Quoted from Medisinyl:Now we have a greater sense of comfort with active forums and accessible videos to protect our investment (often times cheap/DIY).
Do we?
There is a pinball "trap" in your belief, no offense.
Websites and videos are not the means to teach repair skill sets.
You cannot learn how to properly solder via a video, it takes practice.
There are more guides, no doubt.
There are people here (some that post, most that don't), if you know them that wrote the guides themselves or significantly contributed.
It just supports my standpoint that pinball will to continue to survive.
But who really did it?
The manufacturers?
No, it was those collectors that came long before those on this forum.
What happens if some of these sites are "removed" (as they have been in the past and people did not know existed).
However, anyone should be cautioned that not all online video guides are "good", either in video quality or material.
I have equally seen some seriously $#@!ed up repairs of people doing things they should not do to games out of ignorance.
Some people should never have touched a soldering iron, let alone a paint brush.
Improperly demonstrating "mylar freeze method removal" on a Cactus Canyon that ruined the playfield?
Use of saran wrap and Krylon Triple Thick on a marginally damaged backglass?
Repairing backglasses with masking tape?
Using shrink wrap as a primary means to seal high voltage lines?
Using varathane applications or clear coats in your garage without proper ventilation?
Working on EM pinball machines in high voltage areas with the the game plugged in (it is not "on" right?).
Lowering playfields with the game power on, and watching the short circuit light shows?
Installing alligator clips on capacitors for power connections?
Guess where those "expert" tips originated?
As the even the Pinball Ninja will tell you, watching a repair guide does not qualify a person to conduct either board repair, rebuild a score reel, or even conduct simple game repair on a pinball machine, as it gives a sense of false experience.
"Pinball Mods" are not a technical skill.
However, I challenge budding enthusiasts to find manufacturer repair guides for Jeutel, Game Plan, AMI, WICO, Mr Game, and even Atari.
They simply do not exist, and not all boards were copycats or created equal.
I am studying Bromley documents right now to get a feel for how they designed the MPU signal processing because I have looking at picking up two "Little Pros", one that is working, one that is parts, out of roughly 250 made.
I don't see anybody coming to the rescue for me here, if the game fails.
Zaccaria was saved and is a GREAT EXAMPLE of potential "lost knowledge", one person of which I will mention below.
I started to document AGC games, as there are only a handful that really understand the PCB design circuitry.
Literally we are talking about less than 100 people.
EM repair has been in decline for over 10 years, however small groups of people keep the knowledge around.
The old techs are retiring and passing on.
Dealers do not care anymore.
If it was not for a collection of people, most of the experience and knowledge that exists would never have happened.
David Gersic for example saved Zaccaria, as there is no single source of information other than his website.
None, and initially he was the only person who gave a $!@#.
Steve Charland (and a handful of others) provided critical details for GTB Star System 80, grounding mods, new pop bumper boards, and connector failures, or many would have ended up in the trash.
The same goes for GTB System 1 problems.
Kerry Stair, Clay Harrell, Dave Johnson, and several other dozen I can quote provided most of the CATALOGED repairs that most of the GTB, BLY, WMS, DE, Stern, and Sega alone.
The internet is a good reference tool, but not a replacement for actual hands on experience with a technician.
Unfortunately, it contains equal amounts of VERY POOR OR DANGEROUS information exist regarding pinball repairs, which a new person does not know how to filter. This includes this website.