Does anyone happen to have an extra lower playfield that you could part with? Nice or not I could use one.

Thank you!

I have a question for all the Elektra owners and those that have played the game. What do you love about the game and what would you change if you could? Not too long ago I was able to get a Bally Black Jack and with the help of a fellow pinside Quench unraveled the ROM code to understand how the machine really worked. With that I was able to patch the Game ROM and change it to add a couple new tunes with the chimes and patch the code do if you lost you would lose points. It was a fun project and now I want to try something new!

Elektra is an interesting machine that I think has a lot of untapped potential. That may take some tweaks to the code and a few HW hacks to do what I think may be possible.

Instead of the bottom playfield being used when the ball drains how about when you lock a ball under special circumstances? How about a multiball with one up and one down? How about a crazy multiball with two up and the one below for three balls at once? What do you think that would do to improve the game? I'm not sure what is possible yet but if needed a larger ROM could contain extra code for more features. I'm not going to make outlandish claims that I'll get all this done but with a well defined scope I'll take a crack at it.

I'd start with a simple change and then if that is successful build on that for other enhancements.

If you have any ideas please share them here and maybe something good can happen.

Robert

I want to make small changes at first and see what I can do without any wiring mods. At some point i'd like to see about having both playfields on and make a plug in adapter so it is an easily reversible mod.

Before I get to that I have some work to do on the machine to get it running 100% so I can base things from a working machine. That way if something isn't acting right it will probably be a code issue.

At the moment I can't get into self test (maybe just a bad switch) but found some re-wiring done with some speaker wire that I'll need to clean up. Also when the lower playfield is active the lower flippers don't work. I'm going to see if I can fix some of those later today.

If there are any open solenoid drivers then one of those could possibly be used to enable both play fields at once. Need to check for that as I get familiar with the schematics.

I haven't looked at the way the sound is done. It may not be too bad to leverage all the existing words but just rearrange them in new phrases. I think that is an option.

Adding different music that is outside my skills but maybe a Pinsound could be added.

Going to the lower playfield when two balls are locked should work with the existing hardware.

I think the first pass is to just focus on updates that don't require any hardware changes.

Quick question for the group. When the machine is in attract mode do you normally hear the relay clicking? That is what seems to happen on this one.

Still debugging the flippers not working when the lower playfield is active. Uppers work during that time. If I press the button under the playfield I see the 555 bulb light and e lower playfield flippers work. Occasionally I'll hear that relay click while playing afterwards and then all the flippers work intermittently. It seems like it is just a bad connection somewhere. From the schematics it looks like that relay is controlled by the aux lamp driver on connector J3 pin 7. On this machine it looks like a couple extra adapter boards were added at the output connectors which I think were in place so leds could be used. Not sure if that is causing issues with that relay switching or not. I may just temporarily pull those out to see. I know the game had been working before so I think something just got knocked loose.

Anyone have a spare relay board? It would be nice to have a spare for testing. Im going to pull that as well as the lamp drivers and reflow any questionable connections. May just get lucky and find a bad solder joint.

I have some other upgrades for this machine in mind after I get it working right.

Thanks for the note on those boards! I thought they must be for the LEDs but didn't see any identification on them. Mystery solved on that one.

I've read on another thread where someone else had a similar issue. I'm sure it is just going to be a bad connection or solder joint from moving the machine. Will see how all the headers look and it may just take reflowing the solder to fix it.

I pulled both the lamp driver and aux lamp driver boards. Found bad solder connections on both of the boards. I'm going to clean those up and resolder them. That may take care of the issue with the lower flippers.

Found a bad 106 SCR and solder connections. Still no luck getting the lower flippers going but I have more of the lights working. Should have time to dig more into it this weekend,

Maybe, but at least I'm fixing other issues along the way! Do you know of anyone that stocks a replacement board? It looks like Rottendog and pinpoint make them.

I have a few MOC3011 chips coming and will try swapping that out on the relay board and test it on the bench. The flippers were working before it was moved that is why I was leaning toward a bad connection.

Looks like both of them are out of stock. I should have the parts in by tomorrow and will just rebuild my board unless the relay is toast. I'm going to see if I can get a couple of the pinpoint boards since I'll end up needing an extra anyway if I can do the mods I want to the game.

