(Topic ID: 258046)

Stranger Things Club. Join our Party!

By chuckwurt

4 years ago


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Topic poll

“Which game are you getting?”

  • Pro 215 votes
    37%
  • Premium 235 votes
    40%
  • LE 132 votes
    23%

(582 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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#12078 2 years ago

Joined the club today! Picked up a HUO STh Prem with 400 plays.

First question - When turning the volume up to medium or louder the cabinet speaker buzzes like its blown out.

I removed and inspected the factory speaker to see if a screw fell inside and was rattling around but nothing there and nothing loose in the bottom of the cab. Also the voice coil feels fine and no scraping when gently moving the speaker cone.

I tested it while facing up and it sounds perfect, but still buzzes while sitting in the mounting spot. It seems the spacer around the edge is too thin and the edge of the speaker cone is hitting the bottom of the cab when mounted normally.

Is this common??? I have some thick weather stripping that I can use to make the ring around the speaker thicker for now. Any other thoughts?

(no wonder the previous owner traded it in, if they assumed that sound was normal)

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#12084 2 years ago
Quoted from paul_8788:

I had a similar issue with my JP Premium. Ended up removing the mesh that Stern puts underneath the speaker. Didn't try weather stripping.

I added a ring of rubber weather stripping and it is fine now. Time to start putting up some initials.

#12120 2 years ago

Going through my new Premium. Installed the left ramp cover kit, and with it fully to the right I get about 1in8 balls to stick to the magnet.

Next I will dig in to the TK lock mech adjustment.

One thing I noticed, there is a support bracket under the back of the ramp with a hole but no screw in the hole so the ramp has a little wiggle. Should a screw be installed there or was that left out intentionally??

1 week later
#12220 2 years ago
Quoted from Pinball-NJA:

My game has been acting up and I was hoping for some advice before I lift the lid.

start with the ramp test in the diagnostics

1 week later
#12408 2 years ago
Quoted from Jimmyhonda:

LCD display is not coming on?

Is the pin working otherwise if you wait for it to finish booting up? Inserts lighting up? Can start a game?

In any case, 9 out of 10 times a connector was knocked loose, so take a long look around.

#12410 2 years ago
Quoted from Jimmyhonda:

Everything else is working fine, except LCD display.

You could try swapping the LCD with another spike2 pin if you have access. Have not heard of that issue with spike2 before.

I see Marco has the displays in stock. Must be some have failed before?

#12463 2 years ago
Quoted from swampfire:

GI seems really dim now

I recall there are settings for things like GI brightness in the menus so you could try increasing it perhaps. (Turning down the backbox brightness during gameplay is a big improvement while you are there.)

If you unplug the added UV kit board (and turn off the UV menu setting) is the GI normal?

1 week later
#12538 2 years ago

In Sterns v1.02 announcement they say:
This dynamic code update includes numerous game enhancements including the brand new Demogorgon bomb feature available across all models and the exciting new swipe-a-ball feature available only on the Premium and LE models.

#12587 2 years ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

i always seem to get three balls stuck behind the left orbit return post

I have only done that twice where multiple balls get stuck at the up post (never with a single ball). If does not seem normal to happen a lot. Is the pin level?

#12634 2 years ago
Quoted from swampfire:

might be worth saving my Pro kit just to have a spare set of UV-reactive plastics.

I don't really notice the UV art on the plastics, so it would not be a big deal to swap back in an original if needed, but having spare UV plastics can't hurt.

... and maybe years from now, owners might be willing to pay BIG bucks for a NIB kit.

#12646 2 years ago
Quoted from Tarzanboy:

Just wondering if Stern is still producing the Stranger Things Premium model?.

Stern is backed up making Mando and Godzilla, but at some point they will make more, likely next year. They typically announce last run when they are finishing up.

It is currently shown on the Stern web site: MSRP $7,799 (Insider Connected Equipped $8,099)

#12656 2 years ago

Wow, it sounds like the premium/LE should hold their value with no more coming.

#12670 2 years ago
Quoted from pinballslave:

the lack of indication of how many shots are left to make left me wondering

Most of the modes have the red bar in the upper right side of the main screen to see your progress filling the bar.

#12677 2 years ago
Quoted from C0untDeM0net:

Trick is, the ramp will lower and raise every second or two.

Yup, not a glitch.

#12679 2 years ago

Happy Halloween from Billy Hargrove, Tybee Island, GA.

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#12697 2 years ago
Quoted from Flash71:

I would highly recommend buying the kit

I know the LE on route near me has many missing target decals due to so many plays.

#12704 2 years ago

Speaking of targets. This is the LE on route near me that I mentioned with the target decals that fell off. It badly needs a cleaning but is holding up reasonably well. The local operator puts LEs on route when they come out, so figure this has been on route for about 21 months.

The screen and drop targets are filthy. You can see where balls that go wide off the side of the ramp have left dirt trails where they hit the side screens.

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Five of the white target decals fell off, including one of the large targets behind the drops.

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The dimples may have smoothed a little, but have not disappeared as many said they would. (When reviewing my photos, it kind of looks like ghosting at the bottom of these inserts. I will have to look closer the next time I visit. That may just be a reflection.)

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The shooter lane is not too bad, and you can see typical wear.

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I don't see any wear on the inlanes where the ball drops. The saucer has the most wear on the game, with some chipping but probably typical with heavy play. I guess that would be a good candidate for a protector or Mylar.

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#12718 2 years ago
Quoted from TeeJayN:

When the projector comes on there is an intro screen with some display options and I have to manually select

Is the menu in English? If not, try using google translate with your phone camera to view and translate it.

Does the remote work on your original one to view the settings and compare?

Maybe they customized it for Stern or there is a special commercial version with auto off/on.

#12740 2 years ago
Quoted from DustinP:

This thing never had a chance once it was handed off to UPS.

The packing looks like something you would see on a store shelf that is shipped on a pallet and not ready for shipping individually without a second box.

-1
#12747 2 years ago
Quoted from RC_like_the_cola:

why use the game title?

Maybe Xmas lights and letters using the same red UV on black? (just an idea)

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1 week later
#12794 2 years ago

Speaking of code updates - I have a suggestion. Where do we send them??

It seems on the skill shot if you hit two drop targets and one is the lit shot, it sometimes does not award it. The software should recognize if you hit two simultaneously, you should be awarded the skill shot, even if the wrong target dropped a microsecond earlier.

#12821 2 years ago
Quoted from paulbaptiste:

Is it worth the hunt for a premium?

Yes, the projector and other features add quite a novelty to the premium. If I had to repeat the hunt, I would look for an LE. The purple armor on the LE is REALLY nice IMHO.

#12836 2 years ago

Gift Ideas for the STh owner -

For the small budget, I saw these D20 keychains at Free Play Florida sold by 'Its All Geek to Me' -

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For the medium budget, you can find the official STh lighted tapestry on eBay -

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For the big budget, track down a revolving arcade sign like the one at FPF -

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#12931 2 years ago
Quoted from palacekeeper:

I totally love my Premium and plan to keep it. But now I'm thinking about getting a second pin for the basement. Considering that I really enjoy this pin, what would be a good choice for my next one? Elivara looks pretty interesting. Thoughts?

Moms Organic Market (and pinball) is a great location near you. They rotate thru all the new pin titles and also rotate thru DMDs and classics and are upkept well. Go play each and let us know which you liked there and we can recommend more.

#12932 2 years ago
Quoted from HighVoltage:

Did Stern make a statement to this effect? As in no more premiums will be run in the future?

Yes, most recently Flip N Out Pinball distro ZMeny has confirmed on his 'the pinball show' podcast that they are done running premium.

Some have mentioned the cost of the projector and challenge of setting up the Demogorgon and TK lock mechs. I think the coil count on the premium is part of the equation. STh premium has ~17 coils where Godzilla has about 1/3 that amount.

With the universal/family appeal of this theme and gameplay fun, I think the prices are going to take off for the same reasons Ghostbusters did.

#12933 2 years ago
Quoted from palacekeeper:

What about Mandalorian? I'm thinking JP, DP or Mandalorian maybe...

The jury is still out on Mando. I find the shots a little too tight to have fun with it and the upper half of the playfield is too cluttered and sloppy looking IMHO.

Deadpool is loved by most. Some owners complain the gameplay is kind of rinse/repeat.

JP is fun and has DEEP rules, so it is a solid choice for the home.

