I have mine set in the upper position. Realtively tight Tilt.

Wish I was good enough to make Open an option, but that right out is so brutal without a post.

Rebuilt all of my pops and man what a difference having crisp pops with unbroken rings. So much more fun.
Also, recapped my soundboard/squawk and talk last week and fixed all of my Speech issues.

You got connections...

I'm pretty sure sure mine are closed, because I suck and this game is brutal as is.

I am in the middle of 2 CPR FG PF swaps and they are as brutal as the game. I've done 5 other swaps before these 2 and FG is by far the most time consuming of all. I did install all new lamp sockets and braid and everything is so tight on it you have to be exact laying down the braid.

For those of who have done a CPR swap, how many hours did you have in it? I'm wrapping coils and detailing assemblies. I also hate the linear flippers and went back to the old style.

DSCN9491 (resized).JPG

Oh it was a goddamn nightmare for sure.
First time I did an upper PF so that really added some time. Sockets under mech ended up causing a short.. those rollovers were touchh with yoppsicles etc etc. Took a long time

The PF pictured is a CPR rescreen of my OE PF so I know all mounting holes are correct. OE lamp bases are oval, replacements are square. I had to clip off corners of some lamp sockets to clear components. It is a bitch.

Friend of mine has been trying to talk me into doing his FG swap fora bout 14 months now...not looking forward to that one in the least bit.

I know this is a little off topic but wouldn't a hardtop present fewer problems?

Of course. However my rescreen cost less than a hardtop because I also shipped several other OE PF's for them to use for dimple corrections. So, I got a rescreen cheap. I also had a friend do the clear coat which was perfect. Also Bally OE lamp sockets are crap, so a hardtop doesn't address that issue. All 97 PF lamp sockets replaced!

Plus my cabinet got a full bore restore, complete paint job with clear coat, new cabinet bottom and fully detailed. So mine isn't a players quality game getting a hardtop, it's a top to bottom restoration.

The 2 cabinet restoration pictures are here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/weatherbymag-s-bally-amp-stern-restoration-blog/page/4

Definitely the way to go for a high end restoration. I bought my FG a couple years ago. I bought a hardtop for it two days later. I've not yet installed the hardtop as the game is just too much fun to play. Someday I may install the hardtop if I think I can do it without screwing things up. Whatever I do, it will remain a players quality pin.

How long a playfield swap takes is hard to answer. I take my time and do every thing however and 100 hours is probably what I do all in. If you exclude the top side removal/replace since I do that often separately, I think my swap time is more like 30 hours for from the time I start removing the mechanisms and harness to having them all back on the new PF powered up and tested.

Not sure how many people do this but I connectorize all solenoids and drop target banks during my initial clean up when I get the machine. So time comes to do the swap, the mechs all come out in 5 minutes each rather than trying to lift several small toaster sized boxes along with the harness.

Flash Gordon was a pretty long swap. My worst was High Speed by far, probably 50% more time than FG.

I guess I must not have known any better but FG was my first swap, and I didn't know at the time that it was any harder. I didn't have to modify any components, I ran the braid almost exactly as the original. I didn't use any of the CPR dimples to mount anything though, as I had heard they could be off...and they were.

Thinking bad now, it still wasn't too bad. A little time consuming, yes, but not enough to turn me off on it. I worked on it off/on for about 2 months I would say. I learned a lot, and it helped make the next few swaps much better. Maybe because compared to the others, it was harder

Keep up the good work Tom!!

Thanks my friend!

I'm getting ready to do my pf swap and started by counting how many sockets under the pf I'll need; I count 89.

playfield_underside (resized).jpg

Have you considered Yoppsicles?

Worth a look for sure. Mine came out pretty well.

Are you counting the one on the top side under arch?

Missed a few.

Yup, about to order 100.

Under the arch?

No doubt

The inserts can use Yopps, the GI will still need a few different style sockets as will the controlled lamps on the shooter lane roll overs.

(There are a few inserts hiding under the 4 drop bank)

Sorry, under the Apron.
Fed up from underneath

Ah. I believe there's one under the apron. That would bring the count to 89.

