To repair or recreate, that is the question of the Galaxy.

[MTPPC]

i just picked this up. It looks pretty good, but the PO says the transformer burnt up. I see the fuse box has been modified for maximum damage. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a virtual pin sometime in 2013, but if I thought there was minimal damage to anything but the transformer, I might consider a repair. What do you think?

[TopJimmyCooks]

With enough tin foil you can probably get it going again
 

[Pinball Wizard]

I think its 100% worth repairing. Where are you located? I think I have an empty cabinet that I would much rather you Virtual Pin than take the complete game and do that to.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Concur, looks complete and nice - too nice to conk this one on the head. 

[Ken Layton]

Repair it.

[Nephasth]

Repair it.

+1!

[ChadTower]

Fix it.  That's a nice game.

[MTPPC]

So who's got a spare transformer from one of these so I can start troubleshooting?

1980-03    Ali    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     2,971       4p    15    7.1
1980-03    Big Game    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     2,713     Widebody     4p    19    7.1
1981-10    Catacomb    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU         Mechanical Back...     4p    35    7.4
1980-06    Cheetah    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     1,223     Widebody     4p    28    7.1
1982    Cue    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     6       4p    4    
1982-01    Dragonfist    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU           4p    11    4.9
1980-10    Flight 2000    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     6,301     Widebody     4p    39    7.5
1981-01    Freefall    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     1,300     Widebody     4p    20    6.2
1980-01    Galaxy    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     5,150       4p    27    7.4
1982    Hypnox    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     none       4p    5    
1981-10    Iron Maiden    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     ~1,200     Widebody     4p    30    6.9
1984-10    Lazer Lord    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     1       4p    2    
1981-03    Lightning    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     2,350       4p    28    7.2
1979-09    Meteor    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     8,362       4p    45    7.5
1980-12    Nine Ball    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     2,279       4p    24    7.3
1982-02    Orbitor 1    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     889     Widebody     4p    35    6.0
1980-06    Quicksilver    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     1,201       4p    18    7.2
1980-05    Seawitch    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     2,503       4p    37    7.5
1981-08    Split Second    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU         Widebody     4p    22    6.9
1980-08    Star Gazer    Stern    SS     Stern M-200 MPU     869       4p    27    7.2
1981-12    Viper

[MTPPC]

It's hard to stick a bunch of money and time into restoring a machine when you can buy this for $400:

http://denver.craigslist.org/tag/3479071769.html

"This is a Stern GALAXY Pinball machine.

The Backglass is in very good condition
The play field is in good condition, with only a few spots of paint ware (no wood chipping)
The cabinet is a fair condition. It's not broken but has a number of scratches and scraps from being in a location for many years.
The lights and switches all work and it plays very well.
The player 4 and ball-in-play displays are out and would need to be replaced.

It has a new speaker and power relay that I replaced. I also rewired one of the jumpers recently.


Aside from the score displays, this cabinet is in good working order.

Email me for a time to come take a look. "

[Pinball Wizard]

Again, I have some completely empty or very close to empty pinball cabinets collecting dust, where are you located, we can probably work something out if you don't want the project of fixing it up. Also, you can probably find the specs on that transformer and get one from an unusual source. I worked (still have contact to) at an industrial control panel manufacturer and we ordered all kinds of strange transformers in just about any size imaginable.

[ChadTower]

Then sell it to someone who will save it.  That's not even close to a partout game.  Those old Sterns are classics that are not VP candidates.

[MTPPC]

I've decided to try to bring this galaxy back to its glory. I have isolated the transformer and it clearly is a failed component. There is red goo dripping out of it and it starts to belch stinky smoke as soon as I put AC to it.

It says Ravenwood 16b-6 on top of it and 37-8008 on the side. I'm probably going to need a rectifer board, too because I see someone has already repaired it once or twice. I can probably get by without one, but if someone has stripped both the transformer and the rectifier board from a bally/stern of this era, I'd rather use a matched set.