Since your looking at newer Sterns, BM66 and AIQ are fun and have epic rules that should come with a text book.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of those above and they should hold their value. Pick the one (or two) that you find the most fun.

#12942 2 years ago
Quoted from palacekeeper:

My high score is only 547m and I have the occasional really good game but most games are 200m or less, with medium ball times. It does seem to be more fun when you can keep the ball in play longer.

Lord of the Rings may suit you. The ball times are long and it has deep rules that are fairly easy to grasp, it has a fan type layout similar to STh, and it is called one of the greatest examples of theme integration. (I have had mine for 6yrs and no plans to move it.)

#12982 2 years ago
Quoted from blizz81:

I'm on page 44 now

I just review the owners club gallery when I get a new pin. It tells the story of broken parts, repairs, and mods.

1 week later
#13073 2 years ago
Quoted from ktlrubberduck:

Hello all, this is my first post on pinside. I have read many of yours but am unsure if I am doing this correctly. Anyways I am trying to figure out the best place to purchase new Stranger Things Decal kits for my machine. I have a premium and my white bump target decals are pretty beat up and I have used all the extras that came with the machine. If someone could help me find a vendor to purchase from online that would be awesome. I cant seem to find them anywhere online.

Welcome to the club! LSOG has the decals in stock:

https://littleshopofgames.com/shop/decals/decals-playfield-ramp/stranger-things-premium-replacement-decal-set-for-stern-pinball-machine-502-5000-q2/

https://www.pinballsearch.com is handy for tracking down who has what.

#13074 2 years ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

is there a reason i would buy insider connected for my house, beyond wanting to have all of the pieces they made for the game/completionism? it's cool but i'm not sure 60-something cheevos on STh justifies letting Stern in my house to track my playing habits. they already know where i am 3 nights a week and for how long and how much i spend on coin drop

FYI - I am hearing the IC hardware should be fairly easy to install/remove. Reader, interface board, and a couple connections probably. I'm imaging some owners installing it inside a project box that they can move from pin to pin when they feel like it.

At some point you will probably get a new title that comes with it and you can try it out on STh.

I tried IC on all the new Sterns at the FPF show and it is not that exciting earning achievements that I need to go to Sterns web page to log in and view.
-1201 XP
-79 Achievements
-33 Plays
Big Whoop.

#13137 2 years ago
Quoted from palacekeeper:

I got a message reminder from pinside to replace the battery since it's been 1 year. Anyone know where the battery is that should be replaced on this machine?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/do-stern-spike-ii-have-batteries

Modern electronics don't drain as much and those little watch batteries have long life.

#13170 2 years ago

Reading all the posts about Cointaker and Tilt Amusements and UV kits in stock, it should be pointed out that Tilt is a HUGE Stern Distro and Cointakers main business is LED kits (1st link on their site is LEDS and 2nd is kits). It is safe to assume that Stern prioritizes the lucrative accessories to their flagship distros first.

#13206 2 years ago
Quoted from PinPickle:

I walk through the house and hear a call out from Clelands code and I immediately say “lock is lit” or some other call out Cleland has. However whenever am the TK multi ball van flip shows up… instant goosebumps.

Yup, it pushes all the buttons and is a classic in my book.

#13254 2 years ago
Quoted from MasterBlaster:

I was watching the Stern ‘making of’ video today…

Since you mentioned it..

#13359 2 years ago
Quoted from fifftysor:

I was able to get it readjusted and it now works.

Nice job on the repair and welcome to the club! (Start making room for your next pin.)

3 weeks later
#13840 2 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Even the mode timer marquee is great

I find it fascinating that I can glance at the mode timer displayed on the side of the ramp, while adverting my eyes to the top of the monitor to see the mode progress feels like an eternity and shows me how little I like glancing up at the monitor when playing.

#13865 2 years ago
Quoted from Sinistarrett:

I see that all these inserts are lit by just two boards.

If the same boards are used elsewhere, you could try swapping things around as a test.

1 week later
#13942 2 years ago
Quoted from hollywood:

Diagnostic menu -> Lamp -> ST (is the test, that's given in the manual from Stern and quoted by Zach).

I am only on code 1.02.0 (I figured that before I run out to grab a USB, I would see if I was missing something).

You say turn it on? In settings?

The UV test is there in 1.02 under lamp->ST once you enable the UV option. With the coin door closed, it blinks the left side UV, press the flipper to switch to switch sides back and forth.

#13951 2 years ago
Quoted from billsfanmd:

Would go with purple.

The shade of purple used on the LE is quite slick IMHO. Plenty of treads showing examples of powder coaters work on Pinside.

#13971 2 years ago
Quoted from billsfanmd:

Just curious anyone who has powder coated. How do you handle the stern grainy lock down bar. Sand it down to smooth or leave as is.

I understand that to prep for powder coating, the surface is sandblasted down to metal. If that prep is not done the coating can chip off in wear areas.

#13975 2 years ago

According to ZMeny from FlipNout and TPN podcast -

Stern is done making STh PRO as well as the premium. I'm surprised the pro is done also. (He did mention he had a NIB premium in stock and listed for 14k.)

They are also done making UV kits, so grab one while you can if you are on the fence.

#14059 2 years ago

Had Stranger Things in our 18 hole Pingolf tourney on Friday. Target score was 100mil, so if you reach that on ball 1, you get 1 stroke, etc. If you can't score 100mil by the end of game, you get a 4 for 90mil+ final score, 5 for 80mil+ score, or a 6 for 79mil or worse. The games were tuff so plenty of sixes were given out.

Got a plan ready when you need an easy 100mil? Can you keep control when it counts and pull it off when the others in your foursome are tearing it up?

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3 weeks later
#14259 2 years ago
Quoted from swampfire:

Does anyone feel like this game is the spiritual successor to Iron Man? It just kicks my ass so hard, especially the right outlane, for some reason. The rebound from the drops makes the War Machine kicker seem tame by comparison.

I have fairly long ball times if I avoid the drops. Safer to glance of them when shooting the burn it back or mystery. Save the drops for multiball.

#14260 2 years ago

I see the netflix STh shop has some nice posters.

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#14292 2 years ago
Quoted from Utesichiban:

Are there any premium/LE owners out there with Cleland’s 1.02 code?

No issue here on my premium.

1 week later
#14332 2 years ago
Quoted from TigerLaw:

I feel that this kit is going to be to Stranger Things what the Eli Light kit is to Tron

The UV kit has nothing to do with the license. They could make them if they wanted.

#14357 2 years ago
Quoted from flipperstick:

I notice sometimes the Demo hit is not registering and it happens mostly when I am in a multi ball.

Test the opto in switch test mode. Bang on it, shake it, and retest.

1 week later
#14423 2 years ago
Quoted from jake35:

Dumb question but how did you do it?

Trace it with some paper or just cut out a piece of paper and keep trimming that to make a template, then use that template to cut the mylar. Once you apply the mylar, you can easily trim off the overhang at the edges with a craft knife.

I just did my shooter lane, Drain, and saucer. It didn't take too long, it came out nice, and does not affect play.

#14438 2 years ago

LOL, so true - until the perfect pinball company comes along, at least we have Stern.

Maybe virtual pinball is a perfect as it gets? Cheap, never breaks, never needs adjustment, never needs cleaning. I wish Farsight was still grinding out TPA versions of my favorites.

#14441 2 years ago
Quoted from Lucxor:

it seems that if the right bumper gets hit, it counts a mode point or in a mode it counts as left loop shot

The pop bumper should not award a left orbit shot.

Maybe the 'red' switch needs adjustment? If you knock on the ramp does the switch test show the switch firing?

Maybe the wires or connector is swapped? If you test each switch, do they report correctly in the switch test?

1 week later
#14476 2 years ago
Quoted from coasterguy:

Good golly I still love this game.

I thought I was in the Godzilla club for a sec. Yup, STh delivers!

#14485 2 years ago

Did some tuning on my stranger things this weekend -

1st - Someone noted that during multiball with several balls behind the left up post release (at the extra ball shot) that balls can get stuck which can be a gate issue and also there is a hole in the lower rail there for the for the opto that balls can hang on. I put mylar over that hole in the rail and it appears to have fixed the issue of multiple balls getting stuck there during multiball. YAY!!

