Put 4 good hours into two flipper rebuilds. Got them disassembled and cleaned. Learned I need to grab a 1/8" pin punch from a hardware store tomorrow to continue further.
-mof

Here's my ghetto playfield prop arm courtesy of an old broom (good thick wood!)
Seems stable enough...
201402-BH-prop2.jpg201402-BH-prop.jpg

Here's the kit from PBR:
201402-BH-flipper-rebuild-kit-L-R.jpg201402-BH-flipper-rebuild1.jpg

Here's the flipper arm that needs a 1/8" pin punch to complete work on
201402-BH-flipper-arm-pin.jpg

Old and new coil stop -- big difference!
201402-BH-flipper-coil-stop-difference.jpg

One gross bushing -- wtf fluid is that?
201402-BH-gross-bushing.jpg

All new parts back from the Ultrasonic, yeah !
201402-BH-flipper-ultrasonic.jpg

Today, back in the laboratory of Dr. Gottlieb, many mods were made to the CPU and Driver Boards...
Here are the beautiful results:
Big Big thanks to blownfuse...
-mof

201402-BH-driver-board-with-mods2.jpg201402-BH-driver-board-with-mods.jpg

These puppies get installed in the morning!
Woof !
-mof

Even the magnifying glass is happy!
201402-BH-new-flipper-assemblies-(2-of-6).jpg

Amen brother!
-mof

Captain's Log, Stardate 2014-Feb-8.
4 weeks into project: "Black Hole"
Time estimate: 70 hours.
Elapsed: 44.5 hours.
Remaining: 25.5 hours.
Completion Date (Goal): Feb 22.

It will be tough to hit the goal since I have plans the weekend of 2/15...

I'll *have* to power through more flipper upgrades Sunday/Monday night to have a chance at coming close, but I only have 4-6 more hours of free time before 2/22... =( It was an ambitious goal...

Loving this game. I was in Dr. Gottlieb's arcade today, where I got to play a few cousins of Black Hole: Spirit and Mars God of War. I like each of them for different reasons, but the ability to smack the ball HARD, and watch the pops do their evil magic on the ball is unparalleled by Black Hole. I can't wait to have this thing completely hard-knocking and fine-tuned. It's a real treat. I call it a "shell game" pinball design. You really have trouble tracking the ball, and wondering where the F*** it is. I can't say that about too many pins.

There's just so much S P A C E in this pin.

-mof

Wouldn't be sys80 without a curveball thrown at me. Game not booting into attract mode. Not holding steady 5vdc on the power supply board. Dr. Gottlieb says it likely needs a new 10000uf cap... Also, I've been informed it's good to replace the BRs for good measure as well. (Parts will soon all be on order with Ed.)

I need to place my order for the BRs with GPE -- does anyone know the specs on the four BRs down by the transformer?

Are they 35a 200v - 4 tab ?

-mof

Cap in hand, perhaps say some system80 prayers for me tonight...

Will have results in 3 hours. Hoping for steady 5vdc... (I already replaced the BR to the power supply, and that didn't do it.)
-mof

201402_BH-cap-going-in.jpg

Never been so happy to be back in attract mode!!! My little buddy is clicking and clacking the outlane gate as prescribed.

BH is back in business!!! 5vdc measured on the CPU, steady as a rock.

But... She won't be played tonight. Oh no.

Now, I have to practice patience, and only work 1 hour each night this week to keep accord with the family. Proud that I can muster that patience now. Wasn't as easy one year ago. Aging is good for something!

Wed night: solder in newly rebuilt flippers, and re-align/re-position my first ever Gottlieb flipper install (can't frickin' wait)

Tonight is the morale booster, tomorrow night is the big payoff... Can't wait to see what these flippers can do.

Also, I'm proud that I was able to re-work the old bracket AND re-use the old bracket holes in the wood. I just had to bend the bracket a little, then find a long AND perfectly threaded machine screw that would self-thread tightly through the second hole. Thank god for the "$hit jar" -- low and behold, within a few seconds of moving "random loose crap found in the last 12 machines", it had the perfect one sitting in there. As I tightened the screw, it made a good grasp of the new cap.

"Screwfest Destiny"... (I dare you to google it, those two words have never been uttered together before.)

-mof

Old cap
201402-BH-old-narrow-cap.jpg

Old bracket getting prepped for the new cap
201402-BH-re-work-bracket.jpg

New cap installed, using old holes with bigger radius. Hell yes!
201402-BH-old-bracket-new-cap.jpg

Checking for 5vdc on power supply board first with nothing attached
201402-BH-5vdc-power-supply.jpg

Checking for 5vdc on CPU board, looks good !
201402-BH-CPU-5vdc.jpg

There she is !!!
201402-BH-5vdc-power-supply2.jpg

Only had the one short-term issue preventing game play.
First post has the list...
Next up is re-install cleaned up flippers and align them perfectly
Then quickly swap out one solenoid with broken plastic that supports the lugs

Then play...

