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Stern Electronics, 1980
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Stern Electronics, 1980
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Stern Electronics, 1981
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Stern Electronics, 1979
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Stern Electronics, 1980You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider mad_dog_coin_op.
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Hello all - I have been trying to find a solution for the old Stern apron decals since our only option died with Pinball Resescue going out of business. I called in a favor and I'll report back the results. Here is my newly powdercoated Seawitch apron. I just sent it off to a silkscreen contact I have to get the art silkscreened directly on the apron. Fingers crossed. 
20210505_175405 (resized).jpgQuoted from rcbrown316:whats wrong with that old one under the plastic? it looks way better than mine. I'd be interested possibly buying that or the new one if you are not happy with it.
That's my fall back one. It's pretty good but has touch up on it. I'm doing a full restore and that so so apron would drive me nuts on the finished product.
Quoted from SR230CC:Just in case you don’t know. The Stern Company call out is incorrect on the pinball rescue decals. I have 1 for my Galaxy that I have not installed yet.
We'll see what I get back. They have a photo of my original and an art file Gary Stern approved. They warned me the colors might be off a bit but the design should be perfect.
Quoted from cottonm4:I did re-solder the one SU target and the ROB that are in the W/B wire circuit.
I am trying to work one thing at a time and did not bring up that both sling shots are dead, and 2 of my drop targets are dead. They are on different circuit and I did not think they would are relevant to my spinner issue.
Here is a switch test with no slings and 2 drops missing.I have an Alltek SDU and it lights up Q15 when I press the credit button. Per Stern blueprint, Q15 is somewhere in the coin door.
And it gets nuttier. I did re-solder the SU target and the ROB back into the W/B string. And now I have a brand new behavior issue.
When I now spin this funky spinner, all of my lights light up for no reason I can understand.
Check this out. And now I have to leave town for a few hours. I cross my fingers that someone point out some idiot move I have made.
I think you're make this repair harder than it needs to be. You have other classic Sterns. Do yourself a favor and test your driver board, light board and MPU one at a time in one of your known good games. Make sure they are all 100% ok. Once tested, return them to Star Gazer and make sure your dips are set correctly. That will eliminate a huge amount of the possible problems. At the moment you have to many variables to deal with.
Just a FYI. I don’t know how many of you have cracked ball drain guides but I did on my Seawitch. I was able to source a replacement but it cracked too. The OEM ones suck. I reached out to Mantis Pinball and they made me one out of stainless steel. It looks great and is up on the web now if others need it. It should fit many of the classic Sterns and will never break again.
https://mantispinball.com/product/stern-ball-guide/
FEDA4959-9958-4047-8D34-1402DB42314A (resized).jpegQuoted from cottonm4:This.
The ball shoots out and bounces back into the chute and gets stuck. It is like the coil is too strong. Funny thing for me is My Big Game never did this until I restored it a put it back together and then I was dealing with cannon shots; I'm still puzzled by that.
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Which leads me to something else that is related.
On your Big Game there is a 3" ball guide setting all the way down on the play field right in front of the outhole. I removed mine and two things started happening.
1) About 2% of the time the ball will head for the outhole and hit the ball guide under the apron and bounce back on the play field for a Lazereth ball.
and
2) Sometimes the ball will hit the outhole so fast that it gets kicked out without registering and if you drained on Ball 2 you get a free Ball 2 to play again.
The #1 situation I like. The #2 situation I don't like. ( Yeah, I know. Teacher #2 #2 )
This Star Gazer I am working on is a fast pin. And many times I was getting the fast bounce into the outhole and out to the shooter lane without registering the ball. I found a fix for this. It is hokey but it works to slow the ball down before entering the outhole.
A small strip to terrycloth wash cloth placed under some Gorilla tape kills that action. I first tried the terry cloth and then thought it would look cleaner if I cut a small strip of Styrofoam from a take-home food container. What happened was opposite of what I thought would happen. That styrofoam acted like a kickback spring. So I went back to terry cloth.
Terry cloth stops the ball cold. As noted, it looks hokey, but it shuts the ball down and asa player you never see it.
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A better fix for the bounce back is to get adhesive Velcro strips at the craft store. There is a fuzzy side and a plastic side. Stick the fuzzy side on the ball drain and the bounce backs will stop.
Quoted from cottonm4:Very nice job.
Is your coin door credit button decal the Stern mirrored style ? It does not look like it is mirror finish.
Nope, wish it was. I bought from a couple different vendors and got this one both times. Just decided to go with it.
Quoted from Coyote:That. Is. Sexy.
Do you know what powder brand/color was used?
Sure do. I bought it special and told my guy to use it when I dropped it off.
20210508_165729 (resized).jpg20210508_165740 (resized).jpgQuoted from Coyote:Awesome, THANK YOU. I will SO be doing this when I get to restoring my Meteor.
No problem. I did the legs too in the same color. I’m waiting to install those after the repaint. Whoever painted my cabinet didn’t know what they were doing. Seems like it was put on with a roller and water based house paint. 
Top side stripped. The new playfield has been fitted with new oak rails and Stern stiffeners. Tomorrow the fun begins (the bottom side). Got my tumbler working overtime. Top side metal comes out tomorrow and bottom side goes in.
20210606_170726 (resized).jpg20210606_170818 (resized).jpg20210606_170904 (resized).jpgQuoted from rcbrown316:Wish i had some advice but I do want to say that looks damn good though. Is that greatwich's stock clear? If so what part of the run. I have #8 and my finish looks a bit "mattey" compared to that. I'm considering clearing it again myself but if that is an early run I may skip it. . also where'd you get the score cards?
Mine was out of the same run. I think I got #15. A couple holes are off but I managed to get the main flippers to work without any tweaks. The clear looked great on mine with no modifications. It does have that digital printed look but it is a huge improvement over my OEM one. Putting additional clear on is dangerous game. So many things can go wrong. I would just install it as is. I already found my wire harness short / broken wire. I'll operate this weekend. 6" of a couple wires look good on the outside but there must be a break in the copper inside. If I touch them I lose 6 switches. Not sure where the apron cards came from. Something I just found on the net late last year.
So my Seawitch is playing great after the playfield swap. My only issue is one of my slings is machine gunning every once in awhile. I took a closer look and noticed a capacitor on the side machine gunning and no capacitor on the side working perfectly. Which configuration is correct. The sling switches seemed gapped correctly.
20210613_125129 (resized).jpg20210613_125145 (resized).jpgQuoted from Gott_Lieb:Get rid of the cap. It's not needed on slings or pops for that matter.
That's my thought but it looks factory installed. I like to keep my classics as close to factory as I can. If it is original I would like it stay.
Quoted from rcbrown316:Why are there resistors on some feature lights and not on others?
I'm running a Stern lamp driver board with the anti-flicker boards installed. Sadly some lights still flickered. The resistors put a stop to that.
Quoted from rcbrown316:That's interesting. I have had this happen twice very recently. I can probably get the ohms off the board but off the top of your head do you remember?
I use 480 ohm.
Quoted from GoldenOreos:was working on these turds today. always fun
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Super nice collection. It looks like your Seawitch wire guides heading to your flippers are installed on the wrong sides. It might just be the camera angle. I know this because I just did a playfield swap on mine and almost did it backwards myself.
Just a FYI. This week I did something that I hate doing but felt was nessasary in this case. I installed a playfield protector on my Seawitch. My newly installed John Greatwich playfield was begining to get some dimples. The new playfields are a little on the soft side so I decided to install a protector from Beehive Pinball. The protector was ok but needed considerable trimming to fit nicely. If the cut needed is straight I used a razor blade. For everything else I use a dremel and sandpaper. A few hours later I was done.
20210621_210619 (resized).jpg20210624_115451 (resized).jpgQuoted from rcbrown316:wow that sucks. i am about to put one in my seawitch. Now I should reconsider re-clearing it.
I'm not sure that would help. The clear is soft even after 100 days but the wood seems to be the problem. It actually has the properties of a new Stern playfield. Seems like it will hold up as is but the dimples are noticeable.
I was going for factory - The light blue came from TractorDoc but I tweaked it to be oil based. The dark blue came from a color chip that almost matched perfect to a strip of paint hidden by the door frame. I was going to tweak it at the store but a kid was working at the Sherwin Williams counter and I didn't trust him to make the modification. The paint chip was darn close and it was called Adriatic Sea. Seemed perfect for SeaWitch so I ran with it. to be honest, the bolder color does favor John's playfield more than the OEM color.
20210405_193532 (resized).jpg
Well it was windy in SoCal today so I couldn' t use my gun to paint black. I did the head early in the morning with spray paint before it got too windy. Didn't like the results but nothing I can't touch up. The problem is these California blended spray paints don't bond well to oil based painted surfaces. I decided just to roll the cabinet in oil based gloss black. That turned out good. That might be my new goto for the last stencil on my next project.
20210730_151412 (resized).jpg20210730_151431 (resized).jpgReassembly on my Seawitch is coming along. Got the cabinet sorted out for the most part. Still need to do a few labels and polish a couple more parts. I was off work this past week so I was able to get a lot done. Now I have to go back to work. 
Progress will be slower now. I'm pleased with the results thus far.
20210801_154634 (resized).jpg20210801_154756 (resized).jpg20210801_154817 (resized).jpg20210801_184630 (resized).jpgSeawitch is done. I put the playfield back in and fired her up. The only issue I had was reversed polarity on the power. I assumed the last guy that worked on it knew how to install a power cord. Obviously he didn't. I swapped the wires and everything checked out. I also reinstalled the 1 ohm resistors on the upper flippers. Actually doing that changed how the game plays. It isn't bad, just different. With less power going to the upper flippers you have more control hitting stuff in the upper playfield. At full power it felt more uncontrolled and super fast. The way I have it now is the way it was when it rolled off the faxtoy line.
20210804_180159 (resized).jpg20210804_063242 (resized).jpg20210804_191359 (resized).jpg20210804_191616 (resized).jpg20210804_191630 (resized).jpg20210805_060405 (resized).jpg20210805_060419 (resized).jpgQuoted from cottonm4:It looks fantastic. And this is a Greatwich play field, correct?
Thanks and yes it is. The playfield color totally works with cabinet colors in my opinion.
Quoted from cottonm4:I got your dark blue color from the chip you posted. I could used the light blue color, please.
