Got my LE deposit in a couple weeks ago. This is going to be my first machine ever! Of course I've already been scouring the interwebs for mods. I'm looking at first getting the amber shooter rod then I really want to replace that jeep (voted!). So many questions already! Is this a good forum to ask or should I post elsewhere? (This is also my first post ever so I don't want to break the rules! )

NOTED! About the best I could do is grab a photo of my original JP VHS tape. I watched that thing religiously.

Looking forward to seeing! I've enjoyed following what you've shared already.

Good point! I wonder if the LEDs really do the knob justice without the room completely dark.
I'll probably pick it up and see for myself. Any suggestions on who to buy it from? Seeing some conflicting listings. I swear yesterday it was posted for $49 here at Pinball Pirate, now $139.99 . Little Shop of Games has it for $79.

Looks rad! So that could be installed in conjunction with the amber rod? I wonder if he makes it in yellow/amber. I take it the amber rod isn't even produced yet but I'd hate for that one other seller's price to skyrocket like the other so I might just pull the trigger now. This is going to be a long month... LOL

Same. See below!

Little Shop of Games has quite a few pre-ordered from Stern that are not all yet accounted for. I'm told you'll get yours shipped the same day they receive them if you order before the first 20 of theirs "available" are taken. They have more coming after that but I'd get in on the first delivery now/email them to be sure.

Nice! I'm gonna hold off though until the Amber Shooter Rod w/LEDs comes and see how well it lights up the "amber."

In terms of a topper, in lieu of an official one yet and my personal obsession... This LEGO set is going to be my time sink as I wait for my LE to arrive. It may just work as a topper too! (I'm going to need room for it anyhow, so why not on the top of the JP?)

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/jurassic-park-t-rex-rampage-75936

75936-lego-jurassic-park-trex-rampage_21 (resized).jpg

GREAT questions as I'm waiting on my LE.
My understanding is:
Pro's: Yes, shipping as I type this
LE's: Aug by EOM (first ones at least---but I don't know xxx/500 aka how many Stern's producing for the first run, maybe 1/2 of the 500. When you'll get yours is likely dependent on the timing of your deposit + that seller actually placing their order with Stern. I was promised that I made the 250/500 cut so I expect to receive my LE within the next couple weeks)
Premiums: Sept (at some point, I would guess as early as they can)

In all, what I'm saying is that it's: first Pro's, second LE's, third Premium's

Hope that helps. I wish I knew more.

The expectation that's been set for me since my LE deposit was absorbed by the seller on 6/30 is that they had already pre-ordered LE's in advance of my inquiry and hadn't "sold out" of that allotment yet. Therefore I hope mine will be <100 serial #, but the actual # isn't guaranteed of course. I've only been guaranteed that my LE will be in transit to me by the end of Aug. Tick-tock!

Welp, my proposed topper is done . When are the USA LE's shipping again!? I'm running out of distractions...

JP Lego Complete (resized).jpg

I'm new to this but have been looking at the other forum about those with first run Pros finding issues. But that doesn't mean mine or your LE/Premium is going to have the same. I'd like to think that the majority of Pros are just fine and we're only seeing the minority with issues post about it (naturally). Plus I'm sure Stern is well aware as we speak so I would assume they are already mediating the issue(s) in current production of the units about to go out the door. Also, if there are defects in playfield/build quality/anywhere on the machine upon receipt, isn't that covered under Stern's warranty aka they will replace any of it with a quick turnaround time? Am I crazy to be positive on this subject?

Hmm, interesting. That's unfortunate they aren't more detailed in the warranty, especially for things outside of the inner workings. I'm trying to avoid the resulting stress of reading through the fine print before I even have mine/have a need to do so (a need no one should have when dropping $5-9k on any product IMHO). Glad to hear that they are taking care of the issues even though the parts with reported issues themselves aren't called out in the warranty boilerplate. That's simply the right thing to do. There is the whole "my machine wasn't received as advertised" stipulation though. I don't see any pooling or other defects in their promo video models LOL. In all seriousness, one of the main reasons I went with Stern as my first machine purchase was b/c of word of mouth how great their customer service is. I hope to never have to use it but feel like they'll make things right if I have to.

JP LE #362 is arriving at 5pm today (Seattle)! I will post pics once it's all set up!

BTW, anyone catch word from Stern on the amber shooter rod? Seen a lot of confusion around that in the forums, still nothing up on their site. I pre-ordered mine through Little Shop Of Games a couple months ago.

#362 is all set up! Added my Lego topper and a programmable LED strip. Doesn't look like there's room for the T-Rex itself but that's ok. I've attached it well using Collectors Hold Museum Putty. Hopefully that was the right move! Man, when the shaker really gets going it does seem like the Lego is going to explode but I think it will be alright! I'd love any advice on how to better light it up BTW (tiny spotlights?).

I'm about 30 games in and no problems so far! The playfield is flawless from what I can tell. Only minor issues (which are likely more newbie curiosities than anything IMO) but folks might want to know about:

- The raptor toy's counterbalance weight is not quite a straight cylinder, so it was getting stuck above the plastic guard when leaning forward. All I had to do was turn it so that the fatter side of it kept it under the plastic. Problem solved.
- The upper flipper post was very loose. Fortunately we caught that before playing and tightened it up.
- I'm unsure how the T-Rex jaw is supposed to lay on the ramp. It seems to lay slightly off-set to the left and many times hasn't caught the ball. But again the ramp itself is curved so maybe this is expected? And also expected to not be a guaranteed contact even if you make a solid shot up the ramp? Maybe I just need to play better!
- I'd like to be able to dial down the shaker and disable it electronically from time to time but I assume that's not a thing (yet).

