Thing lights on TAF ColorDMD LCD

Thing lights on TAF ColorDMD LCD

Hi all,

 

I have sent an email to ColorDMD support regarding the THING lights not working after I installed the LCD. The reply was that I needed to use the lowest set of mounting holes on the LCD to raise it up and then use the original lamp board. Can anybody that has an LCD installed in their Addams Family please confirm that is the way to install it? I thought the LCD dealt with the Thing lights, but it seems I am wrong :confused:

 

Cheers,

Matthew

That is correct.

The LCD does not run the thing lights.

You need to use the original lamp board.

At least that is the way mine is wired up

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all,

 

I have sent an email to ColorDMD support regarding the THING lights not working after I installed the LCD. The reply was that I needed to use the lowest set of mounting holes on the LCD to raise it up and then use the original lamp board. Can anybody that has an LCD installed in their Addams Family please confirm that is the way to install it? I thought the LCD dealt with the Thing lights, but it seems I am wrong :confused:

 

Cheers,

Matthew

When I installed mine I also used the existing THING light board. It does mean you have to replace the speaker panel first before closing the hinged back glass light panel as the LCD screen is too high to allow the hinged panel to open and close if the speaker panel is in place.

Small pain for great display imo.

LAP

Pinball Pinot & Pizza Appreciation Society

Hi all,

 

I have sent an email to ColorDMD support regarding the THING lights not working after I installed the LCD. The reply was that I needed to use the lowest set of mounting holes on the LCD to raise it up and then use the original lamp board. Can anybody that has an LCD installed in their Addams Family please confirm that is the way to install it? I thought the LCD dealt with the Thing lights, but it seems I am wrong :confused:

 

Cheers,

Matthew

Does the LCD have a 9 pin input to receive the connector originally used to drive the lamp board?

Wondering if the functionality was dropped in newer versions?

That is correct.

 

The LCD does not run the thing lights.

You need to use the original lamp board.

 

At least that is the way mine is wired up

When I installed mine I also used the existing THING light board. It does mean you have to replace the speaker panel first before closing the hinged back glass light panel as the LCD screen is too high to allow the hinged panel to open and close if the speaker panel is in place.

 

Small pain for great display imo.

 

LAP

Thanks guys, that is just what I wanted to know :023:

Does the LCD have a 9 pin input to receive the connector originally used to drive the lamp board?

Wondering if the functionality was dropped in newer versions?

Nope, there is no connection on the LCD for the 9-pin connector. I saw this video on Youtube (

I'm thinking I might buy one of these down the track -> http://pin-mods.com/product/taf-thing-light-board/

Cheers,

Matthew

Thanks guys, that is just what I wanted to know :023:

 

 

 

Nope, there is no connection on the LCD for the 9-pin connector. I saw a video on Youtube showing the old LCD with that connection, I don't know why they removed it. I'll ask Randy at ColorDMD.

 

I'm thinking I might buy one of these down the track -> http://pin-mods.com/product/taf-thing-light-board/

 

Cheers,

Matthew

When they originally added that input I understand they planned to use it for TAF, DW and I another that escapes me. It turned out too complex to support multiple machines and stuck with TAF only. On top of that the brightness was disappointing.. So not worth their while to bother...

You can convert your board to LED with 8 dissected 555 superbrights, a 9 pin header and some wire and heat shrink. I did my DW in 20 mins with a few beers under my belt :-).

I re-installed the THING lamp board on the speaker panel today, but even using the lowest mounting holes on the LCD, I could not get the lamp board mounting legs to line up with the original holes on the speaker panel :realmad: I was getting so frustrated I ended up just making new holes. Now that I have calmed down, I am curious to know what other people have done to install the lamp board? :unsure

Cheers,

Matthew

I re-installed the THING lamp board on the speaker panel today, but even using the lowest mounting holes on the LCD, I could not get the lamp board mounting legs to line up with the original holes on the speaker panel :realmad: I was getting so frustrated I ended up just making new holes. Now that I have calmed down, I am curious to know what other people have done to install the lamp board? :unsure

 

Cheers,

Matthew

Hope these help.....

LAP

Hope these help.....

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111752[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111753[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111751[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111754[/ATTACH]

 

 

LAP

Thanks for the photos. My lamp board was hard up against the bottom of the LCD but I still could not get the mounting legs to line up with the original holes. The new holes I made allow the lamp board to sit a few mm below the bottom of the LCD. I'm happy enough with it but would have preferred to use the original holes if it was possible.

