For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast Feed

I'm no expert, as I've said early on. Here are some of my stupid mistakes, learned during my time refurbishing games. There are others, of course, but here are the choice cuts, my favorites.
Episode 50 - Some of My Mistakes


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Nothing beats the feeling of picking up a new project! I tend to get some pretty rough games (cause I'm cheap). The furry or fecal surprises inside must be removed - even under the transformer board!
Episode 51 - Mouse Leavings


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Yet another way to get injured on a pinball machine. Ensure all your machines have tempered glass before someone gets hurt. Better to clean tiny pieces of glass out of the machine than large chunks out of your arms!
Episode 52 - Flame Broiled Glass


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How to fix some basic problems with cabinets and another thing which could be dangerous if not corrected. Also: an interesting bingo at Allentown!
Episode 53 - Water-logged Cabinetry


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Interview with Jeffrey Lawton, the pre-eminent bingo technician, and has been working on bingos for many many years. He is also the man that wrote the books - Bally Bingo Pinball Machines, and The Bingo Pinball War (Bally vs. United). Purchase online at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ywords=bingo+pinball&rh=i:aps,k:bingo+pinball or catch Jeffrey at the York show and pick up a copy. A very handy reference to the games and their features, in order of their release, along with great photos and Jeffrey's stories about the machines. Steve Smith and I sat down and talked about bingos and working on games, and did a bit of storytelling.
Episode 54 - Tandem Interview - Jeffrey Lawton and Steve Smith 5-3-15


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My process for repainting cabinets, stolen shamelessly from Steve Smith. Stencil and the right amount of webbing, spatter and overspray are key!
Episode 55 - Cabinet Repaints


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You've bought the stinky filthy game of your dreams. Now what? Follow the advice of episode 51, and then do this. Your olfactory sense will thank you.
Episode 56 - Cleaning a Cabinet


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Later EMs from all the major manufacturers used DC power to drive certain coils. Did you know that Genco games from the late 30s also did the same? And earlier games can be modified to use DC power, after transforming what comes from the wall. This episode is all about the technology that allows this to happen.
Episode 57 - Rectifiers


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The two most interesting designs in the Bally bingo universe - Big Wheel and Magic Ring! A circular 'card' layout on the backglass that I think might have to be played to fully understand.
Episode 60 - Big Wheel and Magic Ring


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Episode 61 - The First Bingo - United's ABC United was the first on the scene with a bingo machine - one month before Bally. Featuring a unique design only seen once more in this history of bingos, United's ABC was more random chance than something that allowed for real bingo gameplay.
Episode 61 - The First Bingo - United's ABC


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Well, back to tech - I discuss a problem I encountered tonight with scoring on cards 4-5-6 on Ticker Tape, and recount various ways that the search disc can come out of adjustment and how to correct, as well as what to look for when trying to find a searching problem.
Episode 62 - Tech - Search Disc Woes


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More issues fixed, and more appear with my Ticker Tape search disc. Search disc and scoring problems are some of the most difficult to troubleshoot and correct on a bingo.
Episode 63 - More Search Disc Woes


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My final episode on search discs (for now!) - I also discuss the EM world championships at Clay's VFW, the Isley Brewing Company Triple Strike tournament here locally, and give a more lengthy explanation of the search disc, its function in a bingo and what is wrong with my game.
Episode 64 - Son of Search Disc


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Staples of EM arcades - made as early as the turn of the 1900s up through the 60s, these (mostly) beautiful machines are easy to understand, and fun to watch.
Episode 65 - Fortune Tellers


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EM arcade games offered a level of physicality and beautiful artwork that is no longer seen. Uprights, simulators, slots, trade stimulators, and more are discussed (in brief).
Episode 66 - EM Arcade Games


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Ball Bowlers (contact and non), shuffle bowlers, and mannikin bowlers are all unique games. In this episode I go over some of the differences between the various types of bowlers.
Episode 67 - Bowling Games


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Tonight's topic is Roto-Targets - my favorite toy from the woodrail era, that carried through the metal rail era and into some early solid states.
Episode 68 - Roto-Targets


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Gottlieb's Vari-Targets were, as per typical Gottlieb fashion, simple yet sophisticated mechanisms that allowed for a new dimension of play. Hitting the target with differing speed/accuracy provided different point values, and would send the ball flying back to your flipper.
Episode 69 - Vari-Targets


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One of my favorite bingos - Sun Valley - this 1957 beauty has great artwork, and is jam-packed with features. Magic Squares and a single Magic Line row allow the player to move every number on the backglass. The challenge is in getting those features lit, along with a time tree that actually allows you to reposition your numbers well, without tilting! I love everything about Sun Valley - the knocker that goes off as you get awarded features and scores is particularly gratifying.
Episode 71 - Sun Valley


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Dennis Dodel is an influential bingo and flipper pinball collector that has many notable pinball credentials. He started the Pinball Trader newsletter, which became/inspired the Pingame Journal, and continues to contribute to various pinball publications. If you've ever been to ipdb.org, you've most likely seen a photo credited to Dennis. Dennis answered my questions via email on 5/21/15.
Episode 72 - Interview with Dennis Dodel 5/21/15


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Another deep tech episode - how to remove the unit (could be anything, score reel, search disc [I know, I know], bonus stepper) and safely reattach. Also a cautionary tale about fuse blocks!
Episode 73 - Removing a Unit


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Bally and United were both manufacturing bingo pinballs in the 1950s. Since starting this show, I've been increasingly interested in the differences between the two manufacturer's machines. United's mechanics and circuits are engineered differently than the Bally ones, and I like 'em both!
Episode 74 - Differences Between United and Bally Bingos


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