Vancouver, BC
Nice!!!
(Topic ID: 228657)
Linked Games
Bally Rocket
Bally, 1947
Topic Gallery
2 weeks later
Ok right side is done. Cant wait to get this thing finished! Felt so good pulling the tape off the old rails. The soft edges are so sexy.
F73BB806-746B-463A-96C5-DC7A8FB59C2E (resized).jpegA18F47D9-6E7E-475A-A19A-8D6E673648AD (resized).jpeg21FBB45E-4C27-4F50-9C95-7B2BFB8EC18E (resized).jpeg2D4FAC87-9C22-4889-ACDD-41C7654B4473 (resized).jpeg875A3F19-F0D2-41A8-AB8E-FD945543E818 (resized).jpeg
CEDC4F39-85E6-4114-A60C-334566367651 (resized).jpegI love the old style coin door. I decided to keep the original doors.
4D10CB41-B4DB-406B-9B7E-F6E4FA80B01A (resized).jpeg3F19D5FF-F0B2-4B11-84BE-5F54837E1F77 (resized).jpeg9E71765A-DE34-4586-916A-9C430A645186 (resized).jpegD88406A7-F5AB-4C4C-BFE4-2E736D610B90 (resized).jpeg67C0A75D-282E-4A68-A430-81C25C7908E3 (resized).jpegNailed the metal back on the sides and dropped the playfield in and played a game. Won 5 free games the first nickel! Man is she pretty!!!
F416E28A-F5E0-4ED2-82BA-AF393DB4379A (resized).jpeg41E58459-9A3B-4D72-A494-0923744A362A (resized).jpeg9A8ED3E8-BA6E-4C99-831A-CC7925C16AD4 (resized).jpeg8EBE4202-F413-471B-9EEE-DCFFAE60DA70 (resized).jpegF58EE6FB-7F5E-4553-882C-CF02347F7041 (resized).jpeg6D0AE7A5-3972-4533-8B34-3EFA9ADA6A77 (resized).jpegB24BF76E-608B-4D78-9EF6-FB7866F9C5D0 (resized).jpegE1F7E342-82C0-41AE-BA0C-3B4613CD78A6 (resized).jpegAEC145E4-E973-486C-8E82-0FD8E46647F1 (resized).jpeg66CA7DC6-A694-4DAC-AA04-B05EDFF5B9AB (resized).jpegB336E4DA-F748-481F-AAFB-385DE7D1CF22 (resized).jpeg21DE5B2E-455F-43E0-8E63-45FB8D1A843D (resized).jpegE985B0B0-7AD5-41FD-A20D-0F62DCC1CB66 (resized).jpeg0ABCC082-A02C-4B90-A439-6B08CAEB3DC3 (resized).jpeg7F09337B-851D-4E94-AB1F-6710CE21992B (resized).jpegQuoted from Backyardace:Great job. The game looks fantastic!
Quoted from cait001:stunning!
Thanks!
Richmond, VA
Beautiful! Glad you're enjoying the flipperless play - Bally used that series of kickout mechs a few times, and I love the ball travel (the example that comes to mind is the EM Ballyhoo). So fun to watch and influence.
Quoted from bingopodcast:Beautiful! Glad you're enjoying the flipperless play - Bally used that series of kickout mechs a few times, and I love the ball travel (the example that comes to mind is the EM Ballyhoo). So fun to watch and influence.
Yeah I love it, I have the tilt set pretty sensitive and the level is at 3°, so just slight nudges go a long way. Especially near the bottom. A tiny bump will help the ball bounce back up in the bottom kicked out and it starts firing around the field again. So great especially when it felt certain the ball was about to drain.
I noticed that in an earlier photo. Have you ever considered having a class on EM repair/restoration? I think it would be great to have some meetups that involve learning.
Quoted from Backyardace:I noticed that in an earlier photo. Have you ever considered having a class on EM repair/restoration? I think it would be great to have some meetups that involve learning.
