The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Pinball Mods => General Mods => Topic started by: Caveoftreasures on November 27, 2011, 11:53:30 AM
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I wanted to start a thread about changing all my machines over to LED's.
The idea being that as I change over a machine to LED's I will take a photo or short video of the before and after results and put them on this thread. Rather than doing a different thread for every machine, I will just add each machine I do to this thread until all machines are done with LEDs. Should be a good catalogue of photos etc for alot of titles. So far I have done GILLIGANS, CONGO and today I am doing TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.
As I do each machine, I will list what LEDs I used, and how many I used per title so if anyone else wants to do their same machine, It might help other AP members.
I have got 3 dozen machines to do, but I figure that if I attempt to do a machine each week or so, and document each machine with before and after photos, this could become a very long and interesting thread with lots of great photos that will show the results of changing over machines to LED's.
In the past I was hesitant or unsure if I should go the LED route, but after doing GILLIGANS and seeing first hand the massive positive visual difference, and seeing also what damage std candescent bulbs can do to under playfield inserts because of excessive heat, LED's are the way to go to preserve machines for the long term.
The only compromise I do make, is that I leave the above playfield General Illumination lights the standard 44 bayonet style candescent bulbs because the light from stock bulbs does a better job of providing a larger spread of light compared to LED's. I find that LEDs above the playfield can make it difficult to keep track of the ball on some titles, and that if u are watching someone else play a game and u are standing next to the machine, LEDs above playfield can get right in your eyes making watching unenjoyable.
A friend is also converting his machines over and he has ALOT of different LEDs, so I just ordered two thousand LEDs from him with a large mixture of 555 and 44 type LEDs which come in all different shapes n sizes n colours. I will experiment with changing out all the backbox 555 bulbs on each machine to white LED's as well.
The heat from std 555 candescent bulbs is crazy. The heat tends to damage translites n backglasses over time. Converting to LEDs in the backbox will also save heat which will also be beneficial for the longterm health of the game. Any reduction in heat is a benefit. Just got to decide if the warm glow of std bulbs looks better than the bright white light of backbox LEDs.
When I finish TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES tonight, I will add photos/video of all the machines I have done so far. ^^^ Stay tuned. Thanks for reading.
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Wow, big job ahead mate but it will be well worth it.
I use 47 globes as opposed to the 44's, not quite as bright but that means a little bit less stress on the boards and a little bit less heat as well.
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Wow, big job ahead mate but it will be well worth it.
I use 47 globes as opposed to the 44's, not quite as bright but that means a little bit less stress on the boards and a little bit less heat as well.
Some machines are so much easier to put LEDs into than others. TURTLES for example is so easy with easy under playfield access, where CONGO was difficult with heaps of stuff in the way of globe holders etc. GILLIGANS was half n half with the difficulty factor. I had a look at Star Trek Next Gen for an example,and again can be challenging in some areas. After TURTLES, I will finish TWISTER which is mostly done and then FISHTLES the probably POPEYE etc. So many to do, but I will make it fun.
I will just patiently do a machine each week. I tend to dislike 47 globes, just not bright enough. With the machines only on for a few hours here n there, or for say 6 to 8 hrs maximum for a pinball party, I dont mind the 44 globes and brightness for General Illumination. Doing each machine one by one shld keep me busy and off the streets.lol %.% By the time u finish doing a machine with full LEDs, u feel like a nap. Getting old at 41 yrs.
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I finished doing LED's to TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES after a lousy few hours. It was very quick to do. What a difference. $#$ I am doing FISHTALES probably next with the last bit of the TWISTER LED and clean job very close by.
I am just playing with the brand new video camera, and will work out how to upload the videos of the LED shop jobs of GILLIGANS, CONGO and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.
I think I will upload them to YOUTUBE and then place the links on here. Thats my mission tonight. ^^^ At this rate, The LED shop jobs to all machines might be done alot quicker than planned. The extra 2,000 LEDs are on the way from my mate, and I will need them cause I am chewing through them very quickly. I am going to need one very serious LED plastic divider type storage case to place the dozens of different types into. Grabbing the right one sometimes is like digging thru a large handfull of coloured smarties to just pick out one colour. concave, flat, frosted, 555, 44, angled, LEDs with extension arms. It does ya head in after a few hours.
