(Topic ID: 81336)

"Welcome to the Cirqus!" - Cirqus Voltaire Club for Owners, Fans

By Dbaum88

10 years ago


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There are 2,221 posts in this topic. You are on page 21 of 45.
#1001 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Sorry for the dumb question but what are these? I tried a google search for MRS pinball but did not get the answer I was looking for? Are these replacements for a broken component or do they have some kind of advantage over what came stock in the game? Thanks!

They are Proximity sensors (tell the machine where the ball is) for certain items on the playfield such as Ringmaster in CV. Really important! If they go bad, your machine suddenly sucks to play. Right now these Reed Switches are unavailable and maybe for some time.
It’s people like Sonic that step up and help us out with these problems. I am picking up a couple of these. I would recommend that others do so as well.

#1002 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Sorry for the dumb question but what are these? I tried a google search for MRS pinball but did not get the answer I was looking for? Are these replacements for a broken component or do they have some kind of advantage over what came stock in the game? Thanks!

The Williams part # is: 20-10293....there is but 1 in CV I believe.....best to search Pinside for more information than Google....that said mine is a replacement for the original switch that went unobtainum a few years ago - thus if your MRS went bad - that was that (you can attempt a repair - but it's tricky)....mine are lighter, thinner and more sensitive than the originals...another use for an MRS is that it can be a replacement for any number of Cherry switches in a pin- limited to its form-factor of course - plastic ramps are a great example of their overall replacement use as an example. Lot's of folks use them as replacements ..... in the Sega world - Maverick had problems with the paddlewheel opto's - Sega's fix was to replace the entrance opto's with Sega's own variation (in the above pic) of an MRS....hope that helps!

#1003 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

I have two questions for you guys:
1) Would this switch be a viable replacement for the highwire wireform?
https://www.pinballlife.com/williamsbally-ball-detect-blade-with-roller-sub-microswitch.html
2) Has anyone replaced their glass with PDI or other anti-reflective glass on CV? I have not seen anyone mention this in this thread. I have two other pins that both have anti-reflective glass and am thinking I will want to repalce the glass on my CV that I am picking up tomorrow. Is this a good upgrade for this pin?
https://www.pinballdecals.com/NonGlareOpticalGlassPage.html

I have Invisiglass in my CV. It is under a 4 bulb fluorescent bulb light unit. I have IG in 4 others and Magic Glass in one. MG is slightly better.

I would put it in all my pins if the glass was a lot cheaper. Works great.

#1004 4 years ago
Quoted from Sonic:

The Williams part # is: 20-10293....there is but 1 in CV I believe.....best to search Pinside for more information than Google....that said mine is a replacement for the original switch that went unobtainum a few years ago - thus if your MRS went bad - that was that (you can attempt a repair - but it's tricky)....mine are lighter, thinner and more sensitive than the originals...another use for an MRS is that it can be a replacement for any number of Cherry switches in a pin- limited to its form-factor of course - plastic ramps are a great example of their overall replacement use as an example. Lot's of folks use them as replacements ..... in the Sega world - Maverick had problems with the paddlewheel opto's - Sega's fix was to replace the entrance opto's with Sega's own variation (in the above pic) of an MRS....hope that helps!

I’d like to purchase one possibly, just to have as a backup

#1005 4 years ago
Quoted from Chosen_S:

I’d like to purchase one possibly, just to have as a backup

Sure thing - just be sure to PM me to be added to the list.

#1006 4 years ago

Drove 6 hours round trip to get my CV today. Very excited to add it to my collection. Mods, new rubbers and LEDs have been ordered!

48C88DEA-802E-41DA-822D-6263D1F0C00B (resized).jpeg48C88DEA-802E-41DA-822D-6263D1F0C00B (resized).jpeg
#1007 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Drove 6 hours round trip to get my CV today. Very excited to add it to my collection. Mods, new rubbers and LEDs have been ordered!

Congrats! Welcome.

#1008 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Sorry for the dumb question but what are these? I tried a google search for MRS pinball but did not get the answer I was looking for? Are these replacements for a broken component or do they have some kind of advantage over what came stock in the game? Thanks!

So it sounds like these can be used to replace the Eddy board for the RM hit sense, interesting.

#1009 4 years ago
Quoted from bobukcat:

So it sounds like these can be used to replace the Eddy board for the RM hit sense, interesting.

Yep - but you probably have to use 2 of them in parallel - like RFM does - as the eddy sensor has a bigger field.....

#1010 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Drove 6 hours round trip to get my CV today. Very excited to add it to my collection. Mods, new rubbers and LEDs have been ordered![quoted image]

Well worth the trip!

