Godzilla (Limited Edition)
Stern, 2021
Godzilla (Premium)
Stern, 2021
Godzilla (Pro)
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Quoted from CoolCatPinball:I just had a look at the NIB listings here on Pinside and saw a couple dealers advertising premiums as In stock and ready to ship. Definitely get that money back and get one shipped to you today!
Most of those ads seem to be really old. 
Odd question...
Can you disable the Premium features like the building and Mecha Godzilla target bank rotation?
And if so how does the game compensate? For example will it lock balls on the magnet prior to multiball like on a Pro if the building is turned off?
Just curious. I've never owned a Stern. But my old Bally Williams games would allow for this sort of thing.
Quoted from scootss:I played a premium on location where the building movement was turned off. I believe you can turn off the mecha rotation as well. Not sure how the game handles it, though.
Thank you for confirming.
Quoted from Markharris2000:Just heard from a second distributor that they still expect some additional GZ Premiums to arrive over the next few days. (So all hope is not lost...)
I didn't get in early enough and decided I wanted to try to get a Premium over a Pro with Pros apparently growing on trees (comparatively) in July. And I've heard the same thing from a number of distributors as well ('Maybe more in a week or so').. But it's definitely not fun to be looking for a chair when the music starts to slow down. My local guy told me November but probably not. And yet others claim to have November spots available. It pays to shop around I guess.
I was able to find a handful at slightly over MSRP but felt like the price was reasonable for folks that didn't require a wire transfer etc because me paying the fees for a CC etc were already baked in. And I like using CCs for obvious reasons but also because I get points.
I know of one that was available as of yesterday if you don't mind paying a bit more...but things do move fast...
Quoted from mark532011:Woohoo, I just discovered the Kaiju battles continue if you restart the battle with the next ball - it took me all 3 balls but I finally beat Ebira!
I have to say, its a bit underwhelming - I was expecting some kind of big announcement and video splash, not an unexcited "Godzilla controls Tokyo"
It's like when you score a TD in the Super Bowl. Act like you do it all the time....
My first Stern arrives this week. Sorry for the newbie question:
How sensitive to the sun is it cabinet wise?
I had a Bally Williams Dredd, Doctor Who, and AFM back in the day that all the cabinet red bleached off of them due to being exposed to sunlight.
Is this a problem with modern Sterns?
Quoted from pinopinballmods:At this place you can change your Tesla power by our King Ghidorah
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1338-pino-pinball-mods-shop/07709-king-ghidorah[quoted image]
I like your King Ghidorah mod but the beige one I bought doesn't fit as shown in your photo. I have the same Tesla Towers you have but if I mount KG flush to the plastic as shown in your samples he sits way too low and one of his heads touches a tower. I can mount him on top of the original stand offs to get a fit like yours but even with the side rail supporting his tail he's a bit wobbly. Any suggestions?
PXL_20230321_164137548 (resized).jpgQuestion:
This is my first Stern. Been playing the hell out of our Premium. The bridge magnet and some of the metal ball guides are losing some of their 'chrome' after about 200 games. Is this normal?
Note etching below Mechagodzilla's right hand.
PXL_20230321_164617159 (resized).jpgPXL_20230321_164622314 (resized).jpgQuoted from medeski7:My upper flipper started having issues today. I would hit the left flipper button and it would flip the upper flipper sometimes at half power and sometimes at full strength. Sometimes it wouldn't go all the way up. The flipper would also drop at times when I was still holding the button. I saw this issue on a Mando but the issue went away on its own. I'm still running 1.02 code. Is this a connection issue, a code issue or a hardware issue? The problem only presented itself while I finally had a longer than usual game. I'm not a great player so my normal ball times aren't very long.
Coil stop?
I would try translucent rubbers on the slings etc to brighten it up before going Pin Stadium.
And while tables can vary I'm surprised to hear that people are adding bumpers etc to avoid SDTM on missed shots. I'm pretty sure it's designed that way on purpose. Make sure it's level and at proper incline.
But I get it to a certain extent. I lowered the scoop power a tad because it was flying up the left return lane and draining way too easily. I didn't think you should be punished so severely for MAKING the scoop shot...
Quoted from etr104:I just had my Godzilla Premium delivered on Thursday after 14 months of waiting. This game is amazing!
I don't fully know all the modes yet. When I was playing yesterday, mid-game, my back glass lights shut off for about 2-3 seconds before coming back on. Are there any modes or light show sequences in this game that shut the back glass light off by design mid-game? Just trying to Determine if what I saw was normal game operation or if I have an issue that I'm going to need to troubleshoot.
This is normal.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Here’s the video clip. Basically what Im learning is:
Don’t worry about crushing the battle mode. Make sure you crush one or both of bridge MB or Tank MB. Im talking 150-300 million is the goal in either or both.
Then spend the rest of the time getting GZ and Mecha MB and ignore everything but the annihilation bonuses and collect them over and over again. They add the most to your carnage bonus.
Also make sure you collect all your destruction jackpots and imposter battle 2 gets you a carnage bonus boost too.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1776605834
This definitely seems sound considering my best ever game was 1.3 Billion and 535 million of that was one Bridge Attack Multiball.
Quoted from chuckwurt:That’s massive. If you did that, tank, Tesla, and completed the monster battle in one ball of Tokyo, then grinded some GZ and mecha MBs, you couldn’t had billions in the carnage collect easily.
I feel like it was basically sheer luck. I'd only had the game for a day or two and hadn't played more than a handful of times on location. I assume Rodan was involved but I wasn't very knowledgeable at the time so I don't remember. Will probably stand for awhile.
PXL_20230327_132641753 (resized).jpgQuoted from mostater:Whenever I start Monster Zero or Terror of Mecha, the building is at the highest position when the VUK kicks the ball up. However, the ball always gets stuck at the point of entry to the building (see pic). A ball search eventually frees it. The ball is getting trapped between the side of the top ramp and the guide inside the building top floor. Has anyone else encountered this?
The building does have a little left-and-right play. I can physically tilt the building just enough to the left and that creates a large enough opening for the ball to move freely. I looked for loose screws under the playfield that might help firm up the building and, hopefully, correct the issue, but didn't find any. I'd put a washer under a screw or something like that to try and tilt the building a bit (to the left) but don't see how since the building seems to be free-standing along that long lead screw under the playfield. Any suggestions on how to tilt the building one way or the other? Or other options?
[quoted image]
Is the machine level from side to side and at proper incline?
Quoted from Chitownpinball:I went and did it. First try. Couldnt be any closer. Works fine now. Carry on.
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Good to hear you're back in business.
