Amazing work done. I am going to start restoring an EM Sinbad soon but your work is very inspiring. Please do keep it up. MOre information on the build please.
@davesthinktank8 күн бұрын
Thanks for your encouragement! I will likely have a third video on the Arduino, as I've done quite a lot of work on the sound in particular this month. I've also added a ball save feature for @snextime below!
@randyginden385212 күн бұрын
Am not a big believer in solder less boards…just another possibility for failure
@davesthinktank11 күн бұрын
Then you must be better at soldering than me!
@toadstool1up132114 күн бұрын
Sell this as a mod! Would pay good money for my FG. Great work
@OptionKnob27 күн бұрын
Hey Dave, Great work on taking Flash Gordon to the next level! Do you happen to have a shortlist made of the 30ish sounds used on the machine? Like 0227 = Outlane, 0247 = Spinner etc.. I just got the Geeteoh board in my FG and am going to customize your mix a little for my own version and a list would be super helpful. THX!
@snextimeАй бұрын
No ball save?
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
I fixed it so that if the ball goes down without hitting anything, it will kick your ball back out. I'm not sure if that counts as ball save. You can absolutely program a ball save with whatever rules you wanted, though.
@snextimeАй бұрын
@@davesthinktank ball save is when you drain in like 10-15 seconds after you plunge the ball. A second chance at that turn.
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
@@snextime Now I'm thinking I might really like to write a ball save, with Princess Aura saying "Don't kill him yet, Father. I want him!"
@OptionKnob27 күн бұрын
@@davesthinktank I had someone write a ball save for my FG roms about 6 yrs ago and its a game changer especially for guests!(: He wrote it using that first switch you hit in the shooter lane and then test bank 20 in the admin has 1 to 15 to roughly account for up to 15 seconds of ball save time, so you can adjust it. So when you launch the ball the timer starts after you hit that first switch in shooter lane, it also lights the shoot again circle insert at the drain letting you know that it just popped another ball out into the shooter lane. Its an amazing feature and allows you to set the game to 3 balls vs the old school 5 balls.
@waynegram8907Ай бұрын
Not sure if all Solid State 70s and 80's pinball games watchdog circuits during power up boot sequence would shut the pinball game off and reset the pinball game if any coil is locked on or shorted which I'm not sure if the watchdog circuit did this or not?
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
Interesting question. I haven't heard of this, or read it in any manual, so i would have to say no. It's a good idea though. Maybe I'll look into how the arduino might achieve that.
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
I just checked an Alltek manual for their solenoid board, and it goes through a check for stuck coils as you suggest. So, the 70s/80s pinballs can be upgraded to do this.
@waynegram8907Ай бұрын
@@davesthinktank Yes but only the Alltek replacement boards do this check for stuck coils. Its something in the boot sequence program loaded on the ROM chips but the 70s and 80s ROM chips don't have this check for stuck coils doing the boot up so the watch dog circuit on the Alltek boards are different also to check for the stuck coils it seems.
@DDE100Ай бұрын
Amazing, thank you for sharing this.
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
My pleasure! The more effort I have to put into solving pinball issues, the more I want to get this information out there for others.
@geeteoh1Ай бұрын
Good job. Way better rules. I need to get one of these machines.
@davesthinktankАй бұрын
Thanks, much appreciated!
@Tranceinyapantz2 ай бұрын
Put the original spinner decals and apron back.
@davesthinktank2 ай бұрын
What a surprising suggestion!
@VicsFlix-YouTube2 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing the info on your Drop Target fix, and your awesome pin setup!
@davesthinktank2 ай бұрын
Thanks! It's been six months, and this fix has held without fail!
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
Also, did you put a new speaker in with that sound card or is it stock?
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
The sound in this video is from the original speaker. I wasn't happy with the sound, and so in a later video I replaced it with a huge speaker on top from an old surround sound system! It had great sound, but I eventually figured out the bad sound was actually on the sound file I was using, which was a clip from the movie, including electric buzzing and whizzing noises from a space battle. So currently, I am back to using the original speaker.
