(Topic ID: 63352)

Twilight Zone Owner's club

By Caucasian2Step

10 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Linked Games

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

PXL_20240324_225901432 (resized).jpg
PXL_20240324_225930656 (resized).jpg
PXL_20240324_225912893 (resized).jpg
PXL_20240324_225925287 (resized).jpg
switch_cover_clip (resized).jpg
switch_cover (resized).jpg
IMG_5104 (resized).jpeg
IMG_5105 (resized).jpeg
twilight-zone-escape-clause-youre-the-devil-1_resize.gif
IMG_5096 (resized).jpeg
20240227_093351 (resized).jpg
Eddy board (resized).png
Screenshot 2024-03-02 at 8.44.39 AM (resized).png
Screenshot 2024-03-01 at 5.00.06 PM (resized).png
IMG_9941 (resized).JPG
IMG_9939 (resized).JPG

Topic index (key posts)

8 key posts have been marked in this topic (Show topic index)

There are 15,076 posts in this topic. You are on page 113 of 302.
#5601 6 years ago
Quoted from gunstarhero:

Does that have a protective film on it? It looks awfully cloudy.

My cell camera is horrible - I'll try to take a better pic....

#5602 6 years ago

i know this is not the most unbiased place to ask this question, but i am considering buying one more pin(i have run out of room) and i have a chance to pick up the twilight zone, i was also considering a monster mash or medieval madness, i see that the twilight zone is ranked 3 on the list here, but interestingly the price isnt as high as what you would see for a Monster or Medieval. What are your guys thoughts, i havent actually played any of these games. It is not exactly easy to go to an arcade and find these things anymore?

#5603 6 years ago

They made something like 15000 Twilight Zones. Monster Bash and Medieval Madness came out when pinball on downturn so not nearly as many made. Simply supply and demand. I would rank TZ as one of the best. Loaded with features, great theme, and great code. Those other games are overpriced for what they are imo.

#5604 6 years ago

With the steady decline of arcades and pinball, production numbers really aren't a good indicator of game quality. I enjoy Twilight Zone, but a lot of people don't. There are still some retro arcades with these pinball machines in play. Maybe you could find one and give them a shot? I would never recommend buying a pinball machine you've never played. Hopefully, you wouldn't buy a car you've never driven either.

#5605 6 years ago
Quoted from jgadzia:

i know this is not the most unbiased place to ask this question, but i am considering buying one more pin(i have run out of room) and i have a chance to pick up the twilight zone, i was also considering a monster mash or medieval madness, i see that the twilight zone is ranked 3 on the list here, but interestingly the price isnt as high as what you would see for a Monster or Medieval. What are your guys thoughts, i havent actually played any of these games. It is not exactly easy to go to an arcade and find these things anymore?

Personally, I can't stand MB. Was a fun game the first few times, but WOW did the callouts get OLD.

MM is a great game, that's why it was the first remake. People can argue about whether it's worth the price, but there shouldn't be any debate about how great it is. It's just fun!

TZ is a love it or hate it game. It's pretty much the anti-flow game and the go-to example people cite as a stop-and-go game. I did not like TZ at all the first few times I played it, but once I figured out what I was doing, I loved it.

Unless you're infatuated with the monsters, I wouldn't go near MB. MM and TZ are SO different stylistically that it's more about what type of gameplay you're into, since they're both phenomenal games for what they're trying to do.

#5606 6 years ago
Quoted from jgadzia:

It is not exactly easy to go to an arcade and find these things anymore?

Check the pinball map whenever you're on vacation or traveling. I would also recommend traveling to any pinball shows in your region to try a lot of pins.

You can also get a feel for the pins in pinball arcade. It is not exactly like the real thing, but it helps me identify those that annoy me and I would not want in my collection.

#5607 6 years ago

FWIW- The IPDB has had TZ at the top of their list forever.

http://ipdb.org/

TZ is an awesome game and easy to move along if you don’t find it your cup of tea.

You are keen to notice the value of the game also.

#5608 6 years ago
Quoted from Carbonellie:

Ok clear , I order the smoke! Thanks Coyote

Ok smoke, I order the clear!

