(Topic ID: 70775)

The Firepower Club

By wiredoug

10 years ago


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  • 4,645 posts
  • 392 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 days ago by Eric_Manuel
  • Topic is favorited by 182 Pinsiders

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There are 4,645 posts in this topic. You are on page 52 of 93.
#2551 5 years ago

Wow, how has everyone been here? I've been away working on my old Apple computers...noticed some incidental Apple talk here!

#2552 5 years ago
Quoted from La_Porta:

Wow, how has everyone been here? I've been away working on my old Apple computers...noticed some incidental Apple talk here!

Just got a CFFA3000 for my //e. Something to play around with this winter.

#2553 5 years ago
Quoted from dothedoo:

Just got a CFFA3000 for my //e. Something to play around with this winter.

Wow, I looked that up, and it's pretty cool! Recently, I used something like that called SCSI2SD for Macs. I just got my Mac II running again, and now I'm onto my Mac Portable. Some Firepower for a break when I need it, of course .

#2554 5 years ago

Just got mine last weekend, what a cool machine! A few questions my fellow Firepower owners:

One thing I'm noticing is that when the ball comes down from the left of the pop bumpers, it very frequently goes STDM. Is that normal? D that sound like it's just a matter of the game being too steep?

The sound was working perfectly at first, but then something weird happened after I put sliders under the feet and pushed it to the other side of the room. When I start the game, for the first game or two only half the sound works- you still hear the sounds when you hit something, but the background throbbing synth noise isn't there. It comes back on and the sound works fine after a game or two. I checked the connection to the sound board that you have to plug in when you put the head back on, but that wasn't it. Any other ideas?

And, any non-default settings that you guys like?

#2555 5 years ago

Check the adjustment pot on the sound board. It balances the sounds between speech and other sounds.
Try cleaning it and turning it back and forth and see if your sound comes back.

#2556 5 years ago
Quoted from MrFancy:

when the ball comes down from the left of the pop bumpers, it very frequently goes STDM. Is that normal?

Normal. That's part of mastering the game. A good nudge right when it bounces off the side will help. Just like on the right side when it bounces off the shooter lane gate if the ball is going slow.

#2557 5 years ago

Mine is finally looking and playing pretty good. Is there any way to “sure up” the lights inside of the pop bumpers? I probably should have used some different socket when I rebuilt them, but I ended up leaving them the same old socket :/.

5F00F4E8-F9F3-4C08-85AF-E69FB970BC73 (resized).jpeg5F00F4E8-F9F3-4C08-85AF-E69FB970BC73 (resized).jpeg
#2558 5 years ago

I get some needle nosed pliers and crimp the socket a little bit so the bulb fits in there nice and tight. Also try and buff the plate arm that the bulb sits on so it make better contact.

#2559 5 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Mine is finally looking and playing pretty good.

Mine is not that far along, but at least it is up on four legs.

Next up the playfield !

Bud

OnLegs (resized).JPGOnLegs (resized).JPG
#2560 5 years ago
Quoted from Budwin:

Mine is not that far along, but at least it is up on four legs.
Next up the playfield !
Bud[quoted image]

Nice. I wish I was brave enough to try the hard top. Can’t wait to see it.

#2561 5 years ago

Just starting this as my next restore.
I have 2 machines at the moment.
Getting one cabinet professionally restored this time around.

The game that got me into pinball!

Startng with a cpr gold that's had to be reworked twice to fix up.

Going to try a NW7 board from France with stereo out should be interesting...

Hoping to have it done by xmas.

#2562 5 years ago
Quoted from KJS:

Just starting this as my next restore.
I have 2 machines at the moment.
Getting one cabinet professionally restored this time around.
The game that got me into pinball!
Startng with a cpr gold that's had to be reworked twice to fix up.
Going to try a NW7 board from France with stereo out should be interesting...
Hoping to have it done by xmas.

Let everyone know about the NW7 board. There has been a little discussion but no hard facts yet.

