Ghostbusters (LE)
Stern, 2016
Ghostbusters (Premium)
Stern, 2016
Ghostbusters (Pro)
Stern, 2016You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider chucksmith.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Quoted from delt31:btw - does anyone know the part that you screw on which keeps the plastics in line? For example - plastic goes over the metal posts then you screwn these on so the plastic doesn't move. They are throughout the game - I need extra ones. Anyone know size/where they are on pinball life? Thanks in advance.
I'm not sure if you mean washers or stand-offs .
Do you mean hex post you see around the game? can you show a picture of what you want?
SO1 (resized).jpg
Quoted from delt31:appreciate the help.
Those are called "#6-32 lock nuts"
They have nylon inside them to keep them from loosening up.
Get a bag at your hardware store or off Amazon or pinballlife
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=226
https://www.amazon.com/Hillman-Group-180132-Insert-100-Pack/dp/B000BPD97A/ref=sr_1_3
locknut-s.jpg
Quoted from SteveMan:Anybody else see the video posted to youtube yesterday about a clip being added to the Ecto Goggles with Pinball Browser? I hadn't heard of this before.
» YouTube video
The YT video says-- "Using the Pinball Browser, I was able to add Vigo to the Ecto Goggles for the Ghostbusters Pinball."
Now this sounds like he ADDED Vigo . Was it already there? Is this clip actually visible in normal play for 1.13 ? I'm guessing not.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Yes. Apparently there's a cat ghost and he replaced that with Vigo. He also added Higher and Higher to midnight madness.
Correct. I contacted him for details-- He wrote: I added it. Replaced the cat, to be more exact.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Well I am officially a member finally! Machine looks beautiful, the switch at the top of the subway ramp wasnt registering on every shot but I bent it out a little and it registers 100% of he time now. Ghostbusters is an absolute blast! The ball does stay in the pops a long time, is there anything people do about that like maybe turn the power down on them? Can you even do that? My game is set up with the bubble in the middle where its suppose to be as far as the slope goes.
Tips:
Set the bubble high between the lines
Update to the latest code . I'm not sure if there is any code in for it, but Stern
could add a timer to stop the pops for a few seconds after a set time limit letting the ball out.
I'm currently on 1.13 about 7 degrees and I don't ever see sustained pops.
(Mine is a premium which could be different than the pro in regards to pops behavior)
Quoted from Delta9:It happens all the time pull the bulb out and push it back in if that doesn't work call chas they will send you another one
What bulb is needed here? Sounds like a good idea to pick up a couple if they are gonna burn out often.
Shoot I just placed an order on PBL and could have tossed in the bulb had I thought of it :/
Quoted from pinden007:Thinking of getting GB pro next week.
Where can I get the cliffy protectors for this? Looking for the out hole, shooter lane, and storage facilty.
Thanks.
Reachout to Cliffy and he'll hook you up.
Quoted from BrewersArcade:Is it a pretty easy install or a PITA? Anyone have pics of them installed in their GB? My Pro is going strong with no PF issues...October playfield and Nov. build. LOVE this machine. Wish I could afford the topper
OK so cliffy drain hole is an easy install. The shooter lane requires some education before you do it.
There's the video by PinballSupernova. What this video.
Then watch my little video which covers some details you really need to know about installing the shooter-lane cliffy (bottom right)
About left side shooter Cliffy: I personally had no trouble with this one.
** Remove the auto launch mech to get at the bolts. You'll thank me later. 
I used a plastic/rubber mallet to "tap" up the bolts to remove them. That was the easy part.
The hard part was getting the right/bottom cliffy mounted tight and proper so it never moves after install.
Watch my video. The techniques used here were advised by Cliffy himself.
Quoted from cocomonkeh:If the game doesn't hit a top switch but rolls down the loop on the one I play it lets me replunge forever after a drain. Anyone else get this?
Yes, In fact This is not just GB. I saw a video tutorial of (Stern) Star Trek where the guy intentionally did this.
If the dropped the ball , the machine did not count it and gave a new ball.
Quoted from kermit24:Hey Taylor. I ordered the FF speaker kit with the 10" woofer and will install it tomorrow. My buddy randomkg installed the same kit on his Game of Thrones LE and it sounds amazing. That's why I ordered it actually. I'll keep everyone posted on it.
Eric
I look forward to hearing about how the install goes and how much of a difference it makes.
Quoted from pinden007:I am looking to buy this game soon. Can you tell me exactly what mods I am looking at here (in the yellow boxes)?
I know one is the center post mod which I can get from pinball life.
But what about the other 2?
Is one of them the blue plastic protector set that is $29.99?
I don't know what that green piece is but I assume it helps with the ball jumping. Where can I get that?
This is a picture from the local mall.
Thanks.
