amen brother! I feel the same way I stared collecting arcades in 1997 and pinballs a few years later assuming it was pure loss financially as most hobbies. and 20+ years later all my stuff has went up (sometimes significantly) in value. not bad for something that I get to use and enjoy.

Can’t believe it, that was so close…

Damn

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Yea, newer Sterns, you have to fold the head down, in order to access those back bolts.

I’d recommend starting with those bolts when removing, and finishing with them when installing. Less chance of slips/scratches, ect...

Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself that is was funds well spent. Is anyone truly stoked with the overall aesthetics…….? Gary speaking with his merch department, F’it!! just release it-they’ll buy it!

To each his own but personally I think the Rush shooter rod is extremely gaudy. I'd much rather have something classy like the stopwatch, but I've got a feeling Stern would have charged $500 for it.

I got that same hat, along with the 40th anniversary signals hoodie... its really nicely made, good fit, soft, quality fabric... order 1 size up. Usually I am XL, but XXL is what I got and it's a little big, but no too big. I like the size. Its 80/20 so it'll shrink if I ever wash it. Lol.
https://www.rushbackstage.com/product/6XCMRU0019
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Please Help.

I am now 1200 games into my Rush Prem.
You all know how much I love this pin.

Have had this side scoop problem since day one.
Keeps losing track of balls and constantly ejecting as tho there are balls there.

I received the Stern fix and installed. Watched the Borg video (which was very cool). But same problem persists. Mine already came with the adjustable lever which was already screwed and secured into the wood.
Even after changing out the stock switch with the Stern replacement, I have tried moving the arm to adjust the switch exposure, but if I move too extreme to adjust switch angle then the Optos start malfunctioning and losing track of balls.

Switch test registers all switches.
But at times keeps showing one ball locked.

Wondering if the switch is getting caught in something or stuck. Lifting playfield and checking switch, not getting stuck. i have adjusted and adjusted, tested and tested to no avail.
Have pictures included below.

No idea what to do at this point ?

Anyone else have this issue ?
Ideas?

Thank you in advance.
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I'd suspect any optos in the equation. I've had a few opto failures on Sterns. Most of the time, resoldering the wires that go to the small opto board will take care of these issues. Had the issue on Stranger Things, Kiss, AIQ, Spidey, to name a few.

Anybody else got expression lights? It looks like only a few folks have posted getting them so far. I ordered pretty soon after they went the flip n out website.

Please Help.

Keeps losing track of balls and constantly ejecting as tho there are balls there.

But at times keeps showing one ball locked.

Is the receiving optp red light on? If not it could be out of alignment or just a bad opto (receiver or transmitter). If you can get at it try swapping with a known working one.

I checked in with Zach yesterday when I saw a few folks had gotten theirs. He hadn't heard anything from Stern, at that time, regarding them going out.

All right I just installed my shooter rod, and there's no way to not get the skill shot now. Even at maximum pull it'll never go all the way around, part of me likes this, I'm just not used to it.
If I ever wanted to launch all the way around to the pops, I can just use the action button, I guess.
What are everybody's thoughts on this?

Edit I just played a game where it just squeaked across the top and went all the way around, a rare moment. I am plugging with confidence that I will always get skill shot opportunity with this shooter rod.

It's not the first time they've included a spring that isn't strong enough. I have some orange and red and purple coming from Pinball Life so I will figure out which one is the proper one. Wish they would include one strong enough to make it all the way around...

Couple pictures, since everyone loves pictures.
I also installed my pinmonk fans finally when I did the shooter rod. No fan pics, sorry. Here's the shooter rod installed and also premium and LE apron cards
PXL_20230502_205354452 (resized).jpgPXL_20230502_205433480 (resized).jpg
Links
Rush Pro:
ebay.com link: itm
Rush Premium:
ebay.com link: itm
Rush LE:
ebay.com link: itm
And
Instruction card and link https://ebay.com/itm/175711756582
Screenshot_20230503-082000 (resized).png

Is it really a "skill shot" anymore then?

…and if anyone bought a Zeppelin kit with the intention of hacking it to use in their RUSH (but didn’t get it done and now has a legit RUSH kit on the way) please send me a message!

I know that’s a long shot, but you never know until you ask!

I like the cards. Where did you find?

eBay!