LMK if you want to see pictures of any of the above.

In all, I am truly blown away by this game and extremely happy with it. I was looking for my first pin to be one that will keep me coming back home to free play in between gallivanting around all of the amazing pin spots in Seattle. I think I got it right with this purchase!
JPLE - Edition Plate 362.jpgJPLE - Lego Topper1.jpgJPLE - Full-Right.jpgJPLE - Full-Front.jpg

There were 3 of us looking closely during set up (2 of which are pin purchasing veterans - the 3rd who is not aka me, HA!) so I think it is a good sign!
On a related side note, this weird art thing had all of us scratching our heads. We thought given how perpendicular these blemishes were, that they may not be intended. Well, fortunately after comparing against product photos, these "t-rex scratches" are intentional after all!

First pic is mine. Second is from Stern's site, cropped to match as best I could.
JPLE - MY Playfield Dino Scratches (resized).jpgJPLE - Stern Official Image - Playfield Dino Scratches5 (resized).jpg

Aaahh perhaps! There are more like it around other areas of the field. You may be right. I just assumed it was dino scratches based on other intentional ones around other parts of the artwork on the machine.

Actually I take this back as being fixed. Still having the issue. Curious if anyone can give me some advice on how this is supposed to be situated?
The counterbalance appeared to get stuck again above the plastic guard. The problem is if I tighten it to much then there's enough clearance to catch the nut at the bottom to the top of the plastic edge. If I loosen it so there's almost no way the counterbalance can breach the plastic edge but it still gets stuck b/c it's made up of a bunch of separate washers.

What I also think I've realized is there is an additional issue with the mold of the toy itself. There are 2 ways for it to get stuck 1) the counterbalance getting caught or 2) the mold of the body catching the mold of the leg and sticking. No adjustment to the joint seems to make a difference here. Given #2 I don't think there's anything I can do to fully stop this from happening. Should I just ask Stern to send me a full replacement of the entire assembly? Also does anyone know if the plastic guard is supposed to stop the counterbalance or is it supposed to clear it?

Raptor counterbalance up.jpg

Raptor counterbalance down.jpg

Thanks @eaglepin. Does the plastic guard disallow it from breaching the edge of the guard? I can't tell whether it's supposed to clear that or not. My guess is no, it's supposed to block it since the screw of the counterbalance itself on mine can't possibly clear it. Knowing that may help me figure out what the holistic fix would be here. I may just shoot Stern a note now for good measure.

Charliew65 Maybe I missed it in a different post, but can you show the connection coming from the audio outputs/connectors on the pin? Are you using just speaker wire on both ends? Thanks!

Your cats are the best part of this post! Mine won't dare come into the spare bedroom where my pin resides (at least not yet). Your game room setup comes in a close 2nd, especially with those standing mats! I've already been thinking about those -- hardwood floors and my short GF's tiny feet are in dire need! Thanks for sharing!

Nice, that's what I gathered @charliew65 thanks! I decided to take the existing cabinet sub out of the mix by detaching the harness/connector and just connecting the speaker wire to the harness itself. Unsure what frequencies actually travel through the existing sub, but if it's only lows then it seems like only running audio through the new sub makes sense. However, either way I really have to crank the new sub vol. control. Doesn't appear that the existing line pushes much volume through... or since it's only leveraging a L or a R channel when it hits the new sub, the vol. is cut in half. I'm looking into this kit actually:
PINsub SPIKE Stern Kit.

Do you have the same result aka need to turn the new sub vol up quite a bit?

For anyone who is looking to add an external sub, I've learned that the PINsub SPIKE Stern Kit
Is the way to go (after not only a couple recommendations from nice folks on pinside but also the amazing customer service from the manufacturer!). At only an extra $35 ($40ish with shipping) I feel like it's well worth the $ to hook this up right. Doing so avoids over-driving the sub, sacrificing audio quality, and reportedly will avoid possible damage to the existing audio board. I was also able to pick up the Polk sub many have recommended for $99 via Amazon. I'll follow up once I get the kit.

Curious what established pin owners thoughts are about drawing a line when it comes to "fixing" issues with a NIB LE. As I understand it Stern's warranty only covers electrical issues, not the physical ones I've been facing. With that said their support has been great in helping me. It's just starting to get to a point where I feel like I've already spent more time than I should be opening this thing up, adjusting defects, taking photos and videos, etc. My guess is I'm probably at the 8+ hour mark on all of it. Only one of 3 issues have been resolved. The most aggravating one being the T-Rex rarely ever catching the ball. Happy to provide details (or you can look at my previous posts) but does anyone have a guideline they follow? i.e. "I will only spend xxx hours working on a NIB issue before I ask for a full assembly replacement of the part in question." Something to that effect? I'm trying to be reasonable here as again, they are truly trying to help me but in the end, I've become the technician. This is my first pin. Appreciate any advice!

I just did this as well. While it could be a placebo effect, I am all of a sudden hitting my intended targets way more often. Thanks for the pro tip EaglePin !

Damn EaglePin is having a pin Eagle Eye the reason you picked that handle? Ha! I haven't looked at that but will. Your description though sounds like a fix for something that should flow smoothly, not like an improvement one should have to make. Thoughts?

Hooked this kit up yesterday and it does make quite a difference! Freq separation to the sub is more accurate, sounds much cleaner, and I don't have to overdrive the sub output. It's also a fairly straightforward plug and play installation. Only took about 10 min. I highly recommend it! Now of course I'm headed down the audio rabbit hole. Trying not to go buying an EQ as well, ha! If only there were a way to replace the Samuel L. Jackson voice actor.

