(Topic ID: 258046)

Stranger Things Club. Join our Party!

By chuckwurt

4 years ago


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  • 22,207 posts - Hot topic!
  • 974 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 32 minutes ago by Pin_Fandango
  • Topic is favorited by 397 Pinsiders

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“Which game are you getting?”

  • Pro 215 votes
    37%
  • Premium 233 votes
    40%
  • LE 132 votes
    23%

(580 votes)

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Topic index (key posts)

41 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items.

Display key post list sorted by: Post date | Keypost summary | User name

Post #235 ALERT: Be sure to check PRO Ball Lock Post, it can come loose. Posted by chuckwurt (4 years ago)

Post #712 TECH: PLAYFIELD. Replacement rubber info Posted by fooflighter (4 years ago)

Post #1272 TECH: TOYS. Demogorgon adjustment to make less shot rejects Posted by rs812 (4 years ago)

Post #1273 TECH: PLAYFIELD. Projector focus adjustment instructions Posted by rs812 (4 years ago)

Post #1717 TECH: PLAYFIELD. TK lock and deflector adjustment instructions Posted by chuckwurt (4 years ago)

Post #3533 TECH: BOOTING. Fix for Spike machines that frequently have problems booting Posted by C0untDeM0net (3 years ago)

Post #5955 MOD: Stranger Things action button surround and shooter plate Posted by pinballslave (3 years ago)


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#56 4 years ago

What will be this game's official acronym?

What are the current candidates?

NST?

STS?

SGTS?

TNGS?

Nothing strikes me as obvious.

3 years later
#18218 5 months ago

Hi, all!

How many of you here are buyers but not yet owners? I bought this game from the upcoming run after waiting a couple of years for the chance. I'm pretty stoked, but I have to admit I haven't even played the game all that much. I have a collector friend who loves his and I bought one based on his experience. I ordered the UV kit for it, etc.

Anyway, I'm a tinkerer and I imagine I will enjoy getting the TK lock working as well as possible. I'm curious about what Stern means when they say they improved its design. It would surprised me if they truly redesigned the mech, but perhaps.

I usually lean on other Pinsiders in owners' groups when I have a new game as there is much dialing to do and I look to people with dialed games for guidance. So, thanks in advance!

2 months later
#19698 3 months ago

Still waiting to hear from my distributor regarding shipment of a Premium. Do I have company? It seems like the delivery party after the latest run has already happened.

1 week later
#20249 87 days ago

Still no call from my distro alerting me that my game has shipped.
Reading all the posts from unboxers of games needing LOTS of adjustments, I’m starting to think my distro is doing me a favor. Maybe he’ll wait another month send me a JAWS instead. I might be better off.

1 week later
#20545 76 days ago

I ordered my game on the morning the run was announced.
I’m still waiting for a call alerting me that my game is shipping. Calling/texting the distributor has only annoyed him.
He’s hoping to have the game early next month. I’m confused an exasperated, but I don’t want to burn any bridges so I haven’t complained.
Is anyone else still waiting for a NIB game ordered on day-one?

#20647 73 days ago

How many balls are loaded into STh?
I'm looking in the manual and somehow I'm not seeing it.
I don't have my game yet but would like to order some better balls for it.
Thanks.

3 weeks later
#21128 48 days ago

Source for Stern's UV kit for Premiums, anyone?

I realize it's a long shot, but are there any UV kits available out there to buy now, or is everyone waiting for Stern to (finally) ship this run of accessories?

Thanks.

#21196 42 days ago

Hi.

I had a change of fortune and I ended up with a STh after all. I posted to this thread occasionally to express concern about how the months were ticking past and I wasn't getting a shipping alert from my distro. Eventually he had to admit that it would never come as he just wasn't able to corral one.
Anyway, after finding a HUO example instead, I'm grateful to have a crack at this very cool game. I just finished setting it up today.

So, some initial reactions:

It shoots very well.
The lighting is terrific, if dark in the central portion of the playfield. (I realize this is necessary to spare the projected image from being washed out.) The projected images add a lot to the light show, making me glad I spent the extra $$ for the Premium.
The music and sound effects are fun. (I was a teen in the 80's and I remember synth-wave music in movie soundtracks.)

