So I'm plowing through a pile of Space Shuttles that I'm restoring all at once, and one customer wants lighted flipper buttons. He mails me a kit to install that costs $64.
Then another customer hears about it and he wants me to wait so he can order the same kit.
I tell him I've got all the parts laying around the shop, and it sure does not cost $64 if you DIY.
Screw the Socket under the flipper button and out of the way of the Flipper Button Leaf Switch.
Run the wires from the socket to the GI for the coin door (the 25 cent lights).
Position the head of the LED so it is shining slightly up.
Don't let the LED head touch the Leaf Switch, or it may wear out the LED or break the LED's leads.
Finally, here is what it looks like from the outside. It's brighter than the picture shows in real life, but it is hard to take a picture of an LED.
Total cost was under $5. Total time was 15 minutes to do both sides.
If you wanted to go completely insane, you could install 2 LEDs per side, but your total cost would go up to $8.36.
I saw the same thing with the lighted scoop mod for 30 bucks, it is nothing but a socket and a led total cost is around $4.50.
Crazy.
Quoted from Wolfmarsh:Great idea, I'll be doing this on f-14 for sure.
Yeah, blue or red would look great on F-14.
Or a color changing LED that does red white and blue (take it out of one of those stupidly bright 4th of July buttons). You would need a pair of clear flipper buttons for this, so add $3 to the total price for the pair.
vid >> I love your pictorial "how to do" threads. Onw of my favorite things about pinside!!!
I owe you a drink if I ever see you at a pinball gathering. cheers
I get email from people who don't want to post questions on the forum, LOL.
Q: Vid1900, is that flipper button blue or clear in the picture? and I cant figure how to get my buttons off.
A:
That button pictured is transparent blue.
Use duck bill pliers and turn the metal nut CCW. If the button is still stuck without the nut, use a wood block and rubber mallet to gently tap it out.
Quoted from vid1900:FLEX 44/47 PREMIUM BLUE SUPER
so these have a head on it where you can position to where u want, and it will not move? interesting for sure.
could you also take a picture of where on the coin door you ran the wires to for the GI? thanks
Quoted from mojozone:so these have a head on it where you can position to where u want, and it will not move? interesting for sure.
Yes.
Normally they are used to get light into difficult spots, like when you have a narrow arrow insert that needs to be lit through the hole in the drop target bracket.
could you also take a picture of where on the coin door you ran the wires to for the GI? thanks
Most coin doors have 2 or 3 lights that are GI (General Illumination) and are thus always on.
Tap power from any bulb. The one closest to the coin door hinge is usually the easiest.
The power at the bulb is 6.3 Volts AC, so you don't have to worry about polarity - either wire can go to either lamp lug.
Replace the coin door #44 bulbs with LEDs while you are in there - it will save electricity and restore the deep red the 25 cent sign had before it faded over the years.
Use small zip ties to secure your new wires to the existing wiring harness.
Quoted from pinwillie:great idea! I assume you could also use a 555 socket and bulb?
Yes.
It is harder to find suitable 555 sockets, so a stiff wired one made for pop bumpers might be an easy solution (and one you already have in the shop).
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1245
Don't staple the leads too close to the socket until you find your perfect spot. You can put shrink tubing or aquarium airline tubing over the leads if they are too close to the grounding straps.
Quoted from pinwillie:You will also need transparent flipper buttons....
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1692
Same price as the opaque ones, $1.50 . Transparent Blue, Red and Clear.
Transparent Green, Purple and Amber buttons are available too, but they are 1/4" longer (made for video games), so you have to shim the leaf switch out with a standoff if you want those colors.
I do this already but use the 555 flex bulbs. Here are the sockets for those:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=294
I do this already but use the 555 flex bulbs. Here are the sockets for those:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=294
If you use the 555 sockets use 1/2" shrink tube to hold the leds in so they don't fall out.
If you use the 555 sockets use 1/2" shrink tube to hold the leds in so they don't fall out.
I can't make sense of your picture. But you don't need shrink tube. The bulbs dont fall out. In this case, the bulb is held in by gravity on top of the pressure of the socket, which is sufficient even if the bulb was upside down. Here is a picture from the bottom through the coin door. The top of the bulb is flex so it points to the top of the button.
