So I purchased a bunch of comet LEDs for my EBD, centaur, Pacman. But I’m getting really unhappy here. 44s are fine and the bulbs themselves no problems. But getting these damn 555s inserted into sockets is a nightmare. They are not the right size. I’ve aready blown up the connector on my lamp board due to these in my EBD and against my better judgement just shorted out my Centaur GI. People need to beware. I believe I will be sending back. I should add I’m not some neophyte here. I’ve shopped out over 30 games with other bulbs and never had this problem. When you insert a bulb it literally shouldn’t almost push in the entire socket. Thank you comet for just making my life more difficult not simplified.

Glad to see I’m not the only one here. I just did my backbox on EBD and fried one of my connectors so bad I have to repin the entire thing.

You literally have to push and shove and even then it doesn’t go in. Unless you like shorted electronics do not use comet 555s in Bally 80s games. It’s a disaster and just cost me more than the cost of the LEDs in time, new lamp board, and frustration. You have been warned

Comet has good customer service. And their LEDs are good in general However their 555 LEDs do not fit in Centaur, Pacman, EBD sockets.

Yep going there right now

I did reach out to Ryan on Monday. Let him know I bought a couple of other brands of 555s. He told me to tell you how that works out. So yes I told you. No you didn’t really do anything about it.

Look if you sell bulbs that you are calling 555s and they don’t fit then whose damn fault is that. 1) they went in but you have to push really hard 2) it was all done with power off. 3) it blew up after power turned back on 4) I was sold a bulb that I was told was a 555 when it is most definitely NOT a 555 since a real 555 bulb actually fits in the socket 5) forgive me for sharing my stupidity to try to save other from doing the same 6) that whole glass houses thing ...

That was my next step that and also short testing with my multimeter on every socket before I try to turn in again. And yes it’s does help for sure

Honestly I can’t figure it out entirely either. But essentially I shorted one or more of the controlled lamps in the backbox. Usually that takes out what, maybe one or two lamp board transistors. So it’s perplexing for sure. But there is no question that no issues prior to insertion, completely shorted after, short causing enough heat to melt. Odd for sure. Will post pictures later once I dig further into the connector rebuilds

“The end user may sometimes use some extra force to try to make things fit because he might think he's bought a quality product that has already undergone inspection that it is the correct size.“

^ THAT. Thank you !

I did do that but I suspect in the mashing into the socket I either a) shorted the actual socket or b) RE criss crossed the wires.

I’m really not blaming anyone here. Made a mistake. Paid for it. Letting other know what happened so they don’t repeat.

And all comet had to do here was to say they would put some disclaimer there. Or maybe do some testing themselves. But no, they go after me with a “shame on you for not telling us instead of dragging our name into the mud on pinside”. Well actually given this thread I’m damn happy I did and if it results in less sales for them then good.

Brute force - NO
Quite a bit more force than a real 555 - YES

To each their own. People can go do whatever the hell they want as far as I am concerned. I’m really not sure why anybody posts threads here anymore since anything that has more than 2 responses turns into a giant crapfest.

I told people bulbs don’t easily fit - not a supposition but a fact

I told people that if they push too hard they will likely snort something so buyer beware.

Comet says - we can’t fix anything if you don’t let us know about it. I let them know about it.

Comet has “great customer service”. Not doubting that- but in this instance NOT or they would have never made that post.

Look if you want just personally go after me as seems to be what you do in most threads- or defend whoever you feel like defending on a given day - also a trend I note with you posts then go right ahead. Free country.

If by doing so you wish to shame me into some other frame of mind - ain’t gonna happen.

Well I guess the net conclusion everyone wants to draw from this is that I’m just an idiot, the bulbs are the right size, and that having to push on these harder than others (despite having shopped two EBD, two Pacman, among others all with same sockets using other manufacturers LEDs) is just my imagination.

Ok pinside you win. I’m out

Gone. This why we can’t have nice things.