(Topic ID: 134253)
Linked Games
Meteor
Stern Electronics, 1979
Topic Gallery
Concord, CA
In the club! Just picked it up today, it's working but needs a major cleaning. Nice back glass as well. Paid $575....Score!
Quoted from Gryphun:Finally have some time to continue working. Soldering, not the cleanest I've done but good enough for now.
Neat.. Looks good!
Quoted from MotorCityMatt:In the club! Just picked it up today, it's working but needs a major cleaning. Nice back glass as well. Paid $575....Score!
Good job! Looking forward to pics!
First test light boards came in.. And they look good, they line up better than I expected:
Quoted from Coyote:Neat.. Looks good!
Good job! Looking forward to pics!
First test light boards came in.. And they look good, they line up better than I expected:
Those look great. Mine have a grounding issue making them kind of flaky.
Is it possible to snap a close, detailed pic of how your flippers are wired? I tried to install one of these new flipper mechs on the left flipper. I must have wired it wrong because when I tried to flip, the solenoid fuse blew. I threw a breaker fuse to test and am now getting nothing when I press the flipper button. I will also need to order new bats because I didn't know I needed the longer shaft for this upgrade when I ordered my parts. Do you have a link to the correct ones?
Quoted from Coyote:I actually haven't played it yet. I ran into an issue with the bats - Of the three bats, I have two different kinds, and I'm not sure which is normal, but only one type will work -
The upper one has the screw-in base, to hold the white bat. The shaft looks too long (which makes me think this isn't normal for this game), as the set-screws weren't in the bat's recess. The two lower ones are one piece, and the set-screws set into the recess at the bottom of the bat just fine. However - the issue is that with the lower ones, they're *too short* for the new flipper pawl to get a grip on. (Short ones are 1 7/8", the longer one is 2 1/8"..) So, I need to order new bats.
Issues I ran into weren't as many as I thought -
1. The second switch on the EOS doesn't fit. The BR flipper has a switch to activate the UR flipper. There's no (safe) way to get a dual-switch stack on the WPC mechs, and have it operated by the pawl. So, I 'hotwired' the UR flipper feed.
2. The UR flipper mech had to be rotated - it wouldn't fit in the same location as the old mech. And then rotated, it interfered with the spinner. So I had to grind a mounting leg off to clear the sppinner. You can see it in the picture - I added some electrical tape for safety - didn't want anything shorting +40v to the switch circuits. Wiring was then an issue too, but that was an easy fix.
3. I also went with the LOWEST WPC flipper coil on the top - since the distance is *so short* to the Meteor targets, I figured a FL-11753 would be fine - once I get new bats in, we'll see how that strength does.
So, now I have to wait for bats to come in. I'm *really* anxious to try it out. The old mechs were pretty much horrid. I got all three mechs, with the high-power EOS switches, proper stops, and coils for about $35 a piece from Pinball Life. So, I'm in about $120 with shipping.
--Me.
Quoted from Lysurgeon:Is it possible to snap a close, detailed pic of how your flippers are wired? I tried to install one of these new flipper mechs on the left flipper. I must have wired it wrong because when I tried to flip, the solenoid fuse blew. I threw a breaker fuse to test and am now getting nothing when I press the flipper button. I will also need to order new bats because I didn't know I needed the longer shaft for this upgrade when I ordered my parts. Do you have a link to the correct ones?
Sure, see this. Note that I wired the EOS in to break the Common, NOT the power feed. This shouldn't give your sky grief though, you may have a bad diode on your coil..
Quoted from Gryphun:Not as hot in the Bay Area but my clear coat dried to the touch in less than 2 hours.
That's the nicest Meteor cab I have seen! Nice work!
Quoted from Lysurgeon:Do blackout and firepower share the same schematics?
Uhh, not with Meteor they don't. I think you are in the wrong thread.
Quoted from SealClubber:Uhh, not with Meteor they don't. I think you are in the wrong thread.
I think you may be right! 
Quoted from Gryphun:Time to put everything back together...
You'll have to let us know how that speaker sounds. I had to run an external amp with a Dayton speaker I bought, but mine has lower sensitivity. Mine was fine in my house, but couldn't hear it at a show.
Quoted from MotorCityMatt:What angle degree do you guys have/like your Meteor set up to?
I keep mine the same as my TZ - between 6.5 and 7. 
I'm going to replace my cabinet switches. Can I use the ones in this rebuild kit for cabinet flipper switches? http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/B-195-LR
Question -
Who has a 7-digit display mod installed?
Is there a ROM that will still report numbers in 10's, but not flash/display "000" when a game starts?
Quoted from MotorCityMatt:What angle degree do you guys have/like your Meteor set up to?
Mine's not in my gameroom right now so I can't check the angle, but I had it as steep as it could be where the physics still felt natural and not like pachinko.
If more people would recognize corrosion and replace their connectors, there would be a lot fewer tech posts. It's never not a good idea to replace a connector on a 35+ year old game.
Quoted from dothedoo:Mine's not in my gameroom right now so I can't check the angle, but I had it as steep as it could be where the physics still felt natural and not like pachinko.
