Tags

  • Published on

    Repair log: Stern Stars (1978) and Stern Dracula (1979)

    1978 Dracula Repair log Stars Stern

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

    ο»Ώ


    A couple of Stern MPU-100 boards came in for service. Both with similar corrosion damage which required significant abatement. Once the corrosion was dealt with, the boards were repopulated.


    A couple of small mods were done, too. Batteries and RAM were replaced with NVRAM modules from Tangles Pin Parts. A nice product from an Aussie supplier. One of the ROM chips was damaged on the Stars board, so I combined the two 2716 ROM images into a single 2764. Some modding of the board was required to accommodate the 2764 but it works well.


    Before and after photos of one of the boards below!

  • Published on

    πŸƒ A Slight Change of Pace

    Those of you who have followed the blog for some time will have noticed that I tend to document many of the restorations here in excruciating detail bordering on anal-retentiveness. I'm a highly analytical, detail-oriented person, and the way I document my restorations reflects the way I carry them out. I feel that documenting things in detail serves this blog's purpose of being a technical resource for the wider pinball community. After all, that's why I maintain the blog and make an effort to document my restorations in the first place; so that people can find relevant information to repair their own machines.


    That said, I have decided to make a slight change of pace. My personal circumstances have recently changed, and I'm now going to dedicate myself to repairing and restoring pinball machines and arcade games full-time. Life is short. You should spend as much time as possible doing what you enjoy, with who you enjoy doing it with. Saving what you enjoy for weekends (or even worse, retirement), makes for life in "limbo" which is never truly lived. But that's enough philosophy for now!


    I'll be doing many more repairs, most of which will not be the in-depth restorations many have come to expect from this blog. However I still feel like it's important to document these smaller repairs for the same reasons. Even small repairs are important for the maintenance of pinball machines, and arcade culture more broadly. As a result, most of my posts will shift to a shorter format, focused on text and images that describe the issues I'm repairing and not much else. Sure, I'll still have longer, detailed posts documenting some of the bigger or more complicated restorations, but they'll be less frequent.


    Please let me know (once I've posted a few blog entries of course) what you think of the new blog format!


    Sincerely,


    Alexander

    A&F Pinball Restorations

  • Published on

    Leisure & Allied Industries "Skill Tester" (Type 2)

    Arcade Claw Machine Leisure & Allied Redemption Skilltester
    Picture
    Picture

    No, you're not seeing double. My last machine restoration post was also about an LAI Skill Tester. ​​It's not often I get a double-up of machines, but while I was in the throes of finishing up repairs to the first LAI Skill Tester, I saw an ad on Facebook from someone who was giving another one away. Sweet! These machines aren't worth much, and there don't seem to be many people who have the desire or ability to fix them. But I'm a sucker for retro technology, so it's right up my alley! 
  • Published on

    CollectFest 2025

    Collectfest Demolition Man Events Fish Tales Getaway Johnny Mnemonic Judge Dredd Super Mario Bros Tee'd Off Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    Picture

    Another pop culture show? You bet! This one was a big one. CollectFest is a new show for all things collectable, whether it be collectable cards (Pokemon, Magic, etc.), comics, action figures, coins, stamps, video games, or anything in between. It's exciting whenever a new collectables show appears as it shows how much demand there is for these pop culture events around Australia. CollectFest had done shows in Brisbane and Melbourne, so Fiona and I put out hands up to contribute some pinball machines to the Sydney event in Darling Harbour to round-out their Experience offerings. We were excited about this because the CollectFest team were really keen on the retro vibe of an arcade, which is exactly what we wanted to give to patrons of the show.