My only gripe so far is the flipper-return ballguides. They look like off-the-shelf, molded-plastic guides that are commonly used on Stern playfields, but the ball moves through there oddly. The ball will often fall to the "floor" of the guide after a ramp drop and miss the transition altogether. This makes for a less-than-smooth bounce/rattle to the flipper, rather than an ordinary roll. My playfield pitch is set to about 6.8 degrees and it's dead level, left to right. I have owned many Sterns that use these guides, but STh has the oddest ball movement through that lane of any game I've ever tried. I think part of the problem is the width of the lane above the transition. It's too wide to funnel the ball downward smoothly. There's a lot of left-to-right shimmying, etc. I realize this may sound to a lot of you like nitpicking. I just happen to appreciate a reliable roll to the flipper through the inlanes for shot timing and this particular layout doesn't really provide that very well. My game has few plays on it, so I s'pose there's a chance it will "smooth out" as more games are played. We'll see.

Two more things:

First, my game is from the latest run and has purple posts and purple flipper-return ballguides. Has STh always shipped with purple parts like that? Just curious.

Second, I put mirror blades in and, if I'm being honest, they are less dramatic than they have been on other layouts I've owned. I think that's because there isn't a whole lot to reflect in them near the cabinet walls - in particular in the upper-right corner. I need to put something of interest there. I'm aware that there's a "Billy's Camaro" mod available for that spot, but I have never been a fan of dropping toy cars into my layouts. I s'pose I could try the twirling "Arcade" sign mod, but it's quite expensive for what it is. I also know of the uber-sought-after Medisynal (sp?) mod set that puts something significant there, but there's a long waitlist for that.

#21234 41 days ago
Quoted from ExportZ:

If you have the money you can't go wrong with the Medisinyl mod, it's definitely worth the wait time.

Hi. Thanks. I believe I got myself onto his waitlist some time ago. I seem to remember it's nearly $500, but I could be wrong. I saw Zach Meny's clip where he installs the kit in his game. It looked impressive, so signed up.

Quoted from ExportZ:

I have the same strange bounce/rattle with the purple plastic ball guide.

Oh, no! I really don't know how to handle this one. The radius of the ballguide's elbow is too small, allowing the ball to hit the floor of the guide and miss the transition altogether. Not cool. Not acceptable, frankly.

#21243 40 days ago

Is it possible to disable the coil that shakes the Demo's head to introduce Bust Out? It's starting to get on my nerves. I can't find it in the Adjustments portion of the service menu.
Thanks.

#21276 39 days ago

Adjusting Plunge-Lane Exit:

My plunge sends the ball either to the far-left target or to the left of the bank altogether. My intuitive response was to address the flatrail at the end of the shooter lane - not unlike one does on IMDN - to fine tune just where the plunge goes.
In the case of STh, however, the flatrail is already as far up as the edge of the neighboring flatrail (right orbit) will allow. As in, if the shooter lane's flatrail were bent any more upwards, the ball would collide with edge of the orbit's flatrail. Is this making sense? I don't see an adjustment apart from removing the orbit's flatrail (huge PITA), filing away a bit of its edge, and then re-installing it, thereby giving me a little more room to bend the end of the shooter lane's flatrail upward. What are other owners doing to fine tune their plunge if it's sending balls too far to the left?
My game's playfield pitch is set to 6.5-degrees and is dead level, left to right. Also, my auto-launch sends the ball to the same spot and my shooter housing has the shooter tip dead center behind the ball.
Thanks.

#21317 37 days ago
Quoted from Hayfarmer:

Any pics or opinions of using mirror blades vs art?

Hi.
I have mirrors in my Premium.
They are a bit subtle because there are few elements of interest near the cabinet walls to reflect in the mirrors - in particular in the back right.
However, I truly think they make the playfield even prettier than stock.
I recommend trying a set of the adhesive ones from Pinball Life. The black mirrors, to me, are dark enough to be so subtle as to be, well, less attractive than conventional mirrors. That’s just my opinion though.

#21382 34 days ago

10-Band Graphic EQ:

Who here has tinkered with this and optimized its bands? There are ten for each - backbox and cabinet.

Recommendations sought.

Thanks.

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#21445 32 days ago
Quoted from cconway84:

@pineffects starbright9 kit is definitely worth the money. Fits perfect and projector effects look much deeper / less washed out. And it looks better with the game off. Ridiculous that stern can’t just include this from the factory. Picture show starbright9 installed on either side of screen but not center. Also installed on center two drops not outside two.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Thanks for your helpful post. I have been procrastinating on this DarkStar project on my game since it arrived weeks ago. It sure is tempting to pay PinEffects instead and just buy his kit, but I should really buckle down and get to work on what I have here.
Congrats on your game. It looks dreamy for sure!

#21446 32 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

Oh boy. I have a bigger problem now. Here’s how the uv board arrived. Go stern.
[quoted image][quoted image]

Oh, no!
After all that waiting, MORE waiting!
Not nice!