#2563 5 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Nice. I wish I was brave enough to try the hard top. Can’t wait to see it.

It's not that hard. I was a bit worried when I started out on my Black Knight but I got it done and it plays really well. One of my friends did a Firepower and put in drops and it turned out fantastic. Nothing really to fear as long as you are handy and confident. It's a great option at a reasonable price!

#2564 5 years ago

I fixed the knocker in my game, but I am having a weird issue where the piston thing sticks to the plate at the top. I have a brand new sleeve and coil. It does no seem magnetic, but maybe stuck in the sleeve, so I tried some graphite which made it worse. I bent the top of the bracket a tiny bit thinking that maybe it was making a kind of suction connection with it.

Nothing has worked. Do I have he piston backwards? I assumed the hollowed out “cup side” was designed to hit the metal plate.

#2565 5 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

I fixed the knocker in my game, but I am having a weird issue where the piston thing sticks to the plate at the top. I have a brand new sleeve and coil. It does no seem magnetic, but maybe stuck in the sleeve, so I tried some graphite which made it worse. I bent the top of the bracket a tiny bit thinking that maybe it was making a kind of suction connection with it.
Nothing has worked. Do I have he piston backwards? I assumed the hollowed out “cup side” was designed to hit the metal plate.

A picture of how yours is setup would help. Here is a internet image of how it is supposed to be assembled/oriented.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj4l8_FkujeAhXSnuAKHWi4B0gQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marcospecialties.com%2Fpinball-parts%2FB-8047&psig=AOvVaw3iyPub0R98o2_Fsyi3VrnP&ust=1542980946492146

#2566 5 years ago

It sounds like the plunger is binding. Make sure the plunger and coil are a straight line when the plunger is fully extended. Eyeball should be good.

#2568 5 years ago
Quoted from Billc479:

It sounds like the plunger is binding. Make sure the plunger and coil are a straight line when the plunger is fully extended. Eyeball should be good.

I'm going to get out my level...I'll report back!

#2569 5 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

I fixed the knocker in my game, but I am having a weird issue where the piston thing sticks to the plate at the top. I have a brand new sleeve and coil. It does no seem magnetic, but maybe stuck in the sleeve, so I tried some graphite which made it worse. I bent the top of the bracket a tiny bit thinking that maybe it was making a kind of suction connection with it.
Nothing has worked. Do I have he piston backwards? I assumed the hollowed out “cup side” was designed to hit the metal plate.

Obviously, we need well lit, focused pictures.

It should move freely, by hand.

You could have an overheated coil, bad sleeve, wrong plunger.

Did it ever work correctly since you've had it?

#2570 5 years ago

Canoncity -

Check the power supply, especially the 5 volts - monitor the voltage and have someone operate both flippers to see if the power dips. You may be better off using an analog meter, but try with a digital. If the power dips, then you found the cause. Otherwise, check the diodes on the flipper coils - I have a machine that eats the coil diodes, and when a diode goes bad, and you flip both flippers, the machine resets. Note you have to lift one end of the diode to check it.
Report back.

Sorry it took so long. I tried the diodes first as that seemed the easiest. Of course that wasn't it. I did the 5volt bulletproofing suggested in Vid's Guide (thanks Vid) and replaced the connectors. Not sure what part was the issue as I did it all at once, but now it is updated and should be good for awhile.

Thanks for the help guys.

#2571 5 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Mine is finally looking and playing pretty good. Is there any way to “sure up” the lights inside of the pop bumpers? I probably should have used some different socket when I rebuilt them, but I ended up leaving them the same old socket :/.
[quoted image]

I re-used the old sockets in mine. As the others said, make sure they are tight, and make sure you have GOOD solder connections with the wires, that is key. Crappy connections will become fragile as the pops batter themselves around.

#2572 5 years ago

Hi Guys. Restoring my machine - does anyone stock repro apron decals or if not have the art so I can get made here locally?
Thank you.

