Are you keeping or selling the Bumble?

I always use a heat gun to remove old decals. Sometimes you just heat & scrape small pieces, but sometimes you get a good edge and can pull off a large section. I've done 2 cabinets with regular decals and one with RadCals. I really like the RadCals because you can't wrinkle them during the application.

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this fit better

http://www.pinballrebel.com/pinball/coindoor/pinball_coin_door_inserts.htm

Unfortunately I am having an issues with the Bigfoot opto's. I reflowed the soldier joints on the opto board and that appeared to solve it, until the next time I started the machine and they stopped registering again. So I decided to order a new opto board from Pinball.nl, but unfortunately still have the same problem.

Taking a picture with my camera phone shows the Opto's are lit, but don't register. They don't register in test mode even if I break the beams with a piece of card. I have checked all the wires are seated correctly in the connectors and reseated 207 and 209 on the CPU board, but they are still not registering.
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Any Suggestions?

I guess that I would check continuity in the wiring that goes from the opto board back to the CPU. Maybe you've got a broken wire along that path.

Anyone with a bigfoot or boulder shooting rod for sale?

Hello everyone. I recently bought a WH20, in the previous owner told me about this issue before I bought it. Now it's time for me to try to fix it.

The issue is, not all the time, but a lot of the time, at the end of a ball, it delays running the bonus routine. Sometimes for 5 seconds, sometimes for much longer.

I've done all the basic things, I've checked all the switches in test mode, made sure all the ones that are supposed to be closed are closed, and all the ones that are supposed to be open are open, everything checks out great. I have tested all the diodes, I did have to replace a couple but the issue has not gone away.

I know it detects the drain, because it will flash BONUS for a brief moment before throwing the score back up, then sometimes going thru a ball search or 2 or 3 before finally doing the bonus routine and continuing on with the game.

Any help and ideas are greatly appreciated!

If it is searching for balls that seem to indicate problems with the through switches/optos for detecting the balls. Have you checked they work properly?

I sure have. When it happens, I immediately go into test mode and clearly see trough Left, Center, and Right closed.

I also just tried a factory reset and that didn't help.

Depending upon which ROM version you are running, for some reason, the word BONUS will often pop up momentarily when the machine starts a ball search (even if no new trough switch has been triggered).

So, it may not actually be detecting the drain, and is just starting a regular ball search. I suspect that one of your trough switches is not consistently triggering properly.

Check to make sure no other switches are triggering when trough switches are activated or any other switch in the game. Multiple switches triggering at once can make the game do funny things. You want to remove the balls and activate all switches by hand to see how the game responds.

I’d be willing to bet that it’s a ball trough issue. I know you said you mentioned that you tested all the switches, but I’d wager they’re flaky.

I had the same issue with my Earthshaker. It did literally the same thing: ball drains, does the end of ball jingle, but then sits and waits went through a ball search. All the trough switches tested fine too, but after replacing all the trough micro switches, the problem went away and I never had the issue again.

Sometimes they’re just finicky.

It was a switch issue. I just pulled the switch arms up a bit more. Maybe one was right on the edge of open and closed and caused some logic issues. Thanks guys!

Just upgraded my stock translite with a mirrored backglass from CPR. Wow...what a difference! Photos don't do it justice...even more gorgeous in person.

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Atm Keeping the blue mountains and bumble
I may put them up for sale at future date if i sell the game..

Just asking if it is better to keep the pinball original..
When you are redecal a WH2O

Black inside the cab and on the back of the lower cab..
Blue on the head box..

Have seen that some restorers paint it all blue..
Inside and out ..

Started to sand the cab back inside and out.

Agree! I replaced mine with a CPR as well since my original was scratched and stained up (literally look like someone spilled coffee on the back of it).

It really brightens up the whole game. I absolutely love the mirrored bits.

I went with black to keep it original, but it should look good either way.

I guess I’m part of the club now after a long search!

The electronics look good and are pretty shiny, the ramps are not perfect but OK, the cabinet needs a complete make-over and the playfield… well, that’s what worries me. I have two options:

1// buy a Mirco playfield to replace the old one (and wait a year before installing it because it’s not cured??), hoping the drilled holes match.

2// carefully remove the big pieces of dirty Mylar (scary), clean everything, give the PF a light sanding, applying a thin layer of clean coat, ask a professional airbrush artist to do some touch-ups here and there and clean coat until done. Respecting the curing periods and sanding of course.