I'm still in my back and forth with Stern about my T-Rex rarely catching the ball. Can anyone please take a look at this short video and tell me if it's normal that the T-Rex's entire head shifts/pops to the left to compensate for the space of his upper jaw to fit within the space of the ramp? What this ends up doing is having his open jaw cocked to the left side of the ramp. If no one else's LE does this I have to think I've identified the issue. Really appreciate anyone taking a comparison/look. It's extremely difficult to film/show this while using the vertical test mode and in this mode I cannot make the jaw drop to make it more obvious.

Look very closely at the very last second of this 39sec video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iNzPW35N2UQKPrYEA

This is exactly what happens every time during regular gameplay just before he opens his jaw.

mummite
Just saw this after posting my closely related concern. Mine consistently doesn't line up with the ramp itself. See my post and video here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/23#post-5244106

Man... Shit happens but definitely a huge bummer. Glad your distro is taking care of it. I wonder what # that was and what they do with damaged LEs. If they just replace the damaged parts and resell, you should get a "refurbished" discount! Hell maybe you'll get #501/500!

Can you clarify what you mean about "made mechanically while you're in test mode"? Are you saying that while in the vert or horiz test, if you manipulate the head (not mess with the bracket as that guide shows) that doing so will adjust the head's center points?

Following advice from EaglePin I actually did try to physically adjust after loosening the bracket. However now it's just more inconsistent. Now the head positions itself more in line horiz. with the ramp half the time, other times it seems to be back in its jogged to the left position.

Regardless, even when it's in straight it still doesn't catch the ball most of the time. I've also played with the flipper settings to no avail. I'm at the point where I truly think the main problem is the weaknesses of the mouth's magnet. I've not been able to prove that it's not triggering. I believe it is every time but the magnet will only catch the ball at the perfect velocity, angle, and depth the ball makes it into the mouth. If it were stronger I imagine those variations wouldnt matter much at all. It seems that all one should need to do is hit a shot that cleanly passes the ramp's side posts.

Everyone's head and jaw position is going to vary and change over time and use, so I really hope a software update is all that's needed to strengthen the magnet and/or the sensitivity of its opto trigger to fix any machine that at least has its jaw laying on the ramp.

I do see other adjustments for the t-rex but they are not documented. Anyone know what the "slurp ticks" or "hold strength" settings do?

Just downloaded, extracted files, copied only the .SPK files to the root of a USB drive. Now when I plug the drive into the machine, restart it, it gives the message of "code update started" then "GAME CODE UPDATE - INSERT MEMORY USB STICK". It's inserted and no buttons do anything to move it forward. I tried both USB inputs. What am I doing wrong?

Figured it out. Your USB drive must be formatted using FAT32, not NTFS (as was the default for my PC b/c I'm a musician and have to work with both Macs and PCs. For drives to be recognized by both platforms they must be NTFS or extFAT). Why this FAT32 requirement isn't mentioned in Stern's "code update README" file is beyond me...

See my post: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/25#post-5247985

Did you format it as FAT32 and copy the unzipped files to the USB's root directory? Gotta take them out of the main folder and put into the root.

Hey all. After just over 50 plays on my LE, all 3 of the flippers show a good amount of dent/wear at the same spot at the tip. Is this to be expected? Should the machine have shipped with silicone instead of natural rubber? Anyone else seeing this too?

Flipper Worn 10-13-19.jpg

Thanks Vino ! Can you clarify what you mean about replacing balls with rubber? Rubber pinballs? Also, what wax do you suggest using to maintain the rubber on the flippers?

Funny you said that it seemed to grab the ball better when you first started playing. I also only noticed the lack of it after a few games. I haven't touched the mouth opto just verified it "works." Unsure what setting changes that opto if there is one in 0.90.0. In quotes because yes that and the ramp optos works but the mouth/magnet doesn't not unless the ball makes it into the furthest back point of the mouth--which means you have to at least have the T-Rex's position perfect on the ramp, which it never is for my machine. Changes time to time, sometimes centered, sometimes left side, sometimes right side of the ramp. See mine and multiple other folks posts about T-rex issues in this topic.

Might be time to start a separate topic about LE/Prem T-Rex specific issues. This has been the most frustrating issue about the game. There are adjustments in the menu that many have tweaked to resolve. I've tried them all to the point where one setting makes it better for a play, then the next it's as if what I did made it worse. I'm personally at the point where I'm done with both hardware and software tweaks, providing video's etc. I've convinced Stern to send me a whole new assembly. If you want to mess with it software-wise, yes there are ways to "improve" it from some fine folks advice. Unfortunately none have fully resolved the issue for my machine.

Same... Pretty lame after just over 50 games. All 3 of mine look like this: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/27#post-5253801
Wondering why LE's don't come with silicone or at least replacement rubber.

I'm a newbie to pin ownership but what I've seen with mine isn't growing pains but overall bad quality control. The t-rex and flippers are only two of 4 issues that shouldn't be issues IMHO. I'm also in the broken raptor club. The newest I've uncovered is a downright wrong drilling position of a drop target. Again I'm a newbie but I also spent my entire savings on this machine, an LE, so I expect it to be fully assembled and functional, as designed, right out of the box. I've been working with my seller and Stern since day one, pushing and prodding them as professionally and patiently as I can be, yet all issues remain. I'm super thankful for everyone who's given me tips but this is a brand new purchase. Why am I spending so much time troubleshooting rather than playing has become a question anyone should ask themselves. I hope to bring good news back to this forum soon as I do love this machine.