That's why I am asking, only want to put my new caster's on once.
Quoted from Gryphun:Also replacing connectors. Check out the corrosion.
One thing is for sure, crimp in' ain't easy...
Neither is pimping
Sorry, couldn't help myself
I traded for a nonworking Meteor recently (Sign me up for the club!). This is my first Stern. The rectifier board seems to be a mess. I am picking up from everyone here that it seems to be a pretty common issue. Is it worth the work to try to fix/hack the board or should I replace it? Do replacements run into the same issues down the line or have they improved the design?
To me it's just as easy to repair the original board as it is to buy new. Replacing the rectifiers is a recommended upgrade, but you don't HAVE to do it. You have to repin the connectors...no getting around that either way, and replacing the headers is easier than reattaching all the wires on the back IMO.
Quoted from dothedoo:To me it's just as easy to repair the original board as it is to buy new. Replacing the rectifiers is a recommended upgrade, but you don't HAVE to do it. You have to repin the connectors...no getting around that either way, and replacing the headers is easier than reattaching all the wires on the back IMO.
I bought a new rectifier, but plan to try and fix the old one later down the road. I did repin the connectors, as well. No power troubles any more.
Quick small update...
Parts came in for the light boards. I assembled them. Unfortunately unable to mount them in game yet, as my screws were too short.
Here's an image showing one all together with light sockets, one together without, and the back of #3.
Spacing of the boards in the game is VERY tight - mainly because the sockets are wider than what's in the game. I may try adding a spacer in the middle to support the board. But because the circuit traces have to run down the sides, it may not be possible. The two-pin headers are for the conmon/power wire, and both pins are connected - save with three populated 2-pin header at they other end. Help wiring that common.
Unless I have a lot of interest, I may not offer these up. It's about $11 per board, not including the headers and spacers, and assembly. Since you need four for the game (3 rockets, 1 spinner) that can add up. I am going to get a quote from another manufacturer that can also populate the board, and see what they want and price breaks
-Mike
Quoted from Coyote:Quick small update...
Parts came in for the light boards. I assembled them. Unfortunately unable to mount them in game yet, as my screws were too short.
Here's an image showing one all together with light sockets, one together without, and the back of #3.
Spacing of the boards in the game is VERY tight - mainly because the sockets are wider than what's in the game. I may try adding a spacer in the middle to support the board. But because the circuit traces have to run down the sides, it may not be possible. The two-pin headers are for the conmon/power wire, and both pins are connected - save with three populated 2-pin header at they other end. Help wiring that common.
Unless I have a lot of interest, I may not offer these up. It's about $11 per board, not including the headers and spacers, and assembly. Since you need four for the game (3 rockets, 1 spinner) that can add up. I am going to get a quote from another manufacturer that can also populate the board, and see what they want and price breaks
-Mike
What do you think total cost on a complete set is?
Quoted from TaylorVA:What do you think total cost on a complete set is?
Just did the math, and the parts and PCB (from a low-run producer) would be max $35 a board, so you're looking at a whopping $105 for three, $140 for four. Again, max. I'm adding in base shipping charges to this - the more I order on the same order, the cheaper shipping works out to be. But, I figure it's better to go over and then run under than it is to go under and have to say 'oops, more!'. This also dosen't take into account any of my time assembling.
The biggest cost is the board - at $15 a piece, that's just about half of everything. The twist sockets are next, at $4.50 per board (7 of them), and then the spacers are $1.10. The spacers kinda tick me off, as the black ones are out of stock everywhere and I can't find a non-pin supplier that sells spacers. The ones I selected I can get from Digikey.
I originally made this board so that one version could fill the 4 slots. It may be cheaper (and I'm going to find out) if ONE board covers all three rockets. I'm also going to contact a PCB manufacturer/populator and see what they quote me at - a larger quantity may be cheaper.
In short - because of the cost, I don't think it's worth it. Now, I may look into making a board with LEDs on it (RGBW LEDs, to allow warm white and colored spots of light under each insert..) but that's a ways off, and I'm not sure I'm LEDing my game yet.
Edit: Looks like if I get enough boards to do 5 games (20 boards), I can get the price down to just under $7 a board - half of that cost. That's not bad..
Comox, BC
Cointaker sells a Red, Orange, Yellow, WW, slow blinking bulb that rotates thru the 4 colors. They are about $4 each but would work well in this application. They were out of them at TPF or I would have picked up 3.
Edit: They call them twinkle but now they only carry the fast version. I didn't like the fast as it seemed chaotic and strobey.
Quoted from Coyote:Quick small update...
Parts came in for the light boards. I assembled them. Unfortunately unable to mount them in game yet, as my screws were too short.
Here's an image showing one all together with light sockets, one together without, and the back of #3.
Spacing of the boards in the game is VERY tight - mainly because the sockets are wider than what's in the game. I may try adding a spacer in the middle to support the board. But because the circuit traces have to run down the sides, it may not be possible. The two-pin headers are for the conmon/power wire, and both pins are connected - save with three populated 2-pin header at they other end. Help wiring that common.