#21535 29 days ago

Has your Premium UV kit, ordered from Cointaker, arrived? Mine has not and I was just wondering if Cointaker has them in their possession yet. Yeah, I could email them and ask, but they are typically very busy so I thought I would just ask here.
Thanks.

#21536 29 days ago

Durability of DarkStar9 Projection Material:

I spent a few hours replacing my main screen panels and the decals on the drops with the DarkStar9 projection material as suggested in a thread by Medisynal (sp?). It's a somewhat stressful job. It did take just about forever to remove the residual adhesive from the main screen panels. Oof!

FWTW, my early impressions:

1. The material has some "tack" to it - which is to say, it's not slick like the stock panels/decals. It's also thick'ish.

2. The material is a tad delicate. The edge of a cut square, for example, can disintergrate just by catching it with a fingernail when installing it. Also, in the case of the drops, the squares - after twenty games - are showing some minor wear from the drop/rise action of the targets. I have no idea how long they will last, but my money is on less than the stock vinyl will last. I like slippery surfaces on playfields to keep the ball rocketing around. Putting long strips of this material on the ramps seems counterintuitive to me, although perhaps the change would be imperceptible.

3. Like the name implies, the image focused on this material is dark. Yeah, it's contrasty and the blacks are improved over stock, but the overall illumination is significantly lower than stock.

My impression is that there are advantages to both stock and to the Darkstar9. Neither one is superior to the other. If you do skip the (somewhat laborious) install of the DarkStar9 material, you won't be missing out to the extent that threads on the subject may have led you to believe. Just sayin'.

#21539 29 days ago

Projector Adjustments:

After finishing the install of the DarkStar9 screen material on my main screen panels, I took my apron off and got to know the projector. I also got to know the slick way in the service menu users can adjust each of the projected images on the various surfaces. I cleaned the lens as if it were an expensive camera lens (lens cloth and a lens cleaning solution) and swung away the plate that conceals the focus slider.

Note: focusing the projector is a PITA because reinstalling the apron will disturb your precise focus setting, but once the apron is on, you can't return to the slider and adjust it again. This means you go back and forth - sliding, closing the slider's cover plate, remounting the apron, demounting the apron, opening the projector's cover plate, sliding, closing the cover plate, remounting the apron, etc. It took me about five cycles like this before the image was focused properly and the apron was in place. Also, simply tapping on the projector's housing with your fingertip will disturb your focus adjustment, so be careful not to touch it while reinstalling the apron if you can avoid it. All this fussiness motivates me to turn off the shaker I just installed for fear all the vibration will screw up the focus adjustment.

#21540 29 days ago
Quoted from OreoFlapjacks:

This helps my decision, thanks!

You're welcome. Your mileage may of course vary. I assume lots of people swear by this DarkStar9. It just seems to me that people forget there are good reasons why the ball-contact surfaces in this game are covered in slippery vinyl and not in high-tech projection material. The screen panels and the two "billboards," entirely free of ball contact, are another matter. If you're willing to sacrifice brightness for contrast, install the material on your main screen and billboards and there won't be any durability issue. There *will* be a lot of work to remove the stock decals though!

#21611 27 days ago

A very helpful club member posted earlier today about availability of the Premium UV kit at The Pinball Company. I reached out to them a few hours later when time at work allowed and - drat! - they were sold out.

So, has anyone else found a source? I bought one from another distro a month ago but it's crickets over there so I'm not holding my breath. I will buy a kit from another source if it's actually available.

Thanks in advance for any leads.

#21613 27 days ago
Quoted from JesseJames23:

Try Tilt Amusements. They had 10 premium kits in stock when I ordered mine on Tuesday.
[email protected].

Thanks, JJ, for the suggestion. I will email him now!

#21615 27 days ago

Pitch and the Left-orbit Feed to Left Flipper:

Hi.

I'm just curious to hear from other owners about dialing the feed of the released ball from the Mystery lane. My game is set to an average of 6.66 degrees and dead level left to right, but the released ball doesn't always hug the flatrail and come to the knuckle of the left flipper. Sometimes the ball is ejected into the orbit and rebounds away from the flatrail slightly, thwarting a smooth descent.

Note: mine is a recent build and the flatrail of the left orbit is set rather far out from the factory, so the ball is pushed well right of the left sling for each Burn-it-Back loop. I assume the techs on the line did that to ensure a ball released by the up-post into the left orbit doesn't graze the left sling on the way down, but it kind of screws up the BIB loop if you asked me.

What is your playfield pitch and are you cheating your left-to-right level to help a released ball hug the flatrail on the descent?