Yes I have seen this as well. And only since the .90 update. At times I thought it was that my shots into it were hit so fast that the post couldn't keep up (i.e. accidental right flipper entry instead of smoother left flipper entry but I've seen this happen a couple times both ways). Seems like another software bandaid, just as they did with counting the t-rex catch when it doesn't actually catch the ball.

Has anyone noticed a mis-alignment on the drill holes of certain drop targets? The tightest one on mine is definitely cut wrong. See the product photo vs where mine is. No way to adjust this without drilling new holes in the playfield AFAIK which I am not going to do.

First pic is mine, second is an official product photo.

Drop Target - Mine (resized).jpg

Drop Target - Product Photo (resized).jpg

LOL $9400...

1st is the $ one for sure. I like the background graphics of the others too but can't beat the perspective of the open mouth. My GF is currently making a little art piece of the same size to replace at least one of two as mine is HUO as well.

You're misunderstanding the problem. The target's mount is drilled way too far left. It should be centered with the hole. There is no adjustment available. Look at the underside of yours and you'll see why I can't move it.

Looking for smart missile tips!
Often times the truck is blocking the shot directly to the drop target. When that's the case should you go up the middle and hope the ball falls into that area? Any other ways to hit the target?

For anyone who has this same issue. spidey nailed the solution for me! The drill holes aren't off enough to dremel new positions without ruining things/simply widening the holes to where I wouldn't even be able to get the right size screws in. I added a small washer under the bracket on the right screw. It's now in an almost perfect position. One thing I will say is you can "push" the target itself to the right, but that's not going to push the bracket and it only temporarily corrects the position until you hit it next time. Seems solid now with the washer alone. Thanks everyone for the advice!

I pre-ordered the LED rod from LSoG many months ago. It better be the fully lit version as that's what the description was when I paid them. I checked in with them a few weeks ago and they assured me that I was within their 1st batch. I can't even find the listing on their site today though aka the screenshot you posted. Did they take it down? Makes me a little concerned about when and what I will receive.

Very interested in messing with this myself, @delt31. Could you please share a link to how you're doing this? Using pinball browser I assume? I found a few links to it but I'm unsure which is the latest/most legit version. I'd also like to know if there are any cautions or best practices to consider when doing so. Especially if you can run the risk of bricking the machine, voiding warranty (I assume that's a given), etc. Thanks!

Glad yours was a much easier fix! I tried that and many other tweaks too to no avail. I'm pretty sure the root of my raptor issue is based on slightly off mounting holes of either the plastic guard or the feet so my addition of a counterbalance washer/magnet in the end is really more of a workaround than a holistic fix.

Has anyone who pre-ordered the amber rod from Little Shop of Games gotten shipping confirmation or received theirs? I've sent them 2 emails the past 2 weeks and they haven't responded.

My LE even hits the left fence post itself. But I've also had a ton of other problems with it. Finally getting someone over to resolve in a week or so. I'll post details when it's fixed. Hopefully that info will help others like yourself.

They finally responded today, they still haven't received them. Supposed to be next week.

I've taken it upon myself to extract and polish any SLJ sound bites and others straight from the movie. Unfortunately there aren't that many to work with for SLJ but I've got a decent collection going. Also many of the iconic ones have tons of background noise/music I have to methodically reduce. I'll find an appropriate way to share once I have a good amount. This is a lot of work so I may ask for a small donation for the effort.

Yeah that's kinda backwards business practice IMO. Makes me wonder how many people preordered from one of their retailers months ago (like I did), then cancelled their preorder, ordering directly from Stern instead. Not a nice way for a manufacturer to treat their distributors/retailers.

GamerRick , delt31 I set myself a reminder to ping you guys when I'm done. For anyone else interested, please PM me as I may not see your forum reply. I just got back from a recording session and actually had my engineer do the heavy lifting on some of the key sounds in between working on my own music. For instance, David Attenborough's "Welcome to Jurassic Park" has the music in the background. My engineer magically, nearly removed it. I'm gonna test out replacing it tomorrow. After tonight's session, I have 17 as clean and leveled as possible sound bites from the movie. Yes, even Jeff Goldblum's laugh exampled at 0:14 in this video (I didn't make this I just found it and it's kinda funny):

I feel like that laugh could be cut up and used somewhere!

Yes please! I was going to start doing that too.

GamerRick Where did you buy the shooter rod from? I pre-ordered mine from Little Shop of Games back in July and still haven't received it.

I and many others had the same problems since day one. It was discovered that mine was missing the set screw in the cylinder/transmission so he rarely found "home." This caused him to usually sit left on the ramp like yours but also often sitting on the top of the ramps right side at times and banging against the left gate post. A tech installed a full replacement. He is now more often centered but still inconsistent. Regardless of where he is on the ramp he still doesn't catch the ball about 30% of the time. Also one of my node boards is bad which was causing opto problems, so the tech swapped them. I have played with the middle bias setting but I can't tell much of a difference a couple steps - or +. I think only a software fix in an upcoming code update will fully address all of it. He relies on the sending and receiving optos on the ramp sides as well as if the upper right flipper is up or down so you could test those. Stern suggested removing the tiny black spacers at the ramp posts. I tried that as well without a difference. Lastly my tech observed that my shaker is too aggressive contributing to his inconsistent positioning. Regardless, Stern is well aware of the problem and I think it's their top priority with the next code update. My tech is coming back in a few days to install a new shaker and dig further. I'll post any update. Hope this helps.

I did this a while back and the results were terrible. You need to address the source--the shooter mechanism problem itself. This, while clever, is a horrible recommendation for most people. The auto or manual button push is supposed to be 100% reliably getting the ball up to the ramp. If you've done this workaround you're going to eventually see less consistency, if not at first. Stern needs to address this.