I guess I'm going to throw some money at this project, but I'm very concerned that this thing is just going to be a money pit. I bought it to build a simulator, but I realize now that it's a pretty good table because I've been playing it on my simulator. O, the irony.

If someone can help me out, I'd be extremely thankful.

[TopJimmyCooks]

post on RGP or pinside.  I know the stern mpu 200 was interchangeable with Bally of the same era and I bet the TXformer and rectifier board could be too.   Check there for some cross referencing.  The bally's were more common and easier to find old parts for. 

[ChadTower]

Shouldn't cost that much to find a replacement.  Might cost a bunch to ship because they weigh so much.

Be careful interchanging the parts.  The boards aren't all plug and play swappable.  Some need certain mods in certain configurations and require certain rectifier boards, etc. 

The Stern rectifier board is a pain in the ass but you absolutely need to rebuild it.  Those wires soldered directly to the back make it more reliable but harder to work on.  Since you have to swap out the transformer may as well rebuild that recitfier board while you have it disconnected anyway.  It's not an optional task - just do it.  Replace nearly everything on it as it's pretty safe to assume that transformer nuked it from orbit.

[MTPPC]

I isolated the power supply with no loads and it started boiling red goo when I put power to it. I suspect there are a bunch of problems with the rectifier board, too. My research says that the power supplies and rectifier boards are interchangeable from all these machines:

Ali, Big Game, Black Jack, Catacomb, Cheetah, Cosmic Princess, Dolly Parton, Dragonfist, Eight Ball, Evel Knievel, Flight 2000, Free Fall, Freedom, Frontier, Future Spa, Galaxy, Harlem Globetrotters On Tour, Hot Hand, Hotdoggin’, KISS, Lectronamo, Lightning, Lost World, Magic, Mata Hari, Memory Lane, Meteor, Mystic, Night Rider, Nine Ball, Nitro Ground Shaker, Nugent, Orbitor 1, Paragon, Pinball, Playboy (Bally), Power Play, Quicksilver, Rolling Stones, Seawitch, Silverball Mania, Six Million Dollar Man, Skateball, Space Invaders, Star Gazer, Star Trek, Stars, Stingray, Strikes and Spares, Supersonic, Trident, Viper, Voltan, Wild Fyre

[MTPPC]

Gave up on trying to find the parts to be able to begin repairing the Galaxy. Bought a few parts I know will work...

http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=23285

[jennifer]

   Jennifer will take the p/f, and backglass...Shoot me a price.

[MTPPC]

I will probably get rid of the playfield at some point, but I recycled the bezels from a couple of rear projection TVs and framed the backglass. It turned out really nice:

[MTPPC]

Phase one is complete, but I'll probably build a new DMD grill before too long. It was my first go round with a router and I could have done better with more practice:

[jennifer]

   Omg...If anyone needs Jennifer, I will be down at the bar, getting very very drunk, And crying on strangers.

[MTPPC]

   Omg...If anyone needs Jennifer, I will be down at the bar, getting very very drunk, And crying on strangers.

I'm glad you like it so much. Thanks.

[Fursphere]

You gutted out a perfectly good classic pinball that needed minimal repairs?

What did you do with the guts? 

[Endprodukt]

I can't believe it. This is really sad. Some history gone for a piece of ... Ah never mind. This makes me angry. You don't seem to have any connection to arcade and pinball at all.

[MTPPC]

You gutted out a perfectly good classic pinball that needed minimal repairs?

What did you do with the guts?

Minimal repairs began with a $200 transformer and a $70 rectifier board. Then it would likely end with replaced displays, mpu and who knows what else. Perhaps you are unaware of what happens with electrical systems when you shunt fuses. At any rate, I tried to find what I needed to begin to trouble shoot it and I don't remember you volunteering any parts.

[MTPPC]

I can't believe it. This is really sad. Some history gone for a piece of ... Ah never mind. This makes me angry. You don't seem to have any connection to arcade and pinball at all.

