I forgot about your LITZ comment, buy the home ROMs.

They have a LITZ practice mode that allows you to do just that. However, it won't allow you to save the LITZ score while in practice mode. Otherwise, it operates the same as the commercial ROMs.

Double-post.

Always recommend Cliffy's protectors. Also like Pinbits gumball light.

Of course I am a little partial to my Slot Machine Kickout Light. It is interactive so it is only lit when the slot machine is active and the install is super easy plug and play.

http://www.leesparts.com/products/twilightzone-slotmachine-light.html
TZSlotKickoutBlue.jpgTZSlotKickoutGreen.jpg

Could someone here in the TZ owner club explain the why there is a gumball machine on the pinball? It is talked about like it is the central feature of the playfield.... but could someone tell me what it has to do with any TZ episode? It certainly does not pertain to any great classic episodes. Help me out here.

The gumball machine is not in any episode of TZ. As for why there is a gumball machine, why shouldn't it be? its freaking awesome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_(pinball)

http://www.ipdb.org/rulesheets/2684/tz-tie-ins.htm

all tie-ins explained, but gumball is just a bit of fun.

I think this is the post that's in the tear down pic below.

IMG_0577.jpg

Just curious where you get & which color you use for your TZ leg protectors? Thanks

Huh, thanks. I'll have to put mine in now. Interesting..!

-Mike

On mine, it is actually right against the stainless steel gate with the double opto, and it's quite a tight fit.

For those who, like me, can't afford the gumballs people sell on ebay (are they made of gold or what?).

Where did you get that Chinese checker game?

He said at Target for $5.99 + tax

just finished 2 different plunger plates for the recess if anyone is interested like the Marshall Amp Plate

https://www.shapeways.com/search?q=swinksplungerplate&sort=newest

marshall amp / speaker plunger plate
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2 different Twilight Zone designs
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Then this is probably an old argument but I think if it is not related to an episode has no place on the machine... if they wanted to have a special ball it should have been shaped like the eyeball and painted in black and white, and delivered into play in a TZ episode like way... my 2 cents.

Will the game still work normally (other than saving settings) if the 3 AA batteries are out of the holder?

You're correct. The settings and high scores won't save, and you'll get a startup error, but the game will still play.

Just curious if there are capacitors I can change on the sound board that would make the game sound better?

Resets usually first start showing during Litz because of the power drain with everything running at once. 5 volt is getting weak for one reason or another. Can be z connections, bridge rectifiers, and a number of other issues. Check pin-wiki for resets. Has a great tutorial for finding the issue. Kahr makes a fix that eliminates the reset issue, without fixing the problem.
http://kahr.us

Does anyone know how the backboard is connected to the playfield ?
My first inpression was 4 screws, through playfield.
Removed those but it still won't budge ...... perhaps attached with something below the plastics or wooden dremmels?

Ordered this the other day, just waiting for it to get here. Hopefully I wont have any more issues.

The problem with this board is it takes the power from the 12 volt, and if you are on the edge of that you could start over loading that fuse. It fixed the reset problem on my CFTBL but it started blowing the upper GI fuse. I took the board out and just had the 5 volt rebuilt and all is good. I am not saying the board is not good because it is a great bandaid but it does not fix the problem.

Can somebody tell me why my TZ has 3 holes for the leg bolts on the front?

Wouldn't we all like to know!

Finally joined. This is mine, pre CPR mini playfield, slot mod, etc.
image.jpg

New clock:
image.jpg

Really?? Nobody knows?

I believe I heard once that it was thought the playfield had to be mounted in the cabinet at such an angle that to allow operators to get a better slope on the field, they could switch front holes to help increase pitch.

Sample games had three holes on front AND back - not sure if production cabinets kept that or not. AFAIK, noone makes the three-hole leg plates anymore.

Dupe. D'oh.

You're right but there are 5 screws and not 4.

Pinsound.org is the best solution for improving the sound. A couple of great new sound mixes are availale on the community forum as well a an upgraded stereo original. Makes a hugh difference even with stock speakers.

Nice! I love the spiral back wall and bright lighting. The two tone clock is an eye catcher too.

Need to do something to make mine unique, but fixing the clock is low on my long TZ project list, but the cool weather is coming, and I have ordered some parts, so it's high time to start. hehe

It seems every TZ that I play on location does not play very well, and I wondered if the TZ gameplay in Pinball Arcade was nothing like the real thing, but I recently played one that rocked, and I won a few free games. Now I know that TZ can kick ass in real life, and imagine once my project is done, I am going to be a happy camper.

Twilight Zone - "The most abused title with mods in the history of pinball".

Other than that, I can only say good things about it. I have owned mine since 1994.