2nd - I got around to working on my TK lock adjustment. I started with the adjustments in the memo by setting the diverter 20mm from the wall when pulled in, and 2 inches high. I found that many balls would not roll all the way up and it seems 2 inches is too steep, so I bent that down a bit so balls would reach the end but still not locking reliably.
Finally I looked at the coil stop position of the diverter. The memo mentions the diverter should be 1mm from front of the ramp when at rest and mine was touching the ramp. I adjusted the coil stopper in so the diverter rested about 3mm from the front of the ramp. I guess that helps the coil pull in the diverter faster with less rattle, ect. This seems to lock reliably now. WAHOO! (If the diverter was too far in at rest, balls going past could hang there, but there is enough space so no problem.)

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Time for a beer and some pinball!!!

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#14558 2 years ago

Yup, my STh and TWD have blinky inlanes as bad as my 44yr old Stars original GI sockets. If you play a lot of route games, you will see it is common with new sterns.

My first run Metallica (2013) has no issue and I am thankful that my other pins from the 90s, 2000s, etc have zero GI socket issues.

#14590 1 year ago

Wow, the balls are rocketing up the ramp in your video. My flippers are plenty strong and I have the TK lock working reliably, but my slow-mo video looks nothing like that. The balls roll up the diverter with no bounce.

I assumed my flipper strength was on default but now I'm curious. I never notice flipper fade during long sessions, which might also be related to the power setting.

#14592 1 year ago
Quoted from swampfire:

But you still get the lock, it’s just virtual, right?

Yup, the ball stops at the up-post, shows the lock animation, and then releases.

My buddy points out he prefers when the ball does not stick to the magnet on the local LE on route, since the auto plunge is not as safe as a virtual lock that feeds the inlane.

#14627 1 year ago

Not sure it was mentioned.. these little projectors have a fan inside. When you take the glass off, you can hear it roaring/whining. I'm betting the fan will die before the LED burns out. Need to keep an ear out for that in case the fan stops one day to fix it before the thing melts or quits. Probably easy enough to open the coin door and check for the fan noise, just need to remember the projector power or the node board is interlocked with the coin door switch, so nothing is projected with the coin door open.

I doubt the "projection mapping" is done by the projector. It is just projecting video of the drive-in surrounded by ramp and target graphics and the spike2 hardware probably shifts/rotates each graphic around individually and sends that corrected video to the projector.

#14629 1 year ago

As far as the keystone setting, I don't think they worry about that. When shifting/rotating the center drive-in graphic around it appears a bit taller on the right due to the projection angle.

The poster that purchased the S6000 projector online a few months ago noted their firmware did not 'auto power on' and they needed to select the 'input signal' each startup with the remote if I recall correctly.

2 weeks later
#14774 1 year ago
Quoted from blizz81:

It’s the guide that the ball rides out from the mystery post.

Is that issue on the pro only?

1 week later
#14867 1 year ago
Quoted from cleland:

No sound mod for LE/Premium users and 1.05. Straight from the developer.

No worries, enjoying 1.02 and someday they will get the tool sorted out.

#14881 1 year ago
Quoted from Xdetroit:

I can get it often with my machine.

17min mark is one.

#14899 1 year ago
Quoted from haveaniceswim:

Sorry I'm a little slow. So I should NOT load the May 20 version of the Premium sound mod 1.05?

Correct. The editing tool is not compatible with premium/LE v1.05 yet so stick with 1.02 for now.

#14928 1 year ago
Quoted from Makarov:

Playing some stranger things pinball, with a new season and a long weekend, it doesn't get better than this.

Fitting in some Dead by Daylight with Johnathan, Nancy, Steve, and the Demogorgon between episodes as well.

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#14950 1 year ago
Quoted from gumnut01:

I Could always remove the post ….

That would be a bummer. No staging the ball during animations or staging the ball momentarily during MB to rip some unblocked shots.

#14971 1 year ago

Grabbed a glow Demogorgon and Eleven toy from Target. The glow effect of the Demogorgon really sucks. Kept it under a bright lamp for a few minutes and there was barely any glow in pitch black.

Checked it to see if it was UV reactive but nothing. The strap holding it in the box was the only part that glowed with UV. Tried the Eleven toy with UV and the white socks and collar glowed. Guess if you painted the Demogorgon, you could make it UV reactive.

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The pet store did have some fun STh doggie toys. Need to see some dog pics with the Ahoy hat!

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#15018 1 year ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

i'm really nervous about what happens to the game's value if/when the projector bricks

Projectors on route are on all day, every day and were not getting reports of failures, so in home use I wouldn't worry.

#15087 1 year ago
Quoted from gumnut01:

Does anyone know the part number for the deflector. I scratched mine a bit. Can’t find it in the manual or pinball life.

They call the assembly the 'left eject' in the coil list, but the left eject is not shown in the part list for the premium or pro.

#15107 1 year ago

When they walk through the underground lab in episode 5, you can see a vintage scanning electron microscope on the left. My day job is leaking over into Stranger Things now!

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#15122 1 year ago
Quoted from Sinistarrett:

So with that projector, it looks as though s6000 pico projectors are available from a few places around 250 bucks, looks identical. Could one of these work, or is there firmware in the stern projectors themselves?

Firmware. This one auto-turns on when connected to power and auto selects HDMI input with no menus. I believe others got the projector from online to work but needed to turn it on and select HDMI with a remote if I recall correctly.

#15124 1 year ago

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#15126 1 year ago
Quoted from Agent_Hero:

Is there anything beyond basic achievements planned for this title?

Gomez was on SAPS podcast saying there was more coming for IC. Probably leaderboards and ability play against others head to head?

#15143 1 year ago

My STh cab is super snug, and I have a pretty hard time sliding in the glass the first 1/2 of the way. I doubt art blades would be a good idea in my case.

#15191 1 year ago
Quoted from elin:

machine will randomly play the 'electricity' sound whenever the machine shakes hard enough?

Sounds like the switch needs adjustment, which is a fairly common thing on any pins. Open the diagnostics - switch test, and shake the machine or knock on the playfield and confirm which it is and activate it with your finger to confirm it is the same on shown in the switch test. You can check on youtube about adjusting a standup target, which is easy.

#15202 1 year ago

Anyone with premium/LE noticed the reported issue of the projector being darker after installing 1.05?

#15207 1 year ago
Quoted from Ashram56:

Ah so it's not only my imagination

To clarify, I have not installed 1.05 yet, just asking if anyone has seen that since I read about it last month. (Maybe you mentioned it before?)

#15230 1 year ago
Quoted from mattosborn:

I just did an A/B test between versions 1.02 and 1.05. I see absolutely no difference in the projector. Looks exactly the same. So, I’m thinking your problem lies elsewhere.

Thanks for checking that! The projector has a mechanical focus dial that is touchy, so maybe is just got bumped out of focus and needs a tweak. (I was the second owner on my premium and mine was out a bit, but has been fine since I corrected it.)

2 weeks later
#15331 1 year ago
Quoted from mbl1116:

may actually have to add money to that deal

3 premiums sold on Pinside in 2022 so far. 12750, 13500, and 14000.

#15394 1 year ago
Quoted from mbl1116:

Here’s the culprit. Loud click as the light flashes blue. Updated iCloud link with another video. What am i looking at here?

That blue thing is a relay which is probably used to power the white GI on/off or the purple GI on/off. Relays make a click noise, but I suspect the issue is your GI or whatever should not be turning on and off constantly. For example the white GI turns off during the upside-down, but not normally clicking on/off/on/off forever.

It seems that some data cable or lose connecter is picking up noise and making that relay fire when it shouldn't.

EDIT - good point above, that appears to be a MOD, and not stock.

#15420 1 year ago
Quoted from ticktockman:

Got a deal on a Premium with UV kit, topper, shaker, shooter rod and side blades for $10,500. Not sure if I can take it as I was just invoiced for my Godzilla today.

Stern is pumping out Godzilla and there are plenty around so I would pass on that and grab the STh.

2 weeks later
#15669 1 year ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

and whoever gets the high score that day gets more points.

That is a very poor tournament strategy.

You play in a one time match against the other players who each pick a strategy and may or may not be successful. You are constantly evaluating your strategy / risk / reward / wizard mode/ vs a safe solid score.

Player one may save their 'bomb' + multiball start + mode start + playfield multiplier + shot multiplier, and focus on just getting everything lit without starting them, just to get things set for huge jackpots and "do the thing", and end up draining out with a miserable score.

Player two may go straight to start a multiball for example without stacking anyting just so they can use the ball saver to rip some spinners and put up some decent points to avoid getting last in the 4some.

Player three sees this a says uhh boy.. I got one guy who is trying to "shoot the moon" but might fail, and I got one guy who is going for the low hanging fruit and putting up decent points.... WHAT DO I DO??

