You could be right. Just concerned that this is a major part of the game. And once it’s stuffed, it’s stuffed. Having owned a pirates and worked continuously on that for a year just don’t want to go though it again. I want this machine to last more than a couple of years. Hopefully stern or the broader community have a fix.

Is it a rare thing or is it being damaged for most owners?

It is not a fix. We have a playfield protector fitted so when the tamp goes down it sits on the protector. Stope the edge digging into the playfield.

So is it a concern for you? I can add another bit to it since I have a rivet anvil. Just can’t see how it won’t keep bending the thin metal end ramp.

The ramp speed is a problem. Not only does the ball hit the edge of the ramp flap and dent/bend it, but I've had many instances where the ball is trapped under the closing ramp until the machine does a ball search.

The slowly moving ramp is cool to watch, but systematically it is an occasional problem. I would prefer a solenoid activated ramp like those used in some of the older games like Diner. Fast up and fast down. Something could be fabricated, but the way it is now is not something that can be fixed with firmware unless the motor is currently being speed controlled, but I don't think it is. A faster motor (gear box) could also help with the current mechanical arrangement.

Not a problem for us. If the ramp flap looks like shit, we will put a new flap on. It is no big deal. The speed of the ramp cannot really be adjusted through code. A motor drives the flap up and down.

If you get a small dent, perhaps a small hammer and dolly will smooth it out. If that doesn't work, and the ramp end breaks a few years down the road, just drill out the rivets and install a new piece of metal. If you're looking for a game that will give you years of service without you having to eventually replace some things, I'm not sure which one it would be - it's part of ownership. I can't imagine giving up a game as good as this one for such a small matter.

Yep. You’re right. And so is @pinballaddicted. Was just worried if it was happening all the time. If I have to fix in 5 years, then ok.

I will probably get a spare ramp, but suspect that if damage happens it will be the ramp flap, which can be replaced. I’d rather see it pop up like on Whirlwind and see Stern come up with some sort of protective fix.

I have seen the situation during game play and it bothers me a little, but I wouldn’t put it in the “fatal flaw” category.

Like you, I got my first dent very early, but I haven't gotten any more several months later. I play mine a lot, and I'm pretty convinced it's not going to be a big problem. YMMV. It's kind of like getting a new TV set - I spent several days fiddling with over 62 different picture adjustments, and finally, I just forgot about it and have enjoyed it ever since.

Mezel mods. They shipped half my order. No email responses for days.

Can you share a pic?

I worked on his game tonight and got it working.

Connections were fine.

Installed, the switch test was only triggering lock 1 and 2. No response on 3. Pulled out, I was able to trigger all three, so the boards were confirmed to be functional.

Ended up pulling the guide on the receiver side and drilling out that 3rd hole a bit (wire wheeling any burring smooth).

Working perfect.

EDIT: Also did Pin_Guy's temp fix on the VUK (post #3707) and that worked out perfectly as well.

Might as well add a picture of my ramp flap. I was starting to think I was the only one. The corner "dent" actually looks worse in the pic than in person.

20200624_185055 (resized).jpg

Thanks for posting. The only solution I can see is a quicker lift. If it’s a 12-24v motor maybe they can increase the power to raise it quicker. If it was a arduino then it could be fixed through coding. This should have been a solenoid lift and release.

Shame. I’m out. I will check back in the future to see if there is a fix. Hopefully there is.

Thanks for all your help.

Wouldn't a fast ramp lift cause another problem if there was a ball on the end of the ramp when it goes up?

Possibly. Anyway sure it’s just me over worrying. All the best.

Edit: what happens when the flap is removed? Will the ramp still work or too much of a gap?

Maybe a cliffy underneath and no flap or a straight steel extension could work. As long as the ramp can take continuous hits.

You are out on one of the best games ever over this? That’s banana monkey crazy. My game has 1000+ plays and it’s fine. Couple dents, no big deal.

Is it really to much to ask for flaps that can handle ball strikes . Even my wife's flaps can handle my ball strikes

My experience is limited to bars, arcades and digital pinball versions of tables...but your right..Elvira HOH is just such a rich and FUN! game. I'm having a hard time picking a better single table you could own that's got as much going for it.

The humor and tone are lighthearted and fun,the music is fantastic and varied, the theme integration is top notch, and the rules are deep and targets and modes are so dense... sometimes the house is the focus, sometimes the crypt..sometimes collecting junk sometimes collecting multi ball modes.. the flow of that particular game kinda steers where I focus vs min/maxing a single strategy.

I'd gladly replace that ramp metal piece annually to get everything else.

