Meteor
Stern Electronics, 1979Moved the cabinet into the house today since it’s been humid to give it a little more time to dry.
I spent the day depopulating the old playfield. I then ran all the wiring through the dishwasher. Once it came out I blew out the connectors and tossed the plungers and coil stops in the tumbler.
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Today was all about repopulating the playfield. If you haven’t yet, read vid1900 guide on populating a playfield. There are some great tips there. A few more hours in the day and I would have finished.
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DIY drill stop made from a dowel on the drill press. You can make 50 of them for around $1.50
I like this because you can also use it as a depth gauge by putting a bit in the old play field, slide the dowel over the bit, then lock your drill chuck onto the remaining shank of the bit hanging out. Violla! You have the depth set to the same as the old play field without measuring anything.
I forgot to add, that while I was putting everything back, I also used the extra holes in the playfield to wire up some additional bayonet sockets. There are 2 under the upper plastics, and 2 under the lower side plastics. For the lowers I’ll probably use some bendies and try to get a little more light directed at the middle of the playfield.
I also swapped out the target assembly. Hopefully the new one produces fewer air balls. I smacked the glass hard a bunch of times when hitting that target.
Lastly I put on all new flipper mechs. I kept the old coil for the upper flipper. It’s a little weaker than the lower flippers, so it’ll hopefully not destroy all the posts behind the meteor targets.
Now I just need to swap out all the drop targets and screw the assemblies back on, then solder the leads to the ball ejector coil and the playfield is all back together.
Quoted from lowbeau67:Looks great!
I'm at the sanding my cleared playfield
stage right now on mine and.then my
FIRST playfield swap.
Nice! This is my first as well. Not all that bad, kinda fun, just takes time. The worst is the hesitancy to drill through new clear coat to install all your posts. It's nerve wracking trying not to screw up.
I appreciate you taking the time to make this thread. As always, I learn a thing or two or three. In particular, thanks for alerting me to Jeff's acetone stripping approach. I enjoy the new drill stop as well. I'd be swapping in parallel to you, but the silk screened Meteor PF I received from CPR is missing the point values on the big DT bank, so I've put off deciding to live with it or attempting to fix the the problem and focused on a different swap. Anyways, nice work and best of luck going forward.
As I was finishing up my playfield swap, I had to readjust my #3 drop target bank since one of the drops was getting hung up. This probably wouldn’t have been an issue with the chicklet style, but with the hot stamped ones I got it with the larger top were getting stuck.
BD7F50D4-8E33-4D19-980B-5A67E1A04A72 (resized).jpegQuoted from TheLaw:Yeah they are no where near as good.
I keep hoping someone will step up and make better repro drop targets. There has to be a lot of early Sterns that would benefit.
So back to my drop target issue. Something didn’t sit right so I grabbed out my calipers. Notice anything? That’s right, the slot for the #3 drop target 0.3” smaller that the others and than the original playfield. I sent the guys from CPR an email to check their CAD file.
It’s not the end of the world. I was able to get it so my drop targets fall reliably and completely, but it is odd that it was off that much.
3FF837AF-9946-4DF6-95CC-2D73590609D5 (resized).jpeg4A9F221C-483F-4584-9DEE-2F8A73DD57A1 (resized).jpegI forgot to add, when you put the dead bumpers in, you really have to push them down hard.
I thought my leads for the lights were a little short which seemed odd, then I realized I could push the dead bumpers in further and they clicked into place
Quoted from Pinbub:I keep hoping someone will step up and make better repro drop targets. There has to be a lot of early Sterns that would benefit.
I wonder what it would take to repro the originals. It seems like they would sell like hot cakes.
Quoted from bigguybbr:As I was finishing up my playfield swap, I had to readjust my #3 drop target bank since one of the drops was getting hung up. This probably wouldn’t have been an issue with the chicklet style, but with the hot stamped ones I got it with the larger top were getting stuck.
[quoted image]
Chicklet-style is essential for Meteor to play well: Whenever I'm at a Pinball Show (seems like 20 years ago now) I always surf the crap-parts-bins for original/unbroken chicklet drops, so I have spares on hand in the rare event of breakage on the M-E-T-E-O-R bank (the upper-flipper, if properly adjusted, won't abuse them too much). Not sure why no one has ever repro-ed them, but it's a sorely missing part for sure. That and the "long-arm" spinner for Nineball!
