3 ms·

Lol, nice! It depends on what you mean by "owning a bowling center," but it looks like there are at least two of us into this :D I bought a really old fully me

by vikbez 3mo ago

Lol, nice! It depends on what you mean by "owning a bowling center," but it looks like there are at least two of us into this :D I bought a really old fully mechanical (and automated!) mini bowling lane. It works without a CPU, except for the score display, which originally used a 1970 Intel D8749H (MCS-48)! Just like yours, the only thing that turns this machine on is a single relay :D On my model, I also get feedback on the pin status and a "ball received" signal, so I can trigger the scoring. I dumped the firmware and replaced the display PCB with a more recent DIY PCB with an Arduino that speaks a modern, documented protocol. It's now compatible with ScoreMore software, and I can do a lot more with it. Here are some pictures and more info on the Bowltech forum (you should post your stuff here too!): * https://www.bowltech.com/forum/small-scale-bowling/small-scale-bowling-aa/1133707-alf-minibowling https://www.bowltech.com/forum/small-scale-bowling/small-sca... @vik8 on discord if you need :)

section33 3mo ago
I love it! I actually looked at integrating with scoremore myself, but once I crossed into hardware world, I still couldn't get over how much fouling alone cost. $750 / unit and they're -ancient-. Definitely will post on bowl-tech as well. I'm just new enough to have a lot of that new-guy anxiety around posting OpenLaneLink there yknow? Those guys know -everything- about this stuff.
- vikbez 3mo ago
  Well, it's because those guys knows everything that they'll notice the little things you might have missed :) Have fun first !
- bumby 2mo ago
  Is the fouling functionality more complicated than one would assume? From a naive perspective, it seems like it would just be a simple photo-eye sensor
cgyvbunji 3mo ago
Can you explain the significance of the single relay? My car starts with a single solenoid.
- devilbunny 3mo ago
  That one relay is the only connection between the pinsetting machine and the scoring system.
- vikbez 3mo ago
  The pinsetter is either "on" or "off", there are no other states to manage. Once it's on, it runs indefinitely: it sets the pins, clears the alley, resets the remaining pins, and repeats the cycle, all without any external control. On mine, I do have some "feedback info" on which pins are down + a signal to "when" to score points, but this is optional as you can also write your score manually if you have no scoring computer system.
  - hinkley 3mo ago
    When I was in a junior league we were at a relatively recent vintage alley and once in a while it would glitch and reset the pins twice in a row. I bet the relay stayed closed too long.
- taneq 3mo ago
  Yeah this $100k system with all its expensive add ons is there to push a single button.
  - eru 3mo ago
    Well, and to display your score.
  - tanseydavid 3mo ago
    This is an AI app from the 1950s! Developed by Rube Goldberg who fully intended to vibe code the scoring part later. </sarc>
tclancy 3mo ago
I’m just going to say I am going to find a way to be the third person in your bookclub. This is so cool!
tecleandor 2mo ago
Hah! I remember playing a couple times in one of those Alf Minibowling machines in Madrid in the early/mid nineties... It's a string machine, isn't it? Kind of funny that factory is in a small town next to Zaragoza...

by vikbez 3mo ago

section33 3mo ago

I love it! I actually looked at integrating with scoremore myself, but once I crossed into hardware world, I still couldn't get over how much fouling alone cost. $750 / unit and they're -ancient-. Definitely will post on bowl-tech as well. I'm just new enough to have a lot of that new-guy anxiety around posting OpenLaneLink there yknow? Those guys know -everything- about this stuff.

vikbez 3mo ago
Well, it's because those guys knows everything that they'll notice the little things you might have missed :) Have fun first !
bumby 2mo ago
Is the fouling functionality more complicated than one would assume? From a naive perspective, it seems like it would just be a simple photo-eye sensor

cgyvbunji 3mo ago

Can you explain the significance of the single relay? My car starts with a single solenoid.

devilbunny 3mo ago
That one relay is the only connection between the pinsetting machine and the scoring system.
vikbez 3mo ago
The pinsetter is either "on" or "off", there are no other states to manage. Once it's on, it runs indefinitely: it sets the pins, clears the alley, resets the remaining pins, and repeats the cycle, all without any external control. On mine, I do have some "feedback info" on which pins are down + a signal to "when" to score points, but this is optional as you can also write your score manually if you have no scoring computer system.
- hinkley 3mo ago
  When I was in a junior league we were at a relatively recent vintage alley and once in a while it would glitch and reset the pins twice in a row. I bet the relay stayed closed too long.
taneq 3mo ago
Yeah this $100k system with all its expensive add ons is there to push a single button.
- eru 3mo ago
  Well, and to display your score.
- tanseydavid 3mo ago
  This is an AI app from the 1950s! Developed by Rube Goldberg who fully intended to vibe code the scoring part later. </sarc>

tclancy 3mo ago

I’m just going to say I am going to find a way to be the third person in your bookclub. This is so cool!

tecleandor 2mo ago

Hah! I remember playing a couple times in one of those Alf Minibowling machines in Madrid in the early/mid nineties... It's a string machine, isn't it? Kind of funny that factory is in a small town next to Zaragoza...