Star Trek: The Next Generation
Williams, 1993I made it to the club. Kind of really not looking forward to shopping this one, looks brutal! Is it just dirt thats in the ship texture/grooves or it is painted like that? And what are your thoughts on leds? I was thinking cool white all around with some blues and purples in a few locations.
Quoted from simplykind:I made it to the club. Kind of really not looking forward to shopping this one, looks brutal! Is it just dirt thats in the ship texture/grooves or it is painted like that? And what are your thoughts on leds? I was thinking cool white all around with some blues and purples in a few locations.
Congrats! The Borg ship is "splatter painted" from the factory, it should have dots of paint all over it. Some people re-paint them to make them more grey. I did purple in my GI.
Quoted from simplykind:I made it to the club. Kind of really not looking forward to shopping this one, looks brutal! Is it just dirt thats in the ship texture/grooves or it is painted like that? And what are your thoughts on leds? I was thinking cool white all around with some blues and purples in a few locations.
Cool white in the GI looks great on this game, with red in the rollover lanes and pop bumpers.
Congrats, looks to be in decent shape! 
Any chance you guys have pics of those led'd sttngs? Going to head to pinball life this week, would love to see some examples!
Quoted from simplykind:Any chance you guys have pics of those led'd sttngs
Sure. Look at my profile pics.
Quoted from simplykind:Any chance you guys have pics of those led'd sttngs? Going to head to pinball life this week, would love to see some examples!
here's some pics i took about 3 years ago. i've done a lot of work on it since then, i should take some new pics ...
i color-matched all the inserts, and did cool white for most of the GI, with purple GI around the outer edges.
mirror blades look really nice on this game.
i also replaced the red pop bumper and rollover lane plastics with purple versions (and made a custom bumper cap for the third pop, which comes without a cover out of the factory because it's too close to the bottom of the Beta Quadrant ramp). in my opinion, reducing the use of red on this game really ties the palette together and makes it look less jumbled. Now, red is pretty much only used for Extra Ball, Jackpot, Super Spinner, and Shoot Again -- all "critical" functions.
Quoted from pezpunk:here's some pics i took about 3 years ago. i've done a lot of work on it since then, i should take some new pics ...
i color-matched all the inserts, and did cool white for most of the GI, with purple GI around the outer edges.
i also replaced the red pop bumper and rollover lane plastics with purple versions (and made a custom bumper cap for the third pop, which come without a cover out of the factory because it's too close to the bottom of the Beta Quadrant ramp). in my opinion, reducing the use of red on this game really ties the palette together and makes it look less jumbled. Now, red is pretty much only used for Extra Ball, Jackpot, Super Spinner, and Shoot Again -- all "critical" functions.
Sharp! Yeah these pretty much confirm for me that cool white mixed with purple are the way to go. Thanks!
Quoted from simplykind:I made it to the club.
Welcome! You are now a part of an elite pinheads that know they own the best game ever.
Quoted from simplykind:And what are your thoughts on leds?
I prefer incandescent on this title, with the exception of select back box and play field GI's; I do realize I'm in the minority here.
Quoted from pezpunk:here's some pics i took about 3 years ago. i've done a lot of work on it since then, i should take some new pics ...
i color-matched all the inserts, and did cool white for most of the GI, with purple GI around the outer edges.
mirror blades look really nice on this game.
i also replaced the red pop bumper and rollover lane plastics with purple versions (and made a custom bumper cap for the third pop, which comes without a cover out of the factory because it's too close to the bottom of the Beta Quadrant ramp). in my opinion, reducing the use of red on this game really ties the palette together and makes it look less jumbled. Now, red is pretty much only used for Extra Ball, Jackpot, Super Spinner, and Shoot Again -- all "critical" functions.
That looks great Pez!
Quoted from Pin_Guy:I prefer incandescent on this title, with the exception of select back box and play field GI's; I do realize I'm in the minority here.
I tend to agree... but the Backbox is def a current hog at 100% bulb.
I believe I left the faces as incandescent... but used LEDs for highlighting the ships/tractorbeam/etc on the BG.
I currently have my GI at 100% blub... but have converted most of the start mission indicators to LED. Those look pretty rad as LED (warm white).
I need to redo my BG LEDs because I used early LEDs which have dimmed considerably over the last few years. 