This came from TractorDoc. The one on the left is the light blue. I had it converted to oil based. I didn’t use his dark blue and went with the one you already have from me. If you need the converted code I can get that also. Just let me know.
A3253943-58F3-498B-B3E3-60871020E688.jpegQuoted from dasvis:Great looking pin! Correct me if I wrong, but I think Stern used regular hex head bolts to attach the legs, not acorn head type.
I like the acorn head better, but if you are going for 100% factory....
I belive you are correct but they look unfinished to me. My legs are powered coated and i'm running with the new style Stern metal leg protectors with plastic washers. That alone makes the oem bolts a no go. They are a little on the short side.
Quoted from bigguybbr:I just swapped out all 4 of my sling arms with Bally ones. Swapped out easy, no issues. I snapped some comparison photos.
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I don’t notice any difference in the play. Having done this now, I don’t know that reproduction originals would be worth $25 a piece to me when these were $4-$5 from pinball life.
I also took the opportunity to swap out the linkages while I was in there taking everything apart.[quoted image][quoted image]
Nice. What part numbers did you use for the arm and the links?
Quoted from Pinball_Nate:Where exactly are the 5101 chips on this soundboard? Someone mentioned that they should be a matched pair, if they are not 5101 they can cause problems...........Here's a photo of my board. Are there things on this board that I should test?
I have NO spinner sound, and the ladder bonus sounds are wonky. That's what I'm trying to figure out.
Also, what pins/wire colors are the spinner wires? Should I re-pin or........??.......driving me nuts.
Thanks.[quoted image]
Your sound board could use a re-cap. Those are the original capacitors.
I'm out. The S Ball Defectors have all been purchased. If you received a PM you got one. Thanks everybody.
Hello All,
I am current on the Seawitch S ball defectors again. I had a vendor laser cut me some plexiglass which added to my cost but lessened the labor needed at the same time. Because of that the price is still the same. $35 free sipping in the USA. PM me if you want one. I'm hoping this batch is the last batch.
20210831_185811 (resized).jpg20210926_153927 (resized).jpg20210929_202550 (resized).jpgQuoted from play_pinball:Looks like Marco sold out from the link I posted! I was worried that'd happen but didn't think it'd be so fast! They must've only had a few.
Call Steve at the Pinball Resource. He has the 9” Gottlieb shooters. It really is the only good substitute for classic Sterns.
Anybody out there have a classic Stern coin box they are willing to part with? I need one for a project. Thanks in advance.
I have a question. My factory Seawitch backglass lockdown bar is the one without tabs. My OEM backglass just has the plastic trim running along the top. That combination really doesn’t do anything for securing the backglass. I want to purchase the new backglass lockdown bar from Mantis with the tabs. My backbox does have the cutouts in the head to accommodate the tabbed bar. My concern is the two tabs applying pressure to my backglass with only the plastic trim to protect it. I believe that trim piece was metal back in the day which would have provided considerable protection. Should I be concerned or is the plastic trim ok?
Quoted from Jjsmooth:Those are available at Marcos a bit cheaper. Plastic trim fine, bar doesnt push down on the glass, just keeps it from going up.
Cool - I didn't see the Stern version at Marco (just the Bally version). Do you know the Bally one fits? I always thought they were slightly different.
Quoted from cottonm4:Here is what you want if you wish to use the lockdown strap that has no tabs.
I recently bought 2 of them. They are quality and built correctly.
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/P-6229-27
But I also have a lock strap with the tabs on and just use a plastic channel on top. And actually, I think I like the one with the tabs a little bit better.
I went with this. It seemed to be the most factory solution. Thanks.
Can someone please show me where the backglass lock bar should sit in the open and locked positions? I just added the tabbed trim piece to the top of my Seawitch backglass and I can't get the lock bar to engage with the backglass. I can lift out the backglass in the locked position regardless of where the lock bar is positioned. The tabs seem to be about a 1/4" to short to make contact.
I went with the method shown in your first photo. On my game I can still easily lift out the backglass with it in the locked position. I need to measure my glass. At this point I am thinking my glass is a tad small or my channel for the glass is a little on the deep side. Either way I think I can salvage things by adding a little height to the tabs on the top of my backglass. I feel 1/8" piece on metal or Lexan should do the trick.
Quoted from cottonm4:Try this: On my pin, if I leave the back box key fully loaded into the slot, the weight of the lock strap is enough that the strap rotates backwards and the back glass will not be locked.
However, if I pull the key part way out of the key slot, then the lock is locked and will not rotate and the glass remains locked.
If you have not done so, remove the key from the slot and see if your back glass stays locked in.
And now this: Is your lock strap loaded into position by using the factory location for the locating screw on the opposite side of the key lock? If the lock strap has been removed and then reinstalled and maybe someone made their own hole location instead of the factory screw hole, that could be enough to cause you problems. How do I know this? Because I did this on the Quicksilver I am building; I missed the factory hole and made a new hole. I was not off by much but it was enough to mess with the locking action.
Thanks for the help on this one. Got it sorted out. Had to tweak a couple things including the lock plate for the backglass lock and tab height on the top backglass trim. Works as it should now ( two hours later).
20211129_192608 (resized).jpgQuoted from MKearns:Hello!
Im relatively new here so if I post in the wrong place - please let me know.
I have a Stern Orbitor 1 that's in pretty good shape and plays nicely but someone drilled out the lock for the backbox and removed the entire bar assembly that connects to the lock itself. I would like to replace the bar and noticed that you are parting out your Flight 2000. Would you sell the bar that connects to the lock? Thanks, Mike
Mantis Pinball is selling replacement Stern backglass lockbars now. There is a couple different options. Look it their “Stern” section. It says 1999 - present but there is some classic Stern items in there also.
Quoted from Mathazar:cottonm4 - maybe this one is for you?
I'm at a loss and so beyond frustrated that this is starting to get comical for me. Just when I think I've got my drop target issues squared away on my Meteor restoration, another one pops up. I won't go into the details of all the drop target problems I've had to date and how I got around them - instead I'll just describe the current, and hopefully last, issue in front of me: The "M" target in the METEOR bank falls after an all-target-bank reset (all four drop target banks reset at once), the kind of reset that is done at the start of a new ball or new game.
The 111/222/333 banks work perfectly. No falling targets, no bricking. These banks are a slightly different design (non-memory, no coils, no bracket fingers for resting targets) than the METEOR bank.
With the METEOR bank on my bench, resetting the drop targets manually (as quickly as I can to mimic the coil reset) does not result in a fallen target 50 out of 50 times.
With the METEOR bank in the game, I can down all the targets 1 by 1 causing a reset to occur repeatedly over and over as depicted in the video - NO fallen targets.
However, after a ball drain (or start of game) where all four of the drop target banks get issued a reset at once, the "M" in the METEOR bank falls most of the time (and in the case of the video I recorded, the "R" also fell!). Since I'm running on the 2021 Meteor code, what you're seeing in the video at the start of a new ball are all the drop banks getting reset including the METEOR bank for the Skill Shot, the "M" target falling on its own to inadvertently complete the Skill Shot before the ball is launched, and the drop bank getting reset on its own with the "M" usually staying up after that and all subsquent downings until the start of the next ball.
Here's a video of what I'm talking about:
The sequence ("M" falls only when all of the target banks are reset at once but not when just the METEOR bank is reset) suggests that some sort of vibration is occurring when all the banks are reset at once causing the suspect "M" target to fall on its own. When the METEOR bank is reset on its own, the "M" rarely falls on its own. And on other rare occasions, the "R" target also falls down.
The METEOR bank has coils for memory so the hardware configuration is a bit different than the other three target banks (111/222/333) that never fail. One big difference is that in the METEOR bank, the drop targets rest on the coil bracket "finger" and not the playfield or target bank ledge.
Here's what I've done to try to find the culprit:
- I tried three different targets in the "M" spot (original tombstone, new Swinks tombstone, and new PBL flattop). All do the same.
- I tried two new springs and the original, older less-tensioned spring on the target.
- I swapped the memory coil bracket (which has the "finger" that the target rests on), bracket spring, target spring, and target itself from a "working" position (the first "E") with the "M". The falling target issue stayed with the "M" position and did not move with the target/spring/coil/bracket to the "E" position suggesting there is nothing wrong with the target, springs, coil or coil bracket.
- I tried putting a "riser" piece of metal on the reset bar that forces the drop targets to go higher on reset. With the drop target being forced to a higher position upon a bank reset, theoretically it gives more opportunity for the coil bracket finger to "spring" into position and catch the target on the way down from the reset.
- I moved the entire bank hardware back about an eighth of an inch on the playfield, filling in the old holes and drilling new ones, to provide more clearance between the target face and the edge of the playfield cutout. It wasn't until after I moved it that I realized the clearance/closeness of the target face to that playfield edge probably doesn't matter for this specific memory target bank because what's closest to the target face is the top, silver rod that is part of the bank assembly. In other words, the target can never come into contact with the front of that playfield cutout edge, but the target faces DO touch that silver rod. Pretty sure that's by design - targets that do not fall on their own also touch that silver rod. It's the same on my Eight Ball Deluxe - that 7 drop target bank (with memory and the same kind of target coil/bracket) also has that silver rod and the target faces are touching it in the up position
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I'm starting to run out of ideas - I've been working on this one problem for about a week, a couple of hours or so per night. Would appreciate any other ideas that folks may have![quoted image][quoted image]
What transformer do you have installed in the game? Can you still see the part number? Do you know if it is the original?
Quoted from Mathazar:It's a 16B-6. Original as far as I can tell.
That is the correct one. Check to make sure it is wired up correctly. It seems like you're missing a little power when everything is being called into action. Maybe it is using 115V when it should be using 120V.
Transfomer (resized).pngQuoted from rstrunks:I have a Stern Seawitch i have restored pretty much from the ground up. It is working 100 percent except for one issue. On the switched illumination the lights flicker instead of staying on solid. The game has all incandescent bulbs and no LEDs. During the restoration all of the boards were swapped with other working board and the problem persisted. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
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Got one of these? If so, stick it in your service port. Sounds like a grounding or polarity problem to me.
tester (resized).jpgQuoted from rstrunks:I checked and it says open ground.
Well, that should be fairly easy to run down. Step one is to figure that out. Step two is to make sure your cabinet grounding braid is connected to your head grounding braid. After everything is on the same ground and recognized your pulsing lights should go away.
