Which pinnovator adaptor did you use?

I have the pinnovator adapters that tap off the sub, but that won't work here as there is no cabinet speaker in the game.

On an interesting side note, I noticed API is using the "LEPY" amp vs the "LEPAI". I wonder if they reversed polarity on the right speakers to account for the design issue on the LEPY?

Wow, game must have been running on really, really old code if the version number on the file name was causing an issue. As Ferret said you won’t need to remove it in the future if there is another update.

AP has used both and yes one has left/right reversed/labeled wrong (talk about being gaslighted) Final test is supposed to run the sound test to confirm wiring, the final test guy who had been there for the first few years is gone, but assume it is still being tested.

I have one of the original Houdinis when they first starting shipping and has been really a solid perfomer.

But lately the ball release on the left upper playfield isn't retracting all the way down in to release one ball when needed.
The plastic pin will almost drop down far enough to release one ball but will pop back up before that happens.

What should I be looking for to set this mech correct before I lift the playfield?

Sorry if this has been covered before...
Thanks in Advance!

CuJo

there possible issues,
1) it is not going down far enough,
2) it is not staying down long enough
3) balls are not rolling cleanly so are not passing the post before it comes up.

I suggest taking off the glass, and first wipe down the left lock area to be sure there is nothing preventing the balls from rolling. Then go into service mode -settings > coils and engage the high power switch. Then roll a ball into the left lock, and it should immediately release it. This will let you better see what is happening without having to do it in game play. Shooting slow motion video might help shed light.

The 'coil settings' for drop posts are not actually a 'power' thing but a time thing. so you can try increasing the time which witill hold the post down longer and see if that sheds any light or solves it (if too long then more than one ball will pass through, so you need to test with multiple balls. I believe you can disengage power, roll a ball in, engage power, and then roll another ball into simulate that.

Possible there is some binding, so the post is not dropping at proper speed so is not down long enough, so make sure it moves freely. It is possible the post adjustment is off, but that would typically result in the post being too low.

Something I've been wondering - in original Houdinis, once the 48v was moved to the Meanwell power supply with the upgrade and that giant transformer and remaining half board left over was only used to run 12v/5v, couldn't that whole transformer and boards be removed and just put in a multi-output 5v/12v meanwell switching power supply instead? So you'd end up with two meanwells side by side and it'd be a much cleaner look for pretty cheap.

Yes, you could replace the toroid with a combo 5v/12V or one of each, which is what the 'toaster' looking power supply that AP moved to has on the inside, , three switching supplies 5, 12, and 48. Most AP games with the toaster don't use a meanwell, as they have gone through a series of cheaper versions, looking for one that can deliver solid power and with a decent level of fan noise. The first were just way too noisy, then they had some that were way too weak for some of the games, like Houdini, to what I believe is currently being used, but not sure if anything has changed since I left.

Some of the toroids have started to have failures on the 12V regulators, and have had to repair or replace the modules. So certainly when that occurs, it is worth considering moving to switching supplies for the 5V and 12V.

Issue with toroid is the voltage drops with house power, which can make catapult unreliable as house voltage varies. Downside to the external power upgrade, is they did not include a cap with it (something I questioned at that time), which the toroid had. So while the toroid would have variations in voltage that can effect some as sensitive as a catapult throwing close to two feet, it had caps, so it provided that voltage at a consistent level. If you don't have the capacitor upgrade with the external supply, it can result in power drops under heavy load (e.g. seance MB when the magnets are very active). You could argue that if you don't have the capacitor upgrade, but have both supplies, that splitting some of the load to the toroid, other than the catapult, could be beneficial.

I have the original supply with no extra supply or cap upgrade, and have no issues, but my house power is rock solid. I have replaced the 5v/12v regulator module.

No kidding. Trying to standardize a power harness adapter for the Tibetan Breeze ZEN kits for AP, they've driven me crazy with the non-stop parade of changes to the power supplies, and some of those vendors used for the power supplies inside the "toaster" were really questionable quality (I took some apart, really appalling sparsity of components in them, which is not a good sign). The super cheap "Long Chang" brushless fans were the cause of a LOT of noise from one of the ones they chose for a while.

