# Episode 101 - Ball Troughs **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-06-20 **Duration:** 11m 12s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-101-ball-troughs --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge explores the superior design and reliability of Bally bingo pinball machine trough switches compared to modern opto-based systems. He details how bingo troughs use mechanical leaf switches activated by stiff wires, explains their resilience and adjustment procedures, and argues that this mechanical approach would be more reliable than contemporary solid-state opto troughs if implemented in modern machines. He also traces the evolution of trough design across pinball history from Gottlieb to modern WPC and Stern systems. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Bingo trough switches use a stiff wire mechanism that opens/closes switches when balls roll over them, making them more reliable than modern opto systems — _Nick Baldridge, discussing bingo trough design mechanics throughout the episode_ - [HIGH] Bally bingo games used 1 1/8 inch balls (larger than standard pinball) and typically 8 balls in the trough, preventing jamming — _Nick Baldridge explaining Bally bingo ball specifications_ - [MEDIUM] Modern opto-based troughs in WPC and Stern machines fail frequently due to dirty/damaged optos, poor alignment, or connector issues — _Nick Baldridge comparing opto reliability to mechanical switches_ - [HIGH] Nick has not had to adjust a single trough switch since setting up all his games, despite operating them extensively — _Nick Baldridge, personal experience with his collection_ - [MEDIUM] Gottlieb underplay field troughs from the 1960s used brass sections to track ball count and game state but not much more — _Nick Baldridge discussing historical trough design evolution_ - [HIGH] Bingo trough leaf switches are pushed sideways rather than up-and-down like rollover switches, contributing to their reliability — _Nick Baldridge explaining the mechanical design of bingo trough switches_ ### Notable Quotes > "I sincerely appreciate bingo trough switches more than any other trough switch that has been invented, at least that I've seen." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Early in episode > _Sets the passionate tone and establishes his thesis about bingo trough superiority_ > "Bingo trough switches tell the machine how many balls have been lifted. They also work together with the timer in order to figure out if it should lock you out of a feature or not." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Early segment > _Explains the functional purpose of bingo troughs in game logic_ > "With all the problems that those opto boards cause, how much better would it be if you actually had leaf switches for each of the balls in the game." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode > _Presents his core argument for mechanical superiority over optical systems_ > "Physically closing a switch when the ball rolls over it is going to beat out an opto almost any day of the week." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode > _Direct comparison statement supporting mechanical reliability thesis_ > "This design, I feel, is brilliant. I mean, it is amazing." > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode > _Emotional emphasis on the design elegance of Bally bingo troughs_ > "In double up, I had to do that in order to repair that one rollover switch, but it not something I relished doing It pretty easy to do though It only maybe seven screws in total are required to take the whole thing apart and flip it upside down" > — **Nick Baldridge**, Late segment > _Personal anecdote demonstrating hands-on experience and practical maintenance knowledge_ > "Optos are prone to being dirty or damaged, and if they're not shielded appropriately then they're going to sense when they shouldn't and if they're not aligned appropriately then they're not going to work at all" > — **Nick Baldridge**, Mid-episode analysis > _Detailed critique of opto system vulnerabilities_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of 'For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast', expert in bingo and EM pinball machines, collector and restorer | | Bally | company | Historical pinball manufacturer known for bingo pinball machines with mechanical trough designs using leaf switches | | Stern | company | Modern pinball manufacturer using opto-based trough systems that Nick critiques for reliability issues | | Gottlieb | company | Historical pinball manufacturer that used brass-based underplay field trough designs in the 1960s | | Double Up | game | Bally bingo machine in Nick's collection that required trough wire repair and demonstrates the resilience of bingo trough designs | | Mystic Lines | game | Later-generation Bally bingo game series with extensive trough switch configurations | | WPC | product | Williams pinball Control system using opto senders/receivers for ball detection that Nick contrasts with mechanical troughs | | For Amusement Only | organization | Podcast focused on EM and bingo