They are not on Houdini.
They are super easy to install.

You need them.

Oktoberfest will have them.

.

With the recent talk about magic glass, I wanted to post these pics that I posted in another thread. I think it'll help anyone who wants to see more evidence about the effectiveness of the magic glass.

The Houdini playfield looks stunning and I always thought the magic glass was a big part of that. So I thought about also getting it for my MMr, which has pretty severe reflection issues from the translite. I tested it out and took the attached pictures of each glass under the exact same conditions. I'm sold!

-- Jim

IMG_0091 (resized).JPG

IMG_0092 (resized).JPG

The EOS switches are simple to install, but you will have to solder in two of the wires. Two others slip/click into the back end of a connector. Instructions are simple and well done. If you want a look at the instructions, they are here: http://s4.american-pinball.com/img/support/2018-10/End-Of-Stroke-Switch.pdf

Hmm. Steps 4-7 seem a bit daunting, but I havent soddered in many years, and I don't have the parts in front of me. The instructions are clear, and the images good quality though!

So basically these wires go under the solenoid flipper bracket to give it more steady current?

Buy the kit, it's a 20 min install if you go real slow. 15 min if you have done it before.

EOS lowers the current once the flipper is up. The high current needed to raise the flipper isn't needed once it's raised. Manufacturer's had two sets of windings on a coil: One being a lower resistance (higher current which means higher power) used when the flipper button is first pressed, the other winding was a higher resistance (lower current and lower power) once the flipper was up. The switch between the two was the EOS. This also had the benefit of lowering the temperature of the coil when the flipper was held up.

Not sure if AP follows this exactly or not.

Agreed. If you have even the most basic soldering skills, should be a snap.

Go grab some old wire and have at it for some practice.

An important sidebar about soldering. Don't use solder or flux for pipes, it has acid in it. Get some 60-40 solder w/a rosin core and maybe a some rosin flux from Amazon or the like. 60-40 will have lead in it, but it has a lower melting point than lead free, and it is easier to work with. Won't cost much ($7), and you barely need any. But it will be safe for electronics/electricals.

Might be handy to get some rosin solder wick in case you get too much solder on a joint. It's flat, thin, braided wire that is used to remove solder. Works great. About $6 for a spool.

If your worried about it, I bet some pinhead out your way would help you out.

These work good, I've used both:
solder (resized).PNGsolder_wick (resized).PNG

I have been looking at power supplies , if we have to purchase a new power supply to sort out power issues when everything on the machine is going off , wouldn’t the RSP-1000-48 be a better choice, ie more current if required?
Just thinking out loud I suppose.

The fill in power needed occasionally is nowhere near that much. I'd be surprised if it's even 50-60% of the new power supply add-on.

Ok thanks it was just a thought.

Oh, thanks so much for those recommendations! So I'd just need those, and a soldering gun too? Do I need a specific type/brand? Considering I don't own one, I'm always up for recommendations, versus just going cheapie.

Call around locally for a soldering kit for electronics. 25 watt or better is useful.

https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Some modern game's (Stern and possibly others) flippers are single wound and some are double wound but they are all CPU controlled. They send a full power long pulse for some duration and then back off to a pulsed low power state or they fire the high power coil for some time and then switch to the lower power. The EOS is now used to detect if the flipper gets knocked down by a ball and if it does the full pulse is sent again to push it back up. They added code to Houdini to support this functionality, without it the only real difference is that if the flipper gets knocked down it will not get pushed back up until you re-flip it. Houdini was definitely not the first game to not have EOS switches, many Data East games didn't have them either.

Thanks bobu, I didn't even know that. I usually learn by fixing what breaks in my games, haven't had the need to replace one in my newer games.

I stand corrected!

except JJP and all the Chicago Gaming Pinballs have Dual wound coils

I did mean to mention that JJP had them, didn't know the remakes had them too so thanks for that info. The function of the EOS switch is still essentially the same though, it doesn't determine how long the high-power side of the coil is energized - that is computer controlled so if the EOS fails the coil doesn't melt and the game will play just fine without a properly functioning EOS.

on a dual winding coil it does matter it swaps the power over to the hold coil from the power coil, without a EOS the flipper either will be dead or might go up very slowly

I had the same issue you describe, and tried every suggested solution, plus my own (moved the ramp to the right). None of these solved the problem long term. Only the power upgrade has given me consistent positive results. Not sure whether it will work in EU, but you can ask Barry at AIP support.