Quoted from arcyallen:Alright, oddball problem/question: I never really cared for Godzilla. I'd played it on location probably 50 times, and while exciting it never really clicked (no Elwin game has so far). What's been newly working for me in these instances is to buy it, and then discover that I actually do like it once I can focus on it a bit and play it more. So, being the intelligent dumbass I am I bought a Premium. And while I don't regret buying it, after another hundred games I've decided it's still not clicking. SO, my question: Has it taken anyone more than 150 games to finally "like" Godzilla? I think at this point, I'd know by now. I'm getting ready to list it, but figured I'd put this out there. And to be clear: It -is- an exciting game, that's fun to play, but it's not quite doing it for me.
oh, and:Agree 1000%. Seriously. It's like thinking my car isn't complete without the optional overpriced turbo. Or, in the case of most toppers, the equivalent of shiny metallic paint.
I liked Godzilla the first time I played it on location.
But I just asked my girlfriend if she likes Godzilla (she has maybe 50 games on it) and she said a) yes and b) it's not a bad one for you to have taken a chance on since you should be able to sell it in a hot second.
Quoted from WizardsCastle:Having an issue with the mini ramp rotating at random.
Anyhow have this issue and figure out a solution?
It might be having trouble verifying the position? Check cabling to the sensor shown on page 56? Right side of page item #3.
Quoted from JakePG:Boom. Thank you.
LoL. I had one of those loose in the bottom of my shipping box as well!
Quoted from cheezywhiz:Hey folks. I joined the club this week! This GZ Premium is my first NIB pin. I'm glad there weren't any major issues, but I am having some of the minor problems others have reported. Since this pin is fresh off the line, I figured it might be good to let ppl know that these problems are still happening.
1) The under-bridge/over-magnet plastic is the shorter modified variety.. it's still getting clipped a little by the bridge and I can see some damage starting to form. I want to try the fix (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/128#post-6714220) where you add a washer to the coil stop. QUESTION: Am I supposed to be putting a small washer inside_ the sleeve? Or a big washer outside around the metal nub on the coil stop like this (https://pinballvegas.com/pics/006aiq3.jpg)? Seems weird to add a loose small washer inside the sleeve, but that's what it looks like in the photo.
2) Two balls were occasionally getting kicked to shooter lane and getting stuck. Reduced the trough kick out value and the problem is gone.
3) The building VUK sometimes takes two tries before the ball makes it to the top. I haven't attempted to fix this, but I see a couple ideas in the thread. This is low priority for me since it doesn't seem to be causing any damage.
4) After about 40 plays, the two sides of the bridge plastics started getting stuck on each other and preventing the bridge from dropping. Gonna try loosening the plastics and moving them apart tonight.
5) Manual plunge skill shots are hard because of the sloppy launch. Still working my way through this thread looking for a fix.
6) Magna grab is working great.
Get the shooter lane fix from Chrome Candy or the plastic version (from Lermods?) in the market place here and your skill shots will be smoother.
I've lit Monster Zero like three or four times now...
I swear I can't hit the building to save my life when it's lit. I've only successfully started it once LOL.
Is it just me? I'm decent with the same shot for Oxygen Destroyer but I guess the Monster Zero pressure gets to me.
Quoted from pinballjah:Godzilla has arrived![quoted image]
Selling these? 
Quoted from jackd104:Yes, the stock speakers are poor. Sound and music are big parts of the game and well worth it imo. A simple upgrade you can do is change the backbox speakers with Kicker CSC 4”. Direct swap. Can also do 5.25” speakers but you need to get new mounting plates. Just doing that will yield a good improvement. You can also replace the cab speaker with a sub or use an external sub. And people take it even further with amps and so on. Check out the DIY audio thread. The op there has done tons of analysis and has recommendations for Godzilla.
Are the Kickers the same depth for those of us with speaker grill lighting mods?
Quoted from gandamack:I have no idea why I did not get the Lermods plunger fix earlier. I have purchased a shit-ton of mods over the years, but this little guy is a must have for this game.
I did that day two with the machine and it's indeed awesome.
Quoted from DugFreez:There shouldn't be any issues with having that model speaker and a SPIKE 2 Speaker Light Kit (if it is one of my SPIKE 2 Speaker Light Kits). There have never been any reported fit issues with any 5.25" speakers not working with any of my SPIKE 2 Speaker Light Kits.
Doug (SpeakerLightKits.com)
Thank you. I would be installing the four inch Kicker speaker and have the Myth pinball kit but I assume they are similar.
Quoted from DugFreez:I have never handled a Myth pinball light kit so I wouldn't assume that. You may want to contact them and ask. Their light frames are different from mine, as they did not just take my light frames to a metal shop and say "copy this" as other, knock off sellers have done...and that is appreciated.
What I can say, as pertaining to my light kits, there have been more hurdles to overcome to get some 4" speakers to fit than any 5.25" speakers. This is mainly due to the factory 4" speaker plates having the bars running though the speaker holes on them and some 4" speakers being made with spacer rings attached to the front of them (I don't think anyone is still doing that). As far as 5.25" speakers go....the 5.25" speaker plates do not have the bars running though their speaker holes and as long as you are mounting the 5.25" speaker to a 5.25" speaker plate...there have been no reported fit issues.
Doug (SpeakerLightKits.com)
Thanks. I bought the speakers from Amazon. Easy enough to return if they don't fit.
Mid Feb Premium build here that arrived in Mid March. About 500 games on it and already starting to see metal dust in the cabinet. I don't notice any flipper strength loss yet but going to install Pinball Life flipper coil stops tomorrow. Probably best to just go ahead and do it for those just now getting their machines.
Quoted from Zablon:also, I'd say 90% of the time when I hit mechagodzilla the ball lands on the ramp. I'm assuming this isn't by design. Is the magnet supposed to catch the ball and drop and possibly not doing that? Or is it just something that's going to happen?
You might try to loosen the wireform mounts and shift it a bit. I assume away from Mechagodzilla would work best but you may have to experiment. Also make sure the table is level and at proper pitch. If you get a lot of odd air alls etc you might also try lowering flipper power a bit. On my game a Mechagodzilla shot ends up on that wireform once in a blue moon.
You might also look into the position of his right arm. Apparently it varies from machine to machine.
Quoted from BW1029:I don't have a GZ (yet!) but swapped in 4" Kickers and a JBL 8" in the Cabinet on my Bond and it made a decent improvement. Pretty much plug and play to do the 4" and 8". Like someone said earlier, if you want 5.25" you can buy new mounting plates, buy a adapter plate or even drill new post holes for 5.25". Though the latter 2 options both then have a 5.25" speaker in a hole meant for 4"
This 8 inch?
JBL Stage 810 800W Max 8" Stage Series Single 4 ohm Car Audio Subwoofer Speaker Bundled with Alphasonik Earbuds https://a.co/d/3Mogytv
Quoted from BW1029:That's the one! new speakers and changing the EQ settings a bit make a big diff. No cut outs, or crackling, can feel the bass, just better all around audio quality
Thank you!
Quoted from ColoradoJordan:Godzilla premium is arriving today. I'm very excited for this one. What do folks consider to be the essential mods and or fixes for the game?
So far I have purchased the Tower roof SDTM fix, Stern shaker and the Tokyo Neon sign. Are most people getting the Chrome Candy under bridge metal protector? What about Cliffys, Titan rubbers? Any advice is much appreciated.
