Fish Tales
Williams, 1992Quoted from yzfguy:I use something called nevrdull. It looks like fiberglass insulation in a can and is soaked in some solution. Ya just rip off a piece and rub off any surface rust or tarnish.
Yzfguy that's what I was thinking myself!
Never dull is pretty cool stuff. I use it to hand polish tarnished posts, rails, bolts heads, etc...
Neverdull works great for surface rust removal.
Make sure you properly clean your parts after using it. It does a number on Latex/rubber gloves...so, I like to make sure it isn't getting on anything but metal parts.
Quoted from DaveTheTrain:Your suspicions were correct. I had considered this at first and checked the connection, then left it assuming the coil was okay because it worked the next game.
It happened again, then wouldn't fire in test or a new game. I lifted the pf and it fired!
Tried the coil test and noticed a spark on one of the coil lugs, it had a black bit and was arcing.
Some solder to bridge the gap has fixed it.See above, definitely check the coil lugs, mine somehow was damaged and getting worse but the actual wire and solder looked good.
I just went through this issue with my FT, found the coil sleeve was dirty causing the plunger to intermittently get stuck. Since replace the coil sleeve, the game is out on location and I haven’t had the problem return in 6 days
Quoted from DaveTheTrain:My fishy provides a lot of airballs, is this common ? I've had the ball fly up onto the wireforms before!
Another query, can you turn off Big score in video mode but keep extra balls off?
I was watching a JDL pinball stream last week and fish tales was being played. They said they had turned big score off but I have no idea how.
If I can I'd like to turn that off as I find it the only unbalanced thing about fish tales scoring.I might have explained it badly. It wasn't the coil wire, it looked like the lug was damaged, like it had got bent. I'd need to check it again to be sure.
Airballs happen a lot on mine. Balls seem to get airborne off boat post rubbers. Ball moves so fast it's hard to tell sometimes. Don't think it's a flipper thing. No airballs shooting anywhere else. Maybe it's has something to do with pitch of pf.
Had a trace blow out on my audio board. Pin 7 on J501, one of the 18vac lines. Was getting a very loud hum from the sub after not playing for a while. Was probing the sub connectors and at some point the humming stopped. I’m assuming that’s when the trace blew up. Or maybe the trace was already damaged and that’s what was causing the humming. Any insight? I have the board pulled out, will try to repair the trace and boot it up again.
I checked the 18v AC at the harness connector and was getting 12v pin1+2, 21v pin4+5 and 6.5v pin6+7… 5v dc we’re all correct too. Game plays normal otherwise, no issues I can see.
95B7E6C3-D0E7-42B2-BA05-1000BEA6E6FA (resized).jpegB03FCD33-CCC2-4E7A-8250-65CB694499D1 (resized).jpegQuoted from JLay:Had a trace blow out on my audio board. Pin 7 on J501, one of the 18vac lines. Was getting a very loud hum from the sub after not playing for a while. Was probing the sub connectors and at some point the humming stopped. I’m assuming that’s when the trace blew up. Or maybe the trace was already damaged and that’s what was causing the humming. Any insight? I have the board pulled out, will try to repair the trace and boot it up again.
I checked the 18v AC at the harness connector and was getting 12v pin1+2, 21v pin4+5 and 6.5v pin6+7… 5v dc we’re all correct too. Game plays normal otherwise, no issues I can see.
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The backside of that audio board is in pretty rough shape man. I'd seriously consider professional help or replacement on that one.
Quoted from CoolCatPinball:The backside of that audio board is in pretty rough shape man. I'd seriously consider professional help or replacement on that one.
Thanks - I’ve never had a board sent out to a professional. What’s involved? What do they do to repair it? I assume these are the chris hiblers etc?
Quoted from JLay:Had a trace blow out on my audio board. Pin 7 on J501, one of the 18vac lines. Was getting a very loud hum from the sub after not playing for a while. Was probing the sub connectors and at some point the humming stopped. I’m assuming that’s when the trace blew up. Or maybe the trace was already damaged and that’s what was causing the humming. Any insight? I have the board pulled out, will try to repair the trace and boot it up again.