#5609 6 years ago

Never understood why they call it the anti-flow game. My machine's pretty well dialed in, the only time I catch the ball is out of the slot machine for a split second.

#5610 6 years ago
Quoted from thedoctor:

Never understood why they call it the anti-flow game. My machine's pretty well dialed in, the only time I catch the ball is out of the slot machine for a split second.

Most of the shots are dead ends. The orbits and left ramp are the only ones that return to the flippers / string together. Almost everything else you shoot for is a target or a scoop. Doesn't make it bad. With so many other "flow games" that's actually part of what I like about it. But flow means shot combos, and TZ does not have much of that.

#5611 6 years ago

Very true. It's easy to see why something like TAF was so successful and remains popular today. It's flows well.

TZ rewards perseverance with a deeper rule set, as well as pace changes (spirals, mini playfield, etc). But you're right - it's more of a stop/start experience. It can also be pretty unforgiving too, especially if you get a run of bad luck (I'm looking at you pops)

Different strokes for different folks.

My biggest issue with TZ is actually nothing to do with how it plays, it's anxiety that there's so much on the PF that it feels like at any moment something will break.

#5612 6 years ago

I usually like more flow games but TZ makes it work. It feels good to stick the shots and hear the ball smack metal. The stop time gives you a chance to look up at the dmd, appreciate the animations/info, and quickly look for what to shoot for next. Game will definitely punish you if you are just knocking the ball around.

TZ has always been my favorite game but I was also afraid of the maintenance. Once I got more comfortable working on pins, that fear went away. I've only had my TZ for 3 months and most of the problems have been very simple. Most of the time something just needs adjusting. I'm still trying to get things to play better but I am pretty picky about how a game plays.

#5613 6 years ago
Quoted from Durzel:

My biggest issue with TZ is actually nothing to do with how it plays, it's anxiety that there's so much on the PF that it feels like at any moment something will break.

Take all of the effin' mods off. That feeling will go away.

Seriously, I play my game full-on, and don't have that worry. (*MY* worry comes from when something DOES break!)

#5614 6 years ago

My TZ has been damn reliable. Only recently has the clock gotten a little twitchy.

#5615 6 years ago

My TZ arrived with only the gumballs mod. So far, I am not feeling a strong desire to get a bunch of mods. Game plays just fine as is. Just keep me away from eBay!!!!

#5616 6 years ago

I always hear the complaints about the stop-and-go gameplay, and you *can* have a fun ,faster game on a TZ. But really, if you want flow, get a FunHouse or DI!

#5617 6 years ago
Quoted from thedoctor:

Never understood why they call it the anti-flow game. My machine's pretty well dialed in, the only time I catch the ball is out of the slot machine for a split second.

Because of the stop n go nature of the modes and shots.

Gumball, Piano, Slot Machine, Camera, Dead-end, Power ramp - all shots that go and STOP then do something to return the ball in play. The game has a lot of 'stop and watch the screen' stuff.. which some people don't like.

#5618 6 years ago
Quoted from Durzel:

My biggest issue with TZ is actually nothing to do with how it plays, it's anxiety that there's so much on the PF that it feels like at any moment something will break.

I've owned TZ for 20 years - its actually the most reliable game I've owned.

#5619 6 years ago

TZ is nothing to be afraid of... just some after work stress relief. Nothing broken but dialing in a couple things, cleaning up some ball trails and waxing areas one doesn’t usually get to.

C4AB9CC9-7535-4259-BE7D-2C36028381CD (resized).jpegC4AB9CC9-7535-4259-BE7D-2C36028381CD (resized).jpeg

#5620 6 years ago
Quoted from merccat:

TZ is nothing to be afraid of... just some after work stress relief. Nothing broken but dialing in a couple things, cleaning up some ball trails and waxing areas one doesn’t usually get to.

Talking Tina will Not be very happy when she see's what you did to her home!

#5621 6 years ago
Quoted from Yelobird:

Talking Tina will Not be very happy when she see's what you did to her home!

She needs to learn how to be a better housekeeper. When I first got the game about 1 year ago this month (was a routed game) talking tinas house was filled with layers of grime.

