(Topic ID: 225496)

Stern Electronics Club (1977-1984).

By Mitch

5 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 10,686 posts
  • 442 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 hour ago by bluespin
  • Topic is favorited by 243 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

LM323_Voltage_Adjust (resized).png
uA78H05_Voltage_Spec (resized).png
IMG_2365 (resized).jpeg
b-mpu (resized).jpg
IMG_9727 (resized).jpg
IMG_2275 (resized).jpeg
Pinside_forum_8082513_0 (resized).png
Stern_1B_243 (resized).png
IMG_2253 (resized).jpeg
IMG_3355 (resized).jpeg
pasted_image (resized).png
Screen Shot 2024-03-15 at 10.08.59 AM (resized).jpg
IMG_2237 (resized).jpeg
IMG_2236 (resized).png
IMG_2235 (resized).jpeg
IMG_5334 (resized).jpeg

Topic index (key posts)

11 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items. (Show topic index)

There are 10,686 posts in this topic. You are on page 138 of 214.
#6851 1 year ago

I know it's a long shot but wanted to see if anyone has an old left side slingshot kicker arm they want to sell? It's for a Stars I'm working on and I want to keep it as original as possible. I actually found the broken tip in the wire harness when I pulled it off lol.

20220613_125055 (resized).jpg20220613_125055 (resized).jpg
#6852 1 year ago
Quoted from Apinplayer:

I know it's a long shot but wanted to see if anyone has an old left side slingshot kicker arm they want to sell? It's for a Stars I'm working on and I want to keep it as original as possible. I actually found the broken tip in the wire harness when I pulled it off lol.
[quoted image]

I would have the two parts brazed together, if no part could be found.

#6853 1 year ago
Quoted from vec-tor:

I would have the two parts brazed together, if no part could be found.

I was also thinking that but wasn't sure if it could be done. I'll have to find someone that is able to do it. I already ran it in my tumbler so it's clean a ready to go.

#6854 1 year ago
Quoted from Apinplayer:

I know it's a long shot but wanted to see if anyone has an old left side slingshot kicker arm they want to sell? It's for a Stars I'm working on and I want to keep it as original as possible. I actually found the broken tip in the wire harness when I pulled it off lol.
[quoted image]

This is the same one we've all been anxious to get reproduced by someone, isn't it?

#6855 1 year ago
Quoted from A_Bord:

This is the same one we've all been anxious to get reproduced by someone, isn't it?

Yep. I went down an internet rabbit hole reading about it and found that out.

#6856 1 year ago
Quoted from A_Bord:

This is the same one we've all been anxious to get reproduced by someone, isn't it?

Quoted from Apinplayer:

Yep. I went down an internet rabbit hole reading about it and found that out.

Has anyone contacted Terry at Pinball Life to see if he would give them a go? Terry backed away when Mantis was looking into it. Now Mantis is not looking into it.

#6857 1 year ago
Quoted from Apinplayer:

I know it's a long shot but wanted to see if anyone has an old left side slingshot kicker arm they want to sell? It's for a Stars I'm working on and I want to keep it as original as possible. I actually found the broken tip in the wire harness when I pulled it off lol.
[quoted image]

Have it TIG welded. Acetylene is also excellent if you know someone with the skill.

#6858 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

Has anyone contacted Terry at Pinball Life to see if he would give them a go? Terry backed away when Mantis was looking into it. Now Mantis is not looking into it.

That part is used in CDI EM games, then add the Stern SS era, you end up with
a lot of games that could use that kicker part.

#6859 1 year ago

This might be a shot in the dark, but I don't see it anywhere (though I could be missing it, of course!):

Has anyone figured out exact color coding for the green and magenta shades of Quicksilver?

#6860 1 year ago
Quoted from vec-tor:

That part is used in CDI EM games, then add the Stern SS era, you end up with
a lot of games that could use that kicker part.

Someone needs to contact Terry at Pinball Life.

#6861 1 year ago
Quoted from reconsider59:

This might be a shot in the dark, but I don't see it anywhere (though I could be missing it, of course!):
Has anyone figured out exact color coding for the green and magenta shades of Quicksilver?

Kruzman matched my Mirco Quicksilver green color perfectly for me because I chipped a small area installing the playfield. It worked out great.

479859ED-52F9-4E35-961E-7FD4D2AC734E (resized).jpeg479859ED-52F9-4E35-961E-7FD4D2AC734E (resized).jpegDED70151-E1E9-498A-8116-602A29B4798C (resized).jpegDED70151-E1E9-498A-8116-602A29B4798C (resized).jpeg
#6862 1 year ago
Quoted from Tsskinne:

Kruzman matched my Mirco Quicksilver green color perfectly for me because I chipped a small area installing the playfield. It worked out great.[quoted image][quoted image]

Looks good. I can't see the repair. Where was it chipped?