You should be thanking me. The guy I got it from had it on the way to the dump.

[Nephasth]

I can't believe it. This is really sad. Some history gone for a piece of ... Ah never mind. This makes me angry. You don't seem to have any connection to arcade and pinball at all.

You should be thanking me. The guy I got it from had it on the way to the dump.

Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other...

[jennifer]

       I happen to have a Galaxy in my kitchen undergoing restoration, Interestly MTTPC is correct, They are quite difficult to find information and parts for... Jennifer has 8 years of parts hunting (so far)  and 3 parts machines into hers.

[Endprodukt]

[/quote]You should be thanking me. The guy I got it from had it on the way to the dump.
[/quote]

Haha..
That's just about the same you did.

[ChadTower]

Minimal repairs began with a $200 transformer and a $70 rectifier board. Then it would likely end with replaced displays, mpu and who knows what else. Perhaps you are unaware of what happens with electrical systems when you shunt fuses. At any rate, I tried to find what I needed to begin to trouble shoot it and I don't remember you volunteering any parts.

I have put more work into machines worth less.

Some parts are harder to find than others.  A transformer?  Not all that hard if you are willing to wait.  I have waited 2+ years for some parts in the past (Whodunnit slot reels/motors).  The key part is waiting and reposting on RGP every month or so.

[Endprodukt]

Or simply don't wait and make a vp out of a good machine.

[MTPPC]

Or I could have spent less than $700 and had a working machine shipped to my door. I don't think you understand the value of a simulator. Endprodukt, have you ever even played on a full-size sim? You seem to display some real sour grapes. Maybe your simulator is just that much better than mine. Maybe you're just jealous.

All I can really say is this thing is incredible. The skills learned are directly applicable to RW pinball. There is no other way to learn the rulesets and challenges of multiple hard-to-find tables. When is the last time you played BBB, TAF, MM and TZ in the same session? There's probably not 5 places in the nation that have these 4 machines for public operation. And I've got a hundred more than this right in my gameroom. Pinball simulation is like MAME. While it is not "the real thing", it is a great substitute for those who are open to it. I've got public access to only two pinball machines within a hundred miles. I can't afford to be a purist and the last thing I want is a big boat anchor hogging my square feet while I try to fix it for several years. That's fine if it's your thing, but it's not mine. Are you a member of BOP's billionaire club? Have you defeated the King of Payne? I have.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Gonna throw in to support MTPPC here, even though I like to restore pins.  Not a big deal to conk this one - a $600 machine on a good day, not in demand at all.  Sell the populated PF, board set and backglass to someone and make them very happy.  If people are hunting game specific parts for many years to redo these you'll be doing the hobby a favor. 

I like to save machines, and I've got a solar fire with a too-rough pf that's going to get redone, and a black knight with TERMITEs in the cab, going to get a rebuilt cab.  Are these machines contributing anything to the pinball world?  No, they're basically dead.  $200 each to get them playing and maybe more $ to restore than they're worth.  Would I use the cab to make a VP if I wanted to?  sure.  Be realistic folks, that game is not valuable, rare, unique in some way or in demand and probably better off parted out anyway. 

[ChadTower]

I disagree on the demand.  Old Stern pins are very much in demand.  I know guys here that collect strictly Stern games.  I have a Dragonfist I have put 50 hours into and a third of its market value in light sockets alone.

That game is rare.  All of the old Sterns are rare now.  Forget the production numbers.  Most of those games have been long since dumpstered.

Note that I haven't been one of the ones who have told him it was wrong to VP that thing.  I do think that but I haven't said it because it's his right to do so.  All VP needs is a cabinet.  Used pin legs, rails, and coin doors are easy to get.  That's all that gets reused in a VP partout. 

People are always going to comment negatively on parting out a game in good shape for a MAME/VP.  Been happening in vids for ten years and it happens on pins now.

BTW, the value in a simulator is that it renews and spreads out interest in real pinball.  It undermines the simulator's value to decrease the amount of existing pinball in order to express interest in pinball.

