Twilight Zone
Bally, 1993You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider rdoyle1978.
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I literally today just read about the pop bumpers. Lawlor confirmed that the flyer was correct. Further research apparently also confirmed this from a secondary source.
http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/2684/Bally_1993_Twilight_Zone_Bumper_Caps_Order.pdf
Quoted from Lermods:Somewhat out of the blue, my game developed the dreaded reset. Started resetting when cold and when both flippers were pressed. Went through pinwiki and couldn't quite find the exact fix, but I think it's a bad br2/c5. I systematically and individually went through and unplugged j101, 102, 114 and the z connector, no change. Thought it might be the thermistor, but I swapped in a spare board I have that was repaired by John wart and the resets disappeared so far. The br was registering below 5 for resistance, which pinwiki suggests is too low so I think that's at least one issue. I don't have the proper tools to remove the rectifiers and capacitors (just a crappy solder sucker I use for transistors) nor much experience so off the board will go to John.
Seems like just a matter of time before we all start having reset issues.
Happened to my TAF recently....so far the TZ is intact.
That said, Rob Kahr has developed this unbelievable fix:
http://www.kahr.us/daughterboard.html
fixed our TAF reset issues, no sweat. For me, definitely better than repairing the board poorly, which is likely what I'd have done!
I have been doing some work on my TZ and I noticed the backboard has a lot of little holes stamped into it - do all TZs have this? I never noticed this before. There's also a wire going into the bottom of the backboard but I can't figure out what that's for. Is this a stock thing or is this some mod that maybe doesn't work anymore?
Quoted from Coyote:The backboard should only have.. uh.. 7 or 8 holes. Two on each side for the brush brackets, and then three or four along the bottom to screw into the playfield.
I'll have to take a picture; they're not mounting holes, and I'm not actually sure if they're clear through. They sort of look like they were stamped in there.. Pretty weird, and there's WAY too many of them for it to have been an accident
Quoted from gweempose:It sounds like you probably have one of Tom's custom startfield backboards ...
http://home.myfairpoint.net/vze8f4tt/tomstwilightzonepinballmachineaccessories/id25.html
That's got to be it! ...Except mine doesn't light up. I'll have to figure that out. Thanks so much! I don't think I'd seen this mod before..
Quoted from Coyote:Huh - First I've seen that before, too.
Will report back when I get it working... I know i've seen Tom's site before, but I must never have clicked this particular page. I've been meaning to look into EL wire to hook something up on my TAF so this is sort of good timing...
Also - I was in another thread and the OP mentioned something about certain early games going out with a *different* version of the translite art. This was *completely* news to me. Coyote - ever heard of this? I imagine the differences were only slight, but still...
Quoted from Coyote:Yeah - at first that's what I thought you were referring to. Some translights were made with the stars "cut out", small pinholes, around the logo. From previous discussions, I can't tell why or when - Ie. If it .was an early thing, or a specific manufacturer o over time, since some later game had it installed, and my NOS translight ordered later, does not.
Oh that's right - thanks, I guess I knew about the stars being cut out but didn't associate it with being a prototype - I was mistakenly thinking the art must have been different. Pretty cool to find out that ours has the cut outs! This game keeps getting g cooler and cooler
RAMEGOOM's clock mod:
I will post pictures once I get my TZ back together (in the middle of a tear down), but I installed this clock mod last night.
First of all - unbeknownst to me (thought I had an original), my clock had been replaced with a Rottendog board. While I am a huge advocate for RD's Fliptronics and power boards, and the clock mod does a great job fixing the flaws of the clock design.. it just never looked that good.
Well, now that's over. As pictured in the other posts, the light is very full and consistent - and a hell of a lot brighter than the original or RD solutions (full disclosure: I have not spent a lot of time with Ingo's board)
The instructions were far more detailed than is common, and CLEAR. I can't stress how big of a deal that is. Most mods you get a printout with a couple sentences and maybe one picture, but these were very well-written and clear.
The inclusion of the spacers and the extra C-washer were great nice touches that weren't necessary but are a hallmark of a well-thought through process.
If I sound like I'm gushing a bit, I am - Ramegoom also helped me out by sending me a part I needed to test this mod, IN ADDITION to the board itself. Totally worth it, I think - especially if you have put LEDs in the rest of the playfield.
Quoted from Neal_W:Nice mod!! Compared to the other pins in my lineup, TZ seems to be lacking some pizazz. Those interactive lights are just the ticket!
I really like this too! I do wonder if the lights could be turned down a bit - it may be the video but they seem like they sort of overpower the other playfield lights. But man that is awesome Nonetheless!
I wish somebody could improve the Rod sound clips in the same way. They still sound atrocious to me. I wonder if Chris Granner still has the tapes? Hell I'll transfer them to digital myself!
Quoted from kpg:Im now in the TZ club! Picked one up yesterday and love it so far. Cabinet is beat up, but i'll deal with that at a later date- playfield and everything else is in great shape.
I have ordered the Flipper Fidelity Pinsound speaker kit, along with a PinSound board. Anyone running this that can chime in and let me know if its a huge different vs stock stuff? Hoping to be blown away by it.
Make sure you get the downloads for PinSound. The Chris Granner DCS mix is all I ever use any more. There are 4 total on the PinSound community boards - one's called HorrorShow which is pretty cool but is kind of messy if you get a really hot game going. Lots of reverb, etc. The DCS mix sounds GREAT. I wish we could find a better source for the Tim Kitzrow "Rod Serling" samples, as those sound really bad. But otherwise the music (IMO) is way better than the Golden Earring tune looping.. over... and over... and over.. and over!
Did you get the Stereo cable with the PinSound board? Those mixes also sound better in stereo. the FF upgrade is great, although I don't personally have it on my TZ along with the PinSound board. I'm sure you'll be blown away! let us know!
Quoted from kpg:Awesome!! I plan on using the Chris Granner DCS mix myself. I can't wait to try it out.. what an amazing pin TZ is.. been looking for a good one for over a year and finally found it.
I totally agree - my TZ sat for a few months this year while I was working on other pins, and while I finally finished installing the 3rd magnet opto and the 4 door flashers (what a huge difference, by the way!). Can't get enough. Now I want to go back to working on the PinSound stuff so I can dial in the sound better. It's good but I still have the stock speakers so I am looking to upgrade soon...
Got Lost in the Zone for the first time last night since finishing the 3rd magnet opto, and little did I know that the 3 balls would line up on the Spiral and come crashing down at once! it was awesome!
I gotta say... it really was a pain. Adding the magnet itself is super simple (especially if you have a sample game, like I have - playfield all drilled and opto bracket already installed). The hard part is adding the opto transmitter and receiver. I felt like I had to disassemble half the game to get it to work, and most of the instructions out there were for retro-fitting a production game - well, my wiring wasn't quite the same, so it took me a couple weeks to even power the game back on after I did some testing. Turns out all the research I did was good - I finally understand the wiring matrix now, too!
I would never *eeeever* (any Jericho fans? lol) install it in a production game. I just don't have the guts or the patience. That SAID... holy crap was it worth it!
Also, the *correct* wiring for the 4 flashers (see coyote and lyonsden's awesome TZ Sample thread) is really really cool, ultimately simpler, and IMO far more worth it.
I accidentally clicked on one of my bookmarked pages just now, and it was an old page describing the development of TZ. This quote jumped out:
"Another interesting piece of trivia is the initial rule set for MultiBall on Twilight Zone. Originally, the MultiBall had a roving jackpot shot. The jackpots were lit in order as: Piano, Camera, Dead End. (This explains why the Camera has a "Jackpot" label in the flyer.) The Lock shot would relight jackpot after the third one was collected on the Dead End. The consensus of the design team, and others at Williams who played that version of the rules, was that jackpots were awfully difficult to make, and that MultiBall was pretty frustrating as a result."
OBVIOUSLY later games did not agree with this sentiment! I find TZ's jackpot to be much easier than a lot of other games.
Those are the only ones I've ever seen for sale. I seem to remember somebody posting a couple of ideas for alternatives but not sure if they made it for sale.
Throw it in a tumbler with walnut material if you're sure it's designed that way with the marbling; same effect as the comet with a lot less work!
Replacing bulbs with LEDs is probably the best plan as far as learning - just know that most of the time the LED bulbs have to be inserted in only one direction - if one doesnt work, take it out and rotate it around.
A lot of folks seem to prefer frosted - i think that's the standard approach for a bulb which is visible above plastics - for those underneath inserts or playfield plastics you can do clear ones. Experiment!
TZ looks really good with LEDs, although you may wish to keep some of the flashers as incandescent - sometimes they can be pretty blinding
Quoted from LitzDoc:Yes I found the opto board. It is a new replacement and has the pins for the 3rd magnet. I think the magnet is wired up as I see wires coming from it. I just need to track it down now. Easier said than done. I will give it a try this weekend.
Do the 1-board opto boards have room for additional optos?
Quoted from LitzDoc:Do you have any suggestions on a retailer for LEDs? I would like to start adding some to my TZ. I am going to start with the inserts I guess. Likely all white bulbs with the covers on them.
Thanks
People swear on the Comet LEDs - I have a lot of games that need work so I tend to order tons from PBL and have yet to have a problem. Comet has tons more selection when you really want to get crazy, LEDs you can position in any direction, different configurations, and more warm LEDs which offer the benefit of the new tech but have more of the warmth of incandescents
Quoted from LitzDoc:Excellent. Thanks very much. I love this forum. The info I get on here is wonderful. I have a Pinball Life order in the making so it is perfect timing.
Do you think it is good to just use white under all the inserts?. I figure I want to make it easy since this is my first time adding LEDs to a game. I am trying to keep it simple.
In general, yes - however you may find that some inserts look washed out if you go too bright. You can get those bulbs with 3 LEDs or one big fat one, or the ones you can position... It's a bit overwhelming at first. I basically just put white in everything first then try other colors out in places where it might make a difference. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
My PF is a sample, and so I have the green lock insert - which basically is too dark to really see well. I added a super bright there which really makes the green "pop". If the insert was red, a super bright bulb would look orange-ish which isn't so great.
One other thing - you can overdo it with the colors but sometimes it looks great - I added a lot of purple to the back of my old TAF and it just looked amazing. YMMV.
best course imo is to get mostly white but get a few bags of 10 or so colors so you can experiment.
Also I find that I have to bend the wires on the bulbs to 45 degree angles quite frequently so they make better contact. At first I thought I was getting bad bulbs, but I have not in actuality had a single bad bulb yet.
Also remember that LEDs must be turned one direction only, so if one doesn't work ensure its making contact (as above) and then try removing it then rotating it and replace it in the socket. Incandescents don't care which direction the power is flowing but LEDs do. Get the inserts set, the some different LED styles in the Gen illumination, PRN
Both Comet and PBL do a reasonable good job of explaining what you might use where - e.g. Frosted vs concave vs flat lenses. There are so many options I gave up for a while and then went slowly as it wasn't fun to have this deluge of items to sort through. Of course, I was doing the taxes for our company at the time, so I was already feeling that way 
Quoted from Cheeks:I saw one online years ago like this with fiber optic lighting. Was really cool, but I would never have the patience to do that. If I did, I'd probably put it in STTNG instead of TZ.
So do no cool TZ *attainable* backboards exist?
I have this one - and sadly it was done with EL wire, and looked amazing at first, but lately you can't even tell it's on. Fiber optic would have been much better, but live and learn I suppose!
Quoted from Luppin:Ok, I know it will sound like blasphemy, anyway: is there some alternative version for the translite? I know the original is packed with amazing references to the tv episodes, and I love it a lot. Anyway It still looks a bit on the cartoonish side, unlike the tv series. I would love a graphic similar to the original tv series, maybe even in b&w. More adult, deep, scary.
