Have you checked the diode for the tower? I believe it is under the playfield rather than on the coil.

Oh really. I didnt know. I didnt see one on the coil

I just received my LODR yesterday. I now live in the Philippines and it was shipped from Manila to Davao, Mindanao another island 2 hrs away buy plane. I just opened up the playfield and checked everything out. I see some wires that were hanging, etc. Will be needing some pictures of the areas that I need help in putting back together. This machine was at a arcade and bought it at a very low price and I mean very low. It works fine but have to find some plastics as well. Playfield is in fine shape, just need to tear down the playfield and clean it up, waxing it and replacing the rubbers, etc . First time on this Stern Whitestar system and quickly went thru the system of tests, etc. YES, some stuff is showing up with switches, etc. Have to read the manual which is being mailed to me as well as found it online and downloaded it. As for finding switches, etc for a Pinball machine is impossible on this island. I have to order everything from the states or Australia and takes 2 to 3 weeks to arrive even by Priority Mail express. Hold up is in Manila customs which takes them about two weeks before they check it and release it to be delivered.

One problem I have is playing the game just about everything is fine but one issue is when I win a free ball after draining the other ball/s the games stops and will not produce the free ball to come out of the trough. So have to turn the game off and on to start another game. Only happens when you light up the free ball and then no ball comes out to continue. Any suggestions to look at or replace? Opto's? Thank you for all the help you guys have done on this thread.

Welcome to the club!!

If you turn off extra balls, everything else is OK?

Standard Audit #9 EB Limit ---> 0

Are these made of the heavy material like Tilt or Pingraffix blades?

Better. They are made with a similar material to the official Stern side blades. Much more rigid and durable than those ones you mentioned. I have Tilt/Pingraffix blades on two of my games and Sterns on another two so I definitely know the difference. Not knowing what to expect when I ordered them, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you guys and Neal for suggesting what to do. Just got on to check this the next day but yesterday spent a few hours of repairing stuff on the game. What needed to order, and more. Looked at the trough with the balls and cleaned the Opto's lights as well as other items to tighten up under the playfield. Wire off one of the pop bumpers soldered back on. Check switches to make sure all are operating. Learning the Sterns information and tests. Seems the light behind the translite stays on after shutting off the game from the bottom? Then have to unplug the game? Is this normal or what should I look at? I am not a newbie to the game business but been out of it in 1986 until this year. So this Stern Whitestar system is all new to me. Just have some wires cut in a couple places close to the front door. This is a 240 Voltage Pinball as from the Philippines. Will send a picture and will ask you guys for a picture back of the area if you can help me out here so I can figure out where these wires on the right side go if possible? Whomever worked on this game surely had no clue of fixing things. Parts (Spinner) missing as well as rubbers Tall one inch or so off the posts in 3 spots, wrong target size under the palantir ball and a few other items. Ordered several parts and plan to tear down the playfield and the backside of the playfield. Other Mods to do, etc etc as it will be a while to get all of this done. Take about 3 weeks to get a Priority mail package from the states so have to wait for stuff to arrive. Appreciate the help from this fine group. THank you again.

Couple questions about gift from the elves? How do you change the selection before collecting it? I saw a post somewhere that shots to the shire would change it but I tried yesterday and nothing. Also, I guess you lose your gift if fellowship multiball is ready? I had super ring frenzy lit and fellowship and it started fellowship and I didn't collect gift. This really sucks and I don't see a way around it. When I shot pippen was the last member so I had no choice other than a random bounce into the tower.

When you hit the stand target in the shire it changes the gift available to collect to the next position clockwise.

The switch on the left VUK - shire is not registering 50% of the time all of a sudden. Tried to bend arm a bit but no luck. Any way I can clean this or should I just replace the switch and move on?

I see people using...

https://www.pinballlife.com/sternsegadata-east-vuk-vertical-up-kicker-fork-switch.html

or

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/180-5209-00

the first is what is on now. Any preference?

I use the fork

Thank you, that is very helpful. I need to make a blade swap.

Same thing started happening to mine. Bending helped but eventually I guess I bent too much and it broke off.

Replaced with fork works fine now.

The ST switch is more durable. I have mine in for a long time. Works great.

In recent times, I went from loving The Hobbit and thinking LotR was "meh", to loving LotR and thinking The Hobbit is "meh".

It probably has to do with the fact that my local area seems to have gotten rid of the few ones available in public, and the last one I did have the "pleasure" of playing was lumped up so bad it was unplayable.

