I'm signing in to say that I can now officially be a member of this club.

I have spent this past week reading EVERY post on this thread from the beginning to the end.

I'm boning up for my TWD test. (There is no pun or sexual innuendo in that statement!)

Mike in Kentucky

WALKING DEAD FOR DUMMIES (Question):

I've read all the rules, but I can't figure out what is the ULTIMATE objective or mode in TWD. I'm used to traditional 'endings' of games by way of Wizard Modes . . . that ultimate achievement where you get all the flash and bang and you know without a doubt you defeated the game. Think Valinor in LOTR.

Is Last Man Standing considered to be THE ultimate achievement in this game?

Thanks,

Mike in Kentucky

Thanks gweem . . . can always count on you to come through! That was a good explanation.

Mike in Kentucky

Nope. Not me! But this gives me something else to look forward to. Seems like every other game, I hear or see something new. That is what keeps me coming back for more.

Mike in Kentucky

I need some suggestions here, please.

I made my own 'fish tank' to mount on the top of my TWD. It was an old real glass tank and heavy, but looks like the real thing. I'm confounded on how to mount it on top of the head. It's pretty damned heavy and I would hate for it to come tumbling down onto the PF glass!

I wish I could think of a way to mount it without having to drill holes in the cabinet. I WAS going to drill two holes about 1/4" in diameter in the bottom of the fish tank, and then drill two matching holes on the top of the head and place a bolt through it with a wing nut to secure it on the inside of the head. But I'm wondering if I'm making a mistake and will harm the re-sale value of the pin. At this time, I can't think of another way to get it mounted where it is safe to stay there.

I have thought of glue, but what a mess that would make on top of the head! I have thought of Velcro, but I'm not sure it will be strong enough to keep the fish tank secure.

If anyone who has mounted their own homemade fish tank has a better idea on how to do it, will you please share that with me?

Thanks,

Mike in Kentucky

Oh, yes!!! Many times! Exactly how you described. Only thing I can think of is we are both getting some damned clean shots! Ha.

I have a lot of bounce. When I shoot the right ramp, sometimes the ball hops out of the ramp and over to the right and bounces down the PF or into the shooter lane. I have had MANY balls simply jump over the flippers and straight down the hole! It is a feisty machine!

Mike in Kentucky

I have had that problem too, and thought about posting it here. Glad you did. I think it has something to do with the rollover in the shooter lane. I notice if I hit the ball into Woodbury and if it goes WAY up and then comes back down, I always get the Extra Ball. But if it goes in there and does go over the rollover kind of quickly, I don't get it 1 out of every 3 times I hit it. I'm not sure how the code is written for when it is lit up during multi-ball, but I have been awarded the Extra Ball MOST of the time. I live with it, but someday when I have time, I'm thinking about pulling up the rollover wire a bit and see if that helps. If not, I might just change out the switch. I think the problem is in that area and nothing to do with code.

My first thought is the balls are already get magnetized, but after only 100 games? Kind of quick if they are getting magnetized.

The only other thing I can think of is you have a tiny place on the ball trough track that might have a metal burr sticking up that the balls have to roll over, thus you are getting delayed ball counts.

Mike in Kentucky

So glad you posted that! It did it to me twice today, extra ball was lit, I hit it twice, when I hit it the third time, I noticed the ball save light was off and it awarded it!

Thanks!

Mike

I've got a TWD but haven't had to do anything to the magnet. BUT . . . I HAVE rotated the core on my Goldeneye pin and it DID make a difference. It has the 'Magna Save' feature. The ball was shooting straight up and then right back down the middle and would drain. You never had a chance to recover and play on.

I turned it too much the first time and the ball went all the way to the left and rolled down the left sling. Wasn't too thrilling. So, I turned it about an 1/8th of a turn back and it puts it up perfectly on the left where it rolls to the middle of the left flipper. So . . . this rotating thing does work on at least the Goldeneye pin.

