Paragon
Bally, 1979Quoted from Coloradomedic:Yes, once I replaced about 7 bad ones.
Then I wouldn’t mess with them, I love how this game looks with incandescents. All a matter of personal preference though. I’ve never done yoppsicles but they look pretty easy to install.
Quoted from Coloradomedic:Just bought a Paragon today. It was from a fella that bought it from a collector nearly 40 years ago, and has had it in his basement since. The playfield and back glass are in great shape overall. There was a ton of corrosion around the battery. I think I'm going to go with the Yoppsicles for the playfield lights. Any thoughts or advice?
I can't see a good reason to convert to yoppsicles if everything is working as it should. Most people do that when replacing the playfield.
Quoted from RC_like_the_cola:I can't see a good reason to convert to yoppsicles if everything is working as it should. Most people do that when replacing the playfield.
If you're going to update to LEDs, sure. (Unless you like the resistor boards vs. soldering individual resistors to sockets.... ugh....)
A nice side effect of yoppsicles is that it makes the underside much cleaner since it's way flatter. Psychological for sure.
Clean bright incandescent's topside.
Yopp's for brightness non flicker etc. for the underside.
I have done this on a bunch of games and once you do Yopp, you never go back.
Below is a link to the forum that I created listing many apron decal vendors. Keep in mind that some vendors will be reselling Classic Arcades apron decals so check the colors carefully before ordering.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/apron-decal-options
Two-three hours max to change out Paragon, once and done.
Its brighter, no flicker, no bad socket and looks so much better.
And its fun to do and sharpens your soldering skills.
Big job? Its one screw and 2 solder joints per bulb. Most games I do in about an hour(but im around 10 full games now). Paragon having around 65 I could see a first timer being 2 hours, and then they are done, basically forever. For roughly $70, and now you more space under the playfield, and a cleaner look, I love them, and will do them in every older game I own. Just did a Genesis a couple days ago, and doing another game for a guy this weekend.
Quoted from Nhpolarbear:I was doing some parts organization and I found the apron decal and snapped a pic of it with the original.
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Looks like it is also missing the ball where the lines intersect in a V. Didn't notice that before.
It's not just the color. The fonts, text, even pin-striping are all a total fail. There are no redeeming characteristic for that product, nor the guy that makes it.
Yeah it's a real mess. And why would you try to print right to the edge of the part?
Leave some overlap so the customer can trim to match the apron...
Quoted from Kolk1:That looks like crap. I sold my paragon but replaced my caps with Marco, and I don’t think that would have got past me and I would have not noticed it.
Trying to zoom in, I can’t say mine had overspray.
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Yeah it almost looks like someone attempted to airbrush the red without using a template. Your machine you had looked great btw.
20240126_225518 (resized).jpgQuoted from ROMM:Yeah it almost looks like someone attempted to airbrush the red without using a template. Your machine you had looked great btw.
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Thanks. I did a cpr playfield in it. That pic is kinda mostly finished. You can see miss matched rubbers and stuff while just test fitting everything, adjusting so on, I don’t like using fresh white rubbers lol heck in that photo it has the old blue wooden rails still.
Quoted from ArtPylon:Looking for help with an issue with my Paragon where both right flippers with stay actuated whenever you're in game. They go down on tilt, end of game, and power off. What should I look at to fix this? Thanks in advance.
Start with the very simple. Is the leaf switch on the right flipper button gapped too close.
If not, get more complicated. Perhaps a stuck on transistor.
Quoted from Nokoro:Perhaps a stuck on transistor.
Flippers on this system are not transistor controlled. The flipper relay is, but that only provides a path for a completed circuit
Quoted from slochar:Flippers on this system are not transistor controlled. The flipper relay is, but that only provides a path for a completed circuit
Just trying to understand for my own education. If they aren’t transistor controlled, wouldn’t the full voltage then run through the flipper button switch?
See the relay in the middle, this just switches a possible ground path on/off, and is the transistor controlled item in the circuit. The flipper button completes the circuit, providing the ground. Yes, the full voltage will run through the flipper switches, until fliptronics/electronic flippers all pinball machine flippers operate this way (full power through the cabinet switch). This is why those switches are always the big fat tungsten contacts and why they spark occasionally, even well into the solid state era.