I’d honestly love to attend something like that. I really have no clue how to read a schematic or what I’m doing really. I usually figure out how to do things by drinking a few beers and watching YouTube. All the knowledge I’ve obtained outside of just trial and error I owe to the help I get on Pinside or a few friends that I’ll pester.
As for restoration I’d definitely share any advice I have!
Well it looks like I am using the same resources, but still feel a bit in the dark. Maybe adding beer will help? 
3 months later
2 months later
Took a break from my Firepower project to revisit the Rocket. Changed out the sockets from 50s to 44/47 so I can add LEDs. I love the older style bulbs but they were just way to dim. Plus if someone other than myself ends up with this game that prefers incandescent bulbs then they can easily change them out.
I left the shooter lane socket original since you can see that bulb from an angle.
6D8A68A8-482A-4A25-ADB2-CE58CA6AD583 (resized).jpeg1AAB97C3-4BFA-40AB-912B-6E9518003B67 (resized).jpegA41CDA44-8C3A-4821-AF79-DACE7BF7BEEB (resized).jpeg09BDDE05-AC0E-4748-BCA5-EBBEC26A0A83 (resized).jpegD1956FD4-2F25-4523-8DE1-A8CD7410F73C (resized).jpegQuoted from Silverstreak02:The new lights look great.
Thanks!
Camera doesn’t do it justice but in person it’s such an improvement.
Especially next to the other games in the line up, the original bulbs gave it this sickly old dying machine look. Now it holds its own and shines proud.
3 months later
Quoted from cait001:did you ever post some video of your machine playing all finished?
No, I'll try to work on that tonight!
Gameplay! 
Watch on full screen if viewing with a phone.
Ball 1 was a dud and I biffed the skill shot on Ball 3 to get a special but still a pretty decent game.
Quoted from mrm_4:Gameplay!
Watch on full screen if viewing with a phone.
Ball 1 was a dud and I biffed the skill shot on Ball 3 to get a special but still a pretty decent game.
Wow, that is a cooler game than I'd imagined. Thanks for sharing the video.
1 month later
So can someone familiar with these games explain how this is interpreted?
When you light Super Special which is like 1 out of 50 games and you just happen to land on the score which always seems to be 315,000 the green bumpers light up.
The way I read the score card is if I hit these things lit I can win 50 free games.
But the way this thing is designed I don’t see how that is ever possible. The score motor and the way this thing operates is WAY to simple to have such randomization and just doesn’t seem capable based on how the free play steps up when you hit replay amounts.
There is a switch on the projector unit at 50 and then again at 95 so it looks like it’s designed to stop advancing if it would give 50 games but it either only gives one or sometimes two advances. Nothing crazy like advertised.
Any thoughts?
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image (resized).jpgQuoted from mrm_4:When you light Super Special which is like 1 out of 50 games and you just happen to land on the score which always seems to be 315,000 the green bumpers light up.
At the top left of the schematics it looks like there are options for different score settings (including one at 310,000) on the 10k stepper. I am guessing that the super special relay engages when the 10k stepper reaches these settings. Does super score light up consistently at 310,000?
Quoted from mrm_4:The way I read the score card is if I hit these things lit I can win 50 free games.
But the way this thing is designed I don’t see how that is ever possible. The score motor and the way this thing operates is WAY to simple to have such randomization and just doesn’t seem capable based on how the free play steps up when you hit replay amounts.
There is a switch on the projector unit at 50 and then again at 95 so it looks like it’s designed to stop advancing if it would give 50 games but it either only gives one or sometimes two advances. Nothing crazy like advertised.
Any thoughts?
The score card could be interpreted to read that up to 50 replays will be awarded when super special is lit if the replay unit is at or below 50 (that is, it will go to a maximum of 50 replays on the projector reel) or up to 95 credits if the unit is at 51 or above (that is, it will go to a maximum of 95 replays on the projector reel), especially given that there are switches at 50 and 95. Also, I assume that one replay is awarded for each time a lit super special bumper is hit (up to 50 or 95 depending on where the relay stepper is at when super special is lit). What happens when you activate super special and hit the bumpers?