I have also gone through 3 of the magnets over the years. Each one has produced a completely different sling pattern. I had one that was furious at throwing the ball half way up the PF. But, it burnt out after a few months. Maybe it had too much 'juice' going to it and couldn't last long. I know NOTHING about magnetic fields, etc., but apparently, each magnet core produces a different . . . what .. . . field?

That's all I can contribute.

Someone will correct me for sure, if I am wrong. But they are identical from all appearances, and I BELIEVE someone else posted the same thing on this thread. I loosened the nut around the core and turned the core only. You have to be careful and not push it up too far or not enough. Needs to be perfectly even with the PF. Hope this helps.

Mike in Kentucky

This is a 'woe is me" and a request for HELP post.

I've got a TWD Pro that has been absolutely perfect and has never had an issue. That is, until I screwed it up today!!!

I got this notion to make my own Fish Tank topper. I got all the materials and put it together and then added lights for the fish tank by making one string of 3 lamps that I wired to a G.I. lamp and another string of 3 lamps that I wired to the red dome flasher. Both of these are on the left of the PF right near the middle. I had to lift the PF several times testing my wiring and running the wire out through the back of the back box. Everything worked perfectly. I closed it up and discovered my G.I. string had stopped working. I lifted the PF and checked my soldering there but it was fine. I then discovered my soldering joint to the first lamp on the string was loose. I re-soldered it and they worked again. I put the PF down and started a game to look at my great creation. But something was wrong. Before I get to that part, keep in mind that I had been lifting the PF up and down many times while working on it, each time playing a game to make sure all was still working.

But on my final lowering of the PF and then turning on the pin, it wouldn't throw a ball into the shooter lane. I opened it up again and checked all connections and fuses and all looked good. Then, I went to 'the buttons' to do a coil test. I could get to "coil" and "lamps" and any other place on there, but nothing else would work. I couldn't even do a test. Something is wrong and it is making me ILL!!!

I contacted a Pinside friend and he started talking about perhaps I shorted something and then about Spike and nodes, etc., and that was so far over my head, I gave up. After I puked and then talked myself out of taking poison, I am writing this just for something to do to take my mind off of it. I actually don't have any hope that you guys can figure it out without seeing the pin in person to examine it. If I wasn't so old, I think I would start crying like a baby!!! I am SO mad at myself for making this simple mod and then messing my whole pin up!!!

I am so disgusted . . . you might have to contact me at our city cemetery in a few days!!!

Thanks for reading.

Mike in Kentucky

STOP THE PRESSES!!! PUT AWAY THE ARSENIC!!! DON'T GO TO THE CEMETERY TO FIND ME!!! MY PIN IS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is for YOU Lermods:

I did as you said and took each fuse out and put the meter to them. The 3rd fuse in the top right row in the backbox was dead. It was a 5 Amp and I replaced it and it my pin is working 100%! I KNEW better than to just 'eyeball' the fuses. But this pin is so brand spanking new, and I could easily see the filaments inside each fuse and they all looked pristine. But I did as you said, just to make sure. I actually didn't have much hope. But THAT was the problem!!! How many times have I read on Pinside to NEVER trust looking at a fuse or even testing it while still in the pin. Always take them out and check with a meter.

I do need to confess that I did another stupid thing while checking them. But I don't blame ME this time. Under the PF are two fuses for the flippers. They are in some kind of black plastic holder that has those fuses in there so tight, I broke one of them trying to get it out. Glass pieces everywhere! MAN, are those things in there tight! Anyway, with my poor vision, it appears to have 8 Amp written on it. I don't have any of those. I reckon I could put a 7 Amp in there to make the right flipper work and the only thing bad to happen is the fuse will blow (maybe)? Right?

Anyway, you guys don't know how HAPPY I am to know I don't have to pay a fortune to get my pin fixed or be without it for weeks ore maybe months! Thanks again Lermods. And I always thought "Yankees" were not very friendly!