Quoted from Dr_Dude:Chicklet-style is essential for Meteor to play well: Whenever I'm at a Pinball Show (seems like 20 years ago now) I always surf the crap-parts-bins for original/unbroken chicklet drops, so I have spares on hand in the rare event of breakage on the M-E-T-E-O-R bank (the upper-flipper, if properly adjusted, won't abuse them too much). Not sure why no one has ever repro-ed them, but it's a sorely missing part for sure. That and the "long-arm" spinner for Nineball!
I'd like to get some spares of the Chicklet style for the 1,2, and 3 drops but I have the METEOR drops converted to the newer style and they have been working great. No complaints
I agree with this. The chicklet is the way to go. I just finished a total restore on my Meteor and the repros bricked very bad on direct hits. I changed the spring tension and adjusted the Meteor targets as best as I could. I got it to work somewhat consistently however, I wasn't completely satisfied. So, I located chicklet targets from other pinside members and replaced all the repros in the game with originals. It took cleaning them up and painting them to look new with decals. The game play is so much better. The best $20 I have spent in pinball parts for sure.
Someone should definitely reproduce the originals.
Quoted from Dr_Dude:Chicklet-style is essential for Meteor to play well: Whenever I'm at a Pinball Show (seems like 20 years ago now) I always surf the crap-parts-bins for original/unbroken chicklet drops, so I have spares on hand in the rare event of breakage on the M-E-T-E-O-R bank (the upper-flipper, if properly adjusted, won't abuse them too much). Not sure why no one has ever repro-ed them, but it's a sorely missing part for sure. That and the "long-arm" spinner for Nineball!
Quoted from bigguybbr:I made a little mod for my cabinet. My old playfield was gouged by the playfield support brackets, and I want to avoid that in the future. I added some nylon runners to help stop that in the future.
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Just FYI... If you plan on using the underside metal rails that run lengthwise along the PF edge to prevent warping, those screws securing the nylon runners are going to be a problem. The metal rails go into that space. I'd rather have a stable playfield than worry about underside scratches that no one will ever see.
Perhaps your Meteor didn't come with the rails. I've seen some both with & without the rails from the factory.
You are doing some uncommon things. I'm curious to see close up pics of your cabinet, and if you really were able to achieve a smooth glass surface after using that Aqua-Coat. I've never heard of that before. I'm more of a prime-sand-prime-sand guy, but always down for new ideas.
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:Just FYI... If you plan on using the underside metal rails that run lengthwise along the PF edge to prevent warping, those screws securing the nylon runners are going to be a problem. The metal rails go into that space. I'd rather have a stable playfield than worry about underside scratches that no one will ever see.
Perhaps your Meteor didn't come with the rails. I've seen some both with & without the rails from the factory.
You are doing some uncommon things. I'm curious to see close up pics of your cabinet, and if you really were able to achieve a smooth glass surface after using that Aqua-Coat. I've never heard of that before. I'm more of a prime-sand-prime-sand guy, but always down for new ideas.
My playfield didn’t come with the rails. I looked at ordering them, but the shipping alone was +$50 so I decided to use the $4 worth of nylon.
Jeff Miller (Pinball Pimp) gave me the tip to use Durham’s Rock Hard as a grain filler. It worked well on my last restoration (pic below) but it’s a bit of a pain to work with so I’m trying AquaCoat
4DC56151-9BC7-47B6-9F15-61B90041F868 (resized).jpegPrepping for the first color to go on. I was able to sneak out and get the head done on my lunch break and will do the main body of the cabinet tonight after dinner when I can recruit the wife to help me peel the paint mask. She has much steadier hands than I have, and I am thankful for it.
I had a couple of spots where the basecoat paint didn't adhere well and lifted with the masking tape. I'll have to touch up those spots before I clear coat.
Fixed my own screw up. Was trying to use a dental pick to clear the star roll overs to get it moving freely when my heart sank as the clear coat slightly lifted on part of it. I got some "Plastic Surgery" glue and a syringe and was able to get it back to being clear. There is a very fine line still visible, but you really have to stare hard to find it.
IMG_2099 (resized).JPGIMG_2100 (resized).JPGFirst color on. Had some more undercoat lift off. The heat and humidity really messed with how this paint cured, and it seems the wood filler I used to fill cracks and dents isn’t very strong for thin repairs of small dents. It’s going to need some touch ups.