#21616 27 days ago
Quoted from SuperMas77:

I got them from Mezel Mods (link below). When I ordered these a few months ago they were $140. Now Mezel has jacked up the price to $250 for no valid reason other than greed.
https://mezelmods.com/collections/stranger-things-pinball-mods

My friend recommended these lights to me for my game, and I was certainly curious - until I saw the price tag. Honestly, speaker lights - regardless of how cool they look when standing in front of your game - reflect in the playfield glass if you don't have anti-glare glass and can be distracting. I have a very cool set of the Deluxe 13's from Doug and they look terrific in action, but I tend to put them in and then take them out soon after, just because I'm not keen on seeing them (courtesy of their reflections) in the upper-left and upper-right corners of my playfield.

#21621 27 days ago
Quoted from DugFreez:

Did you adjust the brightness on the type 13 speaker lights? You can light them up without blowing them out

I did not. I will look into it.
I didn't mean any disrespect with my remarks. I have always been very impressed with your lights and I recommend them over the knockoffs available from another source - mostly because I think the programming of the light show makes them superior, and because the design of your rings makes the install process a breeze. Still, speaker lights in general are a compromise. I'm not super tall, but somehow I'm tall enough to see my speaker lights dancing in the corners of my playfield. I don't love that but nor do I love spending $250 for a sheet of anti-glare glass. So, again: a compromise. I also set my translite illumination to just 15% on my Sterns just because - again - I can see them reflected in my playfield glass otherwise.

#21622 27 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

Trying to make the mystery shot return to left flipper without making the burn it back loop go sdtm is the bane of my existence.

I feel you!
I definitely envy the owners who report they have a consistent drop from the Mystery to their left flipper *and* a smooth a BIB loop. It's kind of impossible to have both on my game, I'm discovering.
Steve Ritchie knows orbit feeds quite well - and I think part of his magic in that regard is how straight the last ten inches of the flatrail is before the ball exits the orbit. Straight is key. Any curvature in that flatrail means the trajectory will vary depending on speed. Deadpool has a similar orbit feed to the left flipper and it too isn't a gimme to dial.

#21662 26 days ago
Quoted from pineal:

I love working on pinballs! I love it so much i volunteer to do it for a local arcade every Monday night.

I would enjoy this, too, but there is no way in heck my local barcade is going to let me touch their pins.

#21664 26 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

I’d go premium again for the projector alone.

I agree that the projector adds a lot. It creates great atmosphere and adds to the game's light show more than you initially realize. It also adds a welcome glow to the playfield most of the time, helping with ball visibility.

The feature about the Premium that means the least to me is the TK lock. If you allow it to lock all three balls, one of them always drains SDTM when they release to start TK MB because one ball always goes to the left upon release and then rockets down the left ramp, etc. Yeah, the ball comes back as part of the MB's ball save, but it's kind of silly to release a ball to start your MB only to watch it drain almost instantly. I set my TK lock to lock just one ball - the other two are locked virtually by the up-post and then released. If you ask the lock to lock all three (and it somehow succeeds), a ball is auto-plunged after each lock, and an auto-plunged ball is harder to recapture than a ball that rolls from the ramp's up-post to your left flipper. In this respect, the PRO is "easier" in terms of TK ball locks.

#21665 26 days ago
Quoted from SilverUnicorn:

UV kit has landed! Now, what obligation should I skip to get it installed. LOL

Congrats!
I was told by my distro that mine is on the way (to her), so I won't see it for more than a week longer. Drat!

#21697 25 days ago
Quoted from pineal:

demogorgon scarfing balls,

I’m jealous. On my game it’s rare that he eats a ball. Pretty much all Demo modes are about shots kissing off his mouth, sailing high into the air, and then crashing down onto the playfield to add to the dimple count.

My grub screw does almost nothing to pitch the Demo forward. The problem is the stop rubber that the sculpt’s base rests against. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to pull the Demo to address his pitch, but apparently I do.
Drat!

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#21699 25 days ago
Quoted from DiabloRush:

You can just rip that rubber post off with a pair of pliers. You'll never use it again. Takes 10 seconds.

Gosh.
Truly?
That would be oh-so-much easier, but can I really afford to lose 3/8” of support at that spot?

#21708 25 days ago
Quoted from C0untDeM0net:

check the pinned posts. Fixing the demogorgon takes about 20 minutes and requires removing it from the game to reduce the height.

Hi.

Thanks.

I did end up pulling the Demogorgon - although I didn't first see Pinmonk's post about just how to do that, so I was feeling my way. Man, I WISH the job was just a twenty-minute affair! It was not - mostly owing to the one screw that secures the Demo's bracket to the playfield from the topside of the PF. To access it, one has to loosen the back section of the left ramp by freeing it at all points, and of course the front section has to come out. Then there are all the plastics that get in your way that surround the Demo. Man, this playfield is NOT service friendly!