As for the Super Special the 315k always seems to be the number the green bumpers light but it’s not every time. I cant seem to get a true count it seriously is random as heck.
But when they are lit it gives a free play when I hit the bumper but then the score advances so the lights go out. Like I mentioned it’ll always give one replay sometimes 2. It’s basically impossible to get the rewards.
Score has to land exactly on 315,000 and the ball has to touch a green bumper before it touches any other switch or the lights go out. Which supports my case that if you magically hit this lit you should win 50 games.
I’m going to flexstone and business card the switches in the relay bank and make adjustments to see if it’s a switch issue later.
2 months later
Quoted from mrm_4:As for the Super Special the 315k always seems to be the number the green bumpers light but it’s not every time. I cant seem to get a true count it seriously is random as heck.
But when they are lit it gives a free play when I hit the bumper but then the score advances so the lights go out. Like I mentioned it’ll always give one replay sometimes 2. It’s basically impossible to get the rewards.
Score has to land exactly on 315,000 and the ball has to touch a green bumper before it touches any other switch or the lights go out. Which supports my case that if you magically hit this lit you should win 50 games.
I’m going to flexstone and business card the switches in the relay bank and make adjustments to see if it’s a switch issue later.
Just to capture an update with this Super Special situation. After really giving the relay bank a good filing and cleaning the green bumper gave up to 6 credits at one point. Its a pain to test because you have to start a new game and rack the points manually up to 315k and hope its one of the times that'll actually light the Super Special.
On to another point though. I found that setting the playfield at 3 degrees with the Pinguy App is the sweet spot with this game. I had it at 3.5 after rearranging the game room and it was missing the kickouts and playing horribly, but making it more level really let the game play so much better.
Still love this machine!
10 months later
Exceptional job on this, MRM!
I got a Bally Rocket a few months ago and I've been cleaning it up a bit. Did you have to replace the flipper-shaped ball guides at the top of the playfield? If so, where did you get them and what are they called?
Quoted from TopMoose:Exceptional job on this, MRM!
I got a Bally Rocket a few months ago and I've been cleaning it up a bit. Did you have to replace the flipper-shaped ball guides at the top of the playfield? If so, where did you get them and what are they called?
Thanks!
I had red ones at first and I think I got green ones sent to me as a surprise when I was getting other pieces. I might still have the red pair. From what I recall they were somewhat warped. I’m in the middle of moving this week so everything is packed.
I want to say they’re called “bumper arms” or something. If you need some I’m sure some of the guys in the EM parts thread would be able to help.
I’ll look through my parts next week tho.
Quoted from mrm_4:Thanks!
I had red ones at first and I think I got green ones sent to me as a surprise when I was getting other pieces. I might still have the red pair. From what I recall they were somewhat warped. I’m in the middle of moving this week so everything is packed.
I want to say they’re called “bumper arms” or something. If you need some I’m sure some of the guys in the EM parts thread would be able to help.
I’ll look through my parts next week tho.
Thanks! My red ones need to be replaced - I've never seen this before, but they look sort of withered or dehydrated, like a raisin. I've thought about calling Steve at PBR, but if you don't have a part number and don't know what they're called, things get awkward. I've also thought about getting them 3D printed, but that process gets expensive.
I also want to ask about the post you have below the "South" kickout hole. Mine has an L-shaped metal bar, but I wonder if the original post works any better or worse at catching the ball in the hole. Also, mine is anchored under the playfield by a massive wad of solder, so I don't know if it's worth it to risk fixing the hack.
1 year later
FINALLLLLLLLLYYYYY! I finally got the super special to award properly.
I had this switch misadjusted
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I cleaned the hell out of it and made sure if was making contact properly, did a few test games by hand until Super Special lit and when I touched it, the score motor kept spinning and award 5 credits at a time until it hit 51 free games.
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So glad I finally figured it out!!
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