I'm not sure how much control the MPU code has over the sounds or if it can just use what is programmed into the sound card. Creating new speech may not be possible but I hope that perhaps it may be possible to string the existing words together in different phrases. Maybe a three ball multiball could say "gamma orbit" or some other string of words already encoded in the speech ROMs.

I am going to see if I can order some of these bulbs for the playfield GI:

http://www.cometpinball.com/product-p/6smdfan.htm

The look of the lens is perfect for the theme. Has anyone installed these yet? I normally stay with regular bulbs or warm whites for GI but I think Elektra would look good with the Natural White or perhaps blue LED's.

It wasn't the MOC-3011 or the diode on that board. I've got a couple of the pinpoint versions on the way and will swap out that whole board once they arrive. At least that will either confirm that was the problem or show that it is elsewhere.

The new pinpoint boards arrived so I swapped out the solenoid expander for the flippers. Those pinpoint boards are nice. They have two status leds and will supposedly work without the bulb. Unfortunately that didn't solve the issue.

I'm going to go over all the wiring. Can some get a good picture of the three connectors at the aux lamp driver? I could also use a good picture of the connector at the upper right on the driver board. I think there could be an issue at those connections.

Attached some before and after pictures of the sound board. Most of the caps had radial caps instead of the axial caps. Removed them all and replaced them with axial versions. Also replaced the two controls and the two tantalum caps. One of the tantalum caps tested bad. It does sound better now. Just need to make up a couple new labels for the EPROM's instead of the black tape. I normally just order my own caps but in this case the cap kit came from big daddy and included all the caps and new controls.

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If anyone has good reference photos of the wiring in the backbox and the underside of the playfield of a machine that is close to an intact original could you post them on this thread? It could help show how the harnesses are run and secured.

Specifically I'd like to get good images of the connector that goes on the Aux Lamp board, the 25-pin connector for the main driver board, and also the wiring on the front of the playfield by the flipper coils. Some of the wiring for those coils was replaced by heavy gauge speaker wires.

The 25-pin connector is broken on my game and a couple of the wires were soldered to the back of the board. I'm installing new SIP headers on the board and plan on repining the 25-pin connector wires and installing in a new shell.

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Could someone get a good picture of the 25-pin .100" connector on the upper right of the driver board? Listing out the pinout would be extremely helpful. What pins are empty and what colors are in each location. Im trying to confirm how it is supposed to be wired.

I have a copy of the one from the ipdb site. It has been great for working on the boards and it looks like several of the things I've been having problems with point to that 25 pin connector on that driver board. I just did the mod to add the three jumpers on the back of the board and put the right fuse in for the displays.

None of the wiring color codes seem to be shown in the manual that I have. Just getting some good reference photos of that and also how the harness is run and secured will help.

Thank you,

Robert

Those pictures will help a lot! Thank you. I'm sure that may help others that could use reference photos too.

Also I must have completely missed that legend box with the color code decoder. I should have the info I need to get everything sorted out.

And yes, that playfield is heavy. It is also probably one of the most densely packed playfields I've ever had to deal with.

Robert

It looks like there is a mistake on the schematics for pin 10 on J3 for the driver board. The schematic for the harness says it goes to A2J3 pin 1 while the schematic for the driver shows it going to pin 5. I need to do some more digging to confirm which one is right. I believe it should be pin 1.

It looks like many of the wires on the 25-pin IDC connector had come out and had been pushed back in. A couple popped out as I was checking the color codes on that .J3 connector. Need to check the on for the input to the aux board too. I have a feeling once those are repinned with nex connectors the issues should be resolved.

After going through the schematics it looks like there are several unused outputs on Elektra.

Aux lamp driver:
Pin 18 on J3 - from U5 #3

Lamp driver:
Pin 2 on J2 - from U3 #14
Pin 18 on J3 - from U4 #9

Driver board:
Pin 4 on J2 - #0
Pin 9 on J2 - #1
Pin 10 on J2 - #2
Pin 11 on J2 - #3
Pin 12 on J2 - #4
Pin 14 on J5 - #13

Dedicated:
Pin 15 on J2

Since there looks like there is an extra dedicated output I think it is odd that they didn't use that to switch between the upper and lower and instead hung a sol expander board off the aux lamp driver.