Looks like my post got buried in the mix again regarding T-Rex issues. Anyone with such should probably read this. Just trying to help others not fall into the saga I've been dealing with.

Yeah I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. It's like most of the highs are rolled off. The volume overall is substantially lower too. I used to have to lower it to like 15 down from the 21/22 default. Now I can crank it to 35 and it still seems low and muffled. I wonder why they did that.

Sorry to bring some negativity into the thread but I'm looking for advice. I've had a ton of problems with my LE since day one. Literally every problem others have mentioned and more. Only ones I haven't had is any issues with the helicopter or playfield. The short list is T-rex (everything), bad node board, plunger, flipper coil stop, raptor, set trap targets, flipper rubber wear. My distributor has sent a tech out twice and I've had Stern ship me parts as issues have been discovered (no charge). However I've spent countless hours of my own time dismantling, taking videos, testing, coordinating with the tech's schedule etc along with having to not play the machine between each failure just to get the aforementioned service at each step. Also to this day the T-rex and shooter issues remain unresolved and my right flipper is broken until they send new parts (which throughout this process has taken almost 2 weeks with constant email back and forth).
So my question is, am I at a point to reasonably ask for a partial refund of the original purchase price from my distributor (based on the fact I've had to work on the machine, take time off work, etc more than actually play it for the past 3 months)? Or is this just how it is and I should be grateful for the service thus far?
Appreciate any advice/similar experiences you guys have to share.

fooflighter snaroff So much insight into my issues and expectations, my friends. Truly appreciate everything you've said. This is my first pin so while I've had a ton of legitimate physical issues with the game I am still learning what my expectations/threshold should be. What I explained to my dist today was, "man it would be great if Stern would set expectations from the get-go via a whitepaper or something." What I mean by that is it would be helpful if Stern had documentation such as, "the T-Rex is expected to catch the ball xx% of the time from a solid shot during mode a, b, c." Or, "the plunger should carry the ball around the loop xx% of the time from manual trigger, auto-plunge, etc." Or in terms of the T-Rex catch (which after all the physical issues have now been resolved for me) they could say, "success rates are dependent upon software updates, please refer to code update readme's past 0.xx up to 1.xx". I say this because I have to believe Stern has their own QC standard %'s when testing each game. If one or the other doesn't meet some threshold then it doesn't go out the door. It sounds like Stern can't really call those % out publicly but again I feel like they should. If I knew how often one or more any given "software" related action should fail, I may not be so attune to or concerned about things like the low % of the T-Rex catch.

Now, back to the customer service of my distributor... After jumping on the phone with him today I won't be asking for any refund. I was unaware that the amount of $ he's spent on sending his tech out has already obliterated his margin on the sale of my machine. He also expressed that mine has been an anomaly when it comes to the 10 LE's he sold. No one else has either a) had all of the same issues or b) has reported them (they may have fixed issues themselves or still haven't paid attention/cared). I trust now that I simply got a lemon, but one that can be sweetened back to expected. And Stern themselves have been good at sending me new parts (albeit a bit slow). In summary, I feel that my dist. is an amazing human being who is going above and beyond. He could have told me to F off but instead took losses to make sure all is right. And while I still have the T-Rex and plunger issues, I'm confident that he'll still run that to solution if needed.

Yes, the plunger is still an issue. I'm awaiting parts. The T-Rex has been fixed physically to where I can only imagine once Stern gets it right software wise, the catching issue will subside. fooflighter snaroff PM me if you want more specific answers to your questions.

I hope others don't have all of the same issues I'm having but if they do I hope their dist/seller is as communicative and helpful as mine has been.

Hi all. Am I losing my mind or is the JPLE manual's picture wrong for how the spring is assembeled on the auto-plunger/slingshot assembly? The manual shows the end of spring being 1/2 way inserted inside the coil + around the plastic coil sleeve. Mine's fat end sits above the coil mechanism currently. Just wanted to make sure I was looking at this correctly while installing a new arm.

IMG_20191206_180734~2 (resized).jpg

I'm guessing this is just drawn incorrectly but am still looking for input from the forum. This is all in reference to my ongoing effort to fix my auto-plunger not getting the ball up and around the right halfpipe. It's at a 1/10 to 3/20 failure to rate and often fails 2-3 times in a row. The only thing I've been able to determine via slow motion video is that when it fails, it's not a velocity problem. It's that the ball is not being launched in a straight direction. Something is causing the kicker arm and the link assembly to shift/pivot to the right or left at launch depending on who knows what. That sends the ball bouncing back and forth down the lane and once it hits the halfpipe, it's a) not hitting it square and b) has lost too much velocity to make it around. Everything is as tight as it can be and I have changed velocity settings a number of times to no avail.

Here's my attempt at a slow motion video when it happens. Sorry if the video plays in a mirrored direction: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nPGFDVfC61DnbxZz8

One thing that puzzles me is how much L/R give there is in the connection at the plastic piece of the 515-6304-03 PLUNGER / LINK ASSEMBLY. I can watch the arm pivot L/R as I push back and forth. I feel like when it pivots too much during play, the issue occurs.

Here's a video that shows what I'm describing: https://photos.app.goo.gl/x2WX9ZbiHxkBrZWN7

I looked at a different Stern machine (Guardians I think?) and it didn't have hardly any give. Does anyone know if this amount of give mine has is expected?
If you don't think so, could maybe the shaft (# 4 - 545-5352-00 NYLINER, 3/16" SHAFT) be too long or the "pin" (#8 - 530-7834-00 PIN: KICKER ARM, AUTO-PLUNGER) cut incorrectly?

