My Mando Pro is the same. It's frustrating but I've accepted that it just ain't gonna happen most of the time from the right flipper. I have gotten much better at the timing of that shot from the left flipper though. That's what I would concentrate on.

Thank you TrekTobbyGermany and @crujones4life! I'll look at the flippers and work on my patience and left flipper skills, haha.

Anyone need a brand new set of Cliffy Protectors?

A fix I heard about some time ago is changing the right sling bottom star post to a standard thinner post Stern use to install there. It opens up the right ramp shot much more, for easier backhanding.

I remember that post awhile back. I'd feel like I was cheating...I like to leave most things factory.

I wonder if that makes post passes easier. I know it wasn't the designers intent, but sometimes the difference between a pin staying and leaving is appeasing the players (a.k.a. my wife).

That said I remember Jack Danger saying on a stream that sometimes you can loosen and nudge a star post ever so lightly, and it will change up the geometry enough to fix certain things.

I get that too, but then I remember that not everyone who comes over to play is at my skill level (not that I'm that good) so I need to sometimes make some changes to keep things fun for them.

This was one of my posts in the thread, if you search them I have a few photos of it in action. I felt like I could see an improvement in the "backhandability" of the right ramp from right flipper. I didn't really see much improvement at all in post-passing, though. Just a tiny bit more clearance on those right flipper backhand shots, to help widen the window of success a little bit more. It's an easy swap, and if I ever need to sell the game I obviously kept the original posts in the coin box.. doesn't take long to change them out.

In a perfect world I'd prefer to keep things stock as well, but that right ramp is such a critical shot to progressing through the game... I may have to try a flipper adjustment also, like TrekTobbyGermany mentioned.. It's still not as accessible as I'd like.

EDIT: Here's the link.. the handful of posts after this one talk about some other stuff related to the change as well, if you're curious. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/this-is-the-way-the-mandalorian-owners-club/page/90#post-6824302

Good post and work on allowing geometry to be a bit better, like it should have always been. Don’t think this was a Brian Eddie decision in design, as every machine use to have the slimmer posts, so its definitely not cheating imo. Think it was a factory decision to take stress off the PF to prevent pooling etc, because of much wider bases on the star posts. But now that the clear coat is thinner with no artwork under the posts, its not necessary to use star posts and can easily go back to the thinner posts like Stern use to always use before . Star posts are just too thick and get in the way of vital backhanding shots. Precisely the reason Stern use to always use the thinner sling posts.

Just checked. Beatles, Mando, 007, and all 4 Elwin pins have star posts. That's 7 of the Spike 2 pins. All the rest have the skinny posts.

So what kind of posts will BTTF have?

I imagine they will be made of stainless steel either way.

Hi everyone,
I’ve had a mando premium for a few months now and generally love it. I have found however that I am having 2 issues with my machine:
1) direct shots at ramps sometimes almost “bounce” off the ramp. I’ve seen it especially with the right ramp where I swear I hit it dead on and it rejects.
2) backhanding both ramps seems impossible. I cannot backhand the left ramp off a catch. It always goes half way up then comes back down. I also cannot backhand the right ramp at all. I always hit the post.
Does anyone have any adjustments/ advice for things I could change or change how I play? My machine is level and the pitch is 6.5. Thanks!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/this-is-the-way-the-mandalorian-owners-club/page/90#post-6824302

I just downloaded and installed the latest code 1.31.0.

The first ball on the first game after the upgrade played fine. Then on the second ball, the game tried to put 3 balls into the shooting lane. I kept opening the coin door, then sending the balls back, but it kept doing it.

I then turned the machine off and on again. After that, I could not start a game. Hitting the start button wouldn't do anything, even though it still said it was on free play.

I then did a factory reset, set it to free play again, and tried again, but no luck.

Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, please let me know. I've sent a message to Stern support, but I don't know when they'll get back to me.

Check your trough connectors. Unplug and reseat them. Put game into switch test mode and feed balls into the trough to make sure they all register.

I was quite hesitate to make the change, but just followed what you recommended and can say without a doubt its pure nirvana now for everyone in my family and me. The most critical shot in all of the game, just became 90% of the time back handle-able from the right flipper from the cradle position. Its almost like I can’t miss now! Before I had to really be on my game to get that shot much of the time. For family members back handing, forget it. If everyone made this simple change from the fat star posts to the skinny posts, it changes Mando shooting experience from frustration to absolute joy! So much more fun, can’t recommend it enough.

It only makes sense geometry wise. I’m sure Brian Eddy did not design that shot with a star post in mind, since its so critical to the game to advance. Trying to hit that shot from the left flipper is very dangerous and the reason some people give up on the game imo. Players become too frustrated when they don’t need to be and its not cheating in any way. Sure it was a factory decision to put the star post in after Eddie had already designed the layout. Brain wouldn’t make Mando that frustrating on purpose.

Prior layouts at the time he was designing were all installed with slimmer posts on the slings. Just fix the geometry of the right flipper shot by reducing the blatant right sling lower post obstacle and wow, night and day experience. The shot is just too close to be otherwise and only becomes a pros timing shot of letting it roll down the flipper, then shooting and even then, its quite tough. If those that wrote off Mando tried this, they’d be back in for sure, imo. Thanks for the suggestion JSholtz! (I did add a small nylon washer under each of the slimmer posts.)

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Key here is everybody enjoys the game more. It’s a replaceable part with many varieties to suit your own taste and not a layout change.

You've almost talked me into it...lol. Doesn't that washer make that post sit higher than the rest?

Just added them to my Marcos order.

I managed to keep the star posts, had a fair bit of play in then so just loosened them and pushed the post back and up then re tightened, night and day difference, worth trying before swapping out posts in case it works for your game.