I should be able to use at least one of these to control an additional relay to have both playfields active at once.

I still want to take a look at the switch matrix to see if any extra switches could be added if needed.

Robert

That is definitely a concern and one of the things on the list of things to check. I may have to do some updates there too.

Great suggestions! I'll keep that in mind when I get to that point.

Also with the extra possible outputs I was thinking about the possibility of adding a magnet coil under the lower playfield in the middle if one will fit. That's another option to tweak gameplay without doing major mods to the playfield.

Maybe add a mode while the lower playfield is active saying you've been exposed and then randomly activate the magnet to toss the ball around. Just gathering ideas and will see what I can make work.

I thought there were some coils that just mounted right flush against the bottom of the playfield. If one of the smaller ones would fit in the middle of the bottom playfield it may make an interesting gamma effect at certain points in play down there. Since the playfield is so tight it may be a challenge but if some of the lamp sockets are moved and LEDs installed to save space it might be possible. I'll look for other games with magnets under the playfield to see how they are used.

Thanks for the picture. I had never seen one like that before. I think that the Dracula had a smaller magnet coil that could travel along and I'm not sure if that is routed too. I know someone that has that game and I'll check. Maybe that magnet would be good enough just sitting flush. It doesn't have to grab and hold the ball. Just turning it on may be enough to mess with the ball for a good effect.

Last nights project. This sits between the two metal ramps and replaces the plastic piece there. I'm going to print this in a few other translucent colors (red, yellow, clear) and see how they look in the game and when lit. I may end up tweaking the crystal design but I think this is a good first attempt.

I may try another version that just sits on the playfield directly behind the targets instead of sitting over them.

If this works out and looks good I will be able to make more.

Thoughts?

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How often does the ball get up on top of the plastic there? I may have to add more crystal spires toward the back of the piece to try and prevent that. Hadn't considered that aspect and will have to check.

I mainly made this as an option to replace a broken plastic there and have a nice crystal structure to enhance the game. I think it will look pretty cool as you hit the red targets and light them up. The whole crystal should glow.

I'm making one in translucent red now. Will see how these fit and will try setting a ball on it and if I need to try adding extra crystals.

In attract mode when the lights are flashing is it normal to hear the relay click for the lower playfield flippers? I am still tracking down the issue where it doesn't engage for Elektra time. It is acting like one if the wires is swapped with a lamp. I'm going to get a friend to help me check out all those connections.

Also finding that at least a half dozen of the caps had a lead cut on the switches and some may be missing. Were all the switches on Elektra supposed to have caps on them?

Knowing when that relay is supposed to engage helps. I think I may try making a short diagnostic program to step through each light one at a time so I can confirm each one lights when it should an no others come on or are missing. Will help determine if a wire is shorted or crossed and can dig into the wiring after that.

I can see on the schematics which switches should have caps on them. There are a few switches out so I'm just going to go through them all one at a time to cleaned/adjust them and install a new cap on those switches that should have them. Will also be checking for broken diodes as well.

Found a couple messed up wires and now have the mini playfield working so the game is up and running. Just normal things to deal with now and then onto code updates and more work on the crystal mod for the center targets.

Mine has the rubber ring running in front of the captive ball. I probably won't be able to get pictures until tomorrow. There is one in this thread though. If you click on the link at the top of this thread for view image gallery I saw a picture on the second page that shows hoe the large ring can be used.

Where did you get the red and blue post caps? I've only ever seen those in white or black.

Here are the other colors. I'm leaning toward the yellow and clear crystal versions. I just ordered some LEDs with dual lights on longer wires. One will go up inside the crystal. Will get pictures of them installed on the game. I tested the blue one and it would be better with an led inside the crystal too. The blue is a bit too dark but may work with a bright LED inside. I think this will end up looking a lot better in the game than the flat plastic piece that is normally between the ramps.