I got the Demo out, but when I removed the spacers to lower his height, I noticed that he could no longer rock back and forth. The toy is itself is mounted to the bracket by a pair of screws, each of which is suspended in a grommet, allowing a fair bit of back/forth rocking. I thought it seemed like an extreme tradeoff to stop all the rocking just to lower the Demo, and I decided to just remove the chin bumper and leave the spacers. With the chin bumper gone, the grub screw actually works. Whew! Still, even with the grub screw threaded about 50% of the way down, the Demo's pitch is just slightly affected - enough though for me to score my very first mouth kills.
Demo.diagram (resized).pngDemo.diagram (resized).png

#21710 25 days ago
Quoted from DiabloRush:

It's useless. Only reason it's there is so operators don't lower the demogorgon so much as to create a ball trap. It's unneeded on any game, especially a home game. Toss it. It has a unintended effect of making it impossible to properly dial-in the DG shot.

Hi.
Thanks for your help.
I did get in there the hard way and removed the gate, thus accessing the screw that holds the chin bumper in place. I took that off and then put everything back together - none of which was easy.
Anyway, with the chin bumper gone, the sculpt has more rocking range, and - even more exciting - the grub screw now actually has an effect on the pitch of the Demo. The bumper worked like a stop, limiting the forward drop of the sculpt - just as you said.

#21711 25 days ago
Quoted from SuperMas77:

Nothing better than hearing that 'clink' noise when hitting a clean Demogorgon shot.

Honestly, the two kills I've managed were NOT swishes. More like rattlers. I have no idea what this "clink" might be, but I'm looking forward to it as I do like clinks.

#21714 25 days ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

When you have it dialed, when you hit it center, it hits the top of the mouth, the head sways back, and ball dunks in. “Clink”

I still have some adjusting to do then as I have NOT experienced this.

#21721 25 days ago

Target Decal Adhesion Woes:

What glue type do you suggest in this case?

I have:

1. Two-part epoxy
2. Two-sided tape (two different brands)
3. Clear silicone bathroom caulk

Frustratingly, I used two of the replacement “leveler” decals from the goodie bag already and they have already fallen off.

I bought a complete set of decals from PBL, but as far as I know it doesn’t include the leveler layer, just the face, so I will have to reuse the leveler.

IMG_3049 (resized).jpegIMG_3049 (resized).jpeg
#21725 24 days ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

What was your process for reapplying the replacements? If you scrub the target with alcohol first?

Yes. Alcohol first.

#21756 23 days ago

DarkStar9 Durability Update (c. 100 Balls):

Ball strikes have left a discreet horizontal band across the bank and a bit of minor disintegration at the edges of a few faces. Still, the image projected on them looks as it did when the material was new.

Note: I enjoy banging away at those drops during MB’s because I think all the violent airballs reflected back at me is a big part of the fun of this layout, so my target faces are definitely getting a workout.

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#21757 23 days ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

It's really not that hard to remove it without destroying it. I made a post on it.

You did author a great post on it. Thanks for taking the time!
I actually found it *after* I took mine out, so I missed some valuable help.

#21759 23 days ago

Demo Tinkering Follow-up:

I just want to report that removing the chin spacer that is affixed to the gate below the Demo sculpt has had an undesirable consequence: a ball trap.

I believe the trap appeared because, with the bumper gone, I used the grub screw to pitch the Demo forward, creating a new vertex where the base of the sculpt meets the roll-off plastic. The result is a ball will sometimes settle at the base of the sculpt and *not* roll away to the right. I may have to pull the Demo again and this time remove the spacers, then return the grub screw to the start position. Not happy about that!

#21762 23 days ago

Target-Decal Adhesion Follow-up:

I opted to skip the glue as I wanted something less permanent.

A long-time 3M adhesive salesman recommended 3M 4910 double-sided tape, which is a tad thick and elastic, making it slightly challenging to cut neatly into a little rectangle with scissors.

It’s holding well after a few games.

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#21764 23 days ago
Quoted from ScottyC:

Hmm..... That doesn't look like dark star 9/star bright 9 at all....... Are you sure you have the right material there?

I bought three sample sheets of DarkStar from Elite Screens in Garden Grove, CA, after reading Medisinyl's post on the upgrade. DarkStar is now called StarBright 9. I agree that the material looks paler in my photos than it looks in person. It's fairly dark grey.

IMG_3054 (resized).jpegIMG_3054 (resized).jpeg
#21765 23 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

I had the same and fixed it by applying a small piece of adhesive felt to the top of the plastic on the left side of the demogorgon.

