Duotron 2: Fixing Issues, Updating Parts & Learning

Not a big post, but just an update to the ongoing Pinball Project.

First, I've worked through two fairly significant technical issues:

1. Specials Light not lighting, special not awarded
   This turned out to be a wiring issue (still not found, but fixed via a jumper from the head to the table, so probably in the Jones Plug / Receptacle used when one takes the game apart)
   
2. Two Player not playing all ballsTurned out to be some mis-adjusted contacts on the Scoring Motor, which spins some cams around for sequencing and timing. It's a delicate  behemoth (multiple cams and switch positions, driving 11 individual switches) and I suspect I'll get to know it better over time, as it seems to be the one place that gets the most wear and is most likely to malfunction. 

I've also replaced all the rubbers / rings, including the bumper at the top of the game, the springs and rubber tip of the plunger. One oddity - the captive ball in the center was delivered with multiple rings, with the possibility of ball-ball contact (a nice satisfying "click") - but the ring kit had a single 4" ring (see below) which seems to be the official way (based on the image on an old Gottlieb flyer).

After playing it both ways, I put the modified version back - the 4" ring made it way too springy and easy to score (the captive ball would tend to bounce back and forth on a single hit). The pins (green arrows in the image) seem like they may have been added to keep the ball captive without the 4" ring.

I also purchased replacement bulbs (both incandescent and LED) - ended up replacing the under-table (inserts and features) and back-glass lamps (indicators, score reels) with LEDs (cooler, less likely to dim / flicker, minimal aesthetic impact) - leaving the above table lamps incandescent (a nicer yellowish glow to 'em, even the frosted warm white LEDs seem to white).

I also replaced the pop bumper caps (new ones in the image above) - the old ones were quite faded. And I've slowly stocked up on infrastructure - ordering and receiving jumpers, multimeter clip-on probes, a couple of rechargeable work-lights (super bright and super handy, with magnetic base, retractable hook, and swivel lamps), some fine grit sandpaper and small files for contacts.

So...basically having a lot of fun with the beast, both playing pinball and working on it. I've pretty much scored every way possible (finally got an actual Special replay this evening while playing, as opposed to testing). Replays via points are easier to come by, as are end of game matches.

 

Duotron 1: Delivery and First Thoughts

So first of all, the pinball machine is here! Got delivered and installed yesterday. And although I suspect I will be perfectly comfortable breaking a machine down for transport using more traditional means (a van, a hand-truck) going forward, I'm glad I had this one delivered and set up. I pulled apart the storm door pneumatic closer and bracket, but otherwise it got through the door in one piece without too much infrastructure changes. 

It's rather larger than I imagined, in the space - plenty of room, but kind of glad I did not get the wide-body Genie - both because of space as well as aesthetics. I kind of wanted an older machine, both for the look / feel / sound, as well as the opportunity to work on it.

And work on it, I plan to. I've already started a punch list of things needing some attention - a lane relay that is intermittent / weak / sketchy contacts (the lane light is dim and flickers, the lane function works some of the time), a kicker lane that has not worked 1-2 times (but mostly does), a coin drop that's intermittent (one side works fine), a coin drop light that's out, a match light that's out (although figuring out which one right now involves me logging matches for a few games).

I've done a few minor things already - opened up the front, removed the safety bar and glass, lifted the playfield to poke around inside. I found a reproduction PDF of the instructions (3 Ball vs 5 Ball) and Bonus Score cards (12 versions), and opened up the back box to set the high score to a more challenging level (having won free games via points several times already, just monkeying around in testing).

I'm going with 3 Ball vs. 5 Ball because it's already a bit of an easy game

This already sheds so much light on my youth, now I understand how pinball machines can be set to award bonus plays more or less easily, and how the manufacturer provided the signage and tools to let the owner set 'em up as they wanted.

 

 Setting the bonus levels is kind of fun / interesting - there is a receptacle with 10 positions (representing 1000s) and 10 individual pins (representing 10,000s) - so to set 43,000, you insert the 40,000 pin into the 3000 receptacle. So you can only have one each of the 1000 levels and one each of the 10,000 levels - which is why the bonus levels are always such weird numbers (43,000 / 57,000 / 65,000), as opposed to nice round numbers (40,000 / 50,000 / 60,000)

I'm starting off with the 3 Ball recommended level - once I get better at the machine I might move it to a more challenging level. Or maybe not - it will be more fun for guests, and will save me from stuffing in quarters if I keep the credit reel tanked up 

 That's pretty much all I'm up for right now. But looking ahead, I've ordered a spare parts kit for this machine (which included some cleaner / polish, bulbs, rings and rubbers, spare fuses and bulbs), a reprint instruction manual and schematic, and some replacement covers for the pop bumpers (which are pretty faded).

