No I mean is it possible to open the gate while in a mode to avoid the bumpers?

I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to hit the bumpers while in a mode, - doesn't the timer stop while in there until it passes back through the switch on way out?

Ahh right. Other than removing the gate then no. It is what it is and it is the same for everybody. It’s a really good game that could have been a great game if the code had been polished. The shots on it are well laid out. I love mine.

Speaking of code polish what is it missing? Best I can come up with is it’s missing a Destoy the Ring type of cohesion that lord of the rings has. Given Gomez is the lead on both it’s a fair comparison and LOTR has mode completion difficulties around the same level as TF, both have 3 multi balls, but the difference is qualifying the multiballs in LOTR is much better and then destroying the ring is obtainable often. TF needs to have the same thing to tie it all together. That being said I suck at pinball and never made it to TFs mini wizard owning for years, but I’m a threat to destroy the ring on any given game.

Just tweaks mainly. There is practically no status updates if you hold the flipper down. The Super Skill suit should award an instant playfield multiplier. There are a few more small things that could make it a great game.

I've always thought that better audio cues or callouts during the modes would make a HUGE difference.

I sent this to Stern a while ago. Crickets.

Hi,
I recently got a used Transformers Pro which I enjoy immensely. I've updated the machine to v1.8 as which is the latest on your website. I can't help to feel it's missing the last polish. Here's a few things that would be great if integrated:

* A more distinct tilt warning sound, it's very feint and you can't gauge if it was a double danger or not.
* Attract mode sounds when you finger a flipper button without a game running,
* A more detailed status report, like how many mode shots for the next mode, how many shots needed for modes that hasn't been completed etc.
* The sentinel prime dots looks very weak given how much work you have to put in to get there.
* The Super Pops and Super Spinner have the same sound effects.

Bugs
* Under certain circumstances there's no call-out when you tilt the game, and please add variety for the callout.

Thank you!

Michael

Got to play a nice TF pro in free play at Pinfest over the weekend, didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. Really fun game and my 4 year old loved playing it too, which is always a plus.

Called up the seller about purchasing it, but it had already been sold. So now I'm looking around it anyone has a Pro in the Northeast that they're looking to sell. If anyone has one at a reasonable price PM me.

I bought my pro a couple months ago, I have gravitated to it a lot more than my others lately, I really love hitting the shots.

It would be nice to get a final list together to try and push through to them. Yours look great.

Unfortunately i dont think stern is gonna put any effort into polish. This game is done and long gone.

I have been thinking that the TLS board and the things TimeBandit can do would do a lot to enhance the game.

I’d like mode high score tracking, would give more opportunities to etch your name at least.

I had Bandits light board in my Met pro, it was pretty cool.

Wish there was a way to make our own changes to code and custom roms besides just audio.

My Transformers Pro (sold for a Star Wars), my first pinball !

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Having issue with starscream on my LE. When you hit the target between his legs he does a quick twitch left to right. Well he stops moving half way through his little dance and stays sideways. Sometimes he will go back to normal after a ball search or if the target gets hit again. Or if starscreams hurry up mode is going and he does the full rotation left to right, sometimes he won’t return to center when the mode is over. Problem is when he’s stuck to the side the target is blocked and the ball just drops off his platform, ruining the ramp shot. Any other LE owners have this issue and how did you fix it? For the moment I unplugged the motor but I don’t like the idea of having a piece of the machine not working properly.

Note in switch test mode I touch the switches mounted on the motor and both register fine and in coil test the motor moves him back and forth fine. It only acts up in game play. This happened a few months ago and I reseated a few connectors under him and to the motor and that seamed to help for a bit but now he is having an issue every game.

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Probably one my most frustrating attempts at a repair. The placement of the hex screws and the fact that loctite is used everywhere made this worse. Pulled it all apart and I’m pretty convinced at this point it is the switches. Ordering a few new ones and will see how it goes.

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I bouht an LE with few plays,mainly stored. The ramp going to Optimus Prime needs the motor replaced. It is loctited on the set screw where it can't be removed. Motor is easily gotten. There is a piece called hub weldment to replace .Marco said it is coming,been 5 weeks.The bad part is the manual says to use loctite.If you have to change the motor, check it out.Broke my wrenches trying.

