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Probably a corroded MPU ($80ish rebuild from Barakandl, a bit higher if yours it too roached and he has a donor board,) or a bad cap or bridge. So you're looking at less than $100 to invest, just a bit of time, most likely.

A good working one is probably worth $600-900, I'm guessing; I'd say $400-800 not working, depending on just how nice it is. $400 would be minor playfield wear and cab scuffing/scratches. $800 it should be pristine.

I am JUST guessing, as that seems to be the normal range for early Ballys based on that condition, and production numbers, plus factoring in what I traded to get mine. Take my opinion as a grain of salt.

Thanks iron monkey for the info on the 2 wire connector. My FB 2 is gonna need mylar removal plus a good cleaning. Getting a solid constant lit led on the MPU. Back box lights but no PF GI. Fall/Winter resto project. I like this game theme/art package.

Doomsday bonus is all built off the center and right drop target banks. Increase the multiplier by completing the center bank. Collect at drain.

Left side bank and rollover switches advance fireball bonus. Increase the fireball bonus multiplier by making A-B-C-D. Collect at the lit saucer, and possibly at drain, depending on game settings.

That is correct. You can build both bonuses, but the only one you can collect repeatedly at the saucers is the fireball bonus.

If you put LEDs in the GI of Fireball II, you're going to have a bad time... unless you do GI smoothing.

6.9uF was the magic number to tame the flashing on mine. Just add it to the output of the aux driver board that does not have the big heatsink on it. (The one with the big heatsink is for the flashers in the "doodlebug" area). Pic shows a 68uF capacitor, but this was not the final value chosen.

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Here's how it looks. I can tune this a bit by changing the capacitor size, lower value gives me more effect, larger value gives me less effect.

dupe

Not sure. It would only be applicable to games that use the pictured aux driver board to flash the GI. I don't know which games besides Fireball II use them.

Been working on my FB II. Got the mylar off the playfield using the freeze method and flour/alcohol to remove the glue. What a job. Got new bumper caps and correct drop targets as well. I will need to flatten the plastics and touch them up a little too. From what I have seen on youtube this looks to be a fun game. I still have to get her up and running...............

Has anyone had a sound board that stopped playing background music and certain target sounds? This just happened to my FB II. I tried switching to other self test #18 sound settings, but nothing brought it back. I tried cleaning the pins & checked that the volume controls on the board are working properly. I've seen a number of posts that suggest replacing all of the electrolytic capacitors. I'd be interested in feedback before proceeding. BTW- thanks neurokinetik for the GI smoothing. I'll definitely do that.

That sounds like what happened on mine. The capacitor replacement fixed it for me.

Just for grins, I went on Marco's site, and the aux GI flasher board is used on the following games:

Centaur
Centaur II
Elektra
Fireball II (obviously)
Gold Ball
Mr And Mrs Pac Man
Spectrum
Vector

Progress made ! Put another MPU in my newly acquired Fireball II and it booted up !! Goes into diagnostics fine. 1 bad display and 1 w/a missing segment. All coils fire. Switches work. No sound. The sound board LED was not on but came on solid when I reset it. Capacitors maybe?? They look original. Glad to know it's alive so to speak and not dead. Still working on touch ups and cleaning the playfield. Washed all the posts and flattened the plastics. They will need some paint, but very little. I'm pumped!! Won't be long before I'll be playing this one hopefully.........

Try adjusting the pots a bit on the sound board and see if you get anything, as well as checking the speaker connector on the board and the main volume pot on the coin door.

I hear a high pitch noise that the volume control on the door controls. I moved the knobs around some on the sound board and reseated all the chips. Will try again tomorrow. I have the caps if needed.

Brought my Flash Gordon inside to keep Fireball II company in my office.

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Looks awesome together!

Probably helps getting your work done. Do you have the inside of the cabinet painted black? Was thinking of doing just that – never liked the yellow.

Nothing more pleasing to the eye than a couple Ballys next to each other

This was repainted before I bought it, and really nicely, but they did some custom stuff. I dig it though.

Any chance you have some brighter photos of the game you like to share?

Yeah Aurich! What are you doing in that dark room anyways?

Not sure how I missed this before, but this is great news. I'm going to have to try this. Right now I still have incandescent bulbs, but when I upgrade, i will try this for sure. Thanks for sharing!

Sure, it's right next to me, snapped a few. Whoever repainted it did a really nice job, but they also went crazy and did art on the back of the backbox! Hard to take a pic, I'll document it better next time I have the machine away from the wall.

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Sekrit stuff! I had to make sure nothing was on my Wacom screen before I took pics.

I'll add it to the classic bally club posting so more people see it, since it is applicable to more games than just Fireball II.

Ya, that thing is super hot

I'll get a better backbox photo, as far as I can tell someone made a custom stencil based on the backglass for it. Maybe they had it in the middle of a room?

Thanks. Definitely dig black inside walls of the cabinet!

I like the black trim around the back box, I've done that on several games.

Yeah, I like it too. It's a really sharp looking Fireball II. I couldn't pass it up. I think I'll try and trade it for another Bally at some point, but in the meantime it's great to have it.

It feels a bit sad every time you say that.

Haha, well I'd keep it if I had room! But I'm maxed and 10, and there are so many more Ballys I'd like to own. I love a bunch, and I have no space to have them at the same time. This one is a beauty but I really want to try owning a Medusa if I can find one.

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Good news !! Got another S&T board and I now have speech/sound !! This project is coming along nicely. My "doodlebug" device w/the ball under the playfield that is activated w/the Doomsday bonus isn't working. How does this thing work anyway?? Haven't tinkered w/it at all. Is there a solenoid that drives it???

There's a magnet coil and a (logic) switch underneath. The coil is turned on and the ball is pulled towards the centre hitting the switch, and the game turns off the coil. The ball keeps rolling up to the top of the chamber and starts down. When the switch is hit again, the coil is turned on again and so on and so on.

Thanks GLW !! I will check it out. Learning about FireBall II more everyday. I never saw or played one back in the day. Cool to Know it will be a "new" game to me when I'm finished w/her. Almost done w/touchups and have a few insert lights out. At least I know I can repair the Lamp Driver Board. Having some spares doesn't hurt either............

Got the Fireball bonus ball working and all lights as well. Only 1 bad SCR on the lamp driver. Really close to playing this one. Waiting on a playfield protector.

New rubber and put the flattened/touched up plastics on today. Put caps on the button target switches as they were missing. Actually played a game so to speak. Still have fine tuning to do and waiting on PF protector as well. 1 bad 7 digit display that is presumed dead. No glow at all. A Work in progress..............

Congrats! You're almost there!!!

The playfield on my Fireball II is sagging a little from the weight of all the mechs. Anyone ever figure out a way to brace the playfield more?

Oh yeah, What a goofy way some of the rubbers on this game go on. Got it figured out finally. Some of the pics I see can't be right. Looks like people did it their way. Whatever works .............

Huh???

What are the lights under the playfield near the little driver circuit boards for ?? My other Ballys are 78/79 vintage and noticing a few things that are different. 555 bulbs for openers. The way coils and kickers are. Nylon washers , location of transformer/rectifier board, etc.............

The playfield on my FBII is pretty thin, and it's bowed slightly towards the center. It's not warped, as in permanently, it just has some flex to it. Pretty sure if I can brace it then it won't be a problem, but no easy to find a way to do that. On my project list.