Thanks for the idea. Really, my Demo is still too high, so I may have to remove him and those spacers after all. Maybe at that point I won't have to pitch him forward and the trap will go away.

#21774 23 days ago

Lower-right Demo “Leaf” Creates Ball Trap:

With the chin bumper gone, the Demo can trap balls more easily. That’s unfortunate as it was difficult to get it out of there.

IMG_3056 (resized).jpegIMG_3056 (resized).jpeg
#21782 23 days ago

“Run, Will!” Demo Mode Confusion:

In this MB Demo mode, the ramp is almost continuously raised and lowered, forcing me to trap up and then wait for a chance for a kill shot. If I don’t trap and just flail instead, the poor ramp’s leading edge gets jammed often by random shots up the middle.
Is the continuous ramp action coded into this mode or do I have a confused switch?
Thanks.

#21783 23 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

No word on my uv kit from CT. I ordered it elsewhere and done installed it already. Reminds me I need to try to cancel

I’m waiting on a kit from CT, too.
She said only that the kits are “on the way.”
Not super helpful.

#21786 23 days ago
Quoted from PocketHoleshot:

That is the expected behavior:
Run Will!: 4-ball multiball. Phase one, shot the Demogorgon during the hurry-up to lock in the jackpot value. Phase two, all the drops are lit for jackpots. Collect those to light the Demogorgon for a Super Jackpot hurry-up worth the total collected jackpot values; however, the ramp leading up to the Demogorgon will lower and raise every second or two. Collect the Super Jackpot to start the jackpot phase again and work towards another Super Jackpot hurry-up.

Thank you!
That does indeed sound quite difficult.

#21787 23 days ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Yes it’s part of the mode.

Thank you.
It makes me want to buy a spare Demo ramp, as eventually that integrated flap will get dinged enough to damage the playfield with each touchdown.

#21846 20 days ago

How to Cheat (Yourself?):

Today, for the first time, I skipped all the work necessary to reach two different wizard modes. I vaguely knew this was an option in SPIKE2 gamecode but I hadn’t got around to trying it. As I assume most of you already know, these are called Challenge modes and are available by pressing/holding both flippers before starting a game. They could just as well be called Take-Heart or Cheat modes, however, as they are the ultimate skip-ahead indulgences.

The verdict?

Well, there is certainly something to be said for pressing Start and - wham! - you’re in the mode. Try “Send it Back!” Challenge and you might get your pinball fix for the whole day in three minutes. It’s quite the rush!

#21847 20 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

Newsflash: just got ship notice on uv kit from CoinTaker. Ordered October 3

Awesome!
Congrats!
I dearly hope I get such a notice this week too.
Come on, CT! You can do it!

#21852 20 days ago

Monochrome Projector?

Sometimes my projector projects static, monochrome images. Sometimes red, sometimes blue. It just gets stuck and can’t recover. I can revive it only by opening the coindoor, thereby killing its power for a second. When it comes back on, it’s fine.

Is this a known bug or do I need to start a ticket with Stern?

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#21855 19 days ago
Quoted from TheBeefSupreme:

Aaah, first time getting here. Nerves got the best of me and I lost on the second level of the final battle. Still had 5 balls going and just one shot left and it was just a brick fest. Ha don’t know that I want to make that climb back up again soon.[quoted image][quoted image]

Congrats!
You and Karl!

#21868 19 days ago
Quoted from brainmegaphone:

How many are still waiting on ST accessories from Cointaker?

UV kit.

#21870 19 days ago

5-way combo: how do you typically chase this one?

If you're allowed to shoot any shot, including the *same* shot, do most of you just loop the most reliable repeatable shot?

For me, the most reliable combo shot is the left orbit. It reminds me of the Dazzler orbit on DP Premium, the way it returns to the same flipper. I honestly don't complete a 5-way combo in most of my games, but I should work on changing that. I need to remember not to kill the combo with the Mystery lane or the right orbit. That right orbit might be the most reliable shot in the game, other than the drop targets.

#21872 19 days ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Loop the left orbit 5 times.

I knew it!

#21877 19 days ago

My favorite thing about beating the “Send it Back!” challenge is the scream that lets you know you’ve done it.
Fun!

#21884 19 days ago
Quoted from insight75:

UV kit from CT arrived this morning. Time to install....

Awesome!

#21951 15 days ago
Quoted from insight75:

Well, wrong UV bracket….no problem. I ghetto rigged it so I can use it. Who knows when I will get the replacement from Stern so at least I can use it.
[quoted image]

Awesome work, MacGyver!