[MTPPC]

All VP needs is a cabinet.  Used pin legs, rails, and coin doors are easy to get.

Then how come it's cheaper to buy a broke down pin than to buy those parts you say are so easy to get? How come virtuapin sells a flatpack of wood for $250 or a trimmed standard body for $900?

http://virtuapin.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=7

[Endprodukt]

I'm out. You don't get it and I have neither the time nor the will to explain it to you . People in this very thread would give you all the parts of a cabinet you need to built your machine. You rather destroy a piece of art because of impatience. I played vp's before, just to let you know. I do get their value in generell, not in this case though. This is my honest opinion.

[ChadTower]

All VP needs is a cabinet.  Used pin legs, rails, and coin doors are easy to get.

Then how come it's cheaper to buy a broke down pin than to buy those parts you say are so easy to get? How come virtuapin sells a flatpack of wood for $250 or a trimmed standard body for $900?

http://virtuapin.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=7

Those are for people with more money than time, skill, or patience.

And honestly this isn't a hobby about money.  If it were nobody would bother with nice cabinets.  Everybody's MAME cab would be a dirty black painted JAMMA cab.

It's cheaper to buy a broken down pin because the person selling it either isn't interested in VP or doesn't want to be the one to part out the game.  Anyone who cared about the money would part the game out as the sum of the parts is worth a whole lot more than even a working early SS.

[MTPPC]

I'm out. You don't get it and I have neither the time nor the will to explain it to you . People in this very thread would give you all the parts of a cabinet you need to built your machine. You rather destroy a piece of art because of impatience. I played vp's before, just to let you know. I do get their value in generell, not in this case though. This is my honest opinion.

Your opinion is wrong. I don't see anyone volunteering anything. I think your "love" is clouding your practicality.  This is fine, but when you call this little project a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- and trash, it's obvious who the one is who doesn't get it. Obviously my skills in wood working and graphic design are not up to par with most on this board. Not so obviously, my wallet isn't up to blowing cash and my schedule isn't up to supporting comparable craftsmanship that others possess.  I asked for help with my parts and had one person PM'ing me a couple of expensive solutions on a different board. Your perception of reality is clouded. Go on ebay and buy a working galaxy for $900 right now. I now have dynamic digital art amusement machine where your static boat anchor would be. If I shared your vision, I'd rather just give it away. Thankfully, I do not.

[MTPPC]

All VP needs is a cabinet.  Used pin legs, rails, and coin doors are easy to get.

Then how come it's cheaper to buy a broke down pin than to buy those parts you say are so easy to get? How come virtuapin sells a flatpack of wood for $250 or a trimmed standard body for $900?

http://virtuapin.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=7

Those are for people with more money than time, skill, or patience.

And honestly this isn't a hobby about money.  If it were nobody would bother with nice cabinets.  Everybody's MAME cab would be a dirty black painted JAMMA cab.

It's cheaper to buy a broken down pin because the person selling it either isn't interested in VP or doesn't want to be the one to part out the game.  Anyone who cared about the money would part the game out as the sum of the parts is worth a whole lot more than even a working early SS.

That's exactly my point, but thank you for defining the hobby for me. And my MAME cabinet is a dirty black painted JAMMA cab.

[dgame]

Phase one is complete, but I'll probably build a new DMD grill before too long. It was my first go round with a router and I could have done better with more practice:

Hold on. That's a Virtual Pin setup? Wow! I know almost nothing about Pinball but this looks very cool. I understand the concern and passion about the vintage pin (like classic cabs) but to each his own. Game on!

[Endprodukt]

You call a real machine a static boat anchor? You're lost. Wrong opinion? You're out of your mind. Comparing a vp to a real machine? You're crazy. If you would know a little more about pinball you'd know that no machine plays like another. But from what you said in this thread I just repeat myself one more time: you don't get my point. You most likely will never get it because you don't understand the value of a real pinball game. That has nothing to do with how much the game is worth of how famous it is or how rare. This pinball just got more rare by one machine. Taking apart a machine that was so close to working and that other people would have love to have because they appreciate a handcrafted pinball machine is something I will not understand. Oh and asking for pinball part's in a forum for arcade videogame machines even though there is a subforum wasn't the smartest idea either.


