(Topic ID: 118962)

On-line Pinball Tech School. Would you enroll?

By BenetBoy78

9 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 17 posts
  • 13 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by JayDee
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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    Topic poll

    “Vote for Pinball Tech school on-line”

    • I would enroll for solid state games 44 votes
      66%
    • I would enroll for electro-mechanical games 8 votes
      12%
    • I would not enroll 15 votes
      22%

    (Multiple choice - 67 votes by 60 Pinsiders)

    #1 9 years ago

    I am wondering if JJP, or Stern, or the folks at Pinside have considered offering a Pinball Tech school on-line, for a fee? I am also curious if anyone would be interested in offering this service? Please vote. Thank you.

    #2 9 years ago

    at what level do you start? some people would need to start at the beginning, while some others would start (or think they could start) at a higher level. do you charge per class, per year, or free? when you start to show other people how to fix things they you might end up making things worse for them because they will take something apart under your suggestions (or short something out) and now they are worse off then when they started. i like the idea of this, but the logistics are more difficult.

    What age of machine do you start with? em, early solid state, solid state, dmd, modern, etc? while a Wizard of Oz/Walking Dead use the same principles in theory, the have slight differences that could cause some issue. If you start with a DMD class game there are differences between them. A williams game uses 3-4 buttons on the door (along with the flippers) to access and navigate the test menu, while a data east game uses a directional switch to first determine if you enter diagnostics or audits/adjustments. someone watching a video of you working on a Getaway and then trying to replicate it on a Jurassic Park is going to be confused.

    below i have list a very basic overview of a tiered class program. as you can see, it would be nice for the novice/beginner, but the guy who has been working on his own machines for a couple of years will think that they can skip right to level 3 or 4. what they have missed is the safety video on how dmd voltages can hurt or even kill you.

    level 1 - beginner - opening machine (how to remove glass, how to lift playfield, remove stuck ball)

    level 2 - curious beginner - switch adjustment (would require level one abilities), how to put machine in test, how to test switch, how to adjust switch, how to use a multimeter (possibly one of the most important tools)

    level 3 - troubleshooting (requires use of a multimeter, therefore level two abilities), how to read the test menus, how to check for continuity/voltages, how to know what parts (voltages) can hurt/kill you, how to replace broken components (coils, switches, etc)

    level 4 - cleaning (shop job), requires you to remove components (requires level 3 abilities), what to remove, how to clean it, what to use to clean it (ultra sonic, tumbler, etc)

    level 5 - restoration process (requires level 4 abilities) - what can be done, what should be done, what should be left to professionals.

    as you can see, the list can get intense with multiple courses under each level. for someone new to the hobby or new to self diagnosis, i would think it is great. when i go out on service to someones house i actually tell them what i am doing, what they should be comfortable doing, and what they should leave to someone with more training.

    personally i would like to see a class being taught, but i do not think that it will be done by a manufacturer, more likely to be done by a group of people that are willing to put in the time.

    just my humble thoughts.

    #3 9 years ago

    You didn't add an "I would enroll in both EM/SS" option on the poll. I certainly would, but I wouldn't pay more than say $20 depending on the content. A lot of machines are so vastly different, and you can find a great deal of technical data on pretty much any machine right here on Pinside. There are a ton of shop job/rebuilds you can learn skills from without having to pay anything.

    #4 9 years ago

    at the ann arbor pinball museum we offer beginning pinball repair classes. in fact there's one coming up shortly... we cover more SS stuff than EM stuff. there is overlap obviously. but in the beginning class we cover what most people need to know so they can solve common problems, without making them bigger problems. we had a class a couple weeks ago, maybe some others will chime in that have taken it. this is a hand-on class too, run on sundays at 1pm till 3 or 4pm.

    -1
    #5 9 years ago

    As far as EM's, an intro schematic course would be a logical start.

    #6 9 years ago

    I am currently enrolled in an online pinball repair school. It has two main campuses. They are: YouTube.com and pinside.com. Lol.

    I bring all of my tech questions here and usually several people have assisted in a rather short time. If I do not know how to do somethin I look it up on YouTube.

