(Topic ID: 66172)

F14 Tomcat Owners Club Fans Also Welcome.

By Hellfire

10 years ago


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  • Latest reply 3 days ago by Jumping-Box
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19 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items. (Show topic index)

There are 5,581 posts in this topic. You are on page 62 of 112.
#3051 6 years ago

I made an F-14 Tomcat Paper Craft toy from the Attack from Mars reference.
It's not an exact replica of the cabinet and it's missing the beacons on top, but it's still a fun little snow-day project.

The original pins are here: http://www.gopinball.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=710

Your action figures will thank you for building this.

PaperCraft_F-14_2.jpgPaperCraft_F-14_2.jpg

PaperCraft_F-14_1.jpgPaperCraft_F-14_1.jpg

#3052 6 years ago
Quoted from bobukcat:

Does it have any credits or are you sure it's set to free play?

My game's still not starting. I really can't find the issue. Here are the details:

-Yes, it's on free play.
-Four balls are installed, and I even tried putting them in one at a time with it powered on.
-All 4 trough switches test fine in diagnostics. Only switch issue I have is that switch 55 registers as both 55 and 56, but that seems unrelated since it was doing that before this new problem.
-Three trough switches are closed when the four balls are in there: L, LC, and R. I believe this is correct.
-All coils pass the coil test in diagnostics, though the ball popper doesn't pass consistently, but I don't think that's related because that was an issue prior to this one as well.
-Upon hitting start, it fires all of the kick-out coils (where ball would be locked during game play)
-Attract mode and lights all work as normal.

#3053 6 years ago
Quoted from statictrance:

So here's a question... WTF is the regular switch for? When I close it - the switch edge marks is as R/L EOS flipper (one each lower side)... But the high current is the real EOS. There is no Lane change that I know of, and they aren't tied to the upper flipper function. It isn't standard on system 11 (checked two others here in the basement)... I even played a game with one bent to not contact no issue.
Ideas?

High score entry.

Later system 11 used an opto chip on the interconnect board.

#3054 6 years ago
Quoted from shirkle:

Three trough switches are closed when the four balls are in there: L, LC, and R. I believe this is correct.

I'm pretty certain all four trough switches should read closed when there's 4 balls in the trough.

Quoted from shirkle:

-Upon hitting start, it fires all of the kick-out coils (where ball would be locked during game play).

That's ball hunt. It thinks it's a ball short and will not start a game. That lines up with the trough switch not being closed.

#3055 6 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

I'm pretty certain all four trough switches should read closed when there's 4 balls in the trough.

That's ball hunt. It thinks it's a ball short and will not start a game. That lines up with the trough switch not being closed.

You’re absolutely right. I found one not closed even though it showed up as closed in diagnostics. I closed it with my finger from below the play field through the coin door and it started up. I adjusted the switch actuator (I think that’s the term) and it’s back to just my normal issues. Thanks!

#3056 6 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

High score entry.
Later system 11 used an opto chip on the interconnect board.

That makes sense - I'll have to see if my Pinbot has it (checked swords of fury and a jokerz... Those both have the interconnect)

#3057 6 years ago

I don't seem to have any foam at all in any of the stand-up targets on my F-14. Does anybody know the proper size to order?

Thanks,
Stan

#3058 6 years ago

I got a few 10 packs at Pinball Resource. Pinball Life has them too. They're just one size, can't mess it up

#3059 6 years ago

Anyone ever have a problem with their outhole kicker being too strong?

I did a PF swap. When I drain, the outhole kicker fires the ball hard enough to pop another ball into the shooter lane. What did I miss?

#3060 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

I don't seem to have any foam at all in any of the stand-up targets on my F-14. Does anybody know the proper size to order?
Thanks,
Stan

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=410

#3061 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

I don't seem to have any foam at all in any of the stand-up targets on my F-14. Does anybody know the proper size to order?
Thanks,
Stan

Some just use weather stripping.

#3062 6 years ago

Did the wpc flipper mod and at first it seems noticible but after playing for a while its quite night and day. Making that shot to the vuk can be laser fast and oh so satisfying!!!