Shooter lane fix is a must. And I wouldn't install the roof fix immediately. Mine stock doesn't feed STDM.
Quoted from JONESDS:Checked the sticky posts for the thread and didn’t see any mention of this. Are folks leaving the scoop kickout power at the default or dialing it down a bit? It seems pretty wild on the default value.
I lowered mine a bit since otherwise it can shoot up the left return lane and drain. Seems a poor reward for hitting the scoop.
Quoted from awesome1:Is it your second time in the same game trying to defeat him? If you already made some shots the first time, you keep those for the second battle.
The screen will show how many shots you have made out of the 8 required.
This is the first time fighting him. I don't really have time to see the screen when it happens other than to see one Gigan hit displayed then Final Blow. It's very strange. In some instances I don't even combo the ramps.
Probably unrelated but unless I'm imagining it the right ramp failed to credit me with a successful right ramp shot this morning when fighting Gigan. But it works every time in test mode. Is it possible that opto is flaky and recording multiple hits?
Was just able to recreat it. Started Gigan..Left flipper fed from scoop. Hit one right ramp shot. Screen showed one Gigan blow then final blow. Later in the same game Super Trains when bats**t. I'm not familiar with the mode enough to fully understand but it definitely seemed like it was recording extra right ramp hits. Will make sure opto sensors are centered on the ramp holes and that solder joints are good .
In case it helps anyone else I may have solved my right ramp exit phantom triggers.
I pulled the opto emitter from the back of the ramp and removed the black bracket from the Opto PCB. One leg of the emitter 'bulb' was loose. Wouldn't have been able to tell with it fully assembled. Resoldered the joint and it seems to be working fine now. Bad joint probably just broke loose after 500+ games.
Quoted from mostater:They've never attached on mine. Always pass under.
Same. I think it stuck together there like once in 500 games.
Quoted from DVDA:well after a year and a half I finally got my replacement cabinet for my premium. they sent me a limited edition cabinet for my trouble I guess lol
[quoted image]
I love the LE art so that's a decent score. But make them find you some matching side rails and lockdown bar. Not matching the hinge isn't ideal and it sounds like you've been very patient.
Quoted from AMartin56:I love the LE art so that's a decent score. But make them find you some matching side rails and lockdown bar. Not matching the hinge isn't ideal and it sounds like you've been very patient.
Edit: My bad. I see now you've added hinge art. But still try to get that LE armor!
Quoted from cooked71:I’m getting ball hang ups on the top rhs edge of the Mecha shield. Any way to re-align/calibrate the shield or any other fixes for this?
[quoted image]
Same happens to me..I just wait for the ball search since it's very rare. Some people put a 3m bumper there but I don't like that idea since it's so close to a moving mechanism that might get jammed.
But what about when you're in Paris or New York? The Tokyo vibe doesn't work....
But seriously it's a great mod. Definitely deserved the Twipy. Just too rich for my blood. I bought the Mezel Mods sign and it jazzed it up enough in my opinion.
Quoted from AwesomeSauc3:This was it! Switch 64 was the culprit. Thank you for your help with this! I had to mess around with it quite a bit before realizing that the grounding wire sheath was partially melted into the solder point with the board. I heated the solder, pulled the wire, clipped and re-stripped it, then heated the solder and re-inserted the wire. Works like a charm now. The lovely people at Pinball Life were willing to cancel my order for both sides of the opto that I had ordered before trying to re-solder it.
Nice. I had to do something similar to my right ramp emitter.
Quoted from acidburn:Picked my Godzilla up on Facebook marketplace here in the UK It was a long trip to bring it home (total 8 hour round trip) but these just don’t pop up that often.
The guy that owned it just wasn’t a Pinhead. Just some dude with a games room that fancied a pinball machine but it just didn’t click with him. When I got there it was clear that he hadn’t even made any attempt to pitch or level the game. The Insider Connected hadn’t even been used and a Total Lifetime plays of just 178
I picked it up last Thurs but haven’t spent much time with it yet due to being busy over Easter with the family. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into it though!
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Congrats! Enjoy it man. It's a great pin. My girlfriend would love it if we had a Stranger Things like yours.
Quoted from GCS2000:The wife and I kinda decided we want out last spot to go to GZ Premium. We really like playing this game in the arcade and think it will be even better at home.
I am kinda overwhelmed at how this game just won't budge in price and if we want it we have to pony up for it.
I am even more overwhelmed at how many amazing mods there are for this game, not even sure where to start other than of course the Tokyo Neon Sign mod as that seems like a must have.
The other one that we really think is major important is the speaker lights with the city scape. The one we have been playing has this and I think its a superb addition and in truth should have come with the game. Please correct me if I am wrong is this the myth speaker light set up or is there another/better option (Speakerlights.com)?
Lots of reading to do on this thread for sure.
I feel a bit dirty that I decided I wanted a Godzilla first week of this past Feb and got one this past March. While some people have been waiting forever. But I made a ton of cold calls to authorized dealers and paid slightly over MSRP. So I agree that having to pony up is necessary.
It's a great game. Personally the most fun machine I've ever played. But everyone has to decide on their own how much money they can justify spending.
Very odd problem just now on my Premium.
I wasn't playing so this description is a bit secondhand. My friend says the ball fed into the building from the right ramp and the building was likely down a floor since he says it didn't do the cross feed (and may have been in motion since he mentioned being surprised it went in) Then it seems like the building locked up. I could hear what sounded like the motor grinding with no movement from the building. We turned it off...and couldn't find anything physically binding. So we turned it back on and got a node board missing error message flash on the screen. I don't remember the exact details but it sounds like it mentioned 8,9 and 10 as missing. Went into service menu. All boards detected and passed all node board tests. Building passes its test and goes through all motion without issues.
Game seems fine now. But I didn't love the having the motor grind for 30 plus seconds. Strange software glitch? Has anyone seen this before?
Quoted from glpinball:Did you have the coin door open when you turned it back on? Seen the node board error before doing that. Not sure about the grinding.
Yeah. I think the coin door was open when we turned it on..
Sorry for the stupid question..
But how does the building know what floor it is on?
I'm used to motorized playfields like Dr Who's using opto interrupters etc. to determine its location. But I don't see anything similar in the Godzilla manual.
After my incident earlier today with it seeming to be stuck I moved the belt manually to make sure everything was moving freely and that seemed to confuse the hell out of it. It wouldn't move at all in the building test until I moved it back to the grown floor (or near enough).
Quoted from scootss:I believe the stepper motor is accurate enough that it knows how many rotations it has made. This also allows for the precise calibration options rather than my old DE Jurassic Park where the "calibration" was bending the arms on micro switches
Interesting. There are also two switches in the assembly but I can't wrap my mind around how they work from the manual alone. Next time I have the glass off I'll try to figure it out.
Quoted from Desmodromic:Yes, stepper motors often use "counts" to know their position, and sometimes a wheel to confirm. It's one of the nice things about a stepper, you can command a position, not just a stop/go.