But, anyways. Not that anyone cares, but I've come around on LotR.

edit: the whole souls of the dead upper playfield thing, can you actually influence anything that goes on up there or is it just a completely random, hope for the best bingo type of situation?

You can nudge to get more souls.

I'm a terrible nudger. I tilt way more than I should

I had your scenario happen tonight with gift from the elves lit as well as fellowship. The lit gift was ring multiball... that seem to trump fellowship and when that MB finished my Fellowship MB was still lit... which I made the shot and finished Fellowship MB... had 4 gifts, completed Fellowship and Two towers... best game since I’ve owned it.

Strange, maybe different code versions. I play on route so I'm not sure which is used but I would think the latest version. As well as the game is coded I would think this would have been addressed. Beats me.

Ths LODR I got almost a week ago need some help with some wiring. In looking at the 5V/12V adapter on the right side of the cabinet, the two end wires were cut. Red double wires in the middle was still in the molex. Black double wires and believe a gray w strip (color?) was the ones cut as you can see in the pictures. In pulling the wires apart I think I found the wires that should be connected. Correct me please if I am right or wrong. The black wire is connect to a green wire that goes to the coin mech of the machine (see second picture) and taped off with another different color green wire not connected to anything. The other one black wire goes to the flipper switch contact which will stay. The remaining black wire should go back to the black wire molex that is left on the molex. As for the gray and Red strip (I think) that one you cannot see that it is attached to a purple wire and again goes to the coin mech and connected to a yellow wire that goes nowhere either. Should connect the gray wire back to the molex gray also. Am I right on this? Please advise. See pictures. After this, as for the yellow and another green wire where do they attach to that is next to the coin mechs? Will pull out of the machine that green and the other purple wire. My machine runs on 240V as I am now living in Asia (Philippines). This machine was in a arcade and was not used for many years just in there warehouse. After getting this one all done with the wiring I mentioned I have one more wire issue which should be an easy fix. Just don't have my multi meter as had to order one and not here yet. Thank you for reading this and if any help with info and pictures would be great. Thank you again, Fred

Lord wiring 5Volt 12 (resized).jpg

Lord wiring 5Volt 12 1 (resized).jpg

Just re-read your scenario... mine wasn't exactly the same... my Fellowship MB was lit and the Gift was lit, I didn't have Pippen flashing when I made the shot into the tower... I wonder if that is the difference. Would be interesting to try this scenario with the glass off to see if you may have found what I think is a bug.

Does anyone find the middle ramp sometimes needs adjusting?

The ramp? No. the Spinner? yes.

Mine seems to drift to the right over time and needs to be slid back over to point straight at the ring entrance. It happens less now that I have the larger left ramp entrance rubber protector but it still moves a bit over time. If you take the glass off you can get your head down low enough to look straight up the ramp and see if it's pointed off center.

Looks like some special coin mechs there. Here is a photo of my coin door which appears to be original.

lotr1 (resized).jpg

That connector is unused on my LotR, and just has a mod connected.

lotr2 (resized).jpg

One more:

lot3 (resized).jpg

Maybe it's a bug with that particular mode. I'm certain it was super ring frenzy.

Wow! My 10yo kid Alex just got GC and was only about three objectives short of Valinor! He is now officially way better than me . While I wrote off ever getting to Valinor myself, I have some hope now that I’ll at least see it in the stands

DC8215BB-92D7-4280-8A1C-BEE0C7EA3954 (resized).jpeg

Nice! Wish my kids played....

Amen brother.....

Every month I put a new challenge out to them with a $5 bounty - like "get your initials up for a mode champion on X pin". It works! Otherwise, yeah, it is tough to compete against freakin' Fortnite and all the garbage phone games

Neil thanks for the pictures and the help. Figured out the 5v 12v wiring which I was correct and already waiting for some Molex .93 connectors, etc to change this one out as way to short to do a solder job correctly. As for the coin door. You notice I think Chinese printed on a label on the door? YES the coin mechs are so different (machine is marked from Sterns for the Philippines so the hook up must be different somehow. I never seen these mechs in all my years but then again I left the business in 1986 and recently started up for a hobby here to keep active in redoing since I been retired for a few years.. As for the yellow wires leading to the coin lights, (missing the items) but think I have figured out the wiring to hook up once I get what I ordered. In my opinion I think they spliced the wiring to use the 5v and 12v for hooking up a ticket machine to issue those tickets for prizes but not sure.

