There’s a few ways.

Set the replay very low so you get a free game by plunging a ball. That adjustment is in the manual. You can manually activate the coin switches a few times to prime the credit balance.

Could add a remote coin switch that activates with the coin release plunger.

New mpu that has free play.

Recently my FG started freezing during boot when the strobe fires for the first time (I think it normally flashes four times at startup). If I disconnect the strobe the pin boots and plays fine. I'm guessing there's a power regulation issue with the rectifier board although the strobe uses it's own transformer? The test point voltages on the rectifier board seem ok:
TP1=7.9
TP2=242
TP3=15.5
TP4=6.7vAC
TP5=45

Any thoughts on how to diagnose and/or resolve this issue?

Does it lockup on the last tone? And just kinda drone there?

Mine was doing that and I repinned the J1(?) / Top Left connector on the MPU and it went back to normal booting for mine. Went aheand and repinned the rest of them while I was in there, as well.

Yes, that's exactly what's happening. I've already repinned both J1 and J4. Still need to do J3 and J4.

Just repinned the remaining two connectors on the mpu and still can't boot with the strobe connected.

Original Board?

If so. Maybe reflow the headers?

I KNOW J1 solved my Booting issue.

Alltek.

Any suggestions for colored pop bumper bodies and skirts for this game? I’ll be using brand new original caps.

How about rubbers?

Any other suggestions for custom stuff that looks good?

Green LED Strip in the Wood Beast Drops bay looks pretty alright. As does throwing some light into the shooter 'tunnel'.

Yellow rubber. Stick with the bright white pop bumper bases - nice and clean. I bought a reproduction apron that used gold rather than yellow striping and I used gold rather than yellow paint when I did the cabinet repaint. Not too gold. The only other thing was brass leg bolts and footers. The green in the wood beast drops looks good. Otherwise, this game looks good when stock and all brought back to new.
Some folks did awesome work with custom pain and adding chrome, but that’s way beyond what I could do.
Check out this game that’s for sale. Some nice work. Cabinet looks like the same color scheme I went with.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/121709

Need help with power supply connections.
Putting my game back together and I can't find the wire connectors that went to J3 and J4 of the power supply. Where do they come from? I feel like I'm loosing my mind.
Brad

F168BD99-1654-4E06-9022-BF84ADA73A51_1_201_a (resized).jpeg

There should be a 6x4 (24 pin) connector in the backbox at the lower right side that they connect to. You should see it right away, if not I can take a pic. Just a heads up since you have a new power board there, you may want to replace the connectors that plug into as well.

I should be able to replace just pins in the connector right? I should't need to replace the connector block?
Thanks, Brad

The pins in those connectors can be replaced with new crimp-on 0.093" pins. However, you may not need to replace those connector pins if you don't have any that got burnt up. I have an FG and an EBD with that style rectifier board and haven't needed to replace any of those connectors/pins.

The solenoid driver board and MPU are another story though. The header pins and female connectors will likely need to be replaced on those if they are original.

Not trying to stop you from going the extra mile with the connectors for your rectifier board...I'm just saying as someone who *always* re-pins lots of connectors on these games, that the rectifier board's 0.093 round pins seem a lot more durable for whatever reason...and that you may be able to save yourself some work.

Thanks for the reply.
I found an empty 6X4 connector in the back box, does the wire harness the that connects to it split into two connectors that then go the J3, 4 on the power supply board? What does EBD stand for?

Thanks,
Brad

I had old connectors that I guess were creating a lot a resistance, and as a result heat. The solder was getting hot enough to liquefy and drip from where a fuse clip was and broke the connection in the circuit. I even had a fuse heat so much that it failed on the inside breaking the circuit. Your pins may be fine, especially since half of them are new (board side).

Yes, my cable is the single 6x4 connector on one end that then splits partway into two connectors at the board (J3 and J4). EBD is Eight Ball Deluxe

You the Man Bluebomber.

We did yellow rubbers and black pop skirts. Looks good!

So clean! That would definitely look out of place in my FG cabinet.

Would someone be able to tell me what the length of the plastic standoffs on the bottom of the shooter gauge are. I can't find mine, so I going to fab some.
Thanks,
Brad

Recently installed an Alltek and the pin is not awarding an Extra Ball when the inlines are completed? I've been going over the manual and for the life of me can't figure out which dip or setting controls the extra ball on/off feature?

#30 dip controls conservative vs liberal. Self test 16 should be set to “02” or “03” for extra ball. If 16 is set to “01” you’ll only get 25K award. See page 4A of manual.

AUX LAMP DRIVER QUESTION

The trace from J3 pin 17 to the anode of Q26 burnt. I found some bad solder joints on all 3 headers, reflowed them all. Looking for some advice. What does the Aux lamp driver control, is it the strobe?

Thanks Brad

SCR Q25 on the aux lamp driver board drives the xenon strobe lamp.

