(Topic ID: 63352)
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Twilight Zone
Bally, 1993
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2 weeks later
Quoted from FlippinJimmy:It is due to the magnet. The magnet is flush with the play field. After the ball search the magnet releases the ball. Magnet must be energized. Have never seen this happen on the right magnet. Only the left.
Every once in a while on my TZ the ball will stay resting on the left magnet after the magnet releases. A slight bump of the machine will always free it.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Test the game with the glass off and a ball on the miniplayfield and see if it's energized the whole time. It makes no sense that it would only be energized during gameplay, but then never shuts off. It's either on all the time, or you've got a slightly different issue
I don't think he means the mini playfield magnets, I think he means the left spiral magnet.
Quoted from PinJim:Just curious, has anyone added an external sub to TZ, with an l-pad, and without connecting the sub that’s in the cabinet?
I have a Polk sub hooked up to my STTNG and modified the sound board to control the ratio between the sub and the back box speakers. It works great. But when I hook TZ to the same sub, the bass from STTNG simply overpowers TZ. So I’d like to utilize the Polk sub for both games, and exclude the sub in the cabinet of TZ (which is how my STTNG is set up).
I disconnected the sub in the TZ cabinet while experimenting, and of course I lost my back box speakers too - I assume all of the speakers are wired in series.
Thanks in advance for any help!
If you use an external sub with speaker level inputs it should work fine, but with the OEM speaker arrangement in TZ you can't get rid of ( or jump out) the cabinet sub or it will screw up the total resistance to the backbox speakers since they are in series/parallel.
I added a Pinsound and then you can run true stereo.
Quoted from PappyBoyington:I believe he's using the PinSound Board. You can swap them between TZ and Indy. You just have to add the TZ sound files to the USB stick. I just did this on mine. Works perfectly.
Yes, but he will then need a sound board for the Indy and the TZ sound board will not work in Indy.
Quoted from billsfanmd:pinsound system out of In and move into TZ
If you do put the Pinsond board in your TZ, I recommend you rewire your speakers to take full advantage of the available 2.1 stereo (and upgrade - Parts Express has decent speakers for around $10 to $20 each).
Quoted from FlippinJimmy:Any recommendations on replacement speakers? I have the pinsound on my HSII and they are great but I don't want to spend that much money if anyone has suggestions on a more reasonable price option.
Parts Express has Pyle and other brands for less than $20 each and they are a significant upgrade. TZ has two different sized backbox speakers originally. With a little work you can make them both 5 1/4" (Here's a good step by step link: http://www.dziedzic.us/wpc_speaker_wooden_display_panel.html) or just replace with original size speakers.
Here's a link to a good speaker I have used: https://www.parts-express.com/pyle-pl53bl-blue-label-5-1-4-triaxial-speaker-pair--267-080
Not top of the line, but for a cheap price, they are pretty nice. These replacement speakers work great with stock sound board or pinsound.
Quoted from Green-Machine:Looks great! You also have the apron cards I’ve been looking for. May I ask where you got them?
I found them online after much searching... unfortunately I forget where I found them to give them proper credit.
TZ Cards.jpgQuoted from Adipocere:I am thinking about changing the super bright white light in the lampshade over the mini-playfield for a colored LED. Any suggestions from others who have done the same? I was thinking blue or purple. That white light peeks out through the cracks in the side of the metal shade and is quite distracting.
I precision folded a piece of white paper and use a blue LED... gives a nice glow!
229FC2DF-25FF-47A2-95D1-937B92C6A7C6 (resized).jpeg 1 week later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:So the problem is that the lamps are on ALL the time. They are locked in, constantly lit super bright.
This is usually a symptom of a shorted transistor - but I’ve replaced Q83 twice now, and it’s the same thing. I either have a whole bad batch of TIP102s (unlikely), or something else is wrong - either something else is shorting the transistor as soon as I turn on the game, or is otherwise causing the issue.
I forgot to mention I have an LEDOCD installed; I should remove this from the mix, but I think since it is passing the signal and the lamps are on, it’s probably not affecting anything.
It's been a while since I dealt with my TZ light issues, (I'm also using both OCD boards), but I took a couple jumper wires to test each row/column light individually to help isolate. Jump between the board and the connectors one at a time. I don't recall if there is another GI plug be able to switch places with to see if the issue follows. (I'm not looking at the schematic, but could cause more problems if a short).
Double check your OCD settings for that row, just in case to make sure they aren't set for full bright all the time. Will they adjust brightness in lamp test?
Mine ended up being a transistor, which you have already replaced. Some of my lights would come on when not supposed to.
1 week later
Quoted from Navystan:Well, I joined the club as of this Saturday. Will post pix soon.
It was a high-end restore. Restored cabinet with new decals and a cleared new playfield. The playfield is far better than those of modern pins. Looks like a sheet of glass. My only effort was to fix the clock. Took a couple of days, but it's fully working now. I will post a separate post on that effort to help others in the future.
Wanted to get folks opinion on a few mods I want to do:
1. Vote for Pinsound? I'm really going to do, just wondering what speakers you recommend. FF? Pinsounds speakers?
2. I want external volume control. Recommend pinnovator volume control with Pinsound? Does it work correctly? I'm referring to the one that goes in the door.
3. Color DMD. Yes. Just curious if you prefer setup for smooth LCD or dot matrix look?
4. Vote for LED OCD? Seems mixed on this thread.
5. Magnet for ramp "catcher." whatever you call it. Seems like an easy inexpensive mod to keep ball from ricocheting off the ball "catcher."
6. Some form of a non-glare glass. PDI or maybe just Voodoo. Thoughts? Preferences?
Those are the key upgrades I want to do. After I get these key upgrades, then might look into some of the other mods.
Thanks for your advice and tips in advance.
Pinsound is great. Re-Wire speakers for true stereo. $20 speakers from Parts Express work well.
Not familiar with the external volume control. Once I got Pinsound, it took a little fine tuning and now I just use the coin door volume switches from time to time.
Color DMD is awesome, I prefer the LED version.
LED OCD and GI OCD are great in TZ, especilly with all of the dimming in the GI. The difference was bigger than I expected.
Sure magnet is cheap and doesn't have a down side I'm aware of.
I'm using Invisiglass. Looks great.
Quoted from jedimastermatt:Pinsound with the Kitzrow TZ remix is the way to have the best of both worlds.
Where is this available for download? Haven't seen this one... Thanks!
Quoted from Seatmandan:WHen I finally installed my GIOCD board, I did not notice any real difference. I did, however, notice GIOCD difference massively on my Tales of the Arabian Nights
I'm sure you did, but make sure GI dimming is turned on in the system settings. I noticed a pretty big difference after I installed my GI OCD in TZ. Of course I also "optimized" the dimming settings for what I thought was the most noticeable in my game.
Quoted from FathomPin:I would appreciate any color DMD advice
I did a lot of back and forth and decided on the LED version and I love it! Looks awesome! I do have a "bent plastic" style of glare guard and also Invisiglass on my TZ, so reflection isn't an issue.
I also put another LED Color DMD on my Independence Day with regular glass (still use a bent plastic) and it looks awesome on there as well!
Quoted from uncivil_engineer:With regards to upgrading speakers in pre-DCS games. I have now done a pair of games using this guide: http://www.dziedzic.us/wpc_speaker_replacement.html
Ive been pretty happy with the results.
When I get my TZ up and running again. I will be replacing the speaker in it as well. The biggest improvement for me with this setup is being able to control the bass.
That's pretty much exactly what I did with my TZ before I went with a Pinsound board and at that time I went true stereo and got rid of the subwoofer crossover and L-pad.
I did the 5 1/4" speaker upgrade for both backbox speakers and added a sub in the cabinet in place of OEM speaker.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Navystan:OK, I think the best way to determine value is to hear what the "market" says it's worth.
Let me know what you think.
Here's a link to pix: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0rJ0DiRHJujABv
Stock, came with:
- chrome legs
- CPR screened backglass
- sideart
- completely redone cabinet/decals
- new cleared playfield
- new plastics/main NOS ramp/subway
- rebuilt/new flipper mechs
- Stern leg protectors
- rebuilt clock, new clock board
So far, I have added:
- colorDMD
- Pinsound
- Chrome lockdown
- new OPTO board
- Flipper Fidelity speakers
- magnet for diverter
Mods I will be adding soon (not pictured):
- Rocket mod
- Clock Millions
- Camera
- Lighted TZ on mini playfield
Looks like I will be owning this beast for awhile.[quoted image][quoted image]
Looks beautiful! I would guess value is at least $7,500 - $8,000, probably more for the right buyer.
Quoted from Navystan:Thanks. I took off the spot lights on the slings. I like your idea of pinstadium, it's just another $300... For now, I'm going with strategic placement of spot lights, but I don't want them to block anything I want to see. I felt they were blocking my view when they were on the slings...so, took them off there.
Adding the Invisiglass will help as well, since the glare will be much less. Made a big difference on my TZ.
I like your collection. I was deciding between TZ and TSPP a few years ago and chose TZ. Last year I was also deciding between TSPP, GOTG and Deadpool Pro (had to sell Stargate and Checkpoint to make room) and chose Deadpool... love that game and the rest of my collection sits around barely getting played, including TZ (which I love!).
2 weeks later
Quoted from Squeakman:I finished swapping my mini playfield and the magnets are switched. When I hit the left button the right magnet works and same for the right to the left magnet. The only thing I can think of is somehow I accidentally reversed the magnets when I moved them over? Of maybe the two plugs that are reversed that are the same for the mini playfield(colors match so I doubt it is that. The playfield was a complete BITCH to get back in and everything right on. I pray I don’t have to take it out and check under the mini playfield. here’s a pic of the finished product back in the game with twisters switch kit installed.[quoted image]
It shouldn't be difficult to remove and re-install the mini playfield. Take your time, feeding the connectors through the playfield is the tricky part - do them one at a time. I can have mine out and back in in under 5 minutes.
Quoted from Durzel:How easy is it to get those signs off? They're riveted on the OEM ones
Yeah, have to drill them which isn't hard to do with them out of the machine.
Quoted from Adipocere:Ninja Chrome balls don't deal with magnets very well from what I hear. And this game has a few magnets.
That aside, welcome to the club!
I've heard that as well, but I've used the Ninja's for a couple years now and haven't noticed any issues in my TZ. I may have changed them out once during that time as I put lot of games on it for awhile... still do from time to time.