Have fun with your illusion of a pinball game.

[jennifer]

    Jennifer happens to have a Galaxy restoration in her kitchen, And in defense to MTPPC, Its been a long, long search for parts, The machine is itself is not so hard to find and seems like a good deal at their low prices, but the people who own them know the problems and lack of parts available, So 8 years and 3 parts machines later, mine still sits...Waiting.

[ChadTower]

I bet there's a transformer to be found in a pile of three parts machines.   

[jennifer]

I bet there's a transformer to be found in a pile of three parts machines.   

  Yes, but those are pretty easy to find (about 70.00us on average), There is a interesting  history on the Galaxy however, one of which is there were 2 playfields made for her, One was a lighter shade of blue down on the bottom art, No big deal you might think but on its sister ( a darker blue) there was some parts that are quite rare, (only on some of them) And the placement was off a bit and the kickout hole was modifeid during its second production run... Im thinking the Op diddnt and still doesnt know what he had, also was not looking for a fix it or not opinion , This thread moved way too fast, It was gutted and built as a vid before any real parts could have been properly searched and shipped.

[SlammedNiss]

    Jennifer happens to have a Galaxy restoration in her kitchen, And in defense to MTPPC, Its been a long, long search for parts, The machine is itself is not so hard to find and seems like a good deal at their low prices, but the people who own them know the problems and lack of parts available, So 8 years and 3 parts machines later, mine still sits...Waiting.

Off topic, but why does Jennifer refer to herself in the 3rd person?

[jennifer]

    You question Jenns sanity ... Im not the one who chopped up a restorable stern pin.

[ChadTower]

Yes, but those are pretty easy to find (about 70.00us on average),

And yet it's the main reason he parted out this game.  Because he couldn't find one immediately.

[SlammedNiss]

    You question Jenns sanity ... Im not the one who chopped up a restorable stern pin.

LOL! I don't know much about pins, but I too think he could have spent a little more time searching for parts. He obviously wasn't too concerned about cost, as 3 LCD tv's aren't exactly cheap.

[MTPPC]

    You question Jenns sanity ... Im not the one who chopped up a restorable stern pin.

LOL! I don't know much about pins, but I too think he could have spent a little more time searching for parts. He obviously wasn't too concerned about cost, as 3 LCD tv's aren't exactly cheap.

Or I could have had the dead horse sitting in my kitchen for eight years while I shotgunned parts at it like the "expert" bad-mouthing me in third person.

I really posed the question to see if somebody would say, "I have one of those transformers I could lend/sell/give you." Look at the dates. No one stepped up to help and I'm not going to store a broken POS hoping that the parts I need fall out of a tree and hit me in the head. In the last 12 months, I've built, repaired and/or flipped 16 arcade machines and 3 pinball simulators. No. I really don't have an interest in "saving" machines when I don't have a place to store them for years on end. In fact, I'm getting ready to restore an Ikari warriors, MAME a golden tee, 60-in-one a strykers 1945, strip a Nintendo Super System and flip an original Sega Turbo before summer. Do I have your approval?

[Nephasth]

You need to quit buying coin op machines.

[jennifer]

     Well heres the thing MTPPC, I Was not bad mouthing you.
                                                                                                               

[ViriiGuy]

Hey MTPPC,

i have been in exactly the same boat as you. Lesson to be learned from this, ifyou are going to gut a cabinet, do not tell anyone. Jsut do it and say you got it that way. I started down the AWESOME!! Road of Vpin by buying a Flash. It was CHEAP!!! And in great shape, btu had a HOST of problems. I started by posting I planned to gut it, did anyone want to buy parts... I got reamed. So I spent 3 months trying to fix it.. and I have considerable knowledge of Pins and electronics.