Just joined the club and am loving this brutal game.

Quick question: Where is the volume knob on this thing?

Game is great, I still need to reset the high scores, change back to 3 ball, and turn off attract mode sounds. I assume that's all in the manual.

20220508_195050 (resized).jpg

Volume knob by speaker

Oh right, on coin door

There is a main volume control on the coin door below the MPU test switch. The squawk and talk also has pots for sound and speech.

High score reset and background sounds are set from the coin door MPU button, number of balls from the dip switches on the MPU itself.

It's not uncommon for the pots on the board to get dirty. If cranking the door volume does little, crank the pots on the S&T board back and forth a few times to clean them.

Quite a colour difference between a hard top and a reprint.

F77875DD-75CA-4CBC-8B78-02DDF4CA762B (resized).jpeg

Whoa...maroon

Yeah, I just picked up a hardtop and think the same thing. It really surprised me given all the fantastic reviews. However, I have an original playfield from a very early run of the game and while it is off, it’s not off as much as between the hardtop and the CPR reproduction. The actual color is somewhere in the middle. Although, I do love the red on the CPR.

I've got my posts in the middle position with my CPR FG... Plays really well. I have the tilt set to medium, skillful nudging can give you at least some control over the out lane drains.

Thanks!

I would like to emphasize that both are amazing compared to the overlay. The machine I picked up is an example that had a new overlay installed a few years ago and was then clearcoated. They did an amazing job and it feels/plays exactly like a NIB machine would, but no matter how good you do it the overlay guys always mess something up. In my Attack From Mars it only had some of the art in the inserts. In my Flash Gordon Overlay, there are no numbers in the top arrows.

However, it was the best thing available at the time.

Long story short, Hardtops and repro playfields are infinately better than the overlays. Even if you expertly install and then clearcoat them.

20220512_051548 (resized).jpg

I need some help from the club. I did my first hardtop recently and moved everything from my old playfield to the new hard-top. I tumbled al the hardware and cleaned the harness. When re-populating, I decided not to run the bare wire ground and solder the new light sockets to it. I ran an insulated ground instead. All lights, switches and coils working with two exceptions:

1) The in-line drops. Drop 1-bonus... all good. Drop 2 - 2X lights... all good. Drop 3 - 3X light AND the extra ball lights. When the rear target is hit and the Xtra ball is supposed to light, it actually turns off as it was "ON" while hitting the 3rd drop.

Any thoughts?

2) The upper single drop tends to pulse a bit. Meaning it is "up" to start a ball, drops when ball enters play, but then should return up so it can be knocked down again, but it doesn't. I hear it sometimes trying to return up, but it doesn't.

Is that just a simple switch adjustment?

Here are a couple pics of the project. If any Pinsiders feel their project looked similar... its is. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and I copied ideas from the best of you! Thank you for your indirect help. Sincerely.

IMG_7168 (resized).JPG

IMG_7787 (resized).JPG

IMG_9351 (resized).JPG

IMG_9861 (resized).JPG

IMG_9907 (resized).JPG

All inlines down and the orange extra ball should light to tell you it's ready to collect. Hit the back stand-up and the inline orange extra ball should go off and same player shoot again lights on the playfield between the flippers and on the back glass.

Its picking up a switch activation. Go into the test menu and figure out which switch.

Anyone have an easy solution for ball hangups here? My ball eject from the saucer hits it into the pop hard and results in a hung ball every 3 or 4 games right now.

In other news, Flash is playing beautifully and I'm fixing the last few odds and ends. I have a few star roll overs that are not lighting up and flakely light sockets that I have to replace/fix, and the strobe in the backbox isn't working. It looks like there used to be a plug and play replacement board, but they are all sold out. Looking at mine it appears that just the XENON bulb is burnt out. Looking through here people have had luck putting the AFM one in so I will be trying that. The seller said it worked intermittently, and I saw it work at his place but the bulb looks trashed.

This game is so hard. I hate it... but I keep coming back to it for more.