1 week later
Quoted from Kwoody51:Can you confirm what's the lowest high score you've gotten that's been recorded?
I know my scores didn't beat any of the buy in list but they did on the other list however I'm not sure if both lists are 'open' for change or just the buy in score list.
I don't have the Buy-in turned on.
Sorry - it's been awhile... it takes almost 3 billion just to get on my high score list now, but I never had any issues with saving the high score or LITZ high score.
1 week later
Quoted from Kwoody51:If I remember from a number of pages back there is a Pinsider (Twister I think) that is making them now. GLM isn't making them anymore.
Twister's kit - https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twilight-zone-owners-club/page/129#post-4625780
Here's another option
https://littleshopofgames.com/shop/electronics/boards-display-boards/twilight-zone-mini-playfield-switch-kit-tz-mps-kit/
Quoted from Twister:Yes, I have the mini switch kits.
But at the moment we have a problem with shipping to US. Shipping from germany to US is not possible because of corona.
I hope this will end in some weeks.....
Shipping to canada at the moment only with the xpensive DHL shipping
Sascha
I have the set from Twister and can say that they are excellent! Don't hesitate to purchase his kit when he is able to ship again.
1 week later
Quoted from RobDutch:So we took our Twilight Zone out of storage a few weeks ago, and there is a problem with the gi.
Some leds are dimmer then others, and some don't work at all. (See photos)
These leds were installed 10 years ago, could they already been broken?
I already reseated the gi connectors..
[quoted image][quoted image]
LEDs from 10 years ago were all pretty poor, brightness diminished quickly and almost certainly they will be directional. The one's that aren't working (not sure if they ever worked) but you can flip them 180 in the socket and see if that makes them work.
If you have other "newer" LEDs I would try them in the "dim" and not working areas to see if they work.
See if you have GI dimming turned on as well. After a few minutes of no activity, TZ will dim the GI. Push a flipper and it will come back full brightness. Some, especially older LEDs (if you do not have a GI OCD board) will not work properly when dimming.
4 weeks later
Quoted from misterman:Does anyone else hate how this looks like it says -
T5 BIG POINTS BIG POINTS BIG?
[quoted image]
Get the 10,000,000 points from the yellow skill shot and you don't have to see the door award... 
1 month later
Quoted from Coyote:Correct, the top opto does not award the Jackpot - it DOES start a short (~5 second) timer though. If, during that timer, the Camera switch is triggered, THEN the Jackpot is awarded.
And some people call this a bug, I call it learning how to take advantage of the game -
Start powerball mania. Just keep a ball on the Mini playfield - occasionally hitting the top opto. While all the balls on the main playfield? Try to get as many as you freakin' can in the Camera and Dead End. Jackpots galore.
Edit: Yes, in LITZ, too.
Easier said than done - but that strategy can definitely help out for a big LITZ even if you only get one or two Jackpots!
IMG_5520 (resized).JPGQuoted from Navystan:Well, looks like I will be selling/trading my restored Twilight Zone. But, I have it listed very high, essentially what I have in it. Actually, I have over $12K in it. Take a look and tell me what you think is fair market value. Of course, if I don't sell, I still have one the greatest pins ever. It's posted on Pinside.
Here's a link to many pictures and videos:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0rJ0DiRHJujABv
Here's a link to a YouTube video of the pictures and videos all together:
When I first got the pin, I had issues like many others with the clock. With Coyote's and others here, I was able to get to the root of the issues and now I have a 100% working TZ. Clock has worked flawlessly since.
I have a very small collection and I need to make room for my TMNT LE coming soon.
Beautiful TZ!!!
Yeah - I have a ton of money in mine as well and am sure it will be hard to get most of that back if I ever sell.
TZ is still very coveted and and I'm sure a very limited amount of them are in the condition your's is. Good luck with the sale!
1 week later
2 weeks later
Quoted from iamabearsfan:Hi all. In the middle of my PF swap on my TZ. At the same time I was adding a bunch of mods. The list is long, but the significant ones were as follows:
1) LED's including a new LCDOCD board
2) Dedicated power supply for mods
3) 3rd Magnet
4) ColorDMD
5) LED Lighted Speaker Panel (and speakers)...........by the way, I made a custom bracket for this in case you have Pinball Pro speakers (PM me if you ever go down this road and I will send you the STL file. My kid is a mechanical engineer and made a nice bracket that worked with the existing hardware). For what it is worth, this mod is so freak'n cool. Really looks neat.
6) LED Acrylic topper
The reason I am saying all of this is I have some issues that I could use some help with and any theories of where I went off the rails. Harold from LCDOCD is also throwing some ideas my way. I have two issues that appear to not be related. The first is the orange string on the backboard is not lighting up. When I take a volt meter to the pair, I get nothing. Changed the fuse, still nothing. The second problem is more confusing. I am getting some LED's that are flickering and others that stay on all of the time. I thought the first thing I should do is back out the LCDOCD board so I am not chasing a shadow. Here is my problem, I forgot to take pix of the power board so I don't remember where the molex connectors go. Any chance someone could take a detailed pic of the lower right section of their power board (or might have one in your folders)?
Here are a couple Youtube vids of the situations...Thanks in advance for any advice/pix you guys might have!
Dave
Most likely a board/transistor issue with the lights. I had similar pre-existing issue on my TZ when I installed LED-OCD board that I didn't realize until after installation. Do column/row and individual light tests. Mine had other lights coming on when shouldn't and out when should be on.
I'm not at my machine, but if you have the instructions for the LED-OCD it should show where original connections went or verify in manual.
BTW... I also recommend the GI-OCD board for TZ! There is a fair amount of dimming that you will otherwise miss out on.
Quoted from iamabearsfan:See my previous post. Looks like row2/column2. Guessing there is some board work coming my way.
I will take your advice on the GI-OCD board. I have a feeling I am going to want to control this at a more granular level.
Like Coyote said - check for continuity and you can also make a set of jumper wires to temporarily go between board and wiring harness connector to jump bad column/row to known working column/row to make sure it's not a wiring/connection issue. If lights still don't work, most likely a board/transistor issue.
4 weeks later
Quoted from Manny65:What thickness did you guys use - the same as a plastic / plastic protector or thinner (more like the thickness of the original fishpaper)?
I used 1/8" thick.
Quoted from Matrixnetuk:The helix yellow protectors are 3mm thick ...i also have a 2mm thick clear one but was advised 2mm could break in the long term
Oh i forgot to mention i had to remove the support bracket from beneath the mini playfield to get it to level up correctly ..its pretty solid so not causing any negative effects yet
I was actually going to ask you what happened to the "inside" mini playfield support bracket in your pictures as I saw it was missing.
I haven't had any issues with that support, but the outer one does give me some trouble when putting the mini playfield back in... very tight fit. This seems to be from my replacement switch brackets colliding with the support which then hits the inside of the cabinet, which then can tear my art blades. I will probably end up making some changes to that bracket to keep it from hitting the inner cabinet or see if I can shift the mini playfield inward just a little. I don't have any issues with clearance of the lexan protector I made.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Automata90:Dust cover
[quoted image][quoted image]
Very Cool! I just use beach towels, but don't get much cab protection...
IMG_7817 (resized).JPG
1 month later
Quoted from Piso:I've started my restoration. My mini playfield sadly has a lot of cracks. I will be clear coating it but first I want to clean it well. Is there a way to clean the dirt inside the cracks and make them less visible on white?
[quoted image]
Classic Playfield Reproductions also sells clear coated remakes if you want to go that route.
https://classicplayfields.com/shop/pinball-miscellaneous/tz-powerfield/
1 week later
Quoted from Tlamb:Finished up my restore this week. It’s a thing of beauty.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Looks great!
And... you have Avengers IQ premium already! Still waiting on my AIQ premium - it will go between my TZ and Deadpool pro.
1 month later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I've read about that! Very glad Tower of Terror is still there in Orlando. The general atmosphere in that ride is SPOT. ON. They've upgraded it several times since then. Very cool that you got to work on that!
I live in Northern California and have been to Disneyland/California Adventure many times and the whole family loved Tower of Terror! We did go to Disney World once and liked the Tower of Terror there even better!
Quoted from RobbyIRL5:So 1 out of 10 from the slot machine is SDTM. Any thoughts how I get it to 0 out of 10? So far my best play has been to let it dead flip off the right flipper (except for powerball, all bets off when that thing is out), cradle in the left and decide where I'm shooting. 9 out of 10 times, it's great, but it's always going to be on ball 3 of a great game that it ends with an SDTM (like just happened, prompting this post)! Just wanted to get ideas on how to adjust. Thank you all!
Make sure you are level side to side.
Mine never goes SDTM. Usually a deadflip off right flipper like you mention or I usually live flip for the left ramp.
1 week later
Quoted from RobbyIRL5:Ugh (note the broken arm laying at the bottom of the enclosure). I’m new to TZ and heard I don’t want clock problems but this one seems pretty minor. Superglue? Or does somebody make those hands?
[quoted image]
Marco has it pretty cheap...
3 weeks later
Quoted from Mickpat:The LEDs on my clock do not light and am trying to figure out why. On GI J120-9 and J120-3 (White/Yellow), what should be the voltage? I am reading 3.4V and I think the LED bulbs on the clock don't work when the GI is dimmed. I'm not sure the maker of the clock board, but can see LEDs attached to the board.
[quoted image]
Is the 3.4V reading while the GI is "dimmed". Press a flipper button if in attract mode and then see what the GI voltage is, as it will go to full brightness.
Quoted from Mtkst19:Prior to today I never played this game- even out on location. Girlfriend loved playing this on location. It is her grail game. So I sold off 4 lesser priced games plus cash out of pocket and got her grail game.
I have a lot of reading/learning to do on this game. As I'm use to system 7/80b/ data east alpha/early dmd. [quoted image]
Excellent, have to keep the GF happy and TZ is a great game!
I also hadn't played TZ much until I purchased it a few years ago, but was looking for a "deep" home game and have always been a fan of the show!