pinball machines hosted by Nick Baldridge | ### Topics - **Primary:** Trough switch design and mechanics, Bally bingo pinball machine architecture, Reliability comparison: mechanical vs optical ball detection, Maintenance and adjustment of trough systems - **Secondary:** Historical evolution of trough design, Modern solid-state system problems (WPC, Stern), Ball specifications and physics in bingo games, Design philosophy: mechanical elegance vs complexity ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.87) — Nick Baldridge is enthusiastic and passionate about bingo trough design, using highly positive language ('fan-freaking-tastic', 'remarkable', 'amazing', 'brilliant'). His tone is celebratory of Bally's engineering. While critical of opto systems, his critique is technical rather than hostile, focused on design superiority rather than personal attacks. ### Signals - **[design_philosophy]** Nick argues that mechanical leaf switches are inherently more reliable and maintainable than optical sensors in trough detection systems (confidence: high) — Detailed technical comparison between bingo mechanical troughs and modern opto systems, with specific failure modes identified for optos - **[design_innovation]** Analysis of trough design evolution from Gottlieb (1960s brass sections) through Bally bingo (1950s-era leaf switches) to modern WPC/Stern opto systems (confidence: high) — Nick traces design progression across manufacturers and eras, highlighting design choices and trade-offs - **[operational_signal]** Nick reports exceptional reliability of bingo trough systems in his collection, with zero trough switch adjustments required despite extensive use and one wire repair (confidence: high) — Personal testimony: 'I have since shopping all my games I have not had to adjust a trough switch once' and example of fabricated replacement wire still functioning - **[product_concern]** Critique of modern opto-based ball detection systems in WPC and Stern machines, citing frequent failures from dirt, damage, misalignment, and connector issues (confidence: medium) — Nick identifies specific failure modes: 'Optos are prone to being dirty or damaged' and 'dreaded optos' in solid state games - **[restoration_signal]** Nick describes practical approaches to adjusting and repairing bingo trough systems, including mirror methods, head-in-machine adjustment, and full trough disassembly (confidence: high) — Detailed discussion of adjustment techniques and personal experience fabricating replacement trough wire for Double Up - **[historical_signal]** Historical context on trough design across pinball eras: Gottlieb underplay (1960s), Bally bingo mechanical (1950s+), micro switches, and modern opto systems (confidence: high) — Nick traces design progression: 'Gottlieb games when they moved to an underplay field ball trough in the 60's' through modern systems - **[community_signal]** Strong community focus on EM and bingo pinball machines as evidenced by dedicated podcast and passionate deep-dive technical content (confidence: high) — Episode 101 devoted entirely to technical analysis of bingo trough switches with enthusiastic tone throughout --- ## Transcript what's that sound it's for amusement only the em and bingo pinball podcast welcome back to for amusement only this is Nicholas Baldridge trough switches trough switches it's my new trough switch song Today I wanted to talk about bingo trough switches. They are amazing. I sincerely appreciate bingo trough switches more than any other trough switch that has been invented, at least that I've seen. Bingo trough switches tell the machine how many balls have been lifted. They also work together with the timer in order to figure out if it should lock you out of a feature or not. This is how, if you get a ball to come back down the playfield and into the ball return, the machine is smart enough not to lock you out of the feature if the ball didn't land in a trap hole. I keep saying, I've said it for a hundred episodes, I'll keep saying it, these machines are remarkable. But the way that the trough switches work in a bingo, there is a stiff wire which sits proud of the trough itself. And when the ball rolls over it, it opens or closes the associated trough switch. Some of the trough switches are ganged in that there's more than one switch for a single ball. And some games only have a few switches, while others, especially later games, like the Mystic Lines games, have many, many, many trough switches. Adjustment of the trough switches is critical for the operation of the bingo. So the bingos all came from the factory with a metal protector that covered the trough switches, which point towards the coin door if you're looking in the game. But if that metal cover is missing, as it is on so many bingos, then if you lift out your coin box, you have to be careful not to smack into the trough switches. Now adjusting these trough switches is pretty difficult to do but once they are adjusted they are some resilient creatures Um I have since shopping all my games I have not had to adjust a trough switch once And that includes, uh, in Double