I think FT almost requires powder coating that sparkle is amazing.

I am not a fan of the blue or orange powder coating but this sparkle is perfect otherwise black looks clean on the game. The issue on FT without powder coating the stainless rails, lockdown, legs, coin door and the shooter fishing rod handle don’t match, the hinges are black…coin door is Black, hinges are black just make it match (the shooter fish reel thing is a different color then all other parts).

Since many FT are played hard, faded etc powder coating is only done when a decent restore is done. But, it is a game that can use it to bring things together to a better look (it’s a personal choice to not like the blue or orange I have seen).

Got my FT in this weekend.

Swapped J206 and J29 for new connectors has not all was working as expected.
Now everything works except Start button sw 13 (rather essential ) and the cast shooter button Sw 31 (Flip can take over if needed)

All other switches in the matrix (horizontal or vertical) are working. The start button did work for a couple of days. And it worked till this morning on the new connectors until I started playing with it to see if SW31 wouldn't react.

To be sure I removed white/orange (J209/208) and Green/black (J206/207) cables and put them back in with my IDC tool.
Tried the other mentioned connectors as well, no results.

Any suggestions ?

The decals for the fishing rod plastic should be available next week at PPS.

Nice!, might just have to buy one of your plastics then!

Great info ! I'll test continuity and check the connectors in coindoor. Thx

Finally!

i might need a new motor/gearbox assy: 14-7967

anyone has a spare NOS for sale?

That part # is for the motor/gearbox assy. Marco has it.

my bad, thx!

Sometimes the start button switch can pop out of its holder, so make sure the button is hitting the switch firmly.

I spent some time poking around my Fish Tales last night to see if I needed the replacement fishing pole plastic. Mine is in great shape, but the sticker is bubbling up in multiple places. Anyone try to peel it off an replace it?

Issue was not coin door PCB or the devices themselves but J212. took all cables out of the plug and put them back in...
Problem solved. Thx for your tips these showed me J212 was involved as well !!

I finished adding my newly powder coated rails. Holy crap the originals were murder getting off. That thick, black 2-sided tape wasn’t letting go even with a sharp paint scraper and a rubber mallet. But I finally got them off. I’ve never removed rails before. Turned out great! Thanks, Steve at Pinball Refinery.

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Looks great! And, if you ever have to remove taped on rails again, a heat gun is your BEST friend!

Thanks for the tip! I actually did read about the heat gun trick, my only concern was the Radcals I already had installed. I was worried the heat could damage them. But I’m guessing heat applied only to the rail from above might be ok. Anything would be better than my nightmare with these. Here are my old rails, they are available.

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Haaaa!! Awesome! How much, I need a spare set!! Also another tip I do. Some may not like it but...
When I put the new rails on, I don't use any double sided tape. The rails are already secured front and back from the factory. Then I just tap 1 extra screw in the center to help out. That way if the rails ever need to come back off, it's simple and no damage is done.

I went pretty light on the tape. I cut the strip in half from about an inch wide to more like 1/2 inch, then I used it sparingly. Just enough to keep the rail firmly in place.

Having a problem with the ball lock. The ball makes it to the reel, the reel spins and drops the ball, but then the ball is ejected back into play with no lock being registered. I assume that this is a problem that others have encountered. Before I start disassembling, any tips on where to start? I'm not sure whether it's an opto or other type of switch that registers the lock and how hard it is to get to.

I bet its the opto, loose wire or maybe the opto is dirty or bad. It's easy to get to.

I'd also go into switch test and make sure the switch on the crossover ramp (under the metal cover with a fly on it) is working properly. Mine was doing the same, and I just had to adjust this switch slightly.

Thanks. I'll get at it!

Superb. Thanks!

A friend also told me to check the belt and go into the reel test, so I'll take a good look at all these options and report back.

If the reel is taking the ball from the ramp, spinning, and ejecting okay then there is no issue with the reel itself. That said, there are tabs on the reel that trigger optos as it spins. That's how the game keeps track of the reel movement and keeps things in sync. You should get awarded the lock before the ball even gets inside the reel. I would check the ramp switches first.

That.

Got it. Thanks. The game is routed, so I plan to check it on location later today. Great tips!

That indeed did the trick. The simplest of solutions! Thanks so much.

Awesome! Glad my misery could help someone else

Another FT question. Considering upgrading to a color DMD. However, the support page says that ROM L-5 is needed. My FT is running ROM L-4. What is the simplest way to update to L-5? I've done chip swaps before.

Get the L-5 game ROM, pull out the L-4 game Rom, stick the L-5 game ROM in. Line up the notch on the end of the chip with the mark on the board. Don't trust labels.

LTG : )

Thanks, Lloyd. Funny you mention labels--I suspect my current ROM is definitely mislabeled, so I'm trusting the DMD ROM readout. Thanks!

This is exactly why it’s worth reading Pinside! I had no idea that the ROM installed mattered. Thanks for the info!!

Here is an example.

LTG : )

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The finished beer cooler!

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Needs more Pill

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Doublepost

That's pretty slick! And I don't mean to be "that guy" who gives you a new favorite word, and then calls you out, but... You know that your rubber setup under the cooler is incorrect, right?

Thanks! I actually didn’t notice that. Many of the rings were placed by the prior owner. What’s the correct configuration?

Damn, cool idea

can you make another one for me, id be happy to purchase.

It’s actually pretty easy and was fun to make. I found the mini cooler, mini “ice” and beer cans on Etsy. I used a clear epoxy and poured it over the ice in the cooler, then while it was still wet I pushed the beers into the ice. Then I poured a bit more epoxy over it. Not hard to do and maybe around $20 to do. The cooler was around $8 and the ice and beers are sold by a few people for a few bucks.

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^^^^ that ^^^^^

My friend lou finished my FT resto

Cant wait to get the game at home and play it for the 1st time.

I have a NOS apron coming as well. Old one will be for sale.

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"What a beauty!"

Played FT last weekend at the Pinball Hall of Fame (standard flippers, but still) and I'm hooked (pun intended). I'm crushing it on Pinball FX3 now and have a wanted ad in the marketplace. Such a fun pin - I think I really like the tension of the hurry-ups, and the overall vibe is just perfectly silly. How's it fare in a smaller collection? I'm realizing now I really love the feel and personality of the 90s pins, even if they aren't as deep, so I'm not too worried. But I'm interested in feedback. Hoping to join the club sometime soon!

Only game I've bought twice. No brainer. Get it. It's a classic.

Games are fast and has tons of 'one more game' appeal, so it fits well in a small collection IMHO.

completely agree! Very difficult game and if you like a challenge buy one! It definitely has that one more f'n game vibe, so rewarding when you bust out a good game! I've had more than a few games with a huge score on ball one only to be humbled by ball 2 and 3 lol
\

I love games like FT! It fits perfectly into the category of "Easy to understand, hard to master". Mine is bolted to the floor. It's also a favorite for non pinhead guests. If you do get one, you gotta go original and use lighting flippers though. It's adds to the speed!