What do you think?
The only one I've ever seen is the actual Black and white translite done for that black & white TZ game , which looked A-mazing
TZ has my favourite translite I think. At least until iron maiden is made!
Quoted from Seatmandan:I was browsing for sale games, came across this TOM and in the background of this photo I saw what looks like the B&W TZ that someone was working on a while back. Maybe he has a B&W translite? Its Great American Pinball.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-theatre-of-magic-10
EDIT: It's picture 5 of 9
Yup, that's the one and (as far as I know) only
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/black-and-white-tz-coming-soon/page/4
I never thought it would look so cool but man there is a reason the show holds up (the writing!) but the look is just phenomenal
Quoted from onemoresean:I installed the white clock board and used the warm white LEDs.
I see you have the IGT topper. Damn you! Lol looks awesome
Quoted from kpg:My freshly restored TZ with black powercoating, courtesy of Pat / BR80 here on Pinside. He's going to post the entire restore process on a different thread, long story short- it came out amazing!!! Love the black look.
Wow, that looks amazing! What sort of work was done on the legs and rails?
Also, what's the story with the carpet you have?
Quoted from alistaircg:Nice retro arcade carpet
Sorry, I meant where did you buy it
Quoted from kpg:Also, i'd like to point out in that pic TZ is sitting next to a Jim McCune cab and HEP playfield restored MB. It would be hard to tell the difference between the restores of them and Pat/BR80's restore of my TZ unless you really broke out the magnifying glass and critiqued every detail.
OUT. Standing. I hope my MB looks every bit as good once I'm done with it (um...) but you've given me some great ideas~!
Quoted from Damien:Got my TZ today!!! I'm officially in the club!
Only issue now is that in order to get to 6.5 degrees on the slant, I have to screw the front casters at the way in (lowest point) and raise the read casters all the way up (highest point) and still I'm at like 6.3 degress!
I don't like the way it feel, because the casters are raised so high, that there is a wobble to it.
Is there something wrong with my floors? The previous owner had it set about half way in the back, and quarter way in the front to get 6.5 degrees.
On my MMr, the back legs and front legs are screwed all the way in (lowest point) and that comes in at about 7 degrees, which I like for that game.
HELP!
This happened to me when I got mine - turns out the wrong legs were installed AND they were in the wrong holes. Check your leg length and make sure you have proper length B/W legs and that they are in the right cab holes. Good luck, enjoy the best pin ever!
Mine is a sample, and also has 3 holes cut. I had the legs installed in the wrong legs initially and could never get the pitch right. I think this is my only game that still has the legs it came (to me) with. Standard w/bs.
You should be able to get fairly close by adjusting which holes you're installing in, but you'll have to test to see!
Quoted from Damien:On another subject, does anyone know where to get replacements for the bulb condoms, like the red one on the gumball ramp sign?
PBL sells them
Quoted from Damien:What the trick to keeping the ball from coming out of the bumpers and going straight down the left outlane?
It's brutal! I'll be having a pretty good game, and then I end up in the bumpers and have what feels like zero control over what happens from there.
Love the game, but I'm not sure about those bumpers.
Don't let the ball go to the bumpers 
seriously.
Quoted from merccat:Question on the right orbit: If you do not use the left flipper as the ball exits, should it be a clean return back to the bottom of the playfield? Currently on mine it will hit the mini playfield leveling post and bounce over towars the slot machine area.
When I hit a ball into the right orbit, if I don't use the top left flipper, the ball rockets SDTM
Good lord Coyote, have you ever thought about writing a book? There's such an awesome story in this machine
Quoted from KornFreak28:Trust me, I don't want to sell it but at this point in time, It's a move I must make. I got other stuff going on at the moment. Just sold my BSD and my 2017 modded Metallica is next
BSD has given me some room to do a Sell + Trade for TAF. TZ is about the only machine I would do that for. I plan on keeping my all time favorite Indiana Jones tho. I played some TAF today and that thing plays amazing! So you like TAF better that TZ?
Wow man I was going to offer to trade for my sample TZ, which has the prototype playfield, 3rd magnet installed (with optos), correctly wired door flashers, EL wire star field back board, plus every mod available.... then I saw your price for the TAF! Holy Shniekies!
Quoted from hockeymag8:Hi guys - my Enter/Begin Test button just stopped working (far right). Other 3 work. I pulled the bracket and checked the red and black wires and they are tight. It worked up until now with no issues.
Any suggestions what else to check or do these just go bad and need replacement? Thank you!
This happened to me when I got my project doctor who. Make sure that piece of wire which handles the ground is tight too, the solder can separate. Your buttons may also just be dirty.. jam it up and down a whole bunch and wiggle it around and see if you can get contact. I had to hold mine down and wiggle it back and forth, side to side and it would eventually connect
Quoted from Damien:Looks like it's level.
However, with the power off, the ball does not seem to stick to the magnet. On the spiral ramp, the ball looks to hold a little bit just above the magnet (not directly on it).
The magnet itself has some wear on it, and has some black scuffs.
Also, I'm not sure if the magnet on the right ramp is working or not, but sometimes when the ball auto-launces, it will not make the full orbit around to come out where the spiral is.
Any ideas?
...With the power off, the ball should NOT stick to the magnet. It's an electro-magnet, not a rare Earth magnet. That means it needs power to work Think about it - if it just grabbed the ball all the time, how could you ever get the ball past it?
You need to take the glass off, power the game on, put it in test mode and turn the magnet on - THEN see if it sticks
Quoted from Damien:Makes total sense. Will try it out tonight.
If I do need a replacement, or just want to replace and have new magnets in there, do I just need these:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1837
Yes if it's the magnet that's burned out - but I think you should be able to see it physically burned. You might want to test the corresponding optos too, in order to make sure they are turning the magnet on and offf at the appropriate times.
Quoted from Seatmandan:Quick question for Ingo clock board peeps- Does the clock HAVE to be at 12:00 to do a board swap from, say a rottendog board?
Or can it be at whatever time, and as long as you know what it was and re-assemble back to that.
I tried to install it over the weekend and it would not work. I did NOT zero it out to 12:00 though.
I believe it can be done at whatever time, as long as you reassemble it exactly where it was. The clock does a self check on startup. But it's never 100% perfect - how "off" was it?
Quoted from Seatmandan:The clock started it's self diagnostic on boot up and during the initial forward advance, it just stopped and froze, then peddled the press enter for test report deal. Game has zero credit dot, so I know it was clock broke error. It's the same thing it did to me when I got the game when the original optos on the front (minute hand) were flaking out. It's almost as if the front optos on the new board were not working/registering. I studied it and it looked as if the minute hand WAS breaking the opto planes, so I'm at a loss. I did NOT go into clock test and run that, I turned it off immediately for fear of frying something.
EDIT: after the Ingo clock board failed to work, I replaced it with my working board and it worked fine again.
Interesting. I'd ask Ingo if there's anything you need to look out for. I find it hard to believe the board is bad but maybe the optos aren't getting a good connection?
Quoted from alistaircg:Neat little mod I did on the coin slots, let me know if you want the artwork I'll post it then
I like those! Mine say "tokens" but it would be fun to replace them...
I am away from my game right now but I've always suspected my front art is a decal, placed on top of the original screened art. What might be the best way to remove it without damaging the screened stuff underneath? Assuming I can verify that there is indeed a decal at all
Just to jump in here on the decal, screen print debate: I have a sample game made in (I think) March or April of 1993. It is definitely a sample - I have a confirmed sample playfield, white door behind Rod, etc.
My game is also wrinkled around the legs, and while I suspect the front might have a decal, the sides are most definitely original. There is a tiny bit of fade and you can tell the side rails have never been removed. So those sides have a bit of wrinkling - the white vinyl underpayment makes a lot of sense. I was always confused and a bit worried about how a there could be wrinkling if it was screen printed.
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:I think you'll get better results from a new thread.
You know in hindsight it's a stupid question - you guys should be trying to talk me out if it!!
Quoted from lyonsden:If you sell your sample, it will be very difficult to find another if you want one back.
I know.... I know... :/
TZ is one of the few games I personally would not put NVRAM into, because I like how the clock shows the correct time. NO other pin does that, to my knowledge.
CFTBL also plays different songs based on some algorithm calculated from the day of the week (I think?) and you have your midnight madness games . I seem to recall at least one Pin with a Christmas. But otherwise, adding NVRAM is set it and forget it. (I'm a fan of Pinitech's stuff because I met him and he's a great guy)
Quoted from DruTheFu:What is the consensus for replacement battery type to use for the three AA batteries (and not NVRAM chip )?
Those energiser industrial batteries are what I use, they're only a couple bucks more than regular batteries
Quoted from waveman:I've switched to the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. They are supposed to be leak free, so it's worth checking out.
Yes! Sorry these are the ones I meant
Quoted from cavalier88z24:You guys are crazy. Lol batteries????? This is what you do. Take your game to show that Rob Anthony works at. $30 bucks done. Thanks for playing. Yes they have to be soldiered on. You need a adaptor. See photo. Boards are still a 150. If you ask me the cheapest why to know that board will last a longggggg time. Go ahead keep checking the batteries twice a year. Why? I dont like resetting stats and high scores. Lol. I dont rotate games out so it's worth it for me to do it
Ok you didn't read the previous posts about why TZ isn't a good game to add NVRAM to
Quoted from cavalier88z24:I did. I don't care about the clock reading correct time when it's off. Lol. Do you really look at the clock for the time? I care more about the board did you read that? Sorry I guess I'm in the minority here. The thought of batteries just makes me cringe. I have seen so many destroyed boards. Some people don't even know pinball machines have batteries.
Well that definitely makes sense to take the worry out - crap, that reminds me I have to change my batteries
No, I don't look at the clock for the time (hell, it's usually slightly off even with batteries ) but I do like how its *supposed* to be correct.
I'm staying in the club! Talked it over with the family and my son (the biggest proponent of selling the TZ) has decided he wants to learn to play better so decided to learn on the TZ. I have to say I'm pretty happy not switching up, I go those big stretches without playing for a while, but every time I go back, I love the game even more.
That said: the mech that grabs the ball when it goes up the right ramp, to keep it from going to the MPF is dropping the ball occasionally. I haven't ever had an issue with it so I don't know how it works - is there a magnet in there or something?
Quoted from Coyote:If your game is apart, then fix it the right way and put a nut on the rear posts. Or, put the plastic spacers back, if you still have them.
What's the cause? Does the nut works its way off? (Not in front of my game)
Quoted from Coyote:Oh, *Jeez*, I'm an idiot - apologies. I was talking about the lock cage, and after re-reading your post, I saw you were talking about the bridge diverter. Sorry. Ignore everything I said. Oops.
Ha! You should have Seen my face reading that
Quoted from nosro:By "diverter thing", do you mean this thing? Do you mean that the ball bounces off this diverter but remains on the wire rails, or that the ball bounces off this diverter and falls off the wire rails?
For me, it bounces off the diverted and falls off the wire rails, usually slamming down on the PF
Quoted from Chosen_S:Thank you sir
Quoted from SilverballNut:I just use Goo Gone or De-Solv-It if it's being stubborn. Try to keep it off the decals as much as possible, but I haven't had issues with it. Apply to a paper towel, dab on, wait, scrub, scrape, repeat as needed. The more you can have on there without running the better.
I use a plastic razor blade along with it for scraping (or a credit card).
Goo-gone will eventually damage the decal, so don't use a lot, and dont' let it drip, and DON'T put it on for too long. You do need to let it sit for a minute or two so it can break down the adhesive, but just gently work it with the credit card or the plastic blade, obviously don't use a metal blade
Quoted from Chosen_S:All good advice, I did all of the above, rubbed a few blisters on my fingers, but no big deal, no damage to the decals, the powder coat guy says he will blast the stuff off the rails.
