on re-using the rods that came with the machine (they are not as strong or stiff as I would like), I do really like having wireforms - one of my favorites right now is on Roller Coaster Tycoon, where the ball comes all the way down the side, across the area below the flippers, and back up to the opposite inlane - I'd like to do something like that as well, so I'm going to need to figure out a good way to make my own wireforms.

The left hand ramp may also get some wireform love, but I'm not yet sure where I'd have it go. I think those sorts of problems will be best addressed at the whitewood stage, where I can see how the table plays and find a sweet spot to drop the ball off.

The bumpers are going to be a pain to get right, and I'm sure that they are an item that professional pin designers have to tweak a lot as well. I'm limited in how I place them, as they are a single assembly, not individual pop-bumpers. I like my general placement, but the rotation will be the tricky part. I want to be able to shoot the ball into them, and I want the ball to kick around a few times before dropping back out, especially after coming out of the middle exit on the left ramp. Physics are the key here, so I'll just have to try it out and tweak it. The hard part is that I have to drill three big holes to put them in, so I either need to make a whitewood for each iteration (and hopefully only have one or two), or come up with some way to rotate a whole piece containing the bumpers for the first whitewood, and finalize it in the second...

I will be leaving the flipper, slingshot, inlane, and probably outlane placement as originally designed. All of these items are in standard positions, and the slings are a single mechanism, so I can't spread them out or anything. The outlanes might change - I'm not sure it I want to try and do anything interesting with them yet, but it is possible.

I also picked up some steel balls, plastic balls, and a bag o' springs at Ax-man the other day. I intend to use the springs to strengthen the response on everything from the plunger to the pop-bumpers. The plastic balls (two red, two black) will be drilled and finished to be the new plunger handle. I bought two of each because I wasn't sure what color I'd prefer, and in case I messed one up, I'd have a backup - they were only a quarter. The steel balls are almost exactly the size of the original Zizzle ball (which is smaller than a regular pinball) and I bought them for two reasons - possible multiball play, and captured ball targets. I'm pretty sure I'll do at least one captured ball target, if not two. Multiball isn't actually supported in the game PCB, but there's no reason you can't just plunge all three game balls at once for fun and see what you can do. We'll see how they work, but I have high hopes.

There is one more thing I need to replace for the new design for the new unit - the rubber. I'm not sure if the problem is entirely due to poor material (in an understandable cost saving measure), or that combined with age (this is a G1 unit, and could have been manufactured 3 years ago - which really isn't that long) - but the rubber that is supplied is very weak, and is adequate to dampen impacts, but there's no bounce to it. I'm going to be picking up a rubber set for a machine with similar device counts, and use those instead on all items.

I will be replacing the Zizzle posts with standard metal posts with rubber rings on them, and I will also be replacing the original targets with new ones.

That's about all for now - more to come soon!

By the way, this posts' title comes from the 1978 hit by Olivia Newton John, which is stuck in my head after hearing it on the way to work this morning, and the obvious similarity to the first line of this post.

Larry

Faster Than I Expected

Much progress has been made!

I picked up a solenoid (and some other bits to be talked about later) at Ax-Man Surplus on the way home last night, and after dinner commenced to some informal strength testing.

The new solenoid didn't have an obvious voltage rating on it, but I believe it was a 12 volter, just like the units that came with the POTC game. I hooked both up to my 18volt drill battery, and I was surprised that the Zizzle solenoid was stronger than the one I picked up. I had hoped that an easy swap out would give me stronger flippers - no such luck.

Both units are the same size and have the same bore and plunger sizes, so, on a whim, I tried swapping the plungers to see what would happen. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the new plunger in the old coil was significantly stronger than any other combination, including the OEM solenoid! They are made from different materials, so I assume that the new plunger is more ferrous, or has a different crystalline structure that helps it to work with the coil better.

I'm going to conduct some more scientific tests to see just how much better it is, and to validate what my initial tests seem to indicate - but I think I have a good solution to solenoid power increase without having to mess around with any wiring, PCB hacking, or power input. That makes me happy. When I do conduct the formal tests, I will publish that data here as well as any material information I can find on the new cores so others can easily up their own Zizzle's power.

The old plunger with the flipper assembly still attached, and the new plunger that I plan on using is on the bottom:



I also started to do some initial layout of the new playfield, using my existing POTC playfield as a base. The fiberboard is easy to drill and cut holes in, so it has been working pretty well. I wouldn't really call this a whitewood stage, more of a graywood...

I have a few of the main features placed already. As i said earlier, I plan on reusing most of the stuff on POTC, but I want to re-theme and move some things around to shake it up and get away from the shoot-up-the-middle play that was the focus of the original layout.

It is very challenging to move things like ramps around and find good places for them where the shots will work and the ball won't get stuck - all while using pieces that were engineered for a different layout.

