What's a nice original worth these days?

Pinside average reports north of 10K… personally that feels high for me, but they didn’t make many of them and it has really gained steam in popularity over the years. Some repro playfields available for it, it may be worth piecing together your own vs buying one at current prices imo.

Speaking as someone who builds games. This is doable but an expensive process requiring multiple different skill sets. Most folks can't manage it and the ones that can usually don't have the time to do it. The cost to do a conversion or scratch build correctly is grossly under estimate by most.

i bought one that is a nice original example a few years ago for 7k USD. backglass, playfield and cabinet are all pretty nice with extra spare spinners and a few other parts in the coin box. wasn't sure if the pinside avg is accurate because it did seem high to me as well.

This guy blew the doors off. He got $11K for his Star Gazer. At least this is what he said.

And check out that cheesy apron paint job.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive/154721

Got star gazer set up and playing 100% . I put all new boards, I put a weebly MPU . What are the settings on the dip switches to use? Any one sell a new lock down bar?

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Look at dip switches #5, #17, #23, and #29 and make your choices. Most of the rest are just like your other Sterns.

https://www.ipdb.org/files/2346/Stern_1980_Star_Gazer_Manual.pdf

Can I become a member of the Star Gazer Club even if the backglass and light panel are from a Stars machine?

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Come on in. You can get a Star Gazer back glass from BG Resto. I can make you a lamp board.

You have the nice blue play field with the matching plastics. It looks like it is in very good condition.

Hello fellow club members,

I have a question for any of you that are using the PinTech displays. My six digit display for the credit/match is acting strange. There is a space between the two digits(see pic). So the right two digits light correctly for the ball in play, then the 3rd digit is dark and the 4th and 5th are displaying the credits number. I'm wondering if I'm missing a jumper on the board or something. FYI, These were DIY boards that I soldered myself.
I've contacted Pintech but have not heard anything back from them. Resent them another email and still waiting for a response.
Thanks,

Brian

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Your display is fine. What you need to do is move some wires on the connector plugged into the display. I can send you a photo of how mine is wired later today when I am back home.

Edit: I found a photo on my phone.

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Thank you Sir, appreciated it very much!

Brian.

Think I am having the same problem - what am I looking at in the photo you posted that indicated which wires are moved? thanks in advance

So, the connector shown in my photo is where the wires should be to display correctly on an Alltek MPU. It may also be needed for a Weebly board set. I'll know for sure soon because I am currently building a Star Gazer with Weebly boards. Anyway, what you basically do is remove the 100 digit control wire. Then, remove the 1000 digit control wire and place it where the 100 digit wire came from. After that, remove the 10000 digit wire and put it in the 1000 spot. The last step is to install the loose 100 digit control wire into the free 10000 digit spot. When you're all done, it should look like my photo.

Please note. My backbox harness started life as a Meteor harness. Your wire colors should be the same but Stern is known for changing things up.

You may notice the credit window on the backglass is wider than the ball in play window. Stern did this so they could use either 6-digit or 7-digit displays there depending on stock levels. However it meant the display had to be wired accordingly for the most "in view" digits to display in that window. It has nothing to do with the type of MPU board in use.
i.e. your game was originally wired for a 7-digit display there and technically the original software was designed for it (with the credit digits shifted).

Great info Guys! I suspected that something needed to be changed up. Just wasn't sure what and how to figure it out. By the time I get home from work, I barely have the brain power to eat!

Brian

That makes sense. I always thought it was an oversight on the code dump on the aftermarket boards.

I just listed my Star Gazer:
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/166433
I hope it goes to a good home!

Shiny! I love the yellow rubbers, I don't think I've ever seen one like that. Might have to steal that idea for mine...

What could cause all my displays to stop working. Game boots and plays. I have xpin displays. I put one of the display in my big game and it works. So it is not the displays. I switched the solenoid board with an altek and same. I have a new webly MPU . All fuse check good.

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I don’t know if this would resolve your problem or not but you should remove the high voltage fuse on your SDB since you have LED displays.

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Messed with it for 1 hour switched solenoid board and then put old one back. Was playing dragon fist and looked over and it was on. Played a different dragon and it was still work. Not sure what was going on

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All displays are out again. They are xpin. It is not the displays. It has all new boards. All fuses are good.

Swap out the transformer/rectifier board from one of your other Sterns and see what happens. 20 minute job.

I plugged one regular display and that one works and also the rest of the blue ones come on just missing numbers. If I unplug regular display they all go out.

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That board is couple
Months old.

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Game has been on 15-20 and the displays just came on with the game on. Same thing happened last time. Maybe a cold joint on board?

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Pull out the fuses and squeeze the retaining clips together to create more tension. It sounds like you have a flaky connection some place. A lot of those after market clips are pretty low quality.

If your plasma displays still working you have the high voltage running to your LED Xpin displays. Remove the fuse from the solenoid driver board.

My latest and possibly last Star Gazer is complete. I just listed her.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/168599

I just removed the fuse.

They are going on and off . Where does it draw its power from?

Honestly I’m unfamiliar with the Xpin’s specifically. I just have read that low power LED displays don’t need the high voltage and leaving the fuse in can cause issues to occur with them. Only thing I’ve known from Xpin is their 7-digit conversion system (obviously not needed here)… which I never bought into having read of several errors with them. Calling in the real techs: Quench slochar

Led replacement displays for bally stern usually leave the high voltage pin disconnected for safety. They run off five volts so if they aren't coming on you don't have enough current in your five volt line to drive them so you're looking at regulated five volt issues on the solenoid driver board. It could also be connector related

Just replaced the solenoid board with a new Alltek that I had. Same issue.

Could it be defective?

I am the guy who will buy the on-floor demo unit every time, when I can; Because I can see that it actually works. I got tired of coming home with my purchase only to find it was physically broken or did not work right out of the box.

Connectors Connectors Connectors. Start going thru and re-pin them all til it goes away.

Hey Bob. Check for DC power at the displays:
TP2- Ground
TP3- 5VDC

Here is a good photo of the back of my shop. Both Star Gazers are in view. The one on the right is the one I just completed. Both Star Gazers are illuminated with the same Comet sunlight LEDs. The one on the right / for sale, has the new color correct backglass.

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Finally getting around to finishing my own build. This will be at TPF as the first game to be played in the Multi-Bally cab.

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I dont think I made a post in here yet, but this is the 2nd star gazer playfield I have built/wired up. Very close to the finishing line, still have the wild fyre cabinet to stencil, and wire up the coils/Install flippers. Started with the insert lights (purple wire) then matrix. Green is column, yellow is row...Wire management has improved, but not 'perfect'...don't think that part will ever be ..but it works!

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Ready to test

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I picked up 2 more playfields at pinfest in Allentown this weekend. Which means 2 more scratch builds coming! Most likely will scan the good one and sand the bad one to put an overlay on and clear

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That's a nice looking original pf.

Been close to 50 years since I last stole a street sign…

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I had to run this on Google Earth to see what came up.

Are we going to be seeing some street sign toppers?

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Ha! This one is on one of my 10 mile bike rides and it just happened to catch my eye. My personal favorite is a neighborhood with Aussie street names including, I kid you not, Kangaroo Court. And not far from Star Gazer is a newer area where all the street names are Marvel characters. There is even a Dr Strange Dr. SMDH.

I’m getting ready to clean this up and this is a little bit of a bummer. Is this spinner bracket just installed backwards?

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Wow. 10 mile bike rides. I should be as dedicated

You can flip it around. Easy to do.

Yes, flip it around. It will probably work better too. Currently, your spinner wire looks crooked. Once flipped, it should be nice and straight.