Robert

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I had a chance to try the new crystals out this evening and I like the way they are turning out. I think the yellow is my favorite with the white a close second. Once I get the new LED's and have the second one go up inside the each of the three crystals it should look even better. With the really bright LED in the Blue that may look ok too all lit up.

To finish it off a pair of small stickers that go around the base in front and behind the crystals would really make it look like it was part of the game. The graphic arts and stickers aren't my thing but may be a good project for someone else on the forum used to making them. Even as it is I think it is a nice improvement to the looks of the game.

So instead of just the lamp turning on when you hit those red targets the crystal for each target will light up too.

Once I get the new LED's and and get that sorted out I'll be able to make these for anyone that would like to add one to their game.

Robert

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They could probably be a little taller but I need to leave some clearance between them and the glass. The angle of the photo may make them look shorter than they are.

Still need to see how they look when those new LEDs arrive. Also need to change two sockets there since one is broken and another was replaced with a 44 style socket.

I'll probably be making these in both yellow and white to start.

I definitely have to order some of those titan caps. For these new crystals and the other plastics too.

This evening I was able to drill a hole under each crystal and tried a commet LED under them. Looks much better. Still need to add another 3/4" to the length of the wires so it sits right in the base of each crystal structure. Once I do that will get some fresh pictures.

This may be a good thread to request a hard top set for the upper and lower playfields..

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/official-hardtops-thread/page/2#post-4449742

I was able to get a quick video of the crystal installed. Only two of the LED's are installed in the crystals since there is a #44 type socket for the third bulb that I still need to change out. It is cool to see each crystal light up as you hit the targets. Looks better in person than the video captured.

this one was done in translucent orange and is the one that I'm going to go with on the machine. I'll be making more of these orange ones and still have a couple yellow and some natural ones if anyone else is looking to upgrade.

Robert

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Nice! I think I'm going to need to order some of those see through targets soon. Thanks for sharing the video.

Robert

Good to know. Do you have a part number for the new switches that are used with those targets?

I think just going with the contacts will work for me. I'll have to add those to the list! Just have a few more minor bugs to work out of the game first.

I've been thinking more about mods I'd like to do and for the moment am going to focus on ones that woul work on all Elektra machines. Started off with the crystal upgrade and hope to dig into the code soon. Later on may try a few hardware and code changes.

One thing I think may help is to keep track of the loops up the left ramp. On games like Dr Who or BOP you can get special bonuses for hitting multiple loops. Are there any other shots that would be good to keep track of? Maybe for multiple saucer shots?

When first launching the ball if the upper left flipper is up I have seen the ball go through the opening and come down that last ramp. Seems like a unique shot worthy of a skill shot. With another switch or sensor looking for the ball going through there on an unused switch input that could be coded for.

Spent a little time working on Elektra this weekend and it is playing well now. Fixed a couple switches (one left to do) an replaced 6 lamp sockets. Two sockets were broken and 4 were #44/47 type. Now it has all the correct lamp sockets. Started installing a 470ohm resistor ac each lamp socket with an LED so the original boards work well.

Now with all the correct sockets I have all three LED's under the 3D crystal structure and each target now lights up a crystal. Very nice mod to the machine that just bolts on in place of the plastic.

When I got my machine it came with part of any extra playfield that was mostly stripped. There were still some sockets left on it and I was able to get sockets from that. I don't know of anyone that carries the exact replacement white sockets that match the machine. They probable stopped making those sockets for safety reasons. Those are the most painful sockets I've ever dealt with.

The upper playfield on my game is really bad. That extra upper will get touched up/cleared and eventually will swap it out with the one on the game.

I've never tried the iScored app but it is nice to see someone made a display for Elektra to use in it.

You may want to check out this Youtube video I found about Elektra. It covers exactly what you are looking for:

CPR has been posting on their Facebook page all sorts of new playfields they may make. I talked to them and they had already done the artwork for the small lower playfield. I'd be happy if they would at least do the lower. Even better would be that and the upper as a set. A complete set would be cool but I think a lot would just be good with the upper and lower.

If you feel the same way and want a set let them know.

The bottom is different enough that they could get away with slight differences in color. It would be nice to get them to at least try making those.

Yes, Elektra can be a cruel machine to work on with being so packed.