#21952 15 days ago
Quoted from gixxerjoe:

“Easy enough” to test things but how are you doing it?

How am I testing what? Are you asking, how am I hitting shots? I'm not hitting shots, frankly - not much of the time anyway.
If I really want to progress to wizard modes, I will - as you have done - increase the balls per game, but I will also tinker in the settings to make that progression simpler/faster. Is it cheating? You bet! For example, I lengthen ball save time. I might also reduce the number of standard Jackpots necessary to light a Super Jackpot. I might also reduce the number of Demogorgon bashes required to kill him. Go into the service menu and make some changes to your settings. You can always revert to stock settings later, after your explorations are done. I would tell you specifically where to look, but I'm not standing in front of my game and I can't recall how to navigate to the right submenus, etc. If you're not very good but you would still like to try, say, Total Isolation, you're going to have to give yourself some help. Taking the glass off and moving the ball around with your hand is no longer playing pinball, I don't think, so I don't recommend that.
Lastly, don't forget to try the Challenge modes, simply by pressing/holding both flippers before starting a game. You can try four wizard modes that way. I have tried two so far. Each is a rush!

#21977 14 days ago
Quoted from Aniraf:

Everything is now a huge mess and I don’t know what to do .

Don't sweat it. Mine looked EXACTLY like this and I cleaned it all up with Goo-Gone and lots of meticulous scraping with a butter knife. All that glue residue can be cleaned off of there! Fear not!

#21985 13 days ago

I’m afraid to plunge and attempt to start Final Showdown at the left ramp.

Oddly, there is NO ball save when FS is lit. I do have an extra ball though.

(Note: Do NOT be impressed! I’m on my sixth ball!)

Update:
There is justice in the world! Phase One of FS is a six-ball MB that starts with a single lit shot: the left ramp. Well, incredibly, I drained out all six balls before hitting the left ramp. How’s that for Karma! Now I will try FS Challenge Mode and see what I missed.

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#22007 11 days ago

An unidentified screw (right) slid down my playfield during a game. It seemed to come from the vicinity of the Demo. I photographed it beside a 6-32 x 1/4” machine screw for scale.
It will take forever to leaf through the exploded diagrams in the manual to find this screw, so I’m asking: do you know from whence this came?

Update:
Source found!
Mystery lane one-way gate came off and trapped three balls!
I can’t imagine I’m going to find the second of the two screws, but I will check the floor of the cabinet.
I’m assuming accessing the gate to reinstall it won’t be easy. Do I have to pull the Demo?

Update 2:
Second screw found!
Thank you, pinball gods!

Update 3:
Very bad news; this gate belongs under the Demo!! FORK! Reinstalling it is going to be a huge PITA!

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#22010 11 days ago

A nice “cluster,” only in the Mystery lane rather hanging on the back panel.
The game ball searched during TKMB and I assumed a single ball was stuck somewhere.
Nope!

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#22043 10 days ago

How to Reinstall the One-way Exit Gate Beneath the Demogorgon:

My gate fell off during a game. Incredibly, I was able to recover both of the tiny screws that affix the gate’s frame to a section of flatrail beneath the Demo’.

If you ever need to address this problem in your own game, here are some instructions:

Remove the playfield glass, the balls, raise the playfield, and disconnect and free the following:

1. Demogorgon’s exit-gate opto wiring harness
2. Demogorgon’s four-connector wiring harness
3. The two Flasher harnesses for the return section of the left ramp
4. The two Ny-lock nuts that secure the Demogorgon’s mounting studs
5. The single Ny-lock nut that secures the stud of the section of flatrail beneath the Demogorgon that has an opto (see photo of removed part)

Now, lower the playfield and rest it in the extended service position (elbow bumper resting on the lockbar reciever)

1. Disconnect the flasher and opto harnesses (look behind the back panel) for the entry section of the right ramp
2. Remove the entry section of the right ramp
3. Remove the return section of the left ramp
4. Loosen the entry section of the left ramp by removing all of its mounting screws, including the flap screws. Don’t miss the mounting screw that goes through the back panel (I would suggest taking this section entirely out, but it’s restrained by the TK lock’s diverter, so just loosen it as much as you can)
5. Remove the plastics that surround the Demogorgon and then the Demo’ itself
6. Remove the entry gate beneath the Demogorgon
7. Push the entry section of the left ramp aside enough to access to the two wood screws that fix the Demo ramp’s frame to the playfield and remove them
8. Loosen (but don’t entirely remove) the two wood screws that fix the right side of the Demo ramp’s frame to the playfield
9. Grab hold of the Demo ramp’s frame and pull it upwards until you have sufficient clearance between the frame and the playfield to lift out the section of flatrail (again, see photo)
10. Use Locktite on the screw threads before remounting the gate’s frame to the flatrail
11. Reverse all of the above

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#22066 8 days ago

UV Kit Apron Concern:

I waited what felt like an eternity for my UV kit. It just arrived. Hooray!

