My bad, big thumbs up to both of you

Yeah I got all that stuff... it looks fairly daunting. I'm an aint-broke-don't-fix it guy but kind of tired of the 50/50 "will MB start or is it ballsearch" that comes with the flipped spinner.

I have adjust my playfield angle down from 7 to 6.5 and with a flathead screwdriver gently tried to change the angle of the ball guide for the left eject and the ball still hits the top of the left sling when it is ejected. I guess next I will have have to lift the playfield and inspect how the ball guide is attached to the playfield underneath. Hoping it’s a nut I can loosen and get a little more movement.

Also, when I select the 20 pop bumpers tour and send the ball up the left orbit it hits the gate and just goes down through the pop bumpers without hitting a thing and when it goes up the right orbit it ejects from the top lock hits the gate and more often then not does the same thing. What do most of you guys have the eject setting set at for when the gate is closed? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Switches tested good. I did reset the Node connector as well. Stumbled upon this in the Technician Alerts. Sent to stern, so I'll post the results when I get them.

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There definitely should have been a VUK to the left ramp here, like STLE. But I’ve decided to accept that the ball will always hit the top of the left sling. I cranked the left eject power to 150. That eliminated the “slow bounce to SDTM”, and adds a little excitement. Try that before altering your game too much, and let me know what you think.

If you think the new mech is going to fix that you are going to be disappointed.

Explain!

I got one with the new mech and that shit still happens, seemingly totally random. I haven't had a chance to dig into it but the times I've gone into test everything looks like it's working as it should.

Yeah, I have the new mech and spinner, and it’s about 50/50 for me too, if I don’t nudge it on the way down. So I nudge.

What is it that causes it, the ball opto showing open?

Here’s my theory about what happens. The spinner gets pulled toward the ball, due to the magnet. The ball then gets stuck behind the spinner, so it can’t trigger the opto at the front of the EM mech. See pic for an example. I believe that this can be fixed in code. The game “knows” that it grabbed the ball and pulled it down below the playfield. This won’t be an easy code change, there’s probably a fairly complex state machine involved. But this needs to get fixed. I’d even be okay with a strong activation of the shaker motor once the EM stage is fully submerged. Or, pulse the magnet a few times as someone else suggested. Bringing the EM back up should be a last resort in the ball search.

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Yeah maybe longer dead spots in the magnet pulse so it will at least activate / deactivate or something.

It's been a little bit since we got an update. Hopefully the next one has a fix for this as well as mega spinner lights as an option.

SO glad I have a pro!

Mo’ mechs, mo’ problems. But I don’t feel like this is a dealbreaker. I’ve gotten used to shaking the game a little when I lock a ball in the EM. And I feel confident that eventually Stern or one of us will come up with a solution.

Any issues with the EM spinner are 1000x worth it for the frenzy!!

Thanks! Any suggestions for the setting of the upper eject? I’m currently at the default settings for the upper eject and can’t seem to get any popopoppopopop when it bounces off the closed gate.

I agree, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to be fixed with code.

Oh man, I’m so happy right now. I cranked my left eject up to 200, and now the ball goes straight to the left flipper every time. It’s approaching the F-14 “Yagov” kicker in speed, but I’m okay with that.

Try different settings with the glass off. You can start the pop bumper tour to force that upper gate closed. I think mine is still at the default, but I haven’t noticed any issues with that.

I'm glad you do, too; it opened up an LE spot for me. Thanks!

I have the new spinner mech...it solved my ball search issues I was having with the flipped spinner. So there you go, CrazyLevi !

My LZ premium is still sitting NIB in the garage. Hoping to get to it this weekend. I need to check my build date on the machine. Do you know at what point in time new builds would have had the updated mech?

It was fairly early; in the spring, I believe.

I think this is backwards. The initial spinners were closer to 90 and bent like crazy. The updated ones are 45 and I haven't had an issue since the swap.

My original spinner (90 degree) went bad about 3 games after taking the game out of the box. I kept bending it back, it would work for half a game, and then beef again.

Flipping the spinner fixed the issue, the spinner hasn't gotten stuck in hundreds of games. Just the occaisional issue with it not recognizing it for multiball.

Seems like this issue could be fixed with a code update...once it recognizes the ball is "locked," just have it go below and start multiball. Don't see what the extra switch "hit" is for, it should know the ball was captured and lowered.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my LZ premium. That said... I'm still having issues with my spinner fairly often unfortunately. Mine never gets stuck, rather it pops out of the bracket and ends up flying all over the playfield until I stop the ball I'm on. My build was in April, so I'm pretty certain I had the "fixed" version. Regardless Stern sent me a replacement. Unfortunately I have messed around with both the original and replacement spinner to the point that I can't remember how much bend either of them are supposed to have. How should they look?