So when I manually moved the building by manipulating the belt only did I 'confuse' it? Seems a bit scary to think I have to remember where it left the building if I try to test it by hand again.
Quoted from GCS2000:Yep sure. Thanks for the sale Bill. A lot broker now but the game is awesome. Got do some work to get it dialed in as we have far too many SDTMs like every ball launch but I’ll do some reading and fiddling.
Have no fear folks Bill is a great guy and an asset to the hobby. Wish could have stayed longer but it was late and we had a precarious ride home as you know. Btw we ended up in massive rain storm about 1/2 way home. Not what you want when the game is partially hanging out the back and your hatch is open
Make sure the table is level and at proper incline. And then adjust the auto plunger strength up or down until you get a safe plunge more often than not. Mine bounces off the magnet post and never really goes anywhere dangerous. I'm pretty sure this is the intent considering how a Pro starts Godzilla Multiball.
You might also consider the shooter lane fix sold here if it isn't already installed. Need might vary from machine to machine but it's cheap and easy to install. Really improves skill shots IMO.
Quoted from Biju:I'm so excited--I just got the email saying my Premium is ready to ship! I'm going to start digging through the thread.
In the meantime, in there anything that is a *must* for adjusting this game to perfection?
I would suggest the shooter lane fix. Cheap and easy to install. Really improves the skill shot experience (which is already great on this table).
Quoted from frb:My game was in the last batch. Stern began installing the playfield centering guides on side of cabinet again. The plunge is fine with playfield centered
Mine has the centering guides as well (Feb 2023 build) and I still think it's worth installing the fix
Quoted from Kevlar51:Would you mind posting pictures of where these are installed and orientation? I'd like to see how they come from the factory. I've seen pics of installs, but they seem to be missing steps/images.
I'll try to remember next time I have the glass off.
Quoted from gandamack:Why live with it? Buy the fix from Lermods for like 19 bucks. It is a 100 percent fix and essential for any Godzilla machine that has this known plunge issue. Takes about 2.5 seconds to install.
He tried. Chrome Candy mod is same as Lermods but stainless steel instead of plastic. I agree with you that it's essential but I'm not sure why it didn't help him.
Quoted from tedwasright:That's because God hates the Destruction Jackpot.
Stage fright...
Quoted from Pinfidel:The only idea I've had is to sand it down thinner. But it's so far off from closing, before I start trying anything like that, I was hoping some others had the same experience and could tell me how they got it to fit. Fingers crossed.
That's the on and off switch right?
Could you 3D print some sort of spacer and add longer bolts? Making the switch drop down out of the bottom of the backbox? The wire has plenty of slack. Might look a bit wonky from the outside though.
Quoted from Doctor6:I stepped foot in the godfather thread just now, and half the posts are people convincing themselves that it is better than godzilla. I felt like I went into an insane asylum with all the bullshit being spewed over there.
Something will kill off Godzilla eventually but I doubt it's Godfather LoL
Quoted from brzezicki:I've got a dumb question (not Godzilla specific, but I'm playing Godzilla today sooo..)
What does "spot light shots" mean? (like when you get the godzilla heat ray)
I've seen this on this and other games and never really knew what it meant and googling it surprisingly never gave me any useful info to verify my guess.
on games such as godzilla, when I hit it I get drastically different scores.
does this mean that all the shots that are "enabled for you to hit" are registered as scores that seem to make the most sense, but I'm not sure.
or something else?
if it is what I'm guessing then does it make sense to hold that for a multi-ball or something where the shots are super valuable?
thanks for answering my dumb question.
Yes. It basically hits the shots for you that are available to be hit.
Quoted from Zablon:I'm confused by the 'flashing' because it seems like mine is always flashing non stop, and I hit it and nothing happens. UNLESS, it actually pops up and says the heat ray is ready and to charge it, then it works.
It can also flash when the add a ball ally I can't spell is available to use.
According to Insider I'm approaching 400 games played on Godzilla. And while this has a lot to do with my relatively poor skill level playing pinball in general if I had one complaint it would be this:
For me the difference between a good score and an epic score is often Rodan.
Which kind of sucks because I lack the skill to easily select it prior to hitting the scoop. So it seems random. And ultimately Anguinis (sp?) and Mothra seem relatively worthless comparatively. In pretty much EVERY instance if I get one of them I'd rather have Rodan.
Am I missing something?
Quoted from awesome1:As you get deeper into the game, you will be able to score quite a bit without Rodan, but using Rodan, especially at opportune times will always be beneficial to helping get bigger scores.
The Anguirus Add-a-ball is great for extending multiball modes and Mothra ball save to keep from draining.
I guess I just don't drain enough out the left to care about Mothra...
Quoted from CaptiveJet:Looking for some advice. The building opto works intermittently which is pretty annoying since it is, of course, what triggers the magna-ball-flinger, Godzilla multiball, and Destruction Jackpot.
I've noticed that the little red light on the optoboard often starts out bright, dims as you keep playing, and once it is off the opto no longer works. The red light sometimes turns back on, but I can't find a pattern as to why.
Before I start tearing things apart and reflowing optoboards, I was curious if anyone else has had this happen. I feel like I saw a thread on this a while ago, but I can't seem to locate it. I already tried cleaning the opto, but since the red light goes out and the board stops, it doesn't seem to matter. Do I need a new board? Should I reflow the board connection? Is it another problem?
The part that is perplexing to me is that it always works in the beginning, but then the light dims and goes out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you![quoted image]
I can't explain why it gets worse the more you play but I had a flaky right ramp exit opto emitter.
I pulled it completely apart. Even the black 'frame' should be removed from the opto PCB It was then obvious that one of the legs on the opto 'bulb' was not soldered properly. I added solder and it's been fine since. Until I took it completely apart the problem wasn't obvious.
That one definitely sounds like more of a PITA to get to though.
Quoted from Pinfidel:Now, for a few pics of some of the Mods I did on my Premium Zilla. More are coming.
Pic 1 - The awesome Tesla Towers. I took teal colored wire and connected it to the electrodes the way they'd be on a real tower. I originally did copper on there, and while it looked great, I wasn't happy with it. I went with the teal to give it some color pop and match some of the teal color in the game.
Jet Jaguar is off to the far right as well.
Pic 2 - The Incredible articulating Godzilla mod from dparnell. This thing is not only awesome, it's a must have mod IMHO.
It comes with the splines painted Metallic purple, which did look cool, but that's not Godzillaesq. I painted them teal blue, went over them with dark blue and then painted all the tips white. I love how it came out.
It not only looks awesome in the game, but with the way the head acticulates back n forth and how body moves, combined with the bright white LED in his mouth that looks like he's blasting his heat ray off the building and bridge, it's absolutely awesome! Couldn't be happier with it.
Here is a link to the mod thread, complete with videos of it working. You have to check it out. It's the best Godzilla out there...period. Mho ⬇️
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/interactive-godzilla-mod-for-prem-le
Pic 3 - An Army helicopter taking off from the helipad. Unfortunately, it's not in the position I'd like for it to be, but when I put it even close to where I want it, it hits the glass or gets caught up in the ramp as the building moves up and down.