Left & right are outlane & plastic protectors. Check out OldPinGuy's (Art) outlane guards If you want a version that is crystal clear and protects from outlane jumps and protects plastics. For me its the perfect solution.
Quoted from Pinballpal:Installed Meph's terror dogs today they look superlative.
Yup, 2 dogs look great next to Gozer
Symmetrical Book Stacking installed by the library. (made sense to me to mount it by the library).
Most people mount it on the right near the Symmetrical Book Stacking newton ball.
This takes advantage of the flasher reducing the blinding light yet makes the books look nice with the flashing glow.
Quoted from Who-Dey:I am wondering about this as well, anybody care to comment on this?
I used a thin 2-sided sticky pad I had in my parts drawer.
Quoted from gweempose:What's weird is that I was looking for it earlier today, and it no longer appears to be on their site. I'd suggest shooting them an email to see what the deal is.
Historically, when an item is not currently available at pinball-life, they make that item invisible to the users.
I ran into the same situation with a different item. I contacted pinball life and they explained the item was not currently available.
Quoted from Sinestro:The shaker setting doesn't control the power of the shaker....just how often it's used.
Sinestro is correct that setting may control how long it spins , definitely how often it spins but the force can only be changed with a mechanical calibration.
To reduce the force from your Stern Shaker... Loosen the set-screw on one of the weights.
From the factory, the weights are set the same.
Now move the loosened weight to 90 degrees out of sync with locked down weight.
This makes a huge difference. I would not even use my shaker until I adjusted it reducing the shaker effect.
Note: If you were to set the weights 180 degrees out of phase the shaker would not make any impact so set accordingly.
Setting at 90 degrees cuts the effect to 50% of factory setting , which I feel is perfect while others love the earth shaking impact of 100%.
** Loosening the set-screw is not easy.
The screw is glued in on the Stern Shaker, but you can do it.
I used my surface mount hot-air tool with a fine nozzle to heat the screw and the glue which made it easier, while others have just used brute force.
Tips:
* Use a right angle hex key (not the Swiss army knife style) .
* If needed you can lock a vice grip on the hex to add length which in turn adds torque.
* A thick rigid pipe of the right size slipped over the hex-key handle will also work to add torque.
* Only use a key that fits perfectly in the screw. The perfect size is 3/32" .
* Cheap tools can have poor size tolerance .
Quoted from CyberNinja24:The reason my left scoleri target isn't working properly is that the plastic piece that holds the target up until it is hit has been broken. Is this an easy piece to find? Knock on wood, looks like an easy fix once I have the right plastic piece in place. This piece is held in place by the two small screw going up underneathe the metal bracket. Others broke this early on? This was broken after 100 plays or so. Again, looks like and easy fix.
Call the phone number under your lock bar & talk to Chas. He's very helpful and I bet he will send you a new one.
Tip: Before calling be prepared to email him the picture of the broken part. He will need that before sending you a new part.
Anyone who has the official Stern Ghostbusters Topper...
Could you please measure the height of the unit and posts it here or message me if you prefer.
Just so new buyers know...
The rails seen in the pinball life link are standard on Premiums.
If you ordered a Pro, you get 2 pegs which are not helpful for propping up half way and sliding it out.
The stern rails (premium) have rubber bumper/feet as well at the further extension point.
20161111_103259 (resized).jpg
Quoted from imagamejunky:That's ridiculous.
JJ can get you one A LOT faster.
Sorry but who is JJ ?
Google only comes up with Jersey Jack who I'm sure does not sell Ghostbusters.
It would nice to have a sticky or something of distributors who carry Stern, Heighway, JerseyJack along with reviews by actual buyers.
Quoted from MustangPaul:and the edges are sharp as hell so be careful. I take sandpaper wrapped on a block of wood and sand them smooth.
Are you referring to the PBL rails or the Stern rails ? My stern rails seem perfectly dull..
Quoted from Spelunk71:JJ is at Game Exchange of Colorado. I didn't buy my GB from him, but wish I had. I had to wait 7 months for mine while JJ seemed to get his orders out within days/weeks according to posts.
Great to know ! Thanks for the input.
I've heard CoinTaker is a distributor people like as well.
I have not heard anything about GameroomGuys
Quoted from pinden007:I got mine from coin taker this week. They delivered and setup for free. Installers were awesome and so was the price.
We played for 5 hours last night and my buddy stumbled onto midnight madness.
No center post yet and we managed 2.5b. Definitely a blast to play!
If I need to tweak the right drop target to be flush with pf, is there 1 or 2 screws to turn and which way do I turn them?
Thanks
I did not need to adjust my scolari height but I've looked at it. Should be "screw in" to lower, "screw out" to raise. As I recall it's one center screw.
If the drop targets don't drop every time, you can adjust the tension by taking the spring off and putting it back on about 12 coils up. Being a new machine stern may be using better springs so you may not need to do it.