Glad that dude is out of business tbh.
So it looks like I'm missing the 2-lamp PCB and plastic piece under the Romulan ship. Anyone know where to source these?
EDIT: Looks like Marco has these, but if anyone is selling a used one please PM me.
Quoted from Zitt:I tend to agree... but the Backbox is def a current hog at 100% bulb.
I believe I left the faces as incandescent... but used LEDs for highlighting the ships/tractorbeam/etc on the BG.
I currently have my GI at 100% blub... but have converted most of the start mission indicators to LED. Those look pretty rad as LED (warm white).
I need to redo my BG LEDs because I used early LEDs which have dimmed considerably over the last few years. Glad that dude is out of business tbh.
That was the main reason I converted mine, the connector had burnt and been repaired once already. I used retro style warm whites from Comet and the OCD boards and it does a good job of still looking like incandescent but with a fraction of the power consumption. I think bright LEDs are fine in certain games, mainly newer ones but like to keep my games mostly stock looking (exception being ColorDMD), but realize I'm also probably in the minority.
I have a wiring harness and board that attaches to the flashers. This attaches to a shaker motor! If anybody is interested asking 90.00 CDN plus shipping.
Please pm me if intetested!
Quoted from pezpunk:i color-matched all the inserts, and did cool white for most of the GI, with purple GI around the outer edges.
mirror blades look really nice on this game.
i also replaced the red pop bumper and rollover lane plastics with purple versions (and made a custom bumper cap for the third pop, which comes without a cover out of the factory because it's too close to the bottom of the Beta Quadrant ramp). in my opinion, reducing the use of red on this game really ties the palette together and makes it look less jumbled. Now, red is pretty much only used for Extra Ball, Jackpot, Super Spinner, and Shoot Again -- all "critical" functions.
Where did you get those Ferengi insignia decals for the stand up targets?
Quoted from Pahuffman:Where did you get those Ferengi insignia decals for the stand up targets?
Hey guys, I don't have one yet. That's kind of why I'm posting. If anyone knows of a machine that's reasonably priced, I'd be interested. I just can pay these premiums for shopping and LED's.
I'm not wealthy and I like learning as a clean up a machine.
Any advice or help appreciated.
Quoted from newmanoconnor:Hey guys, I don't have one yet. That's kind of why I'm posting. If anyone knows of a machine that's reasonably priced, I'd be interested. I just can pay these premiums for shopping and LED's.
I'm not wealthy and I like learning as a clean up a machine.
Any advice or help appreciated.
There was a guy in the Huntsville/Madison area who had a modded STTNG for sale on Craigslist a while back. I'm not sure if it's still up there. If not, you can probably call the guy on CL who is always posting looking for games for sale in Huntsville. I understand he's been in the business for about 30 years and probably can point you in the right direction.
Quoted from Pahuffman:There was a guy in the Huntsville/Madison area who had a modded STTNG for sale on Craigslist a while back. I'm not sure if it's still up there. If not, you can probably call the guy on CL who is always posting looking for games for sale in Huntsville. I understand he's been in the business for about 30 years and probably can point you in the right direction.
Thanks!!
Quoted from Zitt:I tend to agree... but the Backbox is def a current hog at 100% bulb.
I believe I left the faces as incandescent... but used LEDs for highlighting the ships/tractorbeam/etc on the BG.
That's sort of what I did as well, think I used low intensity warm LEDs for the faces and incandescents for the uniforms and STTNG lettering
Hello everyone. This is my first post. After lurking for a couple weeks to get the feel of the forum I decided to join. The reason why I'm posting here is because I have spent all day reading all 26 pages. I will be purchasing my very first machine very soon. I have spent months researching and testing to make sure I get the one that is perfect for me. I have narrowed it down to three games. Metpro...CFTBL....and STTNG. I am very fortunate that a fellow Pinsider lives pretty close to me and has a massive collection. In that collection is a CFTBL and a STTNG. I must admit I'm really leaning towards The Star Trek because I truly think I will get a lifetime of enjoyment out of it and because of this group and the support it brings. I'm looking at things like enjoyment level, ability to MOD and tinker and of course investment potential. I want to thank everyone who has posted on here. It has been a real education. I do look forward to potentially joining the club and leaning on you guys for help.