Speaking of opening it up there is a bad switch I need to track down. Switch 27 (actually three switches) aren't working right. Either they don't register or they start scoring on their own.

The gaps seem ok but I'll double check them. Each of those switches have a cap and diode. Maybe one of those are bad.

I still have some of my crystal upgrades to replace the center plastic between the ramps. If you need that one this would help. The crystals look cool all lit up.

They are shown earlier in this thread.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/elektra-owners-club-fans-also-welcome/page/13#post-4439975

I'd like to work on some code updates once I wrap up a few other projects.

I believe you're looking for these:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/C-615-R

Decided to make things a lot easier when disconnecting all the connectors to remove the head on the machine. Added labels to all the connectors so they can be quickly plugged back into the proper spot. It is important since there are a couple connectors for the playfield that could otherwise get mixed up.
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Yes. It was off when I got the game for transport (used an HHR back then) and it was off one other time because of a narrow doorway to a room. When I bring it back home it will probably come off one more time.

Even if I didn't have to remove it the labels are a clean way to mark the cables.

I've never seen any spare playfields for sale but someone in Europe was making an overlay for the upper

Do you have all the connectors correct? There are two in the back of that can be swapped. Game will still start but you'll have lighting issues and the lower playfield flippers won't work. May also need to double check your lamp driver and aux lamp drivers.

Do you think it is wiring or the boards? Keep in mind that if the head was off there are two free hanging plugs that can be swapped. Game will come up and play somewhat but you won't have lower flippers and all sorts of odd lights. Match up the colors on those cables to make sure they aren't mixed up. I labeled all the connector shells on mine and it makes it easy to reconnect after moving. If it helps I can try to get pictures of mine this week. It has all original boards and I have been using Elektra as a test fixture to verify Bally boards after I repair and upgrade them for people.

If any of you have an original coinbox in your machine can you get some reference pictures of it? I didn't see any in the image gallery. Mine is missing. Have a couple friends looking for me but I need a picture for reference. Thanks in advance!

Also, if anyone has spare coin door parts I could use all the rejector hardware. That is missing on mine too.

Some Flash Gordon machines had the same sound board as Xenon and some had a Squawk and Talk like Elektra.

I'd also suggest just going with the NVRAM replacement for the 5101 so you never have to worry about a battery leaking again.

Did it ever work? If not, I suspect you may have two of the free hanging Molex plugs swapped. They are the smaller ones. If the game was disassembled and the head was off you can swap the two. Game will still work and play but the lower playfield will act up and there will be lighting issues.

Just look over those smaller plugs in the head and compare the wires and color codes on each side. They should match.

I specifically used a label maker to label ALL of the connector shells in my machine so that never happens.

Specifically check these plugs to see if they are swapped.

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You would think that but the SAME thing happened to me when I first got my Elektra. Was supposed to a a mostly working machine. Totally frustrating at first. The harness had been labeled with blue painters tape and those particular connectors were labeled wrong. Since it was supposed to be working and I plugged in things as they were labeled. Went back over all the wiring and then dropped a few choice four letter words when I noticed the problem. I labeled them properly so that should never happen again.

Elektra is an odd case where it has a couple connectors that can be swapped that that and when that happens you may not notice right away.

If that does it please update the Facebook thread as well since it may help others.

I think I still have a few of my crystal upgrades for between the two center ramps. I put bendy LED's with long leads so the light would be inside the crystal so it glows when on.

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That looks great painted. Once school is out I’ll see if my daughter can do the same on mine. I had always hoped to find someone that could make stickers for the base around the crystals and would still like to at some point. Never thought about painting though.

Definitely would like to hear how the other LEDs work out.

I was thinking that instead of waiting until the end to get to the mini playfield that you could switch to it when locking a ball up top. I had also thought about energizing both upper and lower for a three ball

I know. But I am looking at adding an additional relay which can engage both at once. Want to do it in a way that is reversible and transparent to the original code. I think it could be a good mode to work up to.

Would definitely be interested in hearing additional ideas and modes that would make it a more interesting game.