Quoted from pinden007:Would you say the rails are worth the $55?
100% YES. I cannot imagine living without them.
Every time I hike the playfield up I thank the stars those rails are there.
Truly a must have in my opinion.
Quoted from gweempose:It's the opposite. Screw it in (clockwise) to raise the target, and screw it out (counter clockwise) to lower it. I think there might also be two screws for each target, but I can't remember for sure.
Thanks gweempose ! I stand corrected.
Thanks for Sharing my Video. I was about to do that . 
I made this video for people who felt just like pinden007. I felt the same way and there were no clear videos about modern machines .
I hope this helps.
Quoted from pinden007:Well I had it straight and a few games later if was leaning again. I guess I didn't tighten the screws tight enough?
I not comfortable yet putting the play field vertical. I always feels like it's laying on wires and I am not quite sure how to put it past 90 deg by myself. I should have asked my installer.
Quoted from gweempose:After you lift the playfield up high enough to clear all the mechs underneath, you need to pull it forward. You will feel some resistance, but keep on pulling and it will ride over the hump. You can then continue to pull it forward very slowly until it stops. At this point, you can lift up the playfield and lean it all the way against the backbox. Make sure as you do all of this that you pull it evenly and keep the playfield straight. If you don't, you could scratch up the inside of your cabinet, or even worse, drop the playfield into it. It's really a crappy design.
This video is very helpful for new owners ...
» YouTube video
You can try these... They will extend the height and fit the nut
ebay.com link: itm
ebay.com link: itm
spacer22 (resized).jpg
Quoted from Nepi23:I installed the airball prevention plastic from PU in the beginning of the left ramp, but now, if the
speed of the ball is slow and it comes back down the ramp with slow speed, it sometimes gets
stuck to the protector like in the picture. I tried putting washers under the protector and nuts to lift the
protector, but it did not help. I also loosened the nuts and it helped, but then the whole nut with
washer came off during gameplay. Any tips on how to rectify this? Thanks!
Quoted from MustangPaul:Installing the PBL shaker in my Pro...simple right. Well I can't find CN2 on the board and the instructions show it plugged into CN16. So is that where I plug it into? If it is there's a problem, that's where my aux. power board is plugged into. So now what? Is there a splitter for that plug available somewhere.....assuming that CN16 is the place to plug into for the shaker. Any help would be appreciated. A simple plug in mod.....right.
My gameInstruction sheet
Step1: Throw out the directions. Stern's directions were wrong too.
Step 2. Look at your node board. It should be printed on the bd ... "SHAKER".
shaker (resized).jpg
Quoted from pinden007:Thanks everyone for this. What a difference doing it the right way. lol
I was able to adjust my 2x target and see that I had hole markings for the PBL rails. I also installed the out drain cliffy.
I saved the shooter lane cliffys for another time since I would have to completely take off the the piece that holds the balls.
The only other issue I have is with the first gate for the ball plunge and/or right orbit. The ball seems to catch that thing every now and then. I read others were having issue with that and possibly working on a fix.
Check out my video and the video by PinballSuperNova for: how to install the shooter cliffy.
** To remove the headless bolts: "tap out using a plastic mallet"
Quoted from pinden007:Thanks. So the ball should rest on the cliffys?
The ball should rest on the wood but the cliffy should be as close as possible without touch the ball.
This allows the ball to sit in its natural location/height from the switch.
If for some reason you need the ball on the cliffy, you might need to readjust your switch so it knows the ball is in the shooter.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:If the ball doesnt rest on the cliffy, can you elaborate on what the cliffy is doing protection wise?
(not trying to be snide, 100% trying to understand its purpose so I can decide if I should add one)
The cliffy protects against the ball slamming into the shooter lane > ricocheting off the side and landing as the ball is thrown into the lane. Now if you want the ball to rest on the cliffy, that's fine, just be aware, you may need to readjust your switch (maybe quite a bit)
I put my cliffy as close as I could without it touching the ball. This is some small stuff so the close-up might look like an exaggerated gap between the cliffy and ball but its not really. The curve of the ball comes very close the cliffy. Ideally, you want to get the cliffy as close as you can to the ball without the ball actually resting on top of the cliffy.
As a side note: My cliffy is slightly dented where the ball lands after slamming into the side wall, then dropping down. I also have no damage to my shooter lane so I'm very happy with the way my cliffy is installed and working.
Quoted from MustangPaul:Looking back, in the first picture I had it part right. I see where I went wrong but it's to late now.
Sorry to hear about your node bd Paul.
So now you should call the tech support # under your lockdown bar and explain what happened to Chas.
Not sure if they will charge you are not, but you need a new board so its time to get one and put it behind you.
Quoted from MustangPaul:Thanks Chuck, I sent them an email. If I don't hear back in a few days I'll give them a call.
To save you some time, Calling is always the right thing to do . I would not email them without the phone call.
