Gumball size for Gumball Machine?

I'm having a hard time understanding how to choose/load marbles into the Gumball machine. There seems to be the smallest of openings to either of the side compartments from the top. I can't squeeze anything larger than a ball with a 3/4" diameter through there. What sizes are people using?

Thanks.

Hey Trev - reach out to robm on AA as he brought in a bunch in from Ingo a few years ago and maybe he still has a spare one

Congrats of joining the TZ club

A couple weeks ago I purchased an ingos board from their site as well. I also got a message that shipping to the US is still unavailable, but they are looking to resume in August and gave me the option for a refund or wait. I elected to wait a bit hoping the situation doesn’t move backward given the spread of the delta variant.

GI-OCD and LED-OCD (if using LEDs), Anti Glare Glass, Pinsound Plus, after market speakers, external subwoofer.

Thanks Manny65,
i sent an email off to Ingo and ill wait for his reply, if i have no luck i'll contact Rob.
cheers

Thanks for the info, i have sent Ingo an email, lets see what the outcome is.
cheers

Thanks for the info, i already have PDI glass, pinsound plus and speakers, ill look into the GI-OCD and LED-OCD. i wont worry about the external sub, if i buy one i'll have to buy them for all my machines and that would be a bit expensive as i have a few machines.
cheers

If you find a sub with multiple inputs or use a small mixer you won't need more than one sub.

This is the backside of Twister's very clever low-profile switch for the mini-PF.
I've never installed such a switch, but it appears to have clearly labeled solder pads.
Please tell me how to wire it. I've placed a conventional micro switch below it for reference.
Is it white wire to lug that shares black end of diode and green wire to free lug? Which pad in this case is the "free" lug? Does Twister's switch have a tiny resistor onboard or a diode? If it's a resistor, I assume I will be adding a diode like any other switch, but soldered to which pads?
Thanks.
E24D4EDA-1A6E-43B8-91D6-F82BB7408DFE (resized).jpeg

LTG : )

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Okay, so which of the three pads on the right is for the silver end of the diode?

I don't know what the product is or what the front side of the board is but I would always suggest you start by contacting the manufacturer of the product.

spdt_switch.jpg

That is what I was wondering. WTF is it ?

LTG : )

Thanks, DumbAss (no offense).
It looks like the diode is already onboard so it's just white to WT and green to GN.
I will ask Twister, too.

That is a diode.

White wire/black end of diode to NC. Green wire to NO. Silver band end of diode to C.

If you use the left side. White wire to WI. Green wire to GN. Then don't put a diode on it. There is one there.

LTG : )

Thanks!

Left side is a connection to switch matrix: green and white wires.

The right side is an extra connection. You can connect a mod, a flasher, a star post light or whatever you want.

Very interesting! Thank you, Davi. I just heard from Twister and he confirms that the additional switch is for a mod, flasher, lamp, or whatever you want. I would like to wire this switch to the star-post lights. Who has done this?
I have replaced switches but I have never added a lamp that was wired to a switch. I often add lamps with Comet's Matrix system, but that doesn't involve adding a switch.
How does that work? I assume I have to provide power to the switch and, when it closes, that power flows to the lamp. In this case, though, there is power at the switch already, but how much? Is it 6V? 12V?
It would be trick if I could wire that additional switch at each of the four rails on the mini-PF to light the nearest star post pair. Possible?

Update from Twister:

"The switch doesn't provide a voltage, it is potential free. You can switch up to 3A and 125V.
For use with star post lights, you should use some time extender, the impuls when you hit the switch is very short. Not sure if you could recognize without extender."

Uh-oh. This sounds more challenging. I have no idea what a switch-impulse extender might look like or how it would be wired. Again, has anyone used the additional switch on any of the low-profile switches in this kit. If so, how?

Thanks.

