Want another pinball - after advice.

[arcadebasement]

Probably looking for used, but I may go new if I have to pay almost as much for second hand machine.

 

Prices (on ebay, graigslist etc) seem crazy right now; not just the usual expensive suspects like Addams Family or Medieval Madness, but more common machines like World Cup Soccer or Doctor Who seem to be fetching $2K+

 

Anyone know of a reasonable source within 200 miles of Philly? Tried TNT, PA Gameroom and quarter arcade but they're either low on stock or pumping up the prices. Perhaps it's caused by tax refund season but $2.5K for a high-issue 15 year old pinball seems a bit off.

 

Interested in (in no particular order) preferably has a DMD but not essential

 

Terminator 2

Jurassic Park

Gilligan's Island

Cyclone

Getaway HS II

etc

 

If you're nearby and want to off-load a machine or know someone who does let me know. Thanks!

[Room 34]

My only advice for you is if you're buying used, be VERY careful about what you're getting, and make sure BEFORE you commit that you have some recourse if something goes wrong.

 

Several years back (2001, I think it was), I bought a Taxi pinball machine from a guy on eBay... although I didn't REALLY buy it on eBay. I was the highest bidder, but I didn't meet the reserve. I ended up making a private deal with the guy, and he shipped me the pinball.

 

It was great for a month or so. But then the score display died. And then one of the sound cards died. Turns out some idiot (maybe the seller, maybe not) had replaced ALL of the fuses in the cabinet with 7 amp slo-blo fuses, even though most of the circuits required lower amp, fast-blo fuses. So, basically, I was screwed. I paid $700 for a 250-pound pile of junk stuck in my basement. Luckily I was actually able to sell it again on eBay (for more than I paid for it!) to someone who fixes broken-down pinballs. But it was still a pain in the ass.

[supercat]

Turns out some idiot (maybe the seller, maybe not) had replaced ALL of the fuses in the cabinet with 7 amp slo-blo fuses, even though most of the circuits required lower amp, fast-blo fuses.

 

Not sure why that would cause the symptoms you saw. In a pinball machine, I would expect a fuses to protect against solenoids that fail shorted, but would not expect a fuse to blow absent some other problem like a shorted solenoid. Perhaps a fuse could protect against a stuck solenoid contact (blowing before the solenoid) but I'm not sure. In any case, I would think damage caused by incorrect fuse installation (i.e. not prevented by the incorrect fuse) would generally be immediate and obvious.

[Room 34]

The fuses DIDN'T blow. That's the whole point. They didn't protect the boards like they should have, and the boards got fried. I'm no electronics expert, but I do know what I experienced with the system, and after the problems started to appear, I suspected the fuses. I downloaded a schematic for the system, saw what kinds of fuses it was SUPPOSED to have, then I took them out and saw what they ACTUALLY were, and assumed from there what the problem was. Perhaps I was wrong, but it seems like this is what happened.

Edited March 3, 2007 by Room 34

[+Random Terrain]

Want another pinball - after advice.

My advice is to get one that looks like this:

 

 

[arcadebasement]

Want another pinball - after advice.

My advice is to get one that looks like this:

 

 

 

We call 'em 'pinball' back in the UK.

 

R34 - Not too worried about repairs my last pin was used and took some jigging to get going. But if I'm paying over two grand I'd like to think it'd be working fine. Can never assume that though.

 

I'll be checking the fuses though! One time I bought an old bike in the uk and when I got it gome the main fuse was wrapped in tin foil.