JUNE TECH OF THE MONTH: UPKICK PINBALL

Meet our Tech of the Month, David and Elizabeth Dronet from Upkick Pinball! They offer pinball repair and restoration in Houston, Texas and they consider themselves ambassadors to the sport of competitive pinball. Together they work, play, and compete. Upkick is their way to spread their love of pinball by helping others get their machines looking and playing great again!

Q: How did you first get into the hobby?

“Our family began playing with the Space City Pinball League shortly after purchasing our first machine, Batman 66, in 2016.  We started doing repairs and restorations in early 2020.

We grew up together in Louisiana, and in the early 90s we loved hanging out in local diners at the McNeese University Ranch and playing pinball with friends on games like Indiana Jones, Addams Family, Getaway, and Taxi. After attending the SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin, our family began playing in the Space City Pinball League and purchased a machine. We now have a house full of pinballs!”

Q: How did you first get into the hobby? Did you jump right into repairing machines or did you learn under someone else?

“When Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, our home suffered major damage. When our home repairs were nearly complete, another collector in our league asked if we could pin-sit several of his machines while his home was also under reconstruction. His collection is amazing! We hosted the greats: Twilight Zone, Attack from Mars, Indiana Jones, Monster Bash. We gradually learned how to repair these pinballs and from there, built confidence. 

Through the Space City Pinball League we have met several local competitors who also enjoy repairing machines.  Our community is fortunate to have people like Brian Foytek and Erich Stinson who selflessly give their time and talent to pass along their technical knowledge and help others repair pinball machines. Our league hosts a discord chat server with a #repair-help channel. It’s a great place to talk out technical issues and assist others who are also repairing machines. UpKick has also hosted EM clinics where league members bring their EMs over for everyone to help problem-solve troublesome issues.”

Q: Follow up, Did you have a background in another field that made that transition easier?

“Having a background in computer science and mathematics helps David understand pinball system architecture from electromechanical to modern machines. Elizabeth is a librarian and loves to research information about games. She also has a degree in communications, which is beneficial in running a small business.” 

Q: Some techs have a particular aspect they really enjoy working on or they have a specialized set of skills (ie: boards, EMs, new Sterns, restoring cabinet art, etc) — do you specialize in something? or what’s your favorite aspect to work on?

“Generally we like to restore games so that they are resilient and beautiful. David enjoys having a game brought in that is completely broken, and then sending it off to be enjoyed for many years to come. He loves troubleshooting electrical and mechanical issues, pinpointing difficult problems, and developing creative solutions, especially with boardwork and displays. One of his best memories was when we worked on a Gottlieb Genesis in poor condition. It had missing ramps and severe board damage. When the game booted for the first time, it was like Christmas morning! 

Bringing the beauty back to older games is Elizabeth’s specialty. Her favorite project was when she installed a hardtop on one Bally Frontier, and performed a playfield swap for another Frontier at the same time. Her best advice is to take lots of pictures first! “

Q: What are you working on now and in the past, What has been your favorite project/game that you worked on?

“We are currently working on World Cup (1978), Liberty Bell, Torpedo Alley, Firepower, Gorgar, Star Trek Next Generation, and installing a hardtop on Taxi.”

Q: What is the best way to contact you and what areas do you service? Do you also operate your own route? If so, would you like to shout out those locations?

“Visit us online at upkickpinball.com to see the collection of games we have repaired, along with the mods and accessories we have designed for them. Keep up with us on Facebook and Instagram @upkickpinball.“

Have someone you want to nominate for the Tech of the Month? E-mail [email protected]!

Tags: david dronet, elizabeth dronet, tech of the month, Technician, technician of the month, upkick pinball