Links
Rush Pro:
ebay.com link: itm
Rush Premium:
ebay.com link: itm
Rush LE:
ebay.com link: itm
And
Instruction card
https://ebay.com/itm/175711756582

I agree, but you don't get any points or ball save time for it, as that's really just the start of it, right? I mean how much skill is needed to weak plunge. Not much.
The skill is really the shots you make after to score points, increase multiplier and add ball save time.. those are the real skill shots.
The weak spring just helps land the ball at the upper flipper each time.. press action button if you want a full orbit drum pops plunge.
It's obviously not the way the game designed but it's cool to always have a successful upper flipper plunge without trying. I'm going to continue to play it this way..
.

Um OK? It's just a shooter rod. Didn't cost that much. It's my game in my house. You don't have to come play it or look at it.

Really the reality is, for me, is I inspected this when it came in and scrutinized it.. definitely on the cheap side quality wise, has flaws. . Installed it, fine, done. I'm probably not going to look at it much but now and then at a distance .. I'm about fine not caring already 5 hours later, so stern gets away with it but they should know the people demand better. Value lacking. Armor 250? Make me a nicer shooter for 250 and make the armor 140.

i ordered the day of release from them still no light got 2 other items

I’ve decided not to buy it. Quality is important.

That’s too bad I hope stern learns soon that you cannot keep shoving junk down people’s throats esp at these luxury prices. Maybe when they were the only player in town and they still have the advantage but if any of the startups pomball companies get there processes refined stern will be in trouble he’ll if they lose Elwin or danger as designers i think they are in trouble.

Same thing with insider connect. The hardware costs not $10 for the parts and that’s retail (like Amazon) prices not wholesale prices. saying it’s a $200 wholesale cost like they did in there “we have to raise prices announcement” is just outrageous. That’s said they’ve been blessed with some great games on the last few years and I honestly think the covid and supply chain issues worked to there advantage.

Lol I was worring my order mayve did not go through. I just emailed Nichole@flip out today to verify she. Confirmed my order was placed but that they did not receive them yet.

As I replaced my switch that Stern sent me I noticed the 2 holes in the metal scoop trough don't line up with the optos, they're too low. I had to drill out both holes a bit. So far so good!

This Could be that same issue.
When looking at the side I noticed the Optos seem slightly high on the holes. Wasn’t sure when I saw, but now that you’ve mentioned it, perhaps worth looking into.

(Ordered new Optos already but won’t get them for another month, certainly some time to explore what you mentioned.)

Thank you.

Not sure anyone posted these on a Pro but here are the Side Armor on Rush Pro

IMG_3702 (resized).jpeg

IMG_3704 (resized).jpeg

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IMG_3710 (resized).jpeg

I wonder if there is anyone in the mod community who can and will come up with better quality versions of this shooter rod that will also light up using my Stern back plate with LED....

Actually the armor doesn't look too bad on the pro. I may have to consider it.

Thanks for posting!

I'd check the alignment of your shooter rod. Mine has no problem firing all the way around with the included spring.

Shooter and armor are on their way, but still no word on the Expression Lights or Topper. Those last two are the only ones I really care about so this continues to be frustrating a year after getting the effin game.

hopefully stern will get it to us by 2112, but i ain't holding my breath.

Been over a month since I paid in full and not a damn thing has arrived. Really starting to lose my patience - this pay now and hope it arrives soon is getting old. First world problems, I know…

Yup. It's the Amazon effect. When something isn't available Same day or next day we complain. 2 days is slow now. Lol.
Makes me think of the old movies where the kid puts a letter in the mail to order something, gets excited everytime the stagecoach comes in town with the mail hoping it's there and does this for many weeks. Until finally it arrives. Same thing, different time, those weeks became hours.

You can also find some here and print them yourself. Check out the 1st post in the thread for specifics on printing them to size.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/custom-apron-cards-printable-versions-only/page/28#post-6770296

However, not apples to apples comparison.... those are just the translite pictures, the ones on eBay have used the actual rush font and added the credits at the bottom and corner cut each graphic for a more professional apron card look.. the amount of time and detail spent on making them is obviously significant.
They're also real photograph quality printed on Canon high quality photo paper and the detail is amazing. For the low price on eBay, I can't reproduce or print the quality you can buy from that seller... so for those reasons the eBay seller wins easily.
Edit: found the instruction card link ebay.com link: itm
That is also the rush font with corner cut graphics, which looks great. Here's a comparison pic..