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What did the LEDs cost if you don't mind me asking?
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What did the LEDs cost if you don't mind me asking?
theres an ebay seller from china who sells them really cheap, i kited 2 machines for $70, and that is allot of bulbs.
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In the past I have always purchased my LEDs from Mark when he had them on special. I just emailed him for a bulk purchase price and got a good deal.
The BULK purchase this time is thru a local friend who purchased a massive amount of BULK LEDs from someone in the USA and he passed on the savings to me from his BULK purchase. I have previously purchased cheap LEDs from China directly, and half of them didnt even work. So now its only Mark, or thru the USA etc.
The price works out for me to be apx 22 cents each for quality LEDs via my friends BULK deal.
Get quotes from Mark C, Cointaker, Pinball Life etc etc. Check with RTBB as well. Most people arent going to order enough LEDs to do 30 machines like I have but shop local if u can, or get quotes etc. All companies are great to deal with. Demand excellent postage prices if u are buying in bulk. Dont trust the standard postage calculator that u see on the various web sites. Send a personal email explaining your specific order and your post code etc, and u find the postage costs drop by over 50 percent.
I am thinking of buying in 20,000 (twenty thousand) LEDs in and doing some AP deals to pass on the great prices I can achieve. More on that later. ^^^
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I werent aware of any USA made LED's.. China yes,Taiwan yes Germany yes.
CREE chip is USA chip, but thats a driver chip only... thats then onsold to LED manufacturers to make LED. Theres no difference between CREE and EPISTAR etc cept CREE made in USA... it didnt take the other manufacturers to refine the drivers to CREE standards.
At 22c ea... they aint made in good old USA mate
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I werent aware of any USA made LED's.. China yes,Taiwan yes Germany yes.
CREE chip is USA chip, but thats a driver chip only... thats then onsold to LED manufacturers to make LED. Theres no difference between CREE and EPISTAR etc cept CREE made in USA... it didnt take the other manufacturers to refine the drivers to CREE standards.
At 22c ea... they aint made in good old USA mate
Good Point Gav. I know/knew that. EVERYTHING IS MADE IN CHINA. I meant supplied by USA companies in my specific bulk purchase. Thru the USA scource my mate uses, I have a guarrantee from them etc with regards to refunds/swapping out any faulty/dud LEDs. From my previous China scourced LEDs, when half were found to be faulty/dud, I got no refunds or any help. This time, this way, any faulty ones get fully replaced etc. ^^^
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I werent aware of any USA made LED's.. China yes,Taiwan yes Germany yes.
CREE chip is USA chip, but thats a driver chip only... thats then onsold to LED manufacturers to make LED. Theres no difference between CREE and EPISTAR etc cept CREE made in USA... it didnt take the other manufacturers to refine the drivers to CREE standards.
At 22c ea... they aint made in good old USA mate
Good Point Gav. I know/knew that. EVERYTHING IS MADE IN CHINA. I meant supplied by USA companies in my specific bulk purchase. Thru the USA scource my mate uses, I have a guarrantee from them etc with regards to refunds/swapping out any faulty/dud LEDs. From my previous China scourced LEDs, when half were found to be faulty/dud, I got no refunds or any help. This time, this way, any faulty ones get fully replaced etc. ^^^
....Interesting... whats the guarantee on them??? Its a tough call as the quality of the LED driver is just as important as the quality of the LED itself... unless the LED has a constant current chip coupled with it and a fully regulated voltage supply.. then failures can be expected... there will be all sorts of ripple from your voltage source that will shorten the life of the LED... it didnt matter too much how clean the power source was with the 44 or 47 bulbs so long as the voltage didnt ramp up overheating the filament.. LED is far more sensitive.
Just to add, ive got the 1936 Stoner machine working 99%... it still has the original bulbs in it... all of which still work. Thats some 75 years they have lasted and just goes to show that todays modern mass produced products just are not the quality of years ago. One of my LED suppliers sent me a report that had serious concerns for LED in that while LED CAN last for a few thousand hours given the right conditions.. whether it could prove itself as reliable in a mass produced market was a completely different ball game... anyway, hope they hold up for you as at the moment its still not a very cheap alternative.