#1011 4 years ago

Does anyone have any or know a store that has the side channels that hold the backglass to the back box? The PN is 03-9698-1. I can't find any avaiable online and mine are cracked.

#1012 4 years ago

I am about 1/3 of the way done with my LED install and man, what a difference it makes on the insert colors! I got the LED kit from pinballbulbs.com On Black Friday special and could not be happier with my purchase!

10B1C4D6-C2B0-4FB4-8991-0E9F035E5C80 (resized).jpeg10B1C4D6-C2B0-4FB4-8991-0E9F035E5C80 (resized).jpeg
#1013 4 years ago

My back box scrolls cam in and I am in the process of painting portions of the. So far I am happy with how they are looking.

I am also attempting to make a scaled up 3D printed version of ringmaster to place between the scrolls. I finished scanning the ringmaster but still have lots of touch ups before I will have something ready to print.
966FB889-5042-4C8E-8501-A70499C73312 (resized).jpeg966FB889-5042-4C8E-8501-A70499C73312 (resized).jpeg

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#1014 4 years ago

Joined the club due to sheer luck last night! Beautiful example and a local pickup! Excited to have CV in the stable!

14EB0C60-1A36-4265-A042-02DF9E8D45DB (resized).jpeg14EB0C60-1A36-4265-A042-02DF9E8D45DB (resized).jpeg4D2BDC1A-8C16-470B-8EAF-CBAF1BD579AD (resized).jpeg4D2BDC1A-8C16-470B-8EAF-CBAF1BD579AD (resized).jpeg
#1015 4 years ago
Quoted from Dallas_Pin:

Joined the club due to sheer luck last night! Beautiful example and a local pickup! Excited to have CV in the stable![quoted image][quoted image]

Love the red neon! Congratulation.

#1016 4 years ago
Quoted from drummermike:

Love the red neon! Congratulation.

Thanks; I didn't realize the playfield was so hard to see until I see it here. It looks brand new. Also have a blue neon light as well.

#1017 4 years ago

Lately I’ve been a bit frustrated with STDMs after shots which don’t make it all the way up the left ramp and roll back down. I checked the angle last night and took it down from about 6.9 to 6.5 degrees (manual recommends 6.5). Game is level from side to side. This definitely helped, especially with balls that go more than halfway up, but I still got a few, now more with balls not making it halfway up. Just wondering what other folks experiences are - do incomplete ramp shots cause drains for you?

Just a general comment - I think I like the game better at 6.5 degrees - I enjoy the floatiness and increased lateral movement. At 6.9 the game is crazy fast. I also felt like it was easier to hit the acrobat ramp - no idea why.

#1018 4 years ago
Quoted from branlon8:

STDMs after shots which don’t make it all the way up the left ramp and roll back down.

These are pitfalls. Don't do that! Weak shots up the ramps that don't make it are " No NO's" in a lot of games. Part of the fun of pinball is to find all of the Pitfalls in your game so you "don't go there" or at least try not to go there....

#1019 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

My back box scrolls

Boy those Scrolls look Great! You did a nice job. I have never seen scrolls detailed that way before. You got me thinkin...

#1020 4 years ago
Quoted from whthrs166:

Boy those Scrolls look Great! You did a nice job. I have never seen scrolls detailed that way before. You got me thinkin...

Thanks man! I am really happy with how they turned out. I was planning on adding silver glitter as well but the glue I ordered did not get delivered until Monday and we had a party at the house on Saturday. I went ahead and screwed them onto the machine with just the silver paint added.

A8D693D4-5D48-4F97-8E6F-A8559A12E5C6 (resized).jpegA8D693D4-5D48-4F97-8E6F-A8559A12E5C6 (resized).jpeg
#1021 4 years ago

Anyone know of a source for or a way to make a new clear air-ball prevention main ramp cover plastic, mine just broke during a rather good game. It looks like a fairly simple design so I may be able to create one out of PETG or similar material if I can figure out where to get said material without buying a ton of it. I don't see this offered on Marco or the other normal suppliers.

#1023 4 years ago

Seriously thank you for posting that because I didn't realize that kit included that plastic, I thought those were all the backbox pieces. However I'd like to avoid paying ~$70 (with shipping) for one piece of clear plastic so hopefully I can find a way to make one. If not I guess I can just use what I need out of the kit and over other pieces up for sale as people need them.

