Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 375 posts

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#131

Post by msisk6 »

I grew up behind the bowling machines. My dad was a bowling machine mechanic and worked on machines all around the midwest. He often moon-lite as the on-duty mechanic during league nights and I'd go with him.

Mostly he worked at the local 16-lane alley with ancient AMF machines. The logic was all relays in a "chassis" on each machine. Relays would fail, pins and balls would end up where they're not supposed to be, folks would roll the ball into the sweep. All kinds of stuff. As a kid was was fantastic to see. A pinsetter machine is a real Rube Goldberg type contraption. Probably lead me to being an engineer.

We had the several opportunities to buy a small-town bowling center, but looking at the economics -- even back in the 1980's -- wasn't good. Most of the operating profit back then came from alcohol sales and that's a totally different business.

Good luck! Recently Facebook has been showing me a lot of bowling content. Be cool if it's making a comeback.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#132

Post by bluGill »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #76
section33 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally - we've got notifications wired in though, so our counter instantly knows "lane so and so needs such and such shoe sizes"

You're removing human interaction, though. Nerds seem to forget that entertainment venues and sports are social spaces, interaction with staff matters, and is one of the more distinguishing features of a venue. Unless you've got someone walking up and down the lanes introducing themselves as the manager/owner/whatever...

Most people don't know that the real money is food and alcohol. Buy pizza and drinks for everyone and they should throw the lane in for free.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#133

Post by Huppie »

ndiddy wrote: post #30
Huppie wrote: post #21

Back when I was in school I interned at a company installing bowling lanes / machines. Even back then it was fairly simple technology, no cameras or speed measurement yet, just some inputs from the machine as to what pin-cords had been pulled out (i.e. what pins fell down) translated to some simple animations. I remember the screens being just a simple VIA motherboard running DOS + their software from a compact flash…

In the US tethered pins with cords aren't really a thing, instead most bowling alleys use mechanical pinsetter machines. These machines are large, complex, and expensive (see here for a video on how they work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iod6uwUGM2E ) which is why he's talking about the equipment being 70+ years old- with the revenues most bowling alleys make, it's not economical to replace a pinsetter instead of…

Yeah, I remember seeing both kind of machines. IIRC For the competitive scene string setters were (are?) a no-go but we installed plenty string-setters on holiday parks because they're just more economical.

I remember some classmates interned working on new / different firmware for the machines you're talking about though. Fun project for an internship!

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#135

Post by quietsegfault »

kci225 wrote: post #99
luma wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hell yeah brother, this sounds like a fantastic project with a lot of room to dig into fun things with the double extra bonus of other people having fun with the result. Now you have me shopping for a bowling alley :D

Ugh, there is a four lane bowling alley right near me for sale for $100,000 or so. Now I’m further tempted.

Buy it! What else are you doing with your money?

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#136

Post by mianos »

Once I had more than a few esp32 sensors about the place, with my own firmware, I got serious about getting the OTA updates working and a good c++ wrapper around the nvram management. I don't like the vibe of multiple sensors not having the fixed firmware, just OCD. Github mianos.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#137

Post by quietsegfault »

nomel wrote: post #98
tjoff wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that included in the lane price? Always has been for me.

Which could be removed, which I, a customer, would very much enjoy. Bowling prices are absolutely insane these days. Haven't been in over 10 years. Related, nearly all of the bowling lanes in my area are empty, except for birthdays/work events.

My local center in a big northeast us city is very cheap during the week, and reasonably priced on the weekends. Surprisingly, even their food and alcohol is priced lower than what you’d expect - cheaper than the sports bar down the block. No idea how they make money, but my kids love it and I love being able to get a good beer while I spend time bowling with my kids.
Post reply on HN