What happens with the cabinet switches is when you file the contacts which you have to do occasionally, the dust from that lands on the switch body and provides an alternate path to complete the circuit. Removing J2 from the solenoid driver board will take the cabinet switches out of the circuit, so if he does that and the flippers drop/don't go up, the problem is in the cabinet.
pasted_image (resized).pngThe relay is working properly as the flippers are disabling on tilt and game over. It's a simple circuit, one side of lower left flipper is 43v other side gets a ground from the flipper button. I'm guessing the cabinet flipper button is stuck closed delivering a constant ground to the flipper when the relay is active.
My right flippers are doing something weird too. The game powers on, but after you hit the right flipper button 1-2 times the flippers are dead.
There is voltage to the coils (one brand new one), I've cleaned the contacts on the flipper with alcohol and flexstone, still no result. Could it have something to do with the transistor?
Quoted from JCO25:My right flippers are doing something weird too. The game powers on, but after you hit the right flipper button 1-2 times the flippers are dead.
There is voltage to the coils (one brand new one), I've cleaned the contacts on the flipper with alcohol and flexstone, still no result. Could it have something to do with the transistor?
Check all board pin connectors for cold joints.
Quoted from JCO25:My right flippers are doing something weird too. The game powers on, but after you hit the right flipper button 1-2 times the flippers are dead.
There are a few possibilities:
* Solder connections around the flipper relay and header pins need to be resoldered. (Solenoid driver board)
* Lower flipper EOS switch is worn out or misadjusted
* Cabinet button switch is worn and needs replacement
Try this quick test, when the flippers are dead hold the lower flipper up and press the button. If the upper flips then its most likely a problem with the lower flipper EOS. If not its a relay, board, or button problem.
Quoted from snaroff:Greetings. My sound board is a bit wonky. All my other boards are modern Altek boards. I tried Googling a bit and didn't find a modern sound board replacement. Any recommendations? Thx.
Try replacing the capacitors with a big daddy kit. https://www.bigdaddy-enterprises.com/ProductPages/Bally-SternRepair.html
Quoted from bluespin:Try replacing the capacitors with a big daddy kit. https://www.bigdaddy-enterprises.com/ProductPages/Bally-SternRepair.html
Just did this on my Elektra squawk and talk board, worked like a charm.
20240328_222316 (resized).jpgQuoted from snaroff:Greetings. My sound board is a bit wonky. All my other boards are modern Altek boards. I tried Googling a bit and didn't find a modern sound board replacement. Any recommendations? Thx.
Have you tried messing with the "sustain" adjustment? This would be the RT2 dial on the board. My sound started to drop in and out, drag, make static noise, etc. Adjusted the sustain dial and got it back to normal. I noticed the dial adjustment was super easy to turn on my board. Sensitive enough that if the machine gets nudged often or maybe moved via dolly or lift table (as mine was recently), it may move the dial some.
Quoted from ROMM:Have you tried messing with the "sustain" adjustment? This would be the RT2 dial on the board. My sound started to drop in and out, drag, make static noise, etc. Adjusted the sustain dial and got it back to normal. I noticed the dial adjustment was super easy to turn on my board. Sensitive enough that if the machine gets nudged often or maybe moved via dolly or lift table (as mine was recently), it may move the dial some.
Seems like that helped! I just turned it clockwise to the 12/1 o'clock position and the sound seems fairly normal now (though it's hard to be sure if the sounds are still up to the original "spec"). The end-of-ball sounds when the score is being tallied doesn't sound 100%. Do you know what RT3 does off hand?
Thanks much for the help/response!
Quoted from snaroff:Seems like that helped! I just turned it clockwise to the 12/1 o'clock position and the sound seems fairly normal now (though it's hard to be sure if the sounds are still up to the original "spec"). The end-of-ball sounds when the score is being tallied doesn't sound 100%. Do you know what RT3 does off hand?
Thanks much for the help/response!
RT3 is the volume adjustment. Yeah the labeling for these adjustments is a little confusing.