So are you saying that even if you remove the giant toroid coil and boards and replace that all with a dedicated 5v/12v and the AP supplied Meanwell 48v, you can still have power drops on the 48v side in heavy usage modes since there's too much draw on the 48v in heavy coil multiball modes? Is that P3 boardset specific? Stern uses a lesser 48v power supply in meanwell's line and they don't have those issues.

Thanks for the feedback on this, BTW.

I have the original power supply as well. The power going into my house is very inconsistent. I spent hours doing little mods to the catapult to make it better, and it's dead nuts on. The funny thing about my house power... Is during the winter I turn the catapult down to 27 and during the summer up to 28. I can literally use my game to see when peak power loads are active on my street.

I have a game from 2018 with the original power supply. I never had a problem with anything. I just did the upgrade for yucks and grins. My catapult has never missed a shot, my flippers have been consistent. I also added the capacitor set up, and I have to admit, I did see a boost in power, but any more consistency. So, I guess it really does come down to how consistent the power into your house is with this game.

The "toaster" has standardized the connections, with a feed to backbox, cabinet and playfield, to provide the power, so not sure what you are running into, plus I assume you are looking to power closer to the flippers, and playfield wiring and power distribution is different on each release.

I don't have a spike era Stern, but I thought they the feed the switching supply into a filter/Cap board for distribution.

Nothing do with P3-ROC, just the nature of power on a loaded game like houdini, and how that gets managed (I certainly did some code tweaks over time to minimize the issues), and the impact of not having caps to buffer. After we finally convinced the EE it was needed, they started to use it on later games, and then Dave Brennan created a kit so it could be offered as an upgrade for Houdini.

I'm going backwards to try to make harnesses for released AP pins. Lots of variations. Drives me nuts. I already have a good harness for the toaster box that works great with LoV. Glad they've standardized on that moving forward.

Ah, right. The power distribution board. Definitely has that on Spike games.

Thanks Rosh for the detailed explanation.

So it doesn't happen every game. Once a ball search starts, the ball typically then will release from the left upper lock.

I haven't wiped down or tinkered with any mechs since I bought the game so it might be binding or need some cleaning/waxing in that area as you suggest. You covered all the options to check for sure...

Offering a BRAND NEW Houdini plastics protector set - no longer available from Little Shop of Games:

Parts - For Sale

Houdini 8-Piece Plastics Protectors Set - Clear Archived

New - “BRAND NEW, unused set of new clear plastics protectors that I purchased a few years ago for my former Houdini game, but never installed before I sold it. To the best of my knowledg...”

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Tuna_Delight

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Got positive feedback

I am piling on here also because I had 2x 1.4M+ games that came to an end on a CPU crash....Newer game with all the upgrades. I just ordered the CAP upgrade in hopes that helps. ...
oops just saw this was solved with the settings-replay change. Ohh well, an extra capacitor can only make things better.

So while fixing the Replay bug I now have some questions about that settings screen that maybe some of you can answer...
1. As the picture shows my set replay scores differ from what the Extra Ball screen shows by that "Boost" Value. What is that and why is that needed.
2. That level 4 - 1.5M extra ball is not going to be awarded now that I have lowered replay levels to 3 correct?
3. What is replay percentage...seems like a stat and not a setting.,
4. Type is fixed and boost... Since I am fixed and not using boost, why does the Extra Ball screen show 400K rather than 350 I have set.

houd1 (resized).jpghoud2 (resized).jpg

Replay Boost is a feature that ratchets up the replay score by the specified amount when a replay was achieved on the previous game. The intention is that if the replay score was set way too low, this helps protect against giving a nearly infinite stream of replays. (Particularly important in commercial operation trying to earn coin drop.)

Correct, the level 4 replay will not be awarded when Replay Levels is set to 3. The attract mode screen provides the correct info.

Replay Percentage is usually an alternate method of automatically adjusting replay values -- for example, a 10% replay percentage would mean that the game would try to dynamically adjust the replay score to award a replay about 10% of the time, based on a rolling average of recent game scores. This would usually be enabled by setting Replay Type to "Auto", but apparently that's disabled in Houdini... not sure why.

