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Stern Dracula Project


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Hi All,

 

Though I'd keep a thread burning here for my 1979 Stern Dracula.

 

What I have done so far:

 

1 - rebuilt mpu board, had corrosion damage, and had been (mutilated) repaired by a once well known mob. Took a long time to strip back and repair the board. I guess it's different when you own the thing...

2 - Rebuilt power supply board - just basic component replacements

3 - Re-did power wiring (I have to post pics) - damn good reason to inspect before powering up... this sucker was going to kill someone (probably me)

4 - added 'SuperCap' to retain memory

5 - strip back playfield and clean clean clean

7 - derusted/polished all the metal rails (but not the little posts for now)

8 - pulled, cleaned and rebuilt the solenoids (for now have left the aluminium coil sleeves as they were OK... but am tempted to replace with nylon)

9 - reseated and glued loose inserts

10 - carefully cleaned apron (that paint really wants to come off!!)

 

What is remaining to do:

 

1 - The usual dodgy light sockets are a PITA

2 - Sound issues (not working every time it fires up)

3 - Upper dead bumper is a generic star type cap is wrong should be a 'Deco' type with skull image.

4 - Spinner is wrong - it is from a Future Spa

5 - I need to get some 3" rubber rings (these were the only ones I didn't have handy)

6 - Some switch adjusting

7 - Missing Plastics: The small one above the saucer, the long thin one above the standup targets on the right, the curved one behind the cats/bats drop targets

8 - adjust drop targets so they are level with playfield

9 - outhole kicker transistor is bad

10 - Play it

 

What I need to do one day, but want to play first:

 

1 - remove the craptacular mylar (http://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php?t=13171)

2 - remove + tumble polish the posts

3 - Have a good hard look at the cabinet and see what needs to be done, or is it OK.

4 - The backglass is not in good shape, with a lot of paint shrinkage/cracking...

 

Anyway, I'll update as I go. I have heaps of pics.. what sort of pics do you want me to put up?

 

I am OK to try and create 'resto' plastics, but need an image source if possible (can create from flyer and imagination, but would prefer better sources). Balls of steel has nothing :( - will have when I'm done :)

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Yeah Rod71, I'm guessing it is something like that.

 

If I fiddle with it, it crashes the machine out, with some interesting sound effects!

 

The PCB pin connectors actually look slightly tarnished... I tried a temp fix with a brass brush but it didn't make it worse or better. I assume the mating connectors are in bad shape too :(

 

Damn, I can't believe how many wires go from the CPU board to this sound card which only has 6 sounds!

 

Can anyone point me to a circuit diagram for the stern soundboard? (more out of curiosity on how it works and why so many wires!)

 

I would also like to figure out what the 3 trimpots on the soundboard do...

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Yeah Rod71, I'm guessing it is something like that.

 

If I fiddle with it, it crashes the machine out, with some interesting sound effects!

 

The PCB pin connectors actually look slightly tarnished... I tried a temp fix with a brass brush but it didn't make it worse or better. I assume the mating connectors are in bad shape too :(

 

Yeah usually the connectors themselves. Some games had ribbon cables and some had the regular wires with red connectors.

 

You can purchase a new cable from the States which saves a lot of buggering around. Or you can rebuild it yourself etc.

 

Damn, I can't believe how many wires go from the CPU board to this sound card which only has 6 sounds!

 

Can anyone point me to a circuit diagram for the stern soundboard? (more out of curiosity on how it works and why so many wires!)

 

I would also like to figure out what the 3 trimpots on the soundboard do...

 

I think i have a pdf of the SB-100 diagram somewhere. PM me and i'll sort it out for you :)

 

The 3 pots control the pitch of the sounds.

 

If the sounds are in tune, dont mess with it as it's a bugger to get sounding good again :)

 

One of the pots controls the 10's and 10k sounds. Another controls the 100's sound, and the last one controls the 1k sound.

 

My Hot Hand which uses the same sound board was shockingly out of tune. I'm a muso with a good ear, so i noticed it straight away :)

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Yeah usually the connectors themselves. Some games had ribbon cables and some had the regular wires with red connectors.

 

You can purchase a new cable from the States which saves a lot of buggering around. Or you can rebuild it yourself etc.