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The guarrantee is that if they work, I keep them, ones that dont work get sent back for a instant replacement, given shipping time etc.
As a guide to cost, I used apx 40 LEDs to do the playfield on TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Thats a total cost of less than $10 to do the whole machine. BARGAIN !
If u calculate a machine that has double (80 x LEDS) thats only $20 per machine or up to $40 for a 160 LED machine. Those LED kits u see various sellers selling at $200 plus can be a little expensive, even if u calculate and add the flashers in. You are best to buy LEDs in bulk, and fit and do your own kit.
As a guide, I place red LEDs under red inserts, green under green inserts, white under white etc, and purple under purple etc, BUT i use white under orange mostly and white under yellow mostly. Some yellow or orange inserts look better with white under compared to yellow or orange etc. Just experiment etc.
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Can you post some photos of the machines you've done already ? I'm keen to try LEDs on my nect machine ( if i can find one )
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Can you post some photos of the machines you've done already ? I'm keen to try LEDs on my nect machine ( if i can find one )
At this very minute, I am still trying to upload the videos of Congo, Gilligans and TMN Turtles to YOUTUBE and then onto the forum. It might take me a few hours or ten hours, standby, thanks. ^^^
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I've seen the Gilligans pin, it looks amazing with LEDS. ^^^
LEDS actually make some games look more modern imo, keep up the good work mate
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Good stuff. I look forward to the videos.
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I got an assortment of LEDs from www.rtbb.com.au (http://www.rtbb.com.au) to try out. I'm not a fan of the "change every lamp" idea, but they are excellent in certain feature areas. In AFM, the mode completed inserts are way too dark blue to let normal lamps light through well, and the LEDs work a treat. In Black Hole the lower playfield arrows have a similar problem, and LEDs did a great job there.
Unlike other suppliers locally, *every* LED I got from Greg worked, so not sure where he gets his stock but they seem good.
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LED's look great.
I use them mainly for inserts and the backbox, I use them in GI if an area on the PF looks a little dark and needs a bit of brightness.
I don't like LED kits as I like to experiment with different colours and effects and LED kits are not cheap.
I have only ever bought cointaker LEDs and have had the odd dead bulb here and there but nothing to complain about.
I have never got any LED's from rtbb but everything else I have purchased from there has been great with top service, price and postage...I will give them a go for sure....my newest additions have not been done yet.
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Ive also experimented a bit with my Small stable of Machines,
Getaway HS2 is one that looks so much better with Leds in all the playfield inserts,
I dont do Gi or Flashers leave those incandescent...
Firepower I put a Select few in that really lifts the colour of the old inserts,
the Green X multipliers in front of the flippers I actually changed back to 47s as the leds were too bright and affecting gameplay Imho..
T2 is next on my list think it will look absolutely Fantastic with all led inserts...
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I shld have the videos ready shortly to upload. (my new video camera software is not very user friendly ^.^ Canon software no where near as good as Kodak software)
Congo - done - looks amazing
Turtles - done - lifts it so well
Gilligans - done - the improvement here is 10 fold
Twister - almost done - big difference
Independence Day - started - massive difference already
It seems that a winning combination that I and others use is to leave std flashers and std General Illumination (above playfield) and do the playfield inserts. Backbox LEDs are also a good idea to reduce excessive heat, espescially for machines that translites or backglasses cant be purchased for. Experiment with the backbox and see if u like or dont like the bright white light versus the buttery glow of std 555 bulbs etc.
The heat from candescent 44 and 47 plus std 555 candescent bulbs is just too hot. The heat and possible damage to inserts has made my mind up to changing over every machine over to LEDs. The look is a huge improvement on any title, plus any reduction in heat is a winner.
Just a few hours of leaving a machine turned on, and once u feel the heat on the translite or even the heat under the playfield inserts from std candescent bulbs will scare any collector. LEDs are a smart and attractive answer. ^^^
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Should be able to purchase Off White LED at approx 4800 Kelvin as opposed to the harsh white 6500 Kelvin
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Good idea Gav,
Some suppliers have a new LED called "retro" which looks just like a 44 or 555 candescent bulb.