Pic 4 - A full pf shot showing the army vehicles I added. I have Sabre Jets coming and will add them on in a few weeks.
Pic 5 - Daddio's super cool red, green and white led maser cannon on the far left. And to the right of that is my favorite army add on. It's a rocket launching helicopter doing a hard right bank turn. I love the look of it with that positioning.
Anyway, those are so.e touches I added. I also upgraded the speakers and added in a separate Polk 10" subwoofer under the machine. Why? Cause I'm all about dat bass. Lol
I'll take a few more pics after I get the other mods in and installed. Thanks all!
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I suppose it depends on your height but I'd be worried about some of those mods blocking my view of the ball.
On Godzilla I feel like the back right is the big void area that needs something. And I'd like to eventually find something to jazz up the Maser Cannon area. But I've tried to be conservative everywhere else
Quoted from BlackBelt:Noticed this too…Anyone else annoyed by this as much as I am?! It’s super tacky and I wish stern would just put back in ‘godzilla’.
My girlfriend caught the reference. Apparently it's this guy:
https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/waison-cheng
I'd also prefer that this sort of Easter egg be a bit more rare. I heard it within 2-3 games of updating. If we didn't watch a lot of pinball YouTube in the background while working from home we wouldn't have had a clue who he was.
Edit: And I don't me to slam the guy. He seems nice enough in the streams..But if you don't know who he is it sounds like gibberish or that the voice actor flubbed his line.
Quoted from BlackBelt:Cool cool cool…so a guy’s name that didn't even work on the pin replaced Godzilla…on my Godzilla themed pinball machine. Next thing you know Stern’s gonna go full ‘George Lucas’ and replace video footage of the monsters in modes with Stern employees.
Maybe it helps Gary pay them less?
Quoted from Zablon:That makes no sense?? Why would you put a podcast person on a unrelated pin? Maybe I misunderstood this...
but also...
TIL there's a Brookes and Dunn machine.
He's a Stern Employee. Among I assume other things he did code for JP Home pin.
Quoted from Apollo18:Question:
In middle of a game, MechGz MB.
Upper left flipper started randomly firing
Then just stopped working.
Tried switch test. Flipper Did not work
No technician alerts.
Game is still on. Ball 2
Even as I am writing this must tried the flipper and it fired up then died again.
Buttom 2 flippers both working fine. Just the upper left that has stopped responding
Help. Thank you
Have you lifted the playfield to check out the flipper mech? Everything look okay visually? Turn the game off first.
Quoted from Fsdre:What is the edge molding called if I wanted to make it a different color like on certain sterns? Just trying to find some different colors but I am not sure what wording to use to find the right product.
T molding?
Quoted from ktm450:Received the saucer and Mecha spinner mod from Sleal16 today. Look amazing, the saucer design and color is perfect match for the game and the Mecha spinner area looks so much better with his mod. Thanks very much mate
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Looks good. I just wish someone would preserve the blue color on the Mechagodzilla spinner. I realize it's not his vibe (but then again it's his force field right?) but it really pops.
Quoted from mostater:The blue force field is represented by the blue stand up targets.
.... AND the blue plastics on the top.
Personally I think Stern can take care of itself.
Maybe they would consider this free advertising in his game room because they have no intent to make wooden signs and the logo on the actual pin is relatively small by comparison.
And it's not like he's portraying it in a negative light either. They'd probably have a beef if it was a Stern logo with a poo emoji on top of it...
I was thinking of buying a Stern t-shirt but after further review I think it would be unethical for them to potentially profit from the free advertising I'd be providing without compensating me...
Quoted from AMartin56:Personally I think Stern can take care of itself.
Maybe they would consider this free advertising in his game room because they have no intent to make wooden signs and the logo on the actual pin is relatively small by comparison.It's not like he's portraying it in a negative light either. They'd probably have a beef if it was a Stern logo with a poo emoji on top of it...
I was thinking of buying a Stern t-shirt but after further review I think it would be unethical for them to potentially profit from the free advertising I'd be providing without compensating me...
Quoted from DirtyApe:First post on this website, but I finally got a GZ premium and I'm loving it despite being just an awful player (but ever so slowly getting better). I have a few questions and apologies if they have been answered already.
I was recommended Cliffy protectors by a pinhead I know but it looks like it already has an equivalent installed for the shooter lane and the scoop (NIB from Stern). Is this true, or are the cliffy's different somehow than what is already there? Any other area of the game I should be extra concerned about protecting?
I've noticed quite a few times I hit the mechagodzilla spinner ramp and the ball jumps onto the nearby rail, is this normal?
I already purchased a shaker motor, some extra pinballs, and a few coil stops to have handy but is there anything else you would recommend? I'm already considering some glow-in-the-dark rubbers, pinstadiums, and art blades but I think my wife would kill me if I ordered all that at once.
I would suggest the shooter lane fix sold on this website. Pinball Life also sells a small adhesive metal 'Cliffy' for the area next to the trough eject. I don't personally install anything on my shooter lane.
if the game occasionally ejects two balls at a time into the shooter lane lower the eject strength in the menu.
Jumping into that wireform occasionally happens on mine.
I can't really think of any other must haves that aren't just visually appealing mods.
Quoted from Hayfarmer:You might rethink shooter lane protection, even if just mylar. They get chewed up pretty bad. It's only cosmetic, but it's the first mod on every game we've owned.
I really enjoy the skill shots in this game. I bought one of those plastic protectors sold on this site but it was more than I wanted to hassle with and I don't want anything messing with the skill shots. But I'll reconsider mylar. My lane still looks great after 700 games though.
Quoted from tgarrett09:Every so often my game is kicking out two balls into the shooter lane. It doesn’t happen consistently but enough that I’d like to figure out what’s going on. Any suggestions on possible culprits?
Lower the trough eject power. I literally just mentioned this to someone else LoL.
Quoted from DirtyApe:Twice tonight a ball got stuck under mechagodzillas arm between it and the cabinet. I saw the heat gun recommendation earlier in the thread but does anybody have a mod to prevent the plunge from getting up there in the first place?
May just be a coincidence but I noticed the plastic along the side rail there was starting to raise and looking a bit like a ramp. I cut a small piece of weather stripping and put a cube of it (maybe 1/4 inch on all sides) right on the side rail where the plastic ends and I haven't got a ball stuck to the right of Mechagodzilla since. It's black and hard to see.
Quoted from prentice:OK, time for another round of "where's this screw from??"
Anyone recognize this black screw with a flat, washer-like base? I believe I found it near the pop bumper.
I see a lot of small black screws around the playfield, but none with that kind of base!
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Looks more like something from inside the cabinet rather than the playfield. Certainly not on top of the playfield I don't think.
Quoted from RussMyers:Check the plastic under the bridge - uses at least one of those to secure it.
RM
The screw on that plastic is much smaller.