I've worked on multiple WPC games where the EOS was completely broken or had a disconnected wire and the only symptom would be a weak flip every once in a blue moon so the system definitely compensates for that condition.

no it doesn't, go put a business card across the EOS contacts and flip the game, it will only operate on the hold circuit and be lucky if the flipper will have any power to flip the game on a normally closed EOS, software does not compensate.

There is plenty of incorrect info going on here, at least as far as Houdini.

Dual wound is used by us, JJP, CGC and pretty sure TNA (not sure about other Spooky games), many players prefer the feel of it, it also does not have the buzz often heard with a single wound flipper coil. Since Houdini does not have EOS switches, obviously it does not 'swap power over to the hold coil', however, that was certainly the case for decades.

Houdini fires the main coil for the designated time (based on your settings), and also enables the hold coil. The EOS switches, if installed, perform only one function on Houdini, and that is to re-fire the flipper if it gets knocked down, which is extremely rare for most players/machines.

Oktoberfest will come with EOS from the factory and it is possible I might change some aspect of the flipper behavior.

You could try a T-TAP instead of soldering, if you can find one for such thin wire. Not sure an 18-22 T-TAP is really going to work well, but easy enough to try. Soldering would certainly be the better method.

I think 1000 would be way overkill, the 500 would probably have been sufficient, but I think the concern was a six ball multiball, with seance running, could push beyond that, so they went with the 750.

It’s funny, I have remarked to a lot of friends how different the flippers feel on Houdini; it feels far more substantial when you flip this game than say, my WPC95 games (which I assume are single wound?). JJP games are similar but Houdini flippers have this “force” to them i really like. That’s is all. Thanks for making a kick ass game guys!

All WPC games use flipper coils with two windings and Houdini uses the exact same flipper mechanism (plate, plunger, link, etc.) that was used in those games as well. I don't know how the actual coils compare (number and size of windings in the coils) between the two but if they are different it would contribute to a different "feel". Personally I think they feel a lot different but not necessarily more substantial, in fact I think they lack some of the "snap" my WPC games always have. Different "feel" could possibly be because of the different kind of buttons used, WPC95 use opto boards and light diverters for the buttons instead of the leaf-switch buttons that Houdini uses but the spring in the button probably makes more difference there than the switch behind the button.

That's really the difference between 48v flippers and WPC 70v flippers.

70v is much snappier.

6 ball multiball in Houdini could definitely benefit from 70v, but over all its adequate, not supremely powerful, but adequate.

I can bounce a single ball off a stand up target, across the playfield, through the air into an outlane at 48v. So over all they are strong enough.

If I try to hit 3 balls at the same time off a flipper the power difference is noticeable. The balls dont explode off the flipper like in a 70v system.

That said however, I probably wont break flipper bats off their shafts nearly as often as on my 70v flipper games.

I'm on my 3rd set of bats on my WOZ.

I tweaked the keylane slightly last night.

I was getting a lot of STDM off a dead drop from the pops through the keylane.
I thought nudging would be enough to prevent this from happening, but no.

So first I bent the tab on the lane guide a little but it wasnt enough.

So I took out the lane guide, side drilled the holes in it 1/6" to get it to narrow the lane slightly. I could, if needed, put it at a slight angle now to get a little inertia to help the ball onto the right flipper, But that might make it too difficult to hit the keylane target.

This has not noticeably narrowed the lane as it shoots properly and the ball hits the keylane target easily.

The 1/16" is enough now that I can nudge the ball away from a dead drop STDM with a little practice.
I still have the end tab bent out a little but, it doesnt stick out so much that the ball rattles in the lane.

SDTM's off of the keylane are now reduced 75%.

Its a small job the get at the keylane guide, but took only about 15 mins to do an adjustment.

The risk is still there, just not maddening as it was. I really like the change.

I think I can visualize the fix, but can you put up anything visual to demonstrate what you did?
curious to see.
I have very few SDTMs, but I get a number of failure to make the key lane shots where the ball hits and angrily vibrates and dribbles back. Do you think your fix would help that too, or does it only impact the trajectory of ball once it leaves the key lane and heads toward the flippers.