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
That’s pretty slick. I like the apron and other photo mods you’ve done. Have you tried putting Mylar over the spinner and drops to protect the artwork? If you decide to put your designs up, I’d love a copy. I can get you my Pinside ID or my email is in my about me on KZfaq here. Thank you.
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
I definitely need a geetoh board! Sound is great.
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
Yes, it makes a huge difference! I've been working with Geeteoh.com to make more sound files available.
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
Pretty cool idea. Thanks for sharing. Where did you get the decal for the apron? That’s pretty sweet.
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
I actually made it myself! I designed it using an online photo editing program (pixel.com). It was too big for regular paper, but I split it into two parts and printed them on 8 1/2 x 11 photo paper, then cut them out and joined them. I have a couple videos going over the details. See my videos "Make your Apron Pop", and "Introducing Flash Gordon". I should probably make some of my redesigned aprons and targets available on line.
@richdaigle3 ай бұрын
Dave I could not have more empathy...I recently decided to finally fix a three issues my WORKING original Black Knight 1. the jet popper (only has one) wasnt working 2. the knights voice was deep in the background but clearly wasnt hitting the amplifier circuit...I dug into the popper problem, the coil tested good ...the diode bad...replaced and with the first pop...the displays went out...like I had unleashed a curse ...its been issue after issue...a kicker coil came on staying on...diodes I'd replaced in the power supply were dead...fuses are burning at power up uuuugh...but it just made me more obsessed. Ive done plenty of electronic work in my day so schematics are not a problem...the deep dive into the pinball circuitry has been nothing short of fascinating ...I'm in a very rural area so if I need a 330K resister its a 2hr drive or 3-5 day wait...Ive got a bag of parts on order and now I wait!
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
I did eventually fix all the Vector's issues! It's been great since. I usually find the bigger the problem, the smaller the cause. I had things shorting out all over my Star Trek a couple years back, and finally tracked it down to a bit of solder that dripped from a repair I had been working on, to short a switch to a solenoid! I hope your new parts do the trick!
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
thanks! I have a Dolly I’m fixing up sooner or later. This would be a cool thing to add. Like it playing music videos or something.
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
Dolly Parton, I assume? Good game. Not all the old ballys have a suitable spot for a video display. I was thinking maybe one of the card slots could be used. BTW, see my other video where I add a video display to the Flash Gordon. I give a lot more detail on the steps required.
@MRNBricks3 ай бұрын
That’s pretty sweet. Thanks for sharing.
@davesthinktank3 ай бұрын
Thanks! Wow, there's a lot on your channel. I'll try to check it out soon!
@Mo_Ketchups4 ай бұрын
Your ENDING FRAME captured the undying, pure youthful JOY pinball still no matter HOW old we are! It made me grin EAR ta EAR, buddy!! GREAT PIN, GREAT WORK!! 👍🤟👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Hey, thanks! That was actually completely spontaneous. I put the camera up at the ceiling so you could see the whole machine, and when I turned around and looked at it, it made me think of Flash jumping at the camera in the final scene of the movie!
@snextime4 ай бұрын
Good job
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Watched my own game, and noticed my middle pop bumper was dead on the right side! The skirt needed to be re-centered in the spoon. Used the same techniques discussed in the video.
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Does anyone think that looks like a skirt? Maybe if you're Judy Jetson!
@JamesHill-su2jo4 ай бұрын
How did you get the sound bites and ship noise from the show to play ? It really enhanced the game play .
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
It really does! I have a replacement sound board, from Geeteoh Electronics. I made a video on installing it kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z912oZOB2qmafYk.html , which added most of the sounds and music that you hear, and also one on how to customize it with your own sounds kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fZ-JmrxyrN3QqmQ.html .
@Thnker1004 ай бұрын
Your upper left pop bumper seems dead. Beautiful game.