 

 

 

I think i have a pdf of the SB-100 diagram somewhere. PM me and i'll sort it out for you :)

 

The 3 pots control the pitch of the sounds.

 

If the sounds are in tune, dont mess with it as it's a bugger to get sounding good again :)

 

One of the pots controls the 10's and 10k sounds. Another controls the 100's sound, and the last one controls the 1k sound.

 

My Hot Hand which uses the same sound board was shockingly out of tune. I'm a muso with a good ear, so i noticed it straight away :)

 

Ah, so my will was strong enough to avoid 'fiddling to see what they did'. Good job too as I wouldn't have a clue if they would be in tune or not. It doesn't sound awful, but without knowing what it should be like, I guess I'll leave it well alone for now.

 

Yeah, my wires are individuals with red connectors. Don't like the idea of making my own, there is a lot of wires to crimp... but then again money is a bit tight so I'll have a think about it.

 

I'll PM you about the PDF. Cheers :)

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They are one of the worst designed sound boards.

When Stern was busy stealing Bally board designs they should have copied their sound board as well instead of creating this woeful piece of shit themselves.

 

Only around 17 wires are actually used for connecting Cpu to the sound board.

The others are just for decoration.

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Just been looking at the soundboard diagram.

 

Damn! That is pretty darn complex design for such a simple set of sounds.

 

A lot of hardware to perform stuff that these days you wouldn't even blink over performing in software. CPU cycles sure were expensive back then!

 

I count 18 wires on J1 that actually do anything...

 

So the breakdown is:

8 data lines

1 power line

3 address lines

6 control lines (reset etc)

 

for 6 'sounds'... wow! (granted, this same soundboard if populated would also be capable of 10 sounds... but still :o )

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Progress update:

 

Fixed the outhole kicker problem: On a suggestion from Ballypinball, I replaced all the diodes on the power driver board. One of them fell apart while I was removing!

 

Sound seems to be stable at the moment. Looks like it is a dodgy connector... I think I'll leave it for now (unless it comes back :))

 

Just played it for an hour. Can't get the grin off my face.

 

Work to do of course, but... I can play it!

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And is it playing as well as you (and I) remember it?

 

Always liked this machine (like all the 80's Sterns)

 

:)

 

Hmm.. how to answer that one :)

 

I was 4 years old when this machine was new :)

 

To be honest, I don't recall playing much pinball until I was around 15 or so, and by then I was being 'spoilt' with machines that had ramps, toys, music and alphanumeric displays...

 

I really really wanted to get something a bit earlier than that, even if I didn't end up keeping it - I guess to help complete my pinball exposure. In that vein I am still interested in getting an EM at some point...

 

So, to be fair, except from a few times 'out and about' (remember the awesome collection of old machines that used to be at the top of the Scenic Railway at Katoomba anyone?) I had not really played a machine like Dracula. Opportunity knocked, this is my one story of being in the right place at the right time, and I was able to get this machine....

 

All of that said, I really like the game. It is a much more 'zen' experience than my other machines (which are more modern). I now know why it isn't fair to compare machines from different eras - they are completely different animals. The selection of shots is few and simple, but their execution requires precision and sequencing (something I am not so hot at yet :)). If you just want to bat the ball around and see what happens, hey that works too - it just is a different paced machine... All the mechanics have their own unique sound... a satisfying kerchunk from the drop targets, the rather startling whack of the flippers, and a very impressive replay knocker (I wonder why the moved from the cab to the backbox?)...

 

I am wondering about how my friends will react to it... I'm hoping they won't be asking how to start multi-ball, and complain about the 'crappy sounds'....

 

Cheers

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Project Update:

 

What is remaining to do:

 

1 - The usual dodgy light sockets are a PITA

 

Not really keen on doing too much here right now. I tried to solder the bayonet cups onto the brackets without much success... So until I het some flux I'll leave it. Any that were 'out' have been worked enough to get th ebulb to light. Quite a few a still flickery and sensitive to vibration though

 

2 - Sound issues (not working every time it fires up)

 

This seems to be more stable now. Looks like it was a bit of corrosion on the pins/connectors. A bit of working them in+out has 'cleaned' them. If it comes back I'll need to replace them though

 

3 - Upper dead bumper is a generic star type cap is wrong should be a 'Deco' type with skull image.