I have read several recent comments on Houdini from quite a few threads on Pinside about it being too hard or a shot being too tight. I think people are just repeating what they heard without ever playing it.

Even without my tweaking and adjusting, I didnt think that was the case.

In fact there is one review listed, that the reviewer played only a single game and somehow made an assessment for others to follow. Do people these days give up that easy? Do they give anything a chance? Do people have to be spoon fed all the time?

This is just ludicrous. The game is amazing, humorous and FUN!

The game plays well right out of the box.

Possibly they meant "Its not easy enough for me" or "The shots arent wide enough for my current skill level"?

So, "Haters gotta Hate..." etc.

I love this game its not going anywhere soon.

I dont think its necessary to document this, just pull out the left guide in the keylane, open up the mounting holes in it, and reinstall it to narrow the lane a tiny bit.

I solved the ball rattle problem by lowering the angle of the flippers 1/8", this matches the angle of the lanes better.
Moving the lane guide had to do with dead dropping a ball that had no inertia down the keylane, from the pops, and seeing it go STDM.

It doesnt impact the ease of shooting the lane much, if at all. Plus its reversable if it doeant work out. I played a few games on it afterwards and like it so far. I can nudge the ball onto the flipper way more often now instead of feeling helpless and watching it go SDTM.

Great idea. Would a photo show the change? My key lane most often sends the ball on a curve down toward the right flipper, which I appreciate
But maybe 1 out of three it roles toward the drain, but I am usually able to bump it with the flipper tip and avoid the drain. Sometimes I choose the wrong flipper though, and lose it.

Houdini is not a game you will necessarily 'get' playing it one time on location, you need to understand the shots and the rules to enjoy it. This is true of many highly regarded games. TZ, WOZ, and TSPP are just a few of the games where my first impression were negative, but once I was able to learn the game and play it more, I was able to enjoy and appreciate it. TZ and TSPP are now both in my collection. I can easily name machines the other way as well, where playing it the first time was wowed, but then realized there was not much substance there. Of course there are games that just stay bad and some that stay great from that first impression.

No doubt the talk of 'tight shots' becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who get that in their head before playing. Pinball is a very mental game, very easy to psych yourself out.

Doing a review on a game that you have not spent some time with is doing a disservice to the community. There was one podcast that did that, reviewed it after playing it one time on location, and they were just flat out wrong with so many things they said. That too is a disservice to the community, their listeners and to the companies making machines.

Same here, but I wanted a hair more control.

A photo wouldn't tell you much, It looks exactly the same, its a very minor adjustment.

If the ball has any inertia at all, this is not a problem at all. Its only when the ball stops at the top of the keylane and makes a dead drop due to some other circumstance.

Most have just bent out the tab at the end of the keylane. I did this too, but it takes too violent a nudge to impact the ball, being way up in the middle of the playfield..
This does work, but I felt that It could be improved for novice players who dont do huge nudges.

With variations in game assembly, I imagine some games already have the lane guide where I have just re positioned mine.
So Its not a big change, but works well for me.

So far Im liking it a lot with gentler nudges doing the trick.

Now you are making me miss my TZ...

Man, ain’t it the truth! Seems like I can’t hit the freaking ramp or the inner loop when the pressure is on, but nail them endlessly when trying to hit the seance targets when In seance mode. Total psych! In reality, and when I don’t freak myself out, the shots are not that hard.

I fell in love with the game almost immediately since it reminded me very much of TZ.

If you don't know how to solder, Youtube is littered with short how to videos. Practice with some wire at a atable, and when you heat the joint and flow the solder, then move onto your game.

A few minutes practice and you'll do fine.

LTG : )

So is the monkey shirt gone for good, or will this be restocked?

Played Houdini for about 30 minutes last nite and checked flipper coil temperature , I have to agree with BioBa the coils are getting very very warm , nearly hot to touch.

Flipper coils on my WOZ and TH also get hot after a good game.

After 2 good games they get very hot and noticeably fatigued until they cool a bit.

So, I've always wondered, how hot is too hot? It's not like they are melting the sleeves or anything.

I have noticed however that games with long multiballs heat the coils up more.

I will play TH tonight and compare , I have never bothered checking coil temperatures before.

I just reach up through the coin door to feel one or both.

After a 40-50 min game on TH, my flipper coils are very warm.