1 week later
Quoted from Mickpat:I added new LED lights from Comet and then upgrade to both GI and LED OCD board. The results are outstanding. The GI strings now fade nice an low, and make game play much better. The lighting changes are subtle, but make the overall experience more enjoyable. The kit I purchased from Comet was outstanding. All of the LED bulbs were color matched, and in individual bags making bulbs easy to locate and install. This saved me a ton of time and because each bulb was customized for the machine the playfield looks great. Without the OCD boards, the bulbs would flicker and cause a strobing effect making gameplay more difficult. This really added to the increase of the price of upgrading to LED, but will help keep the machine cooler and used about half the watts.
I just ordered a new clock LED board as well. This will be the last part I need to replace and then everything will be working 100%.
TZ really benefits from the OCD boards when using LEDs. The dimming with the GI OCD is really good and I didn't realize how much I was missing until I installed it.
1 week later
Quoted from killerrobots:Just playing my new (to me) TZ and when the ball rolls down the wireform leading to the power upper playfield it hits the metal scoop that dumps it onto the playfield. Sometimes it bounces a couple of times and the scoop flips before the ball is settled and it can send the ball in weird directions. I was tempted to add some foam to the scoop but I don't think I could get much room for much thickness there. I also thought about adding some rubbers or something to the wireform to slow it down. Anyone have a method for this?
You can add a magnet to the backside of the diverter to help with the bounces (won't affect Powerball obviously).
Here's a link to show some options for how this can be done:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tz-tip-cheap-diverter-magnet-mod-works-great
Quoted from JWJr:Actually, on my machine, it did_ affect the Powerball - the added mass of the magnets to the diverter greatly lessened the PB bouncebacks.
Interesting... I have the magnet mod and a strong powerball shot on my machine can sometimes bounce back several inches.
Quoted from Green-Machine:A magnet will hold a ceramic ball!?
No, but the other poster was saying on their machine the mass of the magnet had a dampening effect on the powerball, but i don't really notice that on mine.
Quoted from killerrobots:I am kind of getting the idea this is a fussy game. I have made about ten little tweeks already. Mine is in really nice shape but maybe the previous owners weren't as interested in fine-tuning it. Do you guys find that once you have everything working it stays that way or is it a pin that requires a lot of low-level adjustments?
Once I got mine dialed in, I haven't really had to tweak it much beyond that. Just maintenance and any additional mods...
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Finally finished shopping out and upgrading my Twilight Zone!
Since I got it in December I have:
1. Changed out the lighting from clown to 2smd sunlight comets, added backboard and trough comet matrix light strips.
2. Added LED Color DMD
3. Removed peeling mylar in places
4. Slight playfield touchup
5. Thorough cleanup and shopout
6. Added backboard, side, lamp, and flip decals
7. New instruction cards
8. Added rocket, piano, and pyramid toy (3-d printing is neat!).
All in all, so much better than the one at Crabtowne. This will not be a long term keeper for me but I am having fun with it!
Before[quoted image]
After[quoted image][quoted image]
Feel like I've got that world under glass now.
That's a lot of Spirals going on... 
The lighting definitely looks improved. Much brighter! Enjoy!
Quoted from Jecco74:Does anyone make invisi glass for TZ or voodoo glass?
I have Invisiglass on TZ, Voodoo glass on AIQ & ID4 and Stern HD glass on Deadpool. To me - they are all very similar and work well.
Quoted from Stebel:Your pop bumper caps are in the wrong spots. They are ordered to the skill shot.
Top left - red
Top right - orange
Lower - yellow.
I really like your back light strip. Really brightens up the game.
Hmmmm... I'm not sure which is correct, Mine are Top Left Red, Top Right Yellow, Lower Orange.
You have me wondering now... Hard to tell exactly from the flyer, but doesn't look like yellow on the lower one.
TZ Flyer.jpgQuoted from Coyote:It *was* a well-known fact back in RGP days that the flyer had the cap colors wrong. Should match the order/positioning of the 'score' inserts in the powerfield.
I knew there would be a quick "correct" answer, thank you!
I didn't have my TZ yet back when I frequented RGP.
1 week later
Quoted from insight75:Hi all.....I'm officially part of the club. Just picked up a TZ the other day. You'll see I'm in the middle of finishing my basement....great time to fill it up with more machines!! haha. Real nice machine that has pin stadiums and incandescent bulbs throughout. I think I like the look of the incandescent bulbs on this machine but every other machine I have switched to LED. Any thoughts on if I should swap any to LEDs that would be much better for the longevity of the machine? (Less heat, reduction in amp draw, etc.). [quoted image]
Definitely recommend LEDs (I used cool white in my TZ), but for the fading effects you will need the OCD GI board and also OCD LED board. Pricey, but machine will look great and draw less current and create less heat.
Quoted from Scott8806:Only issue I have now is with the door I have 2 wires coming down he had it jumped off some kind of way I bought the bracket and the cherry button for it I just dont remember how it had it jumped off to engage it
One wire connects to NO (normally open) and the other wire connects to COM (common).
Quoted from Scott8806:And if I get Powerball and I shoot it past orange and yellow it comes out of the slot scoop as a regular ball the next one that comes out of the slot next time is the powerball
Sounds like a bad switch in the slot kickout and it doesn't know a ball is sitting there and you get a second ball backed up and it kicks out the first.
The Powerball shouldn't get replaced there, but it will get replaced if you lock it in the gumball or upper right multiball lock.
Does you game announce the Powerball when it is in play? If not, the metal ball eddy sensors need to be inspected. Most times it's a loose connection.
1 week later
Quoted from PinballAir:I am looking to put all LEDs in my game.
Do i need to add OCD board(s)?
I want all LED, so do i need a board for GI and Feature lamps?
They are a pricey upgrade, but I definitely recommend the GI OCD and LED OCD boards.
I was surprised how much dimming the GI does that I was missing out on after I upgraded to LEDs, to me it was more pronounced than the insert effects.
Looks fantastic with the OCD boards installed when playing with the brightness of LEDs and the proper dimming/fading effects!
Quoted from Coyote:The 9.4BH and CH were hacks of Ted Estes' 9.4H. The person(s) that did this went against Ted's wishes, and is the reason we do not have a 9.5 and more.
You can still ACCEPT coins in 9.4H, and it will still count CREDITS. You will just be able to hit start when CREDITS=0.
Use 9.2. As someone previously mentioned, it has ball-save, and Free Play can be turned off.
I understand the sentiment to not want them to use 9.4CH, but is it really any different than the newer Stern's having movie clips and sounds added in by "hackers" or 6.0 code for DE Jurassic Park, etc?
It's been over 25 years at this point, what's done is done. Maybe someone else will make 9.5+?
Quoted from JayDee:Maybe it’s something as simple as the switch is disconnected or failed at that solenoid? Therefore the machine does not know that there is a ball sitting there ready to be ejected. It’s a micro switch that you can press down by hand to see if it clicks or not.
Yes, check trough switches in test mode to make sure they are all registering.
Quoted from PinballAir:So you have the reinforced target without the support?
Changing the target again may be easier than adding the arm to the scoop.
In my experience, just changing to a target bracket with an "L" shape will solve the problem.
Quoted from PinballAir:On my game the mounting bracket and the spine of the switch both bend.
An "L" bracket on the front probably will not help me and there is nothing behind it to mount it to.
I will try the reinforced one. If that doesnt work i will weld an arm onto the chute.
Thanks for all the help!
The "L" bracket goes on the back of the switches and offers the support. That's basically what the reinforced bracket is. The "L" resists bending. The switch pack will go between the mounting bracket and rear "L" support bracket.
You can also run a hard wire or other means to support the bracket from behind or to the scoop by attaching to something nearby so the bracket cannot move backward.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from atg1469:Help: need some inspiration! Has anyone done anything especially cool with the Gumball machine besides the common lighting (dazzler or otherwise) or the colored marbles? I can’t put a lighting kit in mine due to already having too many powered mods but I’d still like to do something cool in that space. Here’s a quick pic of my setup, but admittedly it’s not the best photo. Still, any ideas would be great![quoted image]
Add a separate power supply and add more lights if that's what you want.
The mini playfield switch kit (removes the original switches, brackets and large grey covers) is a nice clutter remover and looks great.
Anti glare glass is also highly recommended. I have Invisiglass on my TZ, Voodoo glass and Stern HD glass on some of my other machines and they all do a great job in my opinion.
Quoted from PinballAir:Do mirror blades get scratched when you lift the playfield or are they removed before you lift?
Quoted from drummermike:Lift carefully. Blades are left in.
Yeah, I have art blades on my TZ that I've scraped too many times and they've torn, so ordered a new set and going to change out.
I have mirror blades on my ID4 and they are slightly thicker than art blades, so have to be super careful raising and lowering the playfield.
Quoted from RobbyIRL5:Hi all, just installed the GI and LED OCD boards in TZ. Holy crap, I didn't know what I was missing until I saw this. Looks really good. However, its causing my PinStadiums (which tap off of the back of a GI bulb socket) to flash now. I've sent a note to their support, but I think all I need to do is wire tap into the GI signal before it gets to the GI OCD board. Anybody know which pins those might be on the power driver board (I think that's where they are, I did a lot of cable shuffling in that 119, 120, 121 block area)?
Thanks!
Yeah in my experience the GI OCD board especially was a complete game changer as I didn't realize how much dimming and lighting effects I had lost.
Quoted from Davi:The door area in the center of the playfield was designed to use 4 flashers, using two small circuit boards for flash lamps under the large door panel.
This design is still in the manual, and shown in the red prototype panel.
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(Pictures from HEP gallery.)
During the conversation with Jimakost (he is doing a cool TZ scratch build), he mentioned that he is looking for lamp boards, including a door lamp board. My goal was to create a door panel with the integration of 4 flashers, operated by 4 different playfield flashers.
Aftermarket mods with small PCB only replace the GUM and BALL flashers, that's the only chance for sample/production games, only 2 holes are available for flasher extension.
The LOCK 1-2 flashers cannot be installed into these boards (unless you are ready to hack it) - there is no hole on the PCB for extra flashers.
Few years ago GLM introduced a lamp board with 4 flashers - however the control was based on only 2 playfield flashers (GUM, BALL), not 4.
My door panel contains all feature lamps (original twist-in design for bulb or LED's) and the 4 flasher area, controlled by 4 flashers as per designer's intention. Every insert area contains 4 small LED flashers for even light distribution, and the feature lamp remain in the center. Connection to factory lamp harness via plug&play harness, no soldering required.
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Thanks to coyote for clarification of flasher locations. I can create more lamp boards, if there is a demand.