Tonight was just some light dusting, adjusted the ramp diverter, checked on a few items and tweaked the scoop switch.

Back to playing like a new game.

#5622 6 years ago
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:

My TZ arrived with only the gumballs mod. So far, I am not feeling a strong desire to get a bunch of mods. Game plays just fine as is. Just keep me away from eBay!!!!

There are some cool mods... Pinbits door flashers and gumball machine lighting kit, GLMs cool powerfield switches, led clock boards... and there’s some decent ones, like backboard and inner cab art, piano mod, rocket ship, colored clock housing... and a lot of just kinda cheap plastic junk like car toys, cameras, etc. But at the end of the day tho, it’s your game, and whatever you feel looks best, is best.

#5623 6 years ago
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

I always hear the complaints about the stop-and-go gameplay, and you *can* have a fun ,faster game on a TZ. But really, if you want flow, get a FunHouse or DI!

Flow and Funhouse?

#5624 6 years ago
Quoted from gunstarhero:

There are some cool mods... Pinbits door flashers and gumball machine lighting kit, GLMs cool powerfield switches, led clock boards... and there’s some decent ones, like backboard and inner cab art, piano mod, rocket ship, colored clock housing... and a lot of just kinda cheap plastic junk like car toys, cameras, etc. But at the end of the day tho, it’s your game, and whatever you feel looks best, is best.

The only visible mod I have is the piano mod and thats just because I got tired of trying to explain to people where the piano was. Not yet sure that I like it though. Still need to get the GLM switch kit one of these days.

#5625 6 years ago

So having a minor lighting issue on my TZ. In the lamp matrix below on row 6 lights 16, 26, 36, 46 are out, then light 56 works, 66 is out, 76 is out (or burnt bulb under mini playfield), and 86 works. Any ideas?

If it was a broken wire wouldn't all bulbs after #46 be out? It's odd that in this case some bulbs in the row work and some don't. I wonder if it could be a bad solder joint on the power driver board for that connector? The wires on the connector itself look good. I did swap the connector plug from J137 to J138 for testing purposes (J138 was empty but has same pin layout as J137) and the same issue exists.

Thank you

20180326_214341 (resized).jpg20180326_214341 (resized).jpg

Super exclusive ad from the Pinside Marketplace!
#5626 6 years ago

Tough to stay away from the mods. TZ is just a magnet for them and so many cool ones out there. Not sure they are all worth the trouble though. Mine came with a bunch of mods which some are pretty nice. Problem is that some don't stay in place very well and often need adjustment. I added two mods - the robot and tbird. There were issues with those and had to get replacements and refunds. Eventually got it all worked but what a pain.

#5627 6 years ago
Quoted from PanzerFreak:

So having a minor lighting issue on my TZ. In the lamp matrix below on row 6 lights 16, 26, 36, 46 are out, then light 56 works, 66 is out, 76 is out (or burnt bulb under mini playfield), and 86 works. Any ideas?
If it was a broken wire wouldn't all bulbs after #46 be out? It's odd that in this case some bulbs in the row work and some don't. I wonder if it could be a bad solder joint on the power driver board for that connector? The wires on the connector itself look good. I did swap the connector plug from J137 to J138 for testing purposes (J138 was empty but has same pin layout as J137) and the same issue exists.
Thank you

Okay, here's a little troubleshooting help for everyone. All games are like this, and this goes for lamp row/colun wires, switch row/column wires, and the power feed to flashers and coils:
They are not wired up in order as listed in the manual. They are wired up in the order that the wiring harness gets to them first. So in this casethe ones that are out are: All lights on the door panels, a spiral light, the right outlane, mini-PF, Gumball lamp.

So if you follow the wire harness, it comes in the bottom (back) of the right side of the playfield. The ramp connections are right here (for the Gumball lamp). There is a run goes across the bottom (PF in up position, back when down), and this feeds the other working lamp, The Power insert.
The main harness then travels up (towards front of the game). This is where the right outlane, the spiral, and then the door panel board is fed. Then, very last in the string are the plugs to the Powerfield.