Quoted from rvdv:Looking for the backglass lockbar
Any knows if one of these are ok to use ?
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It depends. Classic Stern had a couple options. The first option was a lockbar without out tabs. This option requires your backglass top channel trim to have tabs ( this is what your second picture is). The correct lockbar for this option is found at Mantis Pinball.
https://mantispinball.com/product/stern-backglass-locking-strap/
The second option is to have no tabs on your backglass trim. In that case you would use this lockbar.
https://mantispinball.com/product/stern-backglass-locking-strap-tab/
I'm torn. I picked up a nice Meteor but I don't really want a Meteor. What I want is a Star Gazer. I was going to convert this Meteor into a Star Gazer but the condition of the Meteor is making me feel guilty for considering it. For about 3k I can make me a collector quality Star Gazer. The same game in the wild would cost me 3 times that. I'm curious what the club members would do.
20220328_141553 (resized).jpg20220328_141636 (resized).jpg20220328_141659 (resized).jpgAnybody got a beater in the LA area that they want to trade me? What do you guys think my Meteor is worth in this crazy market?
Quoted from bluespin:If you can’t find a Meteor, consider a Galaxy or other mpu200 pin as it will have cosmetic differences from the mpu100 pins; the correct coin door, slot lockdown bar and more powerful 16B-6 transformer.
The mpu100 pins have coin doors with the coin eject button and coin slots in different locations than the mpu200 pins. Stern used screw type lockdown bars through part of the Hot Hand run, then went to the slot type lockdown bar. The mpu100 pins had the smaller lower power 16B-3 transformer, and the mpu200 pins had the larger stronger 16B-6 transformers. I think all of the mpu100 pins had the transformers in the head, but the mpu200 pins have the transformers in the bottom cabinet.
I have been quietly looking for a cheap mpu200 for a while now. I like the Meteor because it is the closest build wise to Star Gazer. The problem is, there just isn’t any cheap Sterns to be found these days close to me. SoCal is very competitive. Lots of pin-heads out here.
Quoted from FantasticPinball:This happened today..
I was in a bit of a rush and didn’t notice my own fat finger in front of the lens. Better photos to follow. This is playfield one out of a batch of 5.
Fantastic
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When will these be ready? Please put me on the list if I’m not already there.
Can a Star Gazer owner out there please provided me with the length of each of the wood rails on the playfield? Looks like there are 4 of them. I need to make me a set. Thanks.
Quoted from cottonm4:1) The one on the back measures same width as play field.
2) the one on the left measures from the one on the back and terminates and inch or so under your apron.
3) the one on the right measures from the one on the back and needs to be long enough for you to be able to install the shooter gauge with both screws.
4) the inside shooter rail can be figured out when you install your plastics.
NOTE: the factory did not run the outside rails all the way to the back rail. To save wood the factory used just enough wood to screw down the arch plastic. And then the plastic warped for lack of support.
Thanks cottonm4,
I know the left and back are likely the same on all similar Classic Sterns but the ones on the right side varies from game to game. Can you or someone get me the exact measurements on those two? I am making a set out of hardwood.
@ cottonm4 - You're a great asset to Pinside but sometimes you just need a guy with a ruler to respond. No worries, you're still one of my favorites. 
Thanks Play_Pinball.
@ cottonm4 or anybody really. I had this shooter rod installed in my new to me Meteor. I don't believe it is a classic Stern rod. I think it is a Gottlieb close match that most of us use when restoring classic Sterns these days. Can anyone confirm this?
20220420_183513 (resized).jpg20220420_184049 (resized).jpgI tossed it in my tumbler with some metal polish. That should shine it up nicely. I buy replacement Stern rods from PBR. It isn't on their webpage, but Steve has them in his secret stock. I think that is what this is. Most Classic Stern rods have the cut for the retaining clip closer to the end of the rod while Gottlieb(s) have them higher up. I was surprised to see this installed in my Meteor since it hasn't seen service in 20 years.
I need a replacement spring for my door lockout coil (Meteor). Anybody know of a part number or source?
Quoted from cottonm4:Stern Electronics part number = 5A-124
Excellent but it looks to be discontinued. Anybody know of an alternate spring that might do the trick?
Quoted from reconsider59:Hey everyone,
Getting started on a Quicksilver scratch build (largely inspired by HoakyPoaky's excellent thread, thank you!), and while I'm waiting on a few things to really start building, I'm trying to figure out a few small part questions; hoping the group can assist me.
I'm truly building from scratch, in that I'm not modifying a donor-game. So, a question re: the light-panel: what kind of hardware / hinge is used to attach it to the backbox?
Also, has anyone figured out a good replacement/modification for a coin door—as in, one that can be sourced easier than lucking out and finding a used on on ebay or elsewhere? I'm building it in a new EZPinball cabinet, so the panel is cut specifically for the classic Stern sized door. I understand I could use a Chicago Coin door (also impossible to find, I'm discovering...), or a Stern Electronics arcade door. While I see a lot of the arcade doors on ebay, I understand that I'd need to modify the wiring to make one of the coin-rejects into the "start" button, or, cut a hole to add it. I'd just love to hear how others have gone about addressing the "no donor door" problem.
Thanks!
Personally, I think the Stern door is a must. It is iconic looking. I’ve seen plenty of builds without them and it just looks wrong to me. Place an ad on Pinside for one.
I was lucky enough to get one of new Star Gazer playfields. The blues look to be good. Who offers the best plastic set (color wise) to this playfield?
Quoted from GoldenOreos:anyone know where I can purchase a link/plunger for the drop target mech? ours melted along with the coil and I'm not having any luck finding one. maybe a bally version will work? part number is #A-398-STN
PBR sells link material (fiber board) in their tools / supplies section. There are pretty easy to make with common hand tools and a Dremel.
Quoted from cottonm4:Here is the plunger and link. I think this I the assembly for the drop target coil. But not 100% sure. It could be for Stern flippers.
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/A-197
[quoted image]
I think that is the flipper one.
I dropped the new Meteor 2021 code into my Meteor pin and I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. The new code and stereo sound make it seem like a completely different game. The shots are all still there but my go to Meteor strategy won’t get me very far in the new code. The game is really task oriented now (like a more modern pin). I took the lazy route and just bought the plug and play kit off the Pinside market. Well worth the $169 in my opinion.
Anyone have a set of Star Gazer ball guides they are willing to part with? Mantis is out. Please hit me up with a PM.
Quoted from Mathazar:Here's mine. When I got my Meteor project, the standup target would register only on soft hits/glancing blows, never a hard direct hit. I added the cap during my restoration and 2021 update, and it registers all hits 100% of the time now.
Looks like your cap is not in the correct position so it's acting like it's not there. Move it to correct leg and it'll probably work.
[quoted image]
OK - I have had dinner so I'm thinking better. This is correct if your diode is facing the open lug. Everybody agree?
diode (resized).jpgQuoted from cottonm4:Which side is the banded side? Left side? Or right side?
What is the open lug? All three lugs have something on.
I mocked it up. Open lug is the one without a wire feeding it and the band is on the right side facing the open lug.
diode1 (resized).jpgQuoted from TheLaw:You need some more solder on there for sure
I had the switch completely out. They are solder on the other side of the lugs. All wires went trough the lug holes. .
Quoted from clodpole:Sorry to interrupt, but...
Further my education please: under what circumstances would you replace an original Stern SDU board with an aftermarket one?
It is mostly the easy thing to do. A lot of people don’t have the skills to repair an original one. This means it needs to be sent out for repair which costs money and time. Replacements aren’t expensive so pulling the trigger on one isn’t a big deal. OEM boards start sounding bad as the caps age. I prefer replacing the caps but I do see the appeal of just replacing the board.
Quoted from clodpole:I was unclear (I think) - I meant the Solenoid Driver board. Does it have something to do with sound as well?
Sorry, I should have caught that. Stern driver boards kinda suck. The Bally boards of the same time period are better. Bally used heavier traces. As a result, the Stern ones are more prone to trace failures. Modern day replacements run cooler, aren't 40 years old and have extra features like Led lights and extra circuit protection. I like OEM but I can fix it if something goes wrong. I always recommend aftermarket stuff to my customers for the reliability of the new components.
Quoted from PinZig:Nice! Mine did too!
Here's a pic with a couple plastics from marco(cpr?) A bit darker, but I think they'll look fine. Especially once lit from beneath.
It's a beautiful pf, can't wait to get started on it!
[quoted image]
I think the color of the plastics will be fine once they are backlit. I am a little surprised we didn’t receive the rollover plastics with our orders. No big deal. They are easy to get these days. The quality looks great.
Quoted from FantasticPinball:The artwork of original plastics has been scanned and sent to be digitally remastered so that correct colour matched parts can be provided.
Fantastic Pinball Inc
Excellent - when will those be available? Doing the backglass also?
Hello all,
I have asked this in a couple threads but no answers yet.
I snagged this photo from Jjsmooth’s thread on building a Star Gazer. I have sourced the target faces and mounting brackets. What I don’t have yet is a good switch assembly to use for this build. Most of the ones out there are riveted together. Not the end of the world but I would prefer not having to drill them out. PBR has some not riveted but I am not sure which one to go with. Anybody have any good standup target switch recommendation?
CAFB0161-11C4-4B33-A9EA-3E144C434386 (resized).jpegQuoted from play_pinball:https://www.pinballlife.com/target-switch-no-target-face.html
Round top, fits right into the center of those plastic target faces. Square top will work too, so either way. You can assemble them with any bracket
[quoted image]
Perfect, that was what I was looking for. Thanks.
Anybody have a diagram of the Star Gazer backbox light board showing the placement / position of all the holes? I am going to use my Meteor one as an outer template but need the Star Gazer specific info to get all the holes correct.
Quoted from vec-tor:I believe Easy Pinball has the part made.
Thanks, I didn't know that. They charge a lot to do it. $249 + $40 shipping seems kinda pricey. It is a solid plan B but I like to make what I can when doing restores / builds.
Quoted from cottonm4:Wow! I made a few last summer and sold them for $100.00 + 20.00 shipping
Want to make another one?
So the OEM light board looks to be 3/4" particle board. What is everyone using as a modern day replacement (MDF, plywood or particle board)? I have nice 3/4" plywood on hand.
