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Thread: Thunderbirds Questions

  1. #1
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Thunderbirds Questions

    Hi everyone,
    Just got a Thunderbirds pachinko to sit next to my Thunderbirds pachislo.
    A few questions if I may, hoping someone out there will have the answers.
    1) The two small 3 way switches near to the top of the machine. What do they do?
    2) Does the "mole" move or do anything? What triggers the activity?
    3) The small LED panel on the front at the bottom with black buttons on either side near the ball firing lever. What is this for & shuld it be working?

    Thanks chaps.

  2. #2
    Master Inventor daverob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Welcome to PachiTalk lohr500

    The switches are the factory volume controls. If your machine has additional volume controls fitted, then these switches are probably best left alone.

    The mole does do something, but I don't remember what or how it's triggered!

    The LED panel and buttons are used in the Japanese pachinko parlours in association with the card reader units. The display shows the credit remaining on the players pre-paid card, and the buttons are used to dispense balls from the machine (while deducting credit from the card) and to eject the card from the separate card reader unit.

    In home use the buttons and display are not used (as there's no card reader unit connected to the machine). If you would like to make use of these, then I make a Card Reader Emulator that plugs into the back of the pachinko machine and simulates the connection to a card reader unit, allowing the player to keep track of the credit on their virtual pre-paid card and to dispense balls from the machine directly into the shooter tray. These card reader emulators are available from the Auction section of this site (seperate registration required!), and more information can be found on my website.

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  4. #3
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Thanks DaveRob,
    I'll leave the switches alone then!!
    I might buy a card emulator in a few weeks once the bank account recovers from buying the pachinko!!!

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    Scowlin' Jean Hornigold hanabi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Welcome to PachiTalk lohr500



    The Card Reader Emulator is a fantastic addition no Pachinko should be without, it really adds to the experience

    I'm just about to order 2 more

    Angie ...
    Pachinkos, Pachislos, Coffee, Papercraft Ninja, Pinball

    I ran away with the Steampunk Circus!
    I was hiding in a room in my mind...
    You crush the lily in my soul...



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  8. #5
    Eye Shooter portercbl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    The Mole will start moving and it's front will turn during the Fever Round.

    Jerry
    PACHINKO, THE #1 DRUG!

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  10. #6
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Thanks Jerry.
    Daft question but what do you have to do to get into the Fever Round.
    So far, all that seems to happen is the display changes to a load of racing thunderbirds whenever a ball goes through the central target. There is some music starts at the same time.
    Is it a case of getting multiple balls through there to trigger the fever business???
    Thanks,

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  12. #7
    The Diceman Chrisdice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Match 3 of the same numbers or picture. Then the fever will start. The more balls you get in the central start pocket the more chances you get.
    Chris Dice
    Yo 11 any 7

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  14. #8
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Thanking you Chris

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    Eye Shooter portercbl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Just play, PLay , PLAY! You will hit it eventually, guaranteed!

    Jerry

    I think I will play my Thunderbirds now!
    PACHINKO, THE #1 DRUG!

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    Eye Shooter portercbl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    I just hit 2 Fevers in a row on my Thunderbirds! Great fun!

    But what REALLY makes the machine play GREAT is one of DaveRobs Dongles. Worth every cent! And more!

    PACHINKO RULES!

    Jerry
    PACHINKO, THE #1 DRUG!

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  18. #11
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Cheers chaps,
    Another daft question, but how do our japanese friends play pachinko in their parlours? Do they load up the ball feed tray with handfulls at a time & let rip machine gun style, or is each ball played with great care & precision?
    So far I have been operating machine gun style.
    Is this a sure fire way to wear out the ball lauch mechanism or th standard way to play?
    Thanks

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  20. #12
    Chicken Fried Steak takethecastle57's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Quick Question , Is the PACHINKO BIBLE going to be scaned and put in our sites research center ?
    When things don't go right the 1st time , Step back ,Take a break and come back renewed. RGS

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    Captain Weirdo Sid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    not if its copyrighted material it wont.

    "I've stopped fighting my inner demons, we are on the same side now."

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  23. #14
    SNORTARRIFIC! new in town's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by takethecastle57 View Post
    Quick Question , Is the PACHINKO BIBLE going to be scaned and put in our sites research center ?
    I didn't look for that when I had it in my possession.
    72 Pachi's, 36 Pachinko's, 2 Pallots, 3 Pinn's & 2 Pachinko Bar Signs. Links to About Me: pachijunkie's Videos


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  25. #15
    Kungishi fronzdan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Generally it's machine gun mode, or at least firing in bursts. There are some games which require hitting specific pockets in order. Then you'd probably see less rapid fire.
    They don't load up the tray handfuls at a time. Instead they use card readers...which is what the Daverob dongle simulates. This causes the machine itself to dispense a certain amount of balls right into the tray for you to play.
    Quote Originally Posted by lohr500 View Post
    Cheers chaps,
    Another daft question, but how do our japanese friends play pachinko in their parlours? Do they load up the ball feed tray with handfulls at a time & let rip machine gun style, or is each ball played with great care & precision?
    So far I have been operating machine gun style.
    Is this a sure fire way to wear out the ball lauch mechanism or th standard way to play?
    Thanks

  26. #16
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Got the mole to work last night!!! No idea what I was doing or what the Japanese text was saying, but it was all quite exciting.

    If you go down the dongle route, do you need to keep topping up the ball dispenser by filling the hopper at the top of the machine, or does it sort this out itself by feeding played balls up to the dispenser?
    I don't fancy opening the door every five minutes to keep stocking up the dispenser.

  27. #17
    The Diceman Chrisdice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    You will need to manualy fill the hopper unless you get a ball lifter.
    A Daverob dongle and a ball lifter will be about as close to a true parlor experience as you can get.
    I go another route. All my games are cyclic. Spent balls are recycled right back to the shooters tray.
    Chris Dice
    Yo 11 any 7

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  29. #18
    Tokie Owens lohr500's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Hi Chris,
    Are the ball lifters expensive?
    The previous owner of my Thunderbirds machine fitted a makeshift catching scoop inside the cabinet which funnels the balls down a piece of flexible pipe into a tupperware container resting on the floor. Works a treat.
    Where does the ball lifter sit and from where oes it get its power?
    Thanks

  30. #19
    The Diceman Chrisdice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    I don't use them but there has been a lot of threads about them in the past. Just do a search for ball lifter. As far as I know it sits in the back of the game where the balls drop out and lift them to the upper hopper. I think there priced around $150???
    Someone else should chime in that knows better then me.
    Chris Dice
    Yo 11 any 7

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    Super Turtle BigBearSteve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thunderbirds Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrisdice View Post
    I don't use them but there has been a lot of threads about them in the past. Just do a search for ball lifter. As far as I know it sits in the back of the game where the balls drop out and lift them to the upper hopper. I think there priced around $150???
    Someone else should chime in that knows better then me.
    I got two of them from Greg, they were $225 a piece.
    My favorite color is Ham

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