You'll get very limited improvement with an updated speaker in a classic Bally/Stern. The frequency response of the generated tones is not meant for full range and as such, I've heard "better" speakers actually sound much worse as they're reproducing frequencies never intended to be heard. If you have a blown or badly deteriorated speaker, the cheapest replacement drivers you can find are almost always perfectly suitable.

Both

Thanks. I appreciate you confirming my suspicion. My speaker is in good condition. I’ll plan on leaving it as is.

No problem! One thing to note (and I'm not sure why this is, asking people much smarter then I am resulted in puzzled responses) some Stern SB-300 sound boards will have a very rolled off high end. The schematics for boards are identical but I've had 4 Meteors and 3 of them had a sound board that had no highs at all. I figured out the board was rolling off at around 1.5kHz. I've poured over schematics looking for some variation in the audio output but I can find nothing there. I've visually compared boards and parts (looking over the amplifier section in particular) for an obv addition of low pass filtering or anything else that might stand out and come up with nothing. This problem will follow the sound board around between other Stern games so it's not a Meteor problem or MPU problem. I've only had boards in Meteor come to me this way. It's possible that if you're really experiencing muffled sounds, you have an sb-300 board that's causing that. Unfortunately, I can offer no solution as I've never been able to find anything to fix.

Here is a partial pic of my Seawitch apron and the apron decal I got from Pinball Rescue.

Let me say first off that the decal I got form Lee for my Star Gazer was dead on the money for color. The yellow is yellow. It looks nice.

The one you see here looks nice. It is very good quality. But the blue color is just not there. I don't know where they come up with this shade of blue. It does not match the blue on my Nine Ball, either.

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That decal doesn’t match Lightning either.

Thanks for the additional details. I didn’t mean to give the impression that the sound in my witch is defective. It sounds exactly like every other early Stern I’ve ever heard: serviceable but not stellar. I was just wondering if a mere speaker upgrade would make it noticeably better. From what I’m hearing, better speakers might actually be counterproductive on an early Stern.

It does not match anything and someone advised me this afternoon that some of the text is missing.

It should say, : "Stern Electronics, Inc. "

Instead, it just says "Stern Electronic. I'm bummed out about it.

I have been looking at this decal on and off for 3 years and did not notice this. The one on my Star Gazer is the same way.

And I also discovered this afternoon that Catacomb and Dragonfist have a different font where it says " For Amusement Only" .

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I printed a glass knowing the tempered glass had a problem. So I told the printer to put it at the bottom. Ink is perfect except for the tiny imperfection where the lift channel will be. Usually the glass sells for $275 US + $50 US shipping to USA. I will discount it to $200 US + $50 US shipping to USA only!
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Pending sale to previous playfield buyer.

SOLD TO PREVIOUS CUSTOMER. THANKS!

Glass sells for $275 US + $50 US shipping to USA. I will discount it to $200 US + $50 US shipping to USA only! This one has tiny pin size holes in the surface of the tempered glass. I spotted a few in the green Seawitch & there are a few others on the front of the glass. Tempered glass manufacturing seems to be about 95% good. You have to look very closely. So in the game & players distance will be hard to see. Inkwork is perfect!
Seawitch playfields are finally in full production mode along with more Star Gazer ones. I am ordering 2500 each of the following: trans blue flat 1" & 3/4" & 3/4" green. I do not think I will run 250 playfields but who knows. I am aiming for 100+ Seawitch & maybe 20 Star Gazer this year.

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What are you asking for the Seawitch playfields now, greatwichjohn ? I think I asked to get on a list years ago but not sure where that stands with all the delays. What's the ETA for receiving one?

I have one of his backglasses and it is immaculate. Would recommend.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/would-you-prepay-500-us-for-a-new-stern-seawitch-or-star-gazer-playfield/page/40#post-5644988

That thread is a dumpster fire.

Ok

Sorry

Considering your post I guessed you were anaware of it. Carry on then.

I still plan on honoring $500 US + $50 US shipping to USA. To anyone who has shown past interest before 2020 for either Star Gazer or Seawitch playfields. For those interested this year it is $600 US, & 2021 it will be $700 US.

I am only getting 6 flashes when I power on my seawitch. If I go into diagnostics the solenoids fire as it goes through the test but one thing I've noticed is there is all 2's on the display - is this a faulty 6810?