Quoted from markmon:I do this already but use the 555 flex bulbs. Here are the sockets for those:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=294
Yes, those would be good sockets.
Believe it or not, they don't come up in a search on Pinball life for "lamp socket", LOL.
Quoted from vid1900:Yes, those would be good sockets.
Believe it or not, they don't come up in a search on Pinball life for "lamp socket", LOL.
Yea, I use "spotlight" for the search since I use these all the time to add spot lights after doing LED installs. Brightens the entire machine to play in a dark gameroom.
this is what I used on WH20, FH, EATPM and Tron
2 LEDS per button for $5 and even cheaper if you build it yourself
http://www.nicemite.com/LightmiteLB/LightmiteLB.htm
Quoted from Drano:Nice little mod Vid.
The only difference with the store bought ones is that some of them pulse.
I've only ever bought one (for Tron), but it has a nice slow pulse which animates the buttons.
On my Tron I tied them to the start button so they flash in attract mode but are solid when the game is played
Quoted from pinsrus:Ok might sound like a dumb question but what about the wire? Any will do?
Not a dumb question.
Any wire 24 gage or heavier will be fine. The smaller the gage number, the heavier the wire (don't ask me why).
Get stranded, not solid wire; as it will be flexing when you open the coin door.
You can even use speaker wire if that's all you have.
Quoted from Sc1f1:this is what I used on WH20, FH, EATPM and Tron
2 LEDS per button for $5 and even cheaper if you build it yourself
http://www.nicemite.com/LightmiteLB/LightmiteLB.htm
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l552/sc1f1/P1040116.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l552/sc1f1/f183af74.jpg
Is the pricing on that site for a single button or a pair?
Quoted from vid1900:Not a dumb question.
Any wire 24 gage or heavier will be fine. The smaller the gage number, the heavier the wire (don't ask me why).
Get stranded, not solid wire; as it will be flexing when you open the coin door.
You can even use speaker wire if that's all you have.
Thanks vid, speaker wire is actually what I was thinking of using. Ha
Quoted from pinsrus:Thanks vid, speaker wire is actually what I was thinking of using. Ha
Nothing wrong with speaker wire.
If you were doing some $$$$$ restore, you would probably want something more "pinball looking", that would appear to be factory wire.
Quoted from vid1900:Is the pricing on that site for a single button or a pair?
I think it is per button but like I said if you put it together it's cheaper... very easy kit to solder together. Looks professional and no need to put screws inside the wood of the cabinet.
I almost did the same thing you did here but I found those nite mites and I thought they looked a bit more pro looking
Quoted from bluevegas:Awesome thread vid1900! I actually purchased the purple cointaker kit for my TOTAN, but their purple was not very purple.
Yeah, I have some Super Flex Purple from them and they look Pink!
I'll same em for the next time I restore a Dolly Parton.
]
]
Pinball Life's frosted Purples are purple.
Quoted from vid1900:Pinball Life's frosted Purples are purple.
would those work even though they are not flex?
Quoted from bluevegas:would those work even though they are not flex?
Assuming these are the same quality of purple light, I'd try this bulb:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2561
]
And this socket so you can aim the light inwards:
Any way to light a saucer?
As a matter of fact, Space Shuttle has 2 red (or sometimes gold) Saucers that I always add light to.
Here I've taken voltage from the nearby GI lamp, installed a #44 socket, and installed a flex LED.
I like this solution, thanks for posting. There are some interesting things you can do with these boards!
Quoted from Sc1f1:this is what I used on WH20, FH, EATPM and Tron
2 LEDS per button for $5 and even cheaper if you build it yourself
http://www.nicemite.com/LightmiteLB/LightmiteLB.htm
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l552/sc1f1/P1040116.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l552/sc1f1/f183af74.jpg
As a matter of fact, Space Shuttle has 2 red (or sometimes gold) Saucers that I always add light to.
Here I've taken voltage from the nearby GI lamp, installed a #44 socket, and installed a flex LED.
CT frosted work good for the eject hole plastics as well
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Sana'a
Port St Lucie, FL
Mississauga, ON
