Olympia, WA
There's a guy on youtube with a series of videos showing how he has built from scratch, new hardware and software to run the Bally Fireball home model pinball. Here is one of the videos:
(Topic ID: 55504)
Linked Games
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Bally, 1977-
Fireball Home Edition
Bally, 1976
Sana'a
The next best improvement that can be made is to rip out those god awful circuit boards that hold the playfield switches, targets and lights. Rewire the thing with REAL parts and then the game is bulletproof. I've done my playfield. Now all I need is that set up this guy has in the video above hahaha.... The game could sure use some expanded rules.
Quoted from robotronjohn:The next best improvement that can be made is to rip out those god awful circuit boards that hold the playfield switches, targets and lights. Rewire the thing with REAL parts and then the game is bulletproof. I've done my playfield. Now all I need is that set up this guy has in the video above hahaha.... The game could sure use some expanded rules.
Amen, brother! Whether using leaf switches or microswitches, using standard pinball light sockets, standup targets, rollover switches, and spinner switches would be a great improvement.
If you watch the other Fireball videos he has, you can see his progression from starting a switch matrix to lamp matrix to solenoid drivers to audio and video. It's neat to see him actually get the start of a light show. Notice how he's got the bonus lights flashing too. His sound and music is a big help too.
I'm liking what he has done as it is a major step up. I'd like to see what he will be using as a power supply. I hope it's not the original game's power supply board!
I'd like to see him add a knocker to the cabinet.
There was another guy working on a replacement CPU for this series of home games but this project is far and away the way to go. If the guy can put together a package or a list of stuff needed and the "software" I would buy it in a second.....
I watched all the videos and I am impressed.
I'm already getting ideas to suggest for adding to this setup. Here are some things I'd like to see:
Lighted start button just like a modern Williams or Stern machine.
Knocker.
Test menu/programming menu either similar to Bally games of that era or better still similar to a Williams WPC era since this will have a monitor.
I want to put a coin door on it. Happ # 42-1150-00 would work with a roll down type coin mech.
http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement_products/coin_doors/42-1150-00
Then a standard Bally lockdown bar receiver and standard lockdown bar could be used. Just open the door and slide the lever to the left to lift off the lockdown bar just like a normal machine.
I would like the hardware and software for two coin switches and two coin meters. These, along with the self test switch, could be mounted on the coin door.
Lighted flipper buttons.
1 week later
The home model machines seem to get very little respect, even Stern's newest attempt.
I have a bally fireball home model (not working of course), and im not sure what to do with it, I would love to get it working again, I believe my game suffers from what most of these do, the main chip no longer works and they dont make or sell replacements.
There was a gentlemen working on a new chip with new rules and modes called the Pinball Mind, but upon just visiting his site, it would seemed he has passed, it is very sad to lose a member of the community.
Do you guys think i should get rid of it? I've had it for almost two years in anticipation of a new mpu board being made, but now it would seem that is not going to happen.
John Robertson at flippers.com now has a replacement chip to repair your board. If your original CPU chip was soldered in, then you will need to unsolder it and install a 40 pin socket for the replacement chip. Also, be sure to rebuild your power supply board because that is likely what took out your original chip.
2 weeks later
Quoted from MagicMako:Do you have a link? I cant seem to find it on the site.
Just send John an email at [email protected] with what you need and your shipping info.
Also note... these are single chip replacements for the Series II MPU that uses the 3870.
I know he was working on the three chip (3850/51) version... but not sure if they were done.
(again... email John)
I've personally just started playing with a Raspberry Pi... but I don't think I'll ever get to the level of the project in the video Ken linked to... very cool stuff.
Had one years ago.Never could get it fixed right.Needed a new cpu that was no longer available.
Great game though.
2 weeks later
Here's some great details about this machine's new boards:
http://www.raisinggeeks.com/blog/2013/08/making-fireball-hd-pinball/
5 months later
I purchased & built a Bally Fireball Home Edition, back in the 1970's It worked ok until yesterday. I went to play & the start switch (Front of machine) will not switch the machine on. The micro switch seems to activate but I cannot get the machine switched on. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks
Malibujohn
This should be of help:
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally_Home_Models
4 years later
Quoted from mrsyfy:Dose anyone know what kind of transform is in this machine. My 5V for the field and back glass are out. There is no output from the transformer. Even after replacing the 8A fuse on the case.
It’s probably your power supply. Transformers rarely go bad. They are just dumb bricks.
4 months later
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