Good alternative for anyone who wants to use LEDS for general illumination instead of std candescent bulbs. (have ordered some, will test n report back when they arrive from the USA).
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Being inspired here on this thread with the LED mods I have just finished LEDun (LED underneath) my Swords of Furry.
WOW, it now looks better than a new machine and the colours are so vibrant I am addicted.
I can not believe the clarity and sharpness this has made, never mind the drop in electrical power and heat.
The back glass I put in wide angle blue LEDs except for all parts that have a red display which were replaced with (obviously) red LEDs, I have got to say this looks a million.
Also noted is that the LED lights flash at a much higher speed where the machine is more interactive.
Worth every $ spent. @@*
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post some pictures mate, i love swords of fury, if you ever want to sell i might be interested lol
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well done phil. leds do look good. ^^^
I just finished Independence Day. It came up amazing. I have 4 or 5 videos to add once i sort out this dam Canon video software.lol
I have done 5 machines in apx 2 weeks and they look great. Its not that expensive to do it either if u buy Leds in bulk etc. Plenty sellers around with good deals. ^^^
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Glad U R having success with LED's Brett ^^^
Its a time consuming process &^&
I wonder if you will find over a period of time you MAY change or drop a few out?
I love LED's in certain places - I did find that SOME titles , if you packed them with loads of LED's nearly caused an epileptic fit for the player - the 'strobing' was just WAY too much ( TOTAN bonus countdown triangles springs to mind )
Not sure if you have noticed this yet in any of the games you have done?
If you find a good camera setting to get GOOD pics with - please tell me , as I have never been able to get pics to come up as good as they look in real life.
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Sorry for the blurry pic at the moment, but you should be able to get an idea of the LED difference.
Will try again tomorrow for a better camera setup as its hard to find the right shot.
Regards Phil...
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Thanks for the photo Phil Great machine mate
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Phil,
I can see the difference already. Put it this way, you wouldnt even see the colours from that far away if they were normal bulbs etc, thats how i know how good the Led's look. My brother walked in last night and from 10 metres away, saw Independence day and said instantly, how good the Led's looked. Normally, from that distance you cant see anyt colour.
Wotto, hi mate. ^^^
Something I have found, is that Bally/Williams inserts seem to be thinner and much more transparent (carries light thru much easier) than the thicker inserts on Data East/Sega. Thats something I have found instantly on Bally/Williams versus Data East early (1990) or later 1996/1997 later models of data East/Sega. The inserts seem to be thicker on anything else than Bally/Williams.
So, on a Bally/Williams, u CAN get away with some Led's if ya want, but on data East/Sega etc, once u do one, u really have to do all inserts etc. The Bally/Williams patch gets rid of the small strobing on most Bally/Williams etc. On the other manufacturers etc, the strobing is the same, but not that much to stop me from putting LED's in all 35 machines (yes, I am on a mission).
It just brings pinny's into the 2012 year n look. Reallistically, the std bulbs look good on anything prior to DMD etc, and I would not put LED's into say the 1978 model Phoenix, but all other machines, the answer is a resounding YES. and I used to be on the fence. It really makes a big difference and makes boring lifeless inserts come alive. I really reckon LED's are the way to go to modernise the fleet, if that makes sense. ^^^ ^^^
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I have attached a few photos of some plastic organiser cases that I purchased for $6 each from the Reject Shop. (some states its called Crazy Clarks/Sams Warehouse/$2 shop etc).
The organiser trays were in the auto section. I find them perfect to put all my LEDs into. Since I have every type and colour of 44/47 and 555 LED's, the numbers of compartments u need starts to add up. By the time u add up the std candescent bulbs etc, and every different flasher and type of candescents, again, you need more organisers. This has made storage and organisation when chosing them very easy. ^^^ photos below.
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a few more
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Yep, I have found those sort of organisers or similar to be very handy.
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Good gravy!
Mr Caveman et al are doing some cool things with LEDs.
Although I'm another one who doesn't subscribe to total changeouts (I reckon the light shows can get a little overwhelming/distracting if the LEDs aren't used judiciously) but of course it's all a matter of preference.
Beware, there is such a thing as LED poisoning . . . #@#
Wish I had the coin to have trayloads of them on hand in those neato containers.
