When y'all say flickering, do you mean like this? https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/flight-2000-club-members-and-fans-welcome/page/13#post-5450051
Turned out to be the transistors being out of spec.
(Topic ID: 85981)
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Big Game
Stern Electronics, 1980
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1 month later
None are loose, uneven, or even really cupped. Note how clean the key lines are. It was tough enough to get the star rollover inserts out. I don’t see any need to potentially cause damage.
I’m hoping not terribly long. I’ll probably let it cure a few months before I reinstall it but I’ll post pics when I get it back.
I suppose I may his misinterpreted his texts. Gonna need to confirm this. I do have a second playfield but damn, a lot can happen in a year (or a week these days).
1 month later
7 months later
I think that third one is just faded or flaked but the other two have marked differences, you’re right @cottonm4. Interesting they both surfaced in Florida.
4 months later
5 months later
We both had Keith Holbrook of Total Pinball Restorations restore our Big Game playfields. His price was very reasonable (every job is going to have its own price, so I don't think it's appropriate to say what he charged me) and his work is great. He's got such a big backlog, I don't think he's accepting new clients but reach out: http://totalpinballrestorations.com/
Great guy, looking forward to his full restoration of my brother's Warlok.
Here's a couple before/after of my playfield. It was in pretty darn good shape for a Big Game, but the center rollover was blown out. The lion underneath the left flippers also had some chemical stain that ran through it. I went for Keith's cheapest option since my inserts were still very firmly seated. Some slight dieback noticeable in the inserts but a camera tends to accentuate that to a larger degree.
IMG_0002.jpeg
IMG_2413.jpg
IMG_3780.jpg
Still need to do a few more things before I power her up. I seem to have a mental block on just doing it as I took that third pic almost a month ago.
Quoted from cottonm4:I really like your white pop bumper skirts. They make the pops pop.
swinks graciously custom designed custom plastic printed rings for the Gen 1 pop mechs for me. I owe it to Jady to get this thing flipping so I can test them in action! https://www.shapeways.com/product/HBNDZBXES/classic-stern-gen-1-pop-ring-set-conversion?optionId=227816796&li=shops
I despise the metal base gen 1 pop assemblies with the little feet spacers. I modified the plastic base ones to fit the smaller hole. The custom rings were also needed because the ring size on the metal base assemblies is smaller than your standard ring these days, which won't fit through the playfield holes.
7F07E4F6-4F22-40FC-9285-39F6AA980BD6_1_105_c (resized).jpeg
015A66B7-A56C-4724-AB9C-AA0A25199255_1_105_c (resized).jpeg
Mine are vinyl numbers cut by @tractordoc. Not sure if he’s still selling them but they’re great quality.
1 month later
I took a quick video to show how awesome swinks Gen 1 plastic pop bumper ring mod turned out. Finally. Sorry it took me so long to get this together, Jady. I special requested these to replace the metal base pop bumpers. The rings have a smaller circumference as the playfield holes on these games is too small for modern replacement metal rings to pass through. It does require some modifications to the plastic style base to fit in the smaller playfield holes.
I hadn’t had any false fires in the 20 or so games I played, until I set the camera in front of it lol. Still need to sort out my spinners and some major bricking issues on the 7-8-9 drop bank (original targets in place, not repros).
Look at these babies fly though! Clearcoated playfield by Keith Holbrook @ Total Pinball Restorations.
Because I dislike the metal bases and the little feet spacers. I like the sound of the plastic rings on classic sterns too. Exactly how do you know they’re better? Gimme a break.
I was, and am, happy with my modified pops on Big Game. Why rain on my parade and make a statement that they’re inferior when I literally posted a video of them working great? They’re ridiculously expensive, but no one’s making you buy them. If you’re happy with the metal rings, great. I have had tons of issues with the pops on my Trident and Galaxy, and I happen to like the plastic rings from F2K onward, so I went with a new approach. And they’re great!
Anyone interested in a full, unused set of CPR plastics for $145 shipped? List price is $159+shipping.
Kept my originals on the game as they were in better shape than I remembered before ordering.
1 month later
Sorry to interject but I'm confused. cottonm4 and @thelaw, y'all have the banded side of the diode connected to the return wire? That's the opposite of every setup I've ever seen or done. It's also not consistent on your example pic...
I'm genuinely asking because I can't claim to understand how all the electronic components work.
I just popped open my Big Game and my spinner switch diodes are the same way as y’all pictured. Hrm.
Still not sure I’m getting “why” though, since all the other switches are oriented in the other direction, per my original understanding. And I don’t see any difference in the diode orientation on the schematic.
3E4EDDAC-C29D-4936-B74C-A82E7231A2BD.jpegQuoted from cottonm4:It is the little triangle with the line. I have struggled with diode orientation for the longest time. Your column wires are the hot wires, the power wires. Your row wires are the return wires, or ground.
[quoted image]
In this diagram, the red arrows are what you are looking at on a pinball machine. The diode prevents current from flowing backwards. When you close a switch, you have made continuity via the diode. But the diode prevents the current from going backwards
[quoted image]
Imagine if the diode failed on left sling shot. Now you have correct flowing back through the system. If the left sling diode goes bad, you now have current flowing to every item on the column wire W-BRN; Now your left drop target goes whacky on all 3 switches, while your right sling and your 3 pops start wigging out, as well.