The Auxiliary Lamp Driver board controls the lamps listed on the right side of it's schematics (below):
ALDB.png

Okay, I see that Q26 drives the 2X saucer arrow. Probably drawing too much current from there.

What a great game Flash Gordon is. I had the opportunity to play a lot of games on Flash Gordon last Saterday on location at Flippers in Grandy, NC. Very challenging and really fun when you can hit your shots and get the bonus multiplier targets down. I hope to get my hands on a players condition or fixer upper Flash Gordon one day.

FLIPPER TROUBLE.

My flippers will not flip during the solenoid test, all the other solenoids work. I have 43VDC on the coil. How can I Test them.

Thanks,
Brad

Hold flipper buttons in flipper in solenoid test only pulses the relay

Your telling me to hold the flipper buttons during the solenoid test to see it they work?

Yep there's no cpu control of the flippers only manual

Okay. It Worked just like you said. Thanks my friend.

Anyone have suggestions on where to purchase connector re-pin kits for the Auxiliary Lamp Driver and Squawk & Talk boards?

Here are a few:
https://www.bigdaddy-enterprises.com/

https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/

I also have the Alltek board in mine (came with it when I got the game) and also dont get extra balls. Im def going to try your solution also. Thanks

NEED HELP. FAILED SELFTEST FOR SWITCHES

I am slowing bringing my FG back to life after 15 years. I ran the self test for stuck contact switches and it failed on sw 01 which is the the two roll over buttons on the upper left side. neither are stuck together is there something else I need to check?

Thanks,
Brad

EDIT: Note that SW01 is for the 2 left and right rollover buttons. Check all of them first to make sure the switches are not stuck.

If you have in fact verified that both the switches are open (contact not touching), then the next thing to try is to clip one end of the capacitor off the connections. The capacitor is the round flat piece. Don't confuse it with the diode, which is barrel shaped. Make sure the machine is turned off when doing this.

So, clip one leg of the capacitor off the switch stack. Cut it close to the switch, so you can solder it back later if needed. If both switches have a capacitor (only one should, but it's been through 40 years of abuse), cut a leg off both. Then go back to switch test.

Capacitors of this age and era are notorious for failing. You can play the game with the capacitor leg cut off, it just won't read really quick rollovers.

I've ordered from Big Daddy in the past but they're out of stock on lot of stuff. But looks like Great Plains has the most of the individual connectors I need. Thanks!

Ugh, looks like Great Plains is closed until Nov 19th. Guess I'm waiting.

You can always go with Marco but may be more expensive
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/86?S_CAT1=ELEC

Thanks for responding. I did all the items you mentioned none of the contact were touching. 3 out of the four had newer caps, I still cut them. Still flashing 01 when I select the switch test. Should I buy new contacts and rebuild them? I used to live in Grand Rapids go my Associates degree from GRCC, great school, never should have moved away.
Brad

Okay, let's try moving up the path.

Disconnect the plug at J2 from the MPU (board in the top left of the head). When you do this it should not show 01 as being closed. It may show something else (from the coin door), but shouldn't show 01. If it does, the issue is on your mpu.

You can take a diode, with alligator clips on each end, and jump pin 1 to pin 8 on the header pins on the mpu. Banded side to pin 8. This should show as 01.

Yep, GR is pretty nice. I could do without the snow, but I guess it's a small price to pay.

I don't think it could be the mpu, I just installed a brand new Alltek one. I definitely do not miss the GR snow.

Just humor me, to make sure it's not the mpu.

If it's not the mpu, and all 4 switches are open, and a leg is cut off the capacitor on each switch, please double & triple check the connection points on the switches themselves. It's pretty tight around those, and easy to mash some of the contacts together. You should be able to bend them apart. Use a DMM set to continuity to help you.

You should need to buy new blades for the switches unless they're completely mangled.

Also, since three of the capacitors were new, please double check to make sure they were hooked up properly. Compare against the wiring on the old switch, or the other rollovers in the shooter lane.

Okay I removed the connector from J2 MPU and ran the switch test and the result was a flashing 0 in the in the match window.

Is this circuit pin 1 to pin 8 on A4-J2? if so I check continuity between those 2 points and it was open.

I see that it would be open regardless because of the diode being off. Boy do I feel stupid.

I am getting no where. I have clipped all the caps, ohmmed out all the 01 switches, all are open in there normal position, checked all the diodes, they are working correctly. I'm dead in the water. Help.
Brad

Check that, I ran the switch test and it passed 01 but stopped on 02. I clipped all the caps, ohmmed out all the 02 switches, they are all reading 1.8M to 2.2M ohms in normal position. Is that considered open? checked all the diodes, they are working correctly.

When the switch is open you should get infinite ohms. But usually just set the dmm to continuity, with buzz tone. Check the switch open, and closed. Should only buzz when closed.

I don’t have the manual in front of me now. What is the 02 switches? Sorry for the slow response today, I was on a pin pickup trip.

No problem, thanks for getting back. the 02 switches are the 3 inline at the top right side of playfield.