Similar here, except I think the first couple hundred games of trying to backhand and missing hard 50%+ of the time probably moved the post on its own . I can make it 80-90% of the time now

I know my timing has gotten better, but not that much better

I was concerned about that, but used super thin washers. Probably not necessary since there is no artwork there anyway. No noticeable raising of the posts in comparison to the other 2.

BTW, I have a purest son that didn’t want me to change them, but I told him, its not changing the layout, it’s only removing an obvious obstacle that shouldn’t have been there to begin with. I asked him, if a part that comes from the factory blocks the flow of the game, do you leave the error/mistake because it came from the factory that way???

He and his brother could only make the shot maybe 40% of the time and his sisters could rarely make it at all and our guests, forget it, lol. Now everyone can, so purest just being a purest because the factory did it that way, hmmmm, makes no sense to me. Most key shot in the game just became doable. Now the game is finally fun instead of frustrating!

Is there really that much play in them? The screw can't move correct? It's just a bit of wiggle room from inside the post itself?

No, there is hardly any wiggle room and makes little difference compared to the skinny post. Not sure why anyone would want to keep the fat star post in there when the skinny posts does the job so much better? After all Stern used them for years on all their machines.

It varies game to game like most things in pinball, my LE had quite a bit of play, my mates LE had barely any so he went with the skinny posts.

If your super keen on keeping the factory look, carefully and slowly drill out the star posts with a slightly bigger drill bit, should work fine and give you a little wiggle room.

It really is quite interesting how such little variations make such a big difference. On my LE I can backhand the right ramp almost 100% of the time and have made zero adjustments to the post from the factory. However if I couldn’t hit that shot that would be devastating to my progress in the game. I definitely support folks doing what is needed to be able to make that shot as I believe the design intent was for it to be a good consistent backhand shot.

Stranger things had the same issue backhanding the right ramp.

Some could do it. But the clearance was like a millimeter. Others couldn’t because the post was just a hair more to the left and blocked the shot.

Turns out that trough 5 and 6 are not registering. I checked all the wires to the two boards to make sure that they were secure. When I put my finger in the trough I could see the lights on the sensor light up, but that didn't register in the switch test. Trough switches 4-1 and the jam all were registering fine.

Could the sensors on either side of the trough be bad?

Did you unplug the connectors at the trough?

Yes, there is a cable that goes between the trough sensors on either side and then one that goes from the trough to the board on the left side of the playfield. I unplugged all of those and plugged them back in again. But same result with the switch test where 6 and 5 were not registering.

I then unplugged them again and after that they started registering. One of the connections (that went between the two sensors) seemed a little loose, but still looked like it was connected.

I'm wondering if the looser connection and the shaker motor is just enough to knock this out.

Check the connector at the other end of the short cable where it connects to the node board.

Does anyone have a Star post and skinny post handy? Can you measure the width of the posts with come calipers where the rubber goes? I’m curious about the size difference.

Here's a quick digital comparison.. It's a bigger difference than it appears to be initially, imo.

I drew the black line on the skinny post first, made a copy, and moved it over to the star post. Approximate centerline in cyan for reference.
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Should be the difference between a 3/16 and a 5/16 rubber.

Damn that's a pretty significant difference...

I was thinking about 3D printing a post that has the footprint and style of a Star post but the band groove to match a skinny post. Or a Star post with a larger than normal screw hole so it could shift over 1/16”

It looks like you could also make the groove where the rubber sits deeper.

Star Post = 11mm (sorry, no freedom units here)
Straight post = 6.75mm

You should be able to slowly drill the hole in your post to enlarge it.

Why go to all that trouble? Just buy a few cent skinny post and problem easily solved. Plus with post size differences so dramatic, you could never drill it large enough to make the best difference. Since Star Post = 11mm, is almost double the size of a straight post = 6.75mm.

Drilling a hole is hardly any trouble, certainly less work than designing a skinny post that looks like a star post and 3D printing it.

I know what your saying but clearly a few people want to keep the star post look, I didn’t want to loose my star posts but was lucky I had a few mm play in my post so just moved it over with my finger and retightened, it was enough to open the shot without making it a too easy.

Fair enough if that look is important.

Sorry I edited my post after you quoted it, obviously some want to keep that look, both solutions open the shot up, like you’ve said before it’s an important shot, but it’s also a fun shot so whatever method improves it, it makes the game better overall.

You’re so right and I agree what you’ve said in the past, its one of the best shooters around.

One of the most brutal shooters around

It’s why we all want to be able to back hand everything

Lol, that’s why Mando has that just one more game; press the start button again and again feeling. Mando’s unique design is why its really one of Eddie’s all time best, but so underrated. Honestly, can complete AFM and MM 3 times over in one game session. Mando has some fun challenge to it, where it feels good to complete shot after shot, even addictive. Along with ST, Brian has really improved his designs from the long ago past, imo.

Hey friends, I'm looking for Mando owners who might be headed to expo and interested in helping me play test the mod linked in my prior post. I have it on a premium on route and have a local pro lined up to connect with next week but looking for a few of each to further test and get feedback on the visual aspects. Routed games would be great, or heavy home players.

View of upper playfield on the pro is my main concern, but also the lack of view when the ball goes through the ramp. I got used to it very quickly but casual players may not like it. I'm bringing a handful of the grey ones pictured in my linked previous post so hit me up with a DM if you're coming to expo and interested. Thanks!

FWIW this mod goes OVER the factory plastic, it does not replace it. if you've patched or modified your factory plastic to make due it may not fit. These are PLA in a silver grey, but I can run a few in ABS as a straight replacement if someone has a messed up plastic and wants to really check the durability. That's not a version I plan to move forward with but I would definitely be interested to see how that would go especially in a route setting.

Thanks all-

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What does it do?