A $25 (on ebay often at this price) used thomas traceable 4240 dual temp probe is handy.

Here's one:
ebay.com link: Thomas Traceable Hi Accuracy Monitoring Thermometer 4240

I have a FLIR, I'll try to snap some pics Friday.

I have a good infrared thermometer. I'm just too lazy to use it. Coil temps are pretty warm but not super hot, so I guess all is good.

Thanks for the tips! I definitely will practice a bit! It's all babysteps at this point.

My friend, and a couple of neighbors helped load it up four front steps today, and man, I'll tell you..next game..I'm buying a high quality dolly/hand cart. The $40 one we picked up, had air tires that made pushing the pin about as hard, or more so, than just moving it by hand.

Otherwise, our shipper, R&L was great! No discernible outer damage, just strap marks. I tipped the driver, and he was nice enough to push it off the pallet with me, and get it onto the curb. Hemispheres Amusements was so fantastic to buy from, such great communication, and so many helpful insights!

The packing, with the straps over the plastic clear grips, from API, was impeccably done, and I couldn't have imagined a smoother experience!

The bugger slid right out, onto the floor, keeping the box entact, and allowing the legs to be put on fairly effortlessly. No way in hell, could someone hold the backend up on a knee, and put the legs in solo, as depicted by the API guide, but otherwise everything flowed really so well!

I'd never opened a machine before, so replacing the front apron, was a bit confusing, as the yellow pull-out bar disappeared once it was removed. I kept pushing downward, softly, to no avail, assuming the metal tabs would slip in. Luckily I looked inside with my phone flashlight, and found the bar tucked upwards, from being released prior. I'd accidentally pulled on the yellow playfield leg, thinking it was the pulldown bar!

Heading back home in a bit, to firmware update, and power on. My wax and plastic inserts arrive maybe tomorrow, and Cliffy's a week or two from now. I imagine a maiden voyage and play, isn't the worst idea in the meantime, until I get my Cliffy's, plastic protectors, wax, and new power supply/EOS. Am I truly crazy, to dare play the thing nekkid?

It's been a really exhilarating, and exhausting day, but one I've never had before, or shared with my closest friend who's also grown to love pinball as much as I do in the last year or so. And I'm thankful to API @rosh, @Nirm, and so many kind folks on this board for providing insight, info, and helpful tips and encouraging advice! It's really been a fantastic trip, and I'm so thankful so many on this board have been so helpful, and so gracious, so thank you all!

My two cents: Enjoy the game. There’s really no need to do any of the upgrades, additions, or other stuff before you play it. It’s perfectly fine out of the box and it’s just that some of these things might enhance the experience, tweak it, or afford protection in the long run. The CLIFFY upgrades, for example, can be challenging to put in. They’re not as easy as they look. I started to put in the scoop, and realized I have to take apart a lot more than I thought I was going to, least I ended up scratching the playfield. So for now, they are resting peacefully in my coin box. But my ultimate suggestion is to just plug it in, do the upgrade to the Software, and add the other stuff as you go along - except the cup holder from Modfather - that’s awesome and needs to be put on ASAP.
The only other advice: in your settings, dial it in so it’s an easy play at first. Much more fun, and you’ll get to experience many of the game modes and learn how to work your way through the various stages of the thing with relative ease. You can always increase the difficulty as you settle into the game.

Put towels down on the playfield when doing work.

They do 2 things. Protect from dropped tools and parts, and catch dropped washers and screws to keep them from getting lost in the game.

Same thing when working underneath with the playfield up verticle. Put a towel down in the cabinet to catch parts, solder or flux drips etc.

Good reminder for wes. I really haven't done much other than installing the Cliffy on the SEANCE scoop and the power supply upgrade (which I didn't really need but thought it was a good idea). I did buy the blade protectors for when I lift the playfield - but that was actually for all the pins.

I bought the fully Cliffy set, but boy, I'm with ya...some will be sitting in the box longer. But the scoop area, in any game, would be a high wear spot. So that was a high priority install. Took a couple of hours due to my inexperience. Next up is the plunger area.

Played great right out of the box and still does. Now...if I can just beat my wife's high score. Grrrr..

So, to get the scoop installed, did you basically have to strip everything off of the playfield around the scoop? I took the plastic behind the scoop, and the scoop off and had hoped that it would just slip in. But it didn’t seem to want to be that easy.