Trust me, you have to survive a lot of matches to reach the finals in a pinball tournament and often it's not huge scores that get you there, but instead it requires playing smart and not finishing last in any of your rounds.

A simple Stranger Things example - I avoid the upside-down mode drop targets due to risk of draining in tournament play, but if I only need 7 million points to catch the leader, blast those drop targets and turn around and tell the other player 'good game pal'.

#15675 1 year ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

there is almost always 1 best tournament strategy for a game

Lol, I don't think you are playing on the same routed pins I'm playing on, but I get your point.

3 weeks later
#15893 1 year ago
Quoted from Carls83:

'The projectors them selves don't really go bad or break. What does deteriorated more than a projector is the PCB power supply for the projector. '

So it's just powered by +5v USB like a phone? Seems easy enough to work around if the supply dies.

Untitled (resized).jpgUntitled (resized).jpg

#15940 1 year ago
Quoted from DaddyManD:

I decided to go with a blacklight/UV reactive pink color and could not be happier with the effect! Fits the game just right!

Blacklight pink wins the internet!!

shadow-shadow-monster.gifshadow-shadow-monster.gif

2 weeks later
#16054 1 year ago

Fun list of Stern codenames here: (was the codename for Godzilla ever determined?)

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/codenames-master-list

#16063 1 year ago
Quoted from movingpictures:

Does anyone have a copy of V1.05.0 code for Stranger Things Pro?

The new code has been causing random reboots on my non-insider connected machine.

It has been reported that the latest code update for insider connected that added 'home team' has been causing occasional lockups on many titles. I imagine they will send another code update at some point.

#16077 1 year ago
Quoted from maxharvard:

Can anyone explain to me why my saucer hits (with Demogorgan ready and red arrow lit) will give me the EB/Demodog/Mystery target instead of the Demogorgan? I have hit the saucer twice and got the EB/DD target both times... Demogorg hit on the 3rd successful saucer hit.

Also FYI -

It may be the opto for the center lane shot is not working and needs alignment or cleaning. When the ball enters the mystery area, those switches award Mystery/EB/Dogs, but if the ball passes the center lane opto first, it awards a center shot and ignores the mystery switches.

Go to switch test and confirm if switch 74 is working reliably when rolling a ball up the center and through. Switch 74 opto is just before the gate mentioned above.

You can read the details of switch 74 on page 15 of the manual.

#16107 1 year ago
Quoted from maxharvard:

, does anyone have a list of changes?

The readme links are there on the download page. Looks an update to fix the intermittent resets that came with the last version of code for all spike2 pins.

Here are the changes for 1.07:

LE/PRE V1.07.0 - September 8, 2022
=====================

- Updated to System V3.22.0 and SPIKE OS V2.7.0
- Corrected potential game reset issue.
- When entering a WiFi password, the previous characters will be displayed as an asterisk.
The WiFi password will be displayed as all asterisk when entering the setup screens or
scanning the WiFi setup QR code.
- Added Service Menu Tech Alert when weak signal strength is detected. The signal strength
and SSID will be displayed. An average signal strength < 40 is considered weak. A weak
WiFi signal may contribute to a slower or inconsistent connection which may effect the abilty
to login or download software updates. Signal strength can be improved by the use of an
inexpensive WiFi extender. A wired Ethernet connection can also be used in cases where WiFi
signals are problematic.
- Added Standard Adjustment "ENABLE HOME TEAM IN COINPLAY", default value of NO.
Setting this to YES will allow Insider Home Team to be available for machines not
set to Free Play. Normally "USE INSIDER HOME TEAM" is only available in Free Play
mode. Many home players, who choose to use their game in Coin Play, have requested
the ability to enjoy Home Team! Setting this this adjustment to YES will default the Home
Team Guest Retention to Never. If you wish a different setting you will have update that
adjustment after enabling Home Team in CoinPlay. Home Team is not available for machines
registered to a Pro account operating in a commercial environment.
- Added Standard Adjustment "REMOVE FRACTIONAL CREDITS". Values are:
"NEVER" and "AFTER X MINUTES IDLE", where X is between 30 and 240.
The default value is "NEVER". If the game is idle (no coin or flipper
switch activity in attract mode) for X minutes, any fractional credits will
be removed. Whole credits will NOT be removed.
- Added Standard Audit "FRACTIONAL CREDITS REMOVED", which will track the number of
fractional credits that have been removed when the game was idle.
- Changed the default value for Insider Connected Software Update to "Install updates automatically".

#16110 1 year ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

is Corrected Potential Game Reset Issue the send it back bug?

No, the last update which added insider connected 'home team' was causing all the stern spike2 pins to reset randomly, so it looks like this fixes that.

#16140 1 year ago

I cleaned up my left ramp, diverter, and back wall with some Novus 1 since it the TK lock was getting lazy like mentioned before. That REALLY speed it up and got the TK lock working reliably again.

I then wiped down the playfield with Novus and now it plays CRAZY fast and I feel like I'm training for the Olympics trying to get the ball under control.

1 week later
#16234 1 year ago
Quoted from Carls83:

doesn't light up those lights on the playfield

Before you start a game do those lights flash on and off with all the other playfield lights or are they never coming on?

#16273 1 year ago
Quoted from Razzz:

What modern Stern

I can't get enough of TWD pro, so I recommend that. Games are brutal and short to go with STh longer play, and both have fun cleland code available.

Try Godzilla, AIQ, and TWD and some others and get what seems fun.

#16301 1 year ago
Quoted from cfh:

According to Terry there is no firmware in the project. That it's a "dumb" device. Just turn it on, and it projects whatever is fed to it. And when he ordered projectors from Stern, they did NOT come with a micro SD card.

Thanks for sharing!

It was posted before that those who purchased the s6000 from 'non-stern' sources had issues like it did not automatically power on and did not automatically select the video input each time they turned on the pin. Maybe they were mistaken or spreading bad info??

SD card? Never noticed any slot. It plays video from the external input so why would it need an SD card?

#16302 1 year ago

Also..

I see the M4 DLP projector has a bulb life of 20,000 hours. That's a 2.28yrs if you keep it on 24x7, so those on route will fail at some point.

No bulb life listed for the s6000. I know several still working on route since new, so not worried about my HUO. They are factory sealed, but I wonder if someone clever will come up with a bulb replacement service in the future?

For inputs on the s6000 they list:
1. HDMI port: projectors generally always have VGA ports and you might find a range of other options, but if you are using it for games and movies then you will want an HDMI port
Yes, Haiway pocket projector S6000 with HDMI port gives what you want
2. USB port: useful option for some people, especially in the business world, is USB port that can handle a flash drive, because handy way to carry a presentation
3. With Password Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi support can be very useful for streaming from all sorts of modern devices, so you do not have to plug in directly

#16314 1 year ago

Received the Stranger Things arcade cabinet pencil holder for my B-day. It's adorable and holds pencils. Keep it in mind for a fun gift!

IMG_1863 (resized).jpgIMG_1863 (resized).jpg

#16321 1 year ago
Quoted from jonnyqtrek:

Time to start reading from the beginning... I've made it as far as page 6... Here we go...

Welcome to the club! When I get a new pin, I just go through the owners club thread photo gallery to see images of repairs, mods, adjustments, etc. When I see an interesting photo, I click the bottom and open that post in a new window to get the details.

Final pin you will buy?? I see you have Star Trek which they made a ton of, so don't be afraid to let it go someday since it is reasonable to assume they will always be around.

#16338 1 year ago

When I google: s6000 portable mini projector, I see several Chinese electronics web pages showing it in stock.

www.lyoutdoorstore.com has it for $250 with free 3 day shipping (apparently from a US warehouse). Someone give it a try since the above post indicates it should work. (It was previously posted that someone ordered one online and it did not work, but perhaps they had the coin door open which disables the projector?)

#16355 1 year ago
Quoted from cfh:

are you sure that a s6000 projector bought from other sources will not work in the Stern stranger things pinball? because talking to Terry

I believe they posted that their externally sourced s6000 worked but it did not auto power on and did not auto select the HDMI port. So it was assumed that Stern used custom firmware, but it sounds like that is not that case. Like I said, maybe they had the coin door open which disables the projector and were just mistaken??

It was the alternate projectors that they found locally that they could not get them to work at all. Maybe coin door open also or some other compatibility issue.