I would also take a picture of the problem and be prepared to email them a short video or photo.
Chas will give you his email address over the phone.
Quoted from gweempose:Yeah, I know some people do it, but I see no reason to wax a brand new game. The most important thing is to get an airball deflector installed ASAP. I'd also recommend cliffys for the shooter lane and drain hole.
These are the 2 most important cliffys everyone should have.
Quoted from pinden007:How do I swap out the orange shooter spring for a green one? Doesn't seem like the black tip comes off.
Yup. I thought the same thing. But it came off and once its off it was pretty easy to take on and off again.
Take the entire shooter mech out if you have not done so already.
Lift the playfield > remove the screws from the inside holding the shooter mech in.
Grab hold of the rubber tip with your paw and twist & pull.
Its like a vacuum inside so just keep turning and pulling. It will come off.
No need to resort to tools for removing the tip.
Quoted from imagamejunky:Actually removing it is a huge pain in the ass. I couldn't figure out an easy way to get it out without removing multiple things including the metal rail that borders the orbit. So instead I removed stay puft and was able to very carefully bend the corner of the gate frame with a pair of pliers while it was in place.
I wonder if Stern moved this gate forward when mounting.
I have not had this issue on my Sept 2016 build Premium.
Check out my video of the ball moving through this gate.
Quoted from MustangPaul:No fuse on my board, it was one of the first off the line back in April of last year. I did see the new replacement boards had fuses though.
No Fuse on my Sept. 2016 machine.
So I went to Marco to check the boards. This is strange. Does anyone have a ghostbusters with a fuse on the cab board?
Check these photos and note the text. The fuse board does not list ghostbusters as compatible and these boards look different.
The model # are not at all the same... Maybe there is a new (3rd) cab node from stern that I have not seen.
If you have a fuse on your GB cab node, please post a picture of it. Thanks.
cab-node-fuse (resized).png
cab-node-1 (resized).png
Quoted from ramegoom:Fuses can be a problem as they can open during an unusual spike that might happen when there's a lot going on, where the spike would normally kill the fuse and possibly cause damage to the power components.
Then the game is dead and you're in a boxing match with Stern. Plus, there are some owners who have no idea how to find, much less replace a fuse.
It would make much more sense to put a current limiter on the board that can shut the circuitry down temporarily during the high demand short term spike, then resume afterwards. Since a coil driver is subject to failure under a heat vs. time curve, a spike can sometimes be tolerated if it's short enough to minimize meltdown.
Great info Ramegoom. Yes. If Stern is using an auto reset-able protection circuit, its a better idea for them and users.
It also makes more sense that the fused bd is listed as Kiss and GOT but not Ghostbusters. I assume the older fused board is improved by the newer non-fused bd. Both are spike games but GB is much newer so logic follows its the more advanced version.
Quoted from imagamejunky:These are my opinions.
The ball not making it through the first gate is because it's hitting the corner of the frame as I described earlier. Before I bent the corner this happened A LOT on my machine.
I believe the second issue you're describing may be due to the ball floating over the rollover switch in the orbit without actually activating it. I think the electric gate may only open after the rollover switch is activated. This may explain why some plunges and orbit shots go around above the lanes, and some hit the closed gate and go into the lanes.
My other theory is that the electric gate randomly opens with some plunges/orbit shots. I asked Chas at Stern about this and he didn't know.
Junky
The switch does make the gate open, but I believe there is a level of code as well.
The switch is made and then if the computer says open gate then it opens.
I've filmed it and slowed it down. You can see the switch get pressed and the gate opens right at that moment.
Quoted from pinden007:Does anyone have a picture of the stern rails from PBL installed on a pro? I couldn't find a good place to attach them to the PF. Also, the screws appeared to give about 1/8 of an inch of clearence before poping through the other side of the play field.
Quoted from chuckwurt:I think he means the playfield support rails. Btw, nice baby pac. Great game.
Yes it is... but not its not mine. That was a pic from another pinside member I saved a while back.
So the under PF glide rails....
I've seen those installed. I think PBL has a shot.. Here ya go...
glides (resized).jpg
Quoted from imagamejunky:I was wrong. After further investigation I can see that the electric gate opens after a plunge BEFORE the ball reaches the rollover switch in the orbit. The variance must be with coding then. However, I can't tell when the gate opens (or doesn't?) in a hard orbit shot from the flipper. Is it supposed to open every time for the orbit shot? Is it supposed to open when the ball rolls over the switch?
Based on my slow motion filming, the gate opens when the switch following the ecto-goggles just hits.
(pros its right there after the shooter lane exit) -
The ball rolls over the wire pressing the switch, hopefully right away before the ball completely presses the wire actuator down.
Does it do it every single time? Depends on code and where you are in the game, and which direction the ball is flowing.