#2573 5 years ago

My Firepower that I got recently has been doing some weird things. It's actually working fine right now, but I wondering if all this stuff suggests an underlying issue that I might want to address- I'm a complete novice when it comes to electronics. Here's what happened:

I was having a weak flipper issue, which I managed to fix by adjusting the EOS switch (thanks for the guide, vid!). After I put the backglass and lockdown bar back on, whenever I turned on the game it would hum and the lights would come on, but the displays would stay blank and you couldn't start a game or go into adjustment mode. I fiddled around with the lockdown bar and coin door a bit, and then it would turn on, but only in adjustment mode, whether or not the coin door was closed. I also noticed that every time I would turn it off and on, it would reset to the default settings. For some reason, in desperation I tried flipping the adjustment switch from Auto-Up to Manual-Down, and now it powers on, plays, and saves the settings as normal. It's still having a sound malfunction where you only get part of the sound for the first game after you turn it on, then the sound issue resolves itself and it sounds find.

Any ideas what this could be? Is there any kind of repair/upgrade that would be worth making to prevent issues like this from happening as often?

#2574 5 years ago
Quoted from MrFancy:Any ideas what this could be?

Check batteries

1 week later
#2575 5 years ago
Quoted from MrFancy:

Any ideas what this could be?

Definitely sounds like batteries. Are all the displays out or do you see an 04 in the player or current ball display?

#2576 5 years ago

I have a Firepower that has recently developed a small issue. Activating either flipper or holding either flipper in causes scoring to rack up. Also, occasionally the ball release won't cycle until I hit one of the flippers. Any ideas??

#2577 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

I have a Firepower that has recently developed a small issue. Activating either flipper or holding either flipper in causes scoring to rack up. Also, occasionally the ball release won't cycle until I hit one of the flippers. Any ideas??

Could be a switch contact gapped too close together, or a bad diode. Have you gone into the switch test to see which switch is registered as closed?

#2578 5 years ago
Quoted from catboxer:

Could be a switch contact gapped too close together, or a bad diode. Have you gone into the switch test to see which switch is registered as closed?

Haven't checked anything yet as this issue just recently surfaced. Will I find out how to do the switch test in my Firepower documentation?

#2579 5 years ago

Yes it's there. Go to diagnostic procedures to see how to get to switch test then refer to figure 4 to see the numbering on the switch locations.

http://gamearchive.askey.org/pinball/manufacturers/williams/instruction/firepower/index.html

#2580 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

I have a Firepower that has recently developed a small issue. Activating either flipper or holding either flipper in causes scoring to rack up. Also, occasionally the ball release won't cycle until I hit one of the flippers. Any ideas??

Your trough switches are probably going bad. Clean them up really good. If they still are doing that, replace them.

#2581 5 years ago

Check the horizontally-mounted slingshot score switches on the bottom of the playfield.

#2582 5 years ago

My sensitive switches were always the ones that line up to the left of the spinner.

#2583 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Your trough switches are probably going bad. Clean them up really good. If they still are doing that, replace them.

Ran switch diagnostic today and it seems switch #'s 21, 46, 57and 58 indicated closed. Are any of these the trough switches?

#2584 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

Ran switch diagnostic today and it seems switch #'s 21, 46, 57and 58 indicated closed. Are any of these the trough switches?

You tell us. What does the manual say?

#2585 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

You tell us. What does the manual say?

So, 46 is Ball Shooter, 57 is Right Ball Ramp and 58 is Center Ball Ramp.....when you say 'trough' are you referring to 'Ball Ramp'. I don't have too much experience working on the machine.

#2586 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

So, 46 is Ball Shooter, 57 is Right Ball Ramp and 58 is Center Ball Ramp.....when you say 'trough' are you referring to 'Ball Ramp'. I don't have too much experience working on the machine.

The trough switches are the three switches that the balls sit in when they all have drained. Each ball has their own resting spot.