#3063 6 years ago

Hey all!
I did a complete teardown of my F-14 over the weekend; mylar pulled, adhesive removed, and now inserts de-inserted (and rubbery adhesive cleaned out of the holes) Next step is a thorough wipe down with naptha to remove the last bits of mylar adhesive. Then, glueing in new inserts, then it will be off to the finisher to put down an initial layer of clear...

Not covering every step since that would basically be reproducing Vids guide, but will post highlights.

1516222743763877836376654757561 (resized).jpg1516222743763877836376654757561 (resized).jpg

#3064 6 years ago

New inserts need to be sanded down first.

I'm not sure how that process happens on a pf that's already painted, however..

#3065 6 years ago

Flat surface and elbow grease.
Vids guide is very thorough.

#3066 6 years ago

Ah upside down prior to install.

That's awesome and im jealous as it will turn out great. Looking forward to more pics of the progress!

#3067 6 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

Hey all!
I did a complete teardown of my F-14 over the weekend; mylar pulled, adhesive removed, and now inserts de-inserted (and rubbery adhesive cleaned out of the holes) Next step is a thorough wipe down with naptha to remove the last bits of mylar adhesive. Then, glueing in new inserts, then it will be off to the finisher to put down an initial layer of clear...
Not covering every step since that would basically be reproducing Vids guide, but will post highlights.

Looking good!

#3068 6 years ago

Ben,

Will you be doing the paint touch-up yourself? Did you lose any paint during the mylar removal?

Mine is missing a little bit of paint, but not much yet...

#3069 6 years ago

Yes; this is my second restoration project (I did a somewhat less labor intensive Rollergames restoration last year). Mylar came up very easily, no paint loss. The big pain about restoring mylar games is the yellowing of the paint in between mylar pieces. I have to decide whether the significant effort of repainting and overlaying half tone dots is worth it to eliminate the narrow bands of yellowed background art...

The arc above Hitman and Yagov I will definitely get rid of by repainting the entire background. Color matching is the hard part. Masking is just a matter of being super fussy and not rushing.

#3070 6 years ago

Have you tried a ME on the discolored blue area? I have the same thing on mine. I assume that its a common problem.
Do you also have planking on the areas not covered by mylar? Mine is most noticeable in the yellow area of the plane at the bottom of the playfield.

#3071 6 years ago

I didn't have any planking or issues with areas not covered by mylar. I had a little bit of paint loss/planking in the blue areas after mylar removal. Only other paint lost was areas where the ball had already gone through the mylar (the top horseshoe/red etc)

#3072 6 years ago

I may just be lucky (this game perhaps was never stored in a damp/humid environment?), but planking isn't really a problem on this machine. Under the mylar everything is pretty much mint.

One of the many virtues of 2 PAC finish is that it locks down the paint. If you have planking, it seals everything in and enables you to do seamless touch ups.

After having read Vid's take on ME, I'm not a big fan. You can remove a lot of artwork or lettering inadvertently.
The yellowing isn't a result of dirt, it is the a difference in how the paint and topcoat have aged. If it is just the varnish that has yellowed, in theory ME could cut through that - but the line between "all varnish removed" and "starting to now remove paint as well" is a very fine line. I'm planning to airbrush fresh paint over significant areas of the blue background. (More pics soon)

#3073 6 years ago

Yup. I used a little ME and it brought the discoloration much closer to matching. I decided to stop right there. Better is the enemy of good, or something like that.

#3074 6 years ago

Is there some sort of issue with the ball jumping over the upper left flipper? I have finally turned my attention to the playfield of my F-14 (finally got the electronics working) and I have noticed that my upper left flipper has an extra layer of plastic glued to the top. It is also an after-market flipper. The added plastic layer makes it taller than a normal flipper.

Is this some sort of common mod for the game?
Have any of you guys seen this before?

Stan

IMG_20180119_224825 (resized).jpgIMG_20180119_224825 (resized).jpg

#3075 6 years ago

That's nonsens... but maybe the previous owner "created" a kind of protector to prevent a smashing ball fired back to the glass from Yagov-Kicker?