* If you do a manual full plunge , the gate should open every time.
* If you do a left flip up to the right-to-left orbit and it goes through and lands on the left flipper, It should repeat again and again.
* Auto Plunge (ball save) I don't think this will ever let the ball past the gate. The ball should be blocked and fall to the pops.
Quoted from Gunnder:I'm seeing a lot of node board failure. This is disappointing for a game hardly 1 year old. Is there a pattern developing with specific boards going, or does it seem random? And what is the cause of these board failures?
I've had my GBLE going strong so far, but it's discouraging to keep reading about node board failures.
*knocks on wood*
Until we can document true node boards failures completely unrelated to adding lighting or plugging in the wrong item in the wrong socket etc, I don't feel its fair to say Stern is making a bad node boards. My node boards are all working fine since Oct 2016. I'm sure there have been some failures and from what I've seen, Stern has replaced the node boards quickly when that happened. If its a real problem, maybe we need a thread documenting node boards failures.
Quoted from Who-Dey:I put mine on medium setting because it was shaking the machine way too much on maximum. It's perfect now.
Yes. If you feel the shaker is too much. You want to make a manual adjustment. Both weights are currently set the same. So set one 90 degrees out if phase with the other. Result 50% reduction in intensity.
The menu adjust only controls frequency and duration, but not intensity.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Im sure you are correct but my first reaction was to change the settings in the menu and it worked and it feels perfect now so that is an easier fix than making a manual adjustment. Everyone may not get the same result as I did but its worth a try imo.
Oh yes. For sure. Its a good idea to set in software 1st to minimum or medium to see if you're happy with it.
If not, make the manual adjustment.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:That shaker is so damn intense, this is what I'm thinking. something has to be loose.
The Shaker is intense. I have mine set at minimum, then like many folks, I finally adjusted it manually. I could not bare to use it at the factory position.
Quoted from PinLen83:How do you adjust it?
Everyone is saying "Don't ask him that, He'll go through it all again!" 
Ok so take your shaker out.
Loosen one weight .
Its going to be hard to loosen.
You need a 3/32 allen wrench. See photo or.. grab a right-angel-Allen with vice-grip and unscrew.
At the start both weights are set the same. Set one 90 degrees out of phase with the other.
Lock it down. (Stern glues the screw in)
adjust shaker motor (resized).jpg
Quoted from BrewersArcade:How many of you guys have ordered the topper? I'm trying to save up and justify buying one to myself. It's gonna happen but man $500 is so much money for a dang topper!
I've asked this question before too. But it's strange how no one wants to talk about it.
You know people buy them. There is a bunch posted on youtube. I think it comes down to this. If 400 to 500 for a topper feels overwhelming then maybe it's not the best buy for you. Fact is all Stern Toppers are expensive.
So you want to justify the stern ghost busters topper? Look at previous toppers. Most copy a toy on the play field ( TWD, GOT ) but GB topper is unique in that the topper has unique code that does not copy anything on the playfield. What we need is more code supporting the GB topper. Currently it goes off when the Ecto 1 is on the DMD and that's all I've seen so far.
Quoted from PanzerFreak:Would anyone recommend installing a full playfield protector on new Ghostbusters Premium? I'm wondering if it's worth the extra expense and time investment. I won't have my game for at least a couple weeks.
You will have to remove a lot of stuff to put it on. with that said, some people love , others say they would not use them.
Pro's protects the playfield
Con's they can get scratched and need to replaced after X plays. (no idea how long) .
If I had a time machine , I think I would put one on. The cost is fair, the amount stuff you need to remove & replace?
I'm not crazy about that.
Now here is one that looks like you won't have to take off too much from the back from pinballlife.
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4461
The flippers, slings, all have to come off and then it goes over slimer or the city, not sure what the back square lines up to..
I would say do it...
Worst case scenario, you take it off and don't replace it in a few years.
Best case scenario, you use it for years & years and your playfield looks awesome.
Quoted from BrewersArcade:Damn it. I couldn't wait. I ordered a topper. Can't wait to get it!
Good for you! I know people are buying them, but I wish it was an open discussion. I'm thinking due to the price, its not talked about much for fear of criticism. Personally, I want to get one, I just keep putting it off. If the next code update adds anything new to it, that might be all it takes to get me to order one.
Quoted from agodfrey:Is there a cliffy or something to protect the ESP (Van Horne) kickoff. Something like the shire protector? Maybe it doesn't exist yet.
** Carefully cut mylar pieces to fit in the bottom and around the top edge is the best you can do for this saucer.
I have to say, I don't know how often Stern put this design on previous machines , but its a poor design.
The Premium has a nice protected port (hole) with Stern-Cliffy, while the pro has no protection at all in this spot and I see no way that Cliffy could help with that saucer, other than to create a press-molded metal tray with adhesive backing.