I checked the 18v AC at the harness connector and was getting 12v pin1+2, 21v pin4+5 and 6.5v pin6+7… 5v dc we’re all correct too. Game plays normal otherwise, no issues I can see.
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Repairing the trace may not be entirely necessary. You could just grab a wire and solder the two points together on the back of the PCB to see if that resolves the issue at least. If that doesn't fix it then maybe components are fried and at that point it would be good to get professional help or get a replacement board.
Quoted from JLay:Was getting a very loud hum from the sub
Loud humming most likely is a cap letting DC voltage thru, amplifiers do not like DC voltage.ft (resized).jpg
I would start by testing this cap. It's most likely shorted.
Quoted from GRUMPY:I would start by testing this cap. It's most likely shorted.
The trace on the other side of that cap is looking pretty toasty too.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from bakerhillpins:The trace on the other side of that cap is looking pretty toasty too.[quoted image]
Thanks! this makes sense I’ll swap it out and repair the trace with a thin wire.
Hello casters.
I've joined! My cabinet is faded and missing the Topper, but I got it to play real nice and lost the credit dot.
I read the whole thread and didn't find a printable version, or any other version, for the cabinet decals.
Anyone knows how to find it and could direct me please? or is my only option is to purchase something online?
I could print it locally and save myself the hassle..
IMG_20220405_184855 (resized).jpgQuoted from mcalon:Hello casters.
I've joined! My cabinet is faded and missing the Topper, but I got it to play real nice and lost the credit dot.
I read the whole thread and didn't find a printable version, or any other version, for the cabinet decals.
Anyone knows how to find it and could direct me please? or is my only option is to purchase something online?
I could print it locally and save myself the hassle..[quoted image]
RadCal that bad boy
Quoted from mcalon:Hello casters.
I've joined! My cabinet is faded and missing the Topper, but I got it to play real nice and lost the credit dot.
I read the whole thread and didn't find a printable version, or any other version, for the cabinet decals.
Anyone knows how to find it and could direct me please? or is my only option is to purchase something online?
I could print it locally and save myself the hassle..[quoted image]
You might be able to find the assets from the virtual pinball community, but I don't think that they usually scan the cabinet artwork. I printed a decal once from a who dunnit play field scan in the vpx table.
Quoted from CoolCatPinball:The backside of that audio board is in pretty rough shape man. I'd seriously consider professional help or replacement on that one.
Those wrinkles on the fat traces are not a problem. From what I have read, during wave soldering, some solder can get between the green solder mask and the copper traces. The copper traces underneath are not affected and the wrinkles are not a problem.
As mentioned above, the burned up trace can be neatly replaced with a jumper wire once the shorted component is replaced.
Quoted from DanTheMan:I just bought a whole set of cabinet and playfield decals on eBay.
Could you please send a link?
Quoted from mcalon:Could you please send a link?
Quoted from mcalon:Fancy decals. Hope to see good results after installing.
Pretty sure I will. It lateral is NOT rocket science. It’s stickers.
Quoted from PjM:Can’t recall who sells the FT side blades ! Any help? Thanks
https://pinballdecalseu.com/shop/fish-tales-sideboard-pinball-blades/
https://www.retrorefurbs.com/shop/fish-tales-pinball-sideblades/
https://www.flylanddesigns.com/product/fish-tales-side-art-blades-for-pinball-machines/
LTG : )
Quoted from zerbam:can anyone order this for me from pinball center and ship to me?
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Just a word of caution. Buying pinball centers decals (and pf plastics) is a lottery. Some decals are close to the original colors while other decals are way way off. I've been ok with some I bought and refused to use other items because of colors being totally wrong.
I know sometimes they are the only source of this stuff and it can be good, but don't expect wonders. I gladly buy all other things from them (assemblies, screws, coils and so on) but apparently color matching isn't their strong side.
My fish Tales is acting fishy. Can you please give me some advice. Got it a week ago, left it off for 5 days, screen came up to saying factory reset. No more free play etc. I did swap out the batteries for Lithium ones.