Here's a (more or less) top down of what I have so far:



A player's perspective of what I have so far:



And a close-up of the top of the playfield, where I have been working so far:



What I've done so far is to cover old holes with electrical tape, and re-plug some holes with lenses so that I can test roll the ball to make sure that, at least in a rough way, the new shots are viable. When I have everything where I want it on this field, I'll use it as a template for the first whitewood, and that's where the proof will be in the pudding. I fully expect at that point to have to do a lot of tweaking, just as any designer would.

I think the specific theme for the game will be Rise of The Seekers - with Starscream, Thundercracker, Sky Warp, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet all present on the field. The other option is Rise of Bruticus, with all of his component toys represented as toys on the field somewhere.

We'll see where the layout goes, and then I can figure out what will fit.


That's all for now - more to come soon!

Larry

Conflicted Thoughts

As I was driving in to work this morning, thinking of what the Zizzle platform will be giving me for this project, I am making trouble for myself.

What do I mean?

I have, basically, 17 outputs (lights) and 15 inputs (switches) to work with, not counting the flippers, slingshots, and pop-bumpers - as well as a defined set of rules tying those elements together.

The quandary I find myself in is this - do I upgrade this thing, or stay with the original intention. If I upgrade, it means a ton more work and more money (though that depends entirely on how far I go) - in exchange for flexibility, scale (in all likelihood I'd make it a full-sized machine), and complete freedom. I'd have to write a game to interface with some new I/O controllers (available for about $40 for 32 inputs and $60 for 32 outputs) which would be very fun, but also very time-consuming. I could have a lot more inputs and outputs, and tie them together however I see fit, but at a cost of about $100, and a spare computer to run it (fortunately, I have one laying around).

The biggest challenge here is knowing when to quit. If I go this route, I'd want to have full sized everything, which means new slingshots, pop-bumpers (and probably more than 3 of them), full sized balls, new flippers, etc... At that point I'd really be building a whole new machine from scratch, which sounds really fun... but not what I set out to do. If I build a new machine, why did I get a Zizzle and tear it apart over the weekend? I would end up using nothing of the Zizzle in that project.

I think that what I need to do is this - complete the Zizzle project first, using the parts and controller to build a newly themed and altered design machine from it; then, when that is complete and I learn a ton about layout and make mistakes at the 3/4 scale, maybe then I will take on the scratch built machine project. I just need to reign myself in when I feel like looking for bigger and better stuff. The whole point was to do something new and for a really low cost - and that is what I will need to remind myself of.

Well, I'm glad we got that worked out! It really does help to talk things through.

On that note, I think I will keep the existing plunger mechanism, but get a better spring so it's more powerful. I think I'll also try and find better springs for the pop-bumper assembly, I think we can make it kick a little better.

There is a surplus store in my area that carries a lot of electrical and mechanical parts, including solenoids. If I remember correctly, they had units similar to the ones used in the POTC for around $3. They may have ones with more turns or a different core that could be stronger - I will check them out and do some testing to see what i might be able to do cheaply to get more kick out of the flippers.

I mentioned last night about some of the construction decisions I had noted as I was pulling everything apart. I will be documenting a list of all of the little tidbits I've found in that process which will not only serve to document the platform, but also to give me a place to muse on some things, and to describe what I will be altering / improving and why.

That's all for now,

Larry

Disassembled

Well, I have completed the tearing apart phase of my project - the Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean is now completely in pieces.

First, the pictures...

A closer, better look at the PCB:



My daughter wanted to "help" me take the pinball machine apart ("fix it," she said):



Here's a better picture of the top of the playfield:

And the same playfield after it has been stripped:

Here's what the underside looks like after removing everything:

Now for more thoughts...

While taking this machine apart, I observed many opportunities for improvement - designs choices and materials that I will be able to improve upon for my project. Don't get me wrong, I can see why all of these decisions were made - they were trying to make a decent quality pinball machine for the home for less than $400 - an impressive feat, considering there are a lot of parts here, and as most of them I haven't seen in the wild, I can bet that a lot of R & D had to go into their creation. I respect that a great deal, but they are things I can fix for my new project.

I have already noted my decision to replace all of the self-contained leaf switches with microswitches - and that is one good example. The playfield and cabinet are made out of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), which I am not a huge fan of, so I will be making a new cabinet out of particleboard, and I think I'll make the final playfield either out of furniture grade plywood, or particle board as well. I know, the playfield in a real machine is made from a very special, expensive plywood, but even some good particleboard will be far better than the fiberboard (it resists warping very well, and will be a better surface than a sticker on what is basically thick cardboard).

The flipper bats are a full 3" long, so I'll keep them, and I will try to incorporate all of the ramps, bumpers, etc... into the new design. I think that I will use the plastic rails as a design aid, and then will craft wooden or metal rails for the final playfield.