Quoted from Thanos75:Hello everyone. This is my first post. After lurking for a couple weeks to get the feel of the forum I decided to join. The reason why I'm posting here is because I have spent all day reading all 26 pages. I will be purchasing my very first machine very soon. I have spent months researching and testing to make sure I get the one that is perfect for me. I have narrowed it down to three games. Metpro...CFTBL....and STTNG. I am very fortunate that a fellow Pinsider lives pretty close to me and has a massive collection. In that collection is a CFTBL and a STTNG. I must admit I'm really leaning towards The Star Trek because I truly think I will get a lifetime of enjoyment out of it and because of this group and the support it brings. I'm looking at things like enjoyment level, ability to MOD and tinker and of course investment potential. I want to thank everyone who has posted on here. It has been a real education. I do look forward to potentially joining the club and leaning on you guys for help.
Welcome to Pinside!
While you can't go wrong with any title on that short list, I would lean towards the title your friend doesn't have. This way, once you have played it for a while, you could temporarily trade it (~2-3 months) with your friend for one of his games.
Quoted from Thanos75:Hello everyone. This is my first post. After lurking for a couple weeks to get the feel of the forum I decided to join. The reason why I'm posting here is because I have spent all day reading all 26 pages. I will be purchasing my very first machine very soon. I have spent months researching and testing to make sure I get the one that is perfect for me. I have narrowed it down to three games. Metpro...CFTBL....and STTNG. I am very fortunate that a fellow Pinsider lives pretty close to me and has a massive collection. In that collection is a CFTBL and a STTNG. I must admit I'm really leaning towards The Star Trek because I truly think I will get a lifetime of enjoyment out of it and because of this group and the support it brings. I'm looking at things like enjoyment level, ability to MOD and tinker and of course investment potential. I want to thank everyone who has posted on here. It has been a real education. I do look forward to potentially joining the club and leaning on you guys for help.
I own STTNG, MET Pro and Stargate. If I had to pick one it would be STTNG. Theme really does matter to me, I owned a WOZ for 6 months and as much as I enjoyed it overall I ended up trading it because I didn't really like the theme. STTNG is a dream theme to me, and it has the best playfield layout of all time in my opinion, great game!
Just finished mine last night. Comet LEDs all around, 2SMD Sunlight frosted in the GI and 2SMD frosted color matched inserts. Used their Cyan frosted 2SMD wedges and Cyan flexible flashers in the playfield shield lamps and they look great! Very happy with the results..
Quoted from Davefinn:Just finished mine last night. Comet LEDs all around, 2SMD Sunlight frosted in the GI and 2SMD frosted color matched inserts. Used their Cyan frosted 2SMD wedges and Cyan flexible flashers in the playfield shield lamps and they look great! Very happy with the results..
Yup, that looks awesome! Nice job. Really diggin the cyan
Does anyone have or know where to get an unbroken alpha quadrant ramp? And what would be the best way to protect it from breaking in the future?
Quoted from simplykind:Does anyone have or know where to get an unbroken alpha quadrant ramp?
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/PR004
Quoted from simplykind:And what would be the best way to protect it from breaking in the future?
I noticed some strange behavior of my left cannon lamp (lamp 52). It does not respond during the individual lamp test yet I see it flashing (occasionally) during attract mode. I've traced continuity in both wires (red and yellow) from the lamp socket to the board and see voltage at the board. There is a diode connecting the red wire to the lamp socket like the schematic indicates. Am I missing something that would keep this lamp from working correctly? I assume since I see it illuminate during attract that the diode is good. I've tried known good bulbs as well. A push in the right direction would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Quoted from simplykind:Wow... either my search skills are horrible or these just came back in stock! Thanks!
Just saw these pop up at Marcospecialties.com as well. I'm glad to know someone is making them.
Quoted from Pahuffman:There was a guy in the Huntsville/Madison area who had a modded STTNG for sale on Craigslist a while back. I'm not sure if it's still up there. If not, you can probably call the guy on CL who is always posting looking for games for sale in Huntsville. I understand he's been in the business for about 30 years and probably can point you in the right direction.
It funny you mention this because I think I'm the one that bought it 
but it wasn't modded. There was a heavily modded one around the same time but I don't remember if it was in H'ville/Madison. Its a small world. That guy had a house full of machines and was making room for the new kiddo. Was a great transaction! I'm waiting for him to post his next one.