So, having now followed the trace of the wire harness over the lamps, you have a broken Red/Blue wire somewhere inclusive between (meaning, including) the 'The Power' insert, and the 'Special' right outlane insert.

Good luck.

#5628 6 years ago
Quoted from Coyote:

Okay, here's a little troubleshooting help for everyone. All games are like this, and this goes for lamp row/colun wires, switch row/column wires, and the power feed to flashers and coils:
They are not wired up in order as listed in the manual. They are wired up in the order that the wiring harness gets to them first. So in this casethe ones that are out are: All lights on the door panels, a spiral light, the right outlane, mini-PF, Gumball lamp.
So if you follow the wire harness, it comes in the bottom (back) of the right side of the playfield. The ramp connections are right here (for the Gumball lamp). There is a run goes across the bottom (PF in up position, back when down), and this feeds the other working lamp, The Power insert.
The main harness then travels up (towards front of the game). This is where the right outlane, the spiral, and then the door panel board is fed. Then, very last in the string are the plugs to the Powerfield.
So, having now followed the trace of the wire harness over the lamps, you have a broken Red/Blue wire somewhere inclusive between (meaning, including) the 'The Power' insert, and the 'Special' right outlane insert.
Good luck.

Thank you for the advice! This is very helpful. I'll start trying to find the broken wire tonight.

#5629 6 years ago

Coyote is the man

On topic - I feintly recall seeing some kind of LED strip mod that would illuminate the gumball lane when the light is flashing, but for the life of me I can't find it now... I thought it might be a pretty cool mod, as I keep having to tell people that they can load the gumball because it's just one lone red light flashing when there's all kinds of lights flashing away elsewhere.

Anyone give me any pointers?

EDIT: Answering my own question - it might have been this

#5630 6 years ago
Quoted from Davi:

Flow and Funhouse?

It does have more flow than TZ

#5631 6 years ago

Thanks again Coyote, your advice helped me solve the problem I was having. Sure enough I found a broken lamp wire...soldering that back did the trick and all lights are now on!

20180328_191003 (resized).jpg20180328_191003 (resized).jpg

#5632 6 years ago

Good job!

#5633 6 years ago

Anybody know where to get my hands on good silk screened cabinet art?

#5634 5 years ago

Hello,

Just purchased Twilight zone; new to pinside. Very happy with purchase. Also have Addams Family; I'm new to owning machines but my wife and I loved playing them in college together and couldn't resist.

one quick question : on the system test getting a message to check switch 55 for gumball geneva; the gumball machine seems to work flawlessly - can there be a false positive on the system check?

Sorry to ask for help on my first post..

#5635 5 years ago
Quoted from Harvey27:

Hello,
Just purchased Twilight zone; new to pinside. Very happy with purchase. Also have Addams Family; I'm new to owning machines but my wife and I loved playing them in college together and couldn't resist.
one quick question : on the system test getting a message to check switch 55 for gumball geneva; the gumball machine seems to work flawlessly - can there be a false positive on the system check?
Sorry to ask for help on my first post..

I don't own a TZ, but generically, the system will flag if it hasn't seen a switch activated for a while so there's instances where just through the player not hitting a switch for a number of games it can flag an error. If switch 55 works fine in the switch test I wouldn't worry about it unless it reoccurs.

#5636 5 years ago

Thanks; I send a number of balls through the pinball machine and it worked fine but then ran the test and still got the error.
I'll read up on what I can find on the internet - new to this and don't want to flood the forum with simple questions. Just wondering if I can just ignore since seems to be working fine or if it's worth chasing after it. From what I've read getting to the switch need to tear down the gumball machine and I'm not eager to do that just yet for fear of causing more harm than good..

#5637 5 years ago

Gumball can work fine if the geneva switch is broken... so check the switch, may just need to be resoldered or have a broken wire.

#5638 5 years ago

So I’m having some trouble getting my slot scoop switch adjusted just right. It seems like the wire form on the switch actuator is getting a bit loose and may be getting pushed to the side by the ball perhaps?