Quoted from JohnTTwo:I did swap out the batteries for Lithium ones.
Too cool.
Now grab a meter and see if battery power is getting onto the board. Easy to have a failing battery holder, the contacts that grip the ends of the battery.
Any battery damage ?
LTG : )
Quoted from JohnTTwo:My fish Tales is acting fishy. Can you please give me some advice. Got it a week ago, left it off for 5 days, screen came up to saying factory reset. No more free play etc. I did swap out the batteries for Lithium ones.
Consider nvram so you can ditch the batteries. It may require desoldering if your ram chip isn't slotted though.
Quoted from LTG:I think he meant socketed.
LTG : )
Yes, socketed. If you can pull the ram out with a chip puller, then it is socketed and you don't have to desolder anything.
Quoted from JohnTTwo:I guess I should say endless plug goes where?
You see that the wire is Violet/Black. So this connects to the knocker.
ft (resized).PNGJust finished swapping my PF with Kruzman cleared NOS. Definitely a splurge but FT deserves it. This thing plays soooo fast. The long rod decals are also the ones that someone linked above, not perfect but good enough…
Only issue I’m having after reassembly is the drop target in front of the casters club is behaving differently. It’s always starting in the up position for each ball, and when a new ball is kicked out the target reset coil fires rapidly 3 times… even when I have it set to easy mode for ball lock. Previously the first multi all could be reached with no need to drop the drop target… any thoughts?
0697C049-6EC5-44B0-BE9B-4B7BED81E7F0 (resized).jpeg6F31BA09-9E8A-4F4E-9B9C-76A047B65847 (resized).jpeg8FA075B2-E3BC-4CD1-BAA2-7A3C4434520A (resized).jpegBB07A988-2A03-4484-AB8B-FCF841D95D6F (resized).jpegD1555279-7645-4BDE-BCA3-CD6E4DF61BE0 (resized).jpegF0D19C46-31D4-42E7-A617-41E1C28637B4 (resized).jpegF8BCC44C-D491-4D2C-97CC-09E6F4F11035 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from JLay:Just finished swapping my PF with Kruzman cleared NOS. Definitely a splurge but FT deserves it. This thing plays soooo fast. The reel decals are also the ones that someone linked above, not perfect but good enough…
Only issue I’m having after reassembly is the drop target in front of the casters club is behaving differently. It’s always starting in the up position for each ball, and when a new ball is kicked out the target reset coil fires rapidly 3 times… even when I have it set to easy mode for ball lock. Previously the first multi all could be reached with no need to drop the drop target… any thoughts?
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Your playfield plastic protectors look like the kit that I sell?
Quoted from indypinhead:Your playfield plastic protectors look like the kit that I sell?
Not sure - those clear protectors came with the game when I purchased it… I do like them if that’s the case! Don’t want to crack any since I just put in NOS plastics.
Quoted from JLay:Just finished swapping my PF with Kruzman cleared NOS. Definitely a splurge but FT deserves it. This thing plays soooo fast. The long rod decals are also the ones that someone linked above, not perfect but good enough…
Only issue I’m having after reassembly is the drop target in front of the casters club is behaving differently. It’s always starting in the up position for each ball, and when a new ball is kicked out the target reset coil fires rapidly 3 times… even when I have it set to easy mode for ball lock. Previously the first multi all could be reached with no need to drop the drop target… any thoughts?
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Quoted from JLay:Not sure - those clear protectors came with the game when I purchased it… I do like them if that’s the case! Don’t want to crack any since I just put in NOS plastics.
The easiest way to tell if they are my protectors....they were cnc machined from 1/16 polycarbonate....NOT laser cut. The edged of the protectors aren't clear, like the laser cut protectors.
Quoted from guitarded:Kruzman FT...must play like a fucking dream.
Congrats. And nice work on that swap. Looks great.
it does play well, super fast which is tough! Plus adding super bounce sleeves to the boat posts, the ball comes flying back if you brick the ramps
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Dubois, PA