What I did is held my soldering iron up to the screw for about 30 seconds and the loctite gave way instantly. I figured that out AFTER I broke a wrench.

I forgot about using good old heat, lost my patience with it & got to replace the “hub weldment “. Thanks for the advice. Did you get yours fixed?

Ordered new switches from Marco this morning so I’ll probably get them sometime this week. Maybe next weekend I’ll put them on and report the results.

My star scream stays sideways very rarely. Like you say it usually resets itself after something else makes star scream move. Since the tests work flawlessly and he recenters back in place I’ve always thought it was a code issue and was evidence that stern needs to put some polish on this game. (Unlikely but still needed)

I noticed something rule-wise on my TFLE while playing today. The two blue inserts on the right for mud flap and skids annoy me cause they just flash most of the time (like megatron). Anyways I knew they eventually start a “frenzy” mode where all switches score 10k or something like that. But today I noticed during the frenzy mode that they stopped flashing and were out, then one lit etc.
Turns out that during the mud flap/skids frenzy mode hitting both targets will add time to the mode timer.
So now ya know. Hehe

Ughh my gut feeling was code because the tests go fine. I really hope it’s a switch wearing out tho so I’m not doing all this for nothing. If it doesn’t fix it I’m going to unplug the motor and put Mylar in the back of the platform where the switch is and where starscream stands that way the ball doesn’t get stuck in that gap. Which is the whole reason they coded him to do that little shimmy.

Speaking of the flashing inserts in TF I have been paying attention to them more. They annoy me cause it seems lazy programming and wondering if the total light show board and the insert control magic that TimeBandit is developing might be able to reprogram them so they only flash like that when there is only one hit to go to start the frenzy mode.

Likewise with the stupid megatron insert dead center of the play field that blinks 24x7

Good luck. I hope ya get him working. I sometimes get a ball stuck up there on the edge of his platform. The most annoying one I made a fix for. I can take a pic and send it to you if you are interested.

I would frequently get balls stuck in front of star scream against the outside wall of the cabinet. There is a plastic there that I think was supposed to keep that from happening. But it ends up just leaning there agains the end of the plastic, the star scream platform, and the outside wall. I made a tall post that I screwed into the left side rail. It’s tall enough to stick up a quarter inch or so right where that ball would sit. Makes the ball fall down on left side of starscream in the left orbit lane.

I don't think I've ever got my ball stuck on starscream. Falling off when he turns and the ball getting stuck on the top of the rail I did get a lot. I took some household door weather stripping foam. Cut it in the shape of a wedge and installed it on the rail. No more stuck balls

Switches for Starscream showed up today. So far seems that they were the problem (knock on wood). Tested the motor and new switches about 3 or 4 dozen times. Started a game and activated the target to make starscream do his shimmy about 50 times, stared the hurry up mode 4 or 5 times, hit the target during hurry up mode to make him shimmy during his semi circle rotation about 12 times. Then played 5 or 6 games like normal and so far no glitches.

Anyone know the actual switch part number for the megatron trough? I’ve order a few from several places, but the tension is too much and balls won’t feedback down towards the kicker. Part number from manual is 180-5119-02.

I had what I think is the same problem so I took the screw out of the front of the switch so I could angle it down a bit. Did this in October of 2017. Haven’t had an issue since. Just tightened the back screw a little more snug than normal to help. I also imagine you could just bend the arm a bit of the switch.
One pic shows the ball hung up on the switch. The other shows the switch tilted down a bit so it still activates but allows the ball to roll over.

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Thanks, I’ll give that a shot, and see what happens.

You got a great game, I got a red autobot le. Sounds like a wire is loose, should be easy, just gotta find it. The easiest way is to put it in diagnostic test mode, switch test, test any switch to hear you have them on speaker. Start wiggling & pulling on connections under Starscream, when you find it, game will tell you.