Edit: I did the touch ups with a small brush and my third bourbon in hand. It seemed to be the sweet spot for a steady hand and calm focus. I’ll have to remember to employ this technique again next time fine detail work is needed
2F6874A9-2F92-419C-8212-320966972DD4 (resized).jpegSo a word of warning if you get the hot stamped pinball resource drop targets, don’t get isopropyl alcohol on them. The black will smudge a little onto the plastic and it is hard to get off. If you do accidentally do this, you can clean them up with a magic eraser and get them back to bright white again.
Quoted from bigguybbr:Second color on the cabinet. Slaping some clear on it tomorrow.
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Awesome work and thread man. This stuff is hugely invaluable and greatly appreciated.
Quoted from bigguybbr:I sent the guys from CPR an email to check their CAD file.
It’s not the end of the world. I was able to get it so my drop targets fall reliably and completely, but it is odd that it was off that much.
I'm doing a Centaur 2 with a reproduction playfield and *everything* is off. All of the routing is in the wrong place and the scale of what is routed is significantly off. I'd rather that they'd never drilled pilot holes and just let me do it with the amount of repair filling and routing I've had to do on this project.
My Meteor restoration was a piece of cake, mostly it was a factory NOS playfield from Stern. I couldn't have asked for a smoother playfield swap. I have one more CPR field left to swap on a Xenon, but I think after this I'm going to use hard-tops. Easily 1/3 of the hours in the current project are correcting unnecessary mistakes in the reproduction.
Quoted from semicolin:I'm doing a Centaur 2 with a reproduction playfield and *everything* is off. All of the routing is in the wrong place and the scale of what is routed is significantly off. I'd rather that they'd never drilled pilot holes and just let me do it with the amount of repair filling and routing I've had to do on this project.
My Meteor restoration was a piece of cake, mostly it was a factory NOS playfield from Stern. I couldn't have asked for a smoother playfield swap. I have one more CPR field left to swap on a Xenon, but I think after this I'm going to use hard-tops. Easily 1/3 of the hours in the current project are correcting unnecessary mistakes in the reproduction.
I wish they had a hard top for Trident which is the next pin I want to do, but I doubt there is enough demand with 3757 of them made. I’m also unsure how they would work the hard top with a saucer.
Quoted from bigguybbr:I wish they had a hard top for Trident which is the next pin I want to do, but I doubt there is enough demand with 3757 of them made. I’m also unsure how they would work the hard top with a saucer.
Trident is my number one wish list game and I've narrowly missed two projects. Chasing another now (fingers crossed). As for a hardtop, I'm hoping for both Meteor and Trident to get one. I think the saucer won't be an issue, it is also on Xenon and my hardtop seems to have dealt with that well. It's bare wood below the PF level so it's just a hole.
Quoted from bigguybbr:I wish they had a hard top for Trident which is the next pin I want to do, but I doubt there is enough demand with 3757 of them made. I’m also unsure how they would work the hard top with a saucer.
They did Mata Hari with its saucer so it's not out of the realm, as well as Eight Ball Deluxe and Wizard. EBD's is kind of hidden but the rest are pretty visible.
When I did my Meteor NOS one years ago it wasn't dimpled at all. That's where I made the switch to liking no dimpling better. My Illinois pinball EBD wasn't dimpled either, which is good because the upper right corner always needs tweaking.
Finally moved the project back inside the house. Started to put it all back together.
00F8B50F-0710-4428-B595-180D97BDAD82 (resized).jpeg4280996E-A57E-430B-AF23-E876B457A0F9 (resized).jpeg8C8C0CA5-36D6-4F63-92BA-405FFEE1F692 (resized).jpeg8D547F91-C49A-42CD-909E-2DF55A8AB917 (resized).jpegB0B04DC6-F453-4E1F-88F6-AF80501CEAE4 (resized).jpegQuoted from bigguybbr:Finally moved the project back inside the house. Started to put it all back together.
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Whoa dude. That is stunning work holy cow.
Plugged it in and it powered up. It looks like there are probably a dozen lamps that are out.
I start the burn in test had a switch stick on the left sling so it kept firing. I adjust the switch but it blows the fuse for the coils.
I swapped it out and ran a coil test and it kinda worked but the coils are weak and the drops struggle to reset.
The other odd thing is a the 5000 light on Rocket 1 blinks with some of the tests. I need to test the voltage from the rectifier board and start working back.
Ok well now I have to ask... What's with the additional sound setup? I see an additional red board in the head that must be related.
