That's a challenge

Interesting. I just reseated the connector to the Gimli vuk Switch and it has registered 99% of the time since. Wasn't loose or anything.

I think you two have different issues. He can’t get the ball through easily, which is common enough without the magnet. You are getting yours through, but it’s not registering? I’ve never heard of that problem personally.

EDIT - LOL I just got totally lost in here and reaponded to a 4-year old post. Saving for posterity.

My magnets came in. Very nice touch not having the girls there. Looks fantastic! Thanks again Jimmyhonda

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My balrog doesn't register all hits. Any thoughts?

As you recently got this game and you Will have many questions I thought I would help you quickly find many of your answers without reading thousands of threads. Simply scroll to the top of this page and type "Balrog Switch" in the "Find in this thread" box and you will find Many solutions with detailed photos covering your question. Just a quick way to narrow down your issues quickly. Hope this helps?

Most of the time it's the cable assembly, then the next likely culprit is the switch......

Yup, searched this thread and seem the switch is often the issue. How do I access the switch? From the top or bottom of pf? Does Balrog need to be removed?

I know the current trend is to get rid of the apron girls, but what if...

(I think I just fulfilled one of my mantras: "Just because you have an idea doesn't mean it's a good idea.")

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Page 87 of the manual, the switch is internal to Balrog. Yes, Balrog will need to be removed and disassembled. Remove the Kotter pin and remove from the top, you'll have to unplug the cable from underneath.

Love those. send file plz!

Yes! These are great

I like it too, feel free to share your files

Here you go! If you squint, it doesn't even look like they've been decapitated (too much)!

Liv Tyler is correct as I found the original promo image. Couldn't find the exact Eowyn image but the one I used is from the same shoot - couple variations there you can play with and see which you feel is more correck. Colors can be hard to match depending on what you print on, but they're meant to be printed 4x6 and trimmed a bit from there. As a side note, it's difficult to make a halftone bad enough to match Stern's. It's like some sort of proprietary filter: Stern Super Shitty Halftone.

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One....shot....from....VALINOR. I had it all, I had probably 11 gifts, my mutliballs completed, TABA, DTR shots made, ball hanging, smacked it! It shook and rattled around but not enough to free it. I drained trying about 4-5 more shots at it. All before 7am.

Sickening.

First night in League last night. There was a crowd around it from 6p-midnight. Easily one of the most exciting games in the lineup, and my group got it first! Wooooot!

Loose tilt, back leg casters on the ground, most (all?) features set to easy, and it’s on 5 ball.

LOTR LE EM.

You should be pretty happy with yourself even if you didn't make it. It's quite the feat. I'm still trying to understand the rules to one day hopefully get somewhere closer to it. I think I've only beat the multiball once, and I've only had 3 or 4 gifts in a game. I have done DTR twice in a game, but everything else was incomplete.

I'm wondering if my high powered coils are making it harder to get things done. The ball blasts around pretty fast.

Eh, it feels bad to get that far and blow it but it keeps me coming back to it. I’ll get it sooner than later, I’ve beaten Tron (yes beaten Portal multiball) I’ve been to End of the line on Metallica, I’ve been to X-men wizard mode.

LOTR is definitely worth studying the rules for your own personal strategy. The mb save progression is the saving grace in this game. Imagine if it wasn’t? I’m rocking lane posts with them set highest, and yeah, she drains like this

Nice job. Closer than I have gotten so far. ROTK multiball continues to be my achilles heel. I have had the rest.

Quick question, when trying to complete a multiball mode, if you do not finish it the first time around, are the shots still in memory the next time you attempt it? For example, if you were 5 shots away the first time in ROTK, and the second time you start it you make 5 shots, will it complete it? Was just watching Keith Elwin doing Valinor, and seems one of the multiballs he completed pretty quickly.

And one last thing... On default settings, does it take 2 shots to the ring to complete DTR? I swear the first time I did it, it was only one shot, but when I played today, the first shot went in, and the mode was still going.

The MBs have memory, so the next time you pick up where you left off.

DTR takes two shots. First shot is held by the magnet and the second shot knocks the ball through and completes the mode. You can also change it in the settings to just have to shoot through the ring twice.

Unfortunately I have to let my baby go...
Anyone want a nice LOTR?

SOLD!

Machine - For Sale

Lord of the Rings with Pinsound Archived

Fully shopped/refurbished - “I have a pretty nice LOTR for trade/sale. Overall nice cabinet, only a few minor scratches Playfield shows no wear all the plastics are intact Pinsound board installed and working...”

2018-04-24

Bakersfield, CA

uncivil_engineer

5,300 (OBO)

Archived after: 9 days

Viewed: 650 times

Status: Sold (amount private)

Contributed to Pinside

Interesting!!! Not that I'm anywhere close, but the mountain just got a little shorter to climb!

Can anyone confirm if these are the same as the stock coils?

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3747

And, like the factory coils, will these overheat/lose power during a long game?

There are the best coils for a LOTR, perfect strength and do not fade/overheat:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1065-apb-enterprises/01414-new-stern-pinball-medium-power-coil-lord-of-the-rings-gnr

I have the Pinball Life coils...
After an hour of play they get hot and slow down. I now use a small fan to cool the coils. The fan works great. If I were to do It again, I would have started with the fan.
I just use a simple, small 110v desk fan. It sits were the coin box goes and points up to the coils.
I have it pluged into the service outlet. If I ever get motivated I will tie it into the power switch.