I have the add board on for the Gum Ball flashers. This looks interesting.
Quoted from McDoom:Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has experienced this same issue or knows how to fix it.
During multi ball, the ball doesn’t feed into the shooter lane. I can see the mechanism firing trying to kick a ball into the shooter lane but there are no balls to feed. As of now, this only takes place during any multi ball and for some reason the game doesn’t go into ball search mode. This issue began about a week ago.
Thank you for any help.
I would recommend doing a switch test to check trough, gumball, ball lock and slot machine switches. Sounds like the game is losing track of at least one ball.
Also make sure a ball hasn't become stuck somewhere on the playfield and hasn't fed back into the trough.
2 months later
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Flaky Upper-left Flipper: Please Help Me Troubleshoot
The upper-left flipper works fine in test but usually won't fire during gameplay. If it *does* fire, it does a little flutter. Like, it flips, then semi-flips immediately after, only it happens quickly enough to look like a spasm.
Former owner reseated the connectors in the Flip-tronics board in the head and swapped out the flipper opto for a leaf-switch version. Mind you, the "new" flipper switch is not simply a leaf switch as it accepts the connector that a flipper opto board would, etc. I would post a photo here but the machine isn't handy. It's kind of a hybrid thing. Perhaps it doesn't belong, but the flipper didn't work with the stock opto either. Will it be necessary to replace the Flip-tronics board in the head? If so, are they available and at what cost?
How else should I chase the problem? I have a multi-meter if that's called for.
Thanks in advance.
I had similar and ended up replacing the flipper opto board and that fixed it. You can switch left and right boards and see if problem follows to rule out the board if that's not it.
Quoted from Ashram56:Good evening,
The 'diverter' of the upper ramp on my TZ, which allows to block the ball or to allow its passage towards the mini playfield is having issies. It remains locked in the closed position. When the pinball tries to trigger it, a buzz is heard but nothing is triggered.
Obviously when I check the mechanism I don't see anything abnormal. The plunger slides well, I redid the welds (just in case), and when I close it works fine again ... Until the next time
Before I advance in my debug (I feel that I am going to buy probes for my oscilloscope to be installed permanently ...), someone would have an idea?
Thank you
If it is buzzing, that sounds like the coil is trying to actuate the mechanism. You say everything seems to move fine, so I would start at the coil for the actuator. Check the coil stop, coil sleeve and plunger & link.
2 weeks later
Quoted from The_Pump_House:I'll take a photo once my low profile upper playfield switches are installed and those hideous grey switch cover boxes are gone...
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Low-profile switches? No grey hoods? Sounds promising! Share pics when you have them!
Love the low profile switches! A little bit of work to install, but well worth it!
IMG_9062 (resized).JPGIMG_9085a (resized).jpgQuoted from jawjaw:Does your upper pf lamp have a diffuser?
Yes, it's actually a carefully folded and taped piece of paper. I was making a template to cut a piece of semi-opaque plastic and the paper looked so good, I left it.
Quoted from Ashram56:Nice indeed, where did you get them?
Quoted from VancouverNinja:How did you do it? Replace the switches? It looks fantastic!
Ordered them 2-3 years ago from pinsider Twister .
Quoted from The_Pump_House:Is your yellow pop bumper cap in the wrong spot? Trying to remember, isn't it red left top, orange right top and yellow at the bottom?
Should be the same order as the insert lights on the upper playfield. When you do a skill shot the same pop bumper lights should illuminate as the color skill shot you get. (red skill shot lights red pop bumper, orange skill shot lights red and orange and yellow skill shot lights all 3)
Yes - funny you should mention as this topic came up previously and I did change them... The pictures I posted are older before I changed the pop bumpers to the 'correct' locations!
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Is my center lamp board missing its flasher board or did some TZ's ship without them?
Are they still available?
If I don't put one in, will my inserts look dim above these vacant holes?
Just want to build a complete game.
Thanks.
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There is an aftermarket add on for these... forgot where I got mine, may have been here:
https://pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=432
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:GI LED Color and Brightness:
Which do you prefer?
Cool White?
Sunlight?
Warm White?
2SMD or 1SMD?
Thanks.
Quoted from monkeyboypaul:Sunlight 2SMD + GI OCD default settings (i may have tweaked them)
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Thanks, but why do you need the OCD board for the GI alone?
I like the 2 SMD Cool White in TZ. The GI OCD board is excellent as TZ incorporates a lot of dimming effects and the GI OCD board allows that to happen with the use of LEDs. I did some tweaking of the settings on mine to fine tune the dimming range.
1 week later
Quoted from rlbohon3:Need so help… I just restored a TZ with LEDs throughout. I didn’t install a OCD GI board yet because I’m seeing zero change in the different GI levels. Normally on other games I’ve gone, the LEDs would flicker while the GI is dimming by stepping through the levels. I haven’t added a OCD board on this game yet only because I haven’t noticed that it is attempting to dim at all. I went into the test mode and stepped it through the GI levels and simply no change. Is there something wrong with the game I’m working on, or maybe a setting? I’d gladly add a OCD board but something seems up.
Quoted from Coyote:You are missing the zero-cross signal - https://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#GI_Lamps_Not_Dimming
Easy thing to check first is to make sure you have dimming turned on as it can be turned off in the settings.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:LED ColorDMD, anyone?
I know LCD ColorDMD's are very common in TZ, but are there listmembers here who have/prefer the LED version?
Sadly, I can't find any clips of TZ's LED ColorDMD on YouTube to compare. Indeed it's hard to find any clips at all of LED ColorDMD's, but I did find one of TFTC and it looked bright/dope.
Thanks.
I love the LED version of ColorDMD! I really like the look, sadly I don't currently have a good video. I liked it so much on TZ, I also put one in my Independence Day and it looks fantastic in that as well.
IMG_5520 (resized).JPGQuoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:LED ColorDMD, anyone?
I know LCD ColorDMD's are very common in TZ, but are there listmembers here who have/prefer the LED version?
Sadly, I can't find any clips of TZ's LED ColorDMD on YouTube to compare. Indeed it's hard to find any clips at all of LED ColorDMD's, but I did find one of TFTC and it looked bright/dope.
Thanks.
Quoted from awesome1:I love the LED version of ColorDMD! I really like the look, sadly I don't currently have a good video. I liked it so much on TZ, I also put one in my Independence Day and it looks fantastic in that as well.
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Made a quick video of attract mode to show the basics of the LED ColorDMD... not the greatest video as my phone doesn't like the brightness of the display!
1 week later
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Hi.
I have 12V at each of the flipper opto switches.
Is this a switch-matrix error?
Is it a ribbon cable?
Not sure if it matters, but I have 0V at the #7 pin on the left opto connector. I do have 12V at #6 though.[quoted image][quoted image]
Unless it's an optical illusion... the board connector not only looks broken, but the mating half doesn't look fully seated.
1 week later
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Here is what I believe is the connector that supplies the clock power, excluding its movement.
The yellow/white on the far left measures 10VDC. Is this the yellow/white that originates at J121-3? Seems like plenty of juice for the clock LED's.
LED OCD remarked that it could be a polarity issue.
OCD board may be providing the wrong polarity.
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Yeah, 'older' LED's are polarity specific. In the GI, just rotate the bulb 180° and put back in. I think with the clock LED's you would have to unsolder and flip them. I'm running both OCD boards and did have a few bulbs at first that I had to flip, but my clock LEDs worked fine. Another thing is the 'regular' modern LED's work great with the OCD boards... the non-ghosting ones won't work properly.
Quoted from MANTO1975:I recently purchased a Twilight Zone, WOW i love it, i cant believe it took me this long to purchase this game, its defiantly one that will not be leaving my collection,
I have been purchasing a few mods over the last week that i will be adding to the machine,
mods are as follow. some i have purchased and some that still need to be purchased.
spiral arrow, camera, Robbie the Robot, Highly polished gumballs, sparkler circuit for gum ball machine, door flasher kit, diverter magnet, slot machine, decals for the ramp and diverter, millions clock, invader, town square street light, interactive pyramid topper, rocket ship mod, piano mod, 1955 red thunderbird with LEDs, custom spiral sign, custom mini playfield light, pingraffix art blades, color dmd, mirrored translight, pinvision, cliffy protectors,
I am also going to purchase the clock LED board, as far as i know the only 3 available are ingos, caspers and rottendog, after doing a bit of research on this thread it look like that Ingos was the best one to purchase, i actually purchased this through there website, paid for it but a couple of days later i received a full refund, does anyone know if these are still available? or if they are not shipping atm due to all the shipping issues we have at the moment due yo COVID.
Any other mods or information you can share about this awesome machine.
cheers
Trevor
Brisbane.
GI-OCD and LED-OCD (if using LEDs), Anti Glare Glass, Pinsound Plus, after market speakers, external subwoofer.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat: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.
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.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat: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?
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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.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat: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.
Nice modification! I thought of trimming mine as well and probably will, now that I see the better fit from yours, before I put my new art blades on.
I'll use the bandsaw at my work to do most of the cutting!
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:My Slot Machine scoop from Mantis has a smart "wing" on its left side to support the oblong target from behind. That's very positive.
However, it also has sharp edges on its mouth. That's less positive. I worry about striking those edges with the ball, possibly nicking the ball, leading to playfield scratches.
My solution?
The "r'oblong" target! It's just wide enough to block that dangerous scoop edge.
Yeah, it's a little ugly, but the peace of mind it affords is worth it.
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You did such a good job modifying your mini playfield bracket - take that scoop back off and file and sand that edge until your're happy with it.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Hi, Awesome.
Hmm. File that edge, eh? Well, even if I filed it into a perfectly polished semi-circle, it's still an edge of stainless that stands in direct opposition to the path of the ball. It will eventually mushroom, develop a new edge, and scratch the ball. The only "fix" I see is more of a hack, and that would involve bending the leaves outward - a bit I s'pose like the Demigorgon's mouth! I don't like to modify games drastically like that. At that point it's no longer a Slot Machine scoop like everyone else's. Of course, my "r'oblong" target isn't stock, either, but it can easily be swapped out for the stock target when the game is sold. Until then, it allows me to think less about that gnarly scoop.
Whatever lets you enjoy your game more, then that's the best way to do it. Hopefully you will be playing this bad boy pretty soon!
Quoted from Purdue:Hello, i was wondering if anybody has used pop bumper LED rings on their TZ?
