All right - next question. Has anyone ever replaced the playfield supports with the longer ones seen on later games? I have several times pulled the playfield out needing to work on it, and almost smashed it on the front of the cabinet because the suppports are shorter than I expect. It would make working on the underside a bit easier as well. I don't have a spare set sitting around, but I wonder if they would even fit.

That said, I have some horrendously dirty/scarred/corroded ones that I will need to replace or at least clean up. They are too large for the tumbler, but I don't want to sand them and lose all the zinc

Been slowly knocking things off the list on my TZ pin, I have rebuilt the bottom flippers recently to learn the process, still haven't rebuilt the the upper flippers. I did notice the upper left and upper right flipper fire after the bottom flippers when the button is pressed. I can press the flipper button in slightly for the bottom, then a little more for the uppers. I have cleaned the optos with no change. Since it's on both sides I find it a little odd... I noticed the left optos are similar in match, then the right is a mix match of two different optos in terms of height. Could my flipper rebuild have anything to do with this ? Seems weird I never noticed in the 4 months I have been playing/working on it.

That is normal for games of this series. They have two stage flipper buttons where the lowers fire on a slight push and the uppers on a more full push. My Doctor Who has them as well.

I've seen skilled players who actually work this feature quite well. A skill that is still a bit beyond me yet tho. But I'm working on it.

I did - I saved my original supports, but put the larger ones in. No issue, other than needing some hardware. Worked fine.

Like ArcadeTechNerd says - this is normal. ALL Fliptronic games did this.
And yes, it's for double-staging. You get good, you use this to your advantage. (Example: Powerball in slot machine. Activate lower right flipper, leave upper right down. Ball is ejected with such force to bottom flipper that it breaks EOS contact, causing it to 'pulse' and shoot the powerball right up the right spiral into the gumball machine! Yes, I do this OFTEN on my game. :mregreen

Excellent! Did you add the earlier WPC supports that are flat on the bottom, or the later WPC95 support with the little “foot”that fits in the lockbar receiver well?

that is,

this one:
https://mantispinball.com/product/twilight-zone-safety-bracket/

or this one:
https://mantispinball.com/product/williams-wpc-95-safety-bracket/

I used the former - after sample games were made, the former one there was put on later Twilight Zone games. So not sure how the WPC-95 ones would fit - and not wanting to drill or make any new holes in my restored PF, I went with the standard ones.

Got it, thank you. I didn’t realize the longer supports actually shipped with later builds. Mine has the weird short ones which I will keep, but are a bit dangerous!

Twilight Zone is still a super fun game after a few years of ownership. That's all I have to say for now.

Even after quite some years, still a fun game
So you’re good to go some more years

Have had mine for 23 years now.

And it STILL kicks my ass.

Sooooo... the right flipper is dead again, blowing the same fuse on the Fliptronics. Arrgh! I get about 2 flips and then dead. So I am thinking Q4 must be fried. Or maybe both Q4 and Q11.

I am not in front of my game, does anyone know which transistor(s) I may need to order to replace ?

Q4 and Q11 is correct.

Q4 = TIP 36C
Q11 = TIP 102

Please check at first, if the diodes on your coil are OK. Please post a photo oy your coil and coil wiring.

If you change the transistors, it would be good practice, to also change BR1.

My tip goes towards BR1!!!!

You bet. One coil did have a problem, and it clearly got too hot and the common wire lug cracked off (or at least the plastic did). I repaired it and I believe the wiring is intact, but it very well may be the diode. That would be nice!

Read post #6163 again, I added text

Measure the diodes or change them directly on suspicion.

I think I will just change them, it is easy enough!

Hello guys, i found out that another part is missing in my tz.. it is the little ball scoop in front of the gumball machine.

A friend of mine have sent some pics of his under playfield. It seems to be a 2 part scoop
Am i right?

I only have the lower playfield "cup" part but it is missing the long part that goes throughout the upper playfield..sadly I cannot find any pics of it in the web.. can you help me identifying it? It is indicated by the yellow arrows in the pics I have found here on pinside. Do anyone has a pic of this part unmounted?

Thanks!!

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Hello,

Does anyone have or know where I can buy a replacement clock face (plate to which the decal is attached). Thanks!

Pinbits sell a clock plate kit. It doesn't have the standoffs mounted to the face like the OEM one does though (and it is currently out of stock): http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_2&products_id=160

In other news.. the other day I switched on my TZ after perhaps 2 weeks of it being sat idle (not sure if that's relevant or not), and the white gumball flasher came on and stayed on. A few seconds later it switched off, and then behaved as normal.

Something I should look at or just another day in The Twilight Zone? I swear with stuck flasher randomness and "Check Trough Proximity Switch 26" (shout out to @check_switch_26) it feels like it is haunted.

The Shadow Zone.
Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man?