Quoted from GhostThruster:Just got my premium last night! I didn't check the playfield date but my distributor got it from the factory a week ago. I haven't had any issues out of box except for the left ramp switch not always registering fast balls. A quick bend to the "14 Street" switch fixed it.
The left side eject was set to power 40 from the factory and sends it to the right flipper every time. Scoleri bros work fine as well.
Only thing to really check now is Slimer's butt scraping the building as he rotates out and the hex adjustment to that far right ramp that takes ball to left flipper - that shot is tough but I've made it a few times.
So other than these couple things, not sure there is a lot of tweaking to be done to get the pin dialed in. I did add Art's Airball protector but haven't had the need to install his outlane protectors yet.
The magnaslings feel great! Glad I went with the premium.
The Premium is worth the upgrade cost. I'm glad to hear current units are working well out of the box.
Slimer has plenty of room for tweaking (mechanically).
I've not heard of his butt scraping the city before. His hand yes, but not butt.
I wonder if the cable is bit longer on the current slimer?
Pictures would be good. People have added a washer at top of the rotating rod.
This will raise him away from the playfield but raise him over the city a bit.
Slimer height (resized).png
Quoted from MustangPaul:That is the one to get if you plan on more then 1 mod that would normally plug into the node board in the cabinet under the left flipper button. I tried plugging in 3 mods into that one and fried the node board. After it fried my buddy told me that Stern had sent out a warning not to plug a bunch of mods into that outlet. I now have a 12v, 6 amp wall wort converter plugged into the 110 service outlet in the bb and that is plugged into the 8 way splitter. No power problems for mods now.
Ok I've got a question for all that have installed lighting mods.
I've heard some GB owners have damaged node boards with too many light mods.
I understand mods such as under cab lighting and even GI lighting can be powered off its own power source, but...
How about mods like Mezel-Mods green scoop flashers?
These type of mods rely on node bd logic to do their thing.
How many of such mods crosses the line and becomes risky?
**Disclaimer: This is not a criticism of mezel-mod or any seller.
Its about thinking big picture: How many of these Node bd dependent light-mods becomes a hazard to the spike system.
If you have more than 2 light mods running off the spike node bds, please post your results.
Examples..
Right Scoop light mod by Mezel Mod
Left scoop light mod by Mezel Mod
PKE skill shot display by Mezel Mod
Ghost Trap by Mezel Mod
Quoted from PanzerFreak:Interested in knowing as well. I didn't realize that most light mods get powered from the LED node boards. I ordered the left and right LED scoop mods from mezel for my game. If I'm only going to be running these two light mods should I be ok?
Yup, This is what I'm looking at. I've reached out to Kristin for her advice on this subject.
I also just read the install directions for those scoop lights. They connect to the GI playfield spots.
That's ok but I would like to consider connecting them to the flashers associated with the out kick of each scoop.
I've seen at least one video where this was done. The wiring change would be easy enough. I just need to make sure flashers run on the same voltage (5V) as the GI.
If you want the lights to stay on all the time, then running them off of an external power source would also be an option..
Quoted from alleycat-pinball:I played a ghost busters in a mall the other day and have been thinking about getting one. Anyone care to share what price they ended up paying. I guess depending on cost I'd like a premium but might go with a pro.
Thanks, Rob
If you don't have a local distributor near you, then your best option might be CoinTaker. Its not just about money. Customer Care is important. I've heard only good things about CT. I have emailed Melissa with questions and she always responds promptly.
I'm looking at an Alien machine and CT is currently my 1st choice.
BTW: If you can swing it, the Premium is worth every bit of the extra cost in my opinion.
Quoted from pipes:One of these you mean?
Just got mine
This is great! This is from Cliffy I assume.
Quoted from TRAMD:They are supposed to drop with one hit.
Yes, they should drop with one hit. Most owners have adjusted the spring. Its the best option really. The replacement spring is too tight for most people who have to go back to the original spring and then adjust mechanically. "This works and its easy to do.
To adjust the springs: slip the spring off of its hook and link it on the hook about 12 coils into the spring effectively letting you shorten the spring by a variable adjustment. The typical choice is 10-15 coils.
If you still get failed drops bump the number of coils up by 3.
12 up to 15 and test again.
scolari-spring (resized).jpg
Quoted from sgorsuch:Does anyone know when the round Librarian white insert is supposed to illuminate. I have never seen it lit other that test mode and the attract mode.
The white dome always flashes (as a warning) right before the ball kicks out of the left scoop.
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:I wanted to give my thanks and round of applause for all the help chucksmith is sharing in this thread!
A Godsend to Stern and Pinside for all the Help!!
Thank you, but I'm just giving back and paying it forward. I'm grateful for Pinside and its community.
Quoted from finnflash:I think he means the librarian insert, the one at the top of that ladder. I am curious about this also
Of course (silly me) My brain saw Library in place of Librarian.