Picking Autobots will make your Optimus Prime multiball easier to get jackpots. You have to shoot each shot twice. When playing Megatron multiball, you have to shoot the Megatron shot to light jackpots. The modes in general for Autobot are worth more. Skids and Mudflap mode is always a 2 ball and can bring in any multiball with it. Picking Decepticons makes Megatron multiball easier where you don’t have to shoot the lock to light jackpots. When playing Optimus Prime multiball, after making a shot you have to hit Optimus. Shot multipliers light faster when picking Decepticons also. If the game is looking dirty, make sure to clean it with Novus 2 or wax. Change the balls out if they look really dinged up or pitted.

I think the target between starscreems legs is what adds to his progress. It's very likely that switch is a bit to sensitive and just needs to be adjusted. I'd go into switch test mode first and tap on the PF in the pops area to see which switch is activating and then go from there.

Tossed the speaker light kit in this afternoon, love it! It calls to put the acrylic symbol in front of the speaker grills but I like them better in behind where you see the silhouette of the auto it and deception logos. Totally happy

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I did the same,love it. I also did a color dmd, looks great. Go to colordmd site and look at the clip. Expensive,yes,but, very nice. TF is a great, fast,multi-ball king game.

If they are my light kits (www.speakerlightkits.com) alternate acrylic installation orders are listed in the on-line installation manual. It really depends on the design and what a person likes.

Bold designs that DO NOT let light shine through the actual acrylic design (like Transformers) can usually be mounted anyway a person chooses and look fine.

If you have a design that has a lot of light shining through it...it is usually better in front of the speaker grill. That is especially the case when it is a mirrored design that has etched detail in it. On those designs it is best to have the acrylic design in the front and the grill behind the light frame. This keeps the grill from being between the light source and the back of the design and also lights the grill in the back of the speaker hole instead of the speaker...giving the lit area a cleaner, less cluttered look.

Some designs even look great being double stacked (AC/DC figure - lightning bolt attachment)

SEE MANY ATTACHMENTS:

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Anyone looking for a lit Optimus Prime topper for their game needs to check the marketplace now. Limited run by order,only. Hard to find, check it out.

Did Optimus ever have firing cannons on his shoulders? Looks OK but I think having his eyes be the items that were interactive would have been pretty cool.

The Optimus on my LE has firing red cannons on each shoulder. Nothing going on with the eyes.
I have this companys IM topper, 2 colors changing, looks very nice.
Lastly, who sells TF toppers? Nobody. Unless you can talk someone with a Matt Mckee to pull theirs off and sell it to you. This is the only option,good quality.I got mine coming.

Looking for a Tranformers (Pro), if anyone is looking to trade I have a Dale Jr up in the marketplace.

When i play my TFLE the games can get pretty long. Toward the end the flippers get kinda week. The coils are a bit warm to touch.

Is that normal or an indication that i need to do a flipper rebuild? Or at least clean the sleeves etc.

Warm to touch - Normal. If they are hot (you can't hold them for a couple seconds) not so normal.
Get Kinda weak - Not normal for a correctly playing game. They will reduce in strength as they heat up but it should be very minor. Most likely your coils are dirty and need to be changed. I would also look at the pivot bushing for both the plunger as well as what goes through the PF. I replace those when I do a sleeve as they are cheap and can also effect flipper performance.

TF Pro come original with the amber/orange DMD?

Mine has a Red DMD, looks great and fits the theme nicely, I just didn’t know what was stock.

My TFLE combo has the orange DMD

Anybody want to trade me a colordmd straight up for my imamaculate redDMD?

My TFLE came with orange dmd. Changed to color, amazing.

I believe orange came in the earlier production while Stern switched over to red at some point during the run. Not sure exactly when though. I have a later production run LE and it came with Red. Ironically enough it was numbered sub 50 (can't recall right now but think 23 or 33) though but I bought the game nearly a year after release. It also already had the airball kit installed from the factory.

My LE had the airball kit from the factory but the orange DMD.

I thought they switched to the red DMD on Star Trek with the new speaker panels. Can anyone confirm this?

Anyone know where to find cliffy's for the TF? I cant seem to