Applying the Replay Boost when Replay Type is set to Fixed appears to be a bug. You should be able to largely mitigate this by setting Replay Boost to the lowest possible value.

Hope this helps.

Seems like a handful of documented bugs could be fixed by API, perhaps coincident with the next run of machines sometime this year?

Houdini waved his wand and my "C" and "E" targets disappeared! Yet, they are still awarded from a hit to the "N" target. Magic!

E4253515-CCF6-4DDC-944C-8AECE53C4737 (resized).jpeg

The lock and right orbit after modification are still not "easy" shots, but at least not as frustrating for me. I may add them back once my accuracy improves, but for now it's nice to have a few more millimeters.

You dont have to actually remove those targets.

On each of them, elongate the hole in their metal mounting brackets, and move them to the side a little to widen the lane a bit.

You can get another 1/8" of clearance on these as well as the others if needed.

I saw some people mention doing that and I agree it would help, but it still doesn't offer up as much room as removing them altogether.

This is true! lol.

Now you need some nice 3d printed plugs for the holes.

Maybe replace the standups with eddy or magnetic sensors?

Tons to think about. Could be a great mod!

I actually talked to Sonic about an MRS switch several weeks ago and they don't have a solution yet for standup targets. He didn't say it was impossible, just that they hadn't figured out how to make it work yet.

The right ramp protector actually has enough space in the bend to loop it around the ball guide edge, so I feel comfortable that the protector supported by the ball guide will stand up to ball hits. I added some protection to the edge of the orbit ball guide.

With those targets missing, you are at great risk of breaking the ramps. Whitewater comes to mind in this situation.

I agree but also really question how much this makes any of those shots easier to make, if at all. Seems like it would really lead to a brick-fest.

Not exactly - there was no protector on the ends of the whitewater ramps (and the ramp ends were 1/2 inch wide), so the standup target would actually crash into the ramps and crack/break them. If you removed the target on whitewater, yes, the ball would slam into the ramp and break it.

Houdini is different as the ramp edge is thin with a metal protector that bends around it. The metal protector is large enough to loop around both the ramp end *and* the metal ball guide - see my pic above. Any ball strikes on the protector are absorbed by the protector, then the ball guide behind it - so the ramp should remain unscathed.

The lock entrance before modification was approximately 1 1/4 inches, now it's 1 1/2 inches with the little rubber protector on the edge of the right orbit rail. Without the rubber protector it's about 1 5/8 inch. So, the entrance is 20% larger with the protector, 30% larger without.

Many years ago now I shaved my seance targets on the sides. Now, its not much. Maybe 4mm more room if you do 2mm per side. At the time I thought it was a good start and left it. I could shave off more, but never felt the need.

I find the ramp harder to hit and complete than the inner loop - I can backhand that pretty reliably.

Removing the targets increases the entrance to both the ramp and the right orbit as well, but only by 1/2 as much as the inner loop. Still - I'll take the 15%.

My hope is that Sonic eventually develops an MRS solution for stand-up targets, but for now, I'm happy with my solution. It's taken the game from Alice Cooper expert level difficulty to a still challenging, but "not so impossible that my wife won't play it" difficulty.

Been selling pins for 10 years so I guess there is a first time for everything. Game has sat for a few months during our move. Sitting in garage I fire it up before buyers get here and I get no boot up. A few pf GI come on....Under pf I see all the under pf boards have power ( or green leds) except center board had red leds. the display just saif HDMI then no signal then went blank.

I have never had to troubleshoot an American Pinball machine and it was dark and didn't have a manual handy. I basically went over everything I could see. Checked whatever connects I could. Checked the twist on conn. for the upgraded ps. After a few boot ups it booted to normal.but then no coils. Re checked everything and rebooted it and they worked. the game played great for 20 min and made the sale. But I feel like I didn't fix anything or it could reset or not boot after being moved.

Can someone point me where under pf or in backbox to check if problem comes back so I can help buyer if needed. I had a feeling something must have come off after being moved but their pins are solid and I have never had an issue like this.

Thx
Mike

It could just be loose connections in all the wal-nuts and a little warm up or jostling around made better connections.

I replaced all of them with the lev-r-lock style, now its rock solid.

Rapid power cycling will cause high power safety to kick in.