Looks like you added an amp, a power outlet by the rectifier, and 2 mid-range speakers with the sound directed through the neck to inside the lower cabinet? Wouldn't it make more sense to direct them out the back of the head by the vents or out the top?
Walk us though your thinking on that because I've never seen anyone do that on an early SS before.
Tested voltages at the rectifier board and at the solenoid driver board and everything looked good. Repinned the connectors at the rectifier board for good measure. Solenoid test was still struggling.
I plugged in the ultimate MPU test board from alltek and ran the solenoid test from there. No issues! Taking that, I repinned the J3 connector to the MPU, did a memory clear (displays were showing every other digit) and it fired up. I was able to run the burn in test until it eventually hung and reset (a problem I was having before with the ultimate solenoid driver)
Next up I will repin all the connectors to the solenoid board and try again. Making progress.
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Quoted from HoakyPoaky:Ok well now I have to ask... What's with the additional sound setup? I see an additional red board in the head that must be related.
Looks like you added an amp, a power outlet by the rectifier, and 2 mid-range speakers with the sound directed through the neck to inside the lower cabinet? Wouldn't it make more sense to direct them out the back of the head by the vents or out the top?
Walk us though your thinking on that because I've never seen anyone do that on an early SS before.
DickHamill Made an amazing mod to use an arduino nano as a controller to run a new rules set with new lighting and with call outs.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/meteor-2021-new-code-for-stern-meteor-1979
I added a 2.1 channel amp to run the 2 small 8 ohm 20w speakers in the head and use the 6.5” speaker in the cabinet as a subwoofer. It’s all wired to a toggle switch so it can boot to the original rom, or to the new game code with the added speakers.
Here is a video of how I had it all working before I tore it down to restore
I finished repinning all the connections on the solenoid driver board, and I was able to get it to boot up and run through the burn in test with everything working.
That is until I held in the right flipper button. POW! It blew the main fuse. I added new flipper assemblies with this build, and now I need to check the right flipper for a short.
I tested the resistance of the old working coil and was getting ~300 ohms. When I tested the new coil currently in place I get 3 ohms, so I'm assuming there is an issue there. I also tested the resistance between the base of the transistor to ground and may have found that I blew the transistor on the solenoid board as well. I luckily have a spare solenoid driver board that I can put in place until I swap the transistor. I ordered some new transistors, fuses, and have a spare coil I can try in its place. While I was at it, I also ordered some new springs for the drops.
Quoted from bigguybbr:I tested the resistance of the old working coil and was getting ~300 ohms. When I tested the new coil currently in place I get 3 ohms, so I'm assuming there is an issue there. I also tested the resistance between the base of the transistor to ground and may have found that I blew the transistor on the solenoid board as well. I luckily have a spare solenoid driver board that I can put in place until I swap the transistor. I ordered some new transistors, fuses, and have a spare coil I can try in its place. While I was at it, I also ordered some new springs for the drops.
If you have the Solenoid board off do the ground mods and add the jumper tying the two 5V lines together. It is discussed on Pinwiki.com
Quoted from Robotworkshop:If you have the Solenoid board off do the ground mods and add the jumper tying the two 5V lines together. It is discussed on Pinwiki.com
I beleive that was already done on my old board. The board I blew a transistor on was my Alltek.
Is this what you were referring to? https://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally/Stern#AS-2518-147_ground_updates_.2F_bullet_proofing
It lives!
After swapping 2 coils and rechecking my wiring (I must have been half asleep when I did it the first time) and putting in the old solenoid driver board, it fired up and everything works.
That is, everything except my arduino controller. If I leave that in, I get weird reset issues. I’m going to have to order a new roy g bev board and solder it up.
I tested my Alltek board and the q15 transistor for the flippers was fried. I ordered some new ones from digikey and unsoldered the old on to prep.
I also ordered lamp boards to replace the old press fit boards that I’m having issues with.
https://pinballreplacementparts.com/collections/circuit-boards/products/stern-meteor-set-of-lamp-boards-to-replace-the-old-metal-ones
Last thing I’m waiting for are my apron and back glass trim to come back from the powder coating.
604917CE-9BBB-4FB8-8F03-CA33A8478286 (resized).jpeg91A72BA5-4625-4B81-BF76-A08B5ECA7C58 (resized).jpegWanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
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Ann Arbor, MI
Ottawa, ON