 

Found replacements online in the US. Am worried I'll have to get all new bumper caps though, as if I replace one it will be white, the other 3 will be yellowed... So more $$$ = more patience :)

 

4 - Spinner is wrong - it is from a Future Spa

 

Was hoping someone who has a Future Spa would want the spinner, and swap it for a plain one...

 

5 - I need to get some 3" rubber rings (these were the only ones I didn't have handy)

 

Still need to get these (waiting to tack them onto an order for some parts for my IJ)

 

6 - Some switch adjusting

 

Middle playfield Advance Bonus rollover not working. All the others seem to be fine after a bit of playing.

 

7 - Missing Plastics: The small one above the saucer, the long thin one above the standup targets on the right, the curved one behind the cats/bats drop targets

 

Have started asking if anyone has scans/photos/anything that would help to recreate these.

 

8 - adjust drop targets so they are level with playfield

 

Need to get some new socket cap head bolts to do this, as they are missing.

 

9 - outhole kicker transistor is bad

 

No it wasn't. It was all the diodes on the solenoid board going bad from age. All replaced now: http://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php?t=13306

 

10 - Play it

 

Finally got to do some of that :p

 

-----

 

Attached is an image showing why you really want to check over a machine before plugging it in. Some hack replaced the original power cord with a cut back extension lead (no real issue there). But, they couldn't solder for craps, so twisted the wires all over the originals which were cut back... and all the stray copper was only mm from the earth braiding :o

DSC02540.JPG.1d4d7a8dd3a4d807be7fa5b84674cbe0.JPG

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Hmm.. how to answer that one :)

 

I was 4 years old when this machine was new :)

 

To be honest, I don't recall playing much pinball until I was around 15 or so, and by then I was being 'spoilt' with machines that had ramps, toys, music and alphanumeric displays...

 

SNIP .....

 

.....about the 'crappy sounds'....

 

Cheers

 

Wow, nice writing. Thanks for the insight into how that is for the younger player. Being 42 yrs old, I'm the other way - its taken me a long time to get into the new fangled machines! (TAF and the like) with my younger partner.. but she's turning me around. :)

 

enjoy...

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Project Update:

 

Attached is an image showing why you really want to check over a machine before plugging it in. Some hack replaced the original power cord with a cut back extension lead (no real issue there). But, they couldn't solder for craps, so twisted the wires all over the originals which were cut back... and all the stray copper was only mm from the earth braiding :o

 

Hope you reattached the earth while you were at it!

 

cheers

Ian

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Restore Update:

 

So, now I have a few games under my belt, it's time to get back to looking closer at some outstanding items.

 

Firstly, I was wondering about the sound - there is a dipswitch on the MPU board that can be set to simple 'chimes' or 'melody'. As far as I can determine, this does nothing on my machine. This leads me to thinking that there are 2 possible issues... Most likely a stuffed dip switch from the corrosion, or it may be a buggered PIO.

 

I have a spare PIO so that will be the easiest to check. Problem is, as I haven't played a 100% working machine, I don't know which 'mode' the audio currently is.

 

Anyway, attached are some more pics of the work as it went along.

 

First pic is reworking the ball trough sides from under the apron (is there a proper name for these things? I want to call them rails but that seems silly).

 

The top one has been done already, bottom one still to go.

 

I did these by hand, using 240 then 400 wet&dry, with brasso as the 'wetting' agent as an experiment. This worked suprisingly well. The best part is when you finish with the wet&dry paper, you just buff up with a cloth and it looks pretty damn good. You get bloody black hands though! I'm hoping the polish component of the brasso will help prevent future corrosion/rust too.

 

The second pic is a tip I'm sure everyone already knows... I had a nice sized box I could screw all the bits into in the same layout as the table. This made sure I could track where all the different screws and posts went. Poor IJ downgraded to a bench for this restore :)

 

So, now my outstanding tasks for the machine are:

 

1 - Upper dead bumper is a generic star type cap is wrong should be a 'Deco' type with skull image.