    However it would all depend on the time required and the cost as this is just a hobby and not my profession.

    #7 9 years ago
    Quoted from jmountjoy111:

    I am currently enrolled in an online pinball repair school. It has two main campuses. They are: YouTube.com and pinside.com. Lol.
    I bring all of my tech questions here and usually several people have assisted in a rather short time. If I do not know how to do somethin I look it up on YouTube.
    However it would all depend on the time required and the cost as this is just a hobby and not my profession.

    i was gonna say, "we" already have an "online pinball repair school", at least on the em side of the world... i learned a lot simply by reading every tech thread that gets posted...

    and there is "clay's guide", which serves as a very good primer... and his associated pin ninja site, which (for a very small fee) details literally hundreds of repairs...

    and there is pinwiki...

    and when all else fails, posting a question in the forum will generally get a good response, especially if your post has more detail than "it's not working"...

    Quoted from presqueisle:

    As far as EM's, an intro schematic course would be a logical start.

    a quick guide that i wrote describing how i learned to read them...

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/reading-schematics-how-i-learned-maybe-it-will-help-others#post-1548629

    #8 9 years ago

    I would pay for this.

    I actually think Clay should offer and upgraded online class option.

    I see the best way as something like you can sign up for class and this provides access to an added library of videos for starter through more expereinced. Along with this, once per month there is a 1 hr live class where clay goes through a full game problem and then fields Q&A at teh end of class on the scope of that months topic. People would need to log into class and then use lync or some IM feature that allows live action Q via typing and then answers with demo streamed live.

    I can easily see paying $100 for a year long membership. It would sell best if it had a sylabus and peopel knew the general content/topics of the monthly live class in advance. It would take a good amount of leg work to get started but in time the content woudl get built up.

    This is a fun and good value form me perspective. I also would enjoy sitting in my boxers at home while learning more about pinball.

    #9 9 years ago
    Quoted from Whysnow:

    I would pay for this.
    I actually think Clay should offer and upgraded online class option.
    I see the best way as something like you can sign up for class and this provides access to an added library of videos for starter through more expereinced. Along with this, once per month there is a 1 hr live class where clay goes through a full game problem and then fields Q&A at teh end of class on the scope of that months topic. People would need to log into class and then use lync or some IM feature that allows live action Q via typing and then answers with demo streamed live.
    I can easily see paying $100 for a year long membership. It would sell best if it had a sylabus and peopel knew the general content/topics of the monthly live class in advance. It would take a good amount of leg work to get started but in time the content woudl get built up.
    This is a fun and good value form me perspective. I also would enjoy sitting in my boxers at home while learning more about pinball.

    I am with you on the watch when you want to, library type of system. I completed my master's online for education and having to show up at 8:00 pm to online chat session were kind of pointless. I learned from the instructor providing the information and then me taking the initiative to use that information.

    If you paid a once a year fee to an online resource for pinball repair and documentation I would be all in.

    #10 9 years ago

    the pinballninja.com has a lot of repair stuff including 350 videos on repairs and 850 documented repairs blog entries.

    #11 9 years ago

    Clay does a great job on Pinball Ninja. If you haven't signed up for that, you should. I wish I could attend Clays Sunday class but 6 hours each way is a little much. If someone offered a week long intermediate class I would really think about that!

    #12 9 years ago
    Quoted from cfh:

    the pinballninja.com has a lot of repair stuff including 350 videos on repairs and 850 documented repairs blog entries.

    Yeah, I love you ninja

    However, I would also love a more interactive class and be happy to pay to join such a class.

    #13 9 years ago

    I would for classes more focused on SS repair.

    3 years later
    #14 5 years ago

    I know this post is three years old,but I'd be interested in taking an online repair course.

    1 year later
    #15 4 years ago

    Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I also would love to have a class like this available online. I know I don't want to keep paying for in-home repairs!

    #16 4 years ago

    +1
    I wish my township had a Pinball repair course . They offer carpentry and other trade school training,why not Pinball? I'd probably be the only person there.

    #17 4 years ago
    Quoted from ralphs007:

    I'd probably be the only person there.

    Then you could just have the class at your house and learn to fix and restore your own pins. Win win

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