About Chris
Contact Information for Chris Hibler
Location: West St. Louis County, near Clayton Road and Highway 109
Cell Phone: 636-432-3589
E-Mail: chrishiblerpinball@gmail.com
I’ve been repairing pinball machines since 1991 when I purchased my first game, a Gottlieb Centigrade 37, which is an electro-mechanical game. Over the years I’ve repaired too many games to recount and in the process have become very familiar with every modern pinball game system. I’m a true engineer, and repairing games is an outlet to satisfy my need to engineer. 🙂
Please note the comments below regarding corrosion. The comments apply to previous repairs attempted too. I need to have a good idea of the corrosion extent, as well as the quality of prior repair attempts.
ATTENTION – ACHTUNG – ATENCION – внимание – 注意力 – AANDACHT – תשומת לב – 気を付け – ATTENTION
— EVEN IF YOU ARE A RETURNING CLIENT, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE SHIPPING FORM AND INCLUDE THE FORM IN THE SHIPPING BOX WHERE I CAN EASILY FIND IT —
Help Me Help You
Should you decide to send your pinball PCBs to me for repair, there are a few things you can do to help the transaction complete smoothly.
I suggest that you print this checklist, and line through numbers as you complete the procedure.
- Start by contacting me via email (chrishiblerpinball@gmail.com) or on PinSide, I’m user ChrisHibler, with the problem description. If alkaline corrosion is an issue, or if prior repairs have been attempted on the board, send pictures of the affected portions of the boards.
- VERY IMPORTANT: Complete the fillable .pdf form located here.
Either print the form and print clearly or fill the form in on your PC and print. Include the completed form in the shipping box. The information on the form helps me turn boards around quicker. - Pack the board(s) in an anti-static bag. If you don’t have an anti-static bag, *** REMOVE THE BATTERIES *** and then wrap the board(s) in a layer of aluminum foil. This protects the boards from Electro-Static Discharge (ESD).
- Use bubble wrap/packing peanuts/whatever to prevent the board from shifting in the box and being damaged in shipment. Please do not “mummify” the board with excessive packing tape. Spending time un-mummifying boards takes time away from making actual repairs.
- Mail the boards via insured postal mail, UPS, or Fedex to the following address.
PLEASE DO NOT SHIP SIGNATURE REQUIRED.
Chris Hibler
1449 Wellington View Ln
Wildwood, MO 63005 (Chesterfield also works. 63005 is the important part)
- email the tracking information to me at chrishiblerpinball@gmail.com, if available.
- I will contact you via email when the board arrives and as I make progress repairing the board.
- Once I’ve completed repair of the board, I’ll create a detailed invoice that includes insured return shipping via USPS.
- I will then send a PayPal invoice to your PayPal address. The invoice will include the total fee.
- Please submit payment via PayPal (respond to the PayPal invoice). My PayPal address is also chrishiblerpinball@gmail.com
- Once PayPal payment is received, I will ship the board immediately.
- Note: I am happy to use your provided prepaid return postage for the shipper of your choice. But, you MUST indicate so BEFORE I invoice you. By the time I’ve invoiced you, I’ve already paid for return shipping and will NOT cancel it.
FAQs
Queue management
Generally, boards are worked first in, first out. There are a few exceptions. I sometimes “batch” similar repair jobs to improve throughput. I will also bump some “easy” repairs up in the queue and work them on days that I don’t have enough time to invest in bigger repairs.
NOTE: My queue at this time is about 90 days deep. I’m working diligently to shorten the queue duration, but more pinball owners than ever are asking for help repairing their games. This is a good thing!
Progress checks **** Please note ****
Please allow me the time to concentrate on repairing the boards in my queue. If I haven’t contacted you with a status update, then the board is still working its way through the queue. Checking progress takes me away from focusing on repairs. And, repair progress isn’t incremental, as if I were building a house for you. Progress goes from zero-to-complete rapidly once the board makes it through the queue and onto my bench.
Can I “Keep you posted”?
Yes, and no. “Keep me posted” seems to be the catchphrase of today. I text the client when the board(s) arrive. I’ll text the client when the board(s) have been completed or if I run into a problem. Between those two events, there isn’t anything to report. Again, I thank you for your patience as I work fairly through the queue.
Facebook Friends
Facebook is a cesspool of misinformation. The only groups I follow are Pinball Enthusiasts, Pinball Repair, and Pinball Repair Help Group!!. I don’t “friend” anyone anymore. No offense. I’m just choosing to minimize my participation in “social media”. I do receive and respond to Facebook Messenger messages.
Price List (assuming no alkaline corrosion)
The following price list does not include the cost of parts. The cost of parts needed to repair your board(s) will be added. I do not mark up the price of parts. I add what it costs me to replenish parts, drawn from my inventory, that are necessary to repair your boards.
Note: I MAY decide to take on a corroded board, but I’ll need to add an alkaline corrosion abatement surcharge. Corroded boards take SO much more time to remove components, remove all alkaline, rebuild traces, conformal coat the bare copper, reinstall parts, and completely test the board. Argh!
| Classic Bally/Stern | Lamp Driver Board | $50 |
| Solenoid Driver Board | $90 | |
| CPU Board (-17/-35/-100/-200/6803) no corrosion | $125 | |
| Sound Boards (excl S&T Board) | $70 | |
| Squawk and Talk Sound Board | $90 | |
| Data East | Power Supply | $70 |
| PPB Board | $40 | |
| Sound Boards **NOT ACCEPTING** | $100 | |
| DMD Display Controller (excl Large Displays) | $80 | |
| MPU Board (OEM or RottenDog) | $125 | |
| Gottlieb | System 1 Driver Board | $50 |
| System 80 Power Supply | $60 | |
| System 80 Driver Board | $60 | |
| System 80/80A/80B MPU Board Sorry. No Swemmer MPUs |
$125 | |
| System 80 Sound and Speech | $100 | |
| System 80B Sound Board **NOT ACCEPTING** | $100 | |
| System 80B/3 Power Supply | $50 | |
| System 3 Driver Board | $70 | |
| System 3 MPU Board | $125 | |
| System 3 Sound Board **NOT ACCEPTING** | $100 | |
| System 3 DMD Controller | $80 | |
| Chase Lamp Boards | $35 | |
| Pop Bumper Driver Boards | $20 | |
| Auxiliary Sound Board (w/YM2151) | $60 | |
| System 80B Futaba Display Panel | $100 | |
| Stern/Sega WhiteStar/S.A.M. | CPU/Sound Board (w/BMST2000) | $125 |
| Power/Driver Board | $90 | |
| HV Power Supply for Display | $50 | |
| DMD Display Controller | $80 | |
| S.A.M. Power/Driver | $125 | |
| S.A.M. MPU PCM1755DBQ Replacement | $125 | |
| Bally/Williams | System 3 MPU Board (ScanBe sockets) | $170 |
| System 4-7 MPU Board | $125 | |
| System 3-7 Driver Board | $90 | |
| Sound Board (incl BG Sound) | $80 | |
| Power Supply | $70 | |
| System 8/9/11 MPU Board | $150 | |
| WPC/S/95 MPU Board | $90 | |
| WPC Power/Driver Board (OEM or RottenDog) | $90 | |
| WPC DMD Controller | $60 | |
| WPC Audio Visual Board | $135 | |
| WPC pre-DCS Sound Board | $90 | |
| WPC DCS Sound Board | $125 | |
| FlipTronics I/II Board | $50 | |
| 7/10/16 Opto Driver Board | $50 | |
| 8 Driver Auxiliary Board | $50 |