I just joined the next generation club a few weeks ago. I got this cool alternative translite off eBay.

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Yes, those pop up caps look nice. Kinda hard to see on this game.

I love both kinds of those bright caps. I have some on Road Show and TZ and White Water.

I thought it was just me that ended up with project machines.

Just wanted to add about any sheathing on turret wires. You can use tubing slice down the side of tubing. And put a few cable ties on it to kind of close it back up/cover wires and you don’t even have to mess with the connectors. Just an option to protect the wires. So many nice people here on pinside. Tons of help. For everyone.

Marcos is best place for screw and hardware. They print a sticker on each bag. The size and length of screws. Instead of just a part number. They also have the best most complete search engine for parts.

Is the connector on power board In back box burnt?

I just used one from Action pinball to fix my STNG. I had no problems. Works great. Cheaper looking than original. Original one rivets fell out.
True these guys were the only ones that had these in stock. Should probably order some extra ones. Maybe Steve Young (PR) has some?

This game doesnt seem to do error dots. I had 2 switches stuck on and my game, didn't know it. I am just getting over to many balls in shooter lane. Game acts a bit crazy. Check your wires on left side bundle right by opts control PCB. I had a broken wire. Wires get caught and broken there.

I try to keep the hacs to a minimum. Then I only have to fix it once, hopefully.

I only bought just one. Yes, I too like Marcos. They are out. Here is both. This pic looks the same.

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Yes, the lithium batteries is an easy cheep fix and keep original look. After 5 or 6 years in all my machines. Only had to replace 1 or 2 batteries thas it.

Energizer bunny lithium. They are silver in color. They say stuff like 20 years shelf life.

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I love all the nice helpful people on Pinside. Like the family I always wanted.
I just did the tie back wire mod. Thanks everybody.

I know your problem sounds different. I had a few rows of lights out. In my back box. It was loose connection wire idc connector.
Try wiggling the wires I don’t remember which connector it was. It was a 11 pin IDC connector bottom of power board. I put new connector in. All good now.

Yes, it helps. I have one. Around $10 bucks. Pinball life.

Sounds like bridge rectifiers, and caps to me. I think it is your 5v dropping. It is the famous reset issue. Your power board needs work.

My opinion yes, for sure fix the board. No need to bypass or add something because you have problem. I think it a couple caps and 2 bridge rectifiers, fixes it.
Someone may even sella kit nowadays.

Ya, that’s fine. I only use vodka and Miller lite for madisenale purchases too.

Most of my machine came with lock tight on flipper parts.(B/W). I must have been first one to work on flippers.
I hardly ever put it on myself. Side note. Gottlieb pins use so much it can be hard to take stuff apart.
Gottlieb machines are built like a tank. I did read on previous thread. If you have trouble getting the screws out. Heat them up with solder iron.

Well I really don’t see much posted on. Very strange. This issue with Star Trek the next generation. Anyway take one of the screws out of opto Control board. Swing it towards the center of the machine as much as you can. The wires for the optos get caught on that pin on left side when play field gets lifted. That darn harness is just to close to the left side of of playfield.

I did my machine when I got it 3 months ago. Hope it helps. Did my first led kit vs custom. Not quite as perfect. A lot cheaper and faster. Don’t tell anyone.

I had my power board out. I did not do a good of labeling the wires. Can someone please let me know where this connector goes? The connector with 2 black wires.

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Thanks I got it. I am having strange
problem I have a few GI lights out upper inline, lower pop bumper, center 1,2,3, lane. Looks like connector 121 is GI. The wires on connector look fine and I wiggled the wires. Did not help. I know it sucks but any direction would help. Maybe the power board got flexed when I pulled it in and out.

I am having one of those bad luck weeks as I have 2 machines down with hard problems for me. The games are really fun when they work great.

Thanks, for some guidance. It is a fun game. The turrets or probe launchers are awesome. My plungers on probe launchers were getting stuck out once in a while. I put longer cool sleeve’s in there plenty of room. Has not done it since.

Had some GI lights out. 3 days of wiggling the wires and scratching my head. Board swipe from another machine. And finally. On connector 120 I think. Finality a wire fell off. Fixed it. Bam all the lights are all working again.

Just trying to help. Is the solenoid tight against stop and bracket, is there any play or movement, up and down? Is the coil sleeve new? Was it hard to install? Is the solenoid new? If the coil sleeve was really hard to slide in the coil maybe swollen.