#1024 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Thanks man! I am really happy with how they turned out. I was planning on adding silver glitter as well but the glue I ordered did not get delivered until Monday and we had a party at the house on Saturday. I went ahead and screwed them onto the machine with just the silver paint added.[quoted image]

I like the silver on the scrolls it really enhances them ...
I have a small topper
Some clowns that I got from peck’s nu pike arcade
They were the only 2 that survived in my luggage that weren’t broken
image (resized).jpgimage (resized).jpg

#1025 4 years ago

What do you guys do to minimize the stuck ball rate by the ringmaster head (I have the production one)? Does anyone put anything behind the left target (short of a post) to help guard against this or do most just live with it and wait for the ball search to clear?

#1026 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Thanks man! I am really happy with how they turned out. I was planning on adding silver glitter as well but the glue I ordered did not get delivered until Monday and we had a party at the house on Saturday. I went ahead and screwed them onto the machine with just the silver paint added.[quoted image]

It looks awsome

#1027 4 years ago
Quoted from in2kiss:

What do you guys do to minimize the stuck ball rate by the ringmaster head (I have the production one)? Does anyone put anything behind the left target (short of a post) to help guard against this or do most just live with it and wait for the ball search to clear?

The field service kit that was issued included instructions for adding a post with a rubber ring there but I have zero desire to drill a new hole into my PF so I just deal with it. It doesn't happen excessively, the game is pretty quick to raise the RM if it gets stuck and initiates a ball search and if a ball gets stuck there during a MB hitting the RM usually dislodges it, therefore I just live with it.

1 week later
#1028 4 years ago

I worked on replacing some pieces of my ringmaster assembly today. Hopefully I get it back in the machine tomorrow and everything still works. Here is a before and after photo.

622EB8C0-C5D4-4F4F-9BBF-81C76B4664AD (resized).jpeg622EB8C0-C5D4-4F4F-9BBF-81C76B4664AD (resized).jpeg730487EE-097C-4155-A8C9-7E05AE171FB9 (resized).jpeg730487EE-097C-4155-A8C9-7E05AE171FB9 (resized).jpeg
#1029 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

I worked on replacing some pieces of my ringmaster assembly today

Interesting picture. Be very careful when reinstalling the RM head. It is possible to cause the RM flasher assembly to short to the post. This will blow the flasher fuse if your using the WPC-95 power driver board. If you are using the Rotten Dog power driver board, it will blow chip U20. RD did not fuse that circuit and it instead blows the chip. This happened to my game before I bought it so I inherited the problem. The previous owner had the RD board in it. I was lucky though. I got the original board also and returned it to the game once the issue was repaired.

#1030 4 years ago
Quoted from whthrs166:

If you are using the Rotten Dog power driver board, it will blow chip U20. RD did not fuse that circuit and it instead blows the chip.

Seriously? Holy heck.

#1031 4 years ago
Quoted from whthrs166:

Interesting picture. Be very careful when reinstalling the RM head. It is possible to cause the RM flasher assembly to short to the post. This will blow the flasher fuse if your using the WPC-95 power driver board. If you are using the Rotten Dog power driver board, it will blow chip U20. RD did not fuse that circuit and it instead blows the chip. This happened to my game before I bought it so I inherited the problem. The previous owner had the RD board in it. I was lucky though. I got the original board also and returned it to the game once the issue was repaired.

WOW just WOW!

#1032 4 years ago

Thanks whthrs166. I managed to get it back together without shorting anything. Unfortunately my alignment is way off now and my ringmaster is now hitting the playfield when it goes up and down. The ringmaster is tilted to the right and offset forward the front and to the right. Very frustrating and I am not sure what I can do to fix the problem! It is possible that the new spring assembly that I used was not shaped correctly. I am guessing that the ringmaster plastic not fully closing in the back is also a contributing factor. I ended up using my original ringmaster plastic because the back by the screw holes was cut out and assembled better than the new one I bought that has not been modified. Do they have to be cut to fit correctly? I just want to play my game and it is currently out of commission.

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#1033 4 years ago

Bend his spring.

#1034 4 years ago
Quoted from Coyote:

Bend his spring.

Yes, you can tweak it this way. However his looks way off for some reason. He can also shim the entire unit with washers. Dialing in the RM is a necessity to having a good long term issue free play for CV. It takes some patients sometimes. I also reccomend that you get the RM Play Field Protector. It's a plastic ring that fits into the play field that works with a new RM disc (gets rid of the the metal one for a plastic one) The kit will make sure that the RM never touches the PF when opening or closing.

#1035 4 years ago

In the years I have (two) CVs, I was able to fix all positioning issues by bending his spring.

And yes, get the plastic protector. I have one of the originals from the later 90's, in storage alllll these years until I get my CV back.

