Lit buttons are nice - but...............

[Wotto]

Hey all

Thought I would share a recent experience.
I like the look of the LIT flipper buttons that you can get these days.
I installed a GREEN set on my CFTBL some months back.
Look - EXCELLENT.

However - over the last few months I had been VERY randomly getting some wierd things happening on the game.
The main 2 things were.....

* a switch error message - Check UPPER LEFT FLIPPER  ummmmm this game doesnt have one of those 

* In gameplay, after spelling F-I-L-M.......the game should start the FLASHERS in the left and right holes so that you can start the 2 ball mode of the game...............this was working normally 80% of the time but extremely randomly the game would NOT enter that mode and FILM would be lit BUT you could not start the next mode.

I removed the LIT FLIPPER buttons - havent had those issues since.

My thinking is that these buttons throw out a LOT of light from the 2 leds that sit right at the flipper button inside the cabinet, I reckon the amount of light  being 'sprayed around' could have been affecting the opto switches and making the entire switch matrix go a little crazy.........would anyone concur 

[swinks]

Interesting thought and does make sense. Did you try putting the right side lit button back in to see if the problem comes back and then maybe to prove the point make a dark colour cowling around the button to to see if the problem goes away. If it solves it then you can go back to your lit buttons.

[Replicas]

With led's being directional I would think a cowling like "Swinks" says should fix your problem. I must say though , never heard of this before ?

[Pinlinds]

It may be a possibility, many years ago I had a Getaway on sight in a pub. I would get a call to say the supercharger was not functioning, the balls would go into the loop and then just roll back without being accelerated through. When I got there the game was fine. This happened about 3 times so I asked if it was the3 same person complaining. Turns out it was some guys coming in at about 5pm for after work drinks and a game of pinnie. I went in and joined them and sure as nuts the supercharger failed a couple of times (not every time) while they were playing. I noticed at this time the sun was getting low in the sky and shining at a narrow angle through a window onto the top end of the play field and into the supercharger magnet/coil housing (there are 3 optos in there too). Turns out for that hour or so (probably also dependent on time of year) that the sun light was disrupting the opto switches, or at least the first one). Moved the game about a metre to the right and never had that problem again. As other's have said try a cowling with the LEDs and see if that helps.

[ktm450]

It may be a possibility, many years ago I had a Getaway on sight in a pub. I would get a call to say the supercharger was not functioning, the balls would go into the loop and then just roll back without being accelerated through. When I got there the game was fine. This happened about 3 times so I asked if it was the3 same person complaining. Turns out it was some guys coming in at about 5pm for after work drinks and a game of pinnie. I went in and joined them and sure as nuts the supercharger failed a couple of times (not every time) while they were playing. I noticed at this time the sun was getting low in the sky and shining at a narrow angle through a window onto the top end of the play field and into the supercharger magnet/coil housing (there are 3 optos in there too). Turns out for that hour or so (probably also dependent on time of year) that the sun light was disrupting the opto switches, or at least the first one). Moved the game about a metre to the right and never had that problem again. As other's have said try a cowling with the LEDs and see if that helps.

Interesting problem, lucky you asked the right questions and checked it out, would have been a pain to chase without seeing it first hand

[Pinlinds]

Interesting problem, lucky you asked the right questions and checked it out, would have been a pain to chase without seeing it first hand

More guesswork than anything else at the time, at first I thought it was just somebody complaining for no reason as the game always worked when I turned up! Once I turned up and watched the guys playing and spoke to them (good chaps too) and saw the sunshine hitting the top of the play field I just thought I wonder if... For some games I had someone stand in front of the sunlight and the problem didn't happen at all vs a couple of times when the sun was shining on the play field. Moved the machine and no more problems, but truth be told it was more guess work than anything else and couldn't be proven in a court of law to this day! Seen some funnies in this game and that was one of them.

[ralph67]

Cant you run the lamps from the GI circuit ? or they run off the flipper switches. I have installed on a few games using the 6v GI's. Pics below . & Opps i didnt read part about Opto's. Could a small cover be made to cover optos against the light?

[Wotto]

Hi all

I did have ( from day one ) some ‘covers’ over the LED’s as the ‘extra’ light that they threw out reflected up the internal cabinet sides and was actually distracting to the eye.

The trouble with the set up is that in order for the light to shine through to the actual button you simply MUST leave the side of the LED that faces ( or is closest to ) the Opto switch open – if you cover THAT side of each LED ( to prevent any light hitting the Opto ) then there will be little or ZERO light going through to the button therefore rendering the the lit buttons useless.

Bit of a catch22 in other words 

[johnwartjr]

On CFTBL, there are a handful of paper shrouds under the playfield on various feature and flash lamps. I've always wondered what the purpose of these were - were they to block light from getting to the flipper opto boards, or were they to direct the light away from other inserts... interesting food for thought!