Ok, I would start with new coil sleeve.

I am scarred for life now, thanks. Thank goodness. I changed my translite.

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Hold it. Popeye is a wide body too.
It is a great game. Great theme. Lots of shots. Smile factor while playing, priceless. Let’s not forget Road Show.
Great game, lots of shots. Fun and zany, theme.

Yes, I have seen some of the comments. The people actually own one in good working order know. It is a action game. Just like any pinball machine. If it is not well maintained, when you play it. It may seem like it is not as fun as some others games.

Things to try for canons sticking fix. Lower profile nuts by the plunger, it is comes to close to the nuts. Longer coil sleeves. At the end of the sleeves scrape the inside edge of sleeve with knife. Stretch the springs out a bit. Lightly sand black plastic end of the plunger. All will help. Try all 5 if you haven't yet.

I just put in a new subway in mine. Not a great fit. But it works and ball does not get stuck. Looks nice.

I was just looking at PP website. I see they have a new improved software for STNG. Does anyone know what changes are in the polished code?
I recently bought the CPU that was more LED friendly. Did it help (just a little bit).

Thanks for chiming in. STNG is not on the list as of yet.

Planetary Pinball, the sole licensee for Williams Electronics Games, Inc is proud to announce that we will start to release software upgrades for Williams™ and Bally™ pinball machines.

Ever since WMS closed the pinball division in 1999, the games developed and manufactured by them have been in high regard with players and collectors of pinball machines. And games are continuously being restored to like-new condition. Thanks to a steady supply of new and improved parts, from small mechanical and electrical units, to circuit boards and playfields. Parts made available by Planetary Pinball and domestic and international collaborators. Recent years have also given us a number of new innovations. Bringing the games of yesteryears into a more contemporary look and feel.

Software is the heart and soul of a pinball machine. While a lot of effort went into making software for games, the framework, rules design and special effects, on some games the time has shown a few shortcomings. These might be bugs, like incorrect scoring, game progression being lost, modes being messed up etc. Or rooted in the fact that games were developed with coin drop play on locations in mind. In some cases making them less than ideal for the more contemporary use of home play and high level competition play.

The goal of software upgrades is not to make fundamental changes or redesigns. Neither to upgrade display graphics or sound. The goal is to make minor tweaks and fixes, while keeping the spirit of the game intact. And to strive for having rule changes under the users control via new and expanded feature adjustments.

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Williams, 1993
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Bally, 1992
Judge Dredd
Bally, 1993
Junk Yard
Williams, 1996
Mousin' Around!
Bally, 1989
Radical!
Bally, 1990
Road Show
Williams, 1994
Tales of the Arabian Nights

Also here a quote from Soren.

Let me demystify the thing about LED lamp ghosting. It is not because of 60Hz/50Hz AC mains power. It is true the GI is AC and some LEDs may flicker from this. But this is to be solved by using LED that can compensate for that. In other words, a hardware solution.

The lamp matrix lamps are pulsed as well. But from a DC source and due to the matrix design. So pulse duty cycle and duration is unrelated to the AC mains power. It may make LEDs flicker as well. And better LEDs may be immune to this.

The ghosting however is a whole different issue and cause. And may be visible to LEDs that are otherwise good at not appearing as flickering. It is because the original lamp matrix control system at Williams was having an overlap of the next row status and the current column strobe. So short that incandescent lamps do not respond to this to any significance. But enough that it, with the response time of the transistors, can cause LED lamps to appear as a soft glow.

The good people at Williams realised this and updated the procedure in 1995. And I like to believe it was during the development of Indy 500. It has LED lamps on the switch matrix. This exact procedure is the one implemented in these upgrades to Creature and Road Show. And same will be ported to future upgrades of other games using the older procedure.

See this short video for a demonstration. And please note. Flickering and ghosting may still appear. Due the condition of a game (power supply, control logic, transistors) and quality of the LEDs used.

I had a once in a great while intermittent no boot up on my color DMD (Popeye). While looking over their website.
To buy one for a different game.
I saw they had a software update, that fixed that same problem.

Good job folks. Lots of help. Makes our nice games, look and play their best.

Funny

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No, worries. I have noticed the people on this thread for this game. Are super nice.

LEDs, if you are in a hurry, I guess a kit can be ok. For me the funnest part of customizing your pin is making your pin. Your own creative personal work of art. Is custom LEDs. Play around with colors/styles of LEDs. Using your own imagination.

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