#3076 6 years ago
Quoted from statictrance:

So here's a question... WTF is the regular switch for? When I close it - the switch edge marks is as R/L EOS flipper (one each lower side)... But the high current is the real EOS. There is no Lane change that I know of, and they aren't tied to the upper flipper function. It isn't standard on system 11 (checked two others here in the basement)... I even played a game with one bent to not contact no issue.
Ideas?

It's the EOS switch for the flippers to the CPU. If it doesn't open and close, then the machine throws an operator switch error that the flipper is bad. (and it's an early system 11 so it fires the knocker 5 times per error by default on power on, so it gets your attention quickly).

But even worse, you can't enter your initials for a high score if those switches don't work.

You're right there is no lane change for F14, but you can flip while the ball in in the shooter lane, and if those EOS switches are working you get a sound and flasher effect.

#3077 6 years ago

Nevermind.

It was just attached with foam tape. I ripped the extra plastic piece off and found my OEM flipper underneath.
I just need to get the adhesive junk off now.

#3078 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

Nevermind.
It was just attached with foam tape. I ripped the extra plastic piece off and found my OEM flipper underneath.
I just need to get the adhesive junk off now.

I had the exact same piece on the flipper next to the Yagov kicker on the machine I picked up last month. I took it off when I replaced the flippers and haven't reattached it - but given we're on different ends of the country I doubt it was a one off fix.

Quoted from themadman:

It's the EOS switch for the flippers to the CPU. If it doesn't open and close, then the machine throws an operator switch error that the flipper is bad. (and it's an early system 11 so it fires the knocker 5 times per error by default on power on, so it gets your attention quickly).
But even worse, you can't enter your initials for a high score if those switches don't work.
You're right there is no lane change for F14, but you can flip while the ball in in the shooter lane, and if those EOS switches are working you get a sound and flasher effect.

I've also wondered if it's smart enough to know - if that logic switch is active and you're cradling a ball - will it disable the ball search on top of the things you mentioned?

#3079 6 years ago

Installing F-14 inserts continues...

The smaller ones can be pushed gently into place using just a wood block to get them flush to the playfield surface. The big, irregular arrows are a pretty tight fit and tend to want to rise up a bit. For these, I clamped a block of prefinished plywood above and below the insert and left it for as long as I could (even 5-minute epoxy takes a while to fully cure, so I don't want to relieve the insert from clamping pressure until I'm certain it won't move). Prefinished plywood is great, as glues really don't stick to it. If a tiny bit of epoxy ends up on the block, you haven't glued a chunk of plywood to your playfield.

Festool makes F-clamps with a very skinny profile; these are super useful for clamping as they will fit into even a pretty small cutout, allowing you to clamp with as much pressure as you need, directly on top of the insert.

MVIMG_20180120_170704 (resized).jpgMVIMG_20180120_170704 (resized).jpg

MVIMG_20180120_170745 (resized).jpgMVIMG_20180120_170745 (resized).jpg

MVIMG_20180120_172126 (resized).jpgMVIMG_20180120_172126 (resized).jpg

#3080 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

Is there some sort of issue with the ball jumping over the upper left flipper? I have finally turned my attention to the playfield of my F-14 (finally got the electronics working) and I have noticed that my upper left flipper has an extra layer of plastic glued to the top. It is also an after-market flipper. The added plastic layer makes it taller than a normal flipper.
Is this some sort of common mod for the game?
Have any of you guys seen this before?
Stan

The flippers installed in my F-14 when I got it included one modified in that way as well.

#3081 6 years ago
Quoted from stumptown:

The flippers installed in my F-14 when I got it included one modified in that way as well.

Mine too! I pulled the weird extra plastic thing off and cleaned it up. Made no difference in actual gameplay; hard to figure why those were deemed necessary.

#3082 6 years ago

Hi guys....I have a question on my F14. I just got the displays working perfectly, but when I hit the "start" button I only get an electronic noise. No audio from the game, ball into shooter lane or anything.

Any suggestions of what the problem is would be appreciated.

#3083 6 years ago
Quoted from playernumber4:

Hi guys....I have a question on my F14. I just got the displays working perfectly, but when I hit the "start" button I only get an electronic noise. No audio from the game, ball into shooter lane or anything.
Any suggestions of what the problem is would be appreciated.