Edit -
This post states they connected a monitor to the hdmi cable and saw the projector video on the monitor with no issue:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stranger-things-club-join-our-party/page/304#post-6974891

#16377 1 year ago
Quoted from icyjones:

I am a new premium owner, so I am by no means steeped in projector lore yet. However, I found it interesting that you could change the x axis, y axis, and rotation of the image in the settings of the machine. If HDMI only is heading to a "dummy" projector, I wonder how this is working.

This is all done by the spike CPU board. Each separate graphic is shifted and rotated, etc and sent out as a combined complete video image to the projector. As mentioned before if you plug the HDMI cable in to a monitor you see all the graphics for each section on the monitor the same way they are projected on to the targets. No special projector firmware required for that.

1 week later
#16467 1 year ago
Quoted from NoSkills:

I’d love a LotR but not being able to bump up a ball save might make it too quick for guests, unless I’m wrong on that?

Standard adjustment 38 "freeze time" is the ball saver on LotR. It's a title that newbs love in my lineup.

#16485 1 year ago

Magnet lock never gets old.

Quoted from Utesichiban:

the projector is so small and blurry

There is a focus knob.

#16497 1 year ago

I figured I would record the advertised specs of the original S6000 mini projector here in case the online info goes away at some point we can refer to this (there is also some mention of wifi support with password 12345678 and 90min battery life but maybe that is another S6000 variant for phone screen sharing?):

Brand HaiWay,
Model S6000,
Projection Technology DLP,
Native Resolution FWVGA (854x480),
Supported Resolution 1080P (1920x1080),
Input Voltage(V) 5V,
Brightness(Lumens) 50lumens equal to led 1500lumens,
Brightness Range 1000 to 1999 Lumens,
Aspect Ratio 4:3, 16:10 and native 16:9,
Contrast Ratio 1000 : 1,
OSD Languages English,Czech,Arabic,Hungarian,Polish,Dutch,Russian,Danish,Vietnamese,Portuguese,Norwegian,Thai,Italian,Swedish,Spanish,Finnish,Japanese,German,Greek,Turkish,French,Romanian,Chinese,
Projection Screen Size (inch) 10~150,
Projection Distance (m) 0.5~3,
Throw Ratio Range 1000 : 1,
Lens manual lens,
Video Formats MP4,RMVB,RM,MPEG,MOV,AVI,
Audio Formats WAV,WMA,MP3,
Picture Formats JPG,GIF,BMP,JPEG,
Connectors USB,HDMI Input,DC,SD Card Slot,
Speakers Included Yes, built-in,
Lamp Type LED,
Lamp Life (Hours) 20000,
Power Consumption (W) 8,
Digital Keystone Correction ±30°,
Projector Type Home Theater Projector,
Connectivity Technology Wired & Wireless,
Color Black,
Dimension(cm) 8.5*8.5*1.65cm,
Net Weight(kg) 0.135kg,
Features Mini,DLP,Wireless,HD,Portable,

#16499 1 year ago
Quoted from blizz81:

Anything driving that market?

A portable projector with wifi (DLNA) to stream video from your phone or PC same as you can stream over wifi to a smart TV. Easy to travel with when giving presentations or just watch a movie on something larger then your phone screen, etc.

1 week later
#16527 1 year ago
Quoted from rx2006je:

I tested from the connector to the coil and I get continuity on both lines on both coils. I have no game errors. No clue what to do.

Does the reset coil work in coil test mode? (make sure the coin door is closed or interlock is pulled when testing coils)

#16532 1 year ago
Quoted from rx2006je:

No it does not

Maybe there is a fuse on the node board for that coil?? Maybe a loose connection at the node board? (im just guessing at this point) I'm not familiar but if there are other identical node boards, you can swap them around as a test. When you move each to/from a different position, you need to change the dip switches on each node board that identifies where it is being used.

#16564 1 year ago

The manufacturer advertises 20,000hr bulb life. If I play STh 4hrs a week, that's 96yrs.

On route would be a different story, however the 2 LE I know on route are still working.

#16569 1 year ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

So having a backup unit or implementing some kind of active cooling to reduce temps in the casing seems important.

Cooler is always better. The projector does have a little fan inside that you can easily hear running if you open the coin door with the interlock pressed.

Just thinking .. how would I know if the fan stopped or was clogged? The focus changes over the first 2min as the projector and lenses warm. If the fan needed attention and the projector was running hot, I might notice some focus change and soft image so that is one thing for owners to watch for and be aware of!

#16601 1 year ago
Quoted from TeeJayN:

While I was able to get the new projector to display the Stranger Things video perfectly, it was not automatic:

Thanks for chiming in. It sounds like there is an "industrial/commercial version" that is a dumb projector and "consumer version" for travel use with phones and wifi streaming.

How to make the consumer version work? Perhaps a little addon box that pulses the power on/off and has an IR blaster that sets the projector to hdmi or maybe the IR blaster can turn the projector on and set it to hdmi?

Edit -
looking at the online manual it appears the IR remote can be used to turn it on off.
https://fccid.io/2AF6A-S6000/User-Manual/User-manual-2974196.html

#16616 1 year ago
Quoted from cfh:

the original s6000 does *not* have wifi.

This link says otherwise. I'm sticking to my guess that there is a commercial version and a consumer version.

https://fccid.io/2AF6A-S6000/User-Manual/User-manual-2974196.html

edit - when I look closer, that appears the be the M4 shown with the lens on the left and more square shape in the manual.

I wonder if he can post a photo of the projector he has.

#16632 1 year ago
Quoted from Flipper_Ripper:

A projector that's going for 600 right now and adding prem code to a Pro.

It was posted that does not work. There is something special about the premium/LE CPU board done at the factory to enable the video output.

You would also need a modified apron. Screen material installed. Secure projector mounting hardware. 5v supply. Power and video cables.

#16682 1 year ago

Pinside owners numbers show: 393 pros in pinsiders collections and 352 on route. (typically the number on route is a fraction of the number in collections) Clearly it's popular on route.

It's difficult to vault STh without an overhaul since it's stuck in S01/02 from 2016/2017.

To update it you would make new modes for current seasons which means:
-updated art with Vecna, etc and new modes listed on inserts.
-new code for new modes
-new animations and clips for new modes
-new callouts for new modes
-new sound FX for new modes
-new music for new modes
-new lightshow for new modes
-new achievements
(shaker code, topper code, UV code.. I'm probably forgetting some stuff)
-licensor approval

Dwight mentioned in the past in a interview when asked how hard would it be to add a mode to the interviewers favorite pin, his answer listed the items like above to make it clear what a huge task it would be just to go back and add a mode to a modern pin.

#16685 1 year ago
Quoted from mstang01:

But if that was their intention any time soon they wouldn’t have archived it.

Yup, and looking at the Stern Historic Price thread, they have not done any vaults since 2018. (Star Trek VE and AC/DC VE) Makes sense if they have backorders for current titles, no need to renew old licenses.

#16695 1 year ago
Quoted from jonnyqtrek:

is it an opto within the drop target bank?

The manual (page 48) shows the drop assy has a 4 opto board.

I guess step 1 is clean up the optos with a Q-tip and check the connections and make sure the flag is present on the drop.

The opto board is: 520-5252-14 OPTO PCB, RT ANG CONN, 4-BANK DT

These guys sell a repro:

https://pinballreplacementparts.com/products/copy-of-quad-drop-target-opto-board-replacement-for-stern-520-5252-14

This one has a different PN but claims to fit STh:

https://littleshopofgames.com/shop/boards/stern-boards/4-bank-opto-interrupter-board-assembly-for-stern-pinball-machine-520-5252-04/

#16726 1 year ago

nm

#16745 1 year ago
Quoted from billsfanmd:

Best price on lit Dice shooter?

I like the D20 shooter rod by Hooked. Does not light up but feels smooth and is not as large as the lighted Stern D20. $65

https://www.hookedonpinball.com/store/p215/Stranger-Things-Pinball-Mod-Die-Shooter-Rod.html#/

Stern lit D20 in stock: $189

https://pinballpro.net/shop/stranger-things-lighted-shooter-rod-stern/

#16777 1 year ago
Quoted from flipperstick:

any thoughts on why the topper would stop working? My recent changes made were the Stern pull and the medisinyl mod.

Check all the topper interface connections.

#16791 1 year ago
Quoted from NoSkills:

Sometimes I get a few seconds ball save and I don't know why, do some modes have a ball save at the start?

Nothing by default and no ball save for kickouts listed in the manual. Maybe an option added after the manual was released. Take a look in the settings or reset them.

