Gold Trim on LOTR LE

Avoided this subject so far until I had more understanding of the problem.  Have heard recently of others reporting the same problems so more willing to give my opinion.  In one sentence: the "brass finish" on the lockbar and siderails tarnishes very easily.  I tried taking a picture, but because of the reflections it's incredibly difficult to document in a photo.  Found brown tarnish spots near where your thumbs rest on the the siderails and also some bad brown discoloration marks and places with 'black specks' on the lockbar.  This is within 3-4 months from NIB.  Got in touch with Stern and they offered to swap out the lockbar for another new one under guarantee.  I would have to return the original, which is fine.

So when I got the replacement, I figured I would clean it up and try to seal it.  No wax or other finish on it, and I tried Krylon "triple thick".  Did a dry coat and then one wet coat.  Big mistake,  it looked like a hammered finish and only went clear in a few areas.   I had to 'T-cut' it back off, no not with 'T-cut' !!!  I used a brass polish called 'brasso' that I like and it acted like a solvent and a slightly abrasive compound.  After a few minutes carefully cutting only the Krylon off, it was back to shiny and bright.  But I'm not sure of the long term effect of this step, seems OK and I plan to wipe it down after game use.

I learned my lesson.  It needs a lacquer of some sort and not a polyurethane.  Auto clear might be perfect, but I don't have the ability to shoot a 2-part clear at  home.  Perhaps next I will get in touch with the local metal plating and chroming shop and ask advice.

Personally, I won't be buying a 'gold effect version' game again.  Unless it really is gold plated. Brass seems to scratch and tarnish much too easily. I like chrome, which is more durable.  They actually have to nickel plate the metal and then add a chrome plate layer on top, if I'm not mistaken.

Back after a visit to the USA for nearly a month.
Went to see the Ironman2 film at the Imax the weekend it came out, and my brother took delivery of a Stern Ironman at his house near Chicago.  Had played it during the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown RMPS tournament in Golden Colorado. I'm not in the same league as the serious tourney players there.

IM is a fun game, but more random than LOTR due to the two playfield magnets and a "war machine" kickback.  It could easily kick my arse, nearly every time!  I only once got to the final "do or die" mode, after making all the other modes, and then drained trying to make the shot as it counted down from 50Mil (I think).  I think I like slower paced games, although the theme is great.  Great sounds and light show, should earn well on location.

Back to LOTR LE, I fitted the Shaker Motor today kit (502-5027-00 rev B.) and it was fairly easy to do.  More on the shaker later once I get my shots back and can get further into the game.

A couple of points if you fit a Shaker to a LOTR LE:

1. The tiny PCB (printed circuit board) needs to go somewhere else than where the instructions show, or you need to mount the shaker motor further away from the side of the machine towards the coin box.  Otherwise you can't get the cover off the shaker motor without taking out the PCB.  No big deal.
2. The #8-32 screws that hold the cover on didn't fit.  I think they weren't tapped out correctly  on the motor.  I just changed to some self tapping machine screws.
3. The BRN-GRY wire didn't exist on my LOTR LE harness.  The only wire in the back of the cabinet that looked correct was BLU-YEL.  It did have a center connector on the same size molex plug, so I went for it and it worked.

The shaker "blips" when you make certain shots, like adding the FOTR characters and making the right shots during modes.  The choreography of the game play and the Shaker Motor is outstanding, like when the doors shut at the beginning of the "Gandalf vs. Saruman" mode.  This is a great add-on for the price.  About $170 at Pinball Life, if they have them in stock.  Costs more from a Stern distributor, e.g. pinballsales.com quotes a RRP of $290 for the same shaker motor kit but have decent  prices on NIB Stern games.

Flasher changes:

Bought some 4+1HP flashers at RMPS from Cointaker.com.  Amber Flasher LED in the two "helms deep" flashers.  Trying an Amber one in the backboard ring flasher, and I may put one under the sword lock when I can get to it.  Yellow/Amber #906 bulb for now.  There's also an Orange LED flasher behind the Eye at the top of Barad-Dur.  About the only original #906 flasher left will be under the playfield at the "DTR" insert. 

I also bought a slower color-changing #44 LED for the Palantir, but it doesn't work on the game.

Away for a while in the USA

I'm leaving tomorrow, if I can fly out from London (UK) to Denver, CO.  They closed UK airspace for about 6 days, and it's just getting back to normal.  Perfect timing for me, I hope.

Itinerary:  Golden, CO.  Santa Fe, NM.  And then on to Chicago, the windy city.

Heading to the RMPS in Golden, CO.  A really fun pinball show and not too big, still has a family atmosphere.  Unlike Expo '09 in Wheeling, IL near Chicago.  You also get an added benefit of the crisp clean air of the Rocky Mountains, with a Coors brewery tour not far away.


Colorado, where the air is cold and thin, and the beer is colder and thinner.

Will rent a car and drive to New Mexico, where I was born.  I have some business to sort out while there.