“There is no light, without Shadow... in the Twilight Zone.”

ok one of my bulbs burned out in my clock, so i decided to go ahead and convert the board to led ( i have some basic soldering skills) I desoldered the lamps and the D1-D4 diodes. I already have the LED's and figured i would need a 180 ohm resistor to replace the diodes to get down to 3.3 volts on the led. Is this correct? 6.8volts-3.3 volts/20 milliamps=180 ohms. Also does the polarity of the leds matter? since i am pulling 6.8volts AC?
based it on this page:

https://www.aaarpinball.com/TwilightZone/TwilightZone.htm

thanks

I just soldered 555s direct to the board. No issues after years of illumination.

Any chance anyone has a eddy sensor cable i can buy from them? Also, my test report states my clock is broken, but it seems to work just fine in diagnostics and during game play? Any ideas why there is a disconnect between the two?

Or, you could just go the easy route and get these:

http://www.cometpinball.com/86-LED-p/1ledt10-86.htm

Or go one better and get Ingo's board. Then you can do the whole RGB LEDs thing if you want, and never have to worry about the clock failing again.

Granted the cost of an Ingo board is significant if your OEM one still works, but if you're taking the clock apart I'd just install it and forget about it. It's a brilliant design that far exceeds the reliability of the OEM board.

Got nothing to gain by posting this - I've already bought and fitted one ages ago, just a very happy customer.

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Just to second this recommendation... I have FOUR different clock boards, and Ingo’s is the -only- one that worked correctly with the GIOCD board I have installed. TZ is one of the games that really requires the GIOCD board to stay true to the original light design - the GI fading in various modes.

That's interesting.. I have a GI OCD board waiting to go in my TZ but I have to get the power board repaired first (my GI doesn't respond to dimming at all in test, even with an incandescent bulb in, and option 25 "Allow GI dimming" on).

Does it make a big difference then?

Like the LEDOD board, it is a bit subtle when you first experience it, but very easy to see next to a game which does not have it. TZ has a lot of dimming effects and is IMO one of the more important games to have GIOCD installed

Strongly agree! You don’t notice it, til you’ve noticed it, then you can’t un-notice it ever again.
Congo needs it too - LED GI is a total mess otherwise.

Anyone know where I can get replacement led for the Ingo clock board? I got one going bad. I contacted Ingo with same question. He said he was going to mail me a replacement but that was a long time ago.

Email him again, he’s human, he may have forgotten

Mate, please send me again an e-mail or a PM please (if you PM me, please tell me your e-mail adress, so can find you in my e-mail-account). I am sure, I have sent you a "normal" letter with the LEDs. No problem for me, to send you again some LEDs.

EDIT: Just checked my PMs and asked my wife. She said, that your cold white LEDs are shipped about 3 weeks ago. When you do not get them in the next 5 days, give me feedback and we will try new, this time with tracking.

I've had a shipment from Ingo take up to 5 weeks. So give it a little time.

I think when I orders my board it spent 5 weeks in customs alone.

See? the man is on top of it. I had an entire GAME sit for 2 months in customs, so have some patience. AND he said he'd send you another set. That is some major integrity.

My board took a little bit of time to arrive too, coming from Germany to UK, so I'd imagine there would be a bit of a delay going to the States. As has been said though german-pinball is solid so no need to worry at all.

Thanks, Ingo. I shot you a pm but no big deal. I don't want to be a bother over an led. I can wait and no stranger to long shipping delays. Funny thing is I thought I received it yesterday when I saw a small overseas package in my mailbox. Turned out to be some cheap, little thing I ordered for my daughter off Amazon 6 weeks ago.

Love the clock board! It's been working perfect. Wish I could say the same for the trough proximity sensor. Dang thing is always finicky.

Ahhhh the old "Check Switch 26 Trough Proximity" error. Hello old friend.

As had been mentioned to me by Coyote, the recommended fix for this is to cut off the connectors at both ends, twist the wires, and solder the wires directly to the pins. I did this with my glitchy sensor, and I have not had a problem since.

Finally got my Mike Chestnut Chromed out TZ finished!

I totally agree. Cutting off the connectors sounds like a hack but it is a necessary evil. Those wimpy pins can't hold up to the vibration of all the coil activity in that area of the playfield. I directly soldered a single twisted pair of data line to the underside of the two little boards and never had a problem again. Doing it to the underside of the boards always gives you the option of going back to the cable with the connectors if so desired.

Think I do need to directly solder the two boards. I keep thinking I have it good when it works right for a while but doesn't take too long to get that stupid credit dot. It just seems so wrong cutting off connectors and directly soldering wires like that.

I have this one - https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/A-16533-PP - which is supposed to be an upgrade, with a twisted cable, and I still get the error from time to time. As said soldering is the only long term solution.

Slowly starting a shop out ... while inspecting under the playfield i saw this... GULP!

Should I be concerned?!?!

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What? That’s hilarious. Doesn’t TZ predate Dumb and Dumber?

Oh wow, it does!! By a year or so. I wonder if anybody knows this inspector! I am keeping this on the game for sure

I used to think the same thing; I'd put the connector back on, "That should take care of that!". Would be OK for a time, then right back to it once again.

I felt the same way about cutting the wires, too. But believe me, you'll get over that feeling rather quickly once you do take the plunge and then never see that error again!

I've got the same sticker / decal, lol . . .