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Good spotting! Yes, it has always been very insensitive when hit from above. Any other direction is fine, though. Maybe it's time I did something about that!
@Rottiezucco14 ай бұрын
Love that GEETEOH sound board, it really adds to the game!
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
Thanks! I really love that it allows you to add your own sounds. If you watched my game at the end, every time i hit the drop targets down you can hear Kirk yell, Khaaan!
@snextime4 ай бұрын
A warm white frosted bulb would of fixed that issue.
@davesthinktank4 ай бұрын
I actually had one for a while. It was mismatched with all the other bulbs, and bugged me more than the light in my eyes! I replaced all the gray spacers a while back with white, and this white cover looks really good among them 😀
@MRNBricks5 ай бұрын
That's pretty sweet. Nice work.
@Bonelord695 ай бұрын
Neat!
@davesthinktank5 ай бұрын
Thanks! A lot of research went into this. I hope others can follow with their pinballs.
@snextime5 ай бұрын
Great job.
@davesthinktank5 ай бұрын
Thanks! It really was a massive project. Hopefully I save someone a month of trial and error!
@davesthinktank5 ай бұрын
See the video how I did this, and how you can add a video player to your own pinball! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/frJkmK6G1cDbg58.htmlsi=JklxXRwoLiCAeluT
@davesthinktank5 ай бұрын
Modified my 1981 Bally Flash Gordon pinball with a video player!
@Rottiezucco16 ай бұрын
Love it!
@dangermartin696 ай бұрын
Mouser, digikey or newark are much better for capacitors. Digikey ships in Canada for 8 dollars and it comes in two days. Over 100 dollars is free shipping.
@davesthinktank6 ай бұрын
Good to know, thanks!
@petercbruun6 ай бұрын
Thanks for at good video. Greetings from Denmark
@petercbruun6 ай бұрын
Thanks for at good video. Greetings from Denmark
@petercbruun6 ай бұрын
Thanks for at good video. Greetings from Denmark
@davesthinktank6 ай бұрын
Thanks for the views!
@snextime7 ай бұрын
Good job.
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
Thanks. I usually live by "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but this hadn't broken in 40 years and was starting to worry me!
@waynegram89077 ай бұрын
Why do SCRs need a High Load? Any reasons why pinball games used SCR's instead of FETs? there must have been a reason why they used SCRs
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
Good questions, and I'm probably not the guy to answer them! But I'll try: Once an SCR has power to the gate, it allows power to flow from the anode to the cathode, but the power to both gate and anode are needed to keep the circuit open and current flowing. I assume then that low voltage to the anode can then cause the circuit to fail, or at least cause it to fluctuate. This appears to be a problem only for a small number of (40-year-old) SCRs, so it may be more of an issue of wear. As to why SCRs rather than FETs, I couldn't tell you. I can say, though, that the lamp driver board is the most dependable item in the backbox. MPU, regulator, sound and rectifier boards need lots of maintenance, and are more and more frequently replaced, but most machines still have the original lamp driver boards working away. So, using SCRs seems to have been a reasonable choice. Only the unpredictable switch from incandescent to LED has caused any issue.
@waynegram89077 ай бұрын
@@davesthinktank The SCR is turning on/off the power supply voltage to the lamps/lights on the pinball playfield. The SCR is in "parallel" with the Lamp bulb or LED. When the LED is in parallel with the SCR its causing the SCR to self oscillate or fluctuate the SCR gate voltage or anode voltage causing intermittent on/off which I'm not sure why. The datasheets to SCR's doesn't say anything about the SCR's Load impedance.
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
@@waynegram8907you have to consider the difference between electronic components in a schematic, and in the real world. In a schematic, everything works perfectly. In the real world, things deteriorate and sometimes fail. What may have worked perfectly with an LED 40 years ago may not be up to the task any more.
@snextime7 ай бұрын
Good job.
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
Thanks! Definitely a fun little project.