1 week later
#16867 1 year ago
Quoted from smollig:Would some mylar to cover it do the trick or should I do more?

I recommend all owners mylar:
Around the saucer edge
Behind the saucer edge
Shooter lane
Drain edge

Also keep an eye on the drop target edges and the factory mylar where the ramp comes down.

#16883 1 year ago
Quoted from nzwiefka:

Anyone know if this is intentional?

Yes.

During Demogorgon Modes, the action button flashes red, and pressing the button will use up the Demogorgon Bomb. Only one Demogorgon Bomb is given per game, and using it will kill the currently active Demogorgon for a reduced value. This also locks in the jackpot value during the two multiball Demogorgon Modes, and does not reduce the Super Jackpot value during those modes.

http://tiltforums.com/t/stranger-things-rulesheet/6093#heading--demogorgon

1 week later
#16937 1 year ago

Yup, I wrapped the rusty legs of my Fishtales bright orange. 10' x 1' of automotive vinyl from ebay is enough for 4 legs and looks great.

I have never seen a lockdown bar that looked good wrapped until the one above. Usually, large wrinkles around the ends can't be avoided.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fish-tales-casters-club/page/20#post-3512631

1 week later
#16994 1 year ago

George Gomez spoke about stranger things on the recent 'just another pinball podcast' episode 35 [12/26/22] at the 49min mark.

Joel asked about the stranger things projector and the novelty of the projection mapping. Will you do it again?

George noted that STh kills on location and is one of their best earning games. He noted that Brian, Lonnie, and Mike V did an amazing job with what at they had to work with. (Inferring the assets were limited?)

He noted STh is difficult to manufacture. He noted premiums are in demand and "you may see those again, and if we ever revisit that we could do a better job with the TK lock, since they struggled to get consistent performance with the lock". (TK Lock 2.0? Can I swap it with my TK lock 1.0?)

George noted they went through many iterations of projectors to perfect those and working out the mounting, etc. was a ton of work, and the projectors have been working reliably, and they had more issues with the TK lock.

As far as using the projector or UV lights on future titles, he noted they were integrated into the stranger things theme, and they don't fit with other themes so no plans to use those on new titles.

- George is a designer/dreamer so I would not read too much into his 'we may make more'. (Maybe Netflix will decide to drop some zeros off their licensing fee? LOL) Earlier in the interview when talking about 007, they talked about bill of materials and how the licensing does not affect the BOM but is a cost added on to final price. Considering that statement, a STh vault edition would be pretty pricey if it happened.

2 weeks later
#17068 1 year ago
Quoted from Dan1733:

are the UV kits still available? i looked around the internet without success

They are a commodity now. Flip N Out pinball has a pro UV kit listed in their vault for $899.

#17089 1 year ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Anyone have a UV plastic set they wish to sell? Or a spare -05 UV plastic?

That plastic is under a ramp and nobody is looking at the plastics in the brief UV mode so if you just used the original there, nobody would ever know.

#17092 1 year ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

The broken part is the tab on the top that is slightly behind the scoop weldment, making it even harder to see the broken part.

You could also just put it back together with clear packing tape on the front and back side and that would do.

#17099 1 year ago
Quoted from Edenecho:

suddenly it is autoplunged

or magnetized balls causing issues with the trough switches.

or shooter lane switch is not fully being pressed, making it think the ball was plunged already.

1 week later
#17154 1 year ago
Quoted from NoSkills:

drop target springs

Each supplier tries to stock something equivalent to the original. Where did you buy those?

1 week later
#17179 1 year ago
Quoted from Gutterghoul:

Jiminy Christmas, just put in the stern art blades, and has added more light then my stadium lights did! Might take them out now, whatever they coated the blades in is super super reflective

Those sling spot lights aimed at the player seem like a bigger issue. Are the art blades that distracting? I have not installed mine yet.

1 week later
#17198 1 year ago
Quoted from Gutterghoul:

Jiminy Christmas, just put in the stern art blades, and has added more light then my stadium lights did! Might take them out now, whatever they coated the blades in is super super reflective

Just installed my Stern art blades and can confirm there is a lot of glare from the GI off the art blades.

1 week later
#17271 1 year ago
Quoted from gnjax:

I tried for hours to adjust mine following both the stern pdf and advices on this thread but still can't get it to work more than 10% of the time.

The biggest aspect of getting the TK lock working for me was wiping down the ramp, diver, and backboard with Novus1. The ball travels twice as fast after doing that, and for sure it is not going to reject. 4 months later when the ramp gets slow again, get the Novus1 out again.

#17275 1 year ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Couple waves of that, and you’re in the money.

...and prem/LE owners make sure you have a ball in the TK lock before shooting up the middle to start Trap 'Em so you can swipe a ball to extend the mode when one drains out.

1 week later
#17300 1 year ago
Quoted from Pinash:

My Morse code insert is always dimly lit. I’ve swapped the 3-led boards around, and the issue stays at that location (does not follow the board). I’ve done a quick trace of the wires and don’t see any obvious damage or shorts. I don’t have a lot of experience troubleshooting lighting in Spike 2, so any tips are appreciated!

I assume that LED is driven by a nearby node board which is letting too much voltage leak through in the off state. Adding some extra resistance in series with the LED should correct the issue, such as 100ohm resistor added to the wire going to that specific LED.

There are some spike2 node board discussion and repair threads, you could ask there for a second opinion and more details.

(the Morse Code on my premium is normal)

1 week later
#17338 1 year ago
Quoted from SonOfaDiddly:

the article is covering an old interview, you realize, right? this isn't new, and he hasn't said anything about it twice, but hope springs eternal I suppose

He said the "probably" "maybe" quote on this weeks 'free play pinball podcast' interview. Months ago, he said "if we did" we would need to revisit the TK lock mech.

Gary used to be the salesman bullshitter, now George is picking up the torch, so who knows. Everyone that interviews him asks about STh vault which brings listens to their podcast and George feeds the fire so all the Pinsiders will keep listening to him talk for 90min about the latest game on the line in case there is any mention of an STh vault.

There is a whole thread dedicated to the speculation if you're interested.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stranger-things-vault-is-it-coming

#17348 1 year ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

Had a problem on my STh last night. During multiball, 4 balls were sent behind the demogorgan area and were stuck behind the uppost.

Replace the balls if they are magnetized.

I try not to turn the pin off with a ball stuck to the wall in the TK lock to prevent early magnetization. (even though it looks cool.)

1 week later
#17401 1 year ago
Quoted from NC_Pin:

Super common… but very disappointing

The OP is not talking about the saucer chipping.. there is giant chip in the art by the target on this pro!

OP - How many plays on the pin? (I'm guessing not too many since the targets don't show wear.)
What is the manufacture date printed on the back of the cabinet? Any date stamped on the end of the playfield?

2023-03-30_10-41-47 (resized).jpg2023-03-30_10-41-47 (resized).jpg

#17404 1 year ago
Quoted from blizz81:

I guess is that where the ball lands coming out of the saucer?

I think your right.. you can see the black lines on the right side of the chip that appears to be typical wear marks from a ball kickout.

#17426 1 year ago

.. and if your in a multiball, you often get add-a-ball for the mystery award.

Speaking of crashes.. When the phone rings I open the coin door and use the coin door ball saver, but if a ball is locked or at a saucer or up post, then it usually loses track of those balls. Last time I checked, it even seemed confused with no balls locked when I came back to resume my game.

It's like it ball searched (with coils off) and screws you when you close the coin door to resume.

Coin door ball saver seems to work fine on all my other new and old Sterns.

#17441 1 year ago
Quoted from PinPickle:

Had a chance to visit the Stranger Things Experience in Toronto

DOH!! I was working in Toronto last week! There is a tentative plan to visit that office again this spring, so I might make it. The ticket calendar shows tickets available up to June 11, so I assume that's when it closes down.

Is it the same as the Universal Studios Stranger Things Halloween from years ago in this vid?

(Funny, the universal haunted house uses the same callouts as the pin! Those must be the only clips that they allow anyone to use.)

#17451 1 year ago
Quoted from gk_usa:

With factory settings I have balls flying from the left ramp to the right ramp.

Yup, the ball screams around the left ramp on my premium also, which helps get the ball up the diverter for the TK lock.

When lock is not lit the ball is sometimes going so fast that that it passes above the opto on its way back to the inlane. It's always fastest right after cleaning/waxing the ramp with novus1. I get an occasional air ball like yours right after cleaning.