I'm thinking I will do ink black and clear coat, anyone have any suggestions of flake or anything?
What's a couple fingers when you have a beautiful cab!!
Quoted from KornFreak28:So I'm finally in the club! Got it from a fellow pinsider. The game is in amazing shape and has lots of cool mods! Just got it off the truck today so I'll post more pics later. I would like to thank Coyote for guiding me through the process. He was very informative and helpful.
Glad you got your game man!! Coyote is THE MAN. Nobody knows more about TZ.
Quoted from merccat:Very nice! Been considering that as my playfield has a couple rough spots... but nothing severe enough to warrant the effort.
Do they sell the mini playfield sepetately?
I believe they do; you may even be able to buy a "sample" version which does not say "flip here".. but there are still ways to validate
Quoted from LitzDoc:Quick question please? I have a Pinbits 3rd magnet opto. I think the opto might be bad. ( I took the ramp off and tested it.) I have emailed Pam at Pinbits a few times but no response. I was wondering if I could replace the Pinbits 3rd magnet opto with another brand? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks guys.
An opto is an opto - you can replace them with anything from PBL or Marco as long as it fits (I think there are 2 different sizes)
Just test whether you need a transmitter or receiver so you don't have to replace both. Use the camera test on the transmitter and see if you get the dots on your camera/phone
Quoted from Seatmandan:I don't think this applies to the Pinbits one for the 3rd magnet kit they sell. Their website says that their opto reciever is a special one that eliminates the need for the add-on board, this may mean it has firmware/logic on it or something, which would differentiate it from a standard opto reciever.
LitzDoc, definitely wait to hear back from Pinbits
Maybe some other TZ Pinhead could add to this?
I remember this kit - IIRC the special part of the kit is in the little cable with the driver in it; the optos are just the slightly taller ones since they don't have a proper guide to screw into (the factory 'sample' games had screw holes in the metal ball guides so you don't affix them directly to the playfield).
Anyway; up to you - hopefully one of the other TZ-ers on the site have the same kid - but if you buy a replacement opto it should cost you about $3 and the soldering time
I've had pins sit for 4 weeks but I'm surprised the board took that long! Customs is sloooooow though..
Quoted from gblaz:You should remove the balls from the ball trough anytime you raise the playfield and certainly if you are flipping the machine upright. Otherwise they will slam around the machine randomly when the playfield tips and could smash something (possibly even the playfield glass). You don't necessarily have to empty the gumball machine each time, but if you are really moving the machine around I would.
As to how, some roms have a setting under the Tests section that will empty all of the balls in the trough and the gumball machine. Otherwise, you can empty the trough easily by carefully flipping the lever mechanism under the apron. This will flip the balls into the shooter lane where you can grab them. You can then run the gumball machine test to empty it out one ball at a time.
Good luck!
- Gblaz
You SHOULD, but not everybody does. I stick a flipper rubber in the trough exit hole so the balls don't come out; if you put it in there vertically there's no chance they will move. you don't want to leave it like that obviously but it works for quick stuff
Quoted from merccat:Voice actor Mark Silverman played a spot on Rod Sterling for Disney's Tower of Terror ride. I wonder if he would ever be willing to record high quality versions of the callouts. I'd pitch in for that.
Unfortunately there would likely be some sort of licensing requirements that would make it impossible.
Rod's voice has to be licensed separately from the game, and as Mark is the officially recognized voice for Rod by the Serling Estate, He would certainly need something in place legally. he's a Tier 1 Voice of Disney so ... yeah it would be expensive.
Ive been working on some updates lately too but ended up having a lot of actual jobs lately so I have to prioritize my voice for those. I should be dry in June though so maybe soon
Quoted from canea:Can you swap out music with Pinsound, or just call-outs? (Sorry, probably dumb question, but haven't ever thought about trying a pinsound). I would love TZ even more with some of the more atmospheric, minimalistic music from the shows.
Eeeeeverything that makes a sound can be changed. Music, callouts, sound effects. I am working on a complete Doctor Who revamp which replaces all the callouts with modern episode quotes, and some of the sound fx as well
Quoted from cavalier88z24:I was on the fence about pinsound. For the $350 bucks I had better stuff to spend it on. Pinsound is still a new idea. I recently just bought my TZ and it was already installed with a flipper fidelity kit. They had a corny Chris granner pre dcs sound mix but after a while it got old. So I went on the pinsound forum and download a mix someone else posted. And wow incredible. It just took TZ from a awesome game to a bad ass game. The sound is crystal clear, stereo sound, full adjustable. I thinking about getting one for my last action hero. With real ac/dc tracks
Which mix are you referring to? There are 5 I think. Granner DCS mix, Original, Tim Kitzrow "remixed", Haunted House remix, and one other I can't think of right now
Quoted from dnaman:I had mentioned the Granner DCS (as a must have and one that I was using) but afterwards I went to increase the RS call-outs and realized that I had actually been using the TK remixed. It is the one with the cleaner guitar rifts and slap bass. So this is the library that I currently enjoy the most but plan on augmenting it. This being said my GF actually disliked the music at first but doesn't comment on it now.
Unfortunately all of the Tim Kitzrow RS call-outs, across all current libraries, are distorted. Almost all of these can't be lifted from the series as they are custom to the pin. So, who has the best RS impression here? Many would pitch in for sure. I could post something online looking for someone to do 'custom' voice over work
Working on it - will have samples in June
Quoted from cavalier88z24:It didn't have a name. it was the last one i listen too. It says twilight zone 1993 zip by gerald. That's what it says on the website. It's great. I love all the new backround music. finally a beat to the music i don't mind listening to. You know some backround music just gets so damn annoying. also the voice overs on power ball and custom call outs through out the game are cool. add a color DMD. just takes a great game to the next level.
I will have to find that; I'm not sure I've heard that one.
Quoted from cavalier88z24:i just went on the forum. it's still there. download it. convert it, and enjoy. i think you will like it.
Found it! checking it out...
I really wish the PinSound guys would post more about the shaker... I want to put one in my Doctor Who! ... and Monster bash!
Okk... so I downloaded the "gerald" mix.. and - this is the original music for the game! Have I been rickrolled?
Quoted from cavalier88z24:It shouldn't be the orignal. The original is corny. ???? I don't know.It starts with a killer bass line. Are you sure you got the correct one? Tell me more about a shaker for pinsound? Dr who? I love my Dr who
Pretty sure, man - the bassline is from the song "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring which is on the original table.
So the PinSound board has code to connect up and operate a shaker motor, but the designers haven't officially released how to actually connect it - there are pins to connect already on the pinsound board, but you need a relay (I think). Somebody did connect one and did a couple posts about it, but it's too complicated for general use just yet.
I believe they are working on a product so you can buy a shaker from them which just connects to the board directly, and then you can program it with a simple text file. Hopefully it will be around the $100 price point like their speakers, which are very high quality.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:Definitely looking forward to checking out what you come up with callout wise.
Yep, I am rolling off my 2 May jobs in the next couple days (well, actually next week after packaging and invoicing) then I should be able to try a couple things in the 2nd week of June. I don't have anything starting up yet until end of the month; I'm going to see Iron Maiden this weekend so those days are out!
Quoted from dnaman:Indeed, this will be very interesting!
I suppose that the challenge now is that with a PS we can rework all of the original RS based call-outs and add whatever else we'd like. Rob, will you be doing the voice over work yourself?
Yes, sir that is my job
To clarify (not sure if this is what you meant), but for clarity: none of the callouts in the game were Rod Serling. All were performed by Tim Kitzrow, who did a great job. My voice isn't exactly like Rod's but my impression is good enough to 'get by'. Mostly I do narration and animated work but this is too fun to let pass by. Caveat emptor
Quoted from tonyf1965:The speaker wires on my machine were monkeyed with. Does anyone know if. The 2 speakers for the back box are supposed to be wired in seires and the bottom speaker is wired in parallel?
I am having sound issues.
Yes, that's standard WPC wiring. Stupid design, but that's how they did it.
Quoted from dnaman:Awesome! Yes let's say that I have been reaching out to see if 'anyone' would be interested but just crickets at this point. Understandably so but a response would have been appreciated
Are we faced with any challenges here for doing voice work 'in the style' of someone else or saying things that were authored by someone else?
IANAL but my understanding is Rod Serling's likeness and actual voice recordings are licensable, but a sound-alike (voice actors are VERY familiar with this term!) is covered as a sort of "parody". I am not sure if PPS is going to come up with some sort of issue because of this type of recording, but they do not hold the license for Rod Serling -beyond what is depicted visually on the game - as far as I know. But again, not a lawyer
Quoted from Taxman:Back to the Future changed Marty because Mike Fox would not sign on and Fester on Addams is a close but no cigar image. Very common to make enough difference in images to avoid when a star won't sign on to the overall theme. But you do need the license to the theme. Sound alike actors are on many pins like POTC. And even what versions of the songs on KISS saved money depending on if is was the original crew or whoever was in the band that year.
Good points, all -
Owners with third magnet installed:
I have had my magnet and optos installed for quite a while now - maybe a year? Anyway I haven't played a good game on the TZ in several months. Last night I fired it up and got multi ball, expecting the spiral to load, but
I got the standard shooter lane multiball... any ideas why?
The optos are tripping in test and the magnet works during 'spiral' mode. So what gives?
Quoted from Miguel351:Do you have the right rom chip in it? I'd imagine that since that feature was removed from the game extremely early on, that subsequent roms had that code removed or deactivated. If you do have the right rom in there, I think it's a setting in the menus that you have to change.
But I could be wrong.
Yeah I have the home ROM. It worked in the past, I don't think I've changed any settings - I haven't done a reset, batteries still working, etc.
Quoted from Coyote:The game Needs to know that the power ball is in the gumball machine. So, before it will catch, you have to have a game where you shoot the powerful into the gumball. You have to do this everytime you enter attract mode. (Power game on, or exit test mode.)
Then, you need to have LESS THAN two balls in the lock.
Damn! Forgot this rule, I know I've read that! Thanks coyote.
Oh! Crap I still owe you some sample study photos/investigation !
Quoted from AlexSMendes:Hit it Rich slot app... Does anyone know who's performing the callouts on this slot app? Incredibly similar....
That's Mark Silverman, but it sounds like he had to record that really fast (or they just chose those takes). video game sessions are brutal
Quoted from merccat:I wonder how much time would be required for a serious pro like Mr Silverman to crank out a good set of callouts, especially considering we could put together the originals for reference.
Is there an existing list?
There is - it takes about 5 minutes, there really aren't too many in Rod's voice.. lol
But Silverman is the Official voice actor for the Serling Estate... I think anything he does in the name of Serling has to be licensed. He's also a Voice of Disney, as he does Rod's voice in the Tower of Terror (that means $$$$).
Here's the callouts list:
http://hem.bredband.net/b257182/tzquotes.html
Quoted from merccat:$$$$ might be doable if enough people wanted to get together and fund it.... $$$$$... probably not.
Haha.. I'm really not sure what his rate is, but I think the issue would be paying the lawyer to write up the contract with the Serling estate so that he'd be allowed to do it at all
Quoted from dnaman:I think that merccat has missed the previous thread about you taking this on this month, as time allows Let's forget the other guys on this
I did a test run yesterday, and my throat is a little scratchy from music rehearsal on Thursday, but I'll get back to work!
Let's not joke around though - Silverman is an amaaaaaaaazing dude, and his voice is a lot closer to Rod Serling's but we're gonna make this work
Quoted from AlexSMendes:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798944/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
"Trivia (2)
In promoting his voice appearance as Rod Serling in A Paranormal: Still Life (2005), NBC said that he "is the only voice artist recognized by the Serling estate"."
That's what I've been saying, you got it
Quoted from Mrawesome44:Hey guys ill be looking at getting a TZ hopefully in the near future. How much does a nice HUO usually run? Is there a place where i can buy this topper?
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ah-Q2hNzf8U/maxresdefault.jpg
I've been looking for that topper for a year and a half... if you find one, let me know
It comes from an IGT Slot machine which is apparently very hard to find. I'd buy the whole machine if I could find one.
Price? I do not believe there are that many HOU floating around, never were. Not sure - 7-8k?
Quoted from gblaz:Ok, so looking at that topper... as I understand it the gumball machine doesn't actually have anything to do with a Twilight Zone episode. If that topper is from a TZ themed slot machine, why do both the pinball and the slot machine have a gumball machine on them?
That's an excellent question - I do not know the answer! The gumball machine is not part of the plot of any episode, nor is it part of the title sequence of any of the 5 seasons of the show.
It was added by Pat Lawlor - my guess is they had an idea to do the gumball machine first, and worked it into the game. It kind of works in the curio shop theme of the translite.
Quoted from Neal_W:Depends on condition, and if you can find a deal.
Boston Pinball tracks Ebay sales. In the last year, seven sold on Ebay for an average of $7839 each. That is similar to retail price.
The Pinside price listed is $5550 - $6450. I consider that a good reference price for one in good condition when buying from a private seller.
Do you consider those accurate for a HUO game? I was thinking significantly higher due to the relative rarity
Quoted from Coyote:HUO means very, very little. If they never touched it - never cleaned it, never changed balls out or cleaned rubbers, then I'd price it below a non-HUO game in better condition.
It's the condition of the game, not necessarily it's ownership.
Well that's a good point - I guess I was interpreting "HUO" as 'very well maintained, very good condition' - but you're right, in and of itself, it doesn't mean much
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I did a test run yesterday, and my throat is a little scratchy from music rehearsal on Thursday, but I'll get back to work!
Let's not joke around though - Silverman is an amaaaaaaaazing dude, and his voice is a lot closer to Rod Serling's but we're gonna make this work
Quick update on this, I ran down to the studio yesterday and did some takes- came out pretty good . I need to edit, eq and normalize and incorporate into the game. I am not sure whether I'll add effects to the voice like it sounds like they did with Kitzlow. There's a little bit of reverb on there.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:Definitely interested to check this out as well.
All right just don't expect a miracle, but it will be an improvement !
Quoted from Coyote:Grab three #555 bulbs, glass ones - you know, the ones that make a neat little 'pop' sound when you throw them down on a hard floor? - and put them in there. Voila! Problem of the pinpoint LED light solved.
LOL
I like these too:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3069
Quoted from arcadenerd925:I see that, but the part linked doesnt have a slot in it, so I am just confused as to how that works.
It only fits into the right side of the button. Took me a minute to figure out too.
You may want to buy the whole push button thing too - your coin slot looks really chewed up
Quoted from arcadenerd925:Can you try that link again? not coming up for me.
Wow, PBL must be out of them- found them here:
Quoted from Neal_W:The Sparky Pop Bumper Enhancement looks sweet, and you could probably make something similar with holographic glitter paper from the craft store. Would be a nice project for the kids.
Very true - st $2.95 which is (I think?) what they cost at PBL, it was worth the enjoyment of NOT getting out the scissors...
Quoted from Chosen_S:Yeah, not a fan either, except with a few select games
Those LED "UFO"s look really good in a game like Doctor Who - looks like it belongs there, but in a game like TZ, it looks a bit much IMO. This is why I like the understated nordman thing - it fills the empty space of the pop and you can put a nice round LED in there and it looks "complete".
Quoted from Yelobird:As a Pinball And slot machine collector if you are looking for a Slot machine accessory like this you need to shop on the Slot machine forum not the pinball forum. I see these listed all the time on the NewLifeGames forum classified section or you PM some of the many parts brokers on that site. Like pinball, if you want a slot machine part (or topper) you need to shop in their playground to find it and get the best price. Very cool TZ topper BTW. Hope this helps, good luck.
Where is "the slot machine forum"? Is there a Pinside for slot machines?
Quoted from Yelobird:As I noted in my text, the forum is called NewLifeGames.com
I thanks - I will have to learn to search better on there, when I searched for "IGT twilight zone" Just now, it only came u with one WTB post from 2015...
Quoted from merccat:Yep, that site makes me really appreciate all the hard work Robin puts into Pinside
ABSOLUTELY agree
Quoted from Coyote:Honestly, that guy needs to learn a few things.
If he's going to solder in those flexible LED lights, AND design a board to hold them, then just make your PCB hodl the LEDs directly, instead of having to solder a flexLED flex strip to your PCB. Oy!
lol. I have one of those clock boards, and I have to say it really works well; lights things up perfectly, and when the lights cycle it looks very smooth.
Quoted from Coyote:Okay, very quick summary time again, since I'm on my phone.
9.4ch will work fine in a real game. It's a hacked version, and the reason we don't have a 9.5h today. You can use it, but I'll have no respect for you.
You can turn off the free play message in Feature Adjustments. It will act normal - displaying how many credits are on the game, with the exception that you can still start a game with 'CREDITS 0' displayed. As you insert coins, it will keep track, and subtract as you start games.
Apparently the link to my manual addendum isn't working anymore. When I get home tonight, I'll post a PDF here for everyone.
It has all the menu changes between 9.4H and the printed manual, with descriptions.
Don't use 9.4ch!!! Ted would be sad
Quoted from tonyf1965:The brightness of theses pop up bumpers is great. However, because they dont fit tight in the cap. I had on one wire for the lite ring break. They jiggle around in cap. Might glue them to the inside of cap. So, I like the look great, just not sure they will stand the test of time.
The instructions do say that you're supposed to glue them in - I too have had a wire on one of mine get cut when I wasn't careful to get the wire in the little depression under the cap. Luckily I noticed before I did it to the others.
Quoted from Coyote:Yeah. I apologize.. it's a little bit of a hot-topic for me. Mainly because as I was testing 9.4H for Ted, emails were going back and forth about small things to add or fix for 9.4 and 9.5H.
For me, it's not necessarily the actual hacking - crap, I have hacked CV and SC myself to change some audio around - but it's the fact it was released and pissed Ted off.
How do you hack the roms like that? I always wondered what was in 9.5; did you ever write that up?
dang, finally finishing a draft of my callouts. as usual, took way longer than I thought Will post tonight, most likely.
Quoted from tonyf1965:Those plasma pop up bumper lights are amazing. Its a tighter cap.
However, that would be incredible on Monster Bash.
I would want them.
Clearance may be a problem on MB, the ramps are RIGHT on top of the caps, plasma need a little clearance. Have to measure to be sure
Quoted from FatPanda:OK. I'll clean those out tonight and report back. I don't think I blew anything, I hope not at least, because the rest of the game functions correctly. And what about the 9.2ROM? I had the 9.4CH ROM ordered (it's going on route) but based off of your comments about Ted, I called them and asked for the 9.2 ROM.
You're better off with 9.2 if it's going on route; 9.4 is for home use only, and def not for going on location.
Quoted from FatPanda:That's what I thought! I know someone hacked 9.4H to make it pay-to-play, but that it was against Ted's wishes and may have introduced other bugs in doing so, so I thought to play it safe and use the latest official release.
Very cool of you. 9.4h has some really cool adjustments but you'd never really notice playing on location, so nothing lost IMO (except Coyote's bugfixes)
Quoted from Coyote:There's a lot of litlle tricks and tips in the Club OCD thread. But off-hand, the ramp works a LOT better for ghosting bulbs (non-non-ghosting bulbs?), and each 'make' or 'manufacturer' of LED may need adjustment, since they may handle the ramps differently. However, out of the box, you should see a huge difference.
Edit to add - this goes same for the GI OCD. I have both in my game.
Oh my god, you just need to stop. Every time I read this thread there is more stuff I want to buy!! Lol
Quoted from horseflesh:I only use LEDs in a few spots currently because I LOVE the incandescent ramp and hate the LED ramp. I thought LedOCD just helped with fading effects on LEDs... My God, this changes everything.
I did purchase one game from another collector that was fully decked out in LEDs... while I am not a fan I am also not gonna rip them out, so they are still in there. Guess I know what pinball toy I am buying next.
No, LEDs are good from a performance/maintenance perspective. LEDOCD perfects your game - the best mix of low maintenance and modern tech. Plus since you can program it to however you wait it gives you the best of all worlds. This plus Lyonsden's pinduino is like magic.
I've read that thread 10 times before and I still find new points Ted makes in that first post. Did he ever reply to all the questions?
Quoted from crwjumper:A friend 3-d printed one of these Spiral Arrows for me. After installing it I think that it's the best option for the "missing" spiral plastics. Yeah I know it's not the original design but it looks great! It slips over the Spiral bulb and lights it up perfectly. It really stands out when lit. It's not as bright as it seems in the picture though. I highly recommend this. Great job hanst!
That's not bad! Wow. Cool idea. Somehow you've got to get 'Collect spiral w/ Lit' printed on it
Quoted from crwjumper:Not me, but I looked on EBay to check AlexSmendes comment and found this:
ebay.com link » Twilight Zone Pinball Left Spiral Arrow Flipper Pinball Mod
Looks like the retrotienda guy in espana is way ahead of us! He has some amazingly high quality mods, like the uncle Fester and TZ Piano mods.
Quoted from dnaman:Just getting back to check how things went, assuming you've been able to find more time for this.
Reverb wouldn't be necessary if it means more of your time. We could always add it later from the audio files
Still working it - I did a run through but wasn't happy with the result - I have tried several combinations with mic placement and how much room ambience to use. Have not found the magic combination. This is a little harder than I thought because I'm trying to match against audio recorded on very old technology in a different sized room. Granted I don't have to match the tv show as much as the pin but that was my intention.
there's also some volume issues that are present in the Chris Granner DCS sound files I use - the music and whatnot. They are too quiet so have to be normalized or adjusted in the config file.
Anyway so I just have to get back to it and do another round. Either way I'll release what I do next as a "draft" version
Quoted from johninc:Looking forward to this, thanks for sharing!
Have time this weekend finally! The first draft I did sounds a bit too much like "me" - I am trying to find a good balance between the room size and the mics used in the CBS studios back in the day - but I need to mix it properly for the machine so you can hear it well over the music. It's more complex than just turning up the volume.
I was going to do some more recording yesterday but I blew out my voice rehearsing (I'm in a band and we are doing a bunch of Queen songs this month.. omg.)
Thanks for being patient - I'll have something shortly! Does anyone have a definitive list of the callouts? I keep finding new ones I didn't realize we're in there
Quoted from Coyote:You know, thinking about it..
Some 'Scary Door' (aka Futurama's take on TZ) would be hilarious.
That would be really funny, sort of fits with the Doctor Who updates I've been doing (posted an example in that thread), although that's just with clips from the show
Quoted from No_Skill:I believe those are slightly heavier than the originals.
Lighter, you mean
Quoted from No_Skill:I think I've read about them both ways (59g and 65g), but could be wrong. The original should be about 63 grams right?
Oh yeah? I had only heard they were 0.02kg lighter. Hard not to feel like we're nit picking! But that small difference could change the feel of the ball
Quoted from horseflesh:.02 kg is 20 g and if the OEM ball is in the neighborhood of 60 g that is a HUGE difference.
Sorry, typo - they are from 0-4 grams different in weight
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Have time this weekend finally! The first draft I did sounds a bit too much like "me" - I am trying to find a good balance between the room size and the mics used in the CBS studios back in the day - but I need to mix it properly for the machine so you can hear it well over the music. It's more complex than just turning up the volume.
I was going to do some more recording yesterday but I blew out my voice rehearsing (I'm in a band and we are doing a bunch of Queen songs this month.. omg.)
Thanks for being patient - I'll have something shortly! Does anyone have a definitive list of the callouts? I keep finding new ones I didn't realize we're in there
Progress made! I also successfully increased the volume on the Granner mix so I will be using that as my baseline
Quoted from ramegoom:For your clock: If you are looking for the brightest, most evenly lighted system available in the US:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4537
I have one of these; it is definitely very evenly lit, extremely low risk of burnout due to the LEDs
Damn, that is a really good price! no 'buy it now' i see. wonder how much it will go for? Good lord, replace the legs...
Quoted from lyonsden:I guess the question is how much does being a sample add to the value of a TZ (to the right buyer), if anything. Any guess on how much a main production version would go for in similar condition?
This is a steal for either - but IMO the sample is worth more to someone who is really into this game. There's VERY few compared to the main run. And the differences are big enough to make it a desirable pin to a collector who knows what they are getting.
Consider if Coyote had only read about the sample TZ all these years, and found his chance to buy one
Quoted from Coyote:Are you two meaning me explain how it's ''wired incorrectly''?
I'm going to assume that's what you mean, so -
Their board is wired so that when the top right flasher is on, the lower left is also. And it's wired so that the top left is on, the lower right is (criss-cross). This is not how proto/early samples/the flashers were supposed to light.
The lower left door panel flasher is wired with solenoid/flasher #17, the Pop Bumpers. The lower right was connected to flasher #37, the Upper Right flipper flasher.
You know, I thought I had a video.. and I do! Quick one with me tossing the ball around for various light effects:
» YouTube video
Edit to add: My source for this is the printed proto TZ manual, which actually has these flashers still listed there..
This is how I wired my sample game, after seeing the detailed posts describing it all.
I really wish there was a way to get the 3rd magnet spiral multiball to work -every- time, instead of having to shoot a powerball every time I turn the game on. I tried to demo the 3rd magnet the other day, forgetting about the powerball stipulation. Kinda looked dumb saying "it's supposed to work...?"
Quoted from Coyote:I think alexsmendes is going to help me out - but looking for the left Spira sign made, so I can have it on display at York in my game.
Wasn't there a thread about this? Somebody needed to make a bracket for it but I remember seeing the plastic
Damn. We are definitely coming to York then!
Quoted from Coyote:Interesting. Never saw that there before. Wondering when it was added to their collection, and wondering if they took the art (with the proper font) from the other Pinside thread here. There HAVE been copied floating around, but the font was horribly wrong and didn't match anything.
No - that's not the right mounting, but it's a LOT closer than the 'flipperwinkel.nl' site above. The metal bracket was L-shaped, equal to the width of the plastic sign. It was mounted so that one side of the bracket was against the top of the powerfield, and the metal then made a right turn DOWN (against the bare wood of the back of the powerfield). The sign was riveted to this back side of the metal. Then there were two screws (normal hex bolts like what currently holds down the left spiral light and all other metal guides) holding it down.
While I don't have my metal bracket anymore (likely went the way of the sign), I believe it was about .5" x .5"..
That plastic doesn't look long enough either / maybe it's the lens but the photo doesn't look quite right
Quoted from Chosen_S:IMO, I think pinball arcade in general has terrible physics, I bought almost every table and eventually stopped playing it. Most of the shots feel programmed, i.e. I can hit the heartbeat ramp on bop consistently over and over in p.a.... on my real bop I can't do that perfectly.
I agree, but my question was more about the general feel of the table; I've not played a lot of other TZ's and I'm noticing mine needs some repair work, I want to shop it thoroughly this winter. If I need to get it set up differently I'd like to do that as well
Quoted from lyonsden:I felt it was a good/fair price for the condition of the game (not necessarily a great deal). Was it someone here who got it?
Was the game in rough shape? I didn't look at it that closely I guess
Quoted from Bronty:Quick snap from yesterday when I dragged this sucker into the basement
http://i.imgur.com/YKQAYbq.jpg
My original lineup!
Quoted from AlexSMendes:Does anyone have an extra (or not), TZ flyer and would be willing to part way with? I want one for myself!
Alex, here's one from Ebay -
ebay.com link: BALLY TWILIGHT ZONE FACTORY ORIGINAL NOS PINBALL FLYER
Quoted from AlexSMendes:Thanks, but that's the thing with ebay... when the seller does not ship to Brazil (the case with this specific one), the ebay global shipping program costs an arm and a leg...
That sucks! Let me look up how much to ship to you from here -
Alex, PM me your postal code, I will try to figure out how to ship one to you
Quoted from Seatmandan:Decal. Without a doubt. My cab was faded just like yours.....
That's interesting - you say the bottom photo is AFTER the decals, right? that's pretty much what my game looks like, which I thought was really faded. Maybe I am wrong
Quoted from Miguel351:There were some sets that PPS made a bit ago that didn't have enough yellow in the mix. Which means that the reds would be lighter and the black not as deep. That might be one of those sets as that's kinda what it looks like.
Check. Man that sucks! Not to go off on a tangent but what's the point of paying the huge prices if there's no QC?
Quoted from lyonsden:No, it doesn't risk snapping. I used thin (forget the thickness) Makrolon polycarbonate, which bends easily without snapping and returns to its normal shape (I used heat and vise grip to bend it into an L shape). The "L" shape provides additional strength and rigidity as a bracket (doesn't flop around while the game is being played). While I would be VERY surprised if it snapped from a ball hit, it is easy to replace.
The question I have is that the clear plastic is the way to go if you want to see the missing plastic (otherwise, it is mostly hidden behind the miniplayfield), but I can get a metal bracket made. I'm guessing that the metal bracket would be $15-$20 to get made IF I had 10 made (time on the water jet costs $150/h + labor). I may be able to find another place to laser cut them, but I'm not sure about ending. I could make it out of thin metal, and let people bend their own (which you may have to do to get the bend around the edge of the mini playfield.) Are there 10 people who want a metal bracket to keep the look based on the original design? Especially when the plastic version (in my opinion) is a better way to go?
that's a tough one - it's $50 or so to buy one of the crappier-looking replacement plastics (I have one of those with the spiral and the yellow arrow pointing down, and I've never had the heart to install it), and I think that's what we'd be all in for. The metal bracket would appear to me to be a *tiny* bit more "standard" for purposes of resale of the game. But I'm not selling mine
So if I'm reading this right, you take the old cardboard thing off, remove it in full, and and replace it with this makrolon piece?
Quoted from Chosen_S:I see now ... "Latest batch"
Well, I guess I'll join the club too if you're willing.
Let me know! Thanks man
Darn! I was hoping this was an LE!! hahah
Quoted from flynnibus:Question - Did all your playfields have the two sided rubber-like tape under the ramps? Redoing my PF and my game had this tape under the ramp entrances and not sure if someone added it later, or if that was factory.
Also, it seems factory from the manual, but the plastic that wraps around the right ramp and sits between the ramps.. it has a extra tall stand-off that raises the plastic up so it's not flat. Everyone's like that? I guess it's raised to stop ball traps? Trying to figure out why it's bent like that. Makes deciding if I want to use my NOS plastics more of a PITA
I have never seen that tape under a ramp flap, although I've never inspected an original untouched B/W game.
That plastic can break; may be worth using your original plastic there and keeping the NOS in reserve. Plus you don't need to re-bend it and risk it snapping. TZ is a dark enough nobody will ever be able to tell its an older plastic, just clean it up with Novus
So I'm having some new hardware powdercoated for my game - all gloss black. Does anyone have an opinion on powdercoating the wireforms for TZ? Should I do it / not bother? I understand the desire to keep the game 'stock' - I basically fall into that category already, but I figured it might be worth a look.
I've seen some amazing work on STTNG where the wireforms seem to disappear into the playfield because there's less light bouncing off of them. (too bad we can't use that photophobic black hole coating that completely removes all light).
Quoted from fiberdude120:Was the entire playfield covered? Mine has mylar on the entire field and I want it off but am worried about the paint under the mylar.
Not literally the entire playfield, but basically -all the exposed areas from the slings to a bit before the diverter wireform.
There is some still near the pops I couldn't get off, but you can't see it anyway . I have to fix one door Insert where the decal pulled up a tiny bit where I guess I didnt freeze the adhesive enough. Just a little 1cm spot. Not sure if I will get water slide paper or just paint or what. It's noticeable but not distracting.
Quoted from gunstarhero:It's your game, do what makes you happy. I mean, who really keeps their TZ "stock"??
Yeah of course - I'm not looking to do anything crazy Is all. I should have asked if anybody is familiar with any damage that will be caused from the ball. I have to imagine the powder coat can chip off or wear down
Quoted from SilverballNut:The powder coat should be fine on the rails. It's used on many games including the new spooky games.
I would imagine the only thing that might be visible is if you have a gloss powder coat you may get a dull spot right where the ball runs.
Thanks; makes sense. If I do the wireforms, I may do matte finish anyway, since my intention is to make them less noticeable by coating them in black. I have stock legs, lockdown, side rails, coin door, so I can always bring the game back to "official" stock mode, but this game just. looks. so. good. in black. Trying to decide whether or not to do my MB the same way. Chrome? But I sort of want to do that in some kind of steampunk theme
Quoted from Miguel351:Just check out http://www.highendpins.com. He's done a number of blacked-out TZs. They all look awesome. Some games look cool with black trim and stuff, TZ with the black side rails and lockdown bar looks like it should've come that way from the factory. He's also done some FULL black-out TZs that have all the wire forms and other bits in them blacked out. Peruse his photo gallery and be amazed!
Thanks - I think one of the HEp pins is what made me want to do this, but I never went to check out his site , thanks for the reminder!
Quoted from Coyote:.. So I'm doing last-minute prep of my game before the York show, and I'm just amazed at the things that crop up.
Since rebuilding, the game has a total of about 900 plays on it, in a year. Not bad. Nothing spectacular, but..
Anyways - come to find out that one flasher bulb is dead, one flasher socket is loose (and won't be able to fix that until after the game), sling rubbers are bad and need to be replaced, one metal guide was loose, magnet nuts were loose, lock kickout was loose, one 5Mil target was loose, and a host of other things I'm apparently forgetting now. But it just amazes me.. I didn't notice these things until I actually took the glass off and started fixing the small things I DID know about..
Absolutely know what you mean - I was just getting a game ready for another Pinsider and I opened up the game to switch out ONE thing, and ended up spending 5 hours on flaming rubbers, replacing bulbs and cleaning plastics, etc. Everything worked ok but needed a good once-over .. but I thought I'd already done everything!
I have an alternative "collect spiral w/LIT" sign for sale - it's the Pinball Decals one:
http://www.pinballdecals.com/TwilightZoneSprialSignPage.html
$40 + ship
Getting my TZ armor very soon - had it all powdercoated gloss black by Robert Stone in Marysville, OH. AMAZING WORK. I can not wait to get it on the game....
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/powder-coating-services-offered/page/3#post-3962553
all the black stuff on that page (of which that link is the latest post) is going on the game.
Also trying out the Pinduino on this game. Cracking it open to do all this stuff has inspired me to fix some of the more annoying things about the game. #1 on the list is that the left speaker was replaced with a totally crappy 3" Data East speaker, and I had completely forgotten about that.
I still have the PinSound remix to get back to... haven't had time to mess with that, as my 'music time' has been taken up with band rehearsal as we start work on a whole new set (all Queen, all the time). I've grabbed a couple of music stings from the actual TV show and I am really psyched to get that in there. The actual show music is a lot 'spookier' than the game. I am hoping I can (some day) figure out a way to incorporate the season 1 (very different, atmospheric) music with Season 2 (the them everybody knows and loves). But first we get the game in good shape!
Quoted from Yelobird:Fingers crossed I sent my playfield out for mild restore and clear coat hoping to have an example worth to display with some of the awesome ones I seen on this post. I PRAY I can remember how to put this back together.......... And now with all of Rdoyle comments on black powder coat I am strongly thinking about borrowing his idea. That would look Great on this title. Starting to think Pinball might be similar to a car restore. A Never ending money drain. But fun.
Boy you hit the nail in the head there. Never-ending money drain. But fun!
Can I ask where you sent your playfield? I need to do that as well
I expect to get the powdercoat stuff pretty soon - i'd seen some great looking games in photos with that powdercoat, but saw a perfectly restored one with all black armor at another pinsider's house. STUNNING.
Quoted from Yelobird:I ended up going to Brian at HSA. Very nice person, his work is AMAZING, and he will touch up with real paint no stickers every inch of the playfield till it looks new including the clear coat. There are many great ones out there but I couldn't find a bad review on him and he was very helpful in discussing my needs. I did Try a few others (no names) but they did not seem interested in doing business or just plain scared the crap out of me to do business with them or my playfields. For me you don't have to be the cheapest in town as long as your work and reputation speaks for itself. I would Really love to see what your machine looks like after your done. And if you would share consider via PM, I was just wondering if the black setup was a 200$ problem or a 1000$ problem. lol Evaluating my budget......
Understood. I got what I thought was a very reasonable quote from a preferred restorer, plus he was able to take the job. I just don't have time to disassemble the play field just yet.
The powder coat was somewhere in the middle as far as cost - maybe $600 all said and done. I bought all new hardware and had it sent directly. If you buy raw (unfinished) pieces they are cheaper so that saved me some money. I could have saved about $200 had I just send the original hardware but I didn't have time to remove it all. and I had a really crappy coin door sitting around that needed a lot of help.
Check that thread I posted for how awesome that door looks now, it's almost unbelievable!
I'm in the process of installing Prof Pinball's (lyonsden) Pinduino which is UN-believably cool. I haven't had a ton Of time to do that either, I've been writing a lot of proposals lately. So I will either have a lot of time
Coming up soon if these don't get picked up.. or I will have a lot more cash to blow on game enhancements And no time to install them!
Quoted from Chosen_S:$400 for powder coating??
I got the legs, lockdown bar, rails, coin door, shooter housing done for $175 local, they look great and they're clear coated, maybe you could find someone local, sure seems high
No I'm including shipping ( between pbl and shipping out there and back) and a bunch of other stuff for other games, it was a totally fair cost
When you say "b/w" do you mean black & white? I remember a thread on heee somewhere where a guy was doing that. The mock up looked amazing - don't know where that ended up
Quoted from koops:My tz came with an already included tv mod. The weird thing is that it only comes on when the machine is on and only when the machine has been played a few times.
I haven't ripped apart the mod to see how it's connected but I assume these tv mods are supposed to be on when the machine is on right?
Can you post a pic? There are a couple of these mods
I just got mine installed; I will take some pictures shortly - looks amazing! I have wanted that plastic in there for such a long time!
Quoted from LitzDoc:Last year I got to LITZ twice in one day. I thought it was so easy. I have not been back to LITZ in a year. It is an amazing game. Ruthless to the to the player that is just a flipper. TZ is a game that you have to plan your shots and know the rules.
Some days you just get lucky! I was reading about killing the dragon Smaug in the Hobbit one day, and leaped downstairs to go play - literally killed him in my FIRST game after reading what to do (which really was just start multiball a couple of times and try to last a while), and have not been able to do it even *once* since then.
Quoted from Coyote:I believe the Disneyland one is - the WDW/Hollywood studios one may still be there. Haven't been able to get down there in 15 years or so.
It was/is a fantastic ride, IMHO.. from the setting of walking through the 'lobby' of the hotel, to the story of the guests.. that just made it more enjoyable.
You WORKED there?! That is very very cool.
The WDW one is still there. They rehabbed the one in anaheim to be Guardians of the galaxy but it's certainly possible it can be brought back. The entryway and the boiler room are some of the coolest walk through queueing experiences in any park.
Quoted from Coyote:I was actually working for the Disney Store (when it was still part of Disney). My last summer there, they had some job transfer thing, where you could work for 3 months over the summer in another division. I had originally signed up to head out to California and the animation department, but too many people ahead of me got that, so I got my second pick - WDW. When I got there, they asked me if I had any preference, and I said MGM studios, and they put me under a gentleman named Joe - who was finishing up the final touches for the ride.
I had the full bell-hop costume made, custom name-badge, the works. Was an experience. One I enjoyed the hell out of.
Man! I bet! Did you have to turn in all the gear? I've always wanted some swag to put next to the pin
Quoted from LitzDoc:Yes. There is one at MGM studios. It is called the Tower of Terror. It is a great ride. The funny thing was it that I hate rides that make me sick like Mission Space and the like. But to appease my daughters I went on the Tower of Terror. It was a great ride. I did not get sick. I rode it like 6 times in a row. Really an excellent ride. Great fun.
We took our 4 year old son on it - BIG mistake. I didn't realise how much the ride moved! He was fine for the rest of the day but for 2 years after refused to go on any rides.
Quoted from LitzDoc:Yeah. 4 years old might be too young. It's sort of dark and scary. My 2 girls were 11 and 13. They loved it.
That's more like it. This was 4 years ago and we will not likely be back for a Loooong Time. We recently did a cruise to Alaska that was just amazing, and about half the price of a ticket to WDW (j\k)
Quoted from AlexSMendes:Another OT: I spent some time off yesterday watching to some old cartoons.... cracked a laugh when the "villain" spotted this awesome family and said: "someone better call Rod Serling, seems like we just entered the Twilight Zone"
Wrong Pat pin! Haha
I used to love that show, and the original
Had to share these, the ultimate mod! Except it's not in the game and way too big for a topper:
The screen plays twilight zone episodes on a loop 24/7 from a Raspberry Pi Zero ($1 computer!). and I have several pinball machine commercials (operator sales videos) in between. Eventually I'll find some old timey commercials for regular products to stick in there too. The Tv is almost an exact match for the one shown on the season 2 episode "the radio"
Quoted from Yelobird:Way cool looking TV. You definitely used every inch of that room. Lol.
Just bad lighting actually - there are 3 games in there and tv/couch/etc. I put the tv there so it's elevated and so it helps to block light from that window! Original plan was to Hang the tv from the ceiling but I haven't finished the entire apparatus yet.
Quoted from adamross:Love it, well done. Now you just need this to make it complete.
That's awesome!!! Where did you get that?!
Quoted from JWJr:You used to be able to buy the perfect magnets for the job at Radio Shack.
I think you misinterpreted which post I was responding to
Quoted from smiley:I think these look pretty good in yellow.
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3211
Definitely the best bet. This is what I have on mine and it looks better than original IMO
Quoted from gunstarhero:I don't quite get what you mean... pretty much everything that can be colored is colored. The JACKPOT animation and LITZ start is fantastic.
In fact, for my money, TZ is the only game I considered NOT using ColorDMD on, because it looks so good in monochrome. I would love to get just grey dots on there, but seems like a waste of a colorDMD...
Quoted from snowvictim:If you're keen enough, you could replace all the orange LEDs on a DMD to normal white ones.
Um.... noooooooooooooooooooooooo
Although I guess I *could* build one using Pin2DMD but I've got 2 project machines right now.. prob not happening
Quoted from Ozzy:Hello all. Quick question for all you tz owners. Whats a minty tz with color dmd and just about every mod avaialable (to many to list)? Thanks
Is the question about how much the game would be worth? Define “minty”. If it’s got a great play field, no insert issues no major scratches no chipped clear, and good condition decals I’ve seen them in the high 7s
Quick question all - my clock lights are out; I have a replacement LED clock but it’s not Ingo’s board. I have verified at least one wire is feeding power, after swapping to another clock board. Is there a common fail point I should check? I’m at work now but was figuring I’d take it apart when I get home
Quoted from Coyote:Hehe.
Sorry.
While I LIKE the color green, IMHO, since there IS none in TZ(*), the green LOCK insert just stands out. One of the big reasons I like it. All the other inserts, white, red, yellow... they 'blend in' to the artwork, which is not a BAD thing. But the sudden green lighting up draws your eye.
One of the few inserts where I like it to be very very bright since it tends to be a tad darker than most standard lock inserts - and it’s a bit tough to see if you don’t know where to look
Quoted from LitzDoc:Quick questions Coyote. I put leds in my TZ last month. I am still trying to get the 5 yellow color inserts, just above the flippers, correct (2 million, power, 4 million , power, 10 million inserts). I have yellow 4 SMD 555 in the inserts now. It sort of makes them look orange. I had the natural 4 SMD in the inserts before and they looked like a crappy off yellow. Any suggestions on what color to use. I get my LEDs from Comet.
Thanks Coyote.
Standard LEDs (not natural, not warm) look best in mine. Get ‘em from PBL, just white. You also may want to dial down from the 4 LED ones, that may be overpowering the natural colour of the insert, which defeats the purpose of what you’re trying to achieve
Quoted from Davi:Has any of you replaced all inserts to clear version with a combination of color leds?
I know there is a thread about full black and white TZ, this time I am looking for original pf artwork with clear inserts.
Thanks
Omg what an incredible amount of work this would be !!
Quoted from MK6PIN:Ok.....I'm too lazy to look through the pages.....proper color for piano lights? Yellow on top, or Red? I've got yellow on top, and watching in attract mode, think I'm backwards....thanks guys.....
I believe it’s yellow closest to the flippers, red towards the backbox
Quoted from MK6PIN:I've got the piano mod where they are on top of each other.....embarrassed as they both popped out during gameplay last week, and I can't remember which one went on top....forgot to use a dab of hot melt on those to hold them in place...suspect being it's not factory doesn't really matter, but my OCD kicking in...
I ziptied mine together, and just use one screw to keep them in, but they still do pop out every once in a while
Quoted from MK6PIN:Agreed....usually happens during a good ball...then the decision....do I finish the ball, and let the bulb vanish into oblivion, or just drain? I've done both...usually accompanied w profanity.....
I once replaced a flipper coil on a flipper stuck upright in the middle of a game on my CFTBL. Must have been in between balls, but I got grand champion!
Quoted from MK6PIN:Sweet!!!!
Oh and the best part is, that wasn’t the problem - it was the flipper opto!!
Quoted from Scotty_K:I used Super Lube on my clock gears; worked out really well. It's a synthetic grease, so it's safe to use on plastic parts. My clock was really noisy when I first got my TZ; it was AMAZING the difference that this made.
If you have a Harbor Freight nearby, they have it:
https://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html
I believe you can also get this at Pinrestore, and (.possibly?) PBL
So I’ve been thinking about this for a long time - I want to update the DMD to be just black & white. I know I can do this with a ColorDMD, and just set it to the sigma white mode - but that’s a lot of cash to drop and then never use the color features. Does anybody have any alternative ideas? Is there a way to get white color from a Dmd?
Quoted from lyonsden:Pin2DMD is great if you want to go the DIY route. I built two of them and found it to be a pretty easy go.
Thanks Eric; I'm familiar with the thread. Do they have a 'kit' yet? I'm not going to have time to track down all the parts yet. Funny, I just built an array of these LED boards for my band. We're hooking them up to a webcam once I choose a donor laptop to victimize
Quoted from merccat:Looking on their website it sounds like you can’t even get a PCB unless you send in the files to be manufactured yourself or go in with a group buy. Maybe someday I’ll find some time for that plus tracking down parts but there are too many other projects right now.
Yeah that's what it kinda looked like. All the threads say "oh the parts are only $100" and I know where to get LED panels and the Nucleo board, but you apparently also need a shield. I can build one I guess, but just don't have time for THAT too. I have to work to pay for all these pinballs!
EDIT: Found this: http://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/2250-pin2dmd-order-thread-worldwide/
this looks fairly straight forward. Basic shield, unsoldered, $55. For $10 more you can get Wifi built in (no USB needed I guess )and pre-soldered. Total BOM is still only $110 with this panel:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Factory-price-2-5mm-pixel-full-color-SMD-led-module-indoor-1-32-scan-160X160mm-64X64/32508174150.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.HQofLn&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10152_10151_10065_10344_10130_10068_10324_10342_10547_10325_10546_10343_10340_10548_10341_10545_10084_10083_10613_10615_10307_10614_10059_10314_10534_100031_10604_10103_10142,searchweb201603_25,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=be2ea9c0-ccdb-4d0c-9659-0d440b69f539-0&algo_pvid=be2ea9c0-ccdb-4d0c-9659-0d440b69f539&transAbTest=ae803_5&priceBeautifyAB=0
Quoted from merccat:I’m going with these panels. They are less expensive and looks like others have had success with them and Pin2DMD:
http://s.aliexpress.com/6V7rEbqA
Also look like they would be a better fit.
Yes, you still need the Nucleo board.
The panel I linked to is a 64x64 board, which is made by connecting two 64x32s together. So you only need to buy ONE, then just unscrew the two panels and re-orient them. Saves you about $15. I found it in that VPUniverse thread I linked to. That's exactly what I did when we needed to buy 20 of these for our live video panel
Quoted from Durzel:Guess there is no definitive answer to this, but does anyone know how loud the clock is supposed to be?
Mine is fairly audible, especially when turning the machine on (though it could just be more noticeable then because I'm not yet playing), but I wouldn't say it was excessively loud. It doesn't sound "broken" loud, is what I mean.
I currently have the standard board in there with its OEM incandescents, the previous owner drilled a couple of holes in the top for cooling. It has been working fine but I've been toying with the idea of getting the Ingo board anyway, and if I can make the clock quieter that would tip me over the edge to pulling the trigger on it I think.
You can add some dry lube or a tiny bit of synthetic grease and it will quiet right down
Quoted from Durzel:Yup, I just don't know what I should expect I guess. My TZ is the first HUO pin I've owned, never seen it elsewhere in an environment where you could really get a sense of how loud it was, etc.
I think if I was going to take the clock apart to lube I'd do the whole Ingo board replacement at the same time. My clock is very slightly out of alignment too (the hour hand points more towards 11 than 12 when it's supposed to be 12) so thinking of killing several birds with one stone, so to speak.
The clock is pretty easy to take apart, just don’t use a whole lot of lube, it doesn’t need much at all. And don’t expect it to be totally -silent- you will still hear a little bit of noise but it will be considerably reduced. Good luck getting the hands aligned; it’s Bally, not Swiss craftsmanship
Quoted from lyonsden:Looks like you found the parts! One other thing is to make sure to order the bezel that holds the LED panels.
Yeah, they have that for sale for $15 as well. Still, this is considerably less than a ColorDMD... no Different dot options unfortunately though. I like the scan lines setting. Oh well, that didn’t take long! May be a project for later in the year, I have to finish the Monster Bash..
Quoted from jzdziarski:It's not technically prototype, several thousand units shipped with the white clock.
I got my decal from Bay Area: http://bayareaamusements.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DC-92
And am happy with it.
“sample” games had them - first 50 or so?
Quoted from ramegoom:Or the ojesus clip.
That bastard clip has cost me $25 between this and the other games it transmogrified into thin air from
Quoted from AlexSMendes:Licensed? Washed out? Man, that's a bummer...
Those really look outstanding Alex!
Quoted from jzdziarski:I get the power consumption thing, but have yet to see any proof that running LEDs substantially increases the life of any of the electronics significantly. There are far higher loads put on these boards from the coils and motors to worry about GI. You’re more likely to wear down other components first than a hypothetical benefit from a minor load change to the GI.
By the time you add in all the mods, an OCD board, pinsound, etc, you’ve already lost any tiny benefit you may have gained over running low power incandescent.
The Biggest benefit isn't the lower power draw, it's the elimination of the heat those bulbs produce
Quoted from jzdziarski:A solution that’s even healthier for the boards if you’re worried about heat is to install a small computer fan. I’m not; caps and rectifiers are well beyond their life span, and bound to require replacement eventually regardless.
Ok
Quoted from jzdziarski:no need to be rude
Wasn't trying to be rude, sorry, not sure how to respond to your post. You suggest an above and beyond fix to something that you acknowledge isn't really even a problem
Quoted from Devo10:I sprayed the threads with penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. Finally got it to break the next day.
As has been stated you can Try PB Blaster (wear a mask!) and wait an hour or so , then wrench!
Quoted from Durzel:Well that's embarassing. Thanks
EDIT: I've got a piano mod on mine, which looks like it would obscure a screw or something. Ideally would like to be able to remove the entire clock (and piano, lights, etc) assembly from the playfield and take it inside to work on, e.g. by unplugging connectors underneath the PF rather than the two connectors from the clock board itself, as my plan is to completely disassemble it to clean & replace the innards, the gears, etc. That guide essentially talks about removing it from its secured position but leaving the motor, etc still connected underneath.
EDIT 2: I basically need instructions for how to get to the *start* of this guide - http://www.flippers.be/tz_clock.html
Quoted from Durzel:Ok thanks, that makes sense. The piano was in situ when I bought the pin, fitted by the previous owner. Will have to work out how it removes without breaking it.
There are several different versions of the mod; many of them use double sided foam tape, others are just stuck in there and held by friction.
Quoted from BallyWilliams:Thanks ! That seems to be just for speakers.
I was wondering which makes the most difference. The speakers and sub vs sound roms vs new sound board (like pinsound). Anyone have these ?
I just posted basically this answer in another thread, but to really get the full effect, you need to get a PinSound board, upgrade the speakers, install the Stereo cable, and get one of the custom mixes. Unfortunately the TZ callouts and effects were recorded at really low quality, but I've pulled a lot of clips from the show and IMO that greatly improves the game. I also have the Chris Granner DCS soundtrack installed (no more Golden Earring!) which I really like, although it's much more 'mysterious' than rockin', but to me really fits the theme.
Quoted from TheLaw:Is the pinsisound available for listening on youtube?
The cool thing about it is it’s Chris Granner’s original score as intended to go on the DCS sound board, until he had to scramble to rewrite the music / add golden earring as they delayed DCS until IJ. Even Granner isn’t 100% sold on the DCS music thoufh, he really didn’t finish it.
What’s extra cool about the PinSound is that you can switch back to the original music in 3 seconds. Open coin door, put volume down to 0, press down once more, raise volume. You’ve switched to the next mix.
I always wanted to rebuild the TZ music to sound more like the original show score... so I did! And I can switch it back immediately.
So for those of us with a Sample MPF, is there a way to make it adjustable? I don’t think I’ve ever even removed mine
Quoted from Coyote:I use washers under the catches (that mount to the top of posts on the powerfield).
If you've never removed it, how have you cleaned/waxed under it?
Sorry, I meant I’ve never adjusted it
I’m pretty good at getting the ball through the hole but it does once in a while get trapped up there and could use a little leveling
Quoted from merccat:It should if the ball doesn’t leave the power playfield after a second or two of time expiring briefly pulse the magnets just enough to dislodge it.
Yep, it does, but the MPF is clearly pitched a bit to the right, so when you're playing it leans right, and the ball search doesn't always work to dislodge it, it will get trapped in the lower right corner
Quoted from merccat:Yes, you are correct on yours, but the pre-production (Sample) games on TZ tended to have a fair number of differences. Not sure if that adjustment thing is one of them or not, Coyote is the expert.
Yes, the sample games do not typically have an adjustable MPF - that's why I was asking up above
Quoted from Alby87:The good thing about DCS TZ soundtrack is that is different from production... And is still Chris Granner quality! But TZ Yamaha is so full of effects, sound tricks and samples (thanks of a lot bigger ROMs chips) that's a pity remove it completely
Yep, it’s a trade off, personally I think it’s far more effective to have higher quality sounds and the actual callouts from the show, better bass, stereo sound...
Hey all -
My clock *lights* stopped working the other day. Just dead, very strange. The clock itself works, and keeps time appropriately. Is there anything unique about the clock lights themselves? They're just a GI string, right? I am thinking I should insert a new Molex connector and maybe re-pin the header on the PDB at least.
Quoted from AlexSMendes:The colors of your decals should match the PF colors... They're way off...
I installed these side-art decals below on my machine and they look absolutely gorgeous!
Acquired from a local source and the quality is pretty awesome!
Aren't those the silly old elf blades? Did he hook up distribution ?
Quoted from PinRob:Finally put these side and back wall art blades in, and was able to do it without pulling the playfield out!
You know, I really like how the playfield art is directly continued on the blades, that looks really cool
Quoted from PinRob:TZ cover arrived
Man that looks great! Is that a blanket or is it sized specifically for the game?
Quoted from PinRob:It’s a blanket/towel 36”x60” $23.20 total shipped
shoot me that link, would ya?
Quoted from per3per3:I've had my TZ for a few years now and finally rebuilt the bottom flippers this past weekend. I noticed that the flipper coils on my machine are different: the left is 11629 and the right is 15411. The right one feels noticeably more powerful than the left and I thought it was wrong but the manual says 15411 is the right coil.
What flippers coils do you all use and recommend? The reason I ask is that the left actually feels more appropriate for the game as the right one feels a bit too powerful.
That's the configuration on CFTBL, I believe. 11629's were switched into the stock game mid-way through the run. the 15411s are what the manual says, but either is fine. 11629s are more powerful by a touch, so my bet is it shipped with 11629s and your left is an old one, the 15411 was replaced as per the manual by a previous owner.
Quoted from Seatmandan:Can anyone else verify this? I have never heard of this until now. My game came with 15411's (what manual says) and plays just fine.
Lloyd confirmed it back in 2013
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/preferred-tz-coil-fl-11629-or-15411
Quoted from Seatmandan:Nowhere in that thread is Loyd actually commenting on that. Just some guy saying that he "thinks" Loyd confirmed it... same guy says the 15411 coil is the strongest, and 11629 is second strongest....
Hmmm... you are right; interesting..
Quoted from billsfanmd:loosen the crank paw that clamps onto the flipper bat shaft. usually need an Allen and a regular wrench. It can be snug on some pins (like data east) so some elbow grease to back off. Once loose you can pull up on the entire flipper a smidge but make sure you tighten with the flippers still aligned
Did you use th PBL rebuilt kit for your flippers? Those are a major upgrade in terms of being able to adjust. You don’t need the Allen key, which is really helpful. Make sure you have the flipper bar shaft clearing the neck of the plastic bushing, you should have 1/16” inch or so, so the flipper doesnt bind. There’s an official tool for this, or you can use a cut up credit card
Quoted from billsfanmd:Anyone help with PinSound? I have a nice TZ that has pinsound and original gamesound on thumb. Plays great. Wanted to try the Chris Granner sound file. After a few hiccups loading it to my thumb drive I felt like I had it....Pinsound started playing piano music saying conversion started. It counted from 10 percent up to 100%. Took about 25 min...When it said complete thought for sure I got it...But still no sound. Tried reboot and no sound. So I put old thumb drive back in...Not sure what did wrong? If anyone has it loaded on a USB I would glad pay to cover costs.
Thx
Make sure your volume is turned up on the game enough - the PinSound “converting...” and music are MUCH louder than the USB sounds, you may have to just turn the game volume up
Quoted from billsfanmd:Nope. Nothing. Frustrating cause it did the 20 min conversion. At least putting other flash drive back in works.
That’s really strange. Maybe it’s hsving trouble reading your other thumb drive? I’ve heard of others who had Trouble with specific brands. Plus since it did the conversion, it means it detected the correct files
Quoted from billsfanmd:That’s my only thought. It’s about 6 years old but I reformatted it. Maybe i should try a new San disk
Definitely. Didn’t the PinSound come with one? I’ve bought 5 of them, each had included a USV drive
Quoted from billsfanmd:It has one but it has the original code on it....did not think I could have 2 on the same usB? DOnt want to erase the working one either
BTW Mike you can have several on one USB. I have 4 or 5 TZ mixes on my drive. You need to make sure there is a folder for each mix (named whatever you want; the game doesn't care), and put all of them into the "Audio" folder on the usb drive. So you can copy both of your thumb drives to a laptop, then copy both into the "Audio" folder on a single thumb drive
Quoted from Durzel:Regarding the clock, I'm trying to work out in advance of some parts arriving what I need to do to remove it completely from the playfield.
Is this the screw you need to undo to be able to slide the clock out of the bracket and off?
(Note: This is not my clock - it's an image found on Google)I have a piano mod on mine, with no instructions. Looking at how it is installed it is held down by the red/yellow lamp screws, and it obscures the hole (so I can't get to the screw marked above). I can't see a way of getting to the two lamp screws without getting the clock off, and I can't get the clock off without getting to these screws..... unless I'm missing something obvious.
How would I go above removing the whole bracket, like you see in some photos of the clock off the playfield - e.g. from Marco's website:Also - does anyone have the part numbers for the red & yellow lights? The previous owner changed mine to LEDs but for some reason they are green and red (and clear bulbs).
Thanks in advance!
The bracket is held down by just one screw, and there is a small tab which goes into a second bracket underneath the clock. Your piano is most likely just held on with double-sided tape and friction from the weight of the clock housing. You will need to remove the piano to get to the clock bracket screw
Quoted from jawjaw:What is the recommended slope for TZ? I know the standard is 6.5 degrees or the bubble touching the 2nd bottom line. I set mine up that way but had to extend the rear casters all the way out and the front all the way down. Hard to imagine it was designed to be setup like that. None of my other pins are like that and can be setup to pretty steep angles.
Double check that your legs are installed correctly. TZ has 3 sets of holes instead of the usual 2. You may need to install your rear legs lower down on the cabinet so the back is higher up without having to extend the levelers so much
Quoted from alistaircg:I want some kind of light filter that i can put in- front of my orange DMD to make the DMD black and white.
Does anyone know of some kind of film filter that can do this, or am I just dreaming that a greyscale DMD would be more like the show
PS im not buying a new colour DMD just to have my BW idea work
Then you will have to invent something because what you're asking for does not exist,
Sorry!
Quoted from Coyote:Not really, but kinda related..
My game is f%# me off big time. I am getting SO angry at it. I slam tilted it tonight.
It is LITERALLY one thing after another.
Last week, the slot switch stopped working. Open the game up, and turns out that (somehow), BOTH wires came off the slot switch. There's nothing pulling on the wires - no idea how BOTH of them would have come off. Reattach them, play a game. Works fine. Start next game, and.. stops working again. WTH. Open game up - NOW, both wires are off AGAIN. But THIS TIME, the switch terminals actually came OUT of the switch body. Seriously.
I let the game sit for a few days. Today, replace switch. Yay. Play a game, and now the trough ball eject level is sticking, causing multiball to only serve one ball. Best game of the night (only 50 million), had a great multiball lined up, but.. it's only one ball. So after the game realizes there's only one ball out, Multiball is ended.
Aargh.
While I still don't wanna SELL it, I'm starting to consider a temporary trade with another game, to give me a change of pace.
I hear ya.. my clock lights have been out for half a year, and I have no idea why. Swapped out for a different board, tested all connections. Next is replacing the pin connection on the PDB
Quoted from Coyote:You know what the insane thing is? My game just turned 25 years old a couple weeks ago. (Apr 8th, 1993.) Before I got the playfield restored in '16, I had *none* of these issues. The game was rock solid. Well, except for a few very bad spots on the playfield.. Mechanically, though, NOTHING broke. Never had to replace a switch. Never had to adjust the lock kickout. Never had the outhole or ball eject assemblies sticking.
Get playfield all beautified, reassemble it, and.. nothing but issues. Non-stop. From shorting of switch column, to a set of optos randomly closing, to switches falling apart and sticking assemblies.. Argh.
I think my game turns 25 tomorrow. Yikes! I better look out... looking forward to getting my PF restored soon, but... maybe I should wait!
Quoted from flynnibus:Looks like some sort of capacitor or recharable battery.. but this game wouldn't have a charging circuit... so not sure what the thinking is there.
For TZ because the clock is so central, I'd suggest cutting it off, and just mounting a remote battery holder with lithium batteries. Mount the batter holder on the side of the head.
I second this. use Lithium.
Quoted from jgadzia:why lithium do they need to be rechargeable?
Lithium last about 100 times longer and don’t leak. I don’t believe they are rechargeable, however
Quoted from Tranquilize:Never heard of a single instance of one leaking in a pin and causing damage. All of the new pins have them installed over the last decade without a problem. What is the context of that picture? Batteries should not leak without being in circuit. Looks/sounds fishy. "Gone fishing. Leave a message."
Edit: if you look at your pic, the cardboard has clearly been wet before. So unless you're going to play your TZ in your pool, the mod will be perfectly safe.
Lithium AAs are far less prone to leaking, and last 7 or 8 years. Not sure how CR2032s are superior; they certainly can leak and only last 2 years.
Quoted from Tranquilize:I never argued that they are superior. I argued that the mod is commonly done, the batteries are cheaper and do not leak. There is a reason all current manufacturers use them.
Word. And that reason is: they are cheaper!
Quoted from Durzel:Don't the GI OCD instructions talk about it being mounted at the bottom (along with the LED OCD one) ?
Yes but if you don't have a Sample TZ (which has that extra board in the space depicted in the photo), this is a better location, out of the way. the GIOCD board is a little larger than the LEDOCD so it's helpful to keep it out of the way
Quoted from jawjaw:How about this? I bought a ramp for my Congo from them and happy with it.
http://www.starship-fantasy.com/ramps/Twilight-Zone-Clear-Main-Ramp
I'm curious how that would look. Not sure I like the tinted for same reasons but not cheap.
Thanks! I have gotten several suggestions not to change out the ramp to clear, so I'm gonna think about it a bit. TZ isn't getting shopped for a few more months
Quoted from Tranquilize:I wouldn’t get the home rom. Real men earn Lost in the Zone.
the home rom also includes some bugfixes... you don't *have* to activate the auto-LITZ! Plus it won't score points for you if you cheat
Quoted from Coyote:Dimming is used in TZ. During a lot of light shows. Whether you fix the issue or not is up to you
I am on my phone, but you should find some hits if you srch Google for WPC Zero-Cross circuit.
There is a GI OCD board that Herg makes, and Tz may be one of the most important machines to add one to. Note that this is specifically for GI, not just insert lamps (which is what LEDOCD is for). It is really rewarding to add GIocd to Tz, dimming works beautifully, and the light shows are more impressive. Do not use non-ghosting LEDs as they will not function correctly.
Quoted from Sammy31:I bought the mirco playfield with 3 magnets.
If you want the 3rd magnet option to work a good idea is to get pinbits 3rd magnet kit. They are out of stock at the moment but they said they would make some more in June sometime. You will also need the magnet and core as these don't come with the kit.
I second this. I assembled my own optics and harness and .. whew I wish I’d bought it! At least my game had the screw holes pre-existing for the new optos
Quoted from gjm7777:Well I'm finally in the club, sadly it hasn't been a week and problems are rearing their head....
How power hungry is this game compared to most? I have TZ, BoP, MM-Remake, and Shadow on one circuit in my room but now the dreaded reboots have started.
Here is the breakdown and what I've done
1. This morning I decided to put in the 9.4H rom, powered on only TZ and I noticed that the game was now rebooting when I hit both flippers at the same time.
2. All diodes measure fine across all 4 flippers
3. It looks as if someone has done the BR2 fix
4. I reseated every connector (in backbox and in cabinet) to no avail
5. Ensured all ground screws were tightened down fully (the were not, and some were completely missing)
6. Tried putting the game on an extension cable to a GFI outlet in the garage - totally separate circuit
Still resetting...
I decided to pull and reflow most everything on the power board , sadly this didn't seem to help at all so I moved on to
1.tested wall outlet shows above 115v at all times
2.tested service outlet while on and off - both read above 115v
3.I tested TP2 area and get 5v
4. I test/measure leg 32 on the game ROM - BOOM instant reset
So I decided to pull the CPU board, and there were a bunch of cold joints everywhere including most U areas and CPU
1. I reflowed everything that needed it and most for good measure, especially near leg 32 (solder side)
This appeared to have fixed the reset issue with the game - I can now play for hours and double flipping works fine. I swear after all of this I now notice "blinking/flickering" every time I flip on my games (all LED)
The bad news.....
Now I decide to turn on my other games - they all work fine except Shadow decides to do the same thing (both flippers cause a reset) but ONLY if TZ is on. TZ also reset once while Shadow was being played.
My only guess is that...
1. TZ is way more power hungry than most games and this is normal (I'll need to figure out a way to break them up)
2. Shadow has also developed the "reset" issue for different reasons
Sorry for the wall of text, I'm just pretty frustrated at this point as the games were all fine while being on and played for most of the week and this all started today.
I’m not sure that TZ is any more power hungry than other games from the era; for example I have a ColorDMD, LEDOCD, GIOCD and PinSound board in my TZ, and it has never exhibited resets. That is pretty weird about the other games resetting only when TZ is on though.
Quoted from Tranquilize:TZ is power hungry, but the 5v really gets stressed. I replaced my 5v regulator with one that has a pot to control voltage. Fixed my issue.
The PSU5 is really amazing for addressing resets too. It’s a little scary to remove the old regulator but no heat = good!
Quoted from gjm7777:Hi all,
So I have a TV mod that came with my TZ and I decided to install it last night.
Model of the keychain is here
https://www.insigniaproducts.com/pdp/NS-DKEYBK10/9376267
Guide that was followed here
http://www.edcheung.com/album/album08/pinball/tz2.htm
I did not leave the battery in the mod because to be quite honest 1. I think it was dead and 2. I don't like the risk of overcharging it
Everything works great except for the fact it doesn't respect the "Auto Off" settings. I don't want it to ever turn off however it does after 5 minutes, no matter if I set it for 0 minutes or 30 minutes.
It's a shame as the mod works great but I can't be pulling the glass and hitting the power button every 5 minutes. Has anyone else with this mod had this issue?
Thanks
Might want to try it with the battery installed
Quoted from Harvey27:More
Yes... the type I opto board they list looks just like the one in my machine but I read twilight zone was fliptronics 2. Not sure if the opto is "type 1" and the fliptronics 2 refers to the board in the back cabinet? On my machine the two optos are vertical and on various websites the type 2 opto boards have the sensors horizontal...
I ordered the one that looks like the photo I posted.. if doesnt work if anyone needs that type I can mail it to you..
On top of that one of the leds on my clock went out today. Lot of ghosts in the machine..
The only Fliptronics I game is Addams Family. TZ is fliptronics 2, and the difference is in the board in the back box, not the flipper logos, so any replacement you buy is fine. Nobody even makes Fliptronics I replacement boards as Flip 2 boards are backward compatible. So you’re good
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Centerport, NY