My pro with eBay apron cards (and wizardmod.com apron cover)
PXL_20230430_205316986 (resized).jpg
Diy print your own
Screenshot_20230503-081746 (resized).png
eBay seller (these are blown up phone pics from my machine, they are beautiful photo quality)
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Totally agree. With my eyes playing in a barely lit room they are good enough for my purposes and I also like that every once in a while I can mix it up. Ebay definetly has true quality than my basic home print.

True, I guess I'm coming at it as one of the guys that just stands there and stares at my Rush from time to time.. lol. Quality matters... Except when it comes to 140 dollar shooter rods, apparently. If a modder ever came up with a true quality replacement for stems that fits in the back plate and uses the led lights, I'm embarrassed to say I'd buy it and give/throw away sterns. In a second. I'm embarrassed for Stern.

Nitro only took a 10% deposit on the topper which was cool.

Flipn Out shipped rod and ELs I think. I didn't get email notice so not 100% sure.

Painful wait and I kind of wish I had passed on the rod...

I didn't realize that bob worked on the sound for rush. that's kind of cool considering that we've been friends for the past 20+ years

Sorry to drive the complaining stake into everybody's heart that has ordered. Maybe you'll find me too picky and just too hard to please when you get yours. It's not to the point I'm not using it. It's staying, but I want Stern to know that they need to do better and flex their muscle to demand the same quality from their vendors that their customers do. And quit deciding what's good enough and sending out "cheap china crap" when they charge 250 for metal plates (armor) which really seems extravagant, they should have made a nicer shooter that I can be proud of and admire the look and feel of it in my hand, and charge me $250 for it too..... it's better than feeling like you spent $160 (shipped) on what looks and feels like a $50-$75 product.
I mean if Stern was given a sample of a proto of what the product was and it looked like the finished product and they approved it? Shame on them. If they got a sample of the product from a company that did a bait and switch and then started pumping out these low quality than I'd be punching them in the teeth with my legal department, . And making a statement and making good to their customers. But that would require honesty, integrity, values, taking ownership. Those kinds of things seems live under rugs... Just like Node 10. It's a pattern. WTF? My coffee is hitting the bloodstream fast this morning,.

Now THAT'S cool! Give him a pat on the back from me because Rush is one of the best sounding pinball machines (no thanks to Stern hardware) after adding the subwoofer and pinwoofer to really bring out what Bob did. I bet he was really disappointed after hearing all his work he did being reduced to mud through the crappy stock speakers and amplifier.

I agree I don’t think people here (paying 7-14k) for a single game have issues with paying good money for something, but yeah if your charging top dollar have some honor and intergrity and give people what they paid for. I make inexpensive but nice products and if anyone ever does not like what I send I give them their money back basically no questions asked and ask what I can do better. I was always taught do the best you can it’s your name on the line. Do a shitty job even once and it will erase all the good work you’ve done in the past.

On a positive side note, everyone probably knows this trick, but the weaker spring in the shooter rod also makes it even easier to intentionally make a failed plunge to trigger the shooter lane upper switch in order to start the video with the ball rolling back down, so you can just watch the video without playing.

I still wish DJ mixer mode would have an option play these videos while the song is playing... Seems a waste of great video.. I don't care if it's perfectly synced, or whatever, but if I can watch the video with a failed plunge, why can't I watch it in DJ mode too ??

He also did LZ and the new FF. Here is a good interview with him last year talking about his work on LZ and Rush.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pinball-network/id1497645647?i=1000552296579

I agree completely. Mine was bumping. After adjustment, easily goes all the way around. In fact, if I'd have to say, it's better than the original in that regard even though both are green springs. Note that I just loosened the 5 screws and it's almost imperceptible how small of an adjustment made the difference. Then tighten them back up. I got lucky maybe on the 2nd try, and it's good. I guess you might have to try more than twice?

Thanks JT. I was wondering how to adjust, I just reused the same holes, but didnt realize shifting it such a small amount would make a difference and I didnt want to deal with new holes, so I will play with this! I do notice the ball seems to be bumping against the metal guides in two places on the shooter lane on the way back down from a failed plunge, so it may be bumping going up too. Thinking about how this related to Billiards, for this to occur there would have to be some side spin being imparted to the ball, which means I do need to adjust this to get the rod tip to hit the object ball in a solid center shot, with no left or right english, which is not what appears to be happening.
I will try and figure out how to adjust this properly now with your help.
Thanks for posting.