That is with the flipper power turned from default 255, down to 230. I could probably lower it a bit more. I also have to pay attention to the Demogorgon shot accuracy when changing that.

You can try lowering your flipper power which has lots of benefits. (less airballs, less wear and tear on everything, less bricked drop targets, etc.)
Feature Adjustment #88 is left flipper power and #89 is right flipper power.
While your there set the trough eject to the minimum to reduce wear on the shooter lane. (Feature Adjustment #85 - trough eject power)

2 weeks later
#17533 12 months ago
Quoted from robotron911:

the flippers are grossly over-powered

Feature Adjustment 88 left flipper power (default 255)
Feature Adjustment 89 right flipper power (default 255)

I have both flippers lowered to 230. They still make the TK lock and demogorgon shot and lower power means less heating up which reduces the flipper fade on long games.

2 weeks later
#17559 11 months ago
Quoted from Schwaggs:

While you are checking mylar - check the piece where the ball hits the playfield as it exits the left scoop.

I don't recall seeing any factory mylar where the saucer kicks out on my premium. I plan to add some after seeing how that one weird playfield chipped right there.

2 weeks later
#17577 10 months ago

7 and 3/8 inches.

IMG_2797 (resized).jpgIMG_2797 (resized).jpg

#17584 10 months ago
Quoted from MasterBlaster:

Chonky saucer lane at 500 plays. Gonna have to get some Mylar or sumpin in there zippy zap.
Bound to happen…the sides are just too thin and probably vibrating against the metal and/or catching on the metal.

What sides? What metal? I have 1500 plays and no sign of any mark there.

#17587 10 months ago
Quoted from Soundkillr:

Pretty sure this is just the way they look.

Ahh.. we are seeing the top of the next layer of plywood.

#17604 10 months ago

You can imagine that if the cost to renew the license is so high that there is minimal profit to build them, it makes sense for Stern to focus on other licenses.

It could also be that the license is off the market for any number of licensing, ownership, marketing, likeness, and rights reasons.

It's all reading between the lines on what the issue is.

#17607 10 months ago
Quoted from pinner11:

Anyone ever remove the decal from the center ramp and reuse it?

Pinball life has projector decals for the premium/LE, but I see you have a pro. Not sure about a building decal.

I guess you need this kit, but none in stock:
https://littleshopofgames.com/shop/decals/decals-playfield-ramp/stranger-things-pro-replacement-decal-set-for-stern-pinball-machine-802-5000-q1/

#17617 10 months ago
Quoted from tgarrett09:

When you complete a set of drop targets and it wants you to shoot the center, are the drop target supposed to continuously pop up and down?

Nope. Go to the switch test in the diagnostics menu. Start with the drop targets up and knock them down one at a time and see if the 4 switches show their off/on status changing. That is an easy place to start. It may be something as simple as a loose connector.

#17624 10 months ago
Quoted from Don44:

Any chance Stern will make more kits?

The UV kit includes plastics with likeness of the actors on them, so they can't make them until they work out a new license deal and it seems the license is currently not available or prohibitively expensive.

2 weeks later
#17662 10 months ago

Grabbed the Kenwood backbox speaker kit from pinball life with speakers/gaskets/plates/and colored trim rings for my premium. I chose purple trim rings for STh but they are too dark to see, so I painted the trim rings with florescent red paint. The red looked pink when wet and dried orange. When the UV lights blink for the start of the demogorgon mode, the paint really pops. (also added a new woofer) Loving the new look and sound.

Purple rings:
IMG_2908 (resized).jpgIMG_2908 (resized).jpg

Painted over florescent red:
IMG_2910 (resized).jpgIMG_2910 (resized).jpg

1 month later
#17724 8 months ago

... and the Premium/LE had a high BOM compared to other titles on the line. 17 coils, a motor, and a projector.

#17731 8 months ago

I am always cleaning dust off the glass, so I might give the duster a try, of coarse fingerprints and kitty footprints require some windex.

1 week later
#17808 8 months ago

The Christmas lights are a great touch!

2 weeks later
#17854 8 months ago

You can see the release and vault history in the historic price thread.

Ironman VE 2020 was the last actual 'vault'.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/sterns-game-release-history

#17860 7 months ago

Ever seen a STh pro with 86,366 plays? It's paid for itself many times over and is still earning. Every rookie that comes in has to play that title.

The drops had been disabled and stuck down for a while so that is part of the reason for the playfield damage behind those.

IMG_3230 (resized).jpgIMG_3230 (resized).jpg
IMG_3231 (resized).jpgIMG_3231 (resized).jpg
IMG_3232 (resized).jpgIMG_3232 (resized).jpg
IMG_3233 (resized).jpgIMG_3233 (resized).jpg
IMG_3234 (resized).jpgIMG_3234 (resized).jpg

#17868 7 months ago
Quoted from kciaccio:

They could throw back on the line in a minute if they wanted to.

Even if they did sort out the license issues, that's not how manufacturing works. STh has hundreds of unique parts and boards that aren't just sitting on the shelf between a pile of Godzilla ramps and Venom weldments.

1 week later
#17918 7 months ago

There is a guy on twitch currently trying to break the Guinness Book record for longest continuous pinball play. (currently record is 48hrs on The Beatles) He has a STh LE and a backup STh LE for playing on and will be attempting 50hrs with 5min/hr breaks that he can bank, etc.

https://www.twitch.tv/batcavepinball

Untitl1ed (resized).jpgUntitl1ed (resized).jpg

#17921 7 months ago
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:

He have Guinness observers and/or whatever else is needed for it to be official?

Yup all officially arranged with Guinness. He must have 2 witnesses at all times. They must record the score of each game and time, and the witnesses can only do 4hrs on 4hrs off shifts. So lots of friends signed up to witness all weekend.

He mentioned he could opt to have Guiness observers but would be required to pay for their travel and hotel, etc.

#17929 7 months ago
Quoted from Ive:

My forearms were soooo tired and aching.

Yup, my arms would ache by the 3rd day of a pinball show/tourney but over a period of 2 or 3 years, I built up enough stamina so that is no longer an issue.

In a couple weeks we have "Pinstock" in SC. - Three big tourneys in three days. Not a problem any more.

#17931 7 months ago
Quoted from PinPickle:

The left orbit (Lucas Bike) registers as a hit. Not the ramp.

Go to the switch test in the diagnostics and use your finger or a ball to test the switches on the ramp and see if they report correctly. Also knock on the playfield and see if any switches fire intermittently.

#17932 7 months ago

Drew and the primary STh LE held up well and we have a new Guiness Book record holder at 52hrs and still flipping.

hour52 (resized).jpghour52 (resized).jpg

EDIT -

Drew finished at 62HRS 20MIN. He was still playing and talking coherently and decided it was enough. Thanking all the volunteers from memory and nudging away and reading twitch chat. What a beast! Congrats to the new record holder and congrats on their STh LE playing without problems.

62 20 (resized).png62 20 (resized).png

3 weeks later
#17964 6 months ago
Quoted from gumnut01:

Can anyone help? Or maybe a photo underneath?

I checked the pro and premium manuals and the left saucer eject mech is not in there, but it is likely similar to other saucer ejects. Might be necessary to email Stern support for the part number you need.

1 week later
#17987 6 months ago

Yea, not many details. Gomez said he would like to revisit the TK lock design if they re-ran it. I am interested to see if that happened.

#18012 6 months ago
Quoted from VisitorQ:

Just figure I would stop by to say to all the owners, sorry for you loss.

Nothing lost if I'm not planning to sell.

2 weeks later
#18307 5 months ago
Quoted from StuckOnPins:

I want to trigger a relay that will turn the Blacklights in my room on at the same time.

You could make it work with a current clamp sensor. Make sure to get a DC type since most are for AC current detection.

example:

https://www.amazon.com/Current-Switch-Sensing-0-300A-Monitoring/dp/B09YNB2GZS/ref=asc_df_B09YNB2GZS/

#18347 5 months ago

Went to my local Spirit Halloween and noted they were not selling any STh items/costumes. That must be some expensive license.

#18382 5 months ago
Quoted from beltking:

dealer says "according to info that I was given, the old ones are obsolete and cannot be sourced.