Yes the sustain adjustment is a bit strange. I had to take the glass off and hit switches, drain balls, to find the right balance. The adjustment can speed up or drag the sounds it seems, or make them disappear. I regret not putting a mark on the dial after adjusting it where it sounded perfect.
Quoted from snaroff:Seems like that helped! I just turned it clockwise to the 12/1 o'clock position and the sound seems fairly normal now (though it's hard to be sure if the sounds are still up to the original "spec"). The end-of-ball sounds when the score is being tallied doesn't sound 100%. Do you know what RT3 does off hand?
Thanks much for the help/response!
From the theory of operation manual, information on how to adjust the RT2 sustain. There was no 'factory' setting in so much as set rt2 to xxxx ohms. You kind of play around with it until you find the tone pleasing which to me is a really fast sustain, but not a muted one. Very subjective 
pasted_image (resized).pngIn 12/12, bought this HUO Paragon (along with an NOS PF). Had the NOS PF restored by Ron Kruzman.
The original HUO PF was just so nice, I wasn't motivated to do the swap and sold it in 2015 (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fs-nos-paragon-pf-restoredcleared-by-ron-kruzman-in-june-2013). Then, in February 2015, signed up for CPR's Paragon preorder queue. In 2020 (4 years later), I received the gorgeous PF and hung it on the wall. After looking at it cure for 4 years, finally decided to do the PF swap. Wow...what eye candy! The LED's and fresh/level inserts make all the difference. Game playing wicked fast, but still feels close to the original. Still need to do some dialing-in, but already pleased with decision after 12 years of living with it being "all original". The cabinet is all original...some minor fade, but still fairly pristine considering the age.
IMG_5938 (resized).jpegIMG_5939 (resized).jpegIMG_5941 (resized).jpegIMG_5942 (resized).jpegIMG_5947 (resized).jpegIMG_5948 (resized).jpegIMG_5950 (resized).jpegQuoted from snaroff:In 12/12, bought this HUO Paragon (along with an NOS PF). Had the NOS PF restored by Ron Kruzman.
The original HUO PF was just so nice, I wasn't motivated to do the swap and sold it in 2015 (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fs-nos-paragon-pf-restoredcleared-by-ron-kruzman-in-june-2013). Then, in February 2015, signed up for CPR's Paragon preorder queue. In 2020 (4 years later), I received the gorgeous PF and hung it on the wall. After looking at it cure for 4 years, finally decided to do the PF swap. Wow...what eye candy! The LED's and fresh/level inserts make all the difference. Game playing wicked fast, but still feels close to the original. Still need to do some dialing-in, but already pleased with decision after 12 years of living with it being "all original". The cabinet is all original...some minor fade, but still fairly pristine considering the age.
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Last pic looks like a museum exhibition. Super nice Paragon!
So I’m having a problem with upper right flipper can’t get it to hold. Replaced coil and eos switch. Verified eos is closed when open then broken when flipper extends. Have swapped solinoid driver with altek board and still can’t get the flipper to hold. What other items do I need to check because I have run out of ideas. Thanks for your advice would love to get her up and running again.
Regards Al
IMG_4691 (resized).jpegIMG_4692 (resized).jpegQuoted from Deadlander:So I’m having a problem with upper right flipper can’t get it to hold.
What do you mean by you "can't get it to hold"?
The EOS on the upper flipper is normally closed and opens at about 90% of the flipper stroke. The symptom of a bad hold coil is the flipper chatters. Most of the time the problem is a broken hold coil and you wind up replacing it. Sometimes you get lucky and you can spy a broken wire and reattach it.
New to the club. Picked up a paragon and a mystic. These are my 1st and 2nd early bally ss games. Mystic works has older shop. Paragon needs some love.
With that said, does anyone have a list of playfield posts/qty needed? I'm trying to order shop out parts and need to know how many/what size posts. I don't have my game setup yet let alone pulled apart to count posts.
Williams/gottlieb manuals generally give you part # and qty used. Not seeing that in the Bally manual.
Truthfully trying to not setup/ tear down until I have shopout parts on hand. But if I need to set game up/tear down and count posts then so be it.
Thanks
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Bloomington, IN