Thanks!
-mof

Got the 2 main flippers re-wired in. Plays with about the same punch as before, but certainly smoother. Of course the leaves were not adjusted perfectly out of the box, so left flipper "appeared" dead at first, and it was simply that the contacts were not tight enough.

When we were diagnosing the fluctuating 5vdc that is now fixed, we unplugged the lower PF for the first time.
Now the lower PF is not sensing both sets of drops or the trough switch to allow the pall to pass. I tried reconnecting the three connectors twice. No change. The flippers, GI, and pops work downstairs. I'm sure it's something minor... Will take another look Thursday night.

Ship is almost sailing again... So close.
-mof

Tonight I put in 3 good hours:

1. Replaced the solenoid for the lower playfield, that supports switch #53, which senses when the ball has drained, and needs to be allowed to pass to the tube.
2. Replaced the solenoid with the broken lugs on the upper playfield pop.
3. Cleaned the heck out of switch 53.
4. Rotated the solenoid that fires the ball to the upper PF, so that the lugs no longer catch on stuff when the lower PF is slid back into place.

fun stuff. So close to having a strong player machine.
-mof

Solenoid with bad lugs for the left-drain pop
201402-BH-bad-lugs.jpg

Replaced.
201402-BH-replace-sbad-lug-solenoid.jpg

Blue solenoid has loose plunger.
201402-BH-loosey-goosey.jpg

Replaced it, and rotated the red one.
201402-BH-replaced-solenoid-rotated-other.jpg

Nice place to rest the "club".
201402-BH-nice-pole.jpg

Current Speed bump: ball gate solenoid not firing. (solved!)

1) test 18 results with 53. Switch is good.
2) test 16 results with the ball gate solenoid not firing, and the ball return solenoid does fire. However... after 5-10 thrusts, F17 blows. (note: Dr. Gottlieb had me replace the 6 1/2 SB with a 2 1/2 SB. It's now blown twice since I've been troubleshooting.)
3) Green-Yellow-Yellow appears to me to control the solenoid. I buzzed it back to the backbox connector, and it's good.

-mof

ALL FIXED.
Game plays crazy-good. The real eye-opener in this process for me was replacing the Capacitor off the transformer. The game is punchy as hell all over. Now I am itching to learn to measure voltage and make sure all my machines are running to spec. I have some that are this punchy, and a few that are not.

Thanks to Dr. Gottlieb for the troubleshooting help!

I'll post my high score in the Black Hole club... hehe
-mof

I just put in another 15 games of play tonight, and got my A$$ handed to me over and over. Can't seem to crack 400K. Like all great games, the secrets to the game are being revealed slowly to me. My neighbors must think someone is getting tortured in the garage (me). I am happy to report that the game is playing really well.

If you can, make friends with someone in your area with a Black Hole, it is possibly the most punishing game I've ever played. I don't think there's any competition for the speed, randomness of ball travel, and the brutal punishment of having three pop bumpers playing against you. You really feel like you are in a fire-fight. It could have been themed as a high-noon gunslinger fight.

If you come home from work in a bad mood, do NOT play Black Hole. Do not make it the only game in your collection. It's that rough -- but with the pain comes great joy when you have a good ball.

-mof

In about 50 plays since I bought it. 2-3 times. And they didn't last long... sigh.
-mof

Movie coming soon. Pics will have to hold you over for now.
-mof

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201402-BH-night-moves2.jpg
201402-BH-night-moves1.jpg

After a short visit to Dr. Gottlieb's laboratory on Saturday, I learned a few essentials for having a good Black Hole experience as a player. He also offered advice on the broken post. He suggested taking a 1/16" drill bit, and drilling down the very center of the broken post. Then follow up with a 3/32" bit, and hopefully the drill will "catch" the post and actual drive it right through the bottom of the playfield.

I tried it and it did just that. The benefit is that I still have a wood hole perfectly threaded and ready for another post. I lost almost no wood material in the act other than driving it through the other side which was harmless. New post is in, and feels very stable. I threw a washer underneath it for added stability, also there was a little bit of blue playfield missing around the post, and this more appealing cosmetically.

Now that inner orbit shot is much harder to make, which simply means making it, is much more rewarding.

Did the pinball gods approve of my work tonight?
-mof
201403-BH-post-in.jpg

Is... Answer... Yes?

Yes.

Got my first ever 6-digit score rollover on Black Hole. I think it's due time to install the 7-digit displays as the doctor suggested!
-mof

Got three multi-balls in 9 games, and one lasted for 2 minutes.

I would dare to say, if you've never played a Black Hole multi-ball...
you've never played the most challenging multi-ball of all time.

1.2mil !

201403-BH-1pt2mil.jpg

Thanks for the kind support!

Get your popcorn and Shasta ready...

The movie has been recorded... 10 mins of 5-ball fun with two back to back multi-balls. 2nd best score ever...

-mof

Posted, Enjoy !
-mof