Cheers,

Matthew

I have just noticed that the THING lights on the speaker panel are not working correctly. Once a game is started, the letters "THI" are lit but never change, and the stars and the letters "NG" never light. I have reseated the connector but it makes no difference. Any suggestions why this could be happening? :please:

Cheers,

Matthew

I have just noticed that the THING lights on the speaker panel are not working correctly. Once a game is started, the letters "THI" are lit but never change, and the stars and the letters "NG" never light. I have reseated the connector but it makes no difference. Any suggestions why this could be happening? :please:

 

Cheers,

Matthew

Have you run the THING lights through the test menu?

Are the switches working on the ramps to register the extra THING lamps?

Pinball Pinot & Pizza Appreciation Society

Have you run the THING lights through the test menu?

 

Are the switches working on the ramps to register the extra THING lamps?

 

Pinball Pinot & Pizza Appreciation Society

Thanks for your reply @LAP

The *THING* lights work when run through the Test menu, and the switches all work in the Test Menu and in-game. The *THING* lights do not change in-game - the "THI" lights remain lit through the entire game and the remaining letters & stars are never lit :confused:

Cheers,

Matthew

Thanks for your reply @LAP

 

The *THING* lights work when run through the Test menu, and the switches all work in the Test Menu and in-game. The *THING* lights do not change in-game - the "THI" lights remain lit through the entire game and the remaining letters & stars are never lit :confused:

 

Cheers,

Matthew

From memory every time a ball is shot into the Thing Sauscer a letter should be added.... in game is it just the lights so do you get the Thing bonus and have Thing take the ball only to return it after hitting the ball into the Thing Saucer several times ?

If the lights work on test it has to be a switch issue I would think.

Pinball Pinot & Pizza Appreciation Society

From memory every time a ball is shot into the Thing Sauscer a letter should be added.... in game is it just the lights so do you get the Thing bonus and have Thing take the ball only to return it after hitting the ball into the Thing Saucer several times ?

 

If the lights work on test it has to be a switch issue I would think.

 

Pinball Pinot & Pizza Appreciation Society

Thanks for your reply again @LAP

I have found a solution to the "THI" lamps on the speaker panel being lit once a game is started - A. Adjustments Menu - A2. Feature Adjustments - 16 Free Thing Lamps was set to 3 so I changed it to 0 and job's done :D

Regarding the lighting of the THING lamps on my machine, instead of the THING saucer controlling the lamps, it is the Left Staircase :confused:

According to the manual:

Every time a ball is shot into THINGS EJECT HOLE, a letter is added to the THING spellout on the speaker display panel. When T-H-I-N-G has been spelled, the next shot to Thing will activate the Hand and 5 Million will be scored. If a player can do it again, then 10 Million etc., will be scored.

Any idea why on my machine the Left Staircase controls the lamps? :unsure

Cheers,

Matthew

I have found a solution to the "THI" lamps on the speaker panel being lit once a game is started - A. Adjustments Menu - A2. Feature Adjustments - 16 Free Thing Lamps was set to 3 so I changed it to 0 and job's done :D

That's the default setting. When you start a new game, three THING letters are already lit so you need to add only two more to get to the first collect. Thereafter, you need to light each letter separately.

Regarding the lighting of the THING lamps on my machine, instead of the THING saucer controlling the lamps, it is the Left Staircase :confused:

 

According to the manual:

 

Every time a ball is shot into THINGS EJECT HOLE, a letter is added to the THING spellout on the speaker display panel. When T-H-I-N-G has been spelled, the next shot to Thing will activate the Hand and 5 Million will be scored. If a player can do it again, then 10 Million etc., will be scored.

 

Any idea why on my machine the Left Staircase controls the lamps? :unsure

The problem is with the manual, not the machine. The staircase is supposed to light the THING letters. The eject hole behind the bookcase is what collects the award once THING is complete. Nothing wrong with your machine.

Michi.

Yep. Every addams i have played, left staircase lights thing letters. Plenty of mistakes in manuals.

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That's the default setting. When you start a new game, three THING letters are already lit so you need to add only two more to get to the first collect. Thereafter, you need to light each letter separately.

I changed it to 0 because I prefer it, but it's good to know it is adjustable.

The problem is with the manual, not the machine. The staircase is supposed to light the THING letters. The eject hole behind the bookcase is what collects the award once THING is complete. Nothing wrong with your machine.

 

Michi.

Yep. Every addams i have played, left staircase lights thing letters. Plenty of mistakes in manuals.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your replies :023: It is interesting that the TAF and TAF Gold manuals both are incorrect, you would think the TAF Gold manual would have been corrected :rolleyes

Cheers,

Matthew