MDO seems like a great choice. I was kidding (mostly) about you making me one. Thank you for a very tempting offer. I think I will try my luck and do it myself this weekend. I have this fancy plywood I have left over from a cabinet project. It is super smooth and really overkill for a light board but should work great.
Quoted from gdonovan:I ran the Uno PCB through the photocopier at work and taped in place.
[quoted image]
That is exactly what I'm going to do too. I am going to mount the board as is into my backbox and install the backglass. That way there will be no doubt on placement. I am now waiting for my backglass trim it arrive.
I have a Classic Stern pop bumper housing question. I have a totally rebuilt set of Stern generation 1 pop bumpers (with the metal housing) in my spare parts stash. Star Gazer doesn't use these so know I need to purchase the plastic pop bumper housings. What else do I need to purchase to complete these assemblies? I was trying to find the Classic Stern schematic of this assembly but couldn't. I know I can move over my rings, rods, skirts, bodies, coils and caps over to the new housing, but I think I'm still missing some mounting brackets. What other items do I need? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks everyone. I was just going to order the parts I needed to do the swap between the old and new styles. After adding it up, I realized it is better if I just buy the complete assemblies. That should same me some headaches plus I can recouped some coin by selling my old generation 1 pop assemblies.
Quoted from Mathazar:A problem started occurring on my Meteor last night that I've not encountered before and I'm looking for some guidance.
I restored this machine 6 months / ~200 games ago and I haven't had the glass off or the backbox open since March till last night when I noticed this behavior.
Meteor has 6 switches that will spot (drop) a drop target in the METEOR bank if the corresponding switch lamp is lit:
Upper Rollover
Middle Rollover
Lower Rollover
Stand-Up Target
Left Return Lane
Right Return Lane
The problem is with the Left Return Lane. When the SPOT TARGET light is off, the switch registers correctly and awards 500 points. When the SPOT TARGET light is on, the switch still registers 500 points and does NOT drop one of the METEOR drop targets. The Right Return Lane, along with all of the others besides the Left Return Lane, operate normally with the correct points (500 with the SPOT TARGET lamp off) and dropping a METEOR target if the lamp is lit (and awarding 2000 points).
Here's the kicker: If the Right Return Lane SPOT TARGET lamp is lit, and the Left Return Lane SPOT TARGET lamp is NOT lit, and you roll over the Left Return Lane switch, a METEOR target will drop and the score achieved is 2000. As if the Left Return Lane SPOT TARGET lamp was lit.
So mechanically, everything seems to work so I'm not suspecting any wiring or connector issues. Which leaves some sort of logic problem. Not sure where to start? Note: the MPU is a one-year old Alltek.
Thanks in advance for any advice....
So in coil test all 6 of your memory (meteor) drop targets drop? That is a tough mechanism to get dialed in.
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?
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.
Star Gazer ball guides are back in stock at Mantis Pinball. I had to twist Kerry’s arm a little for him to do another run. He said this was a “small” run so get them while you can. I would snag a set ASAP if you are planning to do a Star Gazer scratch build.
C1577F5D-F455-4FE4-BE12-897B487C2600 (resized).jpegFirst of all, I don't clear my pins because I'm going for a factory look. If I did, I would never consider a spray can clear. The surface area is just too large. To pull that off you need some skill and a good bit of luck. You would have a much better chance of pulling it off with a paint gun in my opinion.
I would just swap it for a 8 ohm one. For classic Sterns I use the Pyle 250w PDMW6. Drops in, sounds good and is cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/6-5-Inch-Midbass-Woofer-High-Temperature/dp/B00079LOTU/ref=sr_1_1
Quoted from play_pinball:I swapped out the speaker with an 8ohm speaker that I had on hand. Slightly quieter, but still much too loud for "all the way down". I'm thinking a new pot is needed. Anyone have a recommendation on size? I'd rather go back to the 4ohm speaker because the 8ohm I have sounds terrible in comparison.
Crazy loud isn’t usually a pot problem. I mean it could be but a bad pot usually has the sound cutting out, the volume is on the low side or a bunch of static. Did you rebuild your sound card?
Hello All - I have a question and looking for an opinion. I need new LED displays for a Star Gazer build I'm doing. I think I've settled on the color (blue). What is everybody's favorite brand these days? I also remember seeing a company that made a PCB display board that had mounting tabs incorporated into the board. It was cool because it eliminated the need for display trays. I can't seem to find them anymore. They might have closed up shop. I guess it doesn't matter because I have a set of display trays.
Quoted from Gott_Lieb:The closest looking ones to the originals are the Pinitech units!
These are the ones I went with (the original style). I want them to be blue but also look factory. Last time I bought displays they were pre-assembled. These are DIY. No big deal but I am wondering how long it is going to take me to assemble them. I guess I'll find out when they arrive.
Quoted from rockwell:Question about Quicksilver...I recently moved one and from what I could tell it wasn't possible to completely remove the head without removing the display panel wiring from the display panel, as it was basically wired (in part) into the rest of the harness that goes down into the cabinet.
I'm debating adding a Molex connector to the harness (where my hand is in the below image) to make it a bit easier to remove the head. Has anyone else tried this? Perhaps I am missing something obvious. Thanks!
[quoted image]
You can remove the head but you do need to get into the cabinet to do so. You need to pull back a couple wires from the power rectifier board. No need to add an extra connector.
Quoted from lowbeau67:Its too bad So many meteors and galaxies are being
Frankensteined into stargazers,quicksilvers etc.
None of my business but I hate to see an original game from the past essentially erased.
Just my opinion and I'll take the arrows.
I am pretty sure my Meteor identifies as a Star Gazer.
Got a question. I want to use an old Meteor backbox cable harness in my Star Gazer build. I have already modified it to work with 7 digit displays. My problem is cable length. Star Gazer Displays are on the 4 corners while Meteor’s were all on the left side. I can totally make it work but I will need to change the display assignments. My question is: what wire / pin makes the display unique to a location? I can’t seem to find the info I am looking for in any Stern manual I have.
Quoted from play_pinball:[quoted image]
Is that pin 15 on the display connector? Happen to have what that translates to on the MPU side?
Quoted from play_pinball:A4J1 pins 20-24
Cool - moving them around on the MPU side will make my life easier.
My Star Gazer build has begun. Fitted my new backbox light board and displays today. I crudely hooked up my Meteor backbox harness to prove everything works. So now I have a Meteor with a Star Gazer backglass. I really need my new wiring harness but I can make do if the vendor can't get all the parts sourced. Might start stripping it down next week. Depends on work and the weather.
20220820_172412 (resized).jpg20220820_172427 (resized).jpg20220820_172525 (resized).jpgQuoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:My Star Gazer build has begun. Fitted my new backbox light board and displays today. I crudely hooked up my Meteor backbox harness to prove everything works. So now I have a Meteor with a Star Gazer backglass. I really need my new wiring harness but I can make do if the vendor can't get all the parts sourced. Might start stripping it down next week. Depends on work and the weather.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
So at this point I'm not sure if the replacement harnesses I ordered for my Star Gazer will ever be made. After some tweaks I decided just to install my old Meteor backbox harness. What was temporary is now permanent.
Quoted from sethbenjamin:I used a *flat* clear on my latest cabinet repaint, and I was very happy with the look.
Where gloss clear accentuates any surface imperfection and the paint edges, the flat clear pushes all of them back. The result is a very clean looking overall appearance, very much in keeping with the older factory appearance - but you get the benefit of a topcoat protecting the paint.
Not sure how well it translates to photos, but:
[quoted image][quoted image]
That does look nice. How did you apply the clear? I sprayed the blue with my gun but rolled the white. I knew from past experience that the white over blue would require a thicker coat than usual. Oil based paint is pretty tough but I do have edges I might like to soften.
Quoted from A_Bord:Mine has an original board and still misfires on occasion.
My Seawitch is running OEM boards and does the misfire occasionally too. I personally think it is electrical noise on the cable harness causing it. The wiring in the game isn't shielded and running in tight bundles.
I am beginning to dig into repurposing my Meteor playfield harness to become my new Star Gazer harness. Does everyone use the schematics to do this? The feature lamps are easy. Everything else is making my head hurt. Anybody got a cheat sheet of what goes where? Any documentation should greatly be appreciated.
Quoted from sethbenjamin:SG is such a deservedly sought after game. I only played one once, and it absolutely delighted me. You’re making me want to do a scratch build now! Dammit!!
Do it. It is both aggravating and rewarding at the same time.
Quoted from KJL:Where is everyone getting the drop target banks for these scratch builds? Are there remakes?
I got mine from Steve at the Pinball Resource. Star Gazer drops have the hat design and Steve has the dies for doing the hot stamp. Not really reproduction. More like new production OEM. That being said, the old OEM ones sure drop nice but they are getting old and brittle.
Quoted from BorgDog:Pretty sure he meant the mechs, not the targets.
And pretty sure they are all from someone somewhere parting out a machine, sometimes the person building the new one sometimes ebay or where ever. Scratch build really isn't.
Yeah, I know. That’s why I deleted my response.
I always drop my parts off at a sandblaster. 4 legs, door and frame run $30 in the LA area. Well worth it.
Hello all - Star Gazer is coming along nicely but things are going slower now thanks to my real job. Anyway, I have a slingshot question. I went with the parts that Cotton4 called out in this post (as most do).
I was going to reuse the plunger and links from Meteor but they have some miles on them and they don't match. One is 2 1/8" and the other is 1 15/16". As a result, I am buying new. What link and plunger would everyone recommend for this setup?
20220917_115350 (resized).jpg
Quoted from cottonm4:I need to find a plunger for accurate measurement but I think 2 1/8" is the correct length. You want a plunger that is long enough to bottom on the coil stop. Too short of plunger then your sling shot lever will be pulled into the edge of the lever hole and possibly damage your play field.
Also, PBR has the original Stern plunger links made of nylon. It is personal preference I suppose, but I like the original nylons as opposed to the fiber links.
[quoted image]
2 1/8" is what I was leaning towards. Can someone confirm so I can place my Marco order.
Quoted from Pinzzz:Do you think those would work on a CPR Meteor playfield?
They should but Meteor didn't come with them originally. What I would do for Meteor is make new wood rails out of oak and call it good. With oak installed there is no flex or sag at all.