My Star Wars is having an issue with some of the optos in the horseshoe. That machine is under warranty and my local dealer does in house warranty service. We're scheduled for a few weeks from now to get that looked at. I was trying to save a buck when I ordered my LZ, so I ordered from out of state to try to avoid the dreaded California sales tax, in hindsight I wish I'd just bit the bullet and had the in house warranty with the local dealer on LZ. I'll pay him for his time to dial in the LZ when he's here, hoping that an expert like him will know what needs to be done to avoid these damn spinner issues.

Again, I LOVE this game, it rocks and is tons and tons and tons of fun. Just need to get this issue sorted.

Post a pic of your mechanism from straight on. It sounds like the support brackets aren’t parallel. Having the spinner pop out isn’t a common problem.

Exactly! It’s like it goes: “Aha, you’ve spun enough, I’m gonna grab your ball. Okay, lowering the ball under the playfield…WAIT WHERE DID THE BALL GO?”

I don’t see the gameplay benefit of lowering the ball below the playfield in the first place. Is it to keep the player from starting a 2-ball multiball by hitting it off the magnet? I don’t see that as a problem. Let the beginner have a quick and easy MB, while more advanced players try to boost it to a 3 or 4 ball MB by avoiding the EM and locking balls into the ejects. HEY STERN, I solved your problem! Just don’t lower the EM with a ball on it!!

Dude wut? It's the destroy the ring shot it rules.

I agree, I love the setup for multiball! But I don’t need to see the ball “disappear” under the playfield to enjoy it.

Question for Pro owners: how do you know your progress on the songs you’re not currently playing, without the indicators on the backpanel? I happen to agree that the Pro rocks, but I have wondered about this.

Well...I believe you. But all I know is for me 90=bent while 45=nothing bent yet. (Unless they're using a thicker gauge wire on the 45s?)

Two ways: Instant info is one. The other is to be at the song select screen from shooting the upper eject with a min. 5 gold records(or in the shooter lane at the start of a ball). As you scroll through the songs you will see what your progress is on each song.

Both are highly inferior to our prem/LE backboard! Just be sure to drill or dremmel out the R in Rock and Roll to get the full song lit up.(I know it's minor, but once you see it.....)

Gomez is blaming Covid for the crap metal spinner falling off!! He wasn’t too happy when I asked if his Stern Connect can detect when a Magic Spinner flys off!!!! Rather see time and money spent on Quality under the glass, not more BS information overload involving a cell phone!!! I bent mine, hasn’t fallen off yet, Cointaker/Stern did mail replacement spinner. Fantastic game !!!

Here’s a couple photos of my EM mech

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I would bend the spinner support “arms” in a little bit. It won’t hurt the shot, and it should keep your spinner secure.

My favorite thing about this game is how perfectly layered the rules are. Examples:

- I could shoot the Ramp to start Zep MB, but should I risk it and try to start my tour first?
- My Icarus is up to 12X and I just need a few more shots for EM Frenzy. Gotta avoid Icarus…
- Do I start my 2nd tour (and light EB), or start that juicy EM Frenzy?

Such a great, great game. And by far my favorite after-work beer pin now.

Thanks. I’ll give that a try!

Your EM base is sitting too high when raised. It needs to be flush. Go under the PF and lower the motor ever so slightly. Several other owners have fixed EM spinner problems by leveling the base height even with the PF.

Also looks like it might be a little higher on the left than the right.

I do have the pdf instructions for leveling the EM
mech as provided by Stern. This is something I planned to ask my local distributor to do for me when he comes over in a few weeks. Waxing and replacing bulbs I’m good with. More involved things I’d rather bring in an expert. Thanks though, I thought this could be the reason, nice to have a second opinion.

Where can I get a copy of this pdf? I need to try and level mine.

Thanks
Ed

Here you go friend.

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Looks like they got out of order. Sorry about that.

Please forward that PDF to Stern and ask them to post it here:

https://sternpinball.com/support/service-bulletins/

Or if you don’t mind emailing to me, I can do that

I had an NIB left untouched for about 3 minutes once. This was the longest it sat before I opened it ever. And it was only because I had to pee really bad.

Now to blow your mind there is also a NIB TMNT premium next to it in the garage. Patience is a virtue, lol. Need to make more room inside for them. I have a plan just need time to execute.

Cant you put your bed in the garage

Or rather, can I put my bed in his garage???

Damnit! Back to the drawing board.