Up, one of the wires that sticks out of the trough actually broke. And I had to fabricate a new one. Now, the fabrication used a flimsier wire. It was the best that I could do to bend it using a little quick, rough jig that I made without potentially breaking that wire. So, at any rate, I plugged the wire into the game, set it up to manipulate the trough switch as it did before it broke, and it works. To this day it works. It's incredible. So for those familiar with troughs in these newer solid state games that use optos in order to sense the balls, think of this for a moment. With all the problems that those opto boards cause, how much better would it be if you actually had leaf switches for each of the balls in the game. Now, before you respond to that with a bunch of vitriol, listen to my thesis here. In a system like WPC where you have opto senders and receivers, or in the sterns where you have the trough boards, which fail quite frequently because of the teeny connectors, if there were leaf switches and they ran back and were sensed by the MPU, it would make the whole operation a whole heck of a lot more reliable. Physically closing a switch when the ball rolls over it is going to beat out an opto almost any day of the week. Optos are prone to being dirty or damaged, and if they're not shielded appropriately then they're going to sense when they shouldn't and if they're not aligned appropriately then they're not going to work at all and all these things are problems with the opto troughs in these solid state games now think of this as well the bingo games specifically the bally ones use larger balls that are used in a standard pinball machine They 1 1 inch instead of 1 1 On top of that, many of the games used 8 balls. So 8 1 1⁄8 inch balls fit into the trough of a ballet bingo. This design, I feel, is brilliant. I mean, it is amazing. The balls come back through the ball return or through the play field when the game has started and the baffle moves. All the balls drop out. They land into a feeder board that shoves them into the trough. there is no way for them to get jammed up unless the balls are magnetized. And if you're using the appropriate magnetization-resistant balls, then you will not have a problem with balls ganging up. It's just not physically possible for them to climb on top of each other. beyond that with the rigidity and reliability of these leaf switches which is not something you normally hear about leaf switches but in this case the way they were designed is fantastic they don't move the leaf switch up and down like you would normally see say on a rollover switch Instead, when the ball rolls over that little wire, it pushes the switch out to the side. This is kind of hard to describe, but it's pretty easy to see. These bingo troughs, I could go on all day. But the only other thing which I really have to add is that the trough switches can be adjusted either by putting a mirror in and adjusting via the mirror. Sticking your head in the machine, that's really difficult to do. You can't really turn it straight up and down unless you've got a tiny head, which I don't. or you can take apart the trough and flip it upside down. In double up, I had to do that in order to repair that one rollover switch, but it not something I relished doing It pretty easy to do though It only maybe seven screws in total are required to take the whole thing apart and flip it upside down So, in closing, bingo ball troughs are fan-freaking-tastic. many of the other games flipper games used ball troughs which were similar to the bingo ball troughs for example Gottlieb games when they moved to an underplay field ball trough in the 60's these games had a brass section that the balls would fall into and the game would know how many were in there, if it was your first ball, or if it was your last ball. It also knew the next to last ball, so that it could end the game appropriately. But, that's it. The games didn't keep track of anything much more important than that. and it is a very similar design to the bingo ball troughs, which were invented in the 50s. Moving forward in years, you have micro switches and so forth, depending on the manufacturer, as you go into solid state and so forth, and then to the dreaded optos. but for my money it's still the Ballybingo ball trough all the way well thank you again for joining me my name again is Nicholas Baldridge you can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com you can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocketcast, via RSS on Facebook at 4amusementonlypodcast on Twitter at bingopodcast and on Instagram at nbaldridge you can also listen to us on our website which is for amusement only dot libsyn dot com at which you can purchase your very own for amusement only t-shirt and who doesn't want my beautiful mug shining on their outfit every day of the week i say order seven at least i mean just to be sure you might want to order 30, one for every day of most months. Well, thanks again for listening and I'll talk to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 7f3723c5-72c4-4a64-82f3-1d124028e1ef*