Does anyone have a link for the install instructiona for the 2 Niro ring and palantier mods? Checked his site but no luck.

https://www.2niro-pinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ring_lord_english.2pdf.pdf

https://www.2niro-pinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Palantir.pdf

My Christmas miracle came true today, with the delivery of my LOTR machine. All original, looking forward to adding some mods.

Thank you!

Pics or it never happened lol

Looks a little involved, how difficult was it? I guess mainly getting the cabling correct.

to install Palantir , you must follow the link below,
the first tutorial is for the V1 but good to install the sphere for V2
to connect electronics parts, there an onther video in french but easy to understand the process with the additional picture for the board which replaces the Z connector

https://www.2niro-pinball.com/palantir-lord-of-the-rings/1883/

Update on my issue, got a new dmd controller board, plugged it in and it’s working as it should again. Not sure why/how it happened and lost all my settings/scores but its up and running again. Thanks for the input

Started doing a little work on my newly acquired LOTR, how odd is it that everyone of the GI bulbs were burned out?

Not odd at all, especially if it was on location powered on for 12 hours a day and no maintenance ever done to it.

It was a HUO machine but the original owner never replaced the batteries. He took them out but never replaced them, so it seems logical he wouldn't replace burned out bulbs.

I was reading an old post in here about a habtrail mod? Would that help dial in the inner orbit shot?

I think the primary reason for that mod, was to reduce or eliminate the ball dropping on to the Arwen plastic from the POTD. Unless there is another mod to that rail, or the rail on the right side. There are a lot of mods for this machine, I can't keep up with them all, nor justify affording those I wouldn't mind having.

Weird, but it sounds like the original owner had the foresight to at least get the batteries out of there before they caused damage. Or maybe they were just lazy.

IDK

I guess I could understand not replacing burnt out bulbs, depending upon which bulb is burned out. Some of the bulbs on this game are very hard to get to, without disassembling significant areas that surround them.

Edit to add:

DarthPaul, are you going to put batteries back on the board, or go with NVRAM? My unsolicited advice would be to go the NVRAM route.

Such a fabulous machine
Mine is “bolted” to the floor

Making progress. My long & perilous quest continues.

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NVRAM is already in. The Pinsider I purchased the machine from, realized there was a problem because the machine wasn't saving "free play" and ordered an NVRAM for me. Problem is solved with the NVRAM installed.

As will mine be, right next to the Hobbit.

Nice! I have the precision flippers on mine too.
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Welcome to the Dark Side

The habit trails are the wireform ball returns on the ramps. So, no modification to them will help either of those things..

The common mod for the left habit trail is to fix the design flaw of the ball jumping out of it that necessitated the large square plastic near the left in/outlanes. You just add a brass rod to keep the ball on the return and to go into the inlane

Turned on my game and the sound is dead. Game plays perfect. Measured voltages and all are there and correct. Amplifier makes initial noise. I reset all Eproms and connectors. I pulled fuses and checked them. None blown. Speakers are still attached properly. I'm completely stumped. Anyone have a similar issue and possible fix? I've had this game since it was NIB in 2003. It's been HUO in my game room. I've had had pretty much no issues all of these years. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Don't want to assume any skill level here, but are you using batteries on your game? I'm assuming you very well know what alkiline batteries can do to boards over time..anyways, have you gone into the sound settings in the system to verify there are no sounds? Have you played with the volume controls in the coin door? Maybe the amp section on the audio board needs a recap? A hum suggests that it is still amplifiying, so I'm just throwing some potential food for thought here...Have you checked speaker connections? I believe it starts with one of the backbox speakers, then gets fed down to the woofer..see if any of those +/- leads have fallen off...good luck, hopefully someone else can chime in with better suggestions..I currently have a pinsound board in mine (hightlly suggested with different soundtracks/better sound etc).