Year ago I made updates to a Bally Blackjack and if you messed up it would take away points (if the dealer beat you) and thinking that in one mode you could get points for hitting lit standup targets and lose points if you hit an unlit one by mistake.

I'm going to have to get some of those LED's and try them out too. At the moment I'm using an orange crystal with RED LEDs but may try one of the clear ones with the alternative LED colors. Thanks for posting the update!

Did you see the ones I’ve had available for Elektra?

For #1 you should pull the glass off the playfield and try knocking and tapping on the playfield in different areas to see if it scores. Probably have a switch gapped too close. Could go into switch test to see what shows up to give clues but I would at least examine them all.

#2 check all the trough switches. You could also have an overall issue with the switch matrix. Shorted diode, shorted wire (Elektra is a complex game with lots of wiring), maybe cap going bad on a switch, and very possible a combination of issues.

#3 can you post pictures? I have a working Elektra and can compare.

Assuming you are running all original boards I would check the driver board to see if the main 5v capacitor has been changed and if the jumpers for the ground mods and tie the two 5v sections together was ever done. Those updates are really important and I do on every early Bally and Stern board I get in for service and my own games.

Does the MPU board show any signs of battery damage? If so how well was it repaired? That could cause all sorts of issues.

Any pictures of the

Can you take a picture of your sound board in the backbox? If there is no sound it may be as simple as just a connector unplugged for the speaker. I've rebuilt a bunch of those boards.

Robert

So, does anyone on here have any spare playfields or at least a nice example of the upper playfield for Elektra? It sounds like CPR may be willing to do a run of Elektra playfields if they can borrow a nice example of the upper to go from. I think that is the only one of the set they are missing. It would be great if they do a run as I need a set for my own game and will finally get a chance to refresh it

I have a set of those adapter boards shown above that came out of my Elektra. I'm not using them. If you want to go that route you can have them. Just have to figure out how to get them to you.

You have a few options for LED's on Elektra:

- Use these add-on boards with the original lamp boards.

- Add 470ohm resistors on the lamp sockets where you want to install LED's

- The Comet OPTIX LED's seem to work ok with the original lamp boards in many cases as-is but those LED's are more expensive than others

- Buy Alltek lamp boards.

One odd part about Elektra is that two of the cables to the playfield can be interchanges. Game will work (sort of) but the lights weren't right and the lower playfield won't work. I discovered that when I got my Elektra. The seller had disassembled it but incorrectly marked the wires. I would have been better off if none had been marked. Now if I get a game I don't trust any wires that were marked ahead of time. I also go through and neatly label all the connectors to make it easy on me or if I sell the game the next new owner.

I still have some of my crystal mods for between the two center ramps.

Robert

This is some of the best news I have seen on Pinside yet! I've been planning on some code updates for Elektra and this will help me prioritize that.

I’ve played a few games with hardtops and they played great. So for some people they have worked out really well. I would take a hardtop any day over the overlay stickers. While it would be nice if new playfields were available that isn’t an option. A hardtop is the next best thing. Prep work can vary and there are some great tips in the hardtop thread.

I wouldn’t recommend one for a game that could get by with minor touch ups. Mainly for games with trashed playfields.

My Elektra plays well with a good cabinet and backglass. My upper playfield is beyond trashed. A hardtop will save it. The game came with a new plastic set so the whole game will be refreshed. I’ll do the lower too as that could use an update.

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That looks amazing and wish mine looked like that. I’d just wax and play it as is.

Really looking forward to the hardtop for this title . I have an extra basement playfield that is rougher than the one in my game now. That will get the hardtop along with the totally trashed upper that is in my game now. Will refresh the whole game and I’ll finally have an overall nice machine since I have all the rest of the parts ready to go.

I had always been looking at updating the code for Elektra after I redid the code for an earlier Bally Blackjack to update the rules on that. Instead of patching the 6800 code I have been working on code based on the Bally/Stern OS which is an easier patch with more options. I’ve been working on a different game with it but once this hardtop comes out and my Elektra is refreshed the updated code will probably be my next obsession.

Not just additional rewards but add it as some risk/reward like I did in Black Jack. If you do well you will be rewarded. If you fail you are punished for it. What I did in Black Jack is if you landed in the Dealer saucer when the dealer was beating you then you would lose the points you would have gained. Made it a really interesting game and you would totally avoid the dealer saucer if you were losing.