I feel like any one of the 5.9 AUTO LAUNCH ASSEMBLY parts, including the kicker arm being bent/distorted could be to blame. I'm not convinced it's the kicker arm though. I say that b/c if it was, I expect nearly 100% failure.

Sorry for the long post just really want to get this fixed and I have already installed a new 515-6304-03 PLUNGER / LINK ASSEMBLY. Stern sent me 3 and all are identical to the original one. I need to know which part(s) to ask them for next.

Nope and I'm definitely in their first batch since I ordered in July. On 11/15 Stern responded to me saying LSOG should get theirs in 2-3 weeks. On 11/29 LSOG said they were told by Stern, "we will be getting ours on the next shipment out from the factory." I just emailed both again. Very perplexed. Maybe next week? LOL

Any chance this was from Little Shop of Games? Still waiting on mine.

I ordered mine 12 days after you. Same batch.

Did you actually get a tracking number though? Your screenshot shows order fully processed as if they simply processed your payment but haven't actually shipped it yet. Unsure what shipped confirmation emails look like from LSOG.

Wanted to follow up on this auto-plunger issue. I believe I have it resolved for my LE so I wanted to share the solution.
Stern was kind enough to send me an entire 5.9 AUTO LAUNCH ASSEMBLY. Upon comparing the old and new I have to say nothing jumped out as different. The new one still has the same amount of "give" in the #17 515-6304-03 PLUNGER / LINK ASSEMBLY where it meets the arm. The only difference is that the old #2 535-0728-00 KICKER ARM was distorted due to attempts to bend it in the beginning.
When installing the new, I re-used the existing coil and switch since the assembly didn't come with the connector soldered on.

Resolution: LOWER (do not increase) the #256 AUTO-PLUNGER POWER setting. For me the magic number ended up being 182 (190 is the default). The magic number for you is going to depend on the angle of your game. Mine is pretty much center-bubbled.
If the setting adjustment alone doesn't fix it, request a new assembly from Stern like I did.
I definitely do not suggest prying around and bending your original assembly nor making adjustments to the metal lane piece.

I hope this helps!

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Tl;dr but here are details from all my tests:

Using the DIAG > CLR tool I ran some tests, making adjustments to the plunger velocity in ADJ > Game > Auto plunger setting along the way.
Tested about 30-40 balls each time.

TEST #1: Setting = 190 (Default)
Ironically the first ball failed. Failure rate appeared to be exactly the same as before 1/10 to 3/20 failure rate, sometimes 2-3 in a row.

TEST #2: Setting = 195
This seemed better at first but then I got a bunch of failures in a row.

TEST #3: Setting = 200
Bad idea. Failed more than 50% of the time.

TEST#4: Setting = 185
Now I was getting somewhere. I think I went almost 20 balls without a failure.

TEST #5: Setting = 182
The magic number! Tested 60+ balls without a single failure!

I've now played at least 30 more games and I kid you not, I have had only ONE failure.

You're welcome! I've tried to be vigilant about following up on all the issues I've had with enough detail that it will help others, especially if I have a resolution to share. It's important to do! I also look for if my solution worked for other folks. VERY curious about responses for this one.

Perhaps there's already an answer I just can't find it. Curious if any company has put together a full rubber + plastic replacement set for JP (post sleeves, o-rings etc.)? I'm traversing the parts list and adding onesie twosies to my Pinball Life cart, wondering if there's a better way / simply a set I can buy with desired colors. Looks like some companies have put together sets for other games.

Anyone have advice on lighting up the raptor + tower area better? It's really dark in that general vicinity. I think purpose of the light mounted behind the helipad sign is to shine across the field to do so but doesn't do a great job. It's almost like light needs to be coming from a different direction. I'm not really looking to buy a pinstadium kit but perhaps someone knows of a good mini LED lamp to mount over there somewhere? I have the tower mod from mezel but the lights they used are super dim and orange which is cool (and I think expected?) but they don't provide additional light per se. Appreciate any tips!

As long as you've ruled out it getting caught on anything (i.e. the hand sticking under the top of the cage, the counterbalance sticking above the plastic guard), it's likely the mold of the body vs. legs or like was already said you need to loosen the legs a bit. Lastly you may have a little wiggle room to rotate the legs ever so slightly where they are screwed in at the feet. But I hope you don't have to do the latter. BEWARE it's very difficult to get those screws back in. See this post about the nightmare I had with that: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/33#post-5268057

EDIT: I think this question/issue can be disregarded. I now believe what I was seeing was a lamp under one of the right side plastics that appeared to be coming from the underside. Unless anyone knows of an underside light in that area of course.

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I noticed a light issue that I think has been going on all along I just didn't know. Around the center of the playfield where the Escape Nublar and Visitor Center LEDs are, there's a light that lights up the playfield in that general area (from the underside). When I'm playing it's never on. When I was running the auto plunger test today I noticed it dimly flickering as I tested. I went through all the lamp/light/LED tests I could find and none of them seem to trigger that light specifically. I'm not even sure which one it is in the manual. Does anyone know which one I'm talking about?

Here's a pic of the general location:
Playfield light area (resized).png

I haven't tried titans but I love the superbands I bought. I went with orange for the bottom flippers and green for the top. It does come down to your preference. The polyurethane is "stickier" than the standard rubber which I like better when it comes to catching the ball and they feel more precise. My standard rubbers were also deteriorating quickly. Only thing I do miss about the standard is being able to let the ball ride the left flipper over to the right one to catch it. The superbands will slow the velocity during that trick. I suppose some wax could change that but I'm leaving them as is. The glow is really cool too!