#6863 1 year ago
Quoted from Tsskinne:

Kruzman matched my Mirco Quicksilver green color perfectly for me because I chipped a small area installing the playfield. It worked out great.[quoted image][quoted image]

Awesome that he was able to do that!

I'm hoping someone can provide the codes for the community? I'm interested in leaning into the magenta color of the backglass for some of the trim on my scratch build. I just love that color.

I'm waiting on a backglass from BGResto, so I suppose I could just bring that to someone to get a good color-match, but if that work had already been done by the community, I figured I'd try that route first.

#6864 1 year ago

Got a game specific sound question. I am turned a Meteor into a Star Gazer. My plan is to reuse the OEM Meteor sound card but replace the OEM Meteor MPU with an Alltek Ultimate MPU. Will the Star Gazer sounds be there or do I need to burn a chip or two?

#6865 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

Looks good. I can't see the repair. Where was it chipped?

The first "T" in target, i think those pictures are before I applied a little clear to the area. Zoomed in I can see it but from players stance I don’t think anyone can tell at all.

#6866 1 year ago
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:

Got a game specific sound question. I am turned a Meteor into a Star Gazer. My plan is to reuse the OEM Meteor sound card but replace the OEM Meteor MPU with an Alltek Ultimate MPU. Will the Star Gazer sounds be there or do I need to burn a chip or two?

The sounds are in the game ROM not the sound board.

#6867 1 year ago
Quoted from slochar:

The sounds are in the game ROM not the sound board.

Cool - thanks for the confirmation. I should be fine then running the Alltek MPU in my new setup.

#6868 1 year ago
Quoted from Tsskinne:

The first "T" in target, i think those pictures are before I applied a little clear to the area. Zoomed in I can see it but from players stance I don’t think anyone can tell at all.

Thanks. I can see it now. But barely.

#6869 1 year ago
Quoted from Tsskinne:

Kruzman matched my Mirco Quicksilver green color perfectly for me because I chipped a small area installing the playfield. It worked out great.

I did see a post a few weeks ago where Kruzman displayed how difficult the QS greens are to colour match.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/kruzman-monthly-playfield-thread/page/42#post-6924869

#6870 1 year ago

Anyone interested in a cheetah scratch build starter kit. Cheetah playfield. Big game harness. Cheetah apron. 5 bank meme Roy drops. If so shoot me a message.

SOLD

#6871 1 year ago

Y'aaaaalllll! Kicking past-me hard right now. I was looking back for a different email regarding some Quicksilver parts and came across a craigslist correspondence I had back in March 2010... here were the prices and pics I was provided.

Cheetah $325 Good shape, Minor PF wear,Nice BG,Good Cabinet, complete
w/working sound.

Stars $300 Minor PF wear,Nice BG,Complete,Nice cab,MPU acid DMG

Quicksilver $250 Some PF wear BG Lifting at top,Acid DMG NO Displays
otherwise complete,good cabinet (no pics yet)

Stingray $250 Average cabinet wear,Missing 1 and 3 ply displays and
PSU. Acid dmg on MPU, some bg and pf wear

cheetah1 (resized).jpgcheetah1 (resized).jpg
cheetah2 (resized).jpgcheetah2 (resized).jpg
stars1 (resized).jpgstars1 (resized).jpg
stars2 (resized).jpgstars2 (resized).jpg
stingray1 (resized).jpgstingray1 (resized).jpg
stingray2 (resized).jpgstingray2 (resized).jpg

Unfortunately once I got the reply with this info, it turned out to be someone I had a very negative selling experience with years before. I'd needed money pretty quickly and sold my fully working (but unshopped, needed tweaks) Theatre of Magic for $1900. A bargain even in the early aughts. I disclosed everything wrong with it when he came over and put several games on it before handing me the cash (super minor by today's standards). He then proceeded to trash talk me that I'd sold him a bogus overpriced game and didn't disclose any of the issues (namely the back ramp was near-impossible to make. It needed realignment. I was like 16 or 17 and had no idea how to do that at the time.) Once I found out it was him, I immediately pinged my buddy who'd set up that TOM deal. They were no longer on speaking terms because of years of one-sided "friendship" and a very sour experience dealing with this very warehouse raid. I found out he was still grumbling about me and that TOM after several years. As a result, I declined all these games.