Quoted from Its_me_aj:I have 3 meteors and all of them have the play field stiffeners. I feel like they were just randomly out on some runs of games
That sounds like something Stern would do. I have owned 4 classic Sterns and only my Seawitch had them installed.
Quoted from Alan_L:I'm looking to perform the upgrades on Service Bulletin #11 to my Wild Fyre SB-100, 2nd Generation sound board.
It calls for the addition of a resistor and a 3.3uf 6 volt Tantalum capacitor. Are these Tantalum caps below? If not, what is the difference in this application?[quoted image]
That is a tantalum capacitor, it will work nicely in your application.
Please no hate but am I the only one that prefers the metal rings and rods? I always felt the plastic versions showcased how cheap Stern was when it came to building these games. Some of the greatest games ever built but with some of the crappiest components. I feel metal is a nice upgrade along with acorn bolts for the legs.
My Meteor to Star Gazer project is coming to an end. I have just a couple more issues to squash and a rectifier board to replace. I'll post pictures when it is done done. Right now, it is just kinda done. Anyway, I have a bunch of Meteor parts left over from a pretty nice game. I'll put up some photos later but here is what I have:
OEM plastic set
6 bank memory drop target assembly w/ drops
Backglass
Back box light board
New Meteor drop targets
OEM 111 222 333 drop targets
Stainless ball guide
Wire ball guides
Playfield
Playfield wire harness
Nice apron and shooter housing
New barely used dead bumpers with new caps
Rebuild Gen 1 pop bumper with new cap
A bunch of red plastic posts
Miscellaneous metal / gates / targets
I might get around to making a Pinside ad for it all tomorrow but thought I would offer it here first.
20220530_135548 (resized).jpg20221006_174527 (resized).jpg
I have a strange issue on my Meteor to Star Gazer conversion. My left out lane (switch 35) started running up my score. It is actually one of the few switch I didn't replace when I did the conversion. I lifted the playfield and cut off the original capacitor. This instantly fixed the problem. I then installed a shiny new capacitor and checked the diode. The game worked flawlessly for about 20 minutes and then started running up the score again. I lifted the playfield a second time and cut off the new capacitor. The game works great without it. It is also the last switch in the column / row. Anybody got any theories? I think I'll just leave the capacitor off. That switch really doesn't require a capacitor in my opinion. It isn't a quick strike switch. The ball rolls over it at a nice slow pace.
Quoted from cottonm4:The drawing does not show caps on either out lane.
Interesting, my Meteor had them on both. Might have to cut off the other one too.
Hello all - lots of my leftover Meteor parts have already sold. Here is a new ad with what is still available.
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/144201
20221008_090730 (resized).jpg20221009_070453 (resized).jpg20221009_070911 (resized).jpg
Quoted from gdonovan:I'd like to get the backglass and drops, shipping to east coast would be a bear.
Send me a PM and we can chat about it.
I am already thinking about my next Classic Stern project. Quicksilver seems like a fun project. Is someone selling a backglass for that game or is BGresto the only option these days?
I don’t see any pricing on Coos website. It might be my mobile browser. Can someone tell me “ballpark” what the cost of a backglass is including shipping to the US?
I purchased some pre-painted white spinners thinking they were decal ready. Sadly, they were not. The paint comes off if you look at it funny. What are people doing to paint their spinners these days? Modern day “California blend” spray paint can’t take the ball impacts. I was thinking about powder coating them but that is costly. Maybe automotive spray paint? I am open to ideas.
Quoted from cottonm4:Sand of the crap paint and use some Rustoleum. Then place the decals. If you are using decals the only area you really have to paint in the edges of the spinner.
Are you talking Rustoleum spray paint or the oil based stuff you get in the quart cans? The modern spray paint seems to chip easy. The “California blend” isn’t as durable as the old formula.
Ok - I have a strange Classic Stern problem. My Star Gazer plays prefect with one player. When the player 2 credits up my center pop bumper pops once giving player 1 points. Same thing for player 3 and 4. It never phantom pops again during game play. Anybody have any ideas?
Quoted from slochar:You get '1' point each time for players 2-4? That's really odd, the only thing that's different is assuming you start players 2-4 is that the ball is presumably not in the outhole. What if you have the ball out and drops up when you credit the 1 player game? Maybe the outhole not being closed is letting some other sneak short in?
Nothing should score 1 point on a stock mpu200 stern game. There is code there to 'add' one point, but nothing should ever access it.
It isn't 1 point. Actually 1000. Every time the credit button is pressed after the fist time pops my center pop bumper once which awards points to player 1.
Quoted from Tsskinne:Sounds like short on coin door start button.
Fixed it. It was a flaky diode on the credit button.
Quoted from cottonm4:I am having a phantom pop bumper issue with the Quicksilver I have built.
It is the upper right pop that is acting up. The pop will usually activate a few seconds after I push the credit button and then will activate randomly during a game. This happens with the upper right pop only. When it activates, I get the 1000 points score.
I have a Weebly MPU installed and an Alltek SDU installed.
Yesterday, during a game, the game reset and locked up. I had 77 and 77 lit up in the credits and ball in play displays. I had to turn the pin off to reset it. Sort of like a hard crash with a computer.
It's electronic so I am mostly clueless, as usual.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
This is going to sound a little crazy but something similar happened to me on a Classic Stern. It turned out the white wire in the door harness was being used incorrectly. Do you have a white wire on your door harness? Most Classic Sterns don’t. It is the reset wire which was an option on only a few games. I finally found a reference to it in a Flight 2000 schematic. If that wire is used anywhere else it causes issues like you are seeing now. Once that wire was isolated all my problems went away. What a reset wire has to do with a pop bumper is beyond me. The coin door I had was picked up at a swap meet for $8. It still had the price tag on it. Great buy but I digress. The previous owner tried to wire it up for free play and make a mistake with the white wire. The door seemed to work great but I would get phantom pops. Took me forever to figure that one out.
Quoted from cottonm4:I was following your posts on your phantom pop. I figured this would be a good time to jump onto the band wagon. My cabinet harness is an early one from a Hot Hand. I added the white wire to match the drawings for Quicksilver. And what did you do? Just replace a credit button diode?
I guess I could desolder the white wire at the switch and see what happens.
I had two separate issues on two separate games. The Star Gazer issue was phantom pops from when the credit button was pressed. That was fixed by replacing the diode on the credit button. The other issue was on a Seawitch (also phantom pops). That was caused by the reset wire. Just make sure the white wire only goes to the reset switch and it’s pair is the yellow / red wire. There is no diode. After I corrected that, the phantom pops were gone.
Hello everyone - I just updated my ad to include some other classic Stern parts. If you see it in the ad it is still available.
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/144201
20221017_192200 (resized).jpg20221017_192216 (resized).jpg+
Quoted from J-Rudy:(1979 Stern Trident)
Good morning!
Now I have another issue., I replaced one of my original displays (credit/match) which was not functioning with an XPin XP-BLY2518-21-B. Outside of the above noted drop target issue, the game has been performing well. Today my player 4 display was showing all 6's. I unplugged the machine, disconnected it wiped down the connectors and reconnected everything, only some of the digits were working. Unplugged it again and swapped it out with the player 1 display board and it worked fine in the other slot while the old player one board was now showing the same symptoms. Disconnected everything again, gave the connectors another more detailed clean with a light sandpaper and when I turned the machine back on, none of the displays are working except for the XPin one? Checked all fuses are OK. Anyone have any ideas or solutions?
I appreciate any help possible.
Sounds like the high voltage circuit died on your driver board. There is a fuse on the board you can check but the culprit is usually a 40 year component that has failed. The Xpin display works on 5v so it doesn’t care about high voltage. You can fix the board or just replace it for about $150.
I have restored lots of Bally games but only a few Classic Sterns. Does anyone know if these are the original keys shipped with the game back in the day? I have a feeling they are. The odd shapped one is the back box and the round one is the coin door key. Both keys are made by Fort Lock of Chicago IL.
20221023_124231 (resized).jpg20221023_124245 (resized).jpgI purchased a Star Gazer rom set for my machine. I was really hoping to use the OEM MPU. I bought the chips from Ministry of Pinball. I stuck them in a known good board and got a single flash from my MPU. I reinstalled the original chips and the board worked fine. The vendor swears they are checked over before they are shipped out but I have my doubts. Is there anyone one on the board that can check them out for me? Personally, I think they are crap but would love confirmation. Please let me know. My Star Gazer is currently running on a Alltek Ultimate MPU.
https://www.ministryofpinball.com/en/star-gazer-cpu-game-rom-set.html
It looks like I am picking up a broken Wild Fyre. This could be the beginning of my Quicksilver conversion. We’ll see after I give it the once over in the shop. I believe the cabinets are exactly the same except for the speaker hole in the bottom needed for Quicksilver. Can anyone confirm? I can cut that myself. Still not sure what to do about the transformer issue. Quicksilver only has 2 flippers so I could use the smaller Wild Fyre transformer. I could also buy a Homepin transformer. It has plenty of juice but looks wrong. Anybody have a 16B-6 transformer they want to part with?
Quoted from gdonovan:I used "the small" transformer in my Seawitch build and it worked just fine. Over 500 plays in 48 hours at Pintastic.
I would think the smaller transformer would have issues running 4 flippers on a Seawitch. That is good news for me if it didn’t.
Quoted from cottonm4:I have not tried my -3 in Seawitch but will do so soon.
I did try the -3 out in my new Quicksilver build. The pin played---just OK. I had a bit of trouble getting the ball all the way up the left spinner chute on occasion. Then I put my -6 back in. The difference, while not tremendous, was noticeable. With the -6, when you hit the ball it has a certain snappy feel to it this is missing with the -3. I have the #475 flipper coils installed and I am thinking about trying a pair of 450s to see if that gives back some zip.
With Seawitch, those upper flippers have resistors installed so they are already "slowed down".
I also tried the -3 in my Catacomb. I lasted with that setup for about 5 minutes and put my -6 back in.
The Homepin unit appears to be the same as the Bally 122-125 and the Stern -3.
A couple of years ago I reached out to Mike at Homepin and talked the challenges the Stern builders are dealing with on transformers. He knows the differences between the transformers. And he knows Gary Stern. I has hoping that maybe he would pick up the mantle and perhaps tool up and make some -6s. Nothing ever come of it. Maybe if some others were to contact him he might step up. But in the end, it would be a very small market. It would be nice if something were to happen but it would take a miracle.