Any tips for getting this thing dialed in? Also all of the subway switches have a flat actuator with this one being the only one with a wite actuator, is that correct?

#5639 5 years ago

If the Geneva switch is bad, the gumball will still operate, but it could cause an issue (dispening 2 balls, 0 balls, etc). The geneva switch tells the game when to turn off the gumball motor. With that switch marked as bad, the game watches the 'Gumball Exit' switch instead. The issue comes because the ball hits the exit switch *after* the geneva switch would normally be hit. So, if the game is busy doing other things, it may not catch and turn the gumball motor off soon enough.

You can continue playing, it may occasionally mess up.

#5640 5 years ago
Quoted from Harvey27:

Hello,
Just purchased Twilight zone; new to pinside. Very happy with purchase. Also have Addams Family; I'm new to owning machines but my wife and I loved playing them in college together and couldn't resist.
one quick question : on the system test getting a message to check switch 55 for gumball geneva; the gumball machine seems to work flawlessly - can there be a false positive on the system check?
Sorry to ask for help on my first post..

The game can compensate for this switch being broken. If you flip up the playfield and look at the base of the gumball machine, on the left side (near cabinet wall) there will be a switch mounted to the gumball machine base that is parallel with the playfield surface. It has a long blade on the inside. It gets triggered as the cam plate in the gumball machine rotates through it's positions. The blade should be long enough that you can attempt to trigger the switch manually in that you can reach it through some of the openings/gap. Put the game in test mode and see if the switch triggers when you move the blade.

Because the switch is so near the edge of the cabinet, it's very common for it's connection to get damaged moving the playfield. The blade itself can get broken, or it could just need a bend to make sure it's getting moved enough by the cam. Look at it's connections and use the test mode (gumball or just switch edge test) to see if it can register.

#5641 5 years ago

Finally joined the club too! My buddy picked it up last week from a lady who had it sitting unused for the past 15 years. The playfield is a little dirty, but everything except the clock works. Still had the goodies bag stapled in the bottom!

47531870-6CAF-4BF6-96B7-FD675BC304EA (resized).jpeg47531870-6CAF-4BF6-96B7-FD675BC304EA (resized).jpeg

5D9F332A-3671-4536-940D-CCDA2E8C18C9 (resized).jpeg5D9F332A-3671-4536-940D-CCDA2E8C18C9 (resized).jpeg

E1EB89B5-BA6B-40DF-B01B-1CE39848699E (resized).jpegE1EB89B5-BA6B-40DF-B01B-1CE39848699E (resized).jpeg

E271FD08-B94A-4E81-B238-991B1128E6F3 (resized).jpegE271FD08-B94A-4E81-B238-991B1128E6F3 (resized).jpeg

A25761FF-67A5-496A-AF89-A55AF76370ED (resized).jpegA25761FF-67A5-496A-AF89-A55AF76370ED (resized).jpeg

847A5227-7A7E-4093-8475-38B5CB5F3291 (resized).jpeg847A5227-7A7E-4093-8475-38B5CB5F3291 (resized).jpeg

#5642 5 years ago
Quoted from Wharhed:

Finally joined the club too! My buddy picked it up last week from a lady who had it sitting unused for the past 15 years. The playfield is a little dirty, but everything except the clock works. Still had the goodies bag stapled in the bottom!

Nice!!! congrats

Def check out Ingo's replacement clock board.

#5643 5 years ago

Can somebody please post or pm me a close up pic of connectors J120 and J121 on the power driver board? I need to be able to see which color wires go where on each connector.

Does J121 control both sides of the GI?

My entire right side GI has gone out and it is not a bad fuse. If anybody has any ideas other than fuse or connector please share.

Thanks.

#5644 5 years ago

Close-up
j120-121 (resized).jpgj120-121 (resized).jpg

#5645 5 years ago
Quoted from Wharhed:

Finally joined the club too! My buddy picked it up last week from a lady who had it sitting unused for the past 15 years. The playfield is a little dirty, but everything except the clock works. Still had the goodies bag stapled in the bottom!

I feel your pain on cleaning those subways, my CV’s were that black when I got it, almost couldn’t see through them. Fun times!

