Twilight Zone gameplay question

modessitt

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What advances the clock?

When turned on, it goes thru startup tests and the clock spins around. But I played a few games today while testing other stuff (fixed the display driver, flipper opto bd, etc) and didn't see it move at all. Just wondering what is supposed to make it move so i can test that tomorrow.

I know these things have problems with certain things (the clock?), so I'm not sure if this is that or not...
 
If your clock is going to noon on startup it's probably working. The clock is used during certain modes, clock millions being on of them. Keep activating door panels and eventually the clock should start moving.

Also, don't forget there is a clock test in the setup menu.
 
There are two modes to make the clock turn, but it's not something that slowly advances throughout gameplay. I love the clock, but it's one of the most needlessly expensive and problematic toys out there. Whether it works or not doesn't affect gameplay at all, though it is kind of cool to hear it tick during attract.
 
Okay, here's another question:

I was just playing the game, when I thought I heard the Cousin Itt sounds from Addams Family, then it says "Greed" and sounded just like Addams Family. I know there is a Greed thing in this, but did they just reuse some sounds from Addams Family? I put it into Sound + Music Test and it didn't play either sound during the cycle. All the ROMs are Twilight Zone ROMs...
 
Yeah, it has its own Greed mode in there. I don't remember Cousin It, but the Greed sounds are similar if not the same. The Cousin It sound that you're picking up on could be the alien, but the pitch is way different.

I have the two games side by side, so I often forget which one has which sounds.
 
During the fast lock it will say phrases from Banzai Run, Whirlwind, Earthshaker, funhouse, and Addams Family. If you lock the ball for multiball it will play the background theme of one of these games depending on what phrase was playing at the time. "The Storm is coming". "It's sunny ride time" are two phrases that I remember. "Welcome motocross fans", "hit cousin It" and "hey its only pinball" might be the others.


And the clock is needed in order to see where the hands are to time your hits of the clock properly for maximum points and time during the modes. Plus its just cool. The clock should rotate once around when power is turned on in order to self test the optos and gears. If it doesn't work the game will disengage the clock from gameplay and use and internal timer instead.
 
The clock should rotate once around when power is turned on in order to self test the optos and gears.
Actually, the minute hand rotates about 1 and 3/4 turns forward and then back again. The clock is definitely one of the coolest things in all of pinball, and it enhances gameplay considerably when its working. Not only is it used to time certain modes, but it also makes it really easy to quickly see how much time you have left to hit a particular shot. Plus, it will actually tell time in attract mode if you have that feature enabled. Cool stuff indeed. :)
 
Well, when turned on the clock seems to go around 2 or 3 times, then stops, but it doesn't stop at a specific time. When I put it into Clock Test, it advances around just fine on slow speed and registers all the optos. When I change it to fast speed, it goes around about 1-1/2 times and stops (even though it still says running on the display) and I can push the button to change it to stopped then back to running and it will again move around 1-1/2 times or so. Sometimes it goes backwards....
 
Go into test mode and I'm sure it will say "CLOCK IS BROKEN". It sounds like your clock optos are working intermittently. It's the classic problem with TZ. Best case you just need to take the clock apart give it a thorough cleaning and adjust the clock hands so they trigger the optos correctly. If it's worse some optos may be broken, heat from the lights has damaged the pcbs or the connectors may need fixed. Go back into the test mode and see if the motor will run slow and fast in both forward and reverse. There is tons of info out there on fixing the clock, replacement boards, etc.
 
Well, I fixed the clock today. Had two problems - the 12 opto didn't register and the hours optos weren't advancing.

The hours optos were pretty easy. The Sw Common wire had popped out of the crimp down connector (I hate those damn things). Reinserted and they were working fine.

The 12 opto was a bit more problematic. Sometimes it worked perfectly. Sometimes it wouldn't work at all. I could hold the clock perfectly still and register the opto 20 times in a row. Stop for a second, and it suddenly wouldn't work anymore. I pulled that damn clock apart a couple hundred times while checking solder joints, etc. I'd get it working all the time, put the screws back, and it wouldn't work anymore. I was starting to wonder if there was a logic issue with it.

Well, let's check that. I swapped the 12 opto with the 3 opto. While doing so, I noticed that one of the legs of the opto was so short that it barely got into the hole. I made sure to solder it in on both top and bottom to make sure it was in good. I figured one of three things would happen:

1) The clock would be fixed - indicating that the short leg wasn't making good contact to the trace.

2) The problem would move to the 3 opto, indicating there was a problem with the opto itself. It would also verify that the data lines were good to both optos.

3) Nothing would change - indicating that there was most likely a software or wiring issue.

Well, it turned out to be option #2. My intermittent issues changes to the 3 opto. I replaced it and everything is now working perfectly.

Now I just have to replace a bad GI connector for a string of backbox lights, and it's done...
 
Well, I fixed the clock today. Had two problems - the 12 opto didn't register and the hours optos weren't advancing.

The hours optos were pretty easy. The Sw Common wire had popped out of the crimp down connector (I hate those damn things). Reinserted and they were working fine.

The 12 opto was a bit more problematic. Sometimes it worked perfectly. Sometimes it wouldn't work at all. I could hold the clock perfectly still and register the opto 20 times in a row. Stop for a second, and it suddenly wouldn't work anymore. I pulled that damn clock apart a couple hundred times while checking solder joints, etc. I'd get it working all the time, put the screws back, and it wouldn't work anymore. I was starting to wonder if there was a logic issue with it.

Well, let's check that. I swapped the 12 opto with the 3 opto. While doing so, I noticed that one of the legs of the opto was so short that it barely got into the hole. I made sure to solder it in on both top and bottom to make sure it was in good. I figured one of three things would happen:

1) The clock would be fixed - indicating that the short leg wasn't making good contact to the trace.

2) The problem would move to the 3 opto, indicating there was a problem with the opto itself. It would also verify that the data lines were good to both optos.

3) Nothing would change - indicating that there was most likely a software or wiring issue.

Well, it turned out to be option #2. My intermittent issues changes to the 3 opto. I replaced it and everything is now working perfectly.

Now I just have to replace a bad GI connector for a string of backbox lights, and it's done...

It's not the black socketed lights that are out is it? These held the 545 flashers that on my machine were replaced with 555's by somebody which of course do not work.
 
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