I personally like the kit from PinballBulbs, it also includes some spotlights and LED strips for the mountain area, and doesn't look like clown puke. The top of the playfield is still a little too blue so I'm going to put cool whites up there. Their instructions were a little tough to wrap my head around and some bulbs aren't color marked as well as they should have been, but in the end it looks amazing. I'd love to leave the GI incandescent, but I need to keep heat and power consumption down. Only the topper is incandescent now.

I've still got a few more tweaks before I finish up the game (massive rebuild including Micro playfield), and the back mountains, skull mountain and 3D translite still need to be installed (sorry for the reflection on the playfield), but it's looking good. Don't really like the blue flippers and will change back to white. Played my first game on it since about 2005, gave bigfoot a hot foot and stole his treasure. Got high score #3. I can't wait until it's all done.

P.S. I don't have the "missing mountain", but my roommate is currently designing his own version. It's going to incorporate some extra detail and will look pretty sweet! I'll post details at some point later in this thread.
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Let us know how it goes! I got rad cals for my AFM, and I'm a bit nervous to install them.

Finally got tired of my Whitewater sound board quitting during a game randomly, so I ordered a Pinsound plus from K’s Arcade. Any tips or tricks from any of you that have done the same?
Or do I simply just plug this in, download the sound rom and enjoy better sound.

Let us know how it goes, this is one I would be curious to try as well. (never installed one so unfortunately I'm no help on your question)

Will do. I will create a restore thread once I assemble all the parts (and post link here), but that is probably roughly 2 months out.

I certainly will.
I know from another thread that there is some guy that is really good with sound that is doing a completely new sound package for this game but he just can never seem to find the time required to complete it.
Maybe someday.

We're all hoping for that.

Looks great!

What’s the deal with that, I get some dropout on mine and it was repaired a couple months back.

I have tried replacing caps and cables but no luck.
Sound will just quit. Only way to get it back is to reboot the game. But that does not even work 100% of the time.
Then other times it will pick one note and just keep playing it non stop until I shut the game down.
Very frustrating because sometimes I can play 3 or 4 games with no problem at all.
It is very sporadic in its behavior.

I put 5 coats of carnuba wax on my game and the ball is moving super fast now!!! .....broke one of my targets.....Can anyone recommend (or post the link) for the best place to buy replacement Targets?

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Pinball life has the best "match" to the original targets that I've found in terms of color. Marco has decent ones, but you have to assemble them.

Pinball life are assembled?

15 years ago someone had reinforced green targets but I can’t find them anymore. Wish they’d come back.

Thanks!

Just ordered the green target. They are assembled.

Anyone know best place to get the white square targets for big foot hot foot? One of the corners chipped off.

So did I a few years ago.

Replaced them with the flat rectangular green ones.Yeah,they don't look half as good as the originals but they'll take so much more of a beating.

Restoration is in progress

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That looks good Peter is that a whole new transformer or has it been rebuilt?

Just got my Pinsound+ board in the mail today.
My opinion so far is underwhelming.
But I have posted on their forum page and will give this a bit of time.
However if what I am hearing now is as good as it gets, my old board will certainly be going back in my game.
Why oh why is every pinball board in the world reproduced but Bally/Williams sound? Arrrrrgh.

Thanks. It's the original, 26 years old transformer. Cleaned, painted and polished by me.

Default behavior should sound equal or better than the Williams audio board. What's the issue? A speaker upgrade helped improve the sound in mine.
Perhaps consider a different mix or faster USB drive.

But the truly exciting (and exhausting 4yr wait!) opportunity involves @endprodukt 's re-orchestration mix. I hope he finishes and releases it soon.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/white-water-reorchestration-for-pinsound-and-warren-davis#post-2001963

I agree. the reorchestration samples put out so far sound fantastic.
I tried the upgraded call outs package that one guy did, and while they do sound great, the voices used are just not for me.
My out of the box experience has not been great.
Some of the voices will sound like they are talking underwater and the sound levels for the music are all over the place. Some music is very soft and other sounds will blow your ears off.

Wow thats remarkable. Cannot wait to see your pics roll in showing your restoration project.

Here is one for the group. Recently my pops and slings stopped working. Below is everything I have done. Thoughts?

- Checked ALL fuses outside of the fuse holders, all good
- Checked voltage at TP6, got 50V
- Checked pin2 on J107, good
- Checked all lugs on the 3 pops and the 2 slings, all good at 71v
- Checked the outside of the fuse holder for fuse 104, good
- Unplugged J107, and tested voltage on pin2 directly, 71.3v
- Unplugged J127, lifted playfield and ran alligator clip from ground wire to brown wire on each of the coils for the pops, all pops fired
- J127 does not look burned or anything and doesn't appear that it has ever been repinned
- Checked logic on chip U4 by putting game in solenoid test, repeat, and then testing the 2nd pin from the top on the right side, it reads 5.02, and never dips/or changes state

I'm out of options!

Mantis amusements - he still has them

Well here is my final report on the Pinsound board.

It is a great product if what you are after is new cool music and callouts for your game. For this purpose the card is a beast and blows away the original sound card. And it has some cool features like a headphone jack and direct sub output. (But I already have Pinnovators hooked to my old board that already does all of that. At this point in time there are really no super cool download options for Whitewater though. One guy redid some of the callouts but the voice work is just not for me.