These?

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3747

Look at how much color difference there has been in LOTR playfields...

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Well, I got all my eggs in one basket and back to DTR for an attempt at Valinor, (again) and....I bricked it again (tilted, couldn't make the shots)

I had an extra ball, so I was able to get 2 of the 3 multiballs for anothe attempt at it (KEEP isn't hard to do, and neither is building up souls) but the fellowship multiball is the harder of the three to collect! What do you have to do to qualify each shot to light each ring? I know the spot ring target is one, and the mystery will award, but what shots do you have to make to collect each to qualify that multiball?

Ive noticed that with a lot of Stern playfields from that era. It really stands out in on TSPP. BTW, the lower picture is my playfield. I think the harsh lighting doesn't help the picture much.

Man, I want to party with YOU!

Dang, great price for everything there, especially the pinsound.

GLWS!

Just added one of these a couple weeks ago, here it is! Got the Color DMD LED for this one, but need the Pinsound. Seems they are sold out for now?

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I'm whittling my time down - under 50 seconds. Once I get it under 30 seconds, I can start to brag

Damn - I just love this color display. I can't believe how much more I play lotr now.

Also pictured - my prototype lighted 3D Mt. Doom mod I am working on.... gotta get the lava to glow a little better!

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Dammit!!!!!!!!

I had 5 gifts, 2 MBs completed, TABA started and failed, and I had a mode started with just fellowship mb to start. The inserts showed Frodo was the only one flashing, but I kept hitting it and nothing!

Does it need to pass through the ring to light Frodo?

Also, after completing fellowship, the inserts go blank (unlike flashing when game starts). Do I have to hit the shots more than once the second time around?

And is it fair to think that if I had started the fellowship MB, completed it, got the 6th gifts, and then started DTR, I would have been at Valinor?

Anyone?

Ok, so I am working on a much better alternative to Mt. Doom than just the stock decal image on the backboard (it's been driving me crazy for years). I have the design mostly done, but am looking for a 5v or 12v (5v preferred) connection that is constantly on (not tied into GI) and common to Whitestar.

I can tie into a GI lamp on the backboard really easily using a Matrix connector, but the mod is MUCH cooler with the glow of lava always on. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think there is an available 3-pin Molex 12v connector near the coin door that is common. Is there a 5v connector somewhere that is commonly available on a a stock LotR?

I'd love to make these available but I am really struggling with the wiring harness I should make.

Any help would be appreciated!

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Frodo is collected when you make the ring shot. Sounds like you might have an issue.

Second time through qualifying FOTR you need to collect the characters in order, one at a time. Collect the flashing character, then a different one will light up - do that 9 times.

No, you would not have started Valinor since there are 7 gifts of the elves, not 6.

Did you actually get a super jackpot during ROTK multiball? Impressive if you did, you need to make almost 30 shots during that MB.

From Keefer himself here on Pinside:

1. Win FOTR (9 Balrog bashes + 8 ramp shots - the 9th bash is the super jackpot/win).
2. Win TTT (survive 4 stages of assault, shoot 1 single super jackpot to qualify as won - yes it is possible to have super lit and drain out and not win it (yet))
3. Win ROTK (I'm pretty sure this is ("only") finish 6 sets of 4 jackpots, then level 7 should be supers - any one super counts as a win)
4. Play TABA (don't have to win it)
5. Collect the "secret" 7th Elf Gift (3 gifts will come from the multiballs, so you need to scrape up 4 more from DTR wins, mode wins, or 2+ multiball wins)
6. After 1-5 are complete, then your NEXT *SUCCESSFUL* DTR will start Valinor. Prior DTR wins/losses have no effect (other than the point bonus at the end)

The 3 pin molex connector by the coin door is 12 v 5 v and ground

Jeese - all these years in pinball and I somehow didn't know the third pin was 5v :O

Thanks for the tip!

-PC

Yup

Hmmm... So back to my question, would me completing Fellowship MB not have earned me my 6th gift, and the 7th could have come from the DTR that followed (which at the same time would have started Valinor)?

Thanks

you have to have the 7th gift and THEN start DTR

Getting DTR timing right and finishing it is the portion that really holds people back.

Damn.... Just sold LOTR, I would have been all over this. Looks great!

So 7th gift is just another gift? Essentially I could get all 7 by finishing 3 MBs, and 4 modes?

And someone mentioned something about a gift from 2+ MBs. What's that?

Each Multiball complete is a gift (potentially 3, and 3 anyways, if you plan on going to Valinor) There are 6 modes, any complete is a gift. DTR is a gift if completed, TABA is a gift if completed. Getting the gifts from the elves hasn't been my downfall, it's been getting to DTR with Valinor on the other side of it and blowing it. I've had as many as 11 damn gifts from the Elves

I have high powered could right now, and the balls flies like a bullet around the pf. Just ordered the medium powered ones, so I'm hoping it improves the overall flow. Might even make achieving the goals a bit more doable.

Do most of you guys run stock coils, or have you changed to medium or high?

Thanks, yz! Mt Doom as a decal made me a dull boy. I mean, that's the big finale (ok, one of many, many finales) at the end of the quest. I needed to do it some justice!

I don't know how you sold LotR - I keep trying but it is precious to me

As delta9 stated, the coin door plug has 5v and 12v. 5v is in the middle of that plug. Let me know if you need help with the connector.