You can compare that one to these old pics

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stranger-things-club-join-our-party/page/303#post-6971520

The original projectors have been overall reliable even on route where they are projecting all day every day. Seems it will last a long time in the home environment. Even though they are reliable, some owners got concerned when the noted they were no longer in stock last year, and found the manufacturer no longer made that model, and there was a lot of chatter about 'what if'.
A bunch more stock was released, there was some price gouging, and many bought spare projectors, and Marco and other shops currently have the original available.
I should add that some tried to purchase originals from China, but they found they did not behave like the ones from Stern. They were a consumer version that you turned on with a remote, and needed to select HDMI input. It seems Stern is using an commercial or custom version that is just a dedicated projector with no remote required.

1 week later
#18439 5 months ago

Everyone says the shaker is not too active in STh. The premium has the demogorgon shaking, so that's enough for me.

#18441 5 months ago
Quoted from Pinchild:

It's a 100 item why not just add it?

We should ask Stern the same question.

#18563 5 months ago
Quoted from Lpilot1:

Is anyone else getting matches after every game and challenge mode?

That would be a great bug for games on route.

#18617 5 months ago
Quoted from schwts:

No premiums this week. Factory Friday show Godzilla premiums on the line

Florida distro says he will be getting his premiums this upcoming week. We will see.

I am looking forward to see what changes have been made to the finicky TK lock and Demogorgon shot.

#18668 4 months ago

Pinside_forum_7880860_0 (resized).jpgPinside_forum_7880860_0 (resized).jpg

#18732 4 months ago
Quoted from jackd104:

Looking for ideas for custom speaker ring & t-molding colors for STh premium. If you did something pls post a pic for inspiration.

I went with purple speaker rings, but that was too dark and was hard to notice.

I repainted them with UV red paint. WOW that looks cool. The UV red paint looks a bit orange and matches the color of the STh logo, and when the UV LEDs come on the speaker rings glow like fire.

The challenge was that I used simple UV red craft paint so it took a dozen+ coats, drying each with blow-dryer to get it to stick and fully cover the plastic rings even after sanding them.
uv red (resized).jpguv red (resized).jpg

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stranger-things-club-join-our-party/page/354#post-7633268

#18742 4 months ago
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:

this interest me and want to do it but would like to find a different type of paint to try to avoid that many coats...
did you find something better after this attempt?

You can find trim rings from various vendors such as Pinball Life or Speaker Light Kits which expands the color choices. Pink would look cool.

I noted when they are installed behind the grills, my coarse brush marks were totally hidden which lead me to the conclusion that home made rings would look fine behind the grills. You could use cardboard or some other material from the craft store to make your own trim rings that would be easier to paint.

I like the PBL Kenwood kits for all my spike2 pins:
https://www.pinballlife.com/kenwood-speaker-upgrade-kit-for-most-stern-spike-2-pro-premium-machines.html

FYI - I am also told there is special paint for smooth surfaces.

#18819 4 months ago
Quoted from ExSquid:

is there a " kids" setting

Feature adjustment #2 is Adult Mode: YES/NO

#18845 4 months ago
Quoted from MikeS:

7.5' tall and only $100

Regularly $400. Imagine having this in your yard and making those noises like a pack of hyenas for the whole month of October.

1 week later
#18973 4 months ago

New code for LE/Prem/Pro. Here are the release notes for the premium version:

LE/PRE V1.11.0 - November 30, 2023
=====================

- Added a "Telekinesis MAX balls allowed to lock" adjustment and supporting logic.
- Added logic to handle different default settings for "Telekinesis MAX balls allowed to lock".
- Added logic to handle different default settings for "Left Ramp Diverter Duty Time".
- Added logic to handle different default settings for "Right Flipper Power".
- Added logic to scale images/videos on the Projector "Drive-In" surface.
- Added logic to the Projector Test Diagnostic to scale the size of a projected image
on the "Drive-In" surface.
- Added power adjustments for the left ramp diverter. Default values remain the same
for existing games built prior to November 30th, default values have changed for games
built after November 30th, 2023.

- System Version 3.53
- Various behind the scenes improvements for correctness and performance.

#18987 4 months ago

- Added logic to handle different default settings for "Left Ramp Diverter Duty Time".

I am hoping this means the TK lock diverter time is shorter which would help prevent rejects from coming backwards down the left ramp and instead continuing forward to register a virtual lock more often.

1 week later
#19330 4 months ago
Quoted from ScottyC:

Found what looks like a pogo pin set screw in the cardboard box.. No clue if that goes in the game or just something extra

That is the new height adjuster for the demogorgon -

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stranger-things-club-join-our-party/page/381#post-7909016

#19423 4 months ago
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:

The flat plastic monsters look shitty. They should've sculpted those like they did with the heads in the Walking Dead topper.

Wonder what some off the shelf STh figures would look like inside the Stern topper?

1 week later
#20045 3 months ago

Maybe ~1hr to install the UV kit.

#20083 3 months ago
Quoted from Svenop:

I can see just the top of the demodog walking at the bottom of the target like it's setup too low

Yup, too low. I found on my 2020 Premium that the green squares were not accurate. I needed to adjust the projector then confirm the alignment of each element in game and go back and fine tune the green squares, which means somewhat misaligning the green squares, so each looked centered during play.

#20192 3 months ago

Someone else mentioned that their projector decal fell off the right standup target at the left ramp entrance.

Mine just fell off that specific target after replacing it once already on my '20 premium.

The auto plunge hits the drop targets and then hits that target on the side frequently. Looks like all the hits to the side of that raised decal tends to tear it off.

Maybe some mylar on the side of that target/decal will protect it. I might adjust the shooter aim a little too. Currently I get some ricochets off the target and the ball comes to a rest stuck on top of the drop targets.

#20379 3 months ago
Quoted from vintage4life:

Anyways having an issue with shots under the demagorgon. A lot of the times it will count it as a mystery shot. Any fix / adjustment for that?

Maybe the drops are a bit high or low when dropped and the ball bounces over those and passes over the opto for the under the demo shot. I have not messed with those, but I know it can be adjusted.

1 week later
#20602 3 months ago
Quoted from paynemic:

So that happened to me and it appeared to happen because the rivet for the standup protruded way farther than the others

The decal has is 2 pieces. A sticky cardboard spacer with a hole for the rivet head and a sticky projector decal that goes over that so normally the rivet head is no problem.

3 weeks later
#21064 71 days ago
Quoted from phlegmer:

it looks like he's not moving at all.

Only the Demogorgon on the premium shakes.

1 week later
#21274 59 days ago
Quoted from gliebig:

First shot to the burn it back shot on a new game is lighting xball. Is that correct?

By default it is set to auto difficulty. If it is collected, it gets harder the next game, or if not collected for a few games, it eventually gets easier. Some like to change this to a fixed setting for home use such as 10 burn it backs for an EB. (feature adjustment #25)

1 week later
#21458 52 days ago
Quoted from pineal:

i noticed a little chip in my clear. when i had the pf out to install art blades i went ahead and lifted the ball guide and installed a little mylar.

Also you can add a washer under the ball guide at the threaded mounting post to raise the end of the ball guide up enough to prevent playfield wear on any ball guide that gets hit a lot.

#21533 50 days ago
Quoted from blizz81:

It'd kind of be a bummer to buy a premium and end up disabling one of the two distinctive features (I don't really count the demogorgon shaking)

Swipe a ball is the 4th distinctive feature.

#21534 50 days ago
Quoted from beltking:

should auto focus. Mine did at least.

No autofocus. When you wiped the lens, you bumped the lens in to focus. (the focus slider moves the lens in/out to focus)

#21593 48 days ago
Quoted from kciaccio:

Can you use the premium kit on the pro?

It has been documented in old posts. You need a couple screws to attach a premium apron to a pro.

1 week later
#21954 35 days ago
Quoted from Stevemoerke:

The lab set is just killer!

My buddy has the lab set and I could take or leave it, but one thing that sticks out and draws my eye when I play is the orange glowing 'gateway' on the back board. I would be happy to just have that!

Pinside_forum_7055517_2989788 (resized).jpgPinside_forum_7055517_2989788 (resized).jpg

4 weeks later
#22337 7 days ago

The mode timer projected on the front of the left ramp is clutch when there is no time to look up at the display.

Regarding the Pro vs Premium - I love my premium but my buddy that hosts tournaments has a beautifully modded pro that is also awesome. (LE speakers and trim rings, Lab Kit, Purple armor, premium UV kit, etc) Pro v Prem is WIN/WIN in my opinion.

Anyone see the ABBA reveal video? Their take on the TK lock works fine.

abba tk lock (resized).jpgabba tk lock (resized).jpg

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