#6872 1 year ago

On my Lightning I’ve been getting a P88 code and the whole game just freezes. Anyone else experienced this? It does have the Xpin rectifier board.

#6873 1 year ago
Quoted from play_pinball:

Y'aaaaalllll! Kicking past-me hard right now. I was looking back for a different email regarding some Quicksilver parts and came across a craigslist correspondence I had back in March 2010... here were the prices and pics I was provided.

Ah, the pins that got passed over or sold too cheap. Many many of those.

#6874 1 year ago
Quoted from emsrph:

sold too cheap

At the time they were not all that cheap. I bought a Big Game about 2.5 years ago for $600.00 and was sucking in my breath. Now that pin in that condition would be selling for $1500.00. Hindsite.

#6875 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

At the time they were not all that cheap. I bought a Big Game about 2.5 years ago for $600.00 and was sucking in my breath. Now that pin in that condition would be selling for $1500.00. Hindsite.

For me, many years ago, a restaurant had an old Stern Cheetah for $350.00
I was just piss poor at the time.

#6876 1 year ago

Anyone have a 34-5050 coil in their parts bin they’d part with?

#6877 1 year ago
Quoted from Pinash:

Anyone have a 34-5050 coil in their parts bin they’d part with?

Pinball Resourse says it can provide a substitute.

Screen Shot 2022-06-19 at 12.48.32 PM (resized).jpgScreen Shot 2022-06-19 at 12.48.32 PM (resized).jpg

#6878 1 year ago
Quoted from Pinash:

Anyone have a 34-5050 coil in their parts bin they’d part with?

Pinash good chance I do. I’ll have to check tomorrow though.

Quoted from vec-tor:

For me, many years ago, a restaurant had an old Stern Cheetah for $350.00
I was just piss poor at the time.

Yeah, in 2010 I had just graduated college and was struggling to find a real job. I probably would’ve grabbed that Cheetah anyways if it hadn’t been a seller I had negative feelings toward. Oh well.

#6879 1 year ago

I have two different serial numbers for the head & cab for my QS.

This game was was pretty much totally original including the legs so unlikely the head got swapped with another QS at any point as so few (including this one) were originally imported to Australia. Previous owner had the game for more than 30 years.

Can only assume this is simply a factory mistake where the head & cab were stamped at different intervals & not checked first or something?
IMG_1143 (resized).JPGIMG_1143 (resized).JPGIMG_1144 (resized).JPGIMG_1144 (resized).JPG

#6880 1 year ago
Quoted from Joydivision:

I have two different serial numbers for the head & cab for my QS.
This game was was pretty much totally original including the legs so unlikely the head got swapped with another QS at any point as so few (including this one) were originally imported to Australia. Previous owner had the game for more than 30 years.
Can only assume this is simply a factory mistake where the head & cab were stamped at different intervals & not checked first or something?
[quoted image][quoted image]

I have worked in factories and in aircraft assembly. Mistakes are made all of time. More than likely the line workers grabbed the wrong head and by the time the discovery was made, the pin, and it’s opposing twin, probably we’re already assembled. No one is going to go to the boss to say “we need to disassemble and reassemble 2 machines” due to mismatched numbers.

Stern did not offer much of a warranty so it would not matter anyway.

Keep you eye open for the other one.

#6881 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

I have worked in factories and in aircraft assembly. Mistakes are made all of time. More than likely the line workers grabbed the wrong head and by the time the discovery was made, the pin, and it’s opposing twin, probably we’re already assembled. No one is going to go to the boss to say “we need to disassemble and reassemble 2 machines” due to mismatched numbers.
Stern did not offer much of a warranty so it would not matter anyway.
Keep you eye open for the other one.

Wow, two digits off.

#6882 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

More than likely the line workers grabbed the wrong head

That sounds like what probably happened.

Quoted from cottonm4:

Keep you eye open for the other one.

Looking forward to finding the long lost head one day!

#6883 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

Mistakes are made all of time.

Just to add, A couple of wrong tags fitted, understandable, as they were using generic harnesses for many games, but still, for the coin door It's pretty obvious to see.

IMG_1149 (resized).JPGIMG_1149 (resized).JPGIMG_1151 (resized).JPGIMG_1151 (resized).JPG
#6884 1 year ago
Quoted from Joydivision:

I have two different serial numbers for the head & cab for my QS.
This game was was pretty much totally original including the legs so unlikely the head got swapped with another QS at any point as so few (including this one) were originally imported to Australia. Previous owner had the game for more than 30 years.
Can only assume this is simply a factory mistake where the head & cab were stamped at different intervals & not checked first or something?
[quoted image][quoted image]

I've got a Flight 2000 where the head and the body have different numbers - off by 1. Similar situation that they just seem too original for them to have come together later in life. Maybe the quality control in the factory meant they discarded the odd head / body here or there, or maybe they just had a line of 10 heads and bodies and a couple got mixed up every now and then when joining?