20220517_194152 (resized).jpg

20220517_194614 (resized).jpg

20220517_200427 (resized).jpg

I would move the switch a little so that it won’t trigger as quick on that side of the pop.

Never had that one with my FG. What is your PF set at for angle?

I only ask as I could not get a ball to rest in that spot without rolling out.

Selling a restored/cleared used FG PF

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/135725/

Note how many points are being scored each time, then look at switches which score that amount. One is adjusted too tight and the vibration is closing it.

Thanks! After adjusting the playfield angle the stuck balls stopped.

I am still hunting down a few issues.

My Flash Gordon "Flash" in the backbox works intermittently, maybe one game in 10. Upon examination I thought the bulb was ruined and replaced it. Still works periodically. I replaced the fuse... no change. I replaced the capacitors... no change. I unplugged and replugged all plugs in the backbox... no change.

I'm fixing a few flakey light sockets and have some new Yoppcicles to try out.

The last issue I'm having is that the lights in 4 of the 5 rollovers in the top right don't work and the 2x and 3x arrows by the saucer are not lighting. Going to have to track that one down.

I picked up this and a nine ball on the way home from Pinfest after moving a couple of pins... Flash Gordon beats Nine ball every time. Very different games though.

Awesome to hear you are having a great time with Flash Gordon. I love it. Hopefully one day I'll track one down. There are times when I feel like I would be content with having only a Flash Gordon and Stern Beatles machines and nothing else. Those two machines would keep me entertained for sure.

It's a great game. I actually stopped to look at a Stern Seawitch on the way back from Allentown and picked up a nine ball instead. If you are not aware Seawitch is a 1980 Stern game that Beatles is based off of. ALMOST the exact same game, but much cheaper (1/2 priced restored) and without the music. I don't know of anyplace local that has one though.

So what are your favorite aspects of Flash Gordon? I like the split playfield, the kickout hole that alternates kicking up and down, the inline drop targets, plus all the other drops and the third flipper. Plus it mocks you, "Try again Earthling!" Such a fun game.

Yeah, thanks for bringing up Seawitch. I've played Seawitch and it's enjoyable. I love classic Sterns and drop targets. I just love everything about Beatles so much more. That magnet up top, the light show, the music, the spinning magnet record disc, and that jackpot behind the lower left drops. It's all so cool. I'm pretty simple, so I also like the modes that the Beatles machine has (loops, spinners, pop bumpers, drop targets, etc.). I would take a Seawitch for sure, but Beatles definitely connects with me more and I would be pretty happy with it as a keeper.

Changes the xenon bulb... nothing. Put in new capacitors on the board.. nothing. Reconnected the connectors on the auxiliary lamp board... my flasher works!

That’s interesting. I’ve had a perennial problem with my flasher. It just goofs up the CPU when it’s hooked in. I’m going to take a look at my Aux lamp board when I next break into the game.

O man... Flash Gordon is a great game for so many reasons. First of all, even though the actual art on the machine is just okay, the overall package makes it colorful and bright and ever so slightly garish, which fits in with the theme perfectly. I never knew the lettering in Flash in the backbox as shown above lit individually until I brought mine home and got it working 100%. Same with the ridiculously bright strobe in the backbox. As to the game itself, it is very challenging and fun. As a general rule, going for the in line standup targets to the extra ball is where my shots go when the ball is on the left flipper. When it is on the right it goes to hit the drop targets on the left, and then the spinner once lit. When the ball is on the upper playfield I try for the drops, but it is hit or miss. The sound on this though limited, is great. Overall this is an excellent pin with an excellent presentation. Pairs great with other games as it is fast and brutal. You can get a full game in on this in 5 minutes while LOTR and other games are great, but not good in short bursts.

Same with me, flasher use to work fine but then one day the pin would not boot with the flasher connected. Since then the original MPU board has been replaced. The PS board has been replaced. I've re-pinned every connector in the head. About to do a pf swap and replace the displays. But still no lick with the flasher, must be something bad (cap?) on the strobe board.