What is my best option? Is no. 2 even possible on a Diamond Plate or is that asking for trouble? Am I crazy to even try this on a WPC?

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Diamond plate I’d give much better odds with removing Mylar, unless you got planking or some other odd damage. Not a problem to remove Mylar, touch up and restore an original. Option #2 is a good one, but depending on who you go with and how much touch up, mirco might be a better gamble, and like you say who knows what you get with the clear, I’ve had good luck myself.

I have another question: how do people clean Bigfoot’s fur? Hahaha! No really.

Shampoo

2nd time in a week, flashers fuse blows.

Any idea what could be the problem?

Bulbs?

Short in the socket(s). Check each socket carefully. Bet one has a small piece (like a strand) of wire in it. Pulled my hair out chasing something like that down in an AFM.

Edit: only applies if it takes a bit for the fuse to go. If it pops right away something else is amiss.

I had a similar issue with GI blowing a fuse. Only way to find bad socket was to one by one remove from daisy chain. Then bingo found shorted socket

I have an original White Water Topper complete (Dome / arched frame and metal etched decal). Curious what you feel it's worth?

I'll be selling it soon.

Thanks for your input.

Kerry

I bought one for $500 a year or Ago. But have heard higher numbers.

I would imagine the value would be between $500 and $1000. Depends greatly on the condition of the sticker and how wrinkled it is.

Post som pics Kerry!

I may be interested depending on condition.

In this crazy market I think you will find a buyer at or near $1K especially if it's in perfect, non-wrinkled condition.

Thanks Guys for your input.

I'll try to get some picts posted today.

Kerry

White Water topper pictures.

Note: the dome is in nice condition however, they can be purchased brand new at Planetary Pinball $115 or at Marco $150, plus shipping
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Interesting to compare mine with yours. I always thought the bubbles were a defect. Looks like it was part of the design I guess. Yours has almost identical bubbles on the left side.

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No, it was not part of the design and a perfect one does not have the bubble in it. However an OG with a bubble is still way better than any other option developed so far, and possibly forever based on how hard this seems to be to recreate. With a bubble like that I would think you're looking at $500 max but again, who knows what someone may be willing to pay.

I've read of some people having luck using a hypodermic needle to pull the air out and reduce the bubble but I'm not that brave and believe it would still be wrinkled anyway.

Yeah, I can confirm that they don't all have those bubbles, odd that those are in the same spot though.

No, the bubbles were not part of the design, though a great many (most?) of them do have bubbles.

I do wonder why it seemed to be so difficult to get it on "cleanly". I don't know why it would be harder than applying any other decal, but maybe there is something about that material that made it harder to get right.

I also find it amusing that almost all Whitewaters have the same scratches on the top right side, just below the topper (from the post screws hitting it when the playfield gets raised).

I see...makes sense (and thx for the info everyone). Did yours need to be repaired with pinholes? If so, looks great!

Did you replace your incandescent bulbs with LED's? Curious.

Mine has a wrinkle in the exact same spot.

Do not use or even try LEDs. They won't produce the same effect at all. Also, you have to watch the voltage as well. I had some LEDs in a Cointaker kit and they melted.

I see the light board for White Water topper available at Ministry of Pinball for around $30 which uses the less common 194 bulbs. I know another person who melted some bulbs swapping them for standard 6.3v in error.

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Quick ROM question: do I need to worry about changing security chips etc. when upgrading from LH-4 to LH-5 or LH-6?

Thanks!

Nope

Hmmm, I'll have to check the voltages, but it's easy enough to do a step down board like here.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/f-14-tomcat-beacon-diy-step-down-voltage-regulator

I’m finally back in the club, I picked up a machine that was reimported from France, operated in the US and then it stopped working so it’s been in storage for a while since then.

it needs a few pieces to get back to being ready for the rapids.

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Congrats on your WH2o! These are fun to restore (but expensive) with so many new parts available. Don’t forget the green lite/lock targets! 2 for $22 with free shipping isn’t bad. Marco has full sets of mountains, ramps, plastics, decals. Pricy, but fun to see it come together! Good luck!

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I'm not sure if you know, but Pinball Parts on eBay is Mad Amusements. They have stolen tens of thousands of dollars from International Pinsiders and vendors. Myself and others have spent an immense amount of time trying to bring them to justice to no avail.

Pinball Life has them also, cheaper.

https://www.pinballlife.com/williams-green-transparent-standup-target-3-ddeep-rectangle.html