I think they would look great but amplify the need for LED_OCD GI, which im already thinking i will need anyways?
https://www.cometpinball.com/products/pop-bumper-rings
Im planning out a full led swap (minus the flashers and blinkers in the backbox).
Comet sunlight frosted 2smd
LED-OCD GI and Inserts
pop bumper led rings
Am i missing anything here? We've got a first timer here
I haven't tried the pop bumper rings, but do have the GI-OCD and LED-OCD boards and can say that they work great with the 2 SMD style of LEDs. The "non ghosting" style of LEDs do not work that well with the OCD boards.
I'm using 2-SMD Cool White for the GI, but the Cool, Sunlight and Warm are all excellent and whichever version of white you want to use is a personal choice.
Quoted from Mikespinball:I also just recently picked up a William's IJ that had a GI-OCD in stalled. I don't like this added feature and removed it and would be willing to sell if someone is interested.
Curious what you didn't like about the GI-OCD board?
I love the one I put in my TZ... didn't realize all of the dimming and other effects I was missing after I went with LED lighting.
Quoted from Mikespinball:I didn't have it in my TZ. It came with on my William's IJ I recently purchased. I just don't want to add additional boards for something else to go wrong. Plus I own 7 90's Bally/Williams machines and that would be alot to add to each one. I have lived without this long and not sure the effect benefits the results (for me in general). As some of you have said it does, but like LED lighting and colors it's a personal choice, so I am happy without. Someone would have to convince me differently that's all. I would rather add up graded speakers and color DMDs.
I hear you... it can definitely snowball! On my TZ it started with Invisiglass and then LEDs and then upgraded speakers and then GI-OCD and LED-OCD boards and then Color DMD (LED) and then Pinsound Plus and then mini playfield hidden switch brackets and then external subwoofer... I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton of other mods and upgrades!
I now have Invisiglass or other non glare glass and external subwoofers on all my pins. Also LED alphanumeric display, Color DMD and LED's and some type of dimming control like the Gizmo board or OCD boards on compatible games, etc... 
Quoted from HeavyMetalPoet:So I have encountered another problem. When I initially plunge the ball a few seconds later the slot scoop coil fires twice from under the playfield. Only twice though. Not every time but the majority of the time. There is no obstructions to be found. Has anyone else encountered this problem or know what would be tied in with that which would cause this issue? Thanks in advance!
Most likely need to adjust the scoop switch. May be too close together and touching when it shouldn't from vibrations.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Drat.
How am I going to invigorate my Magna-flipping? It's rare that I defeat the Power!
Quoted from Coyote:Practice.
It's always fun when you can quickly defeat the Power!
Quoted from Manny65:I always see if I can better my power score ...
For sure, but I value beating the Power and getting a door panel more. The scoring is nice, but strangely for me, since I play mostly for points… in this case it’s secondary.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Powered Subs on TZ: Enough Rumble?
Just wondering if TZ owners with powered subwoofers are getting so much rumble that they don't even need a shaker. And how are you connecting your subs? Through a Pinsound board? Through a Pinnovators headphone jack? There is no sub-out on the stock audio board, I'm assuming.
I have the Pinsound Plus with my own modded sound package using mostly original and some from the Chris Granner sound package, aftermarket speakers and external subwoofer. TZ sounds great and the bass is deep and can actually be overpowering if I want it to be.
I do like shakers, but haven't tried the Pinsound one yet. Maybe I'm just missing it on their website, but I don't see a shaker integration package available on their website for TZ... they mention it, but I don't see how to download it like the sound packages.
I'm sure I would tinker with it myself, but would be nice to start with an already done package.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Where did you get the Granner remix and what does it include? Just how different is it from the stock ROM? How were you able to customize his ROM to make your own? What kind of special hardware is needed to burn ROM's?
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Please tell us how the Pinsound board transforms the sounds of TZ. Does it truly alter them, replace them, or just clean them up and make them stereo?
You can download different TZ mixes from the Pinsound website. Most are terrible in my opinion, but the sound designer for TZ has released the original stereo package, but surprisingly doesn't include the Golden Earring Twilight Zone song... because it wasn't originally going to be in the game until the DCS sound board wasn't ready in time for TZ and they had to make some changes is my understanding.
The process of editing or creating your own sound files is for another discussion and detailed info can be found online and many programs available to do this. Pinsound let's you replace any original sound file, which is fantastic. You can upload to Pinsound via USB, so no ROM burning necessary. You no longer use the original sound board. Pinsound itself can have a bit of a learning curve once you dive in if you don't just use one of the prepackaged sound packages.
I basically edited some of the sounds for my own personal tastes, adding a little more bass, turning up volume, etc. I used some of the original and some from the Granner mix.
I also have done the 5 1/4" speaker backbox upgrade and changed out all speakers and wired for true stereo and also have external subwoofer.
Unfortunately the Rod Serling callouts are all pretty low quality because of audio compression used for original sound board and no original recordings are available anymore, so just making them louder only helps to an extent. Others have tried to use TZ TV show replacements, which is a huge undertaking and as far as I know, none have been released to the public. There was also some talk about using a voice actor to redo the callouts, but I also don't think this has been done.
Quoted from noitbe1:Thanks for sharing. Do you know then the best way to improve a bit the original sounds and musics? I guess the only option is to upgrade the speaker because original sounds are not available to be reuse with pinsound. Right ?
They do have the original sound mix available to download on the Pinsound website.
The pinsound plus board has built in equalizer so you can tune the audio that way as well.
I would definitely recommend upgrading the speakers, especially if they are still the originals from 1993.
Even “entry” level, inexpensive speakers from places like Parts Express would offer a nice upgrade even if using the original sound board.
Especially if keeping the original sound board, make sure you match the ohm ratings of the original speakers. TZ speakers are not wired in a “traditional” manner from the factory. You could rewire them if going to stereo using the pinsound board.
Quoted from VancouverNinja:I was wondering if anyone knows where I can purchase the mini switch replacement kit for the Power playfield?
Thanks.
Pinsider Twister sells them.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Deadly Slings, Pops, and Outlanes!
My TZ is hard. It's hard enough to discourage me. I have it set up at 6.5-degrees, according to the built-in spirit level/manual. In my shopping of the game, I rebuilt the sling kickers - new arms, pivot brackets, plungers, coil sleeves, springs. The original slings were sloppy and the plungers couldn't move easily in the coils.
I also rebuilt the pops - new skirts, rings, coil sleeves, springs. My pops have the bumper that blocks the ball's passage to the left outlane, forcing the ball to exit toward the flippers, but this is scarcely helpful as the ball frequently emerges from the pops with the perfect toss to send it SDTM.
Now I have so much action in the lower half of the playfield that the odds that I will regain control of a ball if it touches a sling or slips into the pops are about 50%, thanks in large part to the diabolical design of the inlane/outlanes. On the left you're sure you have good odds that the ball will avoid the outlane, but with surprising frequency that's exactly where it goes whenever the ball happens to make over into that area. (I suspect this is attributable to the "stair" effect, a leftward descent to the outlane from the top of the sling to the tops of inlanes #1 and #2.) The right side is no better; somehow the ball bounces to the outlane *most* of the time if it ends up in that area, too. And yes, I do try to nudge to help matters, but I lose many more balls than I save.
I don't advance in the code because I can't stay up. Even set to ten balls, I haven't seen Lost in the Zone.
To get to LITZ more often - try to work on a repeatable strategy. For me, it's generally left ramp -> slot machine... rinse and repeat.
Quoted from Coyote:Exactly -
I have two ways of playing - points, and LITZ.
If I'm going for points, I will time and try to get certain things in a general order - like, for example, would try to get the Clock Millions, the Camera's Clock Ten Millions, and Powerball Mania as the last things - that way, their scores are added onto the LITZ modes of the same type, and therefore get my LITZ score higher. If I'm really good, will try to collect a Camera 'Collect Bonus' right before, so that those huge modes are collected twice for me.
For me - I always play for LITZ and points! If having a really good game, there's the rare possibility of a second or third LITZ!
IMG_9075 (resized).JPGQuoted from Slugmeister:So for those who have swapped out to a color DMD is the consensus that the LCD is the way to go over the LED version.Also is there any value in the old DMD.Looking to swap out TZ and MET and the LED is 50-70 dollars cheaper.
I prefer the LED version of Color DMD and have it in two games including TZ.
You can keep or sell the old DMD if it's still good.
Quoted from Bundy:My personal best is three LITZ in one game with a total of just over 4 billion. If I remember correct, the best LITZ score in that game was just over 650 million.
Only managed three LITZ in one game twice in the 15 years I have had the game. Two on several occasions and one I can get pretty regularly if I am going for LITZ.
I am just an average player at best normally but there is something about TZ that suits my playing style and make me a better player than I am.
Excellent! 
My best currently is 3.8 Billion with 3 LITZ in that game. I owned TZ for about a year at that point.
As Coyote has pointed out, there are a few "tricks" to getting higher LITZ scores. I've broken 500M 3 times so far I think.
I've started playing my TZ more again after a bit of a hiatus the last couple years while I finished other games I acquired - Deadpool and then Avengers Infinity Quest.
This group has gotten me more motivated and I think I should be able to make a run at my high score soon!
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:[quoted image]
Above photo taken after disconnecting J208.
I guess my MPU is *not* damaged and I shouldn't bother to replace the LM339's.
Do I have that right?
The question now is, how do I find the short when all the wiring looks fine?
Do I start by swapping the enhanced target for the raggedy stock target?
Make sure you didn't pinch a wire somewhere or could have had solder drip onto something when you originally swapped the target out.
If it literally didn't start until you straightened the target, I would pull it loose (keep it wired up with game powered on) and move it around to see if the problem goes away. That may help narrow it down.
Quoted from jawjaw:I haven't played TZ in a while. Two games in a few nights ago and I'm in LITZ. Nice but only 200m. Try playing LITZ using the home rom cheat many times. Absolute best I can do is 270m. I don't get it. Only thing I can think of is my flippers feel a bit JJPish- sluggish and a bit weak. They have always been that way. I have the right coils (155411), rebuilt flippers, and new flipper boards. Should I try replacing the coils? They look to be replaced at one point but don't remember if I did that. Any tips for snappier flippers?
