Museum of the Game® & International Arcade Museum® Forums
Greetings eveyone!
Ok, I already know Atari pins are not exactly loved. Still, since I collect Atari, one had to be added to my collection. I like it even if others don't. Atari needs to be at least be represented for pins. Short lived as their history was in them, which is story in of itself..
I have had this Atari Airborne Avenger now for three years. It was sort of working when I bought it and had just had all the rubber replaced on it and, also a few of the plastics on the playfield replaced from another that was being parted out at the time. Since then, I have gone through it, one thing after another has been done, over the last few years as my time and budget allowed. Fixing loose bumpers and other parts, made a new latch pin for one that was missing off the glass lockdown bar. I made a new retainer clip for one of the playfield props arms that was missing, so it wouldn't drop anymore and break short out the electrical electronics below it and made a much better cover, that was also missing, to protect the PCB. (Though I have since aquired an original Atari A.A. PCB cover with the settings poster. Which is like the backdoor card / sheet on video games) I found the correct cash box, that was missing too. Fixed / replaced a few other odd things like making a new locking cover (that was, again missing) for the back glass box, that covers the latches that locks the back glass in.
While I am able to now do some of my own electronic work on my games, at least on the my coin video games, Atari pinball PCBs, especially from what I had gathered, are not the easiest to work on. So I found a person in Texas, he has eBay listings, that seemed to specialize in Atari pinball PCB's. I sent him my game and aux pcb's off to him. Man does quality work! I had no idea how much was actually not working on my game until I received the boards back. What a major difference!
Since then, I have continued to work on it. I changed all the lamps to LED's including those the back glass box. They are nicer, brighter and a LOT less heat generated. Better for the game electronics below and the playfield inserts not to mention the back glass. The LEDs work fine, NO issues. I recently, finally, reset the playfield inserts. Another major improvement. You can actually play a game now! I normally like everything on any of my games (video games) back the way it was originally, from the factory. i.e. in this case, Atari, but certain things like the LEDS in the playfield are simply better and better for the game itself.
The game is NOT cosmetically perfect. I am likely to leave it as is except my final work yet to be done, like repainting the legs. And I have another Atari owl eye coin door that I need to use / replace, swap, whatever. I haven't decided what's best yet. To complete the original on mine that is semi-working.
Lastly, I like spare parts for all my coin games. And Atari Pinball would seem to be more important than most. I have been picking up spare parts as I am able. I have a respectable amount for it. Including a spare, fully working A.A. game PCB and two spare AUX PCBs, a gas tube score display - yes working and finally a spare A.A. backglass that I took to the Midwest Gaming Classic, oh, I lost track because last year was a blur (we all know why) I think it was 2019 and Steve Richie and Eugene Jarvis were speakers at that event. I managed to get both of them to auto it! Airborne Avenger was also Steve Richie's first pinball (another reason to have this one in my Atari collection). Obviously he has moved on the bigger, greater pins - Great ones at Stern! He was happy to autograph it for me. I have a photo of him signing it and IS also posted below. I will post more here as soon as I am able. For now a few quick photos I did of yesterday. Eugene Jarvis also worked on Airborne Avenger, the sounds as I recall.
Anyway, this is my two cents worth contribution to Atari pins. I will add more photos as I am able.
Mike.
Ok, I already know Atari pins are not exactly loved. Still, since I collect Atari, one had to be added to my collection. I like it even if others don't. Atari needs to be at least be represented for pins. Short lived as their history was in them, which is story in of itself..
I have had this Atari Airborne Avenger now for three years. It was sort of working when I bought it and had just had all the rubber replaced on it and, also a few of the plastics on the playfield replaced from another that was being parted out at the time. Since then, I have gone through it, one thing after another has been done, over the last few years as my time and budget allowed. Fixing loose bumpers and other parts, made a new latch pin for one that was missing off the glass lockdown bar. I made a new retainer clip for one of the playfield props arms that was missing, so it wouldn't drop anymore and break short out the electrical electronics below it and made a much better cover, that was also missing, to protect the PCB. (Though I have since aquired an original Atari A.A. PCB cover with the settings poster. Which is like the backdoor card / sheet on video games) I found the correct cash box, that was missing too. Fixed / replaced a few other odd things like making a new locking cover (that was, again missing) for the back glass box, that covers the latches that locks the back glass in.
While I am able to now do some of my own electronic work on my games, at least on the my coin video games, Atari pinball PCBs, especially from what I had gathered, are not the easiest to work on. So I found a person in Texas, he has eBay listings, that seemed to specialize in Atari pinball PCB's. I sent him my game and aux pcb's off to him. Man does quality work! I had no idea how much was actually not working on my game until I received the boards back. What a major difference!
Since then, I have continued to work on it. I changed all the lamps to LED's including those the back glass box. They are nicer, brighter and a LOT less heat generated. Better for the game electronics below and the playfield inserts not to mention the back glass. The LEDs work fine, NO issues. I recently, finally, reset the playfield inserts. Another major improvement. You can actually play a game now! I normally like everything on any of my games (video games) back the way it was originally, from the factory. i.e. in this case, Atari, but certain things like the LEDS in the playfield are simply better and better for the game itself.
The game is NOT cosmetically perfect. I am likely to leave it as is except my final work yet to be done, like repainting the legs. And I have another Atari owl eye coin door that I need to use / replace, swap, whatever. I haven't decided what's best yet. To complete the original on mine that is semi-working.
Lastly, I like spare parts for all my coin games. And Atari Pinball would seem to be more important than most. I have been picking up spare parts as I am able. I have a respectable amount for it. Including a spare, fully working A.A. game PCB and two spare AUX PCBs, a gas tube score display - yes working and finally a spare A.A. backglass that I took to the Midwest Gaming Classic, oh, I lost track because last year was a blur (we all know why) I think it was 2019 and Steve Richie and Eugene Jarvis were speakers at that event. I managed to get both of them to auto it! Airborne Avenger was also Steve Richie's first pinball (another reason to have this one in my Atari collection). Obviously he has moved on the bigger, greater pins - Great ones at Stern! He was happy to autograph it for me. I have a photo of him signing it and IS also posted below. I will post more here as soon as I am able. For now a few quick photos I did of yesterday. Eugene Jarvis also worked on Airborne Avenger, the sounds as I recall.
Anyway, this is my two cents worth contribution to Atari pins. I will add more photos as I am able.
Mike.