Bob Frysztak's Twilight Zone Robot
Mod
I built my own "Robby the Robot" from the Masudaya toy obtained
online. I had seen the one done by "Tracy" at the Twilight Zone Pinball Mods
website, and really liked the idea. I tried several times to
get one from him, but never heard back about price, availability, etc.
Having a lot of experience building and lighting models, I obtained
a wind-up toy and decided to do it myself. I also have a reliable
and inexpensive resource for LEDs, and decided to do my Robby in a more
realistic fashion. I researched the movie and the recent reconstruction
/ refurbishing of the original robot, and got a definitive lighting scheme
from that. If you compare my Robby to the one in the movie, you will
see that he is as accurate as possible. I lit the following:
Using 2 ultrabright blue LEDs, I lit the "Weapons Disruptors" on either
side of the helmet.
Using yellow, red and green micro-LEDs,
I lit the voice coils inside the helmet.
Using a gold LED, I lit the top
gyro inside the helmet.
Using a bright red LED, I drilled
out and lit the scanner in the chest plate (4 mini lights).
Using 2 ultrabright blue LEDs,
I lit the voice panel - AFTER I had cut out the grill leaving the fins.
And finally, I have added a new feature: a multicolored LED that cycles through 9 different colors for
the second chest scanner.
If you count them up, that is a total of 11
lights and 4 separate circuits
inside this little guy - remember he is only 4 1/4" tall!
I paired the micro-LEDs in the helmet with the gold gyro LED in the
helmet and lit them off of the "GUM" light.
I paired the voice panel and the scanner in the chest, and
lit them off of the "BALL" light.
I paired the 2 weapon disruptors on either side of the helmet,
and lit them off of the "Battle the Power" light under the metal ramp.
Whenever battle the power is lit, you can't miss it with those
two ultrabright blue LEDs flashing at you!
The multicolored LED is connected to a constant 12V DC source and
cycles continuously through the colors, then blinks twice, and repeats.
Finally, I wired them all using a 6' Cat 5E cable (4 pair,
twisted ethernet cable) which I cut in half and passed through the
bottom of Robby's right leg. Robby is mounted (screws) to a bracket
I fashioned (using an old stainless steel electrical box cover) to the
front of the ramp right in front of the spinner. I then fed it
under the table through the hole under the metal ramp. I kept
the 8-pin connector on the plug so only the cable had to be fed through
the hole. Under the table, I installed the Cat 5E connector which
was wired to the 3 lamp locations. the new circuit is tapped into
the 12V DC supply on the coin door interface board. The cable and
the connector can both be purchased at Radio Shack, Home Depot, or any other
computer supply location. If Robby ever has to be removed, all I have
to do is unplug the connector under the table and unscrew the plate Robby
sits on. I can leave the wiring under the table intact.
This is a really cool toy to add. My son actually stood
behind me for 2 days asking, "Is Robby done yet?" He just loves
it, and even my wife and daughter (who are not quite the pinball enthusiasts
as my son and I) both think he looks pretty cool. Not long after
that, a TZ enthusiast practically convinced me to make another for him,
and the rest, as they say, is history.
This exclusive, hand-crafted custom
TZ modification is now available on a LIMITED
BASIS - due to the extreme difficulty obtaining them off of
eBay - and they are available for purchase PROVIDED I have any of the little
toys to build them with. The cost is $135.00, which includes
shipping anywhere in the USA.
To see a few more images of my Robby installed and lit
on the playfield, click on the following:
Robby with the "GUM" and "Battle the Power"
lit .
Robby with the "BALL" and
"Battle the Power" lit .
Robby with all his lights
on (helmet lights are actually better looking than this image portrays).
Picture of my TZ with red
clock, piano, Robby and gumballs .
New images (and hopefully some video) coming soon of the
multicolored LED in action.
If you would like me to build one of these for you, please contact
me by email to see if I have any available. If not, there is usually
one or two available on eBay every week, but the bidding can get a little
furious if other collectors are trying to outbid me. If I have to purchase
them from eBay, the waiting time can go up by several weeks, but it is worth
the wait. Below are a few testimonials from previous purchasers:
I am attaching two images from my installed Robot. It looks
great! Your design is magnificent, your directions were quite clear.
The robot looks great and the kids love it. Off-hand I don't
remember anyone else I know that has a TZ, but if I do, I am certain they
will ask ME about it! Bruce
Just wanted to let you know the robot arrived yesterday. It's
installed and working perfectly. I'm extremely impressed with the
quality of your workmanship! It's a factory-grade job, if not better.
Philip
I am at a loss for words to adequately describe the awesomely groovie
stuff you have created. The effect of the Robbies is, is, is.... again
words are not adequate, just too cool. Your wife was 100% correct,
you are not asking enough for what you do. I could go on forever with
glowing praises, but I'm sure you are embarrassed by now.
JJ
If you
would like to contact me about obtaining one of these unique mods, please
just click on the email link below, or write me at:
rfrysztak_NOSPAM_@notwires.com (remove the _NOSPAM_ before sending).
