They are the correct length but from your pics, it looks like they are Bally legs that have been repainted. They look good and the game will play fine, so you could search out original Stern legs if that is something that bugs you.

Could someone take a picture of the J2 connector on the MPU. I pulled two wires out and I want to make sure I put them back correctly pins 2 and 3.

This is how I think it goes
P1 W/r
P2 Br/w
P3 W/b
P4 W/y
P5 Y/r
IMG_7724 (resized).jpeg

Thank you

anyone here able to take a photo of the their flipper mechs? mine has bally flippers on it and I want to go back to SEI ones?

thanks,
Neil.

Can someone tell me how this board is getting power?
Thanks

Screenshot_20240305-125639 (resized).png

Power input to mpu is j4 lower left connector

but no battery?

What is your question? Is it where is the battery, or where does the board get power from? The battery only provides enough power to save scores and settings.

thanks for clarification

I just picked up a Stars in pretty solid condition. This is my first game of this vintage and I'm still unpacking a lot of it.

I noticed tonight that "Game Over" is always lit. I also found a video that looks like the words "STARS" on the back glass is supposed to be controlled lights but mine is also always lit. Player count and active player light as they should, so at least some lights in the backbox are controlled.

Guesses on where to start looking?

Congrats on joining the club!

Sounds like an SCR on the lamp driver may be bad, causing the game over light to stay lit.

The lettering on the backglass is just regular general illumination as far as i know. An easy way to tell is to look at the back side of the insert panel (the door behind the backglass that swings out to reveal the circuit boards) and see if there's any special wiring going to those light sockets. Otherwise there may just be more general illumination sockets/wiring there. If you want to make them flash, you can add blinker bulbs (i added a couple behind some of the stars on the back glass to make a 'twinkling' effect)...

Another way to check is to grab the manual and check the section listing the controlled lamps -- all will be listed there (plus it will tell you where to find the potentially faulty SCR for the Game Over lamp).

Good luck!

Thanks!

Gotcha, I’ll have a look at it tonight. Good to know!

That’s the video I found and now that you mention it it does appear to simply be blinkers. A neat effect but I would be fine without it.

I didn’t get a paper manual with the game but I found the pdf online. I’ll print it out for easier reference.

Can anyone tell me if this is the correct capacitor for standup targets?
thanks

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/C.01M500VR

You want a 0.05uf or 0.047uf cap (ceramic is good, film is even better for longevity) for that purpose. Marco carries these:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=0.047uf+capacitor

These also work great at a fraction of the cost. Originally recommended by vid1900

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/10-x-0-047uf-50v-ceramic-disc-capacitor-pkg-of-10.html

Order one of these to bump over the $5 minimum if you don’t have one already. It’s great for repinning connectors.
https://www.taydaelectronics.com/sn-48b-crimping-tool-plier-0-5-1-5-mm-for-awg-26-16.html

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/crimp-terminal-connector-2-54mm.html

You pointed me in the right direction . I got a replacement and the lights are all working correctly now.

Next question is about standup target disc caps. I noticed one missing and another disconnected. I researched the ratings (I’m not very knowledgeable) and ordered these on spec and the online photo looked like the right size, but they are tiny little things. Should they be safe to use anyway or did I buy the wrong thing?

IMG_3436 (resized).jpeg

IMG_3453 (resized).jpeg

Those caps will be fine

I ran into the same confusion when i ordered switch caps--seems the form factor has gotten considerably smaller since these games were produced. As Bill said: they'll work fine.

Glad the scr fixed your game over light too

And so the playfield swap begins. Cleared by Ron Kruzman.

As soon as the weather warms up a bit...I'll paint the cab.

20240320_182025 (resized).jpg

That looks incredible! The temptation to do something like that is higher that what I would have guessed when I bought mine.

I replaced all the caps on the standups. I didn’t really notice any unregistered hits but seemed like a good idea to be proactive.

I think the next thing I will tackle is the chime box. Sounds ok-ish but the grommets are worn and I think a previous owner used random sized coil sleeves. One sleeve touches it’s related chime and the others don’t. It looks like Bally chime boxes have nylon nuts on machine threaded bolts whereas Stern used wood screws. Would I still be using eyelets that are included in the chime rebuild kit or are they only adjusted by the tension of the wood screw through the grommet?

My eyes... its so beautiful.

I just rebuilt my chime unit before starting the playfield. I got the bally kit that pinball life sells. I tried using the brass sleeves (they fit inside the grommets) and the sound was dead. I removed them and backed the wood screws out to tune the bars. Used longer screws. I also had to shorten the coil sleeves as the bars were resting on them. One thing I did find and was going to ask here...I had one plunger that looked like it went through a pencil sharpener. I assume it was spinning over time and dragging on the edge of the smallest bar. Anyone know what plungers will work for the chime box? In the meantime I put it under the longest bar. It's still the same length, just sharpened.

I was also thinking I'd need to use longer screws to get the job done. And it sounds like I should have a look at the plungers too before I place another order since I may want to add them as necessary if the part is available.

I did the chime rebuild over the weekend and my goodness was it tough to get those rubber grommets into the holes in the chimes. The flange on them is much larger than the originals but the center seems the same. I also tried with and without the eyelets and it did sound better without them. They were kind of a tight fit into the rubber as well. All told, I'm satisfied with how they sound but not blown away.

I'm still going through the game looking for issues. I found a couple sling-style switches that were making contact with slight vibration and gave them a proper gap, but they bend back so easily that I'd rather replace them with new ones. Is this the appropriate switch?

https://www.pinballlife.com/data-eastsegastern-slingshot-leaf-switch.html

Lastly, I came across this picture of the playfield and noticed the item circled in red. I don't have one. Is it protection for the plastics? Obtainable anywhere?

Stern Stars missing part (resized).jpg

From what I remember that's a little half dome shaped rubber with a nail/tack mounting it in the back rail. I'm trying to find an example on marco but failing a bit. I'll keep looking.

I appreciate it!

Google furniture nail sliders. Like what’s used on the back of pinball cabinets. They come in different sizes.

So it’s just a white plastic dome? My game has what looks like a screw hole in it but maybe it’s a nail hole. It also doesn’t look like it does much.

Yes, it's just a dome with a nail end. Exactly, a furniture nail slider.

What's my Stars worth? Repainted cab and pf swap with the Aussie drop targets. New CPR BG. All LEDS and yellow titans. I haven't seen one sold with this playfield

IMG_7594 (resized).jpgIMG_7595 (resized).jpgIMG_7597 (resized).jpgIMG_7602 (resized).jpgIMG_7614 (resized).jpgIMG_7615 (resized).jpgIMG_7616 (resized).jpg

One million give or take 100k

I can't decide if that playfield hurts it or is unique. You might find a buyer between 4k-5k if they wanted that playfield.
-Mike

Cool

I really like the playfield but I still think it hurts the selling price.