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