Review of the Funhouse Pinball Topper

In this video we review and show how to install a FunHouse topper created by Pedretti Gaming. The topper was purchased from Ministry of Pinball who is one of the distributors for the Pedretti Gaming Company.

Blog Post :
https://pinballsupernova.wordpress.com/2019/07/17/mods-funhouse-topper-install-review-and-overview-pedretti-gamings-fun-house-topper-video-install/

YouTube Video :

Pinduinos work with OCD boards as they are working off different connectors (Pinduino monitors J126 on the power driver board.)

OCD boards are amazing, but it is hard for me to put everything in every game that passes through.

I would definitely be in for some different Rudy versions. And also likely for a backup inventory.

Oh that’s crazy, I was literally designing an idea for a topper very similar to this with my friend. But I wanted to use traditional carnival type lights. Like these: https://trinorthlighting.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11

Are the lights/bulbs on this topper interchangeable? What kind of base do they use?

ShaneyMac, the bulb domes seem like they are not interchangeable. The domes are integrated into the topper and seem like they cannot be removed. You may want to reach out to Pedretti to get more info but from what I can see it looks like the domes are integrated and cannot be removed. Your idea looks cool also. The domes on the topper look pretty good though, the topper is built pretty rugged. It is not a cheap piece of plastic, it has some weight to it and is pretty strong.

Pedretti FaceBook Page :
https://www.facebook.com/PedrettiGamingArcadeFlipperJukebox/

Here's old man Rudy Babee!!!!!

IMG_0665 (resized).JPG

Finally got the GI OCD board installed. I've been using LED's so long I forgot about all of those awesome lighting effects. Are you guys using stock settings? I only saw game specific download files for LED OCD.

So my machine came with LEDs installed. How can I tell if a GI OCD or LED OCD was installed? Also, what do they do in general (and I guess specifically what’s the effect for funhouse?).

I do not have it installed in my funhouse but I do in my DH and it removes all the flickering of the general illumination when there is a dimming feature in the game. For instance, when Rudy goes to sleep, the gi dims for a dark effect. If you do not have an GI-OCD board the gi will dim but will also flicker and strobe. The GI-OCD board would remove the flicker and strobing and make all the gi look more like original incandescent lights.

hmmmm, when it hits midnight, a lot of my lights go dark, but some of my GI stays fully lit (I think the slingshots and star post portions). I'll take a picture and post to see if maybe it's not working correctly, or I need a GI/LED OCD board and wasn't aware of it.

The boards would be installed in the backbox.

During midnight mb the GIOCD dims the majority of your GI and keeps it lit without flickering. (Including sling shots)
The LEDOCD board eliminates ghosting and smoothes out the playfield bulbs so they're not that harsh on / off but fade.

Beware! Once you use an OCD board you'll never go without again.

If your bulbs are not flickering and do not dim, you may have that feature turned off in the settings. I think it's titled, allow dim illumination? I'm not positive FH has that setting in the menus but if it does it might be turned off.

aaahhhhh, well I definitely see some ghosting that happens on the mirror lights.

So can you have both a GIOCD AND a LEDOCD board, or is this a one or the other option? Is there a good source documentation for an overview and guidance for these?

Ideally you'd want both. Funhouse uses GI dimming quite a lot, most notably during the midnight multiball start as mentioned above. If you have LEDs without GI OCD then you either have to disable GI dimming, which means they don't even do anything during this part, not even switch off completely as the lowest dim level during this part of the game is not 0%, or suffer them strobing - which is not nice.

It would be a bit weird to have GI OCD without LED OCD in my opinion, but if I was forced to choose one certainly on Funhouse I'd pick GI OCD.