Once replaced, GI connectors should be fine forever as long as they were replaced with the proper connector.
Quoted from bobukcat:That was the main reason I converted mine, the connector had burnt and been repaired once already.
Just received the Advance in Rank board/plastic and there are no connectors on it. Are these hard wired? Someone must have cut the wires for it previously. Anyone have a pic of how it connects? I'm also missing the single or double L bracket that connects it to the playfield if anyone knows where to grab that.
Quoted from jalpert:Once replaced, GI connectors should be fine forever as long as they were replaced with the proper connector.
Not if the problem that caused it in the first place isn't addressed. For the record I didn't do the repair but it was obvious the header had been replaced, however the too small wire that powers that GI string wasn't addressed and it burnt the connector again.
Quoted from simplykind:Just received the Advance in Rank board/plastic and there are no connectors on it. Are these hard wired?
The wires are hard wired to the lamp board, but not to the playfield. There is supposed to be a small 4-wire harness with a 2x2 Molex style connector on it to mate up with the one that is part of the playfield lamp harness. According to the lamp matrix, this harness will contain the following wires:
Lamp 26 Command Decision (Column 2) Yellow-Red (row 6) Red-blue
Lamp 53 Advance in Rank (Column 5) Yellow-Green) (row 3) Red-orange.
2017-02-13_17-49-02 (resized).jpg
The upper portion of the lamp matrix shows you how these wires connect, Yellow column wires attach to the lamp, and Red Row wires attach to the cathode side of the diode.
pasted_image (resized).png
Using this information, being able to see the circuit board traces, and knowing that Advance in Rank lamp #53 is on top, we can determine the wire harness you will have to make will be connected to the following solder pads on your lamp board:
AR-CD Lamp board (resized).jpg
Having the proper colors for the harness you make isn't important, all that is going to matter is that all four connect to the appropriatly colored wire on the lamp harness.
Quoted from simplykind:I'm also missing the single or double L bracket that connects it to the playfield if anyone knows where to grab that.
Hopefully somone will post where to get one that will work, but odds are that you will likely have to make one; I suggest using a small piece of angled stainless steel for it, along with a pair of 1/8" Nickle plated rivets for attaching the plastic to the bracket.
Quoted from simplykind:That is very helpful thanks a ton!
Please let me know if you need dimensions to make the bracket. I'll measure mine for you.
Quoted from simplykind:Has anyone installed the protectors for the alpha ramp? They dont line up on mine, almost need to modify the ramp. Im hesitant to cut off the corners of a brnad new ramp. And it seems like the posts need to be higher.
Are those the newer thicker ramps? If so the mantis website notes you may need to do some adjusting:Some adjustment may be needed if using the newer thicker ramps. Both front tabs may need to be bent to accommodate the additional thickness of the new ramp.
Quoted from simplykind:Has anyone installed the protectors for the alpha ramp?
I have all the parts to do the exact same job you're tackling, but I haven't started yet.
I guess I'm in the same boat?
New parts I have:
4/1/2016, Ordered from http://www.marcospecialties.com :
STAR TREK NEXT GEN (WMS) Alpha Guards RG-11 1 $19.95 $19.95
STAR TREK NEXT GEN (WMS) Ramp Alpha PR004 1 $124.00 $124.00 (got a $35 rebate because of scratch on the ramp)
Quoted from simplykind:Has anyone installed the protectors for the alpha ramp? They dont line up on mine, almost need to modify the ramp. Im hesitant to cut off the corners of a brnad new ramp. And it seems like the posts need to be higher.
No need mod the ramp. You'll have to bend the tabs into a more usable position relative to the posts. I had to do this on my Alpha and Delta guards. I didn't think it was too tough to do and I'm fairly new to this stuff.
Quoted from simplykind:The Alpha ramp came with both decals uninstalled
+1
Quoted from pcprogrammer:Any tips on reducing the glare from the DMD? I suppose PDI glass is an option, although expensive.
Pinball life sells these:
Quoted from pcprogrammer:ny tips on reducing the glare from the DMD?
This is cheap, works wonders, and won`t look silly in the machine.
http://www.cometpinball.com/DMD-GLARE-ELIMINATOR-p/dmdglare.htm
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Arvada, CO
Edmonton, AB