Credits needed? With no credits, the game makes a weird noise like a jet engine trying to start (I think) when you hit the start button.

#3084 6 years ago
Quoted from playernumber4:

Hi guys....I have a question on my F14. I just got the displays working perfectly, but when I hit the "start" button I only get an electronic noise. No audio from the game, ball into shooter lane or anything.
Any suggestions of what the problem is would be appreciated.

Silly question, but did you remember to install the balls? I seem to think that I have made this mistake myself..

Stan

#3085 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

Silly question, but did you remember to install the balls? I seem to think that I have made this mistake myself..
Stan

I think everyone has made that mistake at some stage.

It does a ball search at power up if it can't see them in the trough, right? An issue with the trough switches will also cause it to fail to start a game.

#3086 6 years ago

Is anyone currently making reproduction playfields for F-14?

#3087 6 years ago
Quoted from SkaterVet:

Is anyone currently making reproduction playfields for F-14?

Buthamburg made some last year. Email him to see the potential for a rerun.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/demand-check-f14-tom-cat

#3088 6 years ago
Quoted from shuyge:

Silly question, but did you remember to install the balls? I seem to think that I have made this mistake myself..
Stan

My total brainfart.....I had sent the board out for repairs, consequently it lost all its settings. I threw a quarters in it and it works perfectly. I just have to do some resets. I was thinking about it while driving on errands today and a bulb went off in my head.

Thanks very much for the help.

#3089 6 years ago
Quoted from playernumber4:

My total brainfart..

Welcome to the brainfart club! We have all done it my friend !

#3090 6 years ago

Ok: I just found out today after 8 years of owning my F-14 the center beacon is NOT supposed to be yellow.

#3091 6 years ago

Right, it's clear (Prototypes and Early) and later changed by opacity of lens.
Due to effect of nicotin and dust, they often appear yellow.

#3092 6 years ago

Has anyone tried the Retrobright process to brighten/clean the domes? I would assume since there isn't any screening that would clean them up pretty well. Mine smelled strongly of smoke and the center beacon especially shows it. I'd love to take it off and brighten it up down the road.

#3093 6 years ago
Quoted from StylesBitchly:

It looks to be the case now. If you find them sold separately, let me know!

You can absolutely buy everything separate at Titan. In fact, none of their "kits" are real kits, they are basically just a list of parts for a machine. Choose shooter tip from the dropdown here if it doesnt come up: https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=52&search=shooter

#3094 6 years ago

Got everything put back together save the clear guards which I'm kinda considering leaving off since they're yellowed badly. Still a lot of work to do as I have no individually addressable lamps, pop bumper, or slings working yet. But, you can play a game on it now which is more than I could say for the past several years.

DSC_0204 (resized).JPGDSC_0204 (resized).JPG

#3095 6 years ago

Finalizing my LED gi situation. Trying to keep things even but man this game just plays so well its so fun and its so fun when everything is working as it should!

Anti flicker bulbs and LED flashers with a colour changer in thr center that fades and flashes and looks much better than I thought in combination with the insert pattern.

Just waiting on a pop bumper led disc and this one is complete

Screenshot_20180202-074819 (resized).pngScreenshot_20180202-074819 (resized).png

#3096 6 years ago

I like how shitty F-14 is to you, no matter how much love you give it. It's all "D I EEE!" and "YOU CAN'T WIN!" and "NOW YOU DI-DI-DIE!!!!"

#3097 6 years ago

All just part of its....

....charm.

#3098 6 years ago
Quoted from trueno92:

LED flashers with a colour changer in thr center that fades and flashes

Where did you get these?

#3099 6 years ago
Quoted from GRUMPY:

Where did you get these?

Flashers can be found on aliexpress now as simple #89 12v.

The #44 bayonet flasher is from comet. Wish it would only go green but the cycle looks pretty decent. Ill upload a vid soon. Stay tuned!

#3100 6 years ago
Quoted from trueno92:

Flashers can be found on aliexpress now as simple #89 12v.
The #44 bayonet flasher is from comet. Wish it would only go green but the cycle looks pretty decent. Ill upload a vid soon. Stay tuned!

Here. You can see the fade effects at the first few seconds of the video and then it cycles to a faster flash.

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