Sorry didn't really explain myself properly:

I can enter diagnostics pressing the button on the mpu, then pressing the button the coin door

Its not all 2's just like some random score on the displays and 22 on the credit display.

Its a stock MPU 200.

Instead of being 0's its random numbers, i seem to remember reading that if you ran it without a battery for a bit it corrupts the ROM - which i find very hard to believe.

I'll check the voltages in a bit.

Cheers

Check the voltage output of your battery. I’ve had a similar problem in the past from a flaky battery.

No batteries in yet.

That could be your problem.

Does it do silly things like this with no batteries?

Yes

Every day's a school day

Just tried now and it booted into a game, turned off and it wouldn't do the 7th flash.

Voltages:

TP3 = 21/22v
TP2 = 14v
TP5 = 5.1v

Pin 15 of J4 = 45v

So all within range, i think i will repin that J4 and see if that makes any difference.

Thanks. What will the logic probe show in a working system?

Does anyone have a line on playfield hangers that’ll fit Seawitch? Mine are bent enough that they screw up the alignment of the playfield in the cabinet. (Plus corroded and generally funky.) I could work with what I’ve got but figured it would be better to get new ones if I could find them.

Mantis Amusements makes them

I reached out to Mantis last month. Kerry said they don’t have playfield hangers for Seawitch.

Follow this link and measure your hangers against his specs. He used to advertise that he had hangers for classic sterns

https://mantispinball.com/product-category/stern/
https://mantispinball.com/product-category/misc/

Thanks, I looked at those awhile back. The long one is 3” on the hook side. The short one is 2.25” on the hook side. The brackets on my playfield measure roughly 2.5” on the hook side. Do I have a standard hook? Am I measuring correctly?

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there are definitely different ones... i bought the ones from Mantis to use on another Stern Electronics machine and it did not fit. His were way longer under the PF conflicting with other assemblies unfortunately. I just kept the original and tumbled them for 3 days

Yes, I did notice that the leg that attaches to the underside of the playfield was longer as well. I figured this could be shortened relatively easily. It’s the vertical leg that has me concerned.

Measuring my Seawitch supports the same as you have measured yours, from the bottom of the top to the bottom of the bottom measures 2.50"

The lower legs on mine are the shorter version.

Finished up my playfield swap. Its so fast now love this game!
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-Jim

Looks awesome Jim.

Gorgeous! Is that greatwich's clear? I'm trying to decide between his or sending it to $$$kruzman

I cannot afford a kruzman clearcoat... this is as it came. Its good for me but for some it will not be good enough. To me its still pinball... I don't need (or more honest cant afford) crazy nice.

-Jim

Thanks!

Just curious, what's the approx cost on something like that?

look him up here on pinside and ask. he'll give you a quote i'm sure. I don't quote other peoples work... AND. I am in no way knocking his work. It's top notch for sure, I have seen a few and they are second to none.

-Jim

His work is fucking amazing.

Hey y'all, just picked up a decent seawitch last weekend and have an issue that maybe one of you has come across.
It's somewhat intermittent, but when the left drop bank is completed it will continuously score the bank value, activate the loop lights/sounds for the rest of the ball and doesn't reset the bank. The bank functions in test and at game start and the switches are gapped well. I've tried manually lifting the drops during the endless scoring/lights/sounds to see if that would stop it but it did not.
This game has no signs of corrosion and other than a blown q19, looks great.
Any thoughts?

You have something wrong with one of your switches. Yes, it will work at game start as something different is triggering the coil at start up.

Do this:

1) lift the play field.

2) Run a business card or a piece of file folder paper through the switches to make sure they are clean.

3) with the play field still lifted, start up a game. Manually press and drop each drop target. Each target makes a sound when it drops and closes the switch. When you get a switch that makes no noise, check it out closely. That is probably where you will find your problem.

Each switch seems to be working in test but I'll give it a shot anyway. I figure whatever the issue is it'll be fixed by the time I redo the connections and clean it up but I thought I'd see if it was a common thing.

In anticipation of a (hopefully) soon playfield swap, I’ve been getting things ready. All mechs are on plugs and getting cleaned, polished and rebuilt. But what to do about my wrecked pop bumper caps? The machine came with repro caps but those lack the starburst pattern around the edge. Time to scan an original, make a stencil and spray some paint. Alright, I didn’t make a hot stamp, but the visual effect is much better than nothing! First carefully apply the stencil, then a light coat of white, then yellow with a hint of red and voila!

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