Plastic protector out of stock. I'd love to get a hold of one.

Pretty sure you can just hold one of the flipper buttons down when you start up the machine to see what firmware version you have. Alternatively, you can go into settings and set FastBoot to off, and then power cycle the game.

I have my own "Pinbawlers (TM)" brand of laser cut "Easy install armor" this is NOT metal, it's light cast plastic (with a top layer that matches the stern black textured armor) and a separate color in the "insert". They don't require removing the original rails, and do not require additional screws to be drilled into the cabinet, they are completely "un-doable" with no permanent changed required.

The "LE" version gold is not a perfect match for the LE factory gold rails.. but what can you do? I have an LE and could never get a perfect match.

takes about 3 minutes to install once your used to it or 15 minutes max for a first time effort.

https://pinside.com/pinball/shops/shop/1463-arcade-cabinetscom/08737--pinbawlers-flipper-button-armor-for-lord-of-the-ring

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Path of the Dead fix - need to pretty it up but adding this bumper at the bottom has done the trick so far. I'm getting new glow in the dark posts for the run and will get an extra to place in this spot. I expect that might catch the ball periodically since they have the wire buffer up higher but will deal with that if/when it happens. In the meantime - doing the trick quite well and will update after I have some more plays on it.

Is there really no armor options on the market for more reasonable price? I can get full rails with teardrop button cover for $59 on Pinball Life - there has to be a non-decorative option out there for just a protector that overlays any machine for less.

Next job is cleaning up the shire and shooter lane wood before my shire decal gets here. Also new flippers as one cracked when I put new rubbers on- ball can really fly around that outer orbit and come back hot so I can see how they take a beating.

I am seeing why this game gets bolted to a lot of floors. Picked up Deadpool LE with this one in a package deal (both needed some love). I find Deadpool to be a bit of a chaotic cluster and not as satisfying. Biggest PIA for LOTR is that Palatir target that rockets back over everything to the drain way too easily.

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Did you do a custom pinshaker file for your CV? If yes, are you willing to share?

Not really a "fix". Your're gonna have a much harder time getting to ROTK if you don't let the ball fall into the shire.

Yes sometimes the arwen plastic breaks. But typically because it's a 20 year old piece of plastic that's got tens of thousands of plays in an arcade and maybe was stored improperly. In home use, it's probably quite rare for a new one to break. arwen plastic is $13 on PBL right now. Just buy 1-2 spares while it's available and remove this post so you can play the game as it was coded to be played

I believe someone also sells a plastic protector for the Arwen plastic.

Thanks for the feedback - I haven't played nearly enough to understand a lot of the code/gameplay but that is good to consider. I was mainly annoyed as it looked clunky and wrong when it happens, and slows the game down a bit. I can see how it hurts the score. Playing some today I am going to guess it redirects 80%-ish back to the track with maybe one in five still hitting the shire (out of those not going to the track on their own).

The plastic protector I saw cost as much as three replacements which is silly.

Oh it's clunky as hell. going to the ramp FEELs better, but definitely hurts your gameplay. And of course it always winds up in the inlane anyway.

I no longer have the CV. But I did not have any custom files. Sorry.

why it hurts the gameplay?

btw, I made these using welding rod.

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You get a bunch of souls every time the ball dribbles down into the shire. If you do what he did and bump the ball from potd onto the wireform(to protect arwen and just avoid the jankiness of that drop), you won't get those souls.

wow, I did not know. I thought souls come only from the ball time on the potd + the potd rollovers

the same, mine also have the "protector" ... damn! didn't knew... still, i will keep the protector.

I have the protector. The ball almost never ends up in the Shire from the PotD. But I feel it doesn't make a huge difference, it's still easy enough to start RotK multi ball.

This is where I am at - I'm guessing the post I did redirects 2/3rds to 3/4ths so I am still getting some shire but it felt like more than half without. I'm still learning the game and ROTK is pretty easy to activate so I don't mind slowing that down a bit. Easy to remove it if I want to got nuts for high scores but I'm still working on understanding the full ruleset and getting better at specific shots.

Good work on that welding rod btw!

If the quest is to get to Valinor, you'll probably eventually want to take advantage of whatever the game gives you re: starting multiballs, including ROTK. I know I've been sitting on my last ball before with every other condition for Valinor met (outside of the following DTR of course) with ROTK close to completion. But maybe something to evaluate when you get to that point and go into a rage after draining there trying to start ROTK again.

Does anyone from the group have an extra pop bumper plastic # 14 that they can part with?
Thank you in advance.

Wanted to get some input on a repair I'm working on. Had an issue with a transistor Q11 and the coil for the bottom pop bumper burnt up. Sent the board out and he tested all them and fixed Q11 which he confirmed was the only bad one. Also put in some NVRAM. Got everything hooked back up and replacing the coil for the pop bumper now but wondering if there's anything else I missed I should do before powering back up and testing? A fuse did blow when it first happened which I also replaced.

Just make sure you wire the coil lugs up right. If you replace the transistor and the rest of the board checked out (predriver, etc) and are putting a new coil in, you should be good. The only other thing is maybe if the original blown transistor was due to a short in the wiring TO the coil, but that's pretty unlikely.

I wonder how it turned out?

Hi there, a special order for a customer, a little share with some pics and a video.DSC00685 (resized).JPGDSC00683 (resized).JPGDSC00680 (resized).JPGDSC00679 (resized).JPG

So my diverter buzzes and shakes when activated since I bought it and now the left flipper buzzes when held. Hoping new stops and sleeves do the trick for a cheap easy fix. Anyone have similar problems they have been able to resolve?

As far as the flippers buzzing goes, that fixed mine. Also make sure you have those thin coil spring washer installed.

I recently rebuilt a LOTR and what I found was that when I installed the diverter it did the same thing. I had installed the diverter arm so that it perfectly hit the black post rubber which caused issues when the coil was activated. My solution was to adjust the coil plunger (metal rod part) so it would go all the way into the coil sleeve when activated.

The flipper could be a number of issues similar to that such as; loose wires/connections/bad solders; coil stop could be broken; the flipper assembly return spring might be broken too; coil sleeve might need replacing. When it doubt, pull it apart and see if anything looks busted.

Does anyone know if this plastic is meant for an area in the playfield or is it just a keyring plastic?

I couldn't find it in the manual.

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It's a keyring.

Follow this Tech pub. to adjust the diverter.

https://sternpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sb147.pdf

I don't doubt the diverter got out of whack - when I bought it there was no post at all, probably for quite some time as the ramp was dented in that spot. Bought a new ramp and post (I mean the post was such an easy and inexpensive fix, c'mon man). I will look at adjusting the metal plunger - nothing looked out of whack except the sleeve is a bit roached. Without the post that diverter has an extra 1/4" plus to swing to the ramp and gets exposed to direct hits.

I think some filing might do the trick on the flipper as the plunger and stop show wear- might just cut to the chase and rebuild which may have neve been done before and the machine has 15k plays on it.

Thanks - this looks like exactly what I need. Will check back with results in a few hours.

Yes - exactly the problem. 90% of the buzz is gone now. I need to fine tune it a smidge and will still replace the sleeve since I am doing that for the flippers anyway. So much more enjoyable now!

I know this a long shot but I’m looking for the sword ramp ball guide (tent version). No one sells them. Mine has old 1st run style but my OCD requires me to have both versions. Anyone have any leads or an extra? Thank you in advance.