PP
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I probably have another few thousand Leds in the large box at least. All different colours.
I just put another order thru for another 2,000 Leds. Doing it this way, u end up being able to led a entire machine for around the $20 to $30 figure.
Remember, I had to buy in bulk so I can do over 35 machines with Leds.
I am going to upload the videos I made of the various machines I have changed over to Leds etc if it kills me. I have almost worked out the Canon software for the new video camera.
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Loading 3 x videos now.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles converted to LEDs first. Massive difference cause if it was the std bulbs still, u wouldnt even see half of the colour u can see now.
(no audio on the video) Next Video will be Gilligans.
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Gilligans video is next/loaded on here. I was short one green LED to the left palm tree insert which has since been done. I hadnt placed the treasure sticker back over the treasure chest insert which is why it is so bright. Fixed since. LEDs made a massive difference to this game, best results ever. (no audio on the video).
Next video is Congo.
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Next video added here is for Congo. Massive difference. Made the game even better with Leds. (No audio on video)
Next video is for Independence Day. Huge differennce again.
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Thanks for posting the videos. CONGO is a nice looking pin.
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The machines look great Brett, well done!!! ^^^
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Awesome stuff LED's have really change pinball for the better they really brighten up the playfied thanks for posting.
Peter
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I am 99 percent finished doing all the Led's on INDEPENDENCE DAY. Bit of a journey this one. It threw some challenges up at me. But it looks friggin good. ^^^
YES, some machines are a real PAIN IN THE ASS to do underplayfield LEDS on. This is one of them. ^.^ After a few hours of constantly doing LED's, I feel stuffed. It takes its toll on you. Fidly bastard of a job. I broke a 555 holder poorly soldered onto a small light board. i will fix it tomorrow, then I am done.
I bought a whack of LEDs thinking it would be something relaxing to do when I take some time off over Xmas, after tonight, I feel like Valium. It just goes to show, some designers put some things in really really stupid positions, making the simplest of tasks, like changing out a few lousy bulbs almost impossible. I have got to take a friggin under playfield ramp off just to get to the last 3 or 4 bulbs. ^.^
In my sleep tonight, I will curse the designer of this game. Should be able to take a video this next few days of the finished machine. It does look great, but it is age-ing me these bloody LEDs. I wont give up til i conquer the fleet. (got to test some snazzy colour changing ones I just got, Whooo Hooo). :D
My next decision, which machine next. Maybe Godzilla. A very cool game. The green ramps on this machine already look sick. LEDs shld make this baby look amazing. OR shld i just bite the bullet and do POPEYE which I promised the kids I would do next. and YES, POPEYE is a friggin great game contrary to most people NOT having a clue and realising this is a WILLIAMS widebody that is brilliant. *%* *%* Time for bed. @.@ <..>
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Thanks for the videos Brett. The Leds look great ^^^
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great work mate ^^^
the turtles looks amazing
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I wanna see the twister video!! <..>
Peter
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Ok Pete, TWISTER PINBALL VIDEO will be added just after INDEPENDENCE DAY is loaded . ^^^
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wow!
nicely done brett!!
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Even a bit of sacrilege ! I changed an EM with a few coloured GI LED's and inserted warm white LED's under playfield to give it the original look , I find this little change has ALL my mates and family playing it as it now really sparkles , Gilligan's Island is hot and soon DR DUDE will be done ( more fluorescent colours required like the 80's )
I hope the pictures work out as this is all new to me
definitely cuts the heat and prolongs general life expectancy of components
/Users/andrewdolby/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2012/22:01:2012/DSCN0130./Users/andrewdolby/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2012/22:01:2012/DSCN0130.JPG
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You are doing far far better than me Brett.
It has taken me 5 weeks now to get 30% of the Fire Power 2 locked and loaded in LED.
I had to reverse polarity of all diodes, and swap over each wire on the bulb rails so the LEDS were of the correct polarity.
Grrrrr, it gets worse again having to solder a resistor across all Zener diodes inline to other leds on the play field.
Got to say it looks a million already and everyone comments it looks brand new. #*#
Still questioning my sanity on this one though. LOL
Regards Phil...