This allowed operators to further lower the legs and change the angle so children could play the game. Both the the front and back legs have three holes, as early part of the production kept the sample cabinet design. Final part of the run had two hole leg plates

Read above, i asked this same question in 1994 to the distributor, when I bought mine, along with what I knew from the operator I worked for at the time, the answer "jived". There are OTHER games games that used the three hole cabinet design, mostly from the 1992-1993 period. I have a BSD for example that uses the same cabinet style, and couple of others that were early production runs.

I just don't dig all those TZ mods: slot machine, rocketship, camera, robot, talky tina, etc, etc, etc.... they all get in the way of the ball view....

I'm partial to mods and understand that some people don't like them, but I don't follow how they get in the way of ball view. Many of the mods actually highlight what to shoot for. For example, the invader is tied into the extra ball insert, robot ties into mb ready insert, camera to camera insert and the slot machine is just flat out cool, spinning when the ball passes through, for example.

Here's a pic of my modded out game, not much distraction really, everything is easily visible. T bird obscures pops a little, but it can be repositioned off to the side. Never have I lost track of the ball because a mod blocks the view. In some games, inserts are blocked (avenger in lanes for example) and a mod makes them either easier to see or easier to know when they are or aren't lit.

Pinball is all about lights, bells and whistles, things that enhance that are good.

image.jpeg

You are absolutly right!!
5 screws instead of 4 for the backboard attachment on a TZ.
Tucked away under the gumball diverter mech
Thanks for the help !!

Anyone know what type/size screw (and washers, if any) should be used on the habitrail leading to the powerfield? (It's affixed to a post that's between the left orbit and left ramp). Couldn't find it in the manual.

Believe it's the same as all the other posts - #6-32. (Maybe #6-40? Can't remember at the moment!)

If you drop a pic I can easily check tonight since I have my playfield out.

It's the screw that screws into the orange post in the lower right of this pic.

tz.jpg

I will check later - if someone's not already responded.

#6-32. I used a washer that is a bit larger than the screw so it covers the habitrail attachment.

My apron has what I thought were scratches in the light blue area around the "TWILIGHT ZONE". I was comtemplating ways to touch them up, and then clear coat the whole thing. Then I am looking at Chris Hutchins' gallery (i.e. http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album620/33_G?full=1) and I am also seeing some tiny dots. What's the story? Do all aprons have these from the factory?

"And the ridiculous mods just keep right on coming..."

The backboard decal for those that are not aware with the "spiral" or "series version" does look GOOD, like it came from the factory.
There were a couple of different ones, and these were Treasure Coves.
Mine is quite different from the photos here, and I have no memory of where it came from, as the spiral is MUCH MUCH bigger and on the other side and matches the playfield art perfectly.
I installed at least a decade ago, probably more.

The decals on the lamp post and diverter DO NOT look good.
Take no personal offense, I just don't like some of the things that have been made on the market.
I can deal with the LED thing, as in many cases, it actually reduces stress on the electric circuits, adds better color to the playfield, reduces the number of times you have to replace bulbs, and reduces potential heat damage, especially for plastics, GI tract lighting, and boards.
If the market was not flooded with junk, and more people spent extra time making more proper reproduction parts, we would be singing ultimate praises, instead of being on the "eternal hunt". I remember looking for a WH20 part for my machine for 2 months, and was saved by a fellow collector friend, instead of going to a machine shop. Plenty of other examples as well.

TZnewbbdecal.jpg
TZ_BB_large.jpg

here is one repro part I did a while back for BoP and TZ available at Shapeways

https://www.shapeways.com/product/E2ES3LJ4Z/pinball-drive-wheel-03-8476-tz-bop?optionId=55148175

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Gotta love rapid prototyping as a mechanical engineer.
God, I wish this had been available 15+ years ago.
Great job!

I personally don't like most of the TZ mods, but it's all personal preference.

Want to bling out your game? Go for it. Want to keep it mostly stock? Sure, it's your game.

I like LEDs in TZ for the reasons mentioned, but don't really like them in my IJ. I do like the plastic or glass gumballs, door flashers, and some type of sprial sign as these should have been on the game to start with. At least from what I have been told.

I like the diverter and lamp post decals, and a less busy backboard decal too. What I wish would be developed is a lamp post that doesn't show the wires or use zip ties.

FWIW, I never notice the wires on my lamp post, but I understand your concern.

tz.jpg

New Load Gumball from LeesParts.com. Light up your right orbit with a red glow when load gumball machine is active. Looks great when used with PinBits Gumball Machine Light.

http://www.leesparts.com/products/twilightzone-loadgumball-light.html

TZLoadGumball300400.jpg