Modern Pachinko for Dummies/Newbies

[rdm5161]

So I though adding a pachinko to my home arcade would be a cool idea. Especially since I am running out of floor space, with 4 jukeboxes, two pinball machines, Cocktail table 60 in 1 arcade, and a Commercial dartboard.

Picked up an ET machine locally. After clean up, and new balls, it seems to play pretty good. Some questions though.

1. Does not pay out very much. Is there a setting to increase payouts?
2. This is probably stupid question...but...can the language be set to English
3. Is there and English language instruction book available anywhere.


I have Googled and came up with very little information about this particular machine. I am sure, however ET will not be the last.

Thanks much.

Rich

[hanabi]

Hello!!

Congrats on your pachinko machine, sounds like a great theme and probably not too common

1) There are no settings on a pachinko (unlike pachislos which have settings). The only way to increase the amount of balls that make it to the pockets is to 'tune' the pins / nails, that is achieved by very gently bending the nails above the pockets to widen the gaps between those nails.

2) Pachinkos are Japanese machines, manufactured for use in Pachinko Parlours and never really intended to travel to the west or be used in a home setting, so there are no language settings that i am aware of. You may sometimes see some English writing on them or speech but they are predominantly Japanese.

3) As above, these machines may have some guidebooks / manuals but they will be written in Japanese unless a kind member has managed to translate one for us. Usually this Forum is the 'manual' we have some very knowledgeable members who help with queries, if you have any questions I'm sure they will do their best to help.

I can however give you a couple of links to our set up & play guides

PachiTalk


PachiTalk - setup etc


Welcome to PachiTalk!!

[rdm5161]

Hanabi,

Thanks for the info and tips. You confirmed my suspicions...but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[hanabi]

Hanabi,

Thanks for the info and tips. You confirmed my suspicions...but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Never hurts to ask, so if you have any queries or anything, then please do post, we may have members with that model too and they may be able to give you more specific info

If I do find any 'ET' links I will pop back and post them in this thread for you

If you are enjoying pachinko, then I'm sure you will be adding to the collection (I have some pinballs too but my pachinkos outnumber them )

[CarlW]

I had that machine at one time. If you hit a "fever" it will pay out a LOT. Hope that helps.

[Moparformances]

keep in mind that tuning the nails is a bit of an art... adjusting the ones right over the tulip is obvious.. but adjusting the ones further up to send balls in the right direction can help allot more.. bending nails upo and down with help slow ans speed up the balls..

try things.. small changes can make huge differences.. like posted above when a fever is hit then you get all your lost balls back...

and of course

Welcome to Pachitalk

[rdm5161]

Appreciate the replies to this thread. I am not familiar with the pachi lingo...so...what is a fever? Also on the ET machine, there are 4-5 red lights that light up near the Change pocket. Don't know how or why this happens. Is anyone familiar with the nuisances of E.T...or how to increase your odds?

[Moparformances]

the only way to increase your odd is to adjust the nails.

a fever will start when 3 of a kind are matched.. the feaver pocket will open and allow many balls to enter paying out fater then you can transfer balls to the back top hopper.. sems like some machine will pay out a thousand balls or more during a single fever.. your results will very..

I think the 4 lights your referring to are banked spins.. (when you get a ball in the spin pocket the "reels" start to spin.. if durring that spin you get another ball in the start pocket that spin is banked.. so once the original spin is completed the banked spin is used and the reels start immediately..) the player can bank 4 spins max.. one the 4th light or spin is banked then any further balls in the spin pocket are paied out but no additional spins are banked..

hope this all makes sense

all of the above info is being provided by a vintage guy.. technical terms and information may not be correct..

[rdm5161]

Yep..makes sense. I will try to pay more attention the next time I play it. I did hit a "fever" the first night I had it. Was really just testing it out after cleaning it up. It went nuts. There was a little door under the center pocket that opened up and swallowed ball s right up. That was the most lights and sound it has ever made at once. It usually sits fairly quiet until I get a center pocket shot to drop. Then it will spin the reels. Can you tell how many spins you will get? Seems like sometimes one...other times 3.
I am looking forward to getting it mounted on the wall, but need to figure out the lock first. Are keys available? Or, do I depin it, like I have read about? I have also seen some drill a hole in the cabinet in order to stick a finger through to 'pop' the lock.
Also have been reading up on ball lifters. I can see where these can be beneficial. Don't suppose there are any commercially available, or anyone selling kits?

Have noticed there are 4 pockets near the bottom that payout a little if passed through, however the way it is pinned, that is unlikely ever to happen. I know these machines were for making money...but would they really design them where you had to have the perfect bounce? As I recall, the payout is only like 4 balls. That is where I might focus some tweaking first.

Starting to enjoy the new hobby...already looking for #2

[Moparformances]

keys are available.. Im sure a member that knows your frame can direct you in the right direction

drilling a hole is the easy answer..

lifters are out there but kinda rare.. members are always talking about creating a lifter but most find that buying a vintage silver (actually orange in color) lifter is not so bad..