Hey TZ community - I am preparing to start (another) scratch build and I am looking to pick up a few remaining parts that I need before I get started. Can anyone help me identify the post that is used for supporting the right side of the mini playfield? Is it one part, a combination of parts?? Is there a particular spring size here? Thank you very much!

TZ Post (resized).png

From 2-46 in the manual:

I believe you need mini post 02-4659 and extender 02-4425-1, but I could be wrong. I've never taken my "stack" apart there to know what it's comprised of.

(edit)

Looking now I think I must be mistaken. The post in question does *not* appear to have the standard mini-post base. It's something else and it may not appear on 2-46. Sorry. What you need is a mini-post to accept the sleeve bumper but that post must have an 8-32 female thread in its top to accept the extender.

No, that's right. He has something else in there that should not be there. Or something got sheared off and not removed properly. That post should have a screwhole in the top that then the other Mini-powerfield things are screwed to.

BOOM !

LTG : )

The image I posted was just a reference image I found online so the community would know what I am talking about. I do not have anything for that spot at the moment and looking to understand what *should* be there.

Thank you very much for the information!

https://fb.watch/7ds0Gik052/

The switches are basically the same as your light switch on the wall, they complete or break the circuit when actuated. They are only 'momentary' though, so like switching your light switch back and forth to starting position very quickly.

If you run your LED power wire in series with the switches on the normally closed (NC) and Common (Com) connections, your LEDs would be on all of the time unless a switch was hit. Since the switch is only open a very short period of time, the LEDs would only be off a short period of time. An impulse extender is basically a time delay which could be used to make that off transition longer.

If you want the reverse of this - LEDs only on when a switch is hit, you would have to use the normally open (NO) and Com connections. This will work if each switch controls a single LED or bank of LEDs. It gets a little more complicated if you want multiple switches to control the same LEDs if the switch is in the NO position - you would have to wire the switches in parallel.

Here's what it looks like, one piece plus spring.

IMG_8734 (resized).jpg

Mine had washers top & bottom of the spring, plus another above the bracket before the nut. I believe the post is a 02-4829 (listed in the parts catalog but not the manual) and I think the spring is 10-453 (only listed in the parts list) . Note the early machines (possibly the sample games) had a different Mini-PF mounting system that didn't have a spring.

Marco have the post and what I believe is the spring in stock
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/02-4829
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/10-453

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My game didn't have them.

LTG : )

DSC00557 (resized).JPG

Yep I've seen these previously (hence the comment in my post) - B/W used a different mounting bracket and post in some machines (I believe they were early production). Out of interest what is the build date on your machine?

Coyote do you know about which machines had this variation?

04/05/93 It's a sample game.

LTG : )

Arh yep - prototype & sample games had the non-spring bracket, just not sure whether any early production machines had them as well or if the switch was made prior to starting main production.

Here are to 2 different mounting styles - prototype/sample vs production

TZ Mini-PF bracket on prototype machine (resized).jpg
TZ Mini-PF bracket on production machine (resized).jpg

I’m curious about how long were they in production? The TZ I have now has a build of 6/12/93. I had a reimported TZ before this one it had a build date of 7/23/93. Both of them had the spring mount under the mini playfield

Yup, Sample/Protos did NOT have the leveler setup there. I believe that the new system was put into place sometime mid-end May of '93, as one of the TZ I had on location was an early June, and it had the spring leveler there.

Thanks, Awesome.
I appreciate the lesson on switches.
I'm not sure what I will do with that additional switch. Since I can't use it as I envision it without an extender, I will probably forget it. I just thought there was a fun customizing opportunity there, but it may be too challenging to use it.

About 9 months. Many changes during that time. Sample prototype stuff ended in a month or so. Grapefruit colored pop bumper cap, third magnet in, two posts by pop bumper, green lock light, missing flip here on mini playfield, too short metal supports to rest playfield on, sticker on light by right ramp, white clock face. No sunburst behind Rod on back box side art.