I got the "full Niro" last week (palentir, baradur, and ring of fire)! Can't wait to get them installed after all this holiday craziness calms down.

what's the baradur mod? Dammit, I didn't need to know he had another mod..lol

Its the Eye of Sauron behind the baradur tower.

I'm getting ready to install some art blades. Any tips on installing on this machine? It doesn't look like the main set of wires disconnects from the playfield

I always use "the wet method" and have had good luck.

If you bought vinyl blades from Tilt or Pinball Graphix this is what I would recommend. If you are using older and thinner silly old elf blades I would not use this method.

Quick version: Unplug the machine, spray down the sides and back of the decal with windex, slide it until it is in the right spot, hold it down until it is firm and push out excess liquid.

Long version / don't believe me? I got my install method from this video.

I don't take my playfields out to install anymore.

I just did a set of Tilt graphic blades in another machine with the playfield in service position, dry. Just lightly tacked top in a few places, worked out air bubbles, was able to lift and reset a little bit. Worked fine. Was assuming that would work for my thinner silly old elf LOTR set as well? If not could go the painter’s tape and peel the backing route.

The sillyoldelf sideart is printed on real thin vinyl, much thinner than any other makes out there. Best way is to remove the playfield, as even wet it is very tough to get right. Once in it looks fantastic, however putting it in was a hassle. I've installed 10+ pieces of sideart and many cabinet's exterior vinyl, and sillyoldelf vinyl is the only one I've done twice due to the first set messing up....

All the wire harnesses are long enough for you to be able to take the entire playfield out of the cabinet and set it *face first* in front of the cabinet.

Just put the playfield on the service rail position and have a second person push down on the apron to pivot the entire pf out of the cabinet. Lean in, hold the top two edges taught and position them at the top edge. Use a rag to rub it down from the top down.

Okay... I've played around with my settings and am not sure if I have a switch broken or there is an option somewhere to start a game with the mode started on the first ball. You hit start and the first mode immediately starts.

Still loving this game. 2nd longest in my collection. My homemade flipper fans make a huge difference in playability and I can tell when they are having issues.

Can you please describe "face first" for me?

Thank you all for the suggestions. It looks like there are a lot of options.

I had a similar situation. Check the cables on the backboard right behind the tower.

Mine does this sometimes. The Balrog hit switch is a normally closed switch, meaning when you hit the Balrog the Balrog must move enough to open the switch. Mine was very insensitive, meaning you bash the Balrog and it doesn't register. I adjusted the switch to be more sensitive and that is when my issue of modes starting when beginning a game began. Since mine only does it occasionally I have chosen to live with it since my Balrog now registers every time it's hit.

Yup, mine used to do that with worn balrog wires. Balrog registers a hit when he moves at the start of a game which starts a mode. (software detects a balrog hit when it should be out of the way so it assumes he must be stuck in the way and awards a ring shot)

It never happens on the second game because the balrog is already open if you start another game quickly. I wondered for a long time why I only see it on the first game.

With the help of a friend, lift the playfield entire playfield up and over the front end of the machine. *Face First* would be the front end of the playfield sitting on the floor with the back end sticking up in the air. The Stern wiring harnesses are long enough that you do not have to unplug them when you do this.
Terry.

Is it just me that it seems like the instant info is wrong and practically useless on all the lotrs I’ve owned? I really want practical info that could help me on the quest to Valinor…

Is this the most Meched out stern game?

The perfect duo from the dmd era.

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Love love LOVE the Tron theme.... however.... if you swap Tron 2.0 for Metallica then I'm with you.

My good local buddy has the metallica its amazing too. thats my number 3 for the era haha

Well, #3 is obviously Spiderman then.. Still lurking here, like Golem..not sure why..maybe becuase I put so much effort into my pin..but sold it, and getting an Alien LV. I just didn't play LotR much after my collection grew. Different strokes..

Thank you! I'll use this method.

I just got a Spider-Man. I have to agree! Go-ll-u-m <cough>