Mike in Kentucky

YeOldPinPlayer . . . thanks for the tip. I bought a yellow plastic fuse puller from Pinball Life about 6 or 7 years ago but it wasn't strong enough to pull the fuses. It flexed too much and I gave up on it. This one looks a lot stouter and is configured differently. I'll have to give it a try.

Thanks!

Mike in Kentucky

I just took electrical tape and rolled up very small pieces . . . reversed . . . with the sticky side out, stuck it to the lip of the clear plastic ramp and then pressed the track down on it. I only had to put about 5 or 6 pieces on it and it has stayed on ever since. You can barely see it.

Mike in Kentucky

Hey guys . . . I need a little help here. Some time back in this thread I mentioned that I built my own fish tank topper and wired some LED's in it, tied to the GI and a flasher socket. While soldering to the flasher I 'broke' my pin. It stopped working. One of you mentioned to check all the fuses, which I did and yes . . . that was the problem. I replaced the fuse and the pin worked perfectly. I wired one 5-string of LED's to the GI, and one 5-string set of LED's to the left flasher on the PF. It all worked.

After playing and testing my pin with the new lights in the fish tank, I noticed that after awhile I could see smoke coming from the tank. I lifted the wires and they were VERY hot. I quickly turned the pin off and determined that this wasn't going to work (they were pulling too much 'juice'), so I took the wiring off and scrapped that idea.

After I de-soldered the wires from the GI and flasher, I had the same problem of the pin not working. Checked that same fuse and yes, it had burnt. I replaced it and the pin once again it played correctly. HOWEVER, the lamp in the left flasher stays on all the time now and will not flash nor go out. I've checked all the fuses and everything else works fine.

I had a Pinside 'teckie' to visit this weekend who is a whiz at Williams pins, but he told me this TWD was a different kind of 'animal', he wasn't familiar with its structure, and guessed that I probably burnt a 'board' and would need to replace it. He wasn't real sure about that either.

Question to you guys . . . what do these 'boards' look like? Is this a very small, isolated board that is wired to or next to that flasher? Surely, he is not talking about a big board in the backbox?!

Any comments appreciated.
Mike in Kentucky

And this transistor is on a board in the back box, right? Not on some little 'board' under the PF. That's what the guy with me led me to believe. I haven't looked yet, but I hope if they are in the back box they look like the other transistors in my Williams, Stern, Sega, and Data East pins. I do know how to recognize and test them. I'm not very good at removing and putting in new transistors. I tried that once on my Goldeneye and lifted some traces and had to send the board off for repair. I'm going to remove the bulb for now.

Just thought of something. Would that transistor only control ONE feature on this pin? It only controls this one flasher lamp? They usually include various other electronics on a pin. Anyone think that there are other features not working that I cannot see visually while playing that is tied into this same transistor?

Thanks everyone for your replies!!!!!!!!!
Mke

Well worded answer! I know Patrick at Stern very well. He and his family have visited at my home. I had thought about calling him, but wanted to hear from you all first to get an idea of WHAT I was talking about!!! I know little about the guts of this pin!!!!

Did you make that, or did you buy it somewhere? It's NICE!!

Mike in Kentucky

THANKS MEPH!!!!!!!!

Mike

Yes. There was an extensive discussion about this WAY back in this thread. One involves enlarging a post (making it stick out farther) and the other involves turning the magnet to keep it from letting the ball just go and come SDTM. That's the only two things I'm aware of with the Pro edition.

Mike in Kentucky

I based MY theory on the magnet by what happened to my magnet on my Goldeneye pin. From what I see, they are both pretty much the same. I had a magnet to go dead on my Goldeneye and I bought a new one. Before it zonked out, it always threw the ball up the PF to where it would come to the left flipper. I put the new one in and it threw the ball right up the middle, resulting in 100% STDM's. I started adjusting the magnet by turning it just a few degrees and then tried playing again and it ALMOST worked. I unscrewed the nut and turned it a fraction more, tightened the nut and that was it! It now throws the ball to the left flipper like it should do.