However, if you want original game rom sounds done perfectly like the original board does, you are pretty much out of luck.
I will admit that it comes close to doing this, and maybe going the extra mile by spending another $150 on upgraded speakers might help, but there is no way I can justify all the money the board and speakers cost to not be satisfied with the way my game is sounding right now.
And it is not just me, my entire family and everyone I have had stop by to listen, agrees that the original Williams sound board is faster and does not leave out any sounds like this board does. I forgot to mention that it sometimes just skips callouts or sounds whenever it feels like it. Arrrrgh.
I am even using a fast USB 3.0 thumb drive but since the wave files are not stored on the actual sound card, it just can't seem to always keep up.
So I will of course be listing my Pinsound+ for sale soon and I will nurse my existing sound card along for as long as it lives or until some company finally starts making replacement boards for these games.

I had a sim problem on another machine and it was the IDC connector where it plugged into the board. replaced with molex and all was fine.

You stole my thunder! Was gonna suggest swapping out all those IDC connectors with molex and use only trifurcon connectors.

One of the things I’ve never done repair wise is replace connectors. Could you guys point me to the right hardware/parts I need to accomplish this?

Just determine what size connectors you need to replace the existing IDC ones with and buy trifurcon crimp on connectors to go with the connector. For example if you have a 7 pin IDC connector you just buy a 7 pin molex. Pull the wires out of the IDC and snip them off and strip it and crimp it onto new trifurcon connector and push into the corresponding spot on the connector. My suggestion would be to pull out each wire individually and finish it into the new connector b4 pulling out tbe next one

On left is a 7 pin IDC connector which you replace with a 7 pin molex. The connectors in front are the trifurcon crimp on connectors that you will also need. I suggest buying extra as sometimes they get messed up when trying to crimp them on.

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In the interim I’ve been reading more about this. Seems like the crimper tool itself plays a major role and most people are saying not to cheap out on it. Problem is I didn’t see anyone recommending a specific crimper. Suggestions?

I didn't waste my money on it was far too expensive I just used a standard pair of electrical strippers with the plier tips and folded the tabs over onto themselves and squeezed the piss outta them.

I had great luck with the DIY sound upgrade (speakers & sub + crossover). The difference was night and day.

Two years in a row at TPF people have asked about the great sound.

I followed “Tony's Do-It-Yourself Guide to Speaker Replacement on WPC-Era Bally/Williams Pinball Machines”

http://www.dziedzic.us/wpc_speaker_replacement.html

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whitewater-club-lifejackets-not-required/page/65#post-4611936

Thanks.
I'm sure if I throw more money at it, it would sound a bit better.
Just not $600 better then my old card and I will get all the callouts and not have it randomly skip some.
To each his own, Pinsound is just not the product I was hoping it would be for me and my family.

After you sell your kit, the DIY route is easily less than $100

Yes.
I can see doing that.
Thanks for the tips.

When my boards act up, I send them to CoinOp Cauldron. They come back fixed, Clive tells me what he did to fix them, and usually tells me any other preventative maintenance he's done. So, when all else fails (or you just don't feel like messing with it) send it off for repair.

As for the sound, I know that people often complain about Whitewater's sound, but I'm fine with the stock sound and unless you are very meticulous (like Endprodukt) whatever you replace the stock sounds with will probably not be comparable to the original sounds. Unless and until Endprodukt finishes his work, I can't see the value in paying for a Pinsound for this game vs repairing the original board.

I agree. One of the joys of WH20 for me is the sounds and musics and specifically how the music builds as you complete rafts. I think it is a genius level of music creation using only midi technology. The bass lines, "guitar" solos, etc. Our ear gets it is supposed to sound like it is a stringed instrument, but it is distinctly early 90's sound technology.

I think to change that (EndoProdukt's project) would lose some of the game's magic.

I certainly agree with all of this.
Old sound board is back in and sounding great.
For the most part it works great and I love the way the game sounds so much better then the way it did with Pinsound.
If the problem gets so bad that I can't play a few games without it messing up I will send it off to someone.
Pinsound board already listed in the market place.

Is this a decent option for those trifurcon connectors?

ebay.com link: HT 225D Full Cycle Ratcheting Crimping Tool for D Sub Open Barrel Connectors

I use something similar. Takes a little to get the hang of it with the ratcheting.

I spoke to a guy a year or so ago that manufactured replacement boards for Williams machines. He did runs of 30 or so at a time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Looking for his name and contact.

Interesting.
Which boards?

Picked up a WH20 today, very happy to finally own one. Anyone have a front cabinet decal they have to sell?

Thx

Man, this game is a bear to shop, way too many ramps and hard to reach areas. I finished most of the top side, but didn’t remove all the back ramps, it’s just too much time. I flame polished the ramps I could get off, replaced all the rubber and cleaned as much as I could. Added warm white frosted leds to the GI. Cleaned the topper and replaced the lights. Tomorrow I’ll tackle the bottom, replacing coil sleeves, removing and cleaning the subway and tidying up whatever else needs it. Waiting on leds for the inserts.

Found a nice front decal and two head decals. Game will be real nice when it’s done, but I’m beat.

Yes it is and also once of the most expensive if you have to start replacing ramps and stuff.

Luckily, everything is in tact and in great condition. No new parts needed.

Yes amazingly WH20 is one of the most expensive games to restore, I think the ramps alone cost me close to 700.00