And I've moved an LED light that was formerly over my work table, now right over the table to facilitate working on it, although I suspect I'll need a movable light as well to dig into the dark corners. 

Pinball Wizard (Rosebud Was Her Sled)

Maybe it's a "well past mid-life" kind of thing, or a bucket list thing. But for some reason I've been bitten by the pinball bug of late, and in fact, this afternoon put a down payment on an older (circa 1974) machine....

To quote The Who, "ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball...", which is to say, I've been a little pinball crazy all my life. As a youngster, we'd plunk thin dimes (3 games for a quarter back then) into pinball machines at Wisehaven Swim Club in York, PA (which still exists, 50 years later). I'm surprised there were no deaths by electrocution, knowing how sketchy chassis and electrical grounding was back in the day, and us kids standing on concrete in wet bathing suits....water dripping down our legs.

We'd line up our coins on the machine to reserve our place in line, we'd stand beside the game watching the person who was playing. Occasionally some wag would wave his hands across the glass surface, chanting "mystery ball", tormenting the player. We little kids would sneak our way onto the machines in between the bigger, older kids, or end up with the dog machines. Boy did I love to play.

I've got memories of bumming coins to play at snack bars that dad took us to, in hotel / motel game rooms on family vacations, at roller rinks, movie theaters, bowling alleys. Pinball was everywhere they had space to slide a machine into, back in the day. I remember bowling alleys where I encountered my first video games (Pong, then Asteroids), and later the college game room (Lunar Lander, Asteroids, Defender) along with a few pinballs machines.

But ground zero for me and pinball were the arcades. Fun and Games in Framingham (also still in business, although much different in terms of size and scope) when I was in high school and during college trips home. Smaller arcades in Worcester when I was in school. Even an arcade in Southington (still around, but mostly a billiards room) when I first moved to Connecticut. I have yet to visit The Sanctum in Meriden, a pinball co-op which opens to the public on Monday nights, but it's on the list. 

Some combination of Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist has pulled me in lately - virtually tire-kicking machines that I might have played in my youth, in decent shape, and at an affordable price. I was drawn to a 1979 Gottleib Genie machine - a wide-body, one of the first electronic machines, with blue LED score and digital sound effects. I recall playing it as a young adult, and thought perhaps that it might be more reliable / less fussy than an older electro-mechanical game.

However, when I connected with the seller (an octogenarian who has a warehouse in nearby Berlin that I have driven by 100s of times, wondering what was inside), he asked "...are you interested in the older games?" I guess if you are reaching for "that summer feeling" (as Jonathon Richman sings about) then you go old-school: relays, mechanical reels, chimes, buzzers, and that satisfying "pop" when you win a free game via points, a special, or that delicious end of game match.

Also, my available space for a game is limited, and the wide body Genie might feel a bit cramped.

The proprietor was an old dude, probably same age as my dad would have been, still working it. I noticed his USN John F Kennedy carrier cap, heard him on the phone talking about navy veteran reunions - so I mentioned dad's service aboard carriers (helps to know the ships - Essex and Shangri-La) - and well, we were buds. I promised to show him Dad's cruise books, and if he knows of a good home for them, I'll happily pass them along.

He had a couple of older machines there (for a bit less money) - a 1971 Williams Gold Rush, and a 1974 Gottleib Duotron. The latter seemed in better shape, a bit less dated, and with nicer graphics (reminds me a bit of Jack Kirby space art), so I was drawn that way. The guy plugged it in, and I played a ball (the thing was seriously out of level) and well, the bells, the chimes, the lights - it hit all the nostalgic warm fuzzies. In 1974 I was 13, right in the heart of my pinball career.

There are probably nicer machines for less money out there, but this one comes with delivery and set-up, and the promise of on-going service, and who can argue with that? 

It was a total impulse purchase, but feels right. It's been a long time since I did something "unreasonable" like this - I don't take vacations or a lot of experiences. Hopefully this will give me some hours of joy.... I'll post a video once it's here and I get a feel for the machine. I'll invite elite friends (which is to say, anyone who feels like coming over) for pinball parties.

The engineering side of me is looking forward to owning and messing with an old pinball machine. Apparently there is a community of tinkerers and hackers (replacement parts, schematics, and self-help forums are around, as well as hacks to tweak the components, buff up the graphics, add LED lighting, etc.). And while it's not something I recall playing as a kid, it's not an entirely obscure game - you can even get Duotron swag via Cafepress: Shirts, mugs, bags, art and assorted other essentials.

I've even found a reasonably decent image of the sales flyer which I'm gonna print up and have framed.

I'm sure once the game is here and installed, I'll find time to make a video so I can share it in all its glory!