Now that is what I was expecting to experience with the smaller transformer. I would be interested if the different coils made a performance improvement. Maybe I'll get lucky and find the correct Stern transformer somewhere.
Quoted from cottonm4:I recall when Kevin at CPR called my self and some others on the phone, that Kevin said something to me about correcting some NB art but I did not understand what he was talking about.
What are the errors you are speaking of?
If you look at the photos of Nine Ball at CPR you can see the corrections they made. They have several before and after pictures. I hate to say it but I compared it in detail with Mirco’s version. I think I like Mirco’s better. Mirco is using that ceramic topcoat now too.
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:Described here in these images.
For the record, Mirco had is own issues producing this playfield. He ignored requests from customers to fix the original artwork & did an initial run was that full of errors & muddled graphics. When enough people complained, he went back and improved the artwork, but you never know what you're going to get from him. My friend ordered the a Mirco 2nd run playfield with the corrected artwork, but it arrived more warped than a potato chip & he's spent the last year trying to get it flattened out.
I'm happy to support CPR. My playfield arrived yesterday but I didn't get a chance to take photos. I'll try to do it & post them tonight.
[quoted image][quoted image]
I know what you mean about Mirco. These are the two things that really bug me about the CPR playfield.
4C4691FF-1E2E-474C-8B8A-EC8C3D805441 (resized).jpegQuoted from frunch:I tried using those spacers and they did help...but the problem returned soon after. If the bushing is correct, I'll have to take a closer look at the rest of the assemblies and see if there's something else that might be amiss...
Thanks for the response!
Back in the day Stern used brass washers as spacers between their flippers and bushings. That nylon one looked a little thin to me.
Wild Fyre has arrived. It is in pretty nice shape. I might just sell this one instead of using it for my next conversion. You don't see many decent Wild Fyre pins these days. I was hoping it was going to be in worse shape.
20221112_103630 (resized).jpg20221112_103636 (resized).jpg20221112_103641 (resized).jpgHello All - I have a Wild Fyre question. The game now plays perfectly and every switch scores and produces a sound. When I go into solenoid test 1 - 4 are unique sounds, 5 - 6 are nothing while 7 - 19 are actually solenoids firing. I think this is correct, but I want in make sure 5-6 aren't used. Can someone confirm? There is no mention of it in the manual. I know the sound card is capable of 6 tones, but I only think 4 are used in this game.
Quoted from Quench:Sounds at solenoid tests #5 and #6 will only play when you have the game set to "Computer" sounds rather than "Chime" sounds. Computer/Chime sounds are selected via DIP switch 23 on the MPU board. OFF for Chime sounds, ON for Computer sounds.
Well, that made a difference. I can see why it was set for chimes. That early sound board is super basic. At least the tones are nice a clear after I swapped out the capacitors on the sound board.
Quoted from 27dnast:Need a little tech help on Big Game.
Yesterday, was playing a game and the right flippers went unresponsive, then came back online, and then permanetly stopped working.
So far, I've inspected for broken wires around the flippers (can't find any), confirmed the leaf switch at the flipper button is making contact and is clean. Checked fuses on the rectifier board... and gave boards in the back of the game a visual inspection.
Is there a bank of fuses I'm missing?
Thoughts?
I own two classic sterns, but really haven't needed to dig too deep, tech-wise. So, a little green here
Did you check the fuse between the flippers on the bottom of the playfield? Sometimes the easy stuff gets overlooked.
Quoted from slochar:That fuse is only for the controlled solenoids not the flippers. The flipper power splits off before the fuse.
Yep, that’s correct. Don’t know what I was thinking. Time to ohm out the flipper coil.
Can somebody with a Quicksilver help me out by getting me the measurements of the four wood rails? Quicksilver will be my next conversion project and I want to get a head start on the rails this long weekend.
Quoted from msarac:Left side - 36 1/4"
Back - 20 1/4"
Right side - 29"
Inner - 17 3/8"
Perfect! Are they all straight cuts?
Quoted from hisokajp:i never cared too much but i am curious, is the miss aligned credit window on my repro BG a one off issue? Is it the repro lamp panel? or a factory issue?
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The 3 bottom displays should be lined up on the backglass and light board. Don’t you have enough room in your light board cutout to fix the issue? Looks like the credit display needs moved up 1/4 of an inch.
Quoted from cottonm4:You know how you look at something on a daily basis and don't see what is in front of you?
You guys who have been around for a long time know that the classic Sterns are not copyrighted.
Stern back glasses and play fields have been fair game for reproductions; these was no copyright to deal with. None of the classic Stern manuals are copyrighted.
Check this out on Catacomb
This is rather small lettering on the lamp board. Down in the inside corner, the letters sort of hide in plain sight. I'd be willing to bet that this is the only thing Stern Electronics ever copyrighted.
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All classic Stern was copyrighted. The owner of the copyright just chooses not to renew / enforce copyright law. It is my understanding that the owner has gone on record saying they will not enforce copyright law.
Ok - it is official. I am ready to start selling the Seawitch S detectors again. The first photo is an earlier version of the defector installed for reference. The other photo is the newest version showing all colors available (yellow, light blue and blue). PM me if you want one.
IMO:
Blue is the best for color matching and works great in all lighting.
Light Blue matches the color well and reacts to LED lighting a little.
Yellow is bold and looks great if you have yellow
pop skirts or flipper rubber in your game. Looks great with LEDs and reacts a little too.
20210831_185811 (resized).jpg20230129_173320 (resized).jpg
S Deflector not S Detector.
Last call for Seawitch S deflectors. I only have a few left in each color and then I am out raw materials. I have no plans to make any more. This is my third and hopefully final run. The lastest batch is laser cut with stainless brackets that have been painted black. This completely eliminates the ball trap over the upper left flipper. Same price as before with free US shipping ($35). PM if interested.
20230129_173320 (resized).jpg20230202_235434 (resized).jpg20230203_081038 (resized).jpg20230203_081736 (resized).jpgQuoted from play_pinball:What do you guys think are the odds this 16B-6 transformer is salvageable?
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I think it will work great. Those things are tough. Clean it up and put it back into service.
Quoted from Methos:I have an original Stargazer that I need to sell. Everything is original and has survived well, except the PF. I have a GWJ repo and new plastics in th sealed bag.
Which path should I take?
Sell it as is with the PF
Do the swap and then sell it
Sell it as is. Those playfields are super soft. It really should be ceramic coated before it gets installed. The new place making them does the ceramic coating now, and it makes a world of difference.
Quoted from Ollulanus:Any specific suggestions for a replacement speaker for a classic stern? Seawitch in this case if it matters.
I would recommend the Pyle PDMW6 too. That's what I use. It drops in place with no modifications and is the correct ohms (8). Others are using 4 ohm speakers, but I fear that puts additional stress on the game's amplifier circuit.
20210801_154756 (resized).jpgQuoted from joetechbob:I put the spring in a vise but it didn't compress enough (only took off around 5 hundredths of an inch). Next parts order I'll grab a .6 inch barrel spring.
I might try trimming it back too. I quickly tried with a pair of snips but the metal was too hard.
Just call Steve at the PBR. Tell him you need a shooter rod for a classic Stern. He'll sell you a Gottlieb equivalent. It looks the same but is a tad longer. It should work great for you.
Quoted from joetechbob:Thanks!
Question: It's hard to tell on my game what is original and what was incorrectly replaced over time. Is the longer shooter rod w/ the "normal" barrel spring the stock setup? Or did it ship with a shorter barrel spring and a "normal" length shooter rod...And the Gottlieb equivalent shooter rod is just a way to compensate for having an incorrect barrel spring?
I could be wrong, but I believe classic Sterns used a short barrel spring with a longer than usual rod on their games. This is because of the behive shooter housing. What usually happens, over 40 years, is the game gets played without a shooter tip. This causes the shooter rod to mushroom. Eventually, someone will grind down the mushroom tip, making it playable again. Every time this happens, the shooter rod shrinks a little. Hence the problem you have now. At this point, you're just looking for something that works well and looks correct. The Gottlieb replacement will satisfy this requirement. I am sorry, I don't have a part number for you. Steve should be able to hook you up regardless.
I have a strange problem on a new to me Meteor. The previous owner couldn't get the sound to work right so he bought an aftermarket mother board. All the sounds are present with the new board but they sound kinda hollow. I didn't like that so I am trying to resurrect the original boards. I tested the OEM sound card and OEM MPU in another mpu-200 game and they seem to work. I then put the tested boards back into Meteor. The first 2 sounds are messed up in sound test when installed in Meteor. I also swapped the cables between the MPU and the sound card. No change. I then installed a new aftermarket sound card. Again, no change. What could be messing with my sound that I haven't tried? Everything works as expected in my other game.
Quoted from joetechbob:Do you change out roms when switching between games? (Bad ROM chips?)
I left the Meteor ICs installed. It boots fine and all sounds are present when tested in a known good cabinet. Something in the Meteor cabinet is causing the issue.
Quoted from slochar:Bad speaker?
The speaker has seen better days but I don't think it would be the cause of the first two sounds being messed up. The other sounds are present and correct in test.
I am at my vacation house and don't have all my stuff with me. I am wondering if reverse polarity might be the issue. Thoughts?
Quoted from cottonm4:You have other classic Sterns in your collection so you are able to do what I suggest.
Here is the story: I bought an F2K displays harness from Marco when Marco was still selling them. I was buying to build up parts inventory for my Star Gazer build. When I first fired my newly built Star Gazer up the sounds were a mess. Swapping sound boards did not resolve the issue. I had a choice. I could spend endless amounts of time trying to troubleshoot this problem, or.......
I went the the "or". The sound board wiring is part of the displays harness. I takes about 20 minutes to R & R a displays harness that starts at connector J3 on the rectifier board, and also includes the speaker wiring. I swapped the displays harness out with another harness I had. End of problem. Something was not right with the new harness that I bought.A displays harness would be about the only difference with a known good cab.
You can use a Seawitch harness in a Meteor for testing.
---------------------------------------------------
To this day, I do not know why that other harness was acting up. Later on I used this same harness in my Quicksilver build with no problems. But at the time, swapping out saved me gobs of wasted time troubleshooting.
You might be on to something. I'll repin the J3 connector next time I am at my vacation house. The OEM mpu had battery damage. It may have made its way to the J3 connector.