As I recall, The Librarian light has come up in previous posts. Its not been programmed all along. Maybe in 1.14?
Ghostbusters v1.13 bugs and features Post #1 in topic
Ghostbusters code/bugs/ideas... Post #401 in topic
Ghostbusters code/bugs/ideas... Post #353 in topic
Quoted from RipleYYY:in the other way, its a bit pity that "new owners" didnt search or just read previous pages (even if i know, its already page 56 here)
as most of the last probs related are not new and already debated more than few times
see, i was interested in (and than bought it) an Avengers, than i've read all his "club" topic, because i know it would be usefull for me
but OK...
Searching Pinside can be hit or miss most of the time.
New-comers will have even less chance of hitting the right key words or knowing even what words to search on or where to look.
Providing the best help will encourage new people to stay excited about pinball. Offering quick clear help means more people getting & staying involved in pinball vs being frustrated with things that they could easily fix just because they had the help they needed.
When I 1st joined, I had a lot of help with little questions that were a big deal to me, yet everyone was really helpful & patient.
Thank you to everyone who helped me when I 1st bought by Ghostbusters Pinball machine.
Quoted from MustangPaul:I just installed this on the right side, left side yet to do. My seams aren't split "yet" so hopefully they will prevent it from happening in the future. Stern should do this on ALL their legs on ALL their games. Just got the left side done, about 20 minutes.
Hi Paul,
Where did you get this corner reinforcement item?
Is there an example of splitting sides?
Is there a known cause to the splitting?
Quoted from MustangPaul:Here's the topic. A must read even though it does go a little off topic towards the end.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/sterns-new-cabinets/page/4
Last night I read the entire thread. Then I inspected my from corners inside and out.
Q: Has anyone had splitting and NOT had a shaker motor? I've seen several photos posted and every one who showed the inside-right had a shaker motor. If the the shaker is causing this , you would think the right corner would be the worst , not the left.
My side-art is fine at the moment. My seams look fine for now, but I also just ordered the corner braces.
Quoted from sgorsuch:Hmmm, GB is the only game that I have with a shaker motor, but have only had it on for a week or better. I may order these HD braces just for good measure, but see no evidence of separation at this point.
I did have a RS for 6 months and never noticed any splitting on this....and this game had a shaker since day one.
Not sure what RS is (sorry), but here are the Stern games that should be looked at (or any Stern title purchased on the last 2 years.)
recent stern games (resized).png
Quoted from bent98:I had this right out of the box. I did add a shaker motor but it hasnt gotten any worse. Will that reinforcement pull the wood back together?
No. But you need to get some glue in there from the top>down (gravity will send the glue down from the top) , clamp it, let dry over night before removing the clamps. Then add the inside bracket which can help keep it in place, but it wont pull in back together.
Use the long clamps found at home depot, Menards, or your favorite hardware store.
I have several of these clamps. I use them all the time. They work great on all sorts of things.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Hate to ask you to post a picture Chuck but could you show us people who are not handymen what kind of clamp that you are talking about?
Always slip a piece of wood between the clamp the thing being clamped to prevent any marks or indentations.
I used clamps to squeeze back together several of my arcade machines which separated (before I bought them)
I have at least 4 big ones like this. They come even longer yet.
20170411_202230[1] (resized).jpg
Quoted from cscmtp:For anyone that has a bought a Prem that was built in March or April, did Stern fix any of the issues I've read about (Slimmer rubbing on playfield, any ramp/outline issues, etc.?)
Ramp? I've not heard of any ramp issues.
Possibly the right ramp. Its not broken but its easier to make if you swap out the 2" hex-post for a 1-3/4" or a 1-5/8" post.
Outlane: In the past, the outlane guide were kind of low.
Newer machine owners have reported the lane wires seemed higher with less to no issues (easily fixed either way)
Slimer rubbing: Slimer has rubbed on various things over the history of production. In most cases this can be adjusted if you get a machine with some sort of Slimer rubbing.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:I believe the PF issues are in the rear view mirror, but I would be concerned about the cabinet issues (namely the weak joints and the separations of the wood in many games). So if you do buy one, I would grab the re-enforced leg brackets and also re-enforce the corners of the cab on the inside (perhaps by adding an L bracket)
I was thinking about this last night. An L bracket placed high in the front L&R corners could interfere with the playfield I'm going to look at it ASAP and see if there is enough room for that to be feasible.
Side Note: I do not see enough organized documentation to prove this is widespread problem. Its definitely disturbing to see the photos, but when you read the details there's very little actual documentation.
One Batman 66 with split seem is on location (who knows what happened there)
The smart move would be to create list of machines with serial number , title, build date, HUO or Routed.
At present we have at the most 12-15 machines with seam issues. Titles: BM66, Areosmith, recent Ghostbusters (last 3 machines)
Quoted from arcadenerd925:You can add mine to the list, HUO, never moved after install a week ago, no shaker, legs are not over-tightened.