#1036 4 years ago

Thanks guys. I guess I will give bending the spring a try. At least now I have a backup if I break it. I already bought a plastic ring protector from the Mod Couple but was not happy with it. I installed it prior to making the other upgrades (when everything is still aligned). I think the stock design with the ringmaster top resting above the playfield is a much better design than the mods that require the ringmaster to perfectly fit inside of the protector.

When I get thing aligned I might try installing a metal ring from Pinbits that came with my game (but was not installed). It is a simple metal ring that adheres to the top of the cut out.

I am still curious if it is possible to install the molded plastic ringmaster without having to modify it? There seems to be too much interference unless you cut out some material by the through holes (like the ringmaster that came with my machine). This is what it looked like when I tried to install a new one that was not modified.

I really appreciate your help!

IMG_2738 (resized).jpgIMG_2738 (resized).jpg
#1037 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

am still curious if it is possible to install the molded plastic ringmaster without having to modify it? T

You need to heat it. You can soak it in hot water or use a hair dryer. Once you heat it up it will be softer and will bend easier.

#1038 4 years ago
Quoted from bobukcat:

The field service kit that was issued included instructions for adding a post with a rubber ring there but I have zero desire to drill a new hole into my PF so I just deal with it. It doesn't happen excessively, the game is pretty quick to raise the RM if it gets stuck and initiates a ball search and if a ball gets stuck there during a MB hitting the RM usually dislodges it, therefore I just live with it.

Verify that the game is at 6.5 degrees or more and level side to side. I had that issue until I got my game dialed in correctly.

#1039 4 years ago

This game must have been hell to vend when it was out. Out of all my pins I own and previous ones I've owned over the years, I get more people saying "Circus Voltaire is not working again!" Balls stuck, air balls, broken rubbers, and the list goes on! But I'll never sell it I think my buddy found the ultimate CV sweater though!
49245363908_6604a29b00_k (resized).jpg49245363908_6604a29b00_k (resized).jpg

#1040 4 years ago
Quoted from PhillyArcade:

This game must have been hell to vend when it was out. Out of all my pins I own and previous ones I've owned over the years, I get more people saying "Circus Voltaire is not working again!" Balls stuck, air balls, broken rubbers, and the list goes on! But I'll never sell it I think my buddy found the ultimate CV sweater though!
[quoted image]

Yeah, from the second I first bought it I knew it would never be on location anywhere. It is a beautiful mess .

#1041 4 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Yeah, from the second I first bought it I knew it would never be on location anywhere. It is a beautiful mess .

hahaha beautiful mess describes this table perfectly!! That should be the name of this thread! "Welcome to the Circus! It's a beautiful mess" - CV Club for Owners, Fans"

#1042 4 years ago
Quoted from PhillyArcade:

hahaha beautiful mess describes this table perfectly!! That should be the name of this thread! "Welcome to the Circus! It's a beautiful mess" - CV Club for Owners, Fans"

Mine has been relatively trouble-free other than a ball occasionally getting stuck under the end of the Highware lock ball guide. I did have an issue with it when I took it to a local (Pincinnati) show last year but that was all pretty much standard pinball stuff, broken flipper link, failed flipper opto board.

#1043 4 years ago

Yeah, I have mine dialed in really well, but it took me a while…and god forbid you buy a new house and move it.

#1044 4 years ago

I had a beautiful CV years ago but sold it. I’m looking to buy another one if anyone is looking to sell theirs. I’m in Michigan and would be willing to ship. PM me if you want to sell.

#1045 4 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Yeah, I have mine dialed in really well, but it took me a while…and god forbid you buy a new house and move it.

Are you referring to the ringmaster? If so, did you bend the pring to get it aligned with the playfield hole?

#1046 4 years ago
Quoted from Gotfrogs:

Are you referring to the ringmaster? If so, did you bend the pring to get it aligned with the playfield hole?

I did that a long time ago and got it well aligned. The problem I always seem to have after moving it is the high wire ramp. If it isn’t perfect, then it cannot release a single ball without the others coming out as well. I usually mess with it forever after moving to try and get it back to perfect.

#1047 4 years ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

I did that a long time ago and got it well aligned. The problem I always seem to have after moving it is the high wire ramp. If it isn’t perfect, then it cannot release a single ball without the others coming out as well. I usually mess with it forever after moving to try and get it back to perfect.

yes this is the same problem with the high wire ramp one of the solution is to change the switch by roll over ones.