Quoted from cottonm4:To be clear, I was talking about the J3 connector on the rectifier board, not the MPU. But yes, possibly acid got on the J3 MPU connector.
Yes, but you got me thinking about the harness. It could only be the harness, rectifier or driver board.
Quoted from slochar:Action pinball might have the foil sticker.
That one sucks beyond belief.
Hey Classic Stern fans. I am selling off some extra parts from my current conversion. More will be added as I get time.
Does anyone have a Star Gazer or Seawitch apron decal they are willing to part with? It sounds like new ones are coming but I have an immediate need. Please PM me.
Check out this thread.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-electronics-apron-decals
Quoted from rcbrown316:Ooooooohhhh. Did you chrome the whole door?
No, but I was thinking about trying that. Is a chrome door too much bling for a classic Stern? I guess there is only one way to find out.
Quoted from cottonm4:Those look nice. What is the name for this coating?
It is the same color I always use for Classic Sterns. The color chip with info can be seen here.
So I have a new ceramic coated playfield missing a 1/2" hole for the spinner wire pass-through. Small holes are easy to drill in a playfield. 1/2" holes, not so much. I'm curious how you all would drill this without causing damage to the clear coat. I have an idea but don't want to sway anybody. By the way, the bottom is already populated so a drill press is out of the question.
20230415_140106 (resized).jpgQuoted from sethbenjamin:I meant drill your small hole through from the front side, begin with your forstner but from the *back* side, then finish from the front. If that makes it any clearer? Probably we were on the same page in this already.
As for the drill guide, I meant I wouldn’t go buying a special rig to stick your drill in. If the OP has a drill press, simply using it ti drill through a scrap piece of 3/4” material would suffice to use as a guide block. But of course you’d want to place the drill tip very specifically before positioning your guide block.
Ultimately people have to do whatever is comfortable for them. I’ve been building cabinets for the disgustingly rich for 15 years, so maybe have a bit less anxiety about stuff like this than some other folks, which is understandable.
Rest easy everyone. I was able to drill the missing 1/2" hole without chipping the clear. I used Cottonm4's method with a portable drill press. Worked great. I did several practice holes on a scrap Mirco playfield remnant. Mirco's clear is fragile compared to what I was working with. The end result was a clean hole.
20230502_175854 (resized).jpg
Quoted from Its_me_aj:I have an extremely weak left flipper on stars. Replaced the EOS, made sure it was gapped right, new coil, new coil stop, made sure cabinet switch was good, new SDB, and it’s still weak. There are some hacks on the rectifier board but wasn’t sure if they would cause a weak flipper or not
The left flipper is likely getting power from a wire soldered to the right flipper. Make sure the wires look good on the right side.
Quoted from sethbenjamin:Does anybody have a line on where to purchase PCB supports for Bally/Stern boards in quantity? You can buy them from Marco and PL, but they're 59 cents apiece. Seems like they should be available way cheaper on Mouser or someplace, but I don't know how to search for them in that vast sea of options.
It would be great to just order a couple hundred of them and be stocked up without it costing $150 to have a bin of them on hand...
I have been using these. They look a little different but work good.
uxcell 100 Pcs Nylon Push-in Style Standoff PCB Support Spacer 5mmx3mm https://a.co/d/0Iu7KqW
The larger end will fit into the support bracket if you work it a little bit. I basically install them upside down for the Classic Sterns.
Quoted from Lovef2k:How much working are we talking about? The ones from PBL I have to force in the brackets with pliers.
Nothing like that. Just twist them back and forth with some pressure applied. Using them on my current build now.
20230527_191931 (resized).jpgWell, my not so secret build is basically complete. It was supposed to be a Quicksilver but every single Mirco playfield I saw had issues. That was a big turnoff. Then my friend told me to build him a collector quality Star Gazer. He liked mine and wanted one for himself. Anyway, fast forward a few months and things changed for my friend financially. As a result, this bad boy will be for sale soon. Just waiting on a couple small parts and a new sheet of glass. I would say within the week. Things were sandblasted, polished, chromed, powder coated, and painted. It is in the correct cabinet with the correct transformer. A MPU - 200 game died to make this build possible. All the paint is oil-based gloss. I don't like clearcoating games because the factory didn't. I like to build to factory specs with some modern day technology. Here are some photos.
20230529_165919 (resized).jpg20230529_165926 (resized).jpg20230529_165933 (resized).jpg20230529_170005 (resized).jpg20230529_170029 (resized).jpg20230529_183115 (resized).jpg20230529_190059 (resized).jpgBy the way, I now have two Star Gazers. Mine has the original reproduction backglass while the new one is the Coos mirrored glass. They both look great. I would say the mirrored one is better but it is also more expensive. You really can't go wrong.
Quoted from snyper2099:After seeing your green apron... I actually think that Star Gazer would look a LOT better with a green base color on the cabinet. I can't stand blue displays. For anyone with blue eyes, they are hard to see and give you a headache.
Green? I am so confused now..
Quoted from splattii:Question for those who repair machines. I just brought a Meteor back to life, the first machine I've tried to do this much work on. Had to rebuild the drops, re-pin most of the molex, replace the rectifier, replace some coils etc... move a few wires that were in the wrong locations on the MPU and now I'm enjoying it after months of frustration.
Along the way I made mistakes, this happens when you learn, and I've accepted it as part of the experience. I'm still learning how to read the schematics but I'm getting better after all the trial and error on Meteor and wire mapping. During this process I've somehow blown all the control lights on the playfield, which I had working at one point. I'm pretty sure this happened when I realized I had the white wire on my rectifier (top left molex, 8 connections) one spot over (far right when it should have been second from right) and I shifted it recognizing my error. My solenoids weren't firing at that time either. I *think* I somehow got my solenoid and control light wires reversed (or something related to control light wire) and since that moment I haven't been able to get the control lights on my playfield back. I confused the all blue wire with the blue with white stripes wire. I assumed I blew something, would make sense, but after swapping out my fuses, the lamp board for a working one I had on hand they're still dead. I thought it might be a re-pin issue on the rectifier but I've done that again and nothing. I checked all the soldering points on the back of the rectifier and they seem strong. Any ideas where to begin?
This might be pretty simple. Check the bulbs. If you hooked it up wrong you could have cooked them all. I have seen it done many times.
Quoted from cottonm4:Use wood glue. Go to hardware store and get a 3' length og 1/8" dowel rod. If the 1/8 rod does not fit in the hole you have 2 options.
1) Drill the hole to 1/8" to allow the dowel to fit.
or
2) sand or scrape some of the dowel away so it will fit in the hole.
Cut a small piece of dowel 1/2" long. Apply some glue and push the dowel into the hole. Have another piece of dowel handy to push the dowel to just a little bit below the surface of the play field---a punch or a nail will also work to push your repair dowel into the hole; This will give to a good way to locate your drill bit to redrill the hole without the drill bit "walking" on you.
To drill the hole, you need a 3/32" bit with equals .093 which is the diameter of most ball guides.
Or you can do the toothpick thing.
This is what I would do too. The only difference is I would focus on filling the existing hole and not make it bigger. What I do is cut off about 4" of dowel and insert it into my drill like it was a drill bit. I then run it over sandpaper to get it to the correct thickness. Glue it in place and then redrill it. Good as new after that.
Quoted from Mathazar:FWIW, my original Meteor playfield had the post before I swapped in a CPR, tho it looks likes an operator hodge-podged in a plastic post with washers....doesn't look factory.
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Since the hole was there, I put it in a metal post when I did the CPR swap.
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That first photo is factory. I have seen it with both a plastic sleeve and metal one. It does seem like an after thought but that is how it was done back n the day.
I think it is fair to say Stars is the best m-100 game. For me, I favor the m-200 games. 9 times out of 10, I would prefer playing, purchasing and / or restoring the m-200 titles.
Quoted from Ollulanus:Any suggestions about where I might tap 12v off a classic stern (seawitch)? I'd like to add apron lighting to brighten the lower playfield; simple enough to order some 5v strips but I've got a bunch of 12v on hand already. Would fuse it wherever I put it. I see 12v in a couple places on the schematics, not sure where of wire the return though....likely best to just order some cheap 5v strips, but now I'm curious.
I assume your game is already converted to LEDs. It would be a cleaner install to tap the GI and install 5V strips. Adding a fuse wouldn't be necessary since it is already fused.
Quoted from cottonm4:I feel like a fool. I can't remember and cannot find the info on how to set up a Weebly MPU for Freeplay. Can someone tell me what switch controls the the Freeplay setting?
It seems to vary. Here is the link to the PDF.
Quoted from cottonm4:I have that link, thank you. And he says it can be set for freeplay but I can't find that particular instruction.
Open the PDF and look at the table. It is usually dip 8. There is some variation though.
Hey, Classic Stern Fans. I just listed a bunch of Stern parts that were cluttering up my shop. Free US Shipping on most of it.
Quoted from Ollulanus:Well, tried a methodical approach - this time clipping off the caps pretty much resolved the issue (minor adjustment required to get it to 100). That was one of the first things I tried on the original switches when adjustments didn't seem to be working, zero effect. And then I replaced the caps, no change. Same caps used when replacing the switches with new ones. Sigh. Pinball.
Actually, if anyone cares to explain why caps could even cause multiple fires in the first place, I don't quite see how that would work anyway. Thought they were stabilizing/slightly extending the signal...
Each pair of sling switchs are wired in parallel. There should only be one diode and one cap per pair. Did you have caps on both switches in the same pair? I can see that configuration being problematic.
Quoted from tatman9999:Anyone know the color of stern legs and coin door? Want to repaint them.
Hammered silver Rustoleum is the best color if you are looking to spray paint the legs and doors. Powder looks great and in a nice upgrade. This is my goto color.
https://www.tiger-coatings.com/us-en/shop/show/39-90980
20230529_190059 (resized).jpgQuoted from newovad:I have a Wild Fyre that followed me home but wants to become a Quicksilver. Is the group cool with that?
I am all for it. The only reason I didn't do it myself is because of the quality of the QS playfield. Seems like that one is plagued with quality problems.
Quoted from Ollulanus:Can anyone confirm offhand the original leg style for classic sterns? I'm assuming it's the single-rib down the center style, not the modern two-rib style, but not certain?