I was planning to take advantage of the handy additional cutout in the right side of the apron to move the IC sensor, but, alas, my apron has no such cutout. I'm already using the coindoor panel for a headphone jack and thus can't move the IC sensor there. I asked Stern's parts desk to start a repair ticket to sort this out, but they haven't responded. If one of you reading this has the new apron style, can I trouble you to take a quick photo of it and post it here? I assume I will have to send Stern a photo of the right apron to compare it to mine, etc.
Thanks!

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#22067 8 days ago
Quoted from Deadpool66:

For the life of me I cannot get the left ball eject to shoot the ball around the orbit for the burn.
Adjusted the post and power and best I can get is like half way up.
Any tips?

I can't achieve this on my game, either. I have the deflector bent to direct the ball into the BIB lane - and it does go slightly up there, but it certainly doesn't go through/around. Every time it doesn't, I ask myself: how on earth does Erik's ejected ball go all the way through there? Another example of what my playfield does NOT do that Erik's does is, my return from the pops lane does NOT return to the right flipper but goes either SDTM or gets bumped out to the left flipper.

#22069 8 days ago
Quoted from smollig:

My V1 came with the left orbit perfectly dialed in. The orbit with that spinner and the burn it back loop are by far the best shots in the game and smooth as butter.

Wow. I'm jealous. I can't really loop either shot even three times in a row, let alone five. Where the orbit's concerned, there's too much flutter in the flipper return lane to time the flip. Often the ball has bounced away from the flipper by that point so I'm swatting at it and not truly flipping. Kind of hard that way to loop the left orbit. The BIT orbit is also hard to loop because the left orbit's flatrail is apt to send the ball SDTM after some real pace gets on it. That piece of flatrail was set at the factory fairly far inside the line marked beneath it. Honestly, if were it were not set inside that line, a ball released by the Mystery up-post would fall to the left sling.

#22071 8 days ago
Quoted from ASAC_Schrader:

The safest way to get 2 of them is the VUK.

This isn't possible on my game. If the saucer's deflector is bent to aim the ball into the last TWO drop targets, an ejected ball with the Demo ramp down will crash into the left edge of the ramp. Only if the ejected ball is aimed at the LAST target will it roll over the lowered Demo ramp.

#22074 8 days ago
Quoted from jackd104:

The distro I bought from (who are great) has asked Stern about the apron not having the cut out 2-3 times and hasn’t got any response at all.

Oh, no!
Not what I hoped to hear!
Yeah, your solution is rather half-baked. (No offense!)
Your Premium has been quite the handful. Your next game will seem like a cakewalk by comparison!

#22075 8 days ago
Quoted from blizz81:

They make coin door IC kits with headphone hookups / controls.

Oh, yeah?
Thanks for the heads up.
I will look into it, but my headphone kit is made by Pinnovators, not Stern. I may be out of luck.

#22092 7 days ago

From Stern Support, regarding my UV kit’s apron which is missing the additional cutout:

“ Pablo Padilla (Stern Pinball)
Mar 20, 2024, 12:04 PM CDT

Jason,

Good afternoon.

Production of the UV kit shows' that you have received the correct apron for this accessory and the RIGHT plastic will need to be removed for the installation of the QR camera. Unfortunately we do not carry a different apron for the UV kit that has a cut out for the QR camera below the right plastic.”

If he is telling me the whole story, how did some kit buyers end up with aprons that have an additional cutout? I’m confused.

#22171 2 days ago

Unable to dial right orbit return.
Too many SDTM drains.
Tried a few post/ring configurations.
Not a prayer of a feed to the right flipper.
Too much post/rubber sends the ball into the left sling, too little and it goes SDTM. I lost three balls SDTM this way in one game tonight.
I try the timed cabinet whack as the ball meets the post, but it rarely helps and this spot shouldn’t be that perilous.

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#22176 46 hours ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Looks like you have a star post on your shooter lane gate. OG games had a skinny post there. That might change how you should approach the issue. Just need to see where the ball is going exactly when it’s feeding from that orbit at different speeds and through trial and error make various adjustments until you find a cure. Same with pitching the game differently. Try and only change one variable at a time.

I do currently have a bare starpost there, yes.
It’s just the latest post configuration.
I have tried many. As you suspected, my game shipped with a slender post clad in a rubber ring. It caused SDTM drains, so I started experimenting with other configurations.

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