Quoted from Green-Machine:Mine feel the same even after a rebuild and new flipper boards
You nailed it there, about the jjp feel! Exactly my thoughts
They definitely aren't as snappy as new Sterns, but if they are rebuilt, they should have decent power to make all of the ramps with authority. Make sure the pawls aren't worn and have slop in them. Keep the playfield cleaned and waxed as well.
Part of the semi floaty feel can be because TZ is a widebody. Sometimes when I jump back and forth between games I can tell TZ is wider... but not usually.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Wow.
Great job!
Wish I could hang in there like that for two solid minutes!
Which gamecode are you running? I've never seen some of those animations.
9.4H code
Quoted from Gingerbloke:Not finished yet… actually if any other experts can help - I self made the camera - it is currently just an LED… I want this to flash with the Camera flashing light - but Williams flash circuits are AC. Any advice on how I run the LED? Is there some kind of Mini rectifier or something?
Modern pinball LEDs should work just fine.
Quoted from Gingerbloke:Sorry - I think I need to be clearer. I have a customer made Clock mod - it cannot use a pinball LED. It has a 3.3v standard LED in it - with a resistor to get the right voltage. But it needs a DC voltage. The TZ lighting is AC.. Has anybody overcome this issue and could let me know the components they used?
Have you tried it as is? I think it will still work, but probably dimmer since it's "off" half the time.
A bridge rectifier should work, but if you are tying it to a flasher, it won't be on long anyway, so a smaller resistor may get you what you are looking for in this case.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:Proximity Sensor Woes: Balls Heaped Into Shooter Lane
I reached LITZ on ten balls. Afterward, the game loaded two balls into the shooter lane. After I plunged them out, it loaded another before the plunged balls even drained. At some point it just heaped balls into the shooter lane, three deep. I immediately turned off the game, removed the glass, dealt with the balls, then booted the game to see the Test Report. It complained about "Trough Proximity Switch." I realize this is a special opto that sits millimeters from the right end of the trough. It has its own board nearby, the proximity sensor. I went into Switch-Edges and noticed that the trough proximity switch was closed, so I thought I would "open" it by parking a ball in the right end of the trough. This changed nothing. It remained closed. Does it only open if the Powerball is detected?
What happens when this sensor fails? Will the game heap balls into the shooter as mine has?
For the record, I don't have an conflicting switches in my trough. All switch arms can move freely/independently, as can the ball-release kicker.
How do I "reset" the trough proximity switch? I can't actuate it manually like a leaf switch or a micro switch, and I can't open it like an opto by breaking its beam with my finger.
Once LITZ is complete, the game needs to reload the balls in the gumball machine before it lets you play your ball. It should eject a ball into the auto launch area which then launches into the gumball machine. After the gumball is full, a ball will eject into the manual shooter lane.
If the balls ejected into the Manual shooter lane, make sure your diverter gate is working properly for auto or manual launch.
If the balls were in the auto launch lane and not auto launched, make sure that switch is detecting a ball there and auto launch is working.
4 weeks later
Quoted from kevinleedrum:Wow, something is not right. When my TZ releases a ball, the ball takes a very leisurely stroll to the shooter lane.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:I'm jealous!
Yeah, mine doesn't eject with much force either...
Take a look around the 12 second mark and see the ball kickout. It may give you some insight. I have a LITZ recording as well, but can't see the balls being kicked out in it...
1 week later
Quoted from Ive:Just a little thing but I added a Dead End road sign decal to the blank metal above the lane …. Which had always annoyed me more than it ever should have Now I can sleep at night
[quoted image][quoted image]
Yeah, I had to add something to that blank area as well!
Edit: Year+ old picture before I learned to switch my Orange and Yellow pop bumper caps!
Quoted from Purdue:Anybody else using pinstadiums in the TZ? Thoughts?
I am in the planning phase and have been dragging my feet on led swap for gi and inserts due to the needing 2 LEDOCD boards to pull it off well. Ran across this post showing incandescent bulbs with the use of pinstadiums and it looks pretty nice.[quoted image]
I haven't tried the Pinstadiums in TZ, but I did add both the GI-OCD and LED-OCD boards and think they work and look great, plus way less heat and system stress because of less current draw!
The price of both OCD board together is about the same as a Pinstadiums setup, I believe.
Quoted from Mikespinball:I don't have pinstadiums in any of my 90's Bally/Williams machines or LEDOCD boards. I actually pulled out the LED OCD board out of my William's IJ that I got from a Pinsider. Just too much and more boards to make issues. To me and this is my opinion their just not needed (there a personal choice). The pinstadium makes the playfield too bright and are in the way when the playfield is lifted. All my GI's and inserts are the super brights and frosted dome style on the upper side of the playfield and are from Coin Taker. I have owned my machine's way before both of these options were available and are very happy without them. I have through added extra GI lighting in the playfield in areas to help brighten it up along with 4 GI bulbs that shine down along the playfield back board.
Again this is just my opinion. Take a look at what mine looks like and draw your own opinion. [quoted image]
Your TZ looks great!
TZ does have a fair amount of GI manipulation, especially dimming, that you will lose out on if just running straight LEDs and not a GI-OCD board though. That's why I added one in my TZ, but your mileage may vary.
1 month later
Quoted from billsfanmd:My power ball is dark grey. Best way to clean ? Thx
You can also replace it with a new one:
https://www.pinballlife.com/powerballnavi-ballrolling-stone.html
2 weeks later
Quoted from misterman:My TZ recently has not been sensing the powerball in the trough, therefore not triggering powerball mode when the ball is served to the shooter lane. What is the usual cause of this and some tests or things to look for. Starting to get annoyed with playing with the challenge of the powerball but not getting the extra points out of it. Thanks.
Quoted from LTG:Tests - Switch Edge - place a steel ball next to the sensor at the end of the ball trough - does switch #26 report on the screen ? If not fix that. If so, check your other ball trough switches and shooter lane switches.
It can't sense the powerball ( ceramic ) it goes by the other switches and sensor to see if a steel ball went by or not.
LTG : )
As LTG mentioned, check that first. This is fairly common issue with TZ and in many cases is a faulty connection point between the little cable and the sensor and board it goes to. Look under the playfield and check the connections. Wiggle it and/or you can bend the prongs slightly to make better connection. Some solder directly to both boards and eliminate the connection points.
1 week later
Quoted from mbaumle:Question regarding ball search and missing ball compensation:
Current ROMs are 9.4h
Scenario:
Ball gets stuck someplace (currently it likes to get stuck under the powerfield occasionally). I’ll power cycle the game, so only 2 balls are in the trough. I turn the game on, press start, and instead of the game recognizing there’s only 2 balls and doing the usually ball search cycle before allowing a game to start, it starts immediately, but will ball search indefinitely. The game will refuse to compensate for the lack of a 3rd ball.
Is this how 9.4h operates? A bug? No other switch problems in the game otherwise. Plays completely fine.
How many balls do you have in the machine?
You should have 6 total balls in the game including the balls in the gumball machine.
Quoted from arthurrag:Hi,
I have a TZ which is pretty dirty. I play to rebuild it piece by piece. My question is about cleaning though. Should i use Novus 1 unless the grime isn't cut by that? Should I use something else? I'm really afraid to damage the PF in any way because that is beyond my ability to fix. Here are some pics.
Thanks
[quoted image][quoted image]
That actually doesn't look too bad. I would start with Novus 1 and then Novus 2 as needed. Wax once clean.
Quoted from arthurrag:Thanks, It is a big project, for me, my first rebuild/restore so I am a bit nervous and therefore trying to go piece at a time. Right now I am vibration cleaning the coin mechs, waiting for my stuff from Marco and Comet, updated rom (mine is L3), some parts for the mysterious right sling shot which triggers, sometimes, from a tap on the PF.
Good luck with the restoration project!
On the slingshot - it sounds like the contacts may be a little too close and vibration is setting it off. A minor adjustment should sort it out.
1 week later
Quoted from misterman:Almost 100% now, one minor annoyance. Sometimes the ball will not eject from the slot machine until I click both flippers.
Check the adjustment of the slot machine switch - sounds like it's not always making full contact and the vibration from the flippers with the ball on it finally closes it.
3 weeks later
Quoted from TheCnyPinGuy:Hello folks
For some reason my game that I just newly acquired doesn’t have the Multiball magnet grab at the beginning of Multiball but the setting is checked to yes in settings
Running 9.4H
the magnet posts work In the spiral awards and for camera warnings
just not this particular feature
any ideas why this might not be working
Appreciate your time and help
Does your game have the 3rd magnet? Almost all do not.
1 month later
Quoted from mbaumle:Following up with this:
Even after a full restore, I can even start a game with 0 balls in the trough. I can start a game, but then goes into a ball search when it realizes a ball hasn't been delivered to the shooter lane. It seems like there's absolutely no missing ball compensation, which really surprises me. Can anyone verify that this is proper game operation?
Have you verified in switch test that all of the trough switches are working correctly?
1 week later
Quoted from WW2GURU:Weak upper right flipper and I've run out of ideas. I’ve rebuilt it and I did find just about everything wrong with it and now it’s as smooth as butter. Seemed like the smoking gun at the time. Cleaned flipper optos as suggested, verified voltage and checked for fractured solder joints at the coil. Looks like I need to dig deeper.
I did all that you did and my upper right flipper would also get really weak. Ended up replacing flipper opto boards and has worked great since.
3 weeks later
Quoted from atg1469:Obviously just my personal opinion, but I would've placed the robot in front of the sign. Seems like that's really the coolest element of the topper so why hide it?!
Ha... I was looking at it on my phone and just thought it was some flashing lights behind.
2 weeks later
Quoted from damadczar:Having just restored my TZ and put in LEDs (sunlight frosted 2SMD), it really looked... not awesome. My eyes detected all kinds of issues.
Once I installed both OCD boards, it looked smooth and dimmed appropriately. Highly recommended.
The OCD boards are definitely game changers and work great!
Didn't realize how much dimming effect I was missing in the GI!
Quoted from ggoehmann:Does anyone have an issue with the ball not settling in the rocket shot after a skill shot? Mine only stays in there about 50% of the time. I've adjusted the rocket shot guide to try and stop it more effectively but that didn't work. Any other adjustments or ideas I can try? Thank you
Quoted from Planet866:I'm having the same issue, adjusting the shot guide didn't seem to help. Adjusting the switch did seem to help for a few dozen plays.