The actual legs are obsolete but these are pretty darn close.
https://www.pinballlife.com/williamsbally-non-ribbed-raw-legs-set-of-4.html
Quoted from hisokajp:i have been buying the bally ones from PBL and repainting them with hammer grey/bleu
https://www.pinballlife.com/bally-gray-legs-set-of-4.html
I have everything powder coated so the raw legs work better for me.
Quoted from Ollulanus:Anyone mind giving me the cliff notes on difs between 100 and 200 cabs? Looking at maybe picking up a dracula, putting a stake through it's heart to make a home for the SG playfield I just picked up.
I'm probably gonna need a couple 3-drop banks regardless too, in case anyone's sitting on parts they'd like to sell.
I would hold out for a 200 series cabinet. The cabinets are vary similar. The speaker is in the wrong location and the coin door cutout might be recessed. Both issues are addressable. The real problem is the wrong transformer and lockdown bar / receiver. Star Gazer is a high end game. It would benefit you to make it correct as possible.
Quoted from play_pinball:Mad_Dog_Coin_Op Since you still hype on the all original OEM specs I’m still curious why you used metal pop rings with your build.
That's an easy one. It is simply a durability factor. The metal ones are a superior product. People argue that the plastic ones are lighter and as a result, have better action. In my experience they flex too much which negates any benefit from the lighter weight.
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Ugh. Lightning. I'm still so irritated with the one I picked up. After a good number of hours scrubbing and polishing the playfield and trying to address several small irritating problems (hello, ramps) I'm pretty sure my playfield is warped...or something. The ball curves left on the lower pf unless I jack up the left levelers. Dropping in my QS playfield, the levelers have to drop back down. So incredibly frustrating. It's on the rotisserie again because I have absolutely no idea what to do about it at this point. I definitely wouldn't want any less power from the transformer though, fwiw.
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A couple things you can do to fix a warped playfield.
1) Switch your OEM pine wood rails for oak.
2) If not already installed, add playfield stiffeners to the bottom of the playfield. Mantis Pinball sells them.
Warped playfields do suck.
Quoted from slochar:I'll swap you like for like for all the plastic ones you pull for the metal ones I replace. I always hoard the removed parts, because, well, you never know when you need it. I've never had a busted plastic one. I've had busted metal ones. (Well, ok, THOSE removed parts I toss out because they are busted)
Also, anyone that wants new plastic ones pretty sure swinks has got you covered. Personally, I prefer vintage good used parts to anything new, but I think I'm a bit off that way in that I don't believe that everything needs to be replaced with new to have a well playing game.
Don't get me wrong, I love the OEM stuff but when making a game, I have to keep reliability, uniformity and serviceability in mind. I have never had a classic Stern in the shop that didn't have at least one failed Gen 2 pop bumper assembly. I need 3 vintage pop assemblies in pristine shape to build a Star Gazer (for example). Everything I have in my stash is discolored to the point where they don't look good as an installed set. Also keep in mind most of my games are coming from the desert south west. That heat takes a toll on plastic. The 3D printed stuff seems durable but still looks printed to me. If I modernize the pop bumper by putting metal rings and rods, it just became easily serviceable by the new owner. Those parts can be sourced almost anywhere. And no, my plastic Gen 2 pop assemblies aren't for sale. One day a might be able to make a matching set out of what I have.
Quoted from piccolohl:what is an appropriate substitite (or the correct one but i couldnt find it) for a wild fyre shooter rod? data east?
mine's rusty heh
The best replacement is GTB-A5920+. The Pinball Resource might be the only source for it. Got a PBR account?
gtb-a5920+ (resized).jpgQuoted from bluespin:If you’re talking about part CCM-A186, Steve is out. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-production-seawitch-playfields
Pinball Life has these parts that should be exact copies of the originals. https://www.pinballlife.com/classic-stern-coil-stop.html
I believe what is needed is the larger coil stop for the drop target assembly. The one you listed is the "normal" sized coil stop.
Look what I found in my stash of parts. These are the version 2 Stern lockbars. They will clean up really nice. Perfect for a Stern scratch build since Mantis now makes the receiver. How does $120 (each) with free shipping sound if in the US. PM me if interested.
EDIT - These were just claimed.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:Look what I found in my stash of parts. These are the version 2 Stern lockbars. They will clean up really nice. Perfect for a Stern scratch build since Mantis now makes the receiver. How does $120 (each) with free shipping sound if in the US. PM me if interested.
Edit - These were already claimed.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Quoted from gdonovan:$35 shipped in United States.
I just picked up some more vinyl so will be rattling off a few more this morning before running to post office.
Shown below are examples of some aprons done with vinyl cut decals.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
I just installed your vinyl decal on my Star Gazer apron. It looks good!!!
20231020_090703 (resized).jpgMy new collector quality Stern correct Star Gazer build is coming along nicely. It should be ready 12/1. This one is unsold. Ping me if interested. It will be offered at the same price as last time. Today the MPU-200 series cabinet got her third coat of gloss oil based paint. The weather in SoCal was perfect. It went on super nice. This game will have a surprise or two that hasn't been seen before. More to come.
20231111_183017 (resized).jpgQuoted from billsfanmd:So did I. . What is a good temp. I think mine has 4 settings.
650 if your solder is lead based. I would avoid using lead-free solder.
Quoted from splattii:I have a Meteor with LED's installed for all the inserts. The machine was using Alltek boards. I recently had a tech go over all the original boards and after having them repaired I swapped out the MPU and Solenoid board but left the lamp driver so the LED's would be ok. I now have insane flicker on all my playfield/insert lights but the lights under the plastics are fine. The backbox lights are all ok. Not sure why the playfield are flickering. Any ideas?
The new light driver boards are great but don't always take care of the flicker completely on their own. Meteor seems to be the worst. I had to add a resistors to 85% of my feature lights to eliminate the problem completely.
Well, it is 12/1 and I promised to be done with the new Star Gazer build.
Here it is:
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/168599
The glass is nice, but I have a fresh sheet waiting for the new owner . I'll take some more photos when the light is favorable. This will likely be my last build for some time. I am being pulled in a different direction these days.
Quoted from Ollulanus:How do you like that compared to the mirrored one from Coos? I'm a sucker for mirroring myself,.but those do look nice.
Presently, the Coos mirrored glass is better only becasue it requires less work. Please keep in mind that the new glass is a prototype. The color is great on the new glass, but it is void of the insert text. This will be addressed by Fantastic Pinball if he decides to develop this product further. My desire to use the new backglass got me the prototype color correct glass. We were bouncing ideas off of each other on how to light the thing. I addressed it by making inserts in the baffles for the missing text. It required more work but now I have flames and text. Fantastic's approach is more a led controller and custom light board. I don't think I'm giving anything away. He did post an early version of his light board on Facebook. I got the feeling he wasn't happy with his first attempt
Here is my light board. If you look closely you can see the text. Currently if is black lettering on transparency film. I am already in the process of upgrading the text to be vinyl on Lexan.
20231201_140750 (resized).jpg
Quoted from DaveTheTrain:New/correct fuse and voltage regulator and all good!
Next issue, the game resets when playing, but is fine if you leave it for 5minutes. As if it needs to warm up.
Anything spring to mind?
Sounds like you need to replace the rectifier board and re-pin those connections. Some of the moden day replacements are much better than OEM.
Quoted from GoldenOreos:anyone making spinner brackets? or know where I can get a few?
The Stern spinner bracket is obsolete. The Gottlieb version is identical but may need one hole elongated where the bracket meets the post. This is easily done, but the part is getting tough to find too (Gottlieb part # A-14043). A cheap solution is buying nos Brunswick spinners from the Pinball Resource or Pinball Life. The complete assembly is like 5 bucks. The spinner bracket on these work great. The only issue is a slightly different finish on the metal.
Quoted from bluespin:I believe the Brunswick spinner wires are thinner than other brands like Stern, Bally, etc., so you would have to drill the spinner bracket to make the hole larger. Did you swap in other spinners in your builds or did you use the Brunswick spinner?
The holes in the Brunswick brackets work fine with the Stern spinner wire size. The funny thing about Brunswick spinners is they don't fit correctly even in their own brackets. They are wider than they should be. For that reason Brunswick spinners shouldn't be used in Stern or Bally games. But the bracket works great. You can even see the fit issues on the photo used by PBR. The bracket needs flexed to accommodate the Brunswick spinner with the longer wire. I personally use Stern OEM spinners or Bally generics.
k-55101778004 (resized).jpg
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:This should be a quick sale.
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/170459
Item was just sold.
Quoted from cottonm4:Nine Ball feature lights.
After 3 years, I have finally put power to my Nine Ball rebuild. I'm working through some problems. Some I have already figured. Others are going to take some time.
Issue: Drop target light not working properly. There are 2 drop target assemblies. Each drop has 2 blue lights and one pink light.
During lights test all 6 lights light up brightly as shown in this vid.However, in attract mode I have something entirely different. Where did my lights go? They work in test mode attract mode only two lights work. I'm lost on this.
Looking for ideas. Thanks
I am not sure in Nine ball but several mpu-200 games have more lights in them than the circuitry / programing running the attract mode can handle. As a result, several lights are hard on or off altogether. This happens on Star Gazer by the rollovers. It kind of looks funny while in attract mode but works as it should during game play.
Quoted from Coyote:I'll give PBR a call next week then, thanks!
Brunswick brackets are great. Brunswick spinners are awful. First choice is a Stern OEM spinner. Second choice is a Bally OEM spinner. Third choice is a generic Bally spinner.
Hey Classic Stern fans. I need a OEM coin box for my current project. Anybody have a decent one to spare? DM me with a price.
Wasn't somebody on this board selling a repro Dragonfist backglass? I seem to remember reading something about one being available but can't find the post.
Yeah, they are great but some already had an extra one in the US. I would like to save some cash on shipping if I can.
Yes, that's it. It looks Like he might of sold it off Pinside. I'll message him anyway. Who knows, I might get lucky.
Quoted from GoldenOreos:got my box of abundance, if anyone needs any for playfield swaps or new builds just hit me up and we can work out something.
[quoted image]
I still like these for tight spaces where a t-nut won't work. This is typical a post hole super close to a drop target assembly. That being said, I normally ditch them where I can because they are problematic. T-nuts and threaded metal posts are my goto solution on classic Sterns.
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