My amateur thoughts on this: My instincts told me that the magnet could not be 100% perfectly magnetized (due to mass production and probably from China) and it's 'polarity' could be off a bit. I know very little about magnets or their fields, but I just felt it had to be imperfect in some form, and whether my theory was right or wrong, it worked. That's why I didn't hesitate to suggest turning the magnet. I have no scientific way to explain this concept, for it was really just a 'shade tree mechanic' idea just above the level of duct tape and a hammer.

Dense guy here.

When you are in Horde, what specifically are you aiming at to kill the walkers coming toward you? The game is so fast, I can't watch the DMD and the PF at the same time to even know when a walker is getting close to me. I just keep shooting and hope for the best.

Are you killing them simply by hitting shots where the arrows light up? Or, is it strictly the barn, or the Well Walker you are aiming at?

Thanks anyone who answers this.

Mike in Kentucky

Appreciate your answer!

Mike

Yep. I reckon that makes at least 3 of us owning a TWD here in the Bluegrass state.

But I didn't know they had electricity now in Verona! Haaaaaaaaaaaa! Just kidding pinhacker.

I've been to Mill Springs and Monticello many times. I've got a good idea of where you live. Another beautiful part of our state, knocking on the door of Lake Cumberland.

Now . . . if you all could just get some running water and indoor bathrooms!

Mike in Bowling Green, Kentucky

In my best Jack Benny voice: WELL!!!!

I'll have you to know we've had indoor toilets here for at least 5 years now, complete with THREE Sears and Roebuck catalogs AND a bushel basket of corn cobs!!! We are up-town!!!

Haven't been in Independence in many a year. But of course, the door is open for you here too. Visiting times are only during the 5th week of February and from 3 p.m. until 3:10 p.m.

Is this SOUND code or GAME code? (And stop laughing if this is a dumb question!!!)

Mike

Speaking of missing an opportunity,why didn't Stern make this magnet have the same power and sling abilities as the one in my Avatar and my Iron Man? The magnet in Avatar really slings that ball around. Some vicious throws at times, a LONG way from the magnet core. The magnet on my TWD doesn't do much of anything when it is on in a mode. It will throw the ball maybe 3 or 4 inches and very weakly.

Any of you have a different experience? Your magnet really slings the ball? Or, does it just dribble down the middle like mine does?

Mike in Kentucky

Oh, yeah! How's it goin'? Glad to see your comment. Did you notice any difference in the magnet from the old code to the new one?

Hope your folks are fine. What's it been? A year since I was at their house?

Mike

I'm having the same results with my shaker. The action is nothing like that of the shakers in my other pins. I think maybe it is the way the game is coded. There may be nothing we can do about it.

Now, you've got my curiosity up. Why not swap? A shaker is a shaker, isn't it? I had asked previously in this thread if TWD took a special shaker and the response I got was 'no'. I was under the impression that no matter who makes the shaker, they all function the same way and it makes no difference what pin you put one in (provided the game code has shaker features). Care to tell me what the danger was in swapping those shakers?

Thanks,

Mike in Kentucky

Same compliment from me too!

Could the balls be magnetized and 'sticking' to each other in the trough? Not letting the balls roll down?

Good info to know!

I see both you guys are from Belgium and you talk to each other in English on here. If you visited each other in Belgium, what language would you use: French? German? Flemish? English?

I've been to Belgium but many years ago. I developed this opinion that it's a country of 4 languages. Am I close?

Thanks for educating me. I find this to be fascinating. My brain would short-circuit and smoke would come out of my ears if I had all those different languages in my head!!! My hat is off to you for being able to have these skills.

Mike

My same 'strategy'!!!

Things happen so fast on TWD I don't know if a person can actually keep track of all that stuff and get it done in order. I figure if it is flashing, then it needs me to hit it there. I reckon if you trapped the ball on a flipper and studied what needs to be done next, that's how a good player can keep things in order. I don't have the patience for that. I flip hard and fast and hope for the best!