#6885 1 year ago
Quoted from Joydivision:

Just to add, A couple of wrong tags fitted, understandable, as they were using generic harnesses for many games, but still, for the coin door It's pretty obvious to see.
[quoted image][quoted image]

Looks like the stuff was available to keep the assembly line going.

#6886 1 year ago
Quoted from Zzap:

I've got a Flight 2000 where the head and the body have different numbers - off by 1

So close! sounds like this may be fairly common occurrence. Would be good to hear from someone that worked at the bloody Stern factory back then to clear things up a bit!

#6887 1 year ago
Quoted from vec-tor:

Looks like the stuff was available to keep the assembly line going.

My Big Game came to me with a Quicksilver tag on the cabinet harness.

Here is Stern's Quicksilver lamp driver schematic. Notice the two callouts for connector J2-6. Which one is correct? Notice the QS drawing started life as a Cheetah drawing.

Screen Shot 2022-06-20 at 6.52.47 AM (resized).jpgScreen Shot 2022-06-20 at 6.52.47 AM (resized).jpg

Here is the Cheetah drawing. You can match most of the connectors between the two pins. And you can see that J2-6 is a yellow wire. The engineer was daydreaming while working the QS print and missed his double callout.

Screen Shot 2022-06-20 at 6.54.43 AM (resized).jpgScreen Shot 2022-06-20 at 6.54.43 AM (resized).jpg

Quoted from Joydivision:

Just to add, A couple of wrong tags fitted, understandable, as they were using generic harnesses for many games, but still, for the coin door It's pretty obvious to see.
[quoted image][quoted image]

What does your original QS manual show? I bought my repro manual from Marco when Marco was still selling them. BTW: If you ever get interested in selling your original QS manual, I would be a buyer.

fd5d53613438afede6cc0fe201ceff342692a228 (resized).jpgfd5d53613438afede6cc0fe201ceff342692a228 (resized).jpg

#6888 1 year ago

Quick tech question:

I have new XPin score displays in my nine ball. They’ve worked great for a year, but recently some player one digits start to fade after the machine is turned on for a few minutes.

If I reboot it looks great again for a few minutes but then comes back. Guessing I should be looking to repin something, any idea where to start?

Thanks!

B3455984-D54A-4780-92FA-A67E6A4D4720 (resized).jpegB3455984-D54A-4780-92FA-A67E6A4D4720 (resized).jpeg

#6889 1 year ago
Quoted from GorillaBiscuits:

Quick tech question:
I have new XPin score displays in my nine ball. They’ve worked great for a year, but recently some player one digits start to fade after the machine is turned on for a few minutes.
If I reboot it looks great again for a few minutes but then comes back. Guessing I should be looking to repin something, any idea where to start?
Thanks!
[quoted image]

First I'd move this display to a different position and see if that dimming behavior moved with it to rule out connector or display issue.

Could be a cracked solder pad on the circuit board connector.

#6890 1 year ago
Quoted from emsrph:

First I'd move this display to a different position and see if that dimming behavior moved with it to rule out connector or display issue.
Could be a cracked solder pad on the circuit board connector.

Thanks. Swapped it with P2 and now everything is working fine after being on for an hour.

#6891 1 year ago
Quoted from Joydivision:

I have two different serial numbers for the head & cab for my QS.
This game was was pretty much totally original including the legs so unlikely the head got swapped with another QS at any point as so few (including this one) were originally imported to Australia. Previous owner had the game for more than 30 years.
Can only assume this is simply a factory mistake where the head & cab were stamped at different intervals & not checked first or something?
[quoted image][quoted image]

I have QS 10368 (but cab & head numbers match)which has been in aus since new and I also have the Cheetah & StarGazer wiring tags. I wonder how many came here in 1980? Does yours have any writing on the lockdown bar receiver? Mine has Australia 49/22 in black marker still visible

#6892 1 year ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

What does your original QS manual show? I bought my repro manual from Marco when Marco was still selling them. BTW: If you ever get interested in selling your original QS manual, I would be a buyer.

Yes, The same lamp driver schematic as your copy. I had never noticed it had "Cheetah"

I was looking for a long time for an original copy, sorry I won't be selling it at any point.

Their is also another version of the factory manual as well - this copy does not contain any schematics, otherwise, other than one page with some amendments compared with the regular manual content appears to be the same.