I have mapped all of the connections from the PCB to the rest of the machine, and will post that file in a wee bit. I will be cutting the wiring harnesses down, and adding modular connectors to them so that I can connect them not only to the new light and switch wiring harnesses, but also allow me to replace the PCB at some point with a different controller if I so desire. With the mapping, I now have a good idea what I have to work with in terms of inputs and outputs, and I will need to design my new playfield to that specification. Part and parcel of that is the ruleset, which means I kinda need to design the rules of the new playfield to match the POTC rules. I will, however, be able to put a new controller in in the future, and then I can expand the rules (and change the sounds, etc...)

I also plan on replacing the plunger assembly for a couple of reasons. First, the existing one was kinda weak, which I think necessitated the design of the playfield that the skill shot was only midway up the field. Second, the ball at the end was two halves that broke apart when I pried them for removal, so I need to replace the ball at the very least. I will be able to fix that with a new, possibly full size plunger. My new cabinet will be taller, a little larger, and heavier duty, so I think that won't be a problem. At worst, I'll get a better spring and fit a large ball onto it so it feel more comfortable.

I still haven't decided on a refined theme - it'll still be Transformers - that much is certain, but there is a big universe to play in, and I want the theme to be pretty specific. Something like Megatron's Revenge, or something like that.

I'll be buying some new parts in the coming week, and I'll have some experimenting to do to see if I can make the flippers stronger (I may have to pump more power into the unit), and to see if I can flip a larger playfield with a full size ball. I am still content to build basically something with the same form factor if that's what my parts require, but wanting to expand things is a good goal too.

It's late, and I had better hit the hay.

More to come...

Larry

The Project

Hello again!

So the project I have decided to do, since I am a huge fan, is TransFormers.

I think I'm going to go with a classic G1 style game, as opposed to the movies. I do plan on adding some toys to the playfield - but I am not very far into thoughts on the game design yet - I've really just started the project, and right now I am concentrating on the cannibalizing of the Pirates game and building the new cabinet.

Here's the POC playfield with the plexi and cardboard ball chute cover removed:



The underside with some lights flashing:



Here is a very large image of the underside of the playfield (I'll try and get one of these of the top very soon):



Here's a closeup of the slingshot assembly - you can note here that both slings are run by one solenoid - which is not ideal, but considering the cost, it's not that big of a deal.



Here's the pop-bumper assembly - also run by a single solenoid. From a play perspective, I'd say this hurts worse for the bumpers, but it's still okay for what the cost is - they had to reduce costs somehow.



Here's a closeup of what the lens assemblies look like. All of the lights are LEDs, which is nice from a power usage perspective. What I do think is interesting is that Zizzle used colored LEDs as opposed to colored lenses, which is the normal approach.



Here's a closeup of the major thing I plan on replacing first - the switches. I hate leaf switches to begin with, and while I appreciate the pain they went to here to cover the switch to prevent dust or other contamination, leaf switches, in my opinion, are far less reliable and more painful than microswitches. I will be replacing all of the existing (leaf / round plastic button) rollovers with standard microswitch rollovers (with the wire actuators). That plays into some further decisions I 'll describe later on...



The LCD panel is small, and I'm not sure how I will embiggen it. one idea is to put a magnifying lens in front of it, or I could try and find a larger LCD that would be pin-compatible. I'm not sure yet what I'll do. I can say that I will probably elevate the LCD from where it was to make it a little more comfortable to look at.

Here's the flipper assembly and a closeup of the solenoid used for the Zizzle machine. It's a 12 volt coil, and isn't the strongest thing in the world. At a 6 watt draw, it is rated for continuous use, and at 8 watts can be held for 140 seconds safely. I am going to try and bump the current up a little so that the flippers have a better kick to them and can get the ball up the field comfortably, but still stay as low as I can to keep the coils safe. I may also look at a different coil with a stronger force rating.

So my approach will be to strip the cabinet and playfield, then build a new cabinet and playfield using basically the same form factor. I thought first about trying to reuse everything, but the playfield has a big sticker on it, (as does the cabinet) which is a pain to try and remove, and since it's all made out of MDF, I really don't think it's going to tolerate stripping of adhesive.

I also would like to alter the playfield quite a bit, use arcade flipper buttons, and introduce lighting into the backglass (and have some GI on the field as well). Since I have made cabs for games before, I'm just going to go that route, and then I will have a clean slate to work with is the cabinet and the backglass.

So, anyway there are some initial thoughts I've had as I begin the project. Not a lot is decided yet, as experimentation will tell me if I can get away with a bigger playfield (basically if I can make the flippers strong enough).

I have to head out, but I will be posting more musing in the coming days...

Larry

And So It Begins

Welcome to my Zizzle hacking project!

I have been bitten by a couple of bugs (Pinball and The need to build something), and this blog will serve to detail the project I am embarking upon to satisfy both of them.

I have purchased a G1 Zizzle "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" for $50 at a local closeout store, and my plan is to disassemble it, cannibalize it for it's parts, and build a new game for myself!

I'm also going to try and document as much of the platform as possible as I run it through it's paces and pull it apart. Hopefully that will help anyone else who might want to take on the same project...

I'll be posting again very soon with some initial project information and pictures of the dis-assembly so far...

Larry