Also there are no ramps on this game so I have no idea what right ball ramp and center ball ramp are. Haha

Ball shooter is the shooter lane switch.

#2587 5 years ago

Here is the map

IMG_4799 (resized).PNGIMG_4799 (resized).PNG

#2588 5 years ago

Per that pic the 4 target is switch 21

#2589 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Per that pic the 4 target is switch 21

I have this drawing in my documentation....thinking 51, 57 and 58 are the 'trough' switches you refer to, except that they call them 'ball ramp' switches.

#2590 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

I have this drawing in my documentation....thinking 51, 57 and 58 are the 'trough' switches you refer to, except that they call them 'ball ramp' switches.

Agreed. When you drain does it take a while to register and give you bonus, or is the delay after that?

#2591 5 years ago

After...and only intermittent...then I can activate either flipper and the ball pops. More annoying is the score racking up when I activate either flipper.

#2592 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

After...and only intermittent...then I can activate either flipper and the ball pops. More annoying is the score racking up when I activate either flipper.

Okay then concentrate on the switch that is right next to the shooter lane. The one that the ball sits in right next to the shooter lane. Clean it with a business card really good. Wipe the contacts of the switch with the card while you pinch the blades shut over the card.

For the switch registering when flippers are hit:

Take all the balls out of the game. Then nudge and shake the game in switch test to see if any switches register. Pound your fist around the playfield too. If a switch registers, that’s your culprit.

Go to that switch and make it so the blades of the switch sit further apart.

#2593 5 years ago

10-4. Working on the machine tomorrow....thanks for your input!

#2594 5 years ago

Hi all. My restore is coming along. Still in need of apron decals or even a minty apron if anyone would sell one please?
Can only find the decal on pps and out of stock for the last months.
20181202_142606 (resized).jpg20181202_142606 (resized).jpg20181207_153527 (resized).jpg20181207_153527 (resized).jpg

#2595 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Okay then concentrate on the switch that is right next to the shooter lane. The one that the ball sits in right next to the shooter lane. Clean it with a business card really good. Wipe the contacts of the switch with the card while you pinch the blades shut over the card.
For the switch registering when flippers are hit:
Take all the balls out of the game. Then nudge and shake the game in switch test to see if any switches register. Pound your fist around the playfield too. If a switch registers, that’s your culprit.
Go to that switch and make it so the blades of the switch sit further apart.

So, cleaned the switches and they seem to be ok now.....bigger problem is now the machine won't start! Turn power on and everything lights up, but when I depress the start button nothing happens....what are the easy things to look for?

#2596 5 years ago
Quoted from jvtalarico:

So, cleaned the switches and they seem to be ok now.....bigger problem is now the machine won't start! Turn power on and everything lights up, but when I depress the start button nothing happens....what are the easy things to look for?

Credits. Haha.

Then make sure all the balls are in the trough.

#2597 5 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Credits. Haha.
Then make sure all the balls are in the trough.

To elaborate further, if the game doesn't detect all 3 balls in the trough, or 2 in the trough and 1 in the shooter lane, a game will not start. Be sure those switches are all showing closed.

Richard

#2598 5 years ago

The old 'balls in the trough' did the trick....I actually knew that but forgot that I had the balls on the chair next to the game as I was cleaning the switches! Thanks again for your help.

#2599 5 years ago

The old 'balls in the trough' did the trick....I actually knew that but forgot that I had the balls on the chair next to the game as I was cleaning the switches! Thanks again for your help.

#2600 5 years ago

I'm working on my Stellar Wars (I know this is the Firepower page, but I thought since they have the same board set and are both Ritchie machines, perhaps someone could help)

On my left lower pop bumper switch there is a 100 ohm resistor and a capacitor. it seems like the capacitor is labeled 2200 uf 10v. Does that sound right to anyone? When I attach the capacitor, the coil locks on when a game is started. When i detach it, the coil works fine. Is it a bad capacitor? What is the purpose of this capacitor?

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