With the angle of the ramp it looks like the rivets might be far enough back that you could have just enough clearance to switch to a nut and bolt instead of a rivet. That would make periodic replacement easier.

Don’t let that flap deter you from buying one man..

I sometimes feel this stuff is way overblown..

Play it, abuse it, it’s how they are designed, to wear over time

Yes, this happened. Flipper started getting floppy and wouldn't hold in up position. The famous Stern junk coil stop plug had just popped right out. Or disintegrated. No where to be found inside the machine. Gone. So much for Chinese quality manufacturing....

I reported to Stern and Chas is sending me a couple new ones, but I just went ahead and ordered a bunch from Steve Young today. He told me that the ones he sells are his own "brand" that he's had tooled and made for him.

I emailed Chas back saying "Hope you guys are running low on this bad batch." His response: "I hope we are also!"

VLhbMo4jTNqsAj6q8Ee7Rg (resized).jpg

My HoH Premium should be delivered next week so I have been following this thread closely. I even have some mods, titan rubbers, and pinstadiums ordered in preparation of getting the table. I’m sure some deficiencies will be found with the table but I have faith in this community to help me through any troubles. I know Stern gets a lot of crap for cheaping out on some things but this table is too good to pass on.

I grew up playing tables like Pinbot, BoP, MM, AFM, and SS all the time in the arcade. I got so good at AFM in college that I could get replays on it half the time I played but quickly stopped playing once I had less free time in the real world. I only got into pins again when tables like AC/DC started appearing in bars near me. This led me to put together a virtual pin but I quickly found that you can’t beat the real thing. Once HoH came out and streamers started showcasing the game, I knew I needed to own it. This will be my first real pin so I can’t wait to make my first plunge as an owner.

My wife only agreed on Elvira because she actually loves playing SS on the virtual machine. Hopefully we can both get better at the real thing since I know she will be a little frustrated at how hard a real pin is compared to emulation. Maybe this will be the gateway drug to owning more machines in the future.

They need to junk whatever stock they have and replace it with something that actually works. They have to have about a 50% fail rate in the first year.

New game code !

V0.97.0 - Jun. 25, 2020
=======================

- Improved the presentation of the lamps during TRUNK MULTIBALL. Mask
off left 3-bank, jackpot, RGB arrow and junk in the trunk lights during
big light effects.
- Implemented the RAY GUN for UN HAPPY HOUR and DRIVE ME CRAZY, these
were not implemented.
- Fixed a problem where TRAILER TRASH would award the full value instead
of the hurry-up (counted down) value.
- Added score font color editor that allows the user to set the colors
for the scores in the main UI (foreground and background).
(From the main diagnostics menu, navigate to UTIL -> GAME -> RGB and
edit the colors using the utility.)
- Cleaned up MATCH displays; eliminate dark shadows and improve lighting
behind the house windows.
- Implemented the FLASK (junk item); this increases the values for
anything that uses the JACKPOT lights and/or the JACKPOT display effect:
WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL
ADD-A-ZOMBIE MULTIBALL
ATTIC ATTACK MULTIBALL
TRUNK MULTIBALL
PHONE-A-FIEND
HOUSE PARTY
GAPPA ANGRY
DRIVE ME CRAZY
MAKE-OUT MAYHEM
SCREAM TEST
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
GAPPA ANGRY MULTIBALL
- Added Elvira pop-ups for DIRECTOR'S CUT (that's a wrap) and (cut cut cut).
- The ENTER INITIALS display for HSTD was not rendering the right-most
character in the input alphabet when the user pressed the right flipper
button to scroll the characters to the left. This has been corrected.
- Sync thunder sounds with main-play display thunder/lightning when
the ball is in the shooter lane and the main-play display (house, for
sale sign with pumpkin) is running.
- Resequenced the HAUNT completion so the Elvira outro is sequenced first,
followed by the B-RESTORATOR level (which may light EXTRA BALL), followed
by TRAILER TRASH LIT.
- Added video clips and sounds for WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL total:
(Show parrot laughing/insulting if one shot or less. Show women behind
tree if the super jackpot is collected. Otherwise parrot squawking/women
in shrubs.)
- Edited down the video clips for DIRECTOR'S CUT (these were taking too
long). Moved the Elvira pop-ups for the level award (cut, print it) to
shortly after the start of the display effect (instead of the end).
- Elvira's 'cut print it' pop-up was being inhibited sometimes when
requested at the end of the level award during DIRECTOR'S CUT (and
sometimes it would not show up). It is now always requested and should
always show up.
- Hold up kickout of cellar lock during DRIECTOR'S CUT level award so
the player can see what is going on.
- Move the WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL SUPER JACKPOT shot around after each
shot is made so the player doesn't keep shooting the same SUPER JACKPOT
shot over and over.
- Added video clips from UNTAMED WOMEN (black & white) to the first part
of WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL. Moved video clips from THE WILD WOMEN OF WONGO
(color) to the last (super jackpot) part of WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL. (The
color clips from THE WILD WOMEN OF WONGO were the only clips used in the
previous version for all parts of the multiball.)
- Fixed an issue with the TRAILER TRASH hurry-up score where it would
count down and allow the player to collect a score that did not end in
a ZERO.
- Changed the score font in main UI that allows coloring of the outline.
- Fixed an issue in the main UI where the PLAYER UP message would flash
too quickly.
- Give out multiball jackpot awards from the CELLAR if the HOUSE ENTRANCE
RAMP is UP due to HAUNT taking priority.
- Implement THE DEAD RETURN ball save settings:
NONE
ADD TIME
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
- THE DEAD RETURN ball save setting set to NONE for COMPETITION mode.
- Fixed the shaker motor effect for the spaceship hitting the ground
during the start of the TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE mode (this is timed
much better).
- Adjusted the position and size of the timers during the ENTER INITIALS
display for HSTD so they do not overlap other elements.
- Added video clips/sounds for total pages: SCREAM TEST and RUN FOR YOUR
LIFE.
- Added new sounds for POOL PARTY (splashes).
- Added video clips/sounds for MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE total.
- Fix up ENTER INITIALS display for HSTD (title area) so it does not
overlap other graphical elements (looks bad). Vertically align/center
the text.

