New pin day! Gottlieb’s Mars God of War has joined the family. #pinball
Pinball
The Grand Slam 10k score reel is working! Next up is some work to get the mechanical components nice and clean and then some work to get all the lamps shining properly. #pinball
Tonight we’re troubleshooting some sound issues. There are a few switches that aren’t generating sounds like they should—primarily my flippers, which should be making a blaster sound on coil fire.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 →
Back to the Space Invaders pin for a bit! I got my NVRAM installed, which is a corrosion-free way to store settings and high score data. For context, when this game was released in 1980, it came with batteries, but over time those can leak and really mess up the boards. #pinball
Next up is the 10k score reel, which is having some weird problems. It’s not rolling over correctly and for some reason the coil is active at all times. Gonna dig into that soon! #pinball
Replaced the coil, (re)adjusted a few switches and we’re back in action! #pinball
Time to replace the hold relay coil. This one basically just fell out. See that plastic piece on the bottom? That’s supposed to extend out much further and that’s where the wires would be soldered on. This one is very old (maybe the original from 1972!) and definitely due to be replaced. #pinball
The magnetic parts tray is easily a Top 10 invention
Fixing this during some breaks today. This is the tens score reel and it’s not resetting. First step is to disassemble and clean, then we’ll see what comes next.
Where are all my #pinball folks at? Players, collectors, fixers, let’s chat! For context I’ve got 2 at home, Space Invaders (‘80 SS) and Grand Slam (‘72 EM). Space Invaders plays well but I need to get it fully shopped, and just got Grand Slam so it needs some reel reset work before it’s playing.
My First Pinball Machine, My New Obsession
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • 2 min read
There’s a special kind of thrill in buying something that doesn’t just work the moment you bring it home. Most of today’s gadgets come sealed and sterile, optimized for convenience. You push a button and they do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Reliable, yes. Exciting, not so much. Pinball, though—that’s different. Pinball is messy, mechanical, alive. When I dragged home my first machine, a Bally Space Invaders from 1980, I wasn’t just buying a game.