You want BOTH boards. GIOCD is mainly to keep the dimming during midnight mb. The other board handles all the other playfield bulbs. LEDs really suck without these boards. Sharp quick blinking tackiness I love em so much I also put em in my LOTR. And they are designed to run with standard LEDs which is good... cheaper bulbs

Looks like Pat Lawlor

Funhouse sold, it was fun being in the club

Hey All- looking for some help/suggestions with a couple LER LED Strip Mods (Ordered from Mezel Mods) I'm doing.

1) Trough LED Strip Light
-The mod has you attach the strip to the trough metal and replace a GI Bulb with a new one provided that is attached to the LED Strip. I have two questions on this:
a) The bulb provided from tip to base is much longer than the normal LED lights (see picture below), so when I replace the GI bulb I can't get the holder to be flush with the playfield again to screw it back in place. Forcing it in further would make it stick up through the playfield WAY farther than intended, looking weird (if I can even squeeze the wires through the hole) Any solutions to this?
b) Which GI Light would be best to utilize at this location?

LER LED Mod Light (resized).jpg

2) Backboard LED Strip Lighting
- The mod has you adhere the strip at the backboard location, feed the wire behind the playfield and replace a GYI Bulb with a new one provided that is attached to the LED Strip. I have two questions on this one as well:
a) It's not 100% clear, but I believe the intended location for the LED Strip is underneath the bottom plastice piece which serves as the Playfield glass guard (see picture below), and the wire is to be fed behind the back left of the playfield. Am I correct here? If so, this seems like it would create a very exposed/visible wire? Any way to make this less visible?
b) Which GI Light would be best to utilize at this location?

Backboard Light Mod (resized).jpg

3) I ordered the under cabinet/back board lighting kit that's supposed to be specific to and integrate with the Funhouse lights. I haven't received it yet, but if anyone has any experience to offer before hand, happy to hear them.

Thank you for any help.

That flex bulb.... Why not just squish it down to the desired height? Those wires bend.

I didn't go full brute force on it yet, but my first gentler approach made it seem like a brute force approach would create an odd angle of the bulb sticking out because, while they do bend, they aren't long/thin enough to create a nice clean fold/wrinkle.

Hello all,

Very close to buying a Funhouse machine.

Rudy is a bit beat up and tired though, is it still possible to buy new facial parts for him?

Thanks!

1. You can push the bulb down a little to make it sit better against the playfield insert. Honestly, I prefer alligator clips for this mod for its simplicity, but we have been asked to supply this bulb option.
2. The led strip adheres under the plastic, as you show in your picture. You can also place it further back on the wood if you like. The wires should not be seen, or barely visible, when the playfield is in place. Wire would go over the top of the backboard. Any GI light is fine to us, I use one in the back of the playfield that was nearby.
3. This one is not our mod so can’t help with it.

Thanks for the reply!

1) Yeah, I think I would have preferred that as well. Maybe include a drop down selection when purchasing? I'll see if I can get the push/force to work. Otherwise I might be snipping it and adding aligator clips, or go crazy and solder it on.
2) Maybe I'm misunderstanding what 'Over the top of the backboard' is. I was assuming it loops down behind the backside of the playfield, to reach the underside for a GI light? Do you have a picture of one to show where the wire goes?
3) Ok, so this is a mezelmods specific mod? I guess their site is comprised of their own mods and some kind of re-seller of yours also?

Rudy heads are impossible to find. Only thing I have been able to get is eyelids and internal parts. No head or jaw.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/funhouse-club/page/33#post-5100743

I'd be in for Rudy complete head (original version: front & back and jaw too if available). Depends on cost tho.

Thanks for this.
Kerry

Also need a full Rudy head, mine is beat up and has small cracks and I'm about to do a playfield swap.

A lot of you chimed in that you need the GI OCD, but nobody answered the question. Are there custom settings for a particular game like with LED OCD? I'm using default, and it looks great.

I can't think of a reason you would need custom settings. The game knows what it is doing with the GI strings, so really it's just a case of customising (or not) the dimming range depending on the quality of bulbs you've got.

OK, so new issue.