Unless I have a lot of interest, I may not offer these up. It's about $11 per board, not including the headers and spacers, and assembly. Since you need four for the game (3 rockets, 1 spinner) that can add up. I am going to get a quote from another manufacturer that can also populate the board, and see what they want and price breaks
-Mike
Would it be possible and more cost effective to make a single PCB for the rocket inserts? This would eliminate the need for insulators between the boards and allow the 3 rows to be closer to each other.
Quoted from Lovef2k:Would it be possible and more cost effective to make a single PCB for the rocket inserts? This would eliminate the need for insulators between the boards and allow the 3 rows to be closer to each other.
This would also bring the mounting spacers and screw count from 6 to just 4 of each...
Quoted from Lovef2k:Would it be possible and more cost effective to make a single PCB for the rocket inserts? This would eliminate the need for insulators between the boards and allow the 3 rows to be closer to each other.
Yeah, can be done. I'm working on a board now to test. Again, though, the downside is that the board would ONLY be used for the rocket lights - couldn't be put into the spinner row of lights. The larger size board means that the single board would cost more than a single small board, but hopefully it won't be 3x the cost. :
Quoted from Lovef2k:This would also bring the mounting spacers and screw count from 6 to just 4 of each...
Not 100% on that - with all the light socket holes, the board flexes. I'm tempted to leave all 6 spacers in when running it this way.
Quoted from Coyote:Yeah, can be done. I'm working on a board now to test. Again, though, the downside is that the board would ONLY be used for the rocket lights - couldn't be put into the spinner row of lights. The larger size board means that the single board would cost more than a single small board, but hopefully it won't be 3x the cost. :
Not 100% on that - with all the light socket holes, the board flexes. I'm tempted to leave all 6 spacers in when running it this way.
Games that use these lamp boards don't usually cover all of the inserts anyway so I would be happy with just getting the rocket inserts on the one board. That's where most of the congestion is.
Quoted from Lovef2k:Games that use these lamp boards don't usually cover all of the inserts anyway so I would be happy with just getting the rocket inserts on the one board. That's where most of the congestion is.
same here, Coyote, if you plan to do a run of these, count me in if you need buyers to get the cost down for a "kit" of sorts for the rocket inserts
suggestion to get them printed on a thicker wafer, so maybe the flexing isn't so much ?
Quoted from Lovef2k:Games that use these lamp boards don't usually cover all of the inserts anyway so I would be happy with just getting the rocket inserts on the one board. That's where most of the congestion is.
Oh, yeah, sorry - I meant that with this current design, the SAME BOARD would be used 4x in one game, for the 3 rockets and #4 for the spinner. If I moved to the larger board, then yes -
Quoted from Chosen_S:same here, Coyote, if you plan to do a run of these, count me in if you need buyers to get the cost down for a "kit" of sorts for the rocket inserts
suggestion to get them printed on a thicker wafer, so maybe the flexing isn't so much ?
I can try going thicker - problem with that are the standoffs, then.
Quoted from Comox-Rocks:Don't want to ship.....
Any way I could talk you into shipping???
Ok gents. Running into an issue. Couple things to keep in mind - new Alltek mpu, rectifier board + new connectors on J1, J2, J3.
Machine starts up (led blinks 7 times then go in haze - normal operation for Alltek board).
I can self-test and go through different audits via test button on coin door - all solenoids seem to be working except game will not start and all flippers are dead.
Any ideas? Thanks
Quoted from Gryphun:Ok gents. Running into an issue. Couple things to keep in mind - new Alltek mpu, rectifier board + new connectors on J1, J2, J3.
Machine starts up (led blinks 7 times then go in haze - normal operation for Alltek board).
I can self-test and go through different audits via test button on coin door - all solenoids seem to be working except game will not start and all flippers are dead.
Any ideas? Thanks
In test mode, if you hold down flipper cabinet button, do the flippers pulse after the coils all fire and before sounds play?
Do you have a credit on the game?
In switch test, does pressing the start button register?
Have you hit the clear memory button on the Altek MPU prior to you setting the game DIPs? IMO, the directions are out of order and you should do that first.
Quoted from SealClubber:Have you hit the clear memory button on the Altek MPU prior to you setting the game DIPs? IMO, the directions are out of order and you should do that first.
Thanks. I cleared the memory and reset the DIPs.
Quoted from Coyote:In test mode, if you hold down flipper cabinet button, do the flippers pulse after the coils all fire and before sounds play?
Do you have a credit on the game?
In switch test, does pressing the start button register?
Thanks. After clearing the memory I also reseated the coin door connector and was able to trip the little wire with a quarter to get a credit.
Music turned on, flippers activated, and it was go time!
All I need to do now is go through the audits and set replay at a low score to continually get credits.
Also need to figure out why my drop targets are not resetting.
When you hit all drop targets there is supposed to be an explosion sound then all of them reset.
The last set of drop targets that are up, you knock them down, they go back up in unison but none of the other drop targets go back up so no reset - more trouble shooting awaits...
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