[quoted image]
Sure, I have a very basic understanding of the function of a diode. I’m still not seeing why these two would defy all the other examples per the schematics though. And why no other switches I’ve encountered thus far are wired to the banded side of the diode.
3DBB476A-7953-4327-86A5-AE05029F0FE8.jpeg
What am I not seeing as different here?
Moving on from the diode talk, which I still don’t understand. I’m almost ready to put my Big Game by the curb if I can’t stop this bricking. The 7-8-9 drops brick terribly. They’re original targets (not repros) on an original playfield (that has been restored and clearcoated).
I tried moving the posts back to create more clearance, since I read modern rubber is a bit thicker and it looked like I wasn’t getting good clearance. Still brick city. I’ve gone down every rabbit hole on the solutions and all brick walls, pun intended.
787429C4-7002-4F8D-AB17-655E8EDF1395.jpeg
8C4713FB-AD88-4D31-AF7E-CA51E1A83BFD.gifI guess maybe I need to move the top post, which I didn’t because it’s a T-nut that will require more surgery than the regular screw holes on the center and lower posts.
Dealing with a bigger hole than a usual post since I had a t-nut to reposition. I’d rather it be sturdy in advance.
8 months later
Quoted from GoldenOreos:well I'm dumb, they fit but have half travel bc its not the plastic coil assembly lol. rip
GoldenOreos i modded my Big Game with plastic pop rings but they are custom sized to be the same diameter as the original gen-1 pop style. Did require some modifications to the plastic mounting bases:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/big-game-club-the-safari-has-started/page/32#post-6795011
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/big-game-club-the-safari-has-started/page/33#post-6861273
1 week later
Yeah I use the translucent repro Bally flipper bats and have no ball hop issues in Big Game, QS, Split Second, etc
1 week later
Quoted from GoldenOreos:So I want to remove the guides behind flippers and the posts in order to make it where you can get scissored, But only if it's possible to make the flippers stage. is this possible? what would be the best way to go about that? thanks.
Quoted from hisokajp:or going crazy and flip the double stack switch from upper to lower flipper mechs so you can stage flip!
I haven’t tried this but have you actually done it hisokajp ?
3 weeks later
Well… you can put a price tag on anything. Will it sell though? I hope it does, mine is nicer 
Curious how this guy redid his playfield because it looks like an overlay that’s been cleared but there is no Big Game overlay.
My best guess with it looking somewhat transparent and clearly a little stretchy, the owner looks to have had the same problem with the top inserts that the gent who did this legit impressive work a few years ago: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/data-east-batman-playfield-overlay
So my guess is that’s the same material but it’s just a guess. No idea.
For any of y'all doing playfield swaps and want nice new rails for your new playfield, I sent my old set to ibis https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-rails-reproduction-rails
1 month later
Shoot I'm forgetting what game it was now but I had a wire so goo'ed up that I just pulled it completely out of the harness and replaced it. It was supposed to be like white/blue but it was green/goo all the way through! Don't know if it would've worked because I replaced it during resto.
1 week later
I haven’t tried these personally but a Mylar option available here: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1343-the-pinball-scientist/05802-circular-mylar-stickers-for-leveling-inserts
3 weeks later
I wouldn’t recommend off the shelf regular old rattle can spray clear on your playfield. It likely won’t live up to the rigors of pinball and make things worse. The 2x name isn’t the same as something like Spraymax 2K which is a two part auto clear.
1 week later
2 weeks later
Http://nvram.Weebly.com (which is @barakandl’s business) is a much better option for classic sterns over Alltek. More code options pre-installed, expansion slots for modifying code later (Allteks are locked), and they’re cheaper.
Quoted from cottonm4:Weebly has two options for his MPU. You can get the one with high voltage for the displays but if you go with the low voltage displays, such as the UNOs low voltage displays, then you can order the MPU with out the high voltage parts and save some money.
The high voltage is the Solenoid Driver Board, not the MPU.
You have all new boards except the sound board, which also appears to have its original capacitors still on there. Those old ribbon cables can get flakey too.
Just fwiw, Http://nvram.Weebly.com is the better choice for classic stern boards over Alltek. His MPU comes pre-programmed with optional Big Game modified code, free play, etc. and he makes repro SB-300’s too.
1 month later
CPR clearly (no pun intended) isn’t putting any sort of plug in this holes before clearing. Iirc, greatwich was plugging the rollover slots by inserting the buttons upside down, through the top of the playfield and removing them once the clear was on but not totally dry. I had no issues with my Greatwich Star Gazer. Still need to put together my Fantastic Star Gazer but I imagine Greg is doing it just the same.
4 weeks later
1 month later
That is the correct saucer. They just never updated the parts manual from the original design used in earlier games.
Quoted from cottonm4:Ali and Big Game have these piano wires in front of the posts.
I don’t recall those on my Ali when I stripped it down for the upcoming repro playfields. Definitely on both Big Game playfields I’ve had my mitts on.
1 week later
1 week later
As I said in my reply, the parts manual was never updated from the original design used in earlier games like Trident, Magic, etc.
You may want to check out the whole thread because it’s a wealth of parts and build knowledge, but HoakyPoaky ’s Quicksilver scratch build thread has lots of great pics of the later gen saucer mech: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-2nd-restoration-quicksilver-scratch-build?tq=Saucer&tu=
4 weeks later
3 weeks later
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