(Topic ID: 225494)

Hokus Pokus questions

By Flamingo43

5 years ago



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#1 5 years ago

I picked up a Hokus Pokus this weekend, my first EM. The game worked at pickup, but there are a few issues with the game that I could use some help with.

1) There is a (four) fuse holder just inside the door. The left-most fuse holder has been pretty much destroyed, and instead of a fuse there, there is a clever wire connecting the ends. (The previous owner said that he believed this fuse used to lead to the left-most coin slot mech, which has been removed.) Not sure I believe that and I'm hesitant to even turn the machine on now. I have never tried to read a schematic, though, so I have no idea what that fuse relates to and what fuse I should buy to rebuild it. The manual is here if it helps, any guidance is greatly appreciated: https://www.arcade-museum.com/manuals-pinball/H/Hokus%20Pocus%20Manual.pdf

2) There is a ball trail in an arc at the top of the playfield. I'm not going to fully restore this playfield by any stretch, was planning on cleaning/waxing per Vid's guide. Is the best advice to just accept it, wax the game/enjoy the game as is? Or should I do something like mylar to address?

3) The previous owner said the easiest way to simulate free play mode on this game is to occasionally go into the head and spin the credit wheel to a large number of credits, is that right?

Thank you very much for any help.

#2 5 years ago

Some freeplay methods are listed at http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index3.htm#free

#3 5 years ago

Thank you, that looks like a far better solution for free play.

In the schematic, are the S symbols the fuses? If so, any idea how I can tell which is physically located as the left most fuse, and how I would tell what to order, slo-blo, amp-wise, etc.?

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#4 5 years ago
Quoted from Flamingo43:

In the schematic, are the S symbols the fuses? If so, any idea how I can tell which is physically located as the left most fuse, and how I would tell what to order, slo-blo, amp-wise, etc.?

Yes. Generally, if a fuse is slo-blo it will be specified in the schematic. Assume fast acting if not specified. Example screenshot attached (from a Williams Blue Chip, 1976)

Quoted from Flamingo43:

There is a (four) fuse holder just inside the door. The left-most fuse holder has been pretty much destroyed, and instead of a fuse there, there is a clever wire connecting the ends. (The previous owner said that he believed this fuse used to lead to the left-most coin slot mech, which has been removed.) Not sure I believe that and I'm hesitant to even turn the machine on now. I have never tried to read a schematic, though, so I have no idea what that fuse relates to and what fuse I should buy to rebuild it.

Let's start by learning a little about reading schematics. One way you can identify which fuse is which is by using the color of wire connected to it. This is not foolproof. Of course wires could be a different color for many reasons. It's a data point. If you look at the red ovals I've added to your example the bottom one shows BLU and the upper one shows BLU-R. Now go to your schematic on page 25 of the .pdf. At the bottom you'll see a chart with the color code used. Using the chart, the bottom wire in your example is Blue and the upper one I circled is Blue with a Red tracer.

Quoted from Flamingo43:

There is a ball trail in an arc at the top of the playfield. I'm not going to fully restore this playfield by any stretch, was planning on cleaning/waxing per Vid's guide. Is the best advice to just accept it, wax the game/enjoy the game as is? Or should I do something like mylar to address?

Assuming "ball trail" doesn't mean 'damage to the playfield that significantly detracts from my playing experience' I would clean and wax. If there is a deep track that the ball keeps getting stuck in you'll probably want to address it. vid1900 has a playfield restoration thread that can help you if you determine that's needed.

BlueChipWilliamsexample (resized).pngBlueChipWilliamsexample (resized).pngHokusColorCode (resized).pngHokusColorCode (resized).pngHokusSchematicExampleColored (resized).pngHokusSchematicExampleColored (resized).png
#5 5 years ago

Is this what you mean by S shaped? If so, yes. There is normally a little card or similar that tells what fuse goes where, but if yours is destroyed you might want to try to get a pic from another owner.

Waxing the playfield is always good.

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#6 5 years ago

Thank you for explaining that, I doubt I ever would have figured it out. I took a look at the wiring and it looks like Blue/Red Tracer. There is a card under it but it is almost completely white with dust or some substance. After scratching down I could believe it says 15 A, it's either that or 10 but with the schematic it sounds like 15 is the way to go.

I will order a fuse holder and a 15A fast fuse.

The ball trail affects the ball's trajectory - it sort of hangs in the arc, and then finally drops - but I can live with it. The rest of the playfield is not too bad. I just want to rip spinners.

Thank you very much for the help!

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