First- thank you to LERMods for helping me with my earlier snags via PM, I got those mods installed and all working/looking great!

Now, the last mod I ordered was for under/back cabinet interactive lighting. I ordered through Mezelmods, but its originated from Rock Custom Pinball. The instructions state to disconnect and piggyback J125 and J107 in the back box. I did that, except that J125 had no pre-existing connector (not sure why? I assume these are universal instructions?). So, I just connected the J125 connector for the LED mod to the blank connection on the board, and then connected and piggybacked J107. I turned on the machine, and while the LED strips do not light up with GI, they light up and interact with flashers (ie, plunging the ball, and I assume multiball etc.), which I believe is the intent. So, I thought it was all good, until I realized that every time Rudy spoke now, instead of his voice, it was playing different sound effects. Every time he was supposed to say a word, a different sound effect would play. Any idea what's going on and how to fix?

Does spelling STEP do anything? You complete it, they blink a few times, and the display says nothing. A little... interesting.

When you hit all the “STEP” letters, it lights one of the three awards to skill shot with the left plunger on the left ramp when the steps gate is “open”

Further more, this can be very valuable, because if you get frenzy going a few times from that skill plunge, that is your bonus points at balls end. I had a 9.4 million bonus just yesterday.

Good info. So if you don’t have an award lit, what happens when you go to the steps and land in that lane?

Makes a little noise, that’s about it

So a reward has to be lit in order to collect and make a lit steps shot mean anything. Very interesting. I’ll have to play a few times specifically for this just to get a feel for things.

Is this true for all rewards? I thought frenzy was always lit once the gate was open?

No, frenzy is not always lit after you collect it, it needs to be relit. You can go to the steps ramp skill shot and literally have nothing to plunge for, but at least hot dog starts everytime.

OK, but Frenzy will be lit at least once with the first opening of the Steps gate (regardless of STEPs target progress), then if collected, it needs to be relit?

correct

Non-owner, just a fan. Played FH a couple days ago at my neighborhood location. It had been turned off last time I was there.

For some odd reason, multiball started after two locks after shooting the Hidden Hallway again instead of Rudy's mouth. Then during MB I get the Million Plus (with sound effects) as if I shot the trapdoor when I did not. Are some switches crossed up somehow?

Trap door will trigger as succesful if the ball goes past the upper switch and rolls back down over the same switch. It's more of a safety mech to ensure the ball doesnt get trapped by the trap door by a slow roller.

Not sure about the MB. There's quick MB and midnight multiball. When you hit midnight, if the hidden hallway has 3 balls it spits one out. If theres two, the 3rd one goes to shooter lane requiring shooting into Rudy's mouth. Are you saying midnight multiball started with just 2 balls?

there are three switches that the ball rolls over in the lock mechanism. These switches can be very temperamental. If the game has balls locked but the switches dont actuate when ball rolls over Rudy will wake up and the the lock kicks out all the balls.

FYI - for all you folks about to do playfield swaps/restores, this was one of the most frustrating issues to address with the new playfields. I just had to really futz and adjust those 3 switches a ton before I got these to work perfect.

Good point with the restore. I always use a ball to test the switches and not my finger. If your hearing is good you can hear the “click” of the switch as the ball goes over it.

Anyone have any ideas/guesses as to what material the eyes were made of? ABS? HDPE? Nylon?

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8468

How you guys like this?

d3db5b95-307b-4a57-a292-e9ec536bc98a (resized).jpg

tribute to Childsplay

Child-s-Play-Screen-Used-Original-Good-Guy-Doll-and-Screen-Used-Good-Guy-Water-Gun-Props-1 (resized).jpg

Can someone please make replacement faces for Rudy. I'd certainly buy this if it was available. I would still keep the original but to have a change would be great.
https://pinballsupernova.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/p1040228.jpg

pasted_image (resized).png

In progress

Maybe this should be the new scary rudy?

trump-rudy (resized).png

Hillary would be more scary.