(Topic ID: 86463)

Comet LED strips are awesome, and the price is right !!

By pinball_erie

10 years ago


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  • 159 posts
  • 59 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by OLDPINGUY
  • Topic is favorited by 44 Pinsiders

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You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider mustangpaul.
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#9 10 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

There was a HS2 Post, from Mustang Paul, and he added what essentially was a "gate" piece

So right Art, here it is. Total cost $5

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#11 10 years ago
Quoted from pinball_erie:

I recently installed the 3 and 7 led strips on my Transformers LE, what a great product. I put a purple 3 strip under the allspark saucer and a purple 7 strip in the apron to illuminate the flipper area. My 8 year old son LOVED the flippers being lit. They also have 12 volt strips to tie into the flashers, used three of these tied into the pops and then tied two of them into the allspark and have them under the apron. Everyone has seen the game interactive flashers under a game, but I don't remember seeing an apron flasher tied into gameplay. With the apron being the red plastic, everytime there is an effect with the allspark flasher my apron now will glow as well......pretty neat. So easy to install too. I just cut and spliced on mine, but the strips come with alligator clips, 555 socket, and 44 socket. All wired to a quick disconnect connector..................couldn't be easier for the pro or novice.
As for Comet, Art is one of the nicest people I have ever talked to in this hobby. He has a great grasp on his product and on what's important in life.........a trait all too scarce nowadays.

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I've been doing this to most of my games too. Works and looks great. And if you have multi level plastics this is how it looks with a 3 led strip.

DIY Getaway light mod 4.JPGDIY Getaway light mod 4.JPG
5 months later
#71 9 years ago
Quoted from herg:

I had thought I was going to try the strips for sideways illumination of the playfield, but I've had difficulty deciding where to stick them. What I was referring to was the hooded spot Art posted back here:
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/comet-led-strips-are-awesome-and-the-price-is-right#post-1568850
If this could be placed in an existing socket, then aimed, I'm hoping more light could be directed across the playfield and less up through the plastics. The games I'm really thinking of are AFM and TZ, but attempting to get rid of the spotlights on Tron and Metallica would be really nice as well.

Here's a sideways strip instal for ya herg.
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#74 9 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

Some people would like it easy, so it can plug and play, other times, like Paul, an idea is created.

Speaking of ideas and light strips Art I lit up the Space Shuttle and the Astronaut that are on the tl of Space Station with 2 of your 7 led strips. Both light up perfect with none of the hot spotting from just single bulbs.
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#75 9 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

The most common use is in the apron to light outlanes, or in drain.

Here's one I put on the center drain of Mustang.

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These last 2 were taken from right above and a little in front of the drain. When in the players position the strip can't be seen at all so it isn't blinding the player.

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#77 9 years ago

Thanks Art, these strips were your best invention ever. Really looking forward to the Florida show in Nov.

#79 9 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

Thanks Paul!...What Show?....I'm putting you to work counting Bulbs!

I can do that.....let's see, two for you one for me.....three for you two for me.........I know how to do that.

This is going to be my first show so I'm gonna be a babe in the woods. Definitly bringing my camera.

#86 9 years ago
Quoted from spiroagnew:

There are two plastic girders that run along the top of the backboard of Demolition Man that sit dark 95% of the time despite having transparent blue plastic worked into their design. This is an area BEGGING to be lit up. There are three flashