Very confusing to be sure. Aftermarket kits (and earlier STERN kits) seem to use motors that draw too much power for a few milliseconds during startup, and the 220uF capacitor buffers the power available for that tiny duration. I just received the Shaker part #502-5027-01 directly from Stern (June2020) and there is NO capacitor visible, nor does it include the capacitor adapter cable. I suspect the new revision of the kit 502-5027-01 uses a different motor with less power drawn during startup so no need for the capacitor.

Finally decided to become more than a spectator on JP, and just got word that I have a 300 pound box in transit to me. It's a JP Premium manufactured a couple of weeks ago. After reading 116 pages of posts here, sounds like I could have plenty to keep me busy, after I unbox it and knock out a hundred games or so!

Sounds like first must-do: a few software setup adjustments are in order to reduce intensity of some coils that may be overpowered by default, sorting out any loose screws I find rattling around, adding a washer to the left side of shooter lane if needed, and perhaps I'll spring for the flipper bat top surface 'caution' decal mod.

My goal it to keep the glass ON and just play it as designed (if that is possible). 8-)

I wanted to get a hardcopy printout of the Jurassic Park Premium manual and noticed for some reason that Stern left the front and back page graphics in black & white, even though they have used color throughout the rest of the book. So before I sent the book to bestvaluecopy.com and paid for a bound copy, I editted the PDF and swapped the color image on both pages and created a new PDF. Best Value Copy will print it in color, with clear front cover, hard back cover and plastic spiral edge for $33 out the door shipped (with coupon FCOC1). Its 66 pages and can be printed on heavier paper stock. I have the updated PDF if anyone wants it.

I see you have a Premium as well, and I am thinking of getting the same one. Love to hear your thoughts once you have them in hand on the quality of the material, the printing process and the graphic itself (up close).

m

Cliff must get a wave of inbound orders when a new batch of pinballs lands. I just ordered a set of Stern JP shooter lane protectors from Cliff this morning! He'll be busy cutting and bending stainless stell sheets this evening...

Do we have any general concensus or guidance on what to do with the post at the tip of the right upper flipper to protect the playfield? Stern ships it with a metal washer. I noticed a few posts here that have shown chipping and damage of the playfield at that post around the washer, but with just 10 games on my game, I was wondering if anyone had a solid suggestion I should do before it happens. Should I get a fiber or neoprene washer and add it against the clearcoat?

Also, is it just me, or did they make access to that post locknut underneath the playfield incredibly difficult? It is literally under the flipper assembly. (Asking for too much?)

My first game ever was 235Million, and I thought "how hard could it be" to go higher if my first game was 235M? I was wrong. I barely break 200Million for the last few days...

Nice job on 1.4B!

I will be installing Cliffy protectors in my new JP-Premium this weekend. (I installed 5 layers of BLUE PAINTER'S TAPE in the shooter lane before I turned it on the first time to protect the clearcoat and wood until the protectors arrived. I told Cliff about this clever blue tape bandaid approach and it made him laugh, but he didn't hate it!). Anyway, I will let you know if I have any issues installing in a new build.

I had some free time tonight so I put the protectors in. It’s not hard, but takes 20 minutes. You have to remove the two screws on the right side rail, and then carefully position the long protector just right to align with the edge of the lane. Took some eyeballing to get it right. Then just tightened the screw on the rail. The second Protector piece required the apron to be removed, and then the two screws near the end of the trough need to be removed, protector put in place, and then apron put back. Took 20 minutes.

While I was at it, I swapped the green shooter spring for an Orange one (Proper one), and added a small washer under the left fork of the shooter Ramp to make the half-pipe more attainable manually and with auto-shooter. I also added a thin 15mm hard nylon washer under the post at the tip of the flipper to protect the clear coat from chipping...

A good 45 minute investment...

The concensus in this thread is the first and only essential thing to do as part of your setup is to put in the shooter lane protectors before you load the balls, otherwise you will risk damaging the shooter lane wood. Cliffy has the whole kit (left and right) for $20 or so, and PBL has just the left side (about $8). I ended up using Cliff's right side (easy to install under the side rail) and PBL's left side (stick down without removing the apron. They match perfectly.

Obviously make sure everything on top is still in the right place, Trex jaw is not stuck under the wire ramp, raptor tail is not stuck near the tower, no screws or washers floating around on the playfield or in the cabinet bottom. Make sure you check the third flipper tip post too. Make sure its tight and centered. Then you will likely want to lift the left shooter lane tong and add a washer as previously mentioned in a bunch of places to help ball travel success up the half-pipe.

Install the tilt mechanism. Then the only choice you need to make during setup is whether to put the two backbox bolts in from the back or from the top.

I used a poor-man's lane protector until Cliff got my protectors to me.... 3 layers of blue masking tape! I cut three 2 -inch strips of 3/4" wide blue painters masking tape and I put them on top of each other on the right side of the shooter lane opposite the kickout from trough. It protected my lane really well until I got the protectors installed and left no residue when I remove the tape. (It would have been better to have the protectors in hand when I unboxed). Anyway, when I told Cliff what I did, he laughed and thought it was pretty ingenious!!!

LOL

DELETED

The right flipper button is "staged" allowing the two flipper mechanisms to operate kind of independantly. They are intended to respond independantly, depending on how far you depress the button. Mine was a bit too close, but other on this thread suggest it is intentional and encourages more aggressive timing.

Some items to 'coin'sider:
-The flasher near the control room seems VERY bright to me. It's blinding white and covered by a clear piece of plastic. Distracting to me. ULEK makes a really nice replacement themed plastic that requires nothing but a swap. ULEK about $20

-Lots of folks replacing gthe shipped GREEN spring with an ORANGE spring. Not sure if that is a 'mod', but puts the game back to how it was designed. About $5

-Titan has a nice translucent green rubber for the flippers, and whatever else you think feels more jungle-y. About $5-10 depending on how many you swap

-Modfather and a few others make an AMBER shooter for $100, and a few yellow LEDs can be easily added to the shooter plate to illuminate it (tied into CN15)

-PBL has a set of protectors that are neon green tinted, for the outramp and slingshots. A 4-piece set for about $15

-The JADA 1:43 JP12 jeep can be found for $15 to $50 depending on source. I have that on my list to install over the weekend.

- The backbox speakers can be swapped with high quality 4-inch 4ohm to get much better sound. I used the Kicker 43DSC40's, about $40 for the pair.

The current factory speakers are 4ohm, so I wanted a transparent swap. If there is a setting for 8 ohms, then it should not make much of a difference in this application. Conventional wisdom says the LOWER ohm speakers will be more efficient, higher power and some say audiophile quality by being able to handle more power more efficiently (fewer sound artifacts when looking on an oscilliscope), but at these levels, I doubt you will hit those limits or notice any difference. If there was a huge cost difference go with the chepare, but the 4's and 8's I see are all in the same $30-$50 range for a pair...

Great to know. I thought they were autodetected by the software, but it sounds like the 'auto-detect' part wasn't so 'auto' afterall and likely removed from the 1.02 code! LOL

Do you remember where the setting is to change the backbox speaker ohm setting? I may have mine mis-set, but I am glad that it: 1) works fine even mis-set and 2) will potentially sound even better once I set it correctly!

Sounds like a 'showstopper' bug in the code itself. You said you did this twice, and was repeatable, so changing a pricing setting seems to be corrupting the code on SDCARD, presumably during a write sequence. BIG "IF": If STOCK firmware, I would document step by step and send to Stern support. If using Tim's AUDIO update version of firmware, try installing the STERN STOCK version and see if it still happens. If it does not break when using STOCK firmware, then again document your steps using HIS version of the firmware and send to Tim.

I also found a nice difference by upgrading speakers, but I did NOT see much of a difference changing the boxbox to 5-1/4 versus high quality 4-inch. I ended up saving the $40+ cost of the new mounting plates, and just put some Kicker DSC40's that mount directly to the existing screw studs on the existing JP premium speaker plates. Pair of DSC40's 4-ohms were $50, new cabinet speaker was another $35 or so.

My 2-cents:
1. Shaker is a must and can be found for $100-150. The Premium cabinet is pre-drilled with t-nuts already installed and ready for it. Plugs right into CN15 near coin box
2. The std Premium speakers are pretty mediocre, but for $75 to $175, you can swap. ($75 DIY, $175 complete kit). The cabinet woofer upgrade is very noticeable, the backbox speaker upgrade is somewhat noticeable.
3. I suspect the $600 topper works on either.

Lastly, you could find a distributor with no tax and free shipping that may yield you about the same price as a resale unit.

1:43 seems to be nearly identical to original. I hold them side by side and they look the same to me

MY jaw dropped when I saw what happened... Yikes!

Correct. No other AMPS or cross-overs used. Its simply a design choice of speakers that was made to save cost. The speakers they chose for the Premium are just generic 4-inch and 8-inch speakers. You can loosely correlate the quality of a speaker to 1) the capacity of the coil usually noted as how many Watts it can handle, and 2) the weight of the magnet which can be visibly seen, but hard to actually weight. This largely affects the amount of air that is moved.

Note: You do not HAVE to go with a larger speaker to get better sound. This is a common mis-conception. If the two factors above are considered, you can use much smaller speakers. Size doesn't always matter! (Bose made its name 30 years ago building Acoustimass speakers which were the size of your fist and yet filled an entire room with amazing audiophile quality sound)

Nothing better to help you speed up your research then having a JP on order and on its way to your house..... 8-)

I looked at a bunch of 8-inch speakers, most these days have mounting brackets or air handlers that protrude outward from the plane of the face which would make mounting tougher, or they have dual 4-ohm coils, which is not really the right answer for this application (although you could wire in series as an 8-ohm and then change the settings, but I wanted to stay true to the 4-ohm cabinet setting shipped by Stern). I found the BOSS Audio Systems CXX8 Subwoofer to be a great fit. Plenty of power handling, easy mounting, single 4-ohm coil, rubber surround, poly cone (instead of paper). Low cost under $30.

If you DO fix it and decide to loctite the screws, consider BLUE 242 instead of RED. Its semi-permanent, rather than perm. That will save your world NEXT time you need to service that screw(s).

I have never actually played a machine with Pinsound, but as I understand it, its far more than just new speakers or amplifiers. My understanding, Pinsound taps into the same logic control that on older machines triggered/generated their sampled original audio (music, sounds and voice) clips and played mono boring audio, and instead actually uses those same triggers to generate a whole new sound track entirely. And the Pinsound sound package can be modified at will (and they have a library of user's contributed custom sountracks) to be used depending on your mood. In this way, the machine 'thinks' its still pumping out the old school sound, but in reality the entire Pinsound audio system is working in parrallel with a whole new audio track, hifi sound...

Am I correct?

Cassette Tape was a sister band to the "8-Tracks"

Had some folks ask about the cabinet woofer upgrade on my JP Premium. So here are some images of the swap I made, using the $30 Boss CXX8. You can see the dramatic difference between the Stern stock (grey magnet) and the Boss. Both are 4 ohm, and mount in 8-inch spaces, but otherwise it's like night and day. I placed the speakers on a scale to show the massive difference in magnet size too (more than 3 times the weight). You can see it installed in last picture. Simple swap: pull the old one out with 4 nuts, move wires with a soldering iron, then use a round file to enlarge four of the holes in the CXX8 just a hint. Then press the CXX8 into place and put the nuts back on the posts (they will be hard to thread, but will work with some pressure and patience). Finally a drop of blue thread locker on each...

IMG_1320 (resized).jpgIMG_1321 (resized).jpgIMG_1322 (resized).jpgIMG_1323 (resized).jpgIMG_1324 (resized).jpg

If using an external sub, you took a different approach and probably getting all the low-end you can handle! That said, I like the self-contained approach, which leaves the machine identical to the way it shipped from the manufacturer and can be sold without needing any explanations about extra boxes.

Looking at the installed picture you can see I did not add any type of amplifier and just moved the two wire connector from their OEM speaker to my CXX8 (some simple testing showed me that the built-in cabinet speaker amplifier has plenty of power... it was just missing the way to get the power out effectively). In a previous note I showed the Kicker DSC40's I installed in the backbox (uses the same 4-inch mounting), and coupled with the CXX8, I wanted to show a $75 all-in upgrade for the top and bottom that makes a big difference.

The machine's settings can be set to 4 ohm or 8 ohm. Premiums are set to 8-ohms with horrible 4-inch OEM speakers. LE's are set to 4-ohm with much better 5-1/4" speakers. (Some audiophilers will tell you you'll get a faster responce with lower ohm speakers). In this application I don't think ohms or size makes a big difference, but the absolute quality of the speaker DOES make a difference. The Kicker DSC40's are amazing, and mount in the EXACT same bolt pattern on the Premium without requiring any new (and expensive) LE-style mounting plates. You could find some 8-ohm speakers, but I preferred to use similiar speakers as those used in the LE (which are 4-ohm) but get the 4-inch version.

Yup. Works like a charm

Had a bunch of questions about my JP-Premium speaker swapping, so I wanted to summarize here:

1. The Premium comes with 4-inch backbox mounting plates. The LE comes with 5-1/4 inch plates. The plates determine where the mounting bolts are. Swapping these plates can be expensive, $30 or so each side (PBL), unless you are buying with the SpeakerLEDs upgrade and they save you some $$
2. Kicker makes a great series of two-way speakers called the "DS", with zero front extension and great power handling and large magnet. Depending on the mounting plate you have or want to have, you can get the 4-inch DSC40 pair ($50 Crutchfield), or the 5-1/4-inch DSC50 pair ($60 Crutchfield).
3. The OEM backbox speakers in a Premium are 8-ohm, and the OEM backbox speakers in an LE are 4-ohm.
4. The DS series in both sizes are 4-ohm. The machines SETTINGS allow either 8 or 4 ohm, selectable.
5. The Cabinet speaker in both the Premium and LE are 4-ohm. It is an 8-inch speaker
6. You can replace the Cabinet speaker with a BOSS CXX8 8-inch 4-ohm poly woofer. To do so, you simply move the connector (easy soldering required) and use a rounded file to enlarge four of the mounting holes ON THE CXX8 just a hint. (Takes 2 minutes)
7a. The cabinet bolts for the speaker are short. Just barely long enoung to swap in a better speaker. You can install the CXX8 on the same mounting bolts embedded in the cabinet with some solid downward pressure and then using the original nuts to grab a few threads. A drop of Blue loctite and you are done.
7b. If your bolts are really too short, you can instead get four of the #6-32 1/4" T-Nuts, knock the spikes off them, and then use upside down with a #10 star lock washer and a drop of blue locktite.
8. Go into SETTINGS and confirm the OHM settings match the speakers you have installed.

Note: Already have an external sub-woofer installed? You may find that the cabinet speaker is STILL giving you a bunch of lower-end frequencies which the external sub-woofer is likely not reproducing. That said, swapping the cabinet speaker may not be needed since the deep bass is being handled by the external.

Does the T-Rex center up on the ramp properly, or is he off there too?

I haven't changed the setting (yet), but the T-Rex can drop the captured ball cleanly on the wire-ramp, or it can thrash around and then kinda randomly THROW the ball (literally) toward the upper ramp and bumpers and see what it hits or lands upon. It hurts me everytime I see it throw the ball, but not enough to turn it off. As shipped from factory, it does both, depending on the sequence in play.

For anyone using a heat gun with plastic, vinyl and pvc, its an art to know how long to hold it in place and how close the gun is to the part itself. Keep in mind that the thicker the part is that needs to be deformed, the slower you want the heating to occur because the heat gun is essentially being applied to the OUTER surfaces, but to permanently deform these materials, you need the INSIDE of the part to be softened. While you may have reasonable results with fast hot burst on the surface, once cooled the inside material may continue to be stressed and over time will force the part partially back to some of the original shape.

I recommend trying this a few times on a piece of scrap plastic or vinyl to get gthe hang of it. (Before you start "melting your raptor"... LOL.) Actually its quite easy, but takes a few minutes of practice to really get the results you want. Lastly, once deformed, make sure you have something (ties, rubber bands, string, whatever) to keep the part in the new position you want, as it could take a couple of minutes of blowing on it before it is set to the new shape.

Correction: This note is identifying the PCB connectors that the harness plugs into.

Refer to schematic, #520-6936-01 and they refer to the speaker connector as Molex 26-60-4020 for the cabinet speaker, and Molex 26-62-4056 for the backbox speakers.

Oops... You are right. Let me look at the harness.

Jurassic Park fun...

JPS (resized).jpg

Must: Shaker motor ($125), shooter lane protector ($25), Tim's Software update (free)

There are a ton of 'Nice to Have" other mods like those listed in the previous note, but the MUST list is above. Shaker and SDCard are all about the experience, and the protector will protect your playfield in the most likely area that will be damaged in a few dozen games.

I had to do the same to get the copter. Got the whole 5pc kit for $22 on ebay, shipped to me from puerto rico...

While the bats on Stern machines usually are intended to lineup with the play field indent alignment hole, one of the developers confirms the upper bat should be below. Much like in your picture...

I had to buy an 8-inch PH1 screwdriver from amazon for this one screw! It was a $7 tool for a one-time use.... but worked fine!

Be careful without any protection. Without the flap or any mylar protection, any failed attempts where the ball starts it's upward climb will land the ball smack down on the front of the ramp where it meets the playfield (where the flap would normally be), likely damaging the wood/clearcoat after awhile. The ball will be essentially dropping a few inches over and over from each failed attempt.

Cliffy has a new carbon fiber replacement flap that adheres to the surface and is made for the exact location.

I had time to get the tool so since I noticed that Stern made a nice little cut-out above the screw for a long screwdriver, away I went!!! Your rachet may have worked good too as you had it in your toolbox already. All I had to do was remove one of the Tower roof triangles first. (I have since replaced the whole roof with a home-made thatched/bamboo version)

To remove the screw, I got the "uxcell #1 Phillips Screwdriver 8 Inch Round Shaft Non Slip Comfortable Handle" from amazon, now $8.79
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D7D4SNW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

LOL

[email protected] is his email. Just tell him what you need and he will let you know cost and send you an invoice via PayPal.

What is the angle of your playfield?

Actually I think the playfield is angle too STEEP! This corkscrew wireform ramp angle is normally sloping front to back (higher in the front of the ramp than the back of the ramp), whereas most pinball ramps slope back to front. So having a steeper angle of the playfield will flatten the 'backward' slope.

Is your playfield more than 7-degrees?

I have one of those ready to install modified copters which I didn't get installed before my machine went to a new home. So if anyone is looking for the copter mod, I will sell it at my cost. PM me.

While I am at it, I also have the PBL set of four plastic protectors with the greenish flourescent tint which look amazing install. I didn't get these installed before my machine went away, so these are for sale too. PM me...

Left the club for a few months but always regretted it! So I am re-joining now, second JP Premium just ordered...

I am part of that same Mid-March production batch.

It wasn’t my original plan, but I ended up cycling out my pristine Totan and Funhouse, then picked up a AIQpremium, then settled on putting in a Ripley’s, RCT and a new JPpremium. Odd group, but each for a reason.

Unless you are finding a 'real deal' on the price, another batch of premiums is arriving in a couple of weeks and you can likely land one NIB for $7500 delivered to your door.

I have one on order as well and was told to expect a call during the third week or so of March

Checked with my disti too.... Now first week of april too!

I owned JPpremium last summer and I do NOT consider myself a deep hard-core player. I mostly wanted a game where I can shoot at lots of toys and if I remember and acheive some of the rules, then that's great! That said, I sold it last fall thinking there were just too many rules to keep track of. BUT after cycling through a number of other machines in the past 6 months, I have placed an order for another JP Premium! It *CAN* be deep and challenging, but it can also be a visual smorgasborg of fun when set to EASY. I kept two Pat Lawlor games, but adding Keith Elwin's JPpremium back to the line (I am getting my new JPpremium in a couple of weeks.)

I also have one on order. My disti says THEY will receive it "by April 1st" then you add another week to guess when it arrives from disti in your driveway...

You could use the next 4 months to create an Aussie-specific backglass with a native dino pictured, like the Muttaburrasaurus. That would help you get involved!! LOL. Seriously, you will love the machine when it lands in Oz...

Mut (resized).jpg

You will get tons of mods and recommendations here, but I wanted to start off with what I consider the MUST HAVE stuff:

1. Confirm you have the Cliffy protector for the shooter lane. Many previously owned machines do, but easy to add if needed. It's an easy-ish install.
2. Confirm you have some type of carbon or nylon washer under the upper right flipper post. (Usually requires a thin mechanic's ignition wrench to access unless you want to remove the whole flipper assembly.) Again, Cliff sells one of those as well.
3. There is a screw on the left side of the tower ramp, that usually interacts with the ball due to poor alignment. Some people grind it down, some people replace with a flat head, and some people have just removed it. In any case, consider adding Cliff's tower ramp flap protector to allow a smooth ramp entry.
4. Most people add a flat washer under the left fork of the shooter lane ramp to allow the half-pipe to be accomplished more often. I recommend a #6 brass washer, which nearly vanishes under the stainless fork.
5. Consider getting a set of green flourescent plastic protectors from PBL for the slings. They sell a set of 4 for about $10 which add a great color and protect those plastics.
6. The Control Room flasher on the left side is blinding because it's installed under basically clear plastic! You can replace the clear half-dome cover with a yellow one, or go to ULEK and get a plastic replacement for the top plastic which might look even better and looks 'factory'. $15 or so. I did both.
7. Print yourself a set of custom apron cards. Lots of designs on this site, and FEDEXoffice will print one on waterproof thicker 'plastic'-like material for $2 which is well worth your time.
8. And if you own the JP movie DVD, you can get the information needed to update the SDCARD with an updated gamecode. Search here for the updated code, and see timlah79 for detail if needed.

Most of all, enjoy playing it!

October 29th was a long time ago in "pinball years", and I feel that a new gamecode version 1.04 might be perculating around Illinois these days since they are still producing a huge backlog of JP machines (Promised April21 and July21 deliveries already being seen).

Anyone else getting that sixth (sick) sense?

New code can be good, if it adds new rules or fixes known bugs. It can be frustrating if any customized A/V work has been done using tools like PinballBrowser.

Regarding your Tower Half-Pipe, have you confirmed the left fork screw is NOT interferring with the ball? In MANY machines, that stainless steel entry flap has a screw on the LEFT fork that touches the ball as it enters. (Do this test with the glass off and use your hand to move the ball across the front entry and past the screw. See if it touches). This issue has been discussed a number of times in this thread. The shot becomes much easier if you can modify so that the ball doesn't bounce off the screw. Most recommended fixes: 1) grind the head of the screw down, but not so far that you can never remove the screw, 2) replace the screw with a flat-head screw, or 3) remove the screws and flap altogether and replace with a Cliff Carbon Fiber entry flap. Note: DO NOT simply remove the flap as balls that fail will drop back to the playfield right where the stainless protector flap is supposed to be and damage the clearcoat/paint at the entrance.

PBL has the fluorescent green ones, but not the orange ones.
https://www.pinballlife.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PBL-300-0142-00

I think the guys in Germany sell them in six different colors. Who knew? LOL

I sent MezelMods a note just now and will advise their reply.

I just got an updated shipping date (from my distributor) on my JP Premium of somewhere around April 27th. I guess the global materials and container shipping issues are affecting everything!!!!

https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-imports-are-stuck-on-ships-floating-just-off-los-angeles-11617183002

I purchased JP through Jason at CGR. When he has the machine IN HAND from Stern, he requests balance due, and then once that is paid, I get an email with tracking number when he ships. Usually takes 24 hours for the tracking number to become live at the freight company website.

Drop shipping would make sense, but I believe they ship to distributors first, and then the distributor takes care of getting it to the customer. (My machines have always been shipped from Georgia, where CGR is located).

One tip which may help some folks out when they try to install the amber shooter rod...

*BEFORE* you take the shooter plate off your machine, use Painters blue tape on the OUTSIDE of the cabinet very carefully marking the exact place that the shooter plate was installed at the factory. Line the edges of the blue tape up with the edges of where the plate meets the cabinet. Make sure the tape is sticking to the cabinet ONLY, and that you do all four sides. (Be kinda precise with the tape because if the blue tape is touching the metal at all, it will probably get stuck under the new plate during re-assembly). THEN install the amber shooter plate by removing the whole back plate, and for re-assembly, match the new shooter plate to the edges of where the blue tape is outlining the location.

Yes, the LEDs pulse and dim with the gameplay.

It really is an amazing machine. You'll probably look back and say it was the best $10K you ever spent as a collector.

The update late last week from my distributor is that he had ordered 20 Premiums months ago, and received a shipment of 10 units at the beginning of April. He is expecting the remainder of his order towards the last week of April. Sounds like *some* units are making it out of the factory (first batch had build dates 3/30 thru 4/2 I think)...

I suspect any distributor would just be guessing until he has a freight bill and tracking info for a shipment to his location from Stern. Anything else is really just an educated guess since they don't know where their order is relative to other orders either! My distrib got 10 units in first week of April and is waiting on another 10 units 'soon'.

Most times a distributor buys in batches. So even though you bought and paid your distributor, that distributor may have been collecting more orders which had the effect of adding weeks or longer before he placed the order with Stern. In some cases, distributors SPECULATE that they can sell a qty ofmachines, so they order them from Stern in advance of having firm orders in hand. (That takes alot of money commitment up front). In some cases distributors order smaller batches with orders in hand. The scenerios are all over the board, but I think VERY FEW IF ANY of the possibilities include a distributor buying one at a time from Stern the day you pay them for it.

Stern ultimately turns around and schedules/prioritizes deliverys of their volume constrained machines based on (mostly) the order in which the orders were received and/or the relationships that affect the most longer-term business for them. (They keep their best customers happy)

There are at least 4 mods I have seen referenced on this thread for that damn blinding control room flasher, in my order of elegance (IMHO):
1) The 3D printed Barbasol can by Mr_Tantrum (far and away the most elegant and engineered and exciting answer)
2) The ULEK store's simple replacement plastic with screened printing (laser cut and screened replacement for the clear plastic)
3) The single-tab half starburst dome cover, in Yellow/Amber (a $1-$2 item, #03-8662-16, and carefully trim one tab off)
4) The 906 flasher replacement with a Yellow/Amber 906 (a $1 bulb available individually in a few places, part # 906Y)

No matter what mod you choose, choose something before you go blind!!!

The comet part *IS* a new board. Stern machines have the single-LED PCB soldered with two-wires, so you MUST unsolder the old board, and swap in the new Stern or comet board. If you bought the Stern OEM part, you STILL need to solder it in! (The only difference in the two parts is the Comet part has two wires that must be cut off or unsoldered first, PLUS the Comet costs $1 and the Stern costs TEN TIMES more).

You should be sippin on a Green Dinosaur...

https://mixthatdrink.com/green-dinosaur/

Or a Jurassic World...

https://tipsybartender.com/recipe/jurassic-world-cocktail/

There appears to have been a batch of JP's built March 31-April 2. I suspect they had enough parts for that batch which must have been sizable to warrant starting the JP line up again, knowing full well there would be a pause in JP production waiting for JP specific parts. Two weeks ago, my distributor got 10 of the 20 units he had ordered.

I am thinking their production scheduler must be pulling their hair out these days... and everytime I see the Port of Los Angeles pictures of traffic in the shipping lanes and cargo ships all waiting to unload for days or weeks, I picture a container of servo motors, wire-ramps and T-Rex heads just waiting to get on a truck to Illinois!

Are they ejected into the shooter lane ONE at a time, with some time between them, or ALL at once?

Did it work the day you unboxed it? Ninja's can become magnetized in some situations. T-Rex is a strong magnet with teeth and while he's holding the ball thrashing around, it puts quite abit of magnetism into the balls!

Remove the variable: Go back to the factory balls first and see if it fixes the issue (or affects the behaviour at all).

There is a Service Bulletin about Shaker Kit installations. In this case, it sounds like your cable was somehow plugged in backwards, or the cable was assembled backwards causing the capacitor to blow.
https://sternpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Stern-ShakerMotorAdvisory.pdf

Just got an update from Pablo with Stern support regarding the need/use of the capacitor adapter:

"Good Morning and thank you for your email. The capacitor service kit is not need on all newer stern game. The capacitors are incorporated into the cabinet node board and should be able to connect the shaker motor direct to the cabinet NODE boards CN16 and not have to use the shaker motor Capacitor harness."

Looks lioke you don't need the capacitor adapter at all for newer games!

There are a ton of notes about modding the Jeep, and you can find one on Ebay and other places easily for about $25. Just Google "Jurassic Park Jada 1:43 Jeep" and you'll find the right part. MAKE SURE you get the 1/43 or 1:43 size!!! Then there are some great instructions on this thread on the (relatively) easy modification process.

I suspect the node board in your machine has the capacitor built in (since it's a newer machine) and you'll be fine WITHOUT the capacitor kit entirely. (In fact, you do NOT want to install the capacitor kit cable if you have the newer node board). That said, the symptom of needing the capacitor kit is to observe mysterious SLAM/TILT triggers for no apparent reason when the shaker is running. If your machine has that symptom, then you'd need to get a new capacitor kit from Stern and install it. But I received an email from Stern Support yesterday, stating that all newer machines already have the capacitor built INTO the cabinet node board, so the cable was only needed for older machines.

There are a few simple fixes that might save you time. The opto connectors could be loose, and need to be reseated, or the optos themselves may have moved and need to be aligned. Can you provide any observations on the optos positioning next time you pull the glass? Did you try to manually make the opto register in TEST mode? Any more details on what it looks like or what you have already tried may help here...

Ok, after a long journey, I am back in! Build date 20-Apr-2021

Classic Game Rooms in Georgia. Ordered about 10 weeks ago.

Initial observation on my April 2021 build versus my August 2020 machine: The playfield finish is very different. Whereas the August 2020 machine had a thick layer of clearcoat which made the entire surface of the playfield appear like a sheet of glass, the newer build has a thin layer of clearcoat, where you can visibly see the inserts and decals with some dimension when looking at an angle. Still a beautiful machine, just surprising that they have settled on the thin clearcoat to resolve the pooling issues some people experienced in the past. (Feels like trading one set of issues for a different set of issues)

I had an amber lighted shooter rod just waiting to be installed in my JP, and it turns out Mr_Tantrum has a great Jurassic Park themed shooter rod plate he mentioned a couple months ago that look great in person. It's available with and without the LED cutouts. Peel and stick. 8-)

Lots of mods available, but my favorites are: the stern lighted amber shooter rod, mr_tantrum’s shooter plate 3D insert, the control room plastic by vlek, the raptor pit fence by mezelmods, and the lighted flipper buttons kit and the 4-piece neon green protector plastics for the slings and inlanes you can get at PBL. Lots of other cosmetic mods can be found pretty easily. That said, there are a couple of fixes people general apply, including shooter lane protectors by Cliffy, swapping the left screw in the tower ramp, adding a washer to the left fork in the shooter lane, and adding a nylon or Cliffy carbon fiber washer under the third flipper post washer.

Keep reading this thread for more ideas…

The left screw in the tower ramp flap usually interferes with the tower shot. The ball touches it as it passes. You can grind it down or replace with a shallower screw so the ball can pass smoothly by.

The third flipper post takes a beating, loosens up can begin to damage the play field. Many folks add a nylon or carbon fiber washer between the play field and washer to allow a good solid tight post without damaging the play field.

Your shooter plate really compliments the amber shooter. I highly recommend it to anyone with the bug to add mods to JP!!

IMG_1610 (resized).jpgIMG_1611 (resized).jpg

Notice the LED lighted flipper buttons from PBL? They are a perfect match in color to the LED amber shooter if you have Margaret send the translucent Yellow buttons with her BrightButtons LED kit. They are an easy install and plug into the Ticket connector on the node board.

You can see the amber rod and the lighted flipper buttons in these pictures.

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