I couldn't fix it, so I sold it for what I had in it and proceeded to spend $5k building the biggest badest Vpin I could, in a Custome Mameman Pin2K Cabinet

Take what is being said in this thread with broad shoulders and learn from it. Chances ar eyou will build another Vpin before it is over. Next time, if you gut a cabinet.. don't tell anyone, just do it. Part it out and make a few bucks on it. No one seems to care when folks part out pins on RPG... Why? Cause they never show them how good the pin looked before they gutted it.

As for the rest of you, give the guy a break. This is a friggin MAME forum

[Generic Eric]

Hey MTPPC,

i have been in exactly the same boat as you. Lesson to be learned from this, ifyou are going to gut a cabinet, do not tell anyone. Jsut do it and say you got it that way. I started down the AWESOME!! Road of Vpin by buying a Flash. It was CHEAP!!! And in great shape, btu had a HOST of problems. I started by posting I planned to gut it, did anyone want to buy parts... I got reamed. So I spent 3 months trying to fix it.. and I have considerable knowledge of Pins and electronics.

I couldn't fix it, so I sold it for what I had in it and proceeded to spend $5k building the biggest badest Vpin I could, in a Custome Mameman Pin2K Cabinet

Take what is being said in this thread with broad shoulders and learn from it. Chances ar eyou will build another Vpin before it is over. Next time, if you gut a cabinet.. don't tell anyone, just do it. Part it out and make a few bucks on it. No one seems to care when folks part out pins on RPG... Why? Cause they never show them how good the pin looked before they gutted it.

As for the rest of you, give the guy a break. This is a friggin build your own MAME forum

FTFY   emphasis mine

[yotsuya]

I was thinking the same thing, Eric.

[MTPPC]

I got the final speakers installed and moved the machine from my workshop to the den. For now the Virtual Galaxy is complete:



I'm using it every day.

[SlammedNiss]

Does the "playfield" monitor slope down front to back, or is it just me?

[MTPPC]

The playfield sits about level so it is right at the glass at the lockbar and about 2.5" down at the far end. On my last project I used the same tv in a similar setup, but I left it tight to the glass the whole way. I think it adds to the illusion of depth a little, but it's not a dramatic difference. It's really a tradeoff between a little better viewing angle and the illusion of depth. I really don't have a preference other than the ability to add flashers at the back of the playfield seems a nice benefit of sinking the monitor..

[Xiaou2]

Well, I have to say, that even as low of cash as Ive had over the years... when my  Sega Turbo started wanting working parts,
and the game is a sadly undervalued at $200...  I still didnt have the heart to mame it.  Its a great playing game, and a historic classic.

 If mame would only step up its input accuracy, Id at least be able to know that in the future, if the PCB dies, I could use the original
optical controls.   Sadly, I dont think mame allows the ability to use optical pedal inputs yet...   

 Anyways, as much as Im not a huge Stern fan.... over the years of playing REAL physical pinball, and learning the tricks like
bumping, and vector manipulations...  Ive realized that no Virtual table can replace the real experience.   I have played virtual
pinball on the pc, and its nice for what it is... but its about 1/100th of the real experience.
 
 Ive also played one of the Virtual Pinball tables at a show.  It was so pale in comparison to all the wonderful Real pins there.
Even the Old Electrical Mechanical machines were more fun to play than that Pile of Garbage.

 What amazes me, are people willing to trash these things and turn them into that.  Its like Taking a Ferrari that needs some work...
then taking out all the Engine and performance parts... and putting a Chevy Cavalier engine and parts into it.  >.<

 Why not just get some plywood and custom build a coffin box?   Hack some curbed furniture?  Use some free Pallets?

 I surely wouldnt announce myself mameing any machine..   and in fact, games which were getting too expensive to fix, I just
resold off as-is.   Generic conversion garbage, is another story.   But even the worst real Pins, are so much more valuable than
most Video cabinets.