 

2 - Spinner is wrong - it is from a Future Spa

 

3 - I need to get some 3" rubber rings (these were the only ones I didn't have handy)

 

4 - Some switch adjusting

 

5 - Missing Plastics: The small one above the saucer, the long thin one above the standup targets on the right, the curved one behind the cats/bats drop targets

 

6 - adjust drop targets so they are level with playfield

 

Some of these I can knock over this weekend. Others await financial support from the CFO, and then that agonising OS postal wait :)

 

I will be posting a pic of the backglass soon (still keep forgetting to take a pic) with some requests for advice on what to do with it.

 

I hope people like reading this stuff. Tough if you don't :p - I'll keep it up anyway. Kinda keeps me going on the one problem instead of jumping around all over the place (which is my usual habit)

 

Cheers

 

Cheers

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Glad you reattached the earth - now you see why the lazy former owner just twisted the wires on!

 

Good to see the progress you are making with your project. Bite the bullet and buy a set of bumper caps of PBR. Plastics come up on Ebay (US) every now and then, the one for the saucer is very hard to come by however.

 

The sound in 'chimes' mode sounds similar to the old EM chimes. 'Melody' makes a few (five or six) less than impressive electronic squawking noises. The SB100 is bitch of a board, with a lot of versions floating around. Some do not make the chime noise (look for a lot of components 'missing' off the board), but IIRC these boards make NO sounds if you select the chime mode on the MPU.

 

hope this helps...

 

Ian

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Yeah, I think my SB-100 won't have the chime mode, there are a lot of unpopulated components (and the holes aren't even drilled in the PCB). There is no U5 installed, so I just thought it was beacuse this is a 6 sound board, not a 10 sound. So most likely no chime stuff either.

 

Maybe I was a little off in my description - I was looking at switch 8 "melody option" which switches between melodies and 2 tones. This switch does not seem to change anything, it sounds the same either way (and yes, I changed it while the machine was off!)

 

All in all, nothing vital, just fiddling to see what the difference would be. Melody seems to be giving more credit than necessary, it is about 4 tones :)

 

Ahh, the saucer plastic. Yeah, I have seen many a person asking for one on the internet. This is a problem for me more than just the missing plastic. I hadn't mentioned it yet, but 2 of the screws that used to hold that plastic are snapped off just below the level of the PF :(. Still thinking how to tackle this problem. First check, no they don't go through the PF so I can't get them from below. At the moment, I'm thinking of using a dremel type tool to cut a slot so I can fit a fine screwdriver in the shaft and unscrew them, but the tiny size is daunting. Can't really drill it out as that would make a mess of the PF...

 

I'm definately getting a bumper cap set from PBR. It's just a matter of when...

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Maybe I was a little off in my description - I was looking at switch 8 "melody option" which switches between melodies and 2 tones. This switch does not seem to change anything, it sounds the same either way (and yes, I changed it while the machine was off!)

 

All in all, nothing vital, just fiddling to see what the difference would be. Melody seems to be giving more credit than necessary, it is about 4 tones :)

 

 

The melody option works something like this....

 

All it does is change the power up, add credit, start game and game over "tune"

 

If it's on, the tune will be 4 tones repeated twice very fast.

 

If it's off, it will just be the first 2 tones of the 4 tone sequence and that is it.

 

Pretty lame. The SB-100 was hardly a step ahead. I'd rather the 4 chimes from the Stern games from 77 - 78

 

Just out of interest. My Hot Hand uses the same board, and the game doesn't even use the "Advance Bonus" sound. It works in test but not in game play.

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Restore Update:

 

So, now I have a few games under my belt, it's time to get back to looking closer at some outstanding items.

 

Firstly, I was wondering about the sound - there is a dipswitch on the MPU board that can be set to simple 'chimes' or 'melody'. As far as I can determine, this does nothing on my machine. This leads me to thinking that there are 2 possible issues... Most likely a stuffed dip switch from the corrosion, or it may be a buggered PIO.

 

I have a spare PIO so that will be the easiest to check. Problem is, as I haven't played a 100% working machine, I don't know which 'mode' the audio currently is.

 

Anyway, attached are some more pics of the work as it went along.

 

First pic is reworking the ball trough sides from under the apron (is there a proper name for these things? I want to call them rails but that seems silly).