I'm still working on this with another pinsider. We recently obtained a new version of an amazing dialogue only mix of the JP original movie (better than the rip you can do from the 7.1 remastered discs). This is causing us to retrace our audio cutting and sweetening steps, but it's going to be well worth it. The introduction of the 0.97 new voice actor and other factors from that update have also slowed things a bit. I will post an update in this topic once I have something positive to share. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-jurassic-park-2-custom-code-project
We appreciate everyone's interest and patience thus far!

I feel like I came across a post for recommended EQ settings but asking b/c I can't find it. I have the PinSub kit from Pinnovators hooked up to an external Polk sub. I then I have the outputs RCA Y-cabled to feed an additional pair of active speakers that project sound from the rear corners of my tiny game room. In other words, I have the sound feeding all of the pin's speakers + my external ones + the sub.

I'm curious if anyone has a similar set up and if so, what you have toyed with as far as 10 settings, especially since 0.97 introduced a 10-band EQ option. In the release notes, this is mentioned:
- Added UTIL->VOL Adjustment "SELECT AUDIO FILTER". Values are:
"NONE", "HIGH/LOW SHELF", and "10 BAND EQ". Default value is "HIGH/LOW SHELF".
"NONE": No filtering will be performed on the audio output. Useful when using
the Line Out as input for an external device.

I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that last sentence ("NONE": No filtering will be performed on the audio output. Useful when using
the Line Out as input for an external device). It almost seems to imply you are bypassing the pin's speakers altogether and are using an outboard EQ + speakers instead. I am not using an external EQ. My speakers do have a simply 3-band EQ on them but I have other games routing to them as well via an audio switch so I keep those flat.

Wait are you saying that as of right now, no more rods are being released by Stern to anyone? I've had mine on preorder from Little Shop Of Games since the first week of Aug. They ordered like 20 way back then and have only received 4. I'm next in line but per your description it sound like it could be quite sometime...

Got somewhat promising news from Stern this morning. They haven't had any stock in the past few weeks but are expecting about 50 pcs in the next week or two. So that sounds like production hasn't halted, just stalled again it seems. I'll definitely post again once I receive shipping confirmation from LSOG.

For replacing the jeep / truck: I've been trying to find a 1:43 scale model of the green and red Ford (Jungle) Explorer. From others who have replaced theirs with the Jada Jeep 1:43, that seems to be the right scale. Anyone know of a company who makes the explorer in 1:43 scale? So far, I've only been able to find Matchbox and Tomica models that are too small (1:64 scale). Here's a pic of the Matchbox one for reference. Thanks!

Matchbox Jurassic Ford Explorer (resized).jpg

I was really hoping for some kind of video mode before or once they hit the 1.xx mark. I assume this means there will never be one? Assuming so b/c as I'm told most of the time once a game hits 1.xx that means it's not much more than bug fixes and improvements to current modes/video/audio stuff. Aka no "brand new" gameplay features will be added moving forward. What about the auto-launch button? Is its only implementation going to be the one-time tranquilizer? Curious if anyone has some insight on this notion. I could be misinformed.

Low and behold, 8 months later I finally received my Stern Amber Shooter Rod from LSOG. I hope others are starting to get theirs too. The irony though is that the mosquito in mine just doesn't even look like a mosquito. It doesn't even have legs or a proboscis. While it looks great overall, lights work etc., I just feel underwhelmed after waiting all this time. I'm wondering this is just what all the "insects" look like? Could others share a close up pic of theirs? Pics of mine below.

IMG_20200323_200306 (resized).jpg

IMG_20200323_200310 (resized).jpg

Unsure if you looked closely at my pictures. Mine looks like a sliver of wood with wings attached. I don't think simply expecting the product to look like a mosquito, especially given the price + an 8 month delay is being obsessive. Yours looks like what I was expecting. I appreciate you sharing the photo, that's what I was looking to find out.

Thanks to all you guys above for providing feedback and pics. I ended up letting my support contact at Stern know and he thoroughly agreed that what I got was in no way up to the standards of the quality they expect. I now know that I'm not crazy aka the amber shooter I received is not what it was intended to be. So, he's going to have a new one, personally inspected beforehand sent out to me (as time permits with what's going these days of course). That's amazing customer service in my opinion. I'm very thankful for the level of support Stern continues to provide. You guys simply spending the time to reply with your thoughts and pics was beyond helpful. Hopefully I just got a bad one and those who finally receive theirs from this latest run aren't like mine. More pics for good measure in case it helps:

IMG_20200324_130301 (resized).jpg

IMG_20200324_130318 (resized).jpg

IMG_20200324_130329 (resized).jpg

I hope that you've seen some new ones that actually look like mosquitoes, not what mine looks like. I've already seen pics from 3 other people that look identical to mine. You can't sell a product like that with completely different qualities. I understand there should be minor differences as that's of course what they would be realistically. However these knobs should all at least look like mosquitoes, mounted correctly, not slivers of bark with wings, tiny off-set to the side of the mold. It's clear that previous production runs were what people expected. So based on that, the price tag, initial proven design, let alone those like me who have waited 8 months, what is being sent out today is unacceptable IMO.