Sounds like computer was not booting. Likely loose power connection that you then fixed.

I fixed the replay level 4 bug a year ago. Owners might want to contact David Fix to see why it has not been released.

Where are connections at computer? I don’t even know where computer board is on game

If you pull the playfield out to its service position, you can look behind the playfield and see all of the power connectors.

Lots of brown and black wires that are connected together with triangular "slip in" style connectors. They are called wal-nuts.

These connectors are not rated for stranded wire and provide a very loose connection. The stranded wire crushes or compresses over time and the "keeper" inside the wal-nut doesnt have enough spring tension the make a solid connection.

Often the wires fall out just by gently pulling on them.

A better solution is the lev-r-lock style.

These connectors are VERY robust and hold like crazy.

Its about a 30 min job to replace the wal-nuts and doesnt require any cutting, stripping or soldering.

You end up with WAY better ground and power connections that dont get loose and fall apart.

When I did the new ps. I used the twist nuts they supplied.

Yeah, those Wal-nuts suck. Do not recommend.

The computer is the head behind the monitor, there are just a couple of cables that go up there. I believe the power cable also has a connector in the lower cabinet.

Could be the 5VDC power supply caps starting to fail.

I just did the capacitor upgrade and noticed a definite difference. Trunk shot is now going over the trunk so it appears to give a boost at all times.
Anyway, 2 clicks down on the Trunk catapult and we are hitting 100% again. Worth the $30 if you are on the fence.

The capacitor upgrade allows energy to be stored much closer to the coils. (The location is part of the magic). Each coil draws a lot of current, so distance and wire length from the energy source (otherwise down in the cabinet) matters. Wire actually has a slight resistance and at high current can be noticeable. The capacitor upgrade (33,000 uf) is large enough to store a good amount of energy during that first millisecond or so of coils firing. Makes a huge difference!

Just recently got into this club and.... boy is this game awesome!

Shots are fun, modes are fun, callouts are humorous, good flipper feel, great orbits and ramps, great number of toys, etc.

For around 6k it's hard to beat this game.

Just got a Houdini and an Oktoberfest in a trade with my BKLE. This game is absolutely freaking amazing! The only niggling complaint I have is the sound. Oktoberfest sounds very rich - with some good bass etc... Houdini just sounds a little too tinny for my liking - i did notice there's no subwoofer in the cabinet so is that the simple solution (adding a sub)?

Yes. Adding a sub is easy. There are several posts about it. Also it makes a huge difference.

Congrats, Houdini is an amazing game and the best bang for buck in pinball! Add an external sub and adjust the treble and bass settings to your liking on the Lepal amp behind the back glass. Makes a HUGE difference

I got under the hood to make some adjustments to my pops and a few switches that were not registering. It turned out to be a connector had wiggled loose from underneath the playfield. I fixed it and then it gave me the best game I ever had. At one point I had a mode, seance, and trunk multiball going all at the same time. It was crazy!

20230219_204807 (resized).jpg

Great score!

Pops are pretty important to get into the Magic Shop and start Jail Escapes and seems you did well with both of those.

Just to report back - I hooked up an external subwoofer and the sound now matches the rest of the game ie, amazing!

I'd recommend anyone and everyone to do the same if you haven't - because not only is it pretty easy to do, but the music on this really is excellent and suits the game so perfectly.

Do Pinsiders ever offer partial plastic sets? A hundred bucks is pretty steep when I only have two pieces to replace. I've got to believe there are folks who have coughed up the big bucks and have a bag of parts they haven't needed.

Might be hard to find pieces if everyone has the same pieces break. All that would be left then is the ones nobody needs and hard to sell.

LTG : )

I dont know if it's simply the way my game is set up - it's certainly not due to me being a great player but I don't find this game too hard or frustrating at all, and I'm struggling to understand what the big fuss is with this games difficulty. All the shots are perfectly makeable just spending a short time dialling the shots in. It's weird because when you eyeball the game, the shots do look incredibly tight visually, but I still manage to hit things pretty consistently and I can get trunk multiball going pretty often (probably every other game), plus I'm finding the orbits very repeatable.

Perhaps it's because I have this game sitting next to ACNC which requires professional sniper levels of precision?