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The Classic Pinball Podcast
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#107 Pintastic 2023 Preview - The Classic Pinball Podcast

PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago1 hr 46 min listenBy George
From the creator

Dave starts by telling us about the 30 pinball machines he has serviced in the last 5 weeks. George then leads the discussion reviewing all the games to date that will be in the free play area of the...

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Highlights

  • Pintastic has been covered on the podcast approximately 5 times across episodes 1, 2, 5, 68, and 69 (with one title uncertain)
  • Dave has worked on approximately 30 games in the five weeks since their last recording (July 9)
  • Dave installed an Andrew Weebly power supply board replacement in a Lux game, solving persistent electrical issues with bridge rectifiers from questionable China stock
  • Stern's Jurassic Park had broken wires to the T-Rex opto sensor caused by movement of the mechanism, not the opto itself
  • Pintastic's post-Labor Day timing and Sturbridge-to-Marlborough venue location are deterring some attendees from New York and Pennsylvania due to vacation depletion and school/activities schedules
  • Some Pintastic vendors have complained about limited access to the Extra Ball Lounge, affecting their willingness to bring games to the show
  • Firepower machines with drop target conversions were prototypes; approximately 100 were made before the design was switched to stand-ups
  • Williams games never properly tightened flipper pawls, leading to looseness and weakness that requires rebuilding
  • Firepower was originally designed in software for drop targets; stand-ups were an afterthought when the original drop target assembly proved unreliable
  • Mark Helms is filming a documentary part 2 featuring Steve Ritchie, including scenes at Dave's restoration shop, a customer's Firepower machine, and Pintastic 2023

Notable quotes

“Pintastic has become the GTF show. Is that kind of like a GTO? No, it's like a GTFO.”
George
“This is why I'm so glad I collect 1990s and earlier games. Don't have to worry about any of this crap.”
George
“Stern sent him some sensor and an opto and some other stuff and some wiring, and he didn't know how to do it... It wasn't even the opto, basically, because the thing moves around so much, it broke the wires to the opto.”
Dave
“Williams drop targets suck. They always suck... they never tightened down their flipper pawls all the way like they're supposed to.”
Dave
“The game is actually designed in software for drop targets. The stand-ups were an afterthought when the drop target thing wasn't going to work because their assembly sucked.”
Dave
“I'm even-handed. I like coming to the show... could go to other shows and I am going to another show. But next year, now you're going to be closer to Allentown, which is closer to me. You know, am I going to travel the extra 300, 250, 300 miles?”
George
“People don't have them. I can do it. That's not the issue. It's do I want to do it, and is it worth my while to go do it? That really becomes the question.”
George
“Mark Helms. He's doing a part two of a documentary featuring Steve Ritchie... He's going to come to my shop, film me at the shop, and some stories here. He's also going to come with me to a customer's house.”
Dave

Entities

  • Bally· company
  • Chicago Gaming· company
  • Stern Pinball· company
  • Williams· company
  • Pintastic· event
  • Firepower· game
  • Flash Gordon· game
  • Galactic Tank Force 2· game
  • Jurassic Park· game
  • Mandalorian· game
  • The Classic Pinball Podcast· organization
  • Andrew Weebly· person
  • Dave· person
  • Gabe· person
  • George· person
  • Grant· person
  • John Borg· person
  • John Day· person
  • Junkie Jeff· person
  • Mark Helms· person
  • Steve Ritchie· person
  • Troxel· person

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