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
I should have expanded a bit more on how the relays work. The +ve sends out 12 volts, and the -ve has a switch which is switched off until one of three pre-set conditions occurs. Then it switches on until the end condition occurs. So you can add anything that works on 12 volts to any of the relays. The strobe I'm using takes 12 volts.
@snextime7 ай бұрын
Big daddy enterprises sells a brand new board for $50
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
Nice! I checked it out and yes, they do have a $50 LED substitute, in addition to their $150 version of the original with a flash.
@geeteoh17 ай бұрын
Nice. The light fits perfectly
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
The hole is three inches, and the strobe is very slightly less than that. Lucky for me, especially as I had no idea how big it would be!
@carlosfields99377 ай бұрын
If you like, next time you can just cut the wires off of the old board instead of desoldering. You can also leave some of the wire cover to help remind you the location. Then strip the tip and insert or solder.
@davesthinktank7 ай бұрын
That will work! But really, desoldering is not as difficult as I made it look 😅
@carlosfields99377 ай бұрын
@@davesthinktank it didn't look bad , it just saves a little time. Thanks for taking the time to share.
@snextime8 ай бұрын
Never spray cleaner on the back glass. Spray it on the towel. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g66pe5Nqvp6ql4U.htmlsi=jWicxv-WaEVTjtRC
@davesthinktank8 ай бұрын
That's a good suggestion. I haven't had that problem, as I always use a light spray, and wipe the drips first from the bottom up. But, spraying on the cloth would be safer.
@shotgun1619 ай бұрын
Great vedio. Im working on a 8 bal and was wondering how good this golf board is because i need to replace mine and now im sold on the board! Cant wait to get my game going
@davesthinktank9 ай бұрын
Thanks for letting me know!
@dangermartin699 ай бұрын
Old PC power supplies are a great source for wire in many different colours.
@davesthinktank9 ай бұрын
Maybe not a "great"source, but they are a source, true!
@HippieSmack9 ай бұрын
Adding this here incase it helps someone else. If the target will not stay up and you are confident the spring is not culprit, check the shooter lane switch. Every time that gets triggered it will bring the single drop down so that you are able to plunge. I had an issue on mine where the shooter lane switch was too close together so vibration within the machine would close it and it kept randomly bringing that target down.
@davesthinktank9 ай бұрын
Excellent point! There are so many interconnected parts in a pinball machine, it takes a lot of ingenuity to think through how one part can make a completely unrelated part fail. Good job figuring that one out!
@Kolohetom8 ай бұрын
@@davesthinktankHoly crap! Thanks for this! This issue has been driving me friggin crazy, until I watched your vid! I was all over the usual websites for weeks trying to figure it out, until I searched “Flash Gordon single drop target behavior”, and I watched your tutorial. We’re all good now, thank you!! Whew!!
@davesthinktank8 ай бұрын
@@Kolohetom hey, really glad I could help! BTW, mine has been working for a couple months with this fix, no problem!
@alfie34129 ай бұрын
lol
@dovermoreno10 ай бұрын
Surreal but pretty funny! I came here from the DVDS Facebook group page.
@davesthinktank10 ай бұрын
Glad you found us! This was a fun episode to do!
@RA-rh3gg10 ай бұрын
I love what you did with this machine. Wish I could play it.
@stevehood704511 ай бұрын
Dave...What was the part number for the Bridge Rectifier you used on your power supply? I have the same issue on a 1981 Bally Embryon I am working on for a friend. It uses the same power supply shown in this video.
@davesthinktank11 ай бұрын
The original bridge rectifiers used in these games were only 8A, and (I think) 200 V, and were seriously under-powered. I replaced the one in my machine with a 35A, 400V bridge rectifier, which is heavy-duty enough to handle anything that might come through the power supply. The part number is GBPC3504W, manufactured by GeneSIC. I bought it from Mouser Electronics, for about $7. The heat sink was around $3, part number 532-6222B. The specs say the part has a heat sink built in, but I added one anyway.