 

The top one has been done already, bottom one still to go.

 

I did these by hand, using 240 then 400 wet&dry, with brasso as the 'wetting' agent as an experiment. This worked suprisingly well. The best part is when you finish with the wet&dry paper, you just buff up with a cloth and it looks pretty damn good. You get bloody black hands though! I'm hoping the polish component of the brasso will help prevent future corrosion/rust too.

 

The second pic is a tip I'm sure everyone already knows... I had a nice sized box I could screw all the bits into in the same layout as the table. This made sure I could track where all the different screws and posts went. Poor IJ downgraded to a bench for this restore :)

 

So, now my outstanding tasks for the machine are:

 

1 - Upper dead bumper is a generic star type cap is wrong should be a 'Deco' type with skull image.

 

2 - Spinner is wrong - it is from a Future Spa

 

3 - I need to get some 3" rubber rings (these were the only ones I didn't have handy)

 

4 - Some switch adjusting

 

5 - Missing Plastics: The small one above the saucer, the long thin one above the standup targets on the right, the curved one behind the cats/bats drop targets

 

6 - adjust drop targets so they are level with playfield

 

Some of these I can knock over this weekend. Others await financial support from the CFO, and then that agonising OS postal wait :)

 

I will be posting a pic of the backglass soon (still keep forgetting to take a pic) with some requests for advice on what to do with it.

 

I hope people like reading this stuff. Tough if you don't :p - I'll keep it up anyway. Kinda keeps me going on the one problem instead of jumping around all over the place (which is my usual habit)

 

Cheers

 

Cheers

 

I am going to the electroplaters on Monday :unsure do you need anything done?

 

cheers

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I am going to the electroplaters on Monday :unsure do you need anything done?

 

cheers

 

Thanks for the offer... I'd like to do some things but I don't know what prep work is necessary, and what the cost may be?

 

My one day job is my IJ wireforms.. they look pretty sad.

 

I'll certainly be in touch, I've seen some of your stuff done, and I'd like to pick yer brains...

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  • 3 weeks later...

UPDATE to restore thread:

 

I have it pretty much under control now...

 

All I have left is some plastics to locate, and replace those darned bumper caps (I'll order them one day...)

 

A tip for removing the snapped of screws in the playfield:

 

I found a great diamond burr in my generic handheld hobby tool (was from Dick smith $29) which was perfect... It let me cut a slot into the top of the broken srew, so I could then gently back it out with a fine jewelers screwdriver. Impressed myself with that one! - didn't make a mark on the playfield...

DSC02599.JPG.3e747f113463806e496797f5364b99ad.JPG

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(remember the awesome collection of old machines that used to be at the top of the Scenic Railway at Katoomba anyone?)

Oh yeah!!! I used to play there a lot back in 1981-82. There wasn't much else to do in the mountains at night! :)

 

It is a much more 'zen' experience than my other machines (which are more modern). I now know why it isn't fair to compare machines from different eras - they are completely different animals. The selection of shots is few and simple, but their execution requires precision and sequencing (something I am not so hot at yet :)). If you just want to bat the ball around and see what happens, hey that works too - it just is a different paced machine... All the mechanics have their own unique sound... a satisfying kerchunk from the drop targets, the rather startling whack of the flippers, and a very impressive replay knocker (I wonder why the moved from the cab to the backbox?)...

These are the things I love about my Stern Magic. The drop targets resetting is such a great sound! And I agree that the replay knocker is impressive. Mine is in the main cabinet on the right hand side you can really feel it when it goes off. Even though every game is free, I get such a kick out of that sound when it pops. :) These old Sterns are very tactile machines.

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  • 1 month later...

Ok

 

An update on the machine...

 

I am learning inkscape for my plastic making exercise.... I have converted my paper cutouts into vectors. The long thin one still needs some work, but I don't think it's too bad for an hour into using the software.

 

Inkscape = simpler = less daunting than illustrator. Right price too! Glad this forum pointed it out to me.

 

Will tidy it up, and start the colour layers...

 

edit: the inline viewer (with the black border) does not show the png... but clicking on it shows it...

 

Cheers

94068235_Plasticsminusscan003.thumb.png.50784b96cab9613c3d69fd83c95aad3b.png

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