Quoted from GCS2000:I just want them to reverse that dumb Wyjean or whatever it is at the end of each ball. Change it back to Godzilla!
It's nowhere near that frequent for me. But I agree it's dumb.
Quoted from chuckwurt:You got me. Not sure how it’s possible to get 16 loops in a row, so I doubt I’ll be able to see what’s what. Haha
Nine is my top so far. And that seemed like a miracle.
Quoted from JustEverett:Hoping for some direction, as I haven’t seen anything quite like this. Initially, the issue was just I kept hearing the game make a few popping noises through the speakers (just like when the game is booting up but more frequently). I thought maybe there was a loose connection or grounding issue.
Then in the middle of a game the flippers went dead, all gi on the PF went black, sound stayed playing but the screen froze.
I rebooted the game and everything worked fine. After 3-4 times of this happening and with increasing frequency to the point I knew it was going to happen every game, the game would no longer properly boot.
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The power distribution board is in the backbox next to the power supply. Pinball Life sells them and they are pretty cheap. But unless you know what caused the original problem swapping parts only to get them fried again might not be ideal.
Quoted from Scotty_K:OK so I experienced something rather strange, and I thought I would post it here to see if anyone else has seen the same behavior.
I recently visited with a friend who was proudly showing off her new GZPre to me (along with her other acquisitions: LZPre, EHOHPre, and JJP"s GnR), so I thought that I would take a spin on it (I own one as well). After a few moments of play, I noticed something was off in that the opto at the building entrance was not firing (couldn't start a Destruction Jackpot, nor Oxygen Destroyer, despite several clean shots). I popped up the playfield and was able to determine after troubleshooting that the receiver opto (the left one) was stuck in the "open" position; I put my finger across, a ball, etc. and no dice. I took off the working opto from the building VUK and switched them and was able to confirm the faulty opto. She contacted Stern, and they quickly sent out another. A week later, I returned to install it for her, tested it OK, and everything was fine.
Now yesterday (2 days later), she reports to me that the same thing is happening once again. I had her go into switch test, close the coin door, and sure enough, nothing doing, so it looks like another dead opto.
I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps there might be a voltage issue here? Has anyone encountered anything like this before?
Have you reseated the connector on the node board it feeds into? Do the pins there look good? Is the wire to the opto being damaged when the building is moved?
The manual will tell you what node board and connector it's wired to.
Quoted from Sly_Old_Devil:Finally in the club after a 4 month wait to get a replacement for my freight dropped first GZ delivery attempt...AIQ now has a friend. [quoted image]
Woohoo! Congrats. The wait must have been painful!
Quoted from Gnassel:I have also joined the club a few days ago. Actually, it should be a Western title from another company, but since still no delivery date could be said, I blindly ordered a new GZ PREMIUM.
After 1 week it was delivered. Unfortunately, the box did not fit in the mailbox.
What can I say: It is the absolute WOW. Godzilla is.. was not my theme, but a great pin.
Rightly on #1 in the TOP 100
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My mother is from Lubeck. But never taught me any German. So the best I can manage is 'Godzilla is sehr gut!'.
My table mostly feeds the tip of the left flipper with a successful wallop but then again its also very easy to keep all three balls in play when the building drops them too. Table is level and maybe a tad flat (probably around 6.4 degrees based upon the tools I have available).
Quoted from Kneissl:Anyone getting double feeds? anything to watch out for? hard to nail anything down, last double feed i got it looked like the first ball bounced back down in the trough and it fired off again before things settled..
Try lowering the trough eject power a bit.
I have a few mods available from when I anticipated getting a Pro before I ended up with a Premium.
Let me know via DM if anyone is interested in any of the below:
Mezel Mods Pro building upgrade (the blue plastic one) with light kit. Never installed.
Pinball Life Mechagodzilla. The one cut in half where the legs attach below the playfield. Never installed.
Pinball Life Godzilla figure. Installed it once to see if I preferred it over stock so some light scratches from handling on clear plastic base.
Willing to provide a better deal if you want it all.
Quoted from Sly_Old_Devil:Just a heads up in case this isn't a one-off, my one week old GZ Prem had a screw fall out of the Heat Ray spinner switch which got jammed in the building mech (right on cue as GZ multiball started)...scared the shit outta me with the horrendous grinding noise and stuck building. Took me a little while to work out what happend, after manually winding the building I heard a loose thing rattle around (turned out to be the screw). After finding the loose screw at the back of the playfield it took me a further few minutes to fully suss what screw it was and where it came from.[quoted image][quoted image]
As a bit of an aside I've trained my entire family to immediately pop open the coin door if they EVER hear the building grind. I don't care if they're having their best game ever.
Quoted from Cheeks:The biggest issue I'm having now that I've lowered the slope (I was at about 7) is the upper flipper shot off the magnet release.
When it throws the ball up the ramp lane and it rolls back, I'm fine. When it just releases the ball, like for the Destruction Jackpot, it is far enough away from the flipper that I can barely contact it. My game is left-right level, with a *tiny* slope to the left to try and help this issue, but it's not helping.
Are there any settings to adjust that impact the magnet release / upper flipper shot?
Try moving the ball guide to the left of the magnet closer to the magnet as shown earlier in this thread.
Yep bought it on Etsy as purbeast mentioned.
The art stuff is subjective. I like the fact that it's lifted from the original art because many mods look so disconnected from the original art package..But I can also see why it might be seen as redundant
Quoted from MasterBlaster:You forgot development cost for the additional mode.
How much do you think Stern programers make?
This is the latest mock up of my topper attempt.
The white background is just for the photo. I will likely just leave blank wall behind it rather than attempt to come up with some sort of cityscape. And I'll light the figures with USB spotlights from Amazon.
About $175 for for the sign. About $110 for the figures and $15 for a black shelf from Amazon. I had screws, black paint and scrap wood lying around. Spotlights were like $10
If I want a custom hurry up mode I'll pay a prostitute a couple of hundred dollars to cradle my pinballs while I'm playing.
So all in about $400 less than Stern's official topper.
PXL_20230531_192159172 (resized).jpgQuoted from Jamesays:so does this sign only plug into the wall ??
I haven't finished it yet but it's USB so I assume I could draw power from the CPU board. But I haven't confirmed this.
Quoted from Spiderpin:I had some LED lights that had USB plug that I plugged into the CPU board and it works.
That would be my preference. If not I could just plug it into a smart plug and turn it on with a voice command. But preference would be powered from the machine.
Quoted from Busaturbo:I would like to do something similar to this. Where did you find that Mechagodzilla? I have not found one that looks that good.
Not the same seller but same item.
Quoted from Tommy_Pins:At least the shooter rod is ergonomic. It’s not a clown head or sword handle.
All this topper talk has distracted us from the real news. Foo fighters has dethroned the king!
At home I'm digging JP more than GZ at the moment so whatevs. I LOVE GZ but JP is really clicking with me.
Foo looks fun but isn't code complete and has probably a tenth of the reviews GZ has. So I take that rating with a huge grain of salt...