 You can pretty much have mame recreate the exact experience, note for note.. to the point where you couldnt tell a real
cabs innards from a PC.  But with Pinball.. you just cant.   Even the BEST virtual tables, with the Analog systems... just
dont even come within Miles of the Mark.

 Please do yourself and this world a favor, and visit a Pinball show.  Play at collectors houses.  Learn how to work the ball on the table with bumping. (the single most important gameplay feature in Pinball)   Get to realize the real value of real Physical Pinball machine.

 Almost anything is restorable..  and so if you have something that you dont feel is worth it... give your opportunity to someone else
whom doesnt care about the costs.   Many of them might have an empty shell for you.  But at minimum, they will usually come up with
the cash to recover your losses... and or get you a profit, making the cabinet project that much closer to fruition.

[MTPPC]

Well, I have to say, that even as low of cash as Ive had over the years... when my  Sega Turbo started wanting working parts,
and the game is a sadly undervalued at $200...  I still didnt have the heart to mame it.  Its a great playing game, and a historic classic.

 If mame would only step up its input accuracy, Id at least be able to know that in the future, if the PCB dies, I could use the original
optical controls.   Sadly, I dont think mame allows the ability to use optical pedal inputs yet...   

 Anyways, as much as Im not a huge Stern fan.... over the years of playing REAL physical pinball, and learning the tricks like
bumping, and vector manipulations...  Ive realized that no Virtual table can replace the real experience.   I have played virtual
pinball on the pc, and its nice for what it is... but its about 1/100th of the real experience.
 
 Ive also played one of the Virtual Pinball tables at a show.  It was so pale in comparison to all the wonderful Real pins there.
Even the Old Electrical Mechanical machines were more fun to play than that Pile of Garbage.

 What amazes me, are people willing to trash these things and turn them into that.  Its like Taking a Ferrari that needs some work...
then taking out all the Engine and performance parts... and putting a Chevy Cavalier engine and parts into it.  >.<

 Why not just get some plywood and custom build a coffin box?   Hack some curbed furniture?  Use some free Pallets?

 I surely wouldnt announce myself mameing any machine..   and in fact, games which were getting too expensive to fix, I just
resold off as-is.   Generic conversion garbage, is another story.   But even the worst real Pins, are so much more valuable than
most Video cabinets.

 You can pretty much have mame recreate the exact experience, note for note.. to the point where you couldnt tell a real
cabs innards from a PC.  But with Pinball.. you just cant.   Even the BEST virtual tables, with the Analog systems... just
dont even come within Miles of the Mark.

 Please do yourself and this world a favor, and visit a Pinball show.  Play at collectors houses.  Learn how to work the ball on the table with bumping. (the single most important gameplay feature in Pinball)   Get to realize the real value of real Physical Pinball machine.

 Almost anything is restorable..  and so if you have something that you dont feel is worth it... give your opportunity to someone else
whom doesnt care about the costs.   Many of them might have an empty shell for you.  But at minimum, they will usually come up with
the cash to recover your losses... and or get you a profit, making the cabinet project that much closer to fruition.

Thank you for your great effort to set me straight. Sadly, you are wrong in just about every thing you said. It's obvious that you have not played on a state-of-the-art simulator and your prejudiced ideas are a product of ignorance and/or inexperience.

Check this out. It's incredible:

[ChadTower]

Did you really run a power cord into the side of the cabinet?

[MTPPC]

No. I used one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Amico-IEC320-Inlet-Module-Switch/dp/B008DS1NC0/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1365360141&sr=8-27&keywords=power+iec



What you see on the side is one of these: http://www.gearxs.com/HYPE-Deluxe-In-Desk-USB-Combo-W-SD-MMC-Card-Reader-Headphone-Microphone-Jack?filter_name=HYPE%E2%84%A2%20Deluxe%20In-Desk

[ChadTower]

Doesn't matter what you used.  The connection looks fine.  I just can't figure out the logic of putting that into the side of the cabinet instead of the bottom.