Besides the risk/reward I had planned on adding an extra relay (reversible mod) so that both the uppers and lower would be active for a three ball multiball. It would be something you would have to work for. I will probably just start by emulating the current rules on the Arduino MEGA as a working base then modify and add extras. I'm doing something similar for a Sharpshooter and once that is complete since the hardtop should be coming out then Elektra will be next.

I just ordered my Elektra Hardtop set. Finally!

I'm really looking forward to this set. My game plays well but my upper playfield is beyond trashed. I expect they did all three levels to ensure all the colors are the same. I am for sure going to use the upper and lower. Not sure about the middle. I'm wondering how that will be with that and then the normal thick plastic piece on top of that.

It's here! First impression is that they look amazing and will be nice to see how the game turns out with these installed.

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And if I had to guess your hands are probably bleeding. The sockets on Elektra and that era of Bally are awful. So many sharp edges if you try to change lamps..

I hope to start on mine shortly too. I need new inserts though. I bought some earlier but they don't seem to fit well. I am going to see if I can get some others. Once I deal with those inserts I can get going on it.

That looks awesome. Hope mine turns out as well.

Where did you get the new ramps?

So with the hardtop on the middle level did you then clean and install the thick playfield plastic over that?

You can download the manual from here:

https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=778

In the past I’ve sold some of these 3D crystals for Elektra but always thought they could be improved. Called in a favor and through a friend found someone who enjoys painting miniatures and models. He painted the base to look like the art on the original plastic and then outlined the crystals. I think he did an amazing job and can’t wait to see it installed and how the crystals look lit up.

With this I think my focus is going back to Elektra after wrapping up some repairs in the queue and will get the hardtop installed. Just wanted to share what can be done with these.

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If the lower flippers aren't working there is another possible problem. Two of the connectors going to the head can get swapped. If that occurs the game will work but the lower flippers won't and lamps will be off. Look at the smaller square molex connectors and look at the wires to make sure they match. If not they may be mixed up.

I ran into this on my game. The person I bought it from had labeled all the connectors. I made the mistake of believing they were correct. Was chasing down the lower flipper issue and ultimately discovered that the connectors had been mislabeled. Once swapped back it all worked. Would have been better if he hadn't labeled them. Since then I printed off all new nice labels for every connector. They are correct and do help.

But for any new game I don't trust any prior labels or work. I triple check everything.

If the coil is launching then there was probably nothing wrong with the coil. You mention you’ve adjusted the switch. But have you actually tested it? First with a meter and also running the switch test for the game. Adjustments don’t matter if a wire is off or broken and the CPU doesn’t detect the switch closure.

The hardtop set does have all three. I have a set to install. My upper and lower is trashed. Since the middle usually doesn’t get trashed that may be optional to use. But in either case I believe you still need the thick plexiglass playfield surface.

If any of the switches causing problems have small capacitors on them you can disconnect a lead to see if the issue goes away. I have to replace some of the switch capacitors on my Elektra.

I could use the plastics for the lower playfield. One is broken but I don't recall which one. Will have to check tonight.

Did you just replace the main lamp board? What about the aux lamp board?

Are you SURE all the cables are plugged in correctly? There are a couple that can be swapped. Game will still work but the lower flippers never will. When the connectors plugged in check the wire colors and locations on each side. When I bought my Elektra a couple of plugs were tagged wrong and ended up being swapped.

Also make sure you have an actual bulb placed in the under playfield socket near the relay. If the bulb is missing or LED installed the relay won't work.

The relay under the playfield is the one that selects either the upper playfield flippers OR the ones on the lower playfield. The one on the SDB just enables the flippers. That shouldn't be an issue unless none of the flippers are working.

So the relay under the PF may not be working. If the bulb under the playfield is missing or if someone put an LED in there then the lower flippers won't work and the uppers will keep working.

Are there any wiring hacks? were things unsoldered and desoldered? Something may not be wired up right. That relay that switches the upper and lower flippers is controlled as a lamp. Have you checked the lamp board and aux lamp board?