IMG_1155 (resized).JPGIMG_1155 (resized).JPGIMG_1158 (resized).JPGIMG_1158 (resized).JPGIMG_1159 (resized).JPGIMG_1159 (resized).JPG
#6893 1 year ago
Quoted from micmc:

I have QS 10368 (but cab & head numbers match)which has been in aus since new and I also have the Cheetah & StarGazer wiring tags. I wonder how many came here in 1980? Does yours have any writing on the lockdown bar receiver? Mine has Australia 49/22 in black marker still visible

Only 2 off my number! My game was ex Melbourne too.

Mine has the writing on the lockdown bar visible as well. Looks like 38/72 but may be 38/22? I can't tell.

I have read the total number indicated on a lockdown bar is not actually the quantity of that actual title allocated for that country, can't remember what it was a measure of.

I have seen lockdown bars with USA that have all different numbers for the total that are seen on the the same title's lockdown bar.

So close together off production & having the same Cheetah & Stargazer harness tags confirms what Vec-tor suggested, that whatever was available was used to keep the line running.
IMG_1154 (resized).JPGIMG_1154 (resized).JPG

#6894 1 year ago
Quoted from Joydivision:

Only 2 off my number! My game was ex Melbourne too.
Mine has the writing on the lockdown bar visible as well. Looks like 38/72 but may be 38/22? I can't tell.
I have read the total number indicated on a lockdown bar is not actually the quantity of that actual title allocated for that country, can't remember what it was a measure of.
I have seen lockdown bars with USA that have all different numbers for the total that are seen on the the same title's lockdown bar.
So close together off production & having the same Cheetah & Stargazer harness tags confirms what Vec-tor suggested, that whatever was available was used to keep the line running.
[quoted image]

What would be the possibility that Stern sent 10 Quicksilvers over to Australia in the 10360-10370 numbers range? Or perhaps 20 pins were sent over with 10360 to 10380.

This would be worthy of any Agatha Christie mystery novel

#6895 1 year ago

They probably sent a 40ft container. How many pins fit in a container?

#6896 1 year ago
Quoted from micmc:

I have QS 10368 (but cab & head numbers match)which has been in aus since new and I also have the Cheetah & StarGazer wiring tags. I wonder how many came here in 1980? Does yours have any writing on the lockdown bar receiver? Mine has Australia 49/22 in black marker still visible

Mine also has Cheetah and Stargazer tags. I'll have to poke my head out to the shed for the #no

#6897 1 year ago

Where is the serial number usually located? I have the feeling mine has been filled up. I thought mine was in the lower back left corner.

49D9C8EF-3720-4744-A228-441E8666639A (resized).jpeg49D9C8EF-3720-4744-A228-441E8666639A (resized).jpeg

#6898 1 year ago
Quoted from Flynnyfalcon:

Mine also has Cheetah and Stargazer tags. I'll have to poke my head out to the shed for the #no

Cheetah was produced before Star Gazer. So the SG tags confuse me. However, both pins were made in 1980. So maybe Stern started adjusting production numbers and decided to make less of SG.

It could be that since most of the wire harnesses are the same that 1000s of harnesses were produced, the tags tied on, and left waiting on the shelf.

Here is the buyer: " I need 20,000 harnesses. Tag 2,971 as Ali. Tag 8,362 as Meteor. Tag 5,130 as Galaxy. And 6,301 as Galaxy Etc.

And then the actual production numbers changed from plan?

One thing is for certain. Whatever company was producing these wire harnesses were going balls out for 2 years.

#6899 1 year ago
Quoted from Flynnyfalcon:

Where is the serial number usually located? I have the feeling mine has been filled up. I thought mine was in the lower back left corner.

Mine was front of the cab, left of the coin door near the bottom & the top left side of the head. I thought they were all stamped in these same two places?

Do you still have pics of you cab when you got it before repainting?

#6900 1 year ago
Quoted from Flynnyfalcon:

Where is the serial number usually located? I have the feeling mine has been filled up. I thought mine was in the lower back left corner.
[quoted image]

Yes as Joydivision said, bottom left of coin door and top left of backbox
Mine also has this stapled tag in coinbox area

4D717639-5FC6-45AA-92EB-4542A2A12E73 (resized).jpeg4D717639-5FC6-45AA-92EB-4542A2A12E73 (resized).jpeg
Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
2,650
Machine - For Sale
Mooresville, NC
There are 10,686 posts in this topic. You are on page 138 of 214.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

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/price-check-1980-sterns-quicksilver-stargazer-seawitch/page/138 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.