The code masterpiece expands yet further.....and not even at 1.0 yet.

quality - ask and ye shall receive:

- Added score font color editor that allows the user to set the colors
for the scores in the main UI (foreground and background).

sir_tankalot thanks alot!

can't wait try this new code out tomorrow.

I'll be streaming the new code at 21:00 UK time 16:00 Eastern on

https://twitch.tv/NeilMcRae/

Cheers,
Neil.

Installing code now...........

Yeah baby!

I cant re-engineer this, but for what it does, it should had a simple flipper mech or similar hold coil for raising and lowering the ramp. This device causes more interruptions to game play than any other device on the machine by either having balls trapped under it or shot back into it while its raised, although the later can easily be fixed with code by having it either score the shot or by stopping all mode timers.

The 0.97 code just looks like some minor clean up, but I absolutely love the attention to detail this release shows.

Just picked up a Premium built within the last week or so. I'm having an issue where shooting the house when it's qualified for a mode (blinking insert) doesn't always register. Instead of the ball being trapped and the mode starting, the ball continues through the house and exits out the left orbit. It's sporadic and may work fine 3 modes in a row and then stop working for like 5 shots. Has anyone else had this issue and/or can point me in the right direction as to what I should be looking at?

Just for future reference, it ended up being the diverter wasn't closing the top position switch so was just moving up and then back down again. I had to pull the whole mech out and mess around with the switch blade so it would close. Fortunately the mech isn't a complete PITA to get out although I had to pull it out twice to make adjustments before I finally got it dialed in.

Ok, not like we will outthink what the great Lyman will do - but just for fun - what isn’t in the code that should be in by 1.0?

A naked Elvira hopefully a wizard mode that reveal her breasts...

I believe the knife is last item from junk that needs effect added.
Super head shot and crypt cleaner needs stuff still.

This happens to us sometimes. I’ll have to take a look at the mech, thanks!

I’d like to see something that matches the intensity of TWD Horde mode. I think Gappa Angry is incredible, and probably my second favourite pinball mode behind Horde. But I feel it needs a tie in with the Ray Gun to really push the mode to Horde levels. Saving a few walker bombs for Horde makes that mode super intense because you have a way to come back to life when you drain if you’re quick. That’s what I think Gappa needs (or another wizard like mode in Elvira for that matter - Ray Gun counting to a last shot that kicks the game into the next stage of the mode).

Hope that makes sense. Elvira 3 is already my favourite pinball machine of all time. I can’t wait to see how Lyman ties in those Ray Guns over time.

This is what I keep telling people!

Hmm

The Knife rule
Market target rule
Crypt Cleaner mini mode
Gappa Sleepy
Gappa Happy
Gappa Gassy
Gappa a Pappa
Gappa Indifferent
Gappa Fix Your Vuk!

Ok well the first three are real. The rest are nonsense of course

Rob

Since Elvira 3 shoots so well, I wish there was some reward for making combo shots.

Rob