Quoted from PBFan:R
Many folks have installed an anti-bounce post to solve this issue. See the following link for an example: https://www.retroblast.com/articles/modzone_3.html
Worked great for me.
Yeah, replace the lower screw securing the bracket with any kind of post and it will pretty much eliminate the issue.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from pinballizfun:This works well and is great since it annoys high level players since the plunge is pretty much guaranteed to go to the pops. High level player tend to nudge the ball from the rocket kicker directly to the flippers for safety if they bother will the skill shot at all.
Hmmm... I like to get the hitchhiker award from the rocket kick. Sure the pops can be troublesome, but I've never tried to avoid the skillshot/rocket because of it. Not sure if I qualify enough as a high level player, but I can usually hold my own.
Quoted from Ashram56:I need to disassemble my mini playfield to install low profile switches, and I've heard it's a rather complicated process (at least to reassemble)
Anyone would have pointers ? Ideally videos, better to get a sense of what is needed...
Cheers
The mini playfield is actually pretty easy to remove. One screw securing the wireform and then one screw/bolt on each side securing to spring mounts. The "tricky" part is getting the wire connectors through the playfield hole. I just do them one at a time and no issues. Mark the connectors before disassembling to make sure you don't mix them up.
Quoted from Ashram56:I need to disassemble my mini playfield to install low profile switches, and I've heard it's a rather complicated process (at least to reassemble)
Anyone would have pointers ? Ideally videos, better to get a sense of what is needed...
Cheers
My buddy Enzo helped me install my low profile switches!
TZ Enzo helping (resized).jpg 1 week later
Quoted from jid:Here is a weird one: I have my TZ which had LEDs in it before I bought it.
I had a camera mod on it that never lit up (it was there when I bought the machine). So I figured I’d just replace it. New camera mod won’t light up. The bulb in the regular socket does but the camera won’t. Vendor ships me a replacement presuming the bulb in the mod is bad… same thing. So I’m on 3 cameras that don’t light up.
Any good way to bench test a 12VAC bulb?
Have you tried switching the wires to reverse polarity on the camera mod? Assuming it is LED and could be directional. "Older" style LED's can have this problem if you have an OCD board that sends DC to the LEDs.
1 month later
Quoted from TigerLaw:Yea, this was about what I figured the answer would be. Any way anyone could ever remaster audio in? A pipe dream I’m sure sadly.
Pinsound is your best option for this. Allows true stereo with rewired speakers and you can edit or change all of the audio files.
Quoted from TigerLaw:They should make a kit…specific to this game, people would buy it.
I agree. Must be licensing issues why they don't.
3 months later
Quoted from Pinkitten:Help I’m steppin’ (back) into the Twilight Zone…more like the cash register zone! Found a beautiful example, and already depleting my funds on mods. I even found a spinning slot machine and replica mystic seer for my topper. One of the very best pins from my favorite era. I chose a restored TZ over a Godzilla premium nib. Nothing against Goddy, but I’ll have more chances at another nib for the next year or two. I couldn’t pass on a pristine TZ. Can’t wait to get lost in the zone again!
If you get the chance... they do go great together!
Awesome1 Gameroom 4-2022 (resized).JPG 2 months later
Quoted from WannabeWizard:I’m looking for the spiral ramp for TZ any leads? Thanks in advance.
[quoted image]
Here's the old ad for them... you can reach out to Davi to see if anymore are available.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twilight-zone-spiral-ramp-last-one#post-5987556
1 week later
Quoted from A1k71:New to the club here:
Bought a Twilight Zone with 9.4CH rom.
Weird situation when it's time to Buy an Extra Ball:
a) If I'm playing by myself the countdown is fine and I got the 7 seconds to Buy the Extra Ball (after I drained the third ball of course).
b) If I play a two players game then the machine release the extra ball - for player one - while the countdown is still going, without pressing the buy button, but to use it I need to "buy it". Player Two instead is normal countdown without issue.
Any idea why??
Sounds like the game needs to kick out a ball for Player 2 anyway, but is giving Player 1 the choice to buy it before Player 2 starts?
Quoted from A1k71:So it's a normal behavior controlled by the ROM?
I'm sorry - I've never tried to buy an extra ball, so I can't confirm.
1 week later
Quoted from delt31:Anyone else feel like the left side of this game isn’t really used too much? Pops you want to always stay out of due to cheap drains so you’re avoiding that shot. The upper pf is cool but you’re really just slamming away at the buttons and it’s not really a shot per say besides that hold left flipper up and shot in the hole which gets kicked out by slot machine. Finally, the gumball is super cool but again not a shot but something that takes up real estate. Am I missing something?
The left side of the playfield is definitely used less, but there is strategy and timing on the upper playfield.
My basic strategy is Left Ramp -> Slot Machine, rinse and repeat to keep getting door awards. Same with Right Ramp -> Piano.
If you can get multiple modes going at once, especially Clock or Spiral and then pair with a multiball, that's where the big points can come from.
If you build all of that up on a single ball and then get Lost In The Zone, those mode score values carry over into it.
1 week later
Quoted from GILV:congradualtion. How long have you had TZ?
What's your average at defeating the power?
I usually successfully defeat the power every 6 or 7 times.
I've had my TZ just a little under 5 years now. I like to think I defeat the Power about 50% of the time, but it's probably not actually near that high. I seem to go in streaks of winning and losing against it.
When I play my TZ I usually set a minimum goal of getting LITZ or 1 Billion (They often go hand in hand) before I move on to a different game. Sometimes only takes 1 game, sometimes several, though my current best is 3 LITZ in one game.
Quoted from Pinkitten:Like most pins, there seems to be a fair amount of variation in how difficult the Power is to defeat. On my first TZ, it seemed too easy. Mash the buttons and the magnets really tossed the ball around and more often than not, up the middle and out. On my new restored TZ, the magnets are less predictable. They grab the ball and pull it toward the bottom reliably, but you have to hit the button at just the right time to get upward motion. I like it, it’s a real challenge and not a gimme. Mashing the buttons won’t work well. Even with good timing, I’m around 25% success. I like it, especially during Powerball. That jackpot is big, and you really have to earn it!
Quoted from jawjaw:Same here. Mine is very unpredictable and less than 25% success. Other TZ I have played seem much easier. I wonder if there if there is some way to adjust the magnets. I don't mind the difficulty but would be nice to have a little more feeling of control.
Interesting, I haven't played enough TZ's in the wild in recent years to compare to my machine, but I never noticed significant differences in defeating the Power and effect of the magnets.
I guess the slope and level of the mini playfield and also possibly what balls you are using could all impact the success rate. Probably even what rubbers you are using for the bounce up to the top effect.
Of course there is timing and strategy on the Mini playfield, but not like actual flippers, so repeatability of "shots" is more unpredictable.
Quoted from GILV:Anybody here add a Pinsound system and kept the original WPC panel speakers in their game and found the results to be significant enough?
I want to add a subwoofer to the cabinet but I want to keep the panel speakers original.
Will this do a good job of giving a good sound to my TZ?
I'm using Pinsound Plus with aftermarket speakers (upgraded to 5 1/4" for both back box speakers) and an external sub. I tweaked some of the sound/music files to my liking along with tuning the Pinsound EQ settings for extra bass.
I wouldn't personally upgrade to Pinsound if you are keeping the stock speakers. Just changing the speakers before I went with Pinsound was an improvement. The original speakers are 30 years old now and not that high of quality to begin with in my opinion.
*Note - some of the sound files are not that good and getting better amplification actually can make the poor quality more noticeable. The Rod Serling speech unfortunately is where this occurs the most.
Quoted from Runswithscissors:I’ve found the ball trapping problem. (Thanks, GRB1959) It is the fish paper pushing down on the plastic, trapping the ball. Now I have to figure out a way to fix the problem. I was hoping to fix it without tearing down the mini playfield to get to it, but it looks like that me be my only choice.
For those interested, see the picture.[quoted image]
Quoted from Manny65:Removing the Mini-PF is pretty straight forward - here's the procedure from the manual
[quoted image]
Yeah, removing and reinstalling the mini playfield is not too difficult. It does slide toward front of machine after screws are removed. I marked the wire connections under the plafield and then you can really only fit one at a time through the playfield. Take your time and it's pretty straight forward. I've had mine off and apart many times.
I did end up making a lexan cover for the bottom of the mini playfield a few years ago.
My buddy Enzo likes to help me work on TZ!
IMG_9045 (resized).JPGIMG_9043 (resized).JPGIMG_9036 (resized).JPGQuoted from Runswithscissors:Nice! I like the lexan instead of the fish paper. I may go that route. Anybody have the drawing file for that? It would save me the time measuring it all myself. It looks like you used 1/8” thick? Is that correct?
Once I get the dimensions correct, I’ll probably cut several of these.
Tell Enzo he’s doing a great job.
Thanks! Yeah, I just used the original paper as a template, so I don't have a drawing file. Correct, 1/8" Lexan.
Quoted from Zee:Lexan is acrylic (perspex) and quite brittle compared to polycarb. The downside of polycarb is that it emits toxic vapors when laser-cut; so most places that offer laser-cut plastics won't work with it. Doing it like you described (with a scroll saw) is perfectly ok - it just doesn't lend itself to mass-production.
I think all pinball plastics should be on polycarbonate! No more breakages...
Lexan actually is Polycarbonate.
Quoted from Animal:For those who have swapped out the bumper switches on the upper play field for the Great Lakes Modular switches, did you have to rivet the front two to plastic for installation?
Quoted from Devo10:I used small stainless bolts with a lock washer and nut to reattach.
[quoted image]
Yeah, I used some socket button head screws.
TZ socket button head screws mount (resized).jpg 2 months later
Quoted from ramegoom:Frustrating. I still have a problem with LITZ.
Cheat turned off. All switches test properly. All solenoids good.
Start a new game, and the instant the ball goes into the piano, LITZ begins. Even a novice player will rack up billions with this issue.
Anyone have any idea why this can be? The LITZ criteria has not been met, yet it goes directly into the LITZ. Maybe a logic issue with the CPU - that's the only thing I can think of.
Is there a way to disable lost-in-the-zone thru menu choices? Or make it much more difficult to achieve?
Looking for a logical answer from anyone.
[quoted image]
If you already checked that the extra ball button isn't staying closed, you could check the manual and trace back to the inputs from the switch to make sure something isn't causing the contacts to be closed at the board.