So partially DIY topper is coming together.
This shelf (2 pack 24 in width in Black):
Floating Shelves, Wall Mounted Set of 2 Solid Wood Shelves for Wall, 24 Inch Black Long Floating Shelves for Bathroom Bedroom Office and Living Room, Storage Bookshelf Wooden Display Shelf https://a.co/d/6eVeP3I
This sign:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1473755364/godzilla-pinball-led-lightbox-godzilla?ref=share_v4_lx
L brackets of your choice and a few screws (relatively shallow as to not puncture LED layer inside the sign). I used some I had left over from some IKEA shelves.
Mount sign to the board with the l brackets then mount two to bottom of the board to hang on the backbox. I zip tie for these to cabinet via ventilation holes to avoid permanently modifying cabinet.
Add furniture pads to bottom of board to avoid damaging backbox.
Eventually I plan to mount the figures as shown and add some LED lighting.
PXL_20230601_230020626.MP (resized).jpgPXL_20230601_233439497 (resized).jpgPXL_20230602_003712374 (resized).jpgPXL_20230602_003730017 (resized).jpgQuoted from Salami_Inferno:Probably not the most objective forum to ask, but I have an Elwin JP premium and I’m thinking of adding a Godzilla premium as a second machine. I’ve played Godzilla and have loved it. I’m curious if these two machines make a good pair. JP is more of a shooters machine so for casuals that play it there can be some challenge. It feels like GZ is more accessible for the most part with longer ball times.
What do you all think?
Another vote for JP and GZ going well together. I own both and love the combo.
Quoted from Apinjunkie:Here is that same version, with added paint.
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That looks REALLY good.
Quoted from Sparky:Sorry, nope. These are made to use Stern's screw configuration. Does Pulp Fiction have a screw configuration for mounting? Have ideas? I could work something up if you have an idea of what you might like. Send me a DM.
BTW, there are around 20 of these silhouette toppers available. Mostly newer Stern, but I have a cool one for LOTR, as well.
I'm pretty lazy with my custom toppers. I just add 1 inch felt furniture pads to the bottom of my topper and have an L bracket attached to the back that allows me to attach it to the backbox via zip ties through the ventilation holes. The slight gap between the topper and cabinet is hardly noticeable.
PXL_20230602_003712374 (resized).jpgPXL_20230602_003730017 (resized).jpgQuoted from Puffdanny:No offense but that actually looks way worse. The atomic breath just appears out of thin air? At least the Stern one came from his hand.
Someone NEEDS to put a giant joint into Godzilla's hand on the stock topper. Would solve the gas cloud origin problem it has.
Quoted from GCS2000:This is how it is made and put together. Mine has the crack as well.
I used 3 pieces of the heavy duty velcro. One on each end and one in the middle held perfectly no wobble. I did choose to tape the bottom with some black fabric tape to close off some light bleed I had from the box. I could see it when playing the game (I'm 6 foot) but no one else could. Wasn't a big deal just annoyed me.
I actually put new shallow screws into mine.
Scared the crap out of me as with one I barely nicked a row of LEDs inside and the light went off. I backed out the screw and it came back on so eventually I just added a washer and it's fine.
I asked him to put holes lower on the sign so I could avoid this on my next two but not sure if that will happen due to all my other special requests.
LED strip appeared to be mounted vertically so I might have failed to line up with the existing hole.
Eventually adding another one behind these guys on JP. Should arrive soon.
PXL_20230602_003730017 (resized).jpgPXL_20230604_174606989 (resized).jpgPXL_20230608_034811717 (resized).jpg
Quoted from thekiyote:Hey, question, the keys to the coinbox are supposed to open the panel to get to the back box, right? Because they don’t seem to be working on mine.
I've bought two premiums in the last few months and both back boxes use the same H95 key.
Quoted from tedwasright:When reading other threads, so many people on those threads believe their game is the best ever.
Are we the same? I love my game, but I haven't played a TON of other games. I've played a lot of pinball so I feel like I know something. I just wonder sometimes.. is Godzilla considered the best or top two in ANY book? Or just with Pinsiders or those that own (and bolt) it?
PS- I love mine. It's never leaving.
I really love my GZ but it's not my favorite game. JP is. But it's a total embarrassment of riches because both are amazing (and JP might be more neck and neck with GZ in the ratings if the art and sound was better but I digress...). I'm very happy to have both of them in my collection.
Quoted from jrcmlc:Interestingly I've not heard the fan run on this new GZ... But my JP from may certainly was loud. Perhaps change?
Also, and maybe this isn't new, but I've not noticed it befire, the apron lights are great, I'd love to have those on JP, my comet strip in the trough is good, but these are great!
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Agreed. I wish more games had these. I hate visible spotlights on the playfield. They look tacky.
Quoted from Hershmeister:Where do you put the bumper? A pic would be great! Thanks!
On top of the screw that holds the magnet in on mine.
But ultimately I just replaced the plastic with the Chrome Candy mod.
Quoted from pinstyle:First Stern I have ever owned. I have two questions.
I have a bit of crackling in my right upper speaker. Nothing major but it can be heard at certain times. Volume is not cranked and I have all factory settings. Are their speakers just that crappy, or do I have a bad one?
Also the magnet near the bridge is very loose around its core (spins freely, moves up and down a bit). Any magnet I have encountered so far was secured tight to the bottom of the playfield. Is this normal? There seems to be no way to tighten it.
Mine spins freely by hand. It hasn't been a problem in close to 1000 games.
Quoted from CapeCodPin:Agreed. I almost bought one and waited until I got my premium, and never needed it.
Same here.
I'm starting to get a bit paranoid about the building on my Premium.
There is a fair amount of play in the mechanism. You can rock it back and forth by hand inside its mount.
For awhile it was getting stuck going up during normal operation. I researched the issue here and tightened the bolts that connect the whole mech to the playfield and it seemed to fix that.
But it will still get stuck after an unlucky hit. Like a perfectly timed ball to the right ramp and wireform that reaches the building at just the right moment when it's moving and jams it up.
I see a lot of comments like 'my building has worked perfectly forever!'. Are they just lucky? Or is mine still fubar in some way? Should it be more resistant to these unlucky shots?
Quoted from Bublehead:Ok, for building jamming/vibration issues, FOLLOW THE MANUAL FIRST...
Pablo at Stern said do it like the manual says, exactly, and things should be fine...
Ok, then... lets see... using the back left corner, make sure floor 1 is flush with table surface- so with power off, turn the belt/pulley until table surface is flush at floor 1. Use the referenced 11/32" 8-32 nuts per the manual and adjust (usually tighten) until the building doesnt snag anything going up and down while in the table down position-
Ok, what this does is compress the rubber grommets in the building mount enough to move the building forward within the centeral travel operating window when machine is in the "play" configuration. Make sure to adjust until building can be moved up and down without snagging on table or plastics... don't worry about actual building alignment floor to floor yet, the actual bias setting is set in software (part 2 to the physical afjustment is software adjustment). Make sure it travels unhindered WITH AND WITHOUT 1, 2, or 3 balls.