Thanks for the update. Can you reply with your cabinet date (back of the machine) ?
Did you inspect the sides when you unboxed it?
Were the corners fine upon opening or were they already splitting?
Yours is a good example of what we need to document.
* Picture of the issue: ????
* Cabinet Date: ????
* Condition at the time of unboxing: ????
* Machine shipped from Game Exchange to purchaser.
* Home Use Only
* Never moved after install
* In place 1 week
* No shaker
* Legs not over-tightened.
Quoted from bicyclenut:I agree with you. Yes overpriced, but I bought one anyways. Knowing that they make this for the game, I just had to have it. It completes the game.
Any time you see and/or hear the ecto-mobile, the topper should activate.
Quoted from golfingdad1:Nope , i did mean the lights in the slings. Not the triangles. I think those triangles are on a board so no changing.
The reason why I asked was because when I play my pins next GB the sling lights hit me right in the eyes., and there BRIGHT.
Some people have toned down the BRIGHTness by putting a piece of colored electrical tape over the LED . The light shoots right through.
From the playfield you only see the light not the tape. Green or White are good choices. I personally just leave them as they are but my wife does not like the bright light so she just leaves the room lights on which reduces the effect since your eyes are adjusted to the room light.
Kits ordered from Stern today. Super fast response from Chas.
You can email your request to [email protected]
Include your serial #, your name, and address.
Hopefully, you registered your machine with Stern.
Not sure if not registering matters, but the 2 times I've called Stern, they asked for my serial #.
SPI part number 502-7061-00. ( for nodes 8 and 9)
Capacitor Service Kit 502-7060-00 ( for nodes 8 and 9)
Chas responded same day that the order is in the works and will be on the way.
Quoted from finnflash:What are the kits for?
See above.. these are 2 kits that prevent damage to your Ghostbusters machine.
Quoted from ectobar:Certainly just looks like a regular zip tie. I'd be curious if anyone has done that as well.
Its a zip tie with a plastic spacer (with a slot in its center). The device includes a zip tie but the set will prevent the diode from moving forward or backward on its spindly legs.
Problem:
The leads of the D9 diode have physically broken due to the extensive amount of vibration (shaker motor?) that
occurs on the playfield. The D9 diode had 2 thin leads compared to the 3 thicker leads that are
on transistors located on the node board.
d9 (resized).png
Quoted from MustangPaul:Easy fix, grind it down with a Dremel.
Do you have the premium version of that protector? I know there is a pro and premium version. If that's the premium, that's a pretty terrible design issue.
Quoted from tasman:So I got my capacitor kit for service bulletin #190 and only got one capacitor.Per the instruction I should have gotten two, one for core node 8 and one for node 9 or did i miss something where I only need one.
Shoot.. You should call Stern to get the rest of the kit.
Quoted from scarybeard:So, my Library scoop metal protector that came from the factory got bent out of shape after a few thousand credits, causing the ball to bump SDTM when coming out of the orbit.
Mine started doing that a while ago. Early one I put a small piece of removable mylar crossing over the corner to smooth out the edge.
Quoted from sethi_i:This is probably a dumb question, but do new production runs have all of the service bulletin items installed at the factory?
"All" is a strong word, but yes. Stern does start to put them into the production line. The ecto goggle guard is even painted black in production models.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:There is a hex post holding up that ramp, you can get a slightly shorter one which can make the shot a little easier (ramp won't be as steep). I forget the specific size of the post, but if you search inside this thread for "hex post" you will see it down a ways. It's not a night and day difference (for me at least) but I found it helpful.
I found that it made just enough difference to make that shot with out a rollback nearly every time. Rarely does the ball roll back down anymore after changing out the post. As I recall the original post is 2 inches and you can change it to 1 and 3/4 or 1 and 1/2 depending on how much of a change you want to make.
I use 1 3/4 .
Quoted from Kraiklyn:Hi,
A rogue ball seems to have chipped my Ecto Goggles glass right at the front! Does anyone know the process for getting a replacement? I
think i could probably rotate it around so the chip is at the back but thought I may as well bank a spare anyway.
I'm a bit of a newbie but I couldn't see a spares section on Sterns website so maybe I just talk to the distributor here in NZ? I guess I need to lookup the spares number too.
Cheers!
My advice is "take a better picture".
One that clearly shows the chip and then call Stern at the number shown when you remove the glass lockdown Monday.
Odds are they will send you one for free. My 1st year, a plastic was broken by a rogue air-ball.
I called stern to buy a new plastic and they sent me one at no cost. But the clear photo had to be sent so luckily I had one ready to send.
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider chucksmith.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ghostbusters-club-we-got-one?tu=chucksmith and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.
Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.
Temecula, CA