Otherwise, what code are you running? Burn or buy a replacement ROM would be my next step.
1 week later
Quoted from PinPilot:Thank you Coyote. Much appreciated!
The mods are insane on this machine. So far I've identified the following (and missed a few I'm sure):
1. Lighted gumball machine with realistic gumballs
2. Lighted robot
3. Lighted slot machine with spinning reels
4. Mirror blades
5. 9.4H ROM
6. Lighted camera
7. Lighted Red '55 T-Bird
8. Starfield mini pf light decals
9. Full Comet LED conversion
10. Extra controllable color-changing LED's installed on backboard behind Rod Serling (Makes it look pretty neat, as if he's walking out of a cloud of changing colors)
11. Quality aftermarket speakers in backbox and cabinet with some sort of filter on the cabinet speaker
I have Pinsound cards in several of my other pins (Took T2 to another level), but I was not too impressed with what I've heard on the TZ Pinsound files, so I'll likely leave it alone.
Any other popular mods out there these days? I understand you can't get some of them anymore, like the working slot machine.
I would recommend: Color DMD (I prefer the LED version on TZ), LED OCD board and GI OCD board.
Quoted from billsfanmd:The LED version shoes the dots? I like the solid colors which are LCD? Ive installed a few is it easy to update the firmware that is needed per their website?
Yeah if you prefer the solid colors, you will want the LCD style. The LCD style does support a few different display styles that you can switch between for your preference. I like the LED style since it looks more like the DMD did originally and has better brightness and contrast, but either style is a great upgrade!
FIrmware upgrade to specific game is easy and they have good instructions.
Quoted from jid:LCD example:
So much smoother to my eye.
[quoted image]
I'm surprisingly "Old School" on this I guess and like me some dots!
IMG_5520 (2) (resized).JPGIMG_5176 (2) (resized).JPG 1 month later
Quoted from Pinkitten:Who here has Pinsound on TZ? Is it a game changer? Considering it for TZ or IJPA.
Yes, I'm very happy with the Pinsound+ I put in my TZ!
I also modded the backbox speakers to both be 5 1/4" (rewired for true stereo) and am using aftermarket speakers in backbox and cabinet and external sub...
Note that the original sound package for TZ is not the greatest quality, especially the Rod Serling callouts. So just increasing the volume may not give you the desired effect you are looking for.
Depending on your level of commitment and ability/desire to tinker... Pinsound allows you to replace each sound file if you like. I tweaked a bunch of the files, added more bass, etc, to my personal liking. This can get tedious. There are also user-created options available from Pinsound and the original sound package designer, Chris Granner Stereo option, but if you use that directly, you lose the Golden Earing Twilight Zone song.
Overall Pinsound is an excellent option, you can just plug and play or go down the rabbit hole.
Quoted from GILV:..... 9 connectors at the wires that relate my PF to the rest of the game, what's the use , you might say? well, lots of advantages, to name a few, I'll be clearcoating the cabinet soon, so I can now "easilly" remove the PF from the cabinet, second, if I want to remove the PF to work on it, easy, unplug the 9 connectors and out it goes in less than 5 minutes, third: If I ever move, which could easilly be the case since I'm in an appartement, I can remove the playfield to make the game lighter to transport, that's a very good thing since I'm not geting younger and my arthritus is'nt getting better either.
There were 102 wires, so, 204 wires needed to be soldered, took me about an hour for each connector, so, 9 connectors= 9 hours of work but is was really worth it. I'm Very happy that I don't have to bother with unplugging all of the connectors from the boards anymore to CC my cabinet, I did'nt want to...... but on the other hand, how could I CC my cabinet with such a heavy game and NOT damage the cabinet????
Why all the splices though? Couldn't cut and pin/socket the actual game wires?
Quoted from Pinkitten:Thanks for all the info! I have Pinsound + in my BSD and LOTR. Really like the product. I would be bummed to lose the Golden Earring song. Are there any Pinsound packages that include it? If not, I’m prob not capable (yet) to design my own. Maybe the Tilt Audio option mentioned above.
Pinsound does offer the standard TZ sound package that has the Golden Earing song and all of the original call outs and sound effects. I agree... have to have that song!
To me, all of the available (last time I looked which was a couple years ago) user created TZ sound package themes were terrible.
I'm not familiar with the Tilt Audio offering.
Quoted from ProjektPat:The ball keeps getting lost/stuck somewhere under the mini playfield. It bounces up there and never comes out unless I violently shake the machine and tilt and then it’ll spit out. I believe it goes in the same hole as the camera which works perfectly so it must be something keeping it from coming out.
It's actually pretty easy to remove the mini playfield or at least move it out of the way to have a look underneath.
3 weeks later
Quoted from sandro:There was a thread awhile back on if a pinsound board was worth it for TZ. IIRC, there is an incomplete version of the original DCS mix for TZ available. It’s missing the Golden Earring theme, but it’s supposed to higher quality audio overall.
Yes, one of the cool things about Pinsound is you can swap any sound file you like, so you could add Golden Earring theme back in if you wanted.
Unfortunately the Rod Serling voice callouts are all pretty poor quality once you improve the audio system performance. I don't believe the original recordings are available and the ones used in the game were highly compressed and poor quality, so what's left is difficult to do much with.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Davi:The answer is in your post:
The yellow should be used in J137 or J138.
Both have the same number of pins: they are identical, as you can see on the PCB, pins are connected.
Quoted from atg1469:Perfect. Any idea what these connections control? I’ve been having some issues with my game and wonder if the problems could be connected to this harness not being hooked up.
Controlled lamps.
TZ Controlled Lamps (resized).jpgTZ Lamp Matrix (resized).jpg 1 month later
Quoted from atg1469:Does anyone here happen to have a template file for the bottom cardboard piece from the mini playfield? Mines looking pretty rough and I’m thinking of replacing it with colored acrylic.
[quoted image]
A few years ago I traced my bottom cardboard piece on a piece of 1/8" Lexan and used a jig saw and file to cut and finish it.
IMG_9041 (resized).JPGIMG_9045 (resized).JPG 3 weeks later
Quoted from Enron64:Hey all,
I recently moved and sold my entire pinball collection. I am about to jump back in as I have my new house now. I have never owned a dmd pin and for the most part have only owned new sterns and JJPs. I haven't had a lot of time on TZ, but have always enjoyed it. My question to owners of TZ and games like the ones I have owned is will the code of this game hold my interest or will this game grow old fast?
TZ was my original "Grail" pinball machine!!!
In my opinion, TZ holds up pretty well even against modern pinball machines, especially if you have a Color DMD.
It helps if you really like the theme, but it is decently deep with fun shots and a lot of unique mechs.
Like Coyote mentioned, I also have my game setup fairly steep and fast, and it can be challenging, but very rewarding as well. I'll often set a goal on a game before I move onto one of my others... on TZ it's usually get to LITZ or break 1 Billion. It may take me only one game or sometimes into the next play session.
I may not play it as much as I used to in the first couple years I had it, but I don't anticipate ever getting rid of it.
1 week later
Quoted from atg1469:So I’ve sorted the majority of issues I was dealing with but I’m still not sure what is going on with my left flipper. I realigned the plastic opto bracket, which did correct the over sensitivity issue but I still can’t get the lower flipper to respond correctly. It will flip in short bursts when I quickly tap the flipper button but it won’t stay up if I hold the button or even pressing firmly for a brief second. Any idea what to look at next? Should I just replace the opto bracket all together?!
In case it helps, here’s a video of the issue in action:
If the other mechanical suggestions don't prove successful - switch the flipper opto to the right side and see if the problem moves with it.
I had similar problem, but with the upper left flipper and no amount of cleaning optos or reflowing solder had any effect. Once I replaced the optos, all flippers work normally.
5 months later
Quoted from porkins:I’d like to make a settings change to make the game slightly more interesting for my guests. I have the game on 9.4HC. I don’t want people to be able to “buy in” an additional time after they lose, but if they get the Match, then I want to allow them to get an extra ball. I can’t seem to get that configured correctly. Can that be done in free play?
No, the game has already ended before the match sequence.
3 weeks later
Quoted from jid:Here is a weird one…
During powerball multiball, having a weird issue where the flippers stop when a ball goes up to the power field.
If trap the right flipper both flippers die when a ball goes into the upper playfield.. if I trap with the left flipper, it doesn’t kill it but then none of the upper playfield works..
Anyone ever seen this before? Weird indeed…
During Powerball Mania or normal single ball play when you get a ball up on the mini playfield? In single ball play it is normal for the main flippers to stop working when you have a ball on the mini playfield.
Quoted from slochar:Power ball mania there's a setting to turn off the upper flippers.
How would you "flip" the ball with the magnets then?
in any case, that seems reverse of the OPs question/problem.
1 week later
Quoted from ParisPinballAdct:Hi TZ lovers!
So, my TZ happens to magnetize my standard steel balls every 30-50 games.
So ofc I considered buying carbon “non-magnetized” balls to make sure all goes well and that i don't have to replace magnetized balls every other month..
ONLY PROBLEM here is that for some odd reasons the subway eddy sensor almost EVERY time does not register the carbon ball and call for Powerball.. this is so annoying.
If i replace all 5 carbons by 5 steels, all fine with the subway sensor.
And then tonight i tried to put in another set of 5 brand new carbon “non magnetized” balls and same issue: subway sensor doesn't register and calls Powerball….
I then immediately replaced them with 5 new standard steels and it works like a charm again…
… but ofc in a few game those will be magnetized and i’ll have to buy new ones once again.
What could be wrong do you reckon?
- faulty subway sensor board?
- poor quality carbon “anti-magnetized” balls?
- my game just happens to have taken a detour, in the Twilight Zone?
Quoted from jrcmlc:Our Polaris carbon non magnetizing balls work great. Available in our Pinside store. We sell a LOT of them.
I've used Ninja super shiny balls for a number of years and have never had an issue using them in TZ or other games with magnets that I have for that matter (AIQ & Godzilla).
I do change when they get scuffed up, usually around 500 games played.
2 weeks later
Quoted from jrcmlc:They should have been cleaned with soap and warm water and dried/buffed with an old T shirt or cotton cloth, microfiber works ok as well. You don't want that oil and industrial residue in the game, regardless of if that's your issue with the powerball or not.
I use alcohol to clean the oil off new balls, but yes definitely want to clean them off before putting in the game.
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