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well done mate. keep going. changing a machine over to LEDs is like spray painting a car, once u start, there is no going back.lol
yes, it can be very time consuming and frustrating, but the results are definately worthwhile. I did a machine a week for 4 weeks, now onto another machine, and u do need a bourban n coke, and sometimes panadol after mucking around for 3 or 4 hrs non stop, night after night. %.%
would love to see some photos when u are done. thanks for the nice comment. ^^^
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I am a sucker ! loving it as it makes you even more intimate with the machine !
her is DR DUDE which suits the bright colours and gaudiness of the 80's / 90's
I AM A GEEK !
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Yes, that looks great. Led's just bring the inserts so much more alive than standard. The visual difference is like making a 1990's playfield belong to 2012. ^^^
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concerns were bought up about EM machines ! well if you keep warm white under PF and do some highlighting on the PF it makes a HHHHHUUUGGGEEEEE difference and people tend to be drawn to it and play it more ( as they should )
I must admit though that when I get around to doing 2001 ( 1971 GTB ) I will keep this all warm white purely for nostalgia value and I do find that using the sealed 44 base in this tends note to strobe as much ?? don'y know why !
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wow. what a difference. definately makes people gravitate to the machine when it looks that good. great job again. ^^^
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concerns were bought up about EM machines ! well if you keep warm white under PF and do some highlighting on the PF it makes a HHHHHUUUGGGEEEEE difference and people tend to be drawn to it and play it more ( as they should )
I must admit though that when I get around to doing 2001 ( 1971 GTB ) I will keep this all warm white purely for nostalgia value and I do find that using the sealed 44 base in this tends note to strobe as much ?? don'y know why !
Very very nice mate and looks great. I will post pics soon of my latest achievements in fire power 2 as it is mind blowing what difference the leds have made to the PF.
Thats an understatement, "the machine is ALIVE".! Love it.
Painful but worth the effort thanks to Brett's inspiration, and for sure gets addictive. @@*
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UPDATE.
Here is the LED link you emailed about.
Cavey ^^^
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Hi Cavey,
I've been reading with interest this thread and I've recently finished installing ghostbusters LED's under PF on my DE Starwars. I was wondering if you'd replaced any of your larger flasher globes with LEDs? if so how do they look? I've tried a few myself but am a bit un decided. The ones I have changed defiantly make an impact but I think if I do one area of flashes I need to do them all. I'm not sure that this won't be a bit to distracting, any thoughts?
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I leave ALL flashers standard. I only change playfield inserts with Leds, I rarely change any 44 bulbs above playfield because LEDs in general illumination are too bright n distracting when playing a game and looking for the ball.
I find backbox can use LEDS for general illumination ONLY if u have a backglass and dont want to ruin it with std bulb heat etc. Translite games can keep std bulbs of all types. Std bulbs give a warmer nicer glow which spreads out more than leds in a backbox.
* Std flashers everywhere in the machine are best in my opinion.
* General illumination std is best for me.
* Only inserts to leds is best for me generally.
Std flashers n standard bulbs for general illumination give a wider spread of more light. Leds arent really required for flashers. Led flashers are too expensive and dont bring a huge difference to the table for my liking.
Everything LED is overkill. There is a compromise which works better by using a bit of new and a bit of old. ^^^
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i absolutely love the idea and look of led's so many pro's to doing. pissing of the heat and not having to change bulbs as often, looks modern, +++++++++++++
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I am a sucker ! loving it as it makes you even more intimate with the machine !
her is DR DUDE which suits the bright colours and gaudiness of the 80's / 90's
I AM A GEEK !
nice machine mate
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Everything LED is overkill. There is a compromise which works better by using a bit of new and a bit of old. ^^^
Thanks for the feed back, ^^^ that's the way I was leaning also. Funny I thought they'd look great as flashes but when I tried them tonight I found them a little distracting, only had a couple in to. I also tried the backglass a few weeks ago but changed them back as well. Under PF and in the pop bumpers on my machine they look great though.
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LED's = very 'game' dependent IMO.
I was doing the 'mix n match' with some LED and some standards for quite a while- ONLY under 'certain' inserts' in the playfield.
I do not put ANY LED's in backboxes.
I ALWAYS use LED"s in ALL flasher locations.