So IMO it's one thing to change vendors/production of an item, but it's quite another to sell it as the same product when there are clearly innate differences b/t the runs. From the pics I've seen from multiple people from different runs, it's basically not the same product anymore. To think that whoever at Stern thought the new 'look' would even pass as a 'mosquito' as advertised is beyond me. The new run does not reflect the original product description which is still alive and reads: "Our shooter knob and rod is crowned with an egg-shaped amber globe, housing a suspended fossilized *mosquito*..." https://shop.sternpinball.com/collections/accessories/products/jurassic-park-shooter-knob

The bottom line is the 'bug' inside now is not a 'mosquito' so they shouldn't be touting it as such. It makes me wonder if Stern intended on using a very low res product pic from the get go. This is the image they've had and still have today. I have pretty good eyesight. Can you even tell what it's supposed to look like inside of the amber? This is their actual .jpg file on the site (highest res, unedited version you can download/view from the product posting, not a thumbnail):
JP_Shooter_on_game_1070x1070_crop_center (resized).jpg

Looks like the Papo one/the same one I added to my pin. It really does look fantastic and super easy to mount with that specific screw/post location. You just have to make sure his wings don't impede on the ramp. The way he has his mounted more upright is how I have mine too and that does the trick! Oh I didn't end up drilling into mine (maybe he did?). I used a sturdy wire clamp to one of the figurine's feet/ankle. Hasn't failed so far. There are multiple ways of course. Let me know if you want to see pics of the way I did it.

Yeah that's the best thing about adding this Papo pterandon figure in particular, especially in this location. It looks like it belonged there in the first place like you said. Plus it's an inexpensive, very detailed addition. I highly recommend!

Possibly stupid question. Is there a feature adjustment for the Slingshot "sensitivity"? I see one for Slingshot Power but I'm unsure if that adjusts how hard the slingshot slings the ball when triggered or if it adjusts amount of force the ball has to contact it with in order to trigger the slingshot/sling the ball at all. Or maybe there's another setting I'm not seeing? I'm looking for a way to adjust the latter. It's just way too sensitive IMO to the point of frustrating at times. I also wonder if my swapping those rubbers out for Superbands has made them worse/more sensitive. Appreciate any insight!

Ah ok I think that makes sense, thanks Arcade ! I wish there was a menu setting adjustment instead as I would hate to break these completely. Just so I'm clear, you're saying increase the gap(s) like so with a flat-head screwdriver? (see screenshot)

2020-06-28_11-11-11 (resized).png

ectobar Using the screwdriver method ever so carefully worked. I also re-attached the stock rubber rings. I can now finally catch the ball when it lightly touches the slingshot instead of it being slinged annoyingly/unexpectedly. Now when the ball hits either with an appropriate force, they sling away as expected. THANK YOU! This is a gameplay changer to say the least. I will also say that I now understand why a tool was made. With the screwdriver method, one could accidentally "disable" the slingshot entirely by bending too far or damage the switch entirely. So good tool callout there. I'm going to play with the stock rubbers for a while then try my super bands again later to see if there's a difference in gap. One thing I noticed early on when installing the superbands is that they seemed "stressed" at the connecting pegs... as if they were "smaller" than the stock ones (but they are not). What I mean is that with the superbands, they seemed to press the forward part of the switch further back than with the stock rings (in turn, closing the connection between the back of the switch and making it more "sensitive" to hits).

I believe they did stop sending extra stuff. All I got with my LE was replacement stickers for the switches IIRC.

I've been in contact with Stern ever since I got my "not really a mosquito" rod. They have promised to replace it and have acknowledged that later runs of it were terrible. But even after recent followups they have not confirmed any new, improved production happening anytime soon. I would not suggest buying one at this time unless the seller can send you a pic of what you'll actually receive. It seems it was only the first run that actually looked the way they should. I hope that many people including you contact Stern directly to ask. Unfortunately, getting accurate new runs of that rod is apparently not a priority for them at this time.

There are tons of Nedry lines they put into the code but decided to never trigger, including this one. I'm pretty sure out of the 20 or so they have in the code, only 5 or 6 ever play. It's really sad. B/c of this, I put the line you mentioned w/ at the end "see, nobody cares" in my custom code for an option that plays during the control room entry, instead of that horrible, fake Ray Arnold actor saying the same thing.

Here you go. Pics can be seen in a post from me a while back in this thread. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/97#post-5548869

Nope. They are supposed to but haven't made new production of the rod. Therefore if you buy one now from their site you're gonna get what I got.

Does anyone else have an issue where a ball will fly into/behind the raptor figure in between the two clear plastics there and get stuck? (i.e. in between the tower model and next to/behind the raptor)? It's been driving me bonkers b/c when that happens it requires pulling the glass off to retrieve it, often with a magnet and losing your game. It seems the "dual" plastics there are supposed to prevent that but they don't on my LE. They like to "trap" the ball instead. Hopefully this pic shows the area where this happens often. Anyone aware of a way to prevent this? I will say that the tower mod might be partially to blame because that one plastic it comes with does tends to contact the tower wall itself "bending" it up/downwards from it's expected position.
Raptor (resized).jpg

You guys both have good points. Yes I have the Marco balls and see more flys (didn't know that was a thing). For me it's much more frequent that what you guys have witnessed. I will try "shaving" the plastic so that it doesn't contact the modded tower. I say this b/c when it does happen the plastic has touched the modded tower and turned itself up/down. I feel like it's a design issue, mod or not. Hoping to hear if anyone without the tower mod who has this issue. Would be cool if someone made a "blocker", perhaps some kind of vertical clear plastic to avoid this altogether. No clue how that would work/how it would mount tho.

Anyway really appreciate the insight here guys. I'll report back!

This looks like a viable prevention! However, you say you just wedge it in there with no fastening. Is the pressure of the two plastics with that clear post in between actually enough to keep that "wedge"/clear post it in there? It seems like that would be prone to getting knocked out onto the playfield itself. I mean, you said 500 games and no issue so I'm not trying to doubt you. Just seems a bit scary to have no adhesive. I'll give that a shot though since I have some extra post superbands that I'm not using. Thanks brotha!