#1048 4 years ago

Had our CV since 2006. Purchased non-working from a retailer for $3200. All it needed was a shooter rod. Overpaid at the time because I didn't know any better, but I guess I got lucky considering the prices for them now. At least it was in good shape overall.

A while ago I bought a bunch of stuff to spruce her up a bit, LEDs, mirror blades, about a grand worth of mods in total. Then we moved to another house so it sat folded up for about four years. I just now started installing the Cointaker Premiums that have been sitting in the cabinet for all this time. I'm about 3/4 done with the playfield. Never having put in LEDs before, I'm a little shocked at how much of the underside has to be disassembled to get to all of them, especially around the ringmaster. Also discovered that about 10% of the LEDs are defective. I got them so long ago there is no warranty. Luckily for the hard-to-get locations the LEDs are functional.

I'm cleaning the inserts as I go. They are in good shape, don't seem to be faded, but I'm pretty disappointed with the resulting brightness so far. I'm probably (definately) spoiled by the MBrLE that sits next to it, that thing is so bright it lights up the whole basement. I love the illumination on that game, CGC really did it good; but it makes every other game in the collection look like crap

I was hoping to get CV up to that level of luminance but it ain't happening with this kit.

So I already know I'll be changing the LEDs again. Seems like what I have is maybe just a tad brighter than the incandescent were. I want my CV to be visible from space. Any suggestions?

#1049 4 years ago
Quoted from mamawaldee:

Had our CV since 2006. Purchased non-working from a retailer for $3200. All it needed was a shooter rod. Overpaid at the time because I didn't know any better, but I guess I got lucky considering the prices for them now. At least it was in good shape overall.
A while ago I bought a bunch of stuff to spruce her up a bit, LEDs, mirror blades, about a grand worth of mods in total. Then we moved to another house so it sat folded up for about four years. I just now started installing the Cointaker Premiums that have been sitting in the cabinet for all this time. I'm about 3/4 done with the playfield. Never having put in LEDs before, I'm a little shocked at how much of the underside has to be disassembled to get to all of them, especially around the ringmaster. Also discovered that about 10% of the LEDs are defective. I got them so long ago there is no warranty. Luckily for the hard-to-get locations the LEDs are functional.
I'm cleaning the inserts as I go. They are in good shape, don't seem to be faded, but I'm pretty disappointed with the resulting brightness so far. I'm probably (definately) spoiled by the MBrLE that sits next to it, that thing is so bright it lights up the whole basement. I love the illumination on that game, CGC really did it good; but it makes every other game in the collection look like crap
I was hoping to get CV up to that level of luminance but it ain't happening with this kit.
So I already know I'll be changing the LEDs again. Seems like what I have is maybe just a tad brighter than the incandescent were. I want my CV to be visible from space. Any suggestions?

I ended up buying a bunch of Comet Pinball 1 SMD 6.3V AC/DC SUPREME BRIGHTNESS 5050 BULB - Clear - Warm White bulbs and I think mine pops pretty well next to my Total Nuclear Annihilation.

C9B3D92C-56CB-4B44-99EC-CB27B74C0020 (resized).jpegC9B3D92C-56CB-4B44-99EC-CB27B74C0020 (resized).jpeg
#1050 4 years ago
Quoted from mamawaldee:

Had our CV since 2006. Purchased non-working from a retailer for $3200. All it needed was a shooter rod. Overpaid at the time because I didn't know any better, but I guess I got lucky considering the prices for them now. At least it was in good shape overall.
A while ago I bought a bunch of stuff to spruce her up a bit, LEDs, mirror blades, about a grand worth of mods in total. Then we moved to another house so it sat folded up for about four years. I just now started installing the Cointaker Premiums that have been sitting in the cabinet for all this time. I'm about 3/4 done with the playfield. Never having put in LEDs before, I'm a little shocked at how much of the underside has to be disassembled to get to all of them, especially around the ringmaster. Also discovered that about 10% of the LEDs are defective. I got them so long ago there is no warranty. Luckily for the hard-to-get locations the LEDs are functional.
I'm cleaning the inserts as I go. They are in good shape, don't seem to be faded, but I'm pretty disappointed with the resulting brightness so far. I'm probably (definately) spoiled by the MBrLE that sits next to it, that thing is so bright it lights up the whole basement. I love the illumination on that game, CGC really did it good; but it makes every other game in the collection look like crap
I was hoping to get CV up to that level of luminance but it ain't happening with this kit.
So I already know I'll be changing the LEDs again. Seems like what I have is maybe just a tad brighter than the incandescent were. I want my CV to be visible from space. Any suggestions?

It is easier to put some bulbs in from the top.

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