Next I'm flying to Chicago, the home of pinball.   My older brother lives there and perhaps I will get to see something new coming from Stern.  It certainly should be a chance to pick up some parts locally.  May find time to blog from there on this site about what I find out.


I won't be modifying my LOTR LE game (or playing it) so not many posts about that until I'm back.

Defeated the Balrog today

That's it, won the FoTR MB.  I can do all the elements of a good game: DTR, win FoTR or other MBs, get to TaBA.  But "putting it all together" in one game is still a challenge for me.  See abbreviations list if you can't understand my geeky jargon.

Really happy with the wood rail protector/ PoTD post combination mentioned recently. Doesn't change gameplay, but helps with the flow.

PoTD Post Diverter

Gave this PoTD Post Diverter Target a try, took me half a minute to fit.

Saw a solution posted on RGP of tapping out a $0.75 clear post and then using an #6-32 threaded rod.  Just wanted to see how it played, so did this mod instead with parts on hand. Removed one screw and intalled a new # 6-32 MS metal post with a black post bead on it. Done. Will try some games with the post there for a while, and then decide if it's a good solution.

Ingredients: Metal 6-32 MS threaded post, black post bead 7/16" OD. You need to use a # 6-32 MS threaded post to replace the screw at the end of the PoTD. That's what I did here.

To get a perfect look, use a threaded rod (cut down a 6-32 screw) and a mini-jewel clear plastic post ($0.75 from "Pinball Life" see parts links page). Stern ref is #550-5052-01.
So far, I like that it doesn't divert every ball to the wireform.

TTT MB (The Two Towers MultiBall) rules

Interested in the depth of the ruleset today. Been focusing in on TTT MB (The Two Towers).
You achive it simply by spelling K-E-E-P with the bottom lanes to light locks, then lock three balls on the sword.  Easy? It's more complicated than you think!

Some of this is my own explanation, adapted from the excellent ruleset writen by metallik on RGP:

1. Lock insert is solid when a lock is lit, flashing when TTT MB ready (it's flashing for the 3rd lock). There's not always 2 balls locked on the sword when this happens!
   
2. If setting is EX-Easy or Easy:  Locks can be stacked, meaning multiple K-E-E-Ps can be completed before locking a ball.
   It does this on the first TTT MB, and the ball saver gives the balls back if you haven't scored a Jackpot.
   
3. On the next TTT MBs, you can't stack locks. You *must* lock a ball before the next lock can be lit.
   Always true if Feature setting #4 is MODERATE or higher. 
4. During regular play, if all four letters stay lit, it means you must lock a ball before the next set can be collected.  On the first TTT MB if all four stay lit, that means you have all three locks qualified. It looks unusual when playing, but that's just the way the game rules work.
5. K-E-E-P letters can only be collected during normal play - a multiball saves the state and prevents any more letters from being collected.
6. On later TTT MBs (4th TTT MB or if LOTR Feature adjustment #4 is Extra Hard) KEEP letters will toggle with every rollover.  Meaning if you have letter "K" lit and roll past it, it unlights.  You hear the same "arrow thunk" sound as when draining down outlanes when you lose a letter. Cool effect.

THE TWO TOWERS LOCK DIFFICULTY:
LOTR FEATURE ADJUSTMENT #04

Setting	Locks	K-E-E-P	Lane Memory	Locks Stack
EXTRA EASY	None Lit	2 Letters	Yes	Yes
EASY	None Lit	1 Letter	Yes	Yes
MODERATE	None Lit	1 Letter	Yes	No
HARD	None Lit	1 Letter	No	No
EXTRA HARD	None Lit	1 Letter	Lanes Toggle	No

Note: This adjustment controls how hard it is to light locks.
Default is EX-EASY. Information above is taken from the game manual. Software revisions may modify this in future.

A funny thing I observed:
You can get ALL the K-E-E-P lights frozen solid and they stay on even when all the other lamps other go dark.  Both GI and controlled, for “Path of the Dead” or any of the other modes.  It cleared after scoring TTT MB (The Two Towers).  Then you are back to no balls locked and no K-E-E-P lights lit and plays normally from there. I have also seen that at game over the attract mode will clear locked K-E-E-P lamps. So the CPU is KEEPing (ha!) them lit.  If it's a software bug, setting LOTR Feature #4 to MODERATE (or higher) hides it.

Perhaps it was the first time I had ever qualified for TTT MB, by stacking the 3 locks but without locking a ball? (See 4th bullet point above). A weird effect you get from holding the K-E-E-P lamps on when a lock has been pre-qualified.  Any one else seen or understand it?

Finally a possible software bug:

My LE game has the latest CPU ROMs v10.02, as delivered from factory Dec 2009.

I noticed that when the LOTR Palantir awards a "Spot K-E-E-P letter" it doesn't add one. You get the display, but a letter doesn't get lit by the Palantir.  Maybe makes earning locks harder, or a feature not implemented correctly?

I have written to Stern and am waiting to see what they say. Got first reply 19th April 2010.  To "check the lamps #1-4 were lighting in the single lamp test." Yeah, they are and the lamps all work exactly as they should.