Things slowly changed. Flip here on mini playfield, magnet pole removed for third magnet, eventually no hole. Two posts by pop bumper removed, black plastic plugs in the holes, eventually no holes. Multi colored clock face. Longer playfield supports to rest playfield on. About 1/3rd of the way high power interlock switch installed but not wired in. Last third of the run had it wired in. Starburst added to backbox side art behind Rod.

No rhyme or reason on translights. Seemed like they had two stacks. One with stars cut out one without. Didn't matter when the game was made. You got one or the other.

LTG : )

Thanks for all the info! Very interesting

Fitment Issue: Low-Profile Switch Kit

I've just run into a serious misalignment fitment issue with this very snazzy low-profile switch kit from the extremely talented Twister. You can see in this photo that the "wall" on the outside of the switch frame is in conflict with the mounting bracket for the mini-PF. It is impossible to force the bracket forward enough to slip over the stud as intended. It's about a 1/4" off. What fix do you suggest? Cut off the "wall" of the switch frame? Cut off a portion of the wall? I don't have a Dremel tool, just a hacksaw, so modifying that wall would mean making a single cut the length of the frame, taking the entire wall off. I would then lose much of the stiffness of the piece, but perhaps not a fatal amount. I'm not keen to enlarge the mounting slot of the bracket. I mean, given the degree of misalignment, I would have to take away a huge amount of metal, and I don't want to do that. How about cutting on the green line in the third photo? That would give me a big notch basically in the frame to accept the bracket.
Ideas?

43B4BBEE-CABD-44AF-B19C-3BFB7F1880D1 (resized).jpeg9A97A94F-2435-4745-86A2-D392F69089F9 (resized).jpeg

Fitment.Issue.with.guidelines (resized).jpg

It looks like the hole in the low-profile switch is oblong. Meaning, you can loosen the locknut and push it forward, thereby letting the mounting frame metal get closer to the post.

My lights on my clock are dim, but everything works perfectly. Guess still incandescent installed. I decided to buy caspers pcb board for the clock from pinball life. Anyone have any good or bad thoughts on this? Seems ingos board is more popular, but at just over $100, caspers seemed ok.

Thanks, but (a) not enough adjustability and (b) the switch is jammed closed if I move the frame in relation to the star post.
Another issue I have is that the "wall" of the frame also conflicts with one of the threaded standoffs that support a plastic.

It will go, but is extremely tight. I also get light rubbing on my art blades.

Lightly screw the front of the mini playfield in place first. If you push the lower end of the bracket all the way in and tighten it down, you can still get the switch to function with the adjustability on the other end of the bracket. May need pliers the first time to pull the bracket onto the stud.

Duplicate

Five thousand hacksaw, file, and sandpaper strokes later, I have a backless, notched switch frame. Retained a rolled edge for rigidity. Looks presentable. Fits well.
Some assembly required!

6458B170-C8DC-4E11-89E9-370117EFEFD1 (resized).jpeg

BA388748-7ECF-4F1C-87B6-C192A7FCBE11 (resized).jpeg

The result...

2C28D364-A06E-4253-A3B9-90F8C7AF48BD (resized).jpeg

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Thanks, Awesome, for taking the time to respond with your ideas.
Much appreciated!
But you know, I like to put the work in to modify things carefully as necessary to get a proper fit. I hate to force things and I won't go near my PF with pliers.

So today I went to play my Twilight zone and went to start a game and my right upper flipper stays up and energized. Only when I start a game or go into settings it does this. Not when I initially turn the game on. I checked my EOS switch on the flipper coil and it is open like it should be. Swapped the right and left flipper interrupters thinking maybe a bad opto but no change. When I unplug the connector at the right interrupter it de energizes and also at the fliptronics board in back box it de energizes when unplugged? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If it goes up when you turn the game on - bad transistor.

If it goes up when you start a game - diode on the coil issue - broken off or broken leg.

LTG : )