Once this is done you will notice the front edge of the building is or may not be flush when at floor 1 using the software bias currently stored in NVRAM. If flush, you are finished and there should be no vibration and no snagging when running. If there is a slight step high or low, you need to adjust the bias using service menu... go to Diagnostics, Game, Building, and using the manual, set the mode to move and use flipper buttons to move to floor 1. Push Credit Start button to change to Adjust mode, now use the Volume up and down buttons to adjust bias, nudge the building up or down to set floor flush. Press escape until it says Saving adjustment. You should be good to go.
This made my building work just fine.
Hope this helps anyone with building issues, it solved mine, except the dead opto, which I am waiting on in the mail.
I don't remember seeing anything in the manual pertaining to adjusting the building. Would you be willing to be more specific?
Never mind. I see it. Page 66.
Has anyone added any lighting to the upper flipper area without using spot lights (which I hate) or pin stadiums (too expensive). I'd really like to brighten up the area a bit but my options seem limited. Especially since I have the Mezel Mods Maser Cannon mod occupying the area below the flipper.
Quoted from Bublehead:Ok Opto issues...
These are being manufactured POORLY and I got a bad one from Stern (the original that failed) and one from Pinball Life that did the same thing.
Looked at the solder joints on the opto LED reciever and transmitter, some monkey fisted dyke jockey had dyked the leades off AFTER soldering them, taking the mainstay of the solder filet with it, and leaving the most thin actual mechanical joint possible, one that will crack very easily. It also leaves two dis-similar metals exposed to air/moisture which will cause galvanic corrosion and cause the joint to fail early. Reflowing mine BEFORE installing them the first time solved my issues. But I actually added some more solder, and made sure the tip of my iron actually touched the LED lead and let it sit there a couple of seconds letting the joint stabilize and allow all the solder in the joint, including the solder on the oposite side of the board to liquify.
Since the masked dyker has cut most of the lead off, nearly to the surface of the circuit board, that leaves very little lead to form a proper filet, but do the best you can.
Just rember these US Navy soldering tips:
Did you clean it? Clean your solder, your iron tip, and the board and component leads with isopropyl alchohol and dry them off prior to heating up.
Use flux sparingly... flux oxidizes dirt, but too much causes problems too.
Solder flows from hot to hotter, if you want the solder to flow, you need to keep heat on the joint until it all liquifies, and it will travel towards the hottest thing. If that is the LED lead (because your tip is touching it) the solder will flow to both sides of the board. This makes sure it connects electically as well as mechanically.
CONCAVE FILETS ONLY... solder blobs can hide major defects.
Cut the leads PRIOR to soldering them. Measure the lead length past the board surface and make sure it sticks through just enough to create a good concave filet. Do not cut off the excess lead unleass you tin the exposed copper by hitting it with one last wave of the iron.
Did you clean it? Clean off all flux residue after you are finished. Flux causes oxidation, flux residue can eventually cause the joint to fail. Use isopropyl until all flux is gone.
These soldering tips brought to you by the US Navy and Bublehead, the original pinball submarine bubblehead.
My GZ right ramp exit opto did the same thing but mine was trigging randomly. Pulled opto emitter apart and one leg of the bulb had almost no solder on it. Wouldn't have seen it if I didn't think to remove the black 'T' shaped enclosure on the Opto PCB. Very poor quality control.
I'm glad you're up and running!
Stern quality control is really non-existent right now and it's the primary reason I won't buy NIB anymore. Let someone else work the kinks out. My Feb '23 build GZ wasn't perfect or terrible but you'd need two hands and a foot to count all the defects in my May '23 JP.
And apparently even buying a Pro won't save you from cheap molex connectors and bad soldering. We're still running 30 year old Bally Williams games today but I'm not sure if these Sterns will last as long. It's a shame.
Regarding GZ Pro vs Premium if Pro had the Mechagodzilla spinning ramp it would probably be perfect. I like the building on my Premium but it has required a bit of work to keep it out of trouble mechanically and may eventually just get disabled.
Quoted from Chopplebrains:Thanks for sharing. I don’t work in pinball, but do work in software for 20 yrs now leading very large products/services for a very large company. In my business (again, not pinball) haphazard as you say is exactly the same as “bad” when it comes to quality and reliability. I honestly wonder what their failure rates are. I have 3 stern machines right now - Elvira, Munsters, and GZ. All premiums. ALL of them had/have problems I had to fix within the first 7 days of ownership. Munsters had pop bumper and flipper issue. Elvira (I bought used with like 140 plays on it) but noticed house ramp doesn’t lay flat with playfield. GZ has building VUK issue, shooter rod issue, and I noticed the playfield doesn’t even easily slide all the way in cabinet (hits back of box and I have to gently tug on front and push down on field to get the metal clasps to seat in apron). I’d be interested to see data from stern in failure rates. I no longer assume that problems are at all rare for their machines. Now, on the other hand, it somewhat seems to come with the pinball territory. Pinball are these larger mechanical devices with fast moving steel balls and lots of coils etc, so don’t get one if you don’t wanna work on one. I enjoy my machines and love the hobby and stern makes some great pins. But, there’s clearly room to improve. It’d be nice if you could reliably get a few hundred games without issues, especially if they want to see the pinball market expand. And when I hear stories like yours - where it clearly was never even tested (and they claim they do a quick test or at least they used to) that’s pretty frustrating to hear. I wonder if the expansion of the factory introduced new operations problems for them (I have no real before or after data to compare to). Hopefully their COO takes a look.
Stern COO:
Screenshot_20231207-115722 (resized).pngQuoted from Bublehead:Ok, to update my recently built premium problems... there are some things they are aware of...
If your recently built GZ premium has a building entrance opto that has failed for any reason, they think they might know why and will adress it if you call support. They have a couple of recommendations that depend on your symptoms and how they failed. Call and put in a ticket.
If you are getting random lockups, turn off the power, remove the micro SD card from the CPU board, (NOT the SD card, which is physically bigger and holds the game code image) and restore power. Does it boot and play now? If so, replace the micro SD card with a blank, new micro SD memory card, the same size as the one you removed, and at least one with a minimum Class 10 speed rating. No need to format it, it will be detected and formated when you turn on the machine. The micro SD card is scratchpad storage for Insider Connect communication, it is designed as replaceable scratchpad memory that gets written to and read from during IC communications and instead of using expensive ram, or the game code SD card, they opted for cheap uSD memory so if read/write cycles wear it out after a while, operators can restore IC communications by simply swapping in a new memory card. Now if they would have just used a better supplier of micro SD cards...
And put in a call and a ticket... they will not probably spend that extra $0.05 for a better uSD card until they find more than 15% - 20% failure rate, so lets tell them were to stick the latest batch of uSD's, shall we?
Are you up and running yet? My May '23 JP Premium had a ton of lock up and boot problems. Ended up being a node board after tons of troubleshooting
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Austin, TX