Recently however I re-tried some bright WHITE leds in ALL of the playfield GI for WH20 and it looks EXCELLENT , I had tried some WIDE ANGLE and FROSTED white LED's in the GI years back and didnt like it then , but now I have done the whole playfield in bright ( 4LED ) whites ( thanks greg ^^^ ) I would not go back, the game is heaps brighter overall and very 'brilliant'.
I liked it so much that I then did Monopoly the same way - same results - MUCH brighter and 'cleaner' looking.
All of this made my CFTBL sitting next to them look AWFULLY 'dull' - so I went off and did that too - BAD move.......as that game is so much more suited to the dimmer incandescent bulbs rather than the brightness of the GI's. Also, when the game goes into the Movie Madness / 2 ball mode the game 'seems' to dim ( my imagination !@# ) and the LED's in the GI wouldnt create that same effect. So I changed that game back and my CFTBL has incandescent GI, with SOME PF inserts in LED's and all flashers in LEDS.
On the other hand the T3 I got from Nino is CHOCK FULL of LED's everywhere and just looks outstanding.
So - as Cavey will testify, to get the best out of LED"s it takes hours and hours of experimenting back and forth until YOU feel it is the way YOU want YOUR game to appear.
My next title will also get the LED treatment #@#
The only disappointment with LED's is that while they look good in real life , they look god-damn AWFUL in photographs, the colours that ( in real life ) look nice and highlight certain PF area's, look like big green or blue BLOBS in most images you see. I have tried many different ways to photograph WH20 to show here and it looks SH&T in a photo ^.^
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Great feedback Wotto.
A video seems to catch the goodness of the LEDS, but a photo seems not to do the job any justice.
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So - as Cavey will testify, to get the best out of LED"s it takes hours and hours of experimenting back and forth until YOU feel it is the way YOU want YOUR game to appear.
Thanks guys, ^^^ I guess that's the trick isn't it. Keep trying until you get the look your after. Its amazing what a difference it makes when you get it right though isn't it.
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Its amazing what a difference it makes when you get it right though isn't it.
Yes it is.
It can be a very fine balance to get it perfect.
Even after I think I have the game PERFECT I still occasionally just try ONE bulb change in one spot.
EG - Nino's T3 looks awesome how he did the LED's- but yesterday I got to the FINAL BATTLE and the PF insert for that sits amongst the PF inserts for the other modes - they are all lit in white. So I am going to change the FINAL BATTLE LED to either another colour OR to a colour changer - just to see how it looks as I think the FINAL BATTLE needs to be highlighted.
Sometimes little things like this can make a great looking game just that LITTLE BIT better.
Yes I am a little pedantic :lol
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just relooked at this older thread.
its amazing now that even Stern are putting LEDS into all of their machines, and placing LEDS into home collections/titles now seems the norm.
anyone else been adding leds to their 1990's dmd machines....any videos anyone.
I still have some I have to upload as well.
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I'll be giving my RBION a going over, I think. Doesn't exactly qualify as a 90s machine but has a similar aesthetic to them, so it should still be fun to experiment with different colours (without going too wild, I hate coloured LEDs for GI under plastics, it tends to look overbearing). Getting an LED-OCD as well, as I am far too sensitive to LED strobing.
Having said that, I stumbled across this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89NfEy4Cy0U) the other day where a proto RBION in the Stern factory circa 2004 was running all LEDs, so it's an idea they've been toying with for a while and may have even had LEDs in mind for RBION.
Also have to say, I'm not a massive fan of how some of the newer Sterns look with 100% LEDs. I think they could go for a nicer mix of both, or at least use less SMDs and more frosted lights to bring the volume of light down. Pins can be colourful without having to wear sunnies to see them :)
I'm also mulling over the idea of using coloured incandescents, too. Just so I can ditch that flicker, but I know they still give off the same amount of heat which is my main motivation for going LED.
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Have fun with it. Take ya time and u will get some fun results.
RBION is a great machine, everything I LOVE about pinball is in this game. It has a bit of everything and the fact its theme is wild and a bit out there is even better. Always wanted a RBION and I think its a great title and suits the style of machine I definately like.
I think LEDS in RBION will look terriffic.
Let us know how u go. photos or videos will be great.
regards, brett