One more thing I really need is the back light of the florescent tube stays on after cutting off the switch underneath. I followed the black and white wire and it goes straight to the front right box hooked up inside the metal voltage area. Can you tell me where the correct way these wires are where they suppose to belong to hook up. I finally got the Manuel yesterday and I see 1F/ME. Not sure where this is as have not searched the back box yet. I think that is it for the rest of the game as have everything else working I think for now lol. I am going to do a total refurbish of this game to bring it back to as new as possible and will be changing a lot of parts as well. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks to get Priority mail delivered here so will start after everything gets here. Will of course show off the game after its been all completed. Another one to be proud of. Next game coming is Sterns Mustang in May or June. Thank again for the help

Took a quick pic inside the cab. I assume the florescent lamp wires are supposed to come from an appropriate tap on the transformer.

lottr (resized).jpg

Thanks again Neil. Not sure what the voltage is coming out of the transformer as here in the PI its 220V. Don't want to try and connect it until my multi meter arrives. Anyone knows what is coming out of that one? 110V possible? Thanks again Neil and appreciate it for the great clear pictures. Hopefully I don't have any other issues on wiring as I think I got it all down in viewing and what I see so far. Cross my fingers. Lol

Fred.

Perhaps someone wanted to use it as a nightlight...it's obviously miswired.

Wiring diagram...nothing else to say.

pasted_image (resized).png

.

Probably in the arcade for a night light how right you are Lol. Thanks for the picture of the schematic.

I double-checked the fuse and it was actually blown. I'm sure that I checked the correct one the first time but when I checked it the 2nd time it was indeed blown. I upgraded it to to a 4 ohm as I've read is recommended and haven't had a problem since. One bit of advice - if you go into the built-in help menu it takes you through a troubleshooting procedure, one of the later steps is to use a wire and short the tab of the magnet transistor to ground to test if the transistor is good and the magnet energizes. Mine tested bad (because the fuse was blown) but I decided to try shorting some nearby transistors to see what would happen. Well, what happened was that I got a spark and blew two transistors , so DON'T DO THAT! I had to replace the 2 transistors and the blown magnet fuse and now all is back to normal with no further issues after several games.

That was a 4 amp fuse, not a 4 ohm. Doh. Thanks, @lotr_breath.

Did you do it super quick like? I do that frequently as a troubleshooting step for misbehaving coils.

Not quick enough, apparently. If I do it again it will be a quick flick for sure.

LOTR is a tough one for powder coat choices, since every side of the machine uses a different color pallet. I tried an oil rubbed bronze colored powder and I'm really pleased

IMG_20190410_160016 (resized).jpg

IMG_20190410_160057 (resized).jpg

IMG_20190410_162943 (resized).jpg

That's pretty slick, nice work.

Just for clarity, that's 4 amp, not 4 ohm. Glad you got it fixed!

Doh. Thanks, LOTR_breath .

That looks amazing! You did it yourself? What does that involve, baking or something?

What did you use to do it yourself and how did you do it. I live in the Philippines and I would have to order it from stateside to get this done in a color I would like if possible. Thank you.

Is Lord of the rings one of those pinball machines where the incandescent bulbs have fade and flickering effects that would require an OCD board is switching to LEDs?
I haven't had my Lord the rings at home for a long time and it's about to go on route at The Flipperroom room in Concord and we are trying to get it ready to go.
I saw there was a specific thread on OCD and Lord of the rings, but some people in there were saying they put an OCD on every game they own...so it wasn't clear to me if OCD was a necessity or just an option when using LEDs on LOTR
Thanks!

Powder coat can be done at home with a small investment in equipment, but I had them done by a professional powder coater I've used for years.

The equipment positively charges the powder coming out of the gun and negatively charges the object you're coating in powder. After the powder is applied it is baked at 400 degrees and becomes a very durable coating

You can find equipment and powders here https://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-coating.html

If you are using LEDs in a LOTR then OCD is a must IMO. I have OCD installed on mine, and in the last 6 months played 2 other LOTRs with LEDs that didn’t have OCD and they did not look right.

Mandatory if you want LEDs and any original lighting effects.

I have an OCD in mine. I understand there are settings but I’ve never messed with it. In this game, does it make sense for me to learn and adjust the settings?

On my game, the prior owner used various types of LEDs so I tweaked brightness here and there to even things out.
Also, for this game in particular, I prefer a warmer, dimmer look so will likely reduce the overall brightness as well.
As the final step, I might try and slow the fade ramp but will probably need to swap a bunch of LEDs that start flickering.