#5646 5 years ago

I spent quite a bit of time today disassembling the clock, fitting an Ingo clock board, etc. Even managed to work out how to get it dead on 12 first go.

Connected it all back up, everything worked first time... excellent!

...except, the minute hand opto interrupter is fouling the clear clock decal plate. When this happens the clock makes a nasty clicking noise, like it's skipping a tooth. Needless to say I turned it off quickly.

I pretty much replaced everything in the clock apart from the shafts and E/C rings.

I am now using a PETG clock face which sits behind the clock decal plate. I can only assume the tolerance is so small that this PETG plate is enough to catch it.

I've already got a washer on the back of the shaft (was already there), although I don't think this extends the long shaft anyway, I think it just stops there being any play in the big black gear.

Any thoughts? I've got some prototype clock decals on order, so I can try that, but it seems like I'm missing something here, unless the minute hand opto breaker tolerance really is that precise.

FA0230AD-ADBF-4670-B234-DB74BDA1D87B (resized).jpegFA0230AD-ADBF-4670-B234-DB74BDA1D87B (resized).jpeg

6A5A6F6F-56D6-4EEA-B9D8-DBAA3A0D128E (resized).jpeg6A5A6F6F-56D6-4EEA-B9D8-DBAA3A0D128E (resized).jpeg

#5647 5 years ago

You will have to trim - CAREFULLY! - the minute hand interrupter. There was no clearance before - now you have negative clearance, hence the hitting.

#5648 5 years ago

Dumb question but what sort of tool would be best to do this with?

#5649 5 years ago

Depends on how much needs to be removed. If it's JUST a little, use a little sandpaper. Or use a small pair of snips to trip away more.

#5650 5 years ago

sand paper... hold the piece in your hand and rub it back and forth across the paper on the table.

Suprised it's that tight.. I mean the factory plate has to sit there too. Are you trying to use both the factory plate (with integrated stand-offs) and the new clock face?

Other designs use stand-offs since making the integrated design is harder.

Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
$ 22.50
$ 649.95
Lighting - Led
Pin Stadium Pinball Mods
Led
$ 14.95
Playfield - Decals
Pinball Pimp
Decals
$ 21.99
Lighting - Interactive
Lee's Parts
Interactive
Wanted
Machine - Wanted
Corona, CA
$ 1,059.00
Pinball Machine
Mircoplayfields
Pinball Machine
From: $ 64.95
Cabinet - Sound/Speakers
PinSound
Sound/Speakers
From: $ 18.95
Lighting - Led
Mitchell Lighting
Led
$ 79.50
From: $ 99.95
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
pinballmod
Toys/Add-ons
$ 12.50
Cabinet - Decals
Pinball Haus
Decals
From: $ 9.99
Eproms
Matt's Basement Arcade
Eproms
$ 49.99
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toys/Add-ons
From: $ 8.00
Cabinet - Other
NO GOUGE PINBALL™
Other
$ 219.00
Gameroom - Decorations
Lit Frames
Decorations
$ 109.99
Lighting - Led
Lighted Pinball Mods
Led
$ 45.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Just 3D Mods
Toys/Add-ons
From: $ 10.00
Playfield - Protection
UpKick Pinball
Protection
From: $ 27.00
Boards
KAHR.US Circuits
Boards
$ 12.95
Playfield - Other
Pinball Pimp
Other
10,000 (OBO)
Machine - For Sale
Mount Pleasant, WI
From: $ 209.00
$ 30.00
Electronics
Yorktown Arcade Supply
Electronics
From: $ 12.00
Flipper Parts
Precision Pinball prod.
Flipper parts
From: $ 179.95
Gameroom - Decorations
pinballmod
Decorations
$ 43.99
Lighting - Interactive
Lee's Parts
Interactive
$ 44.99
Cabinet - Shooter Rods
Pinball Shark
Shooter rods
From: $ 8.99
Cabinet - Other
NO GOUGE PINBALL™
Other
Great pinball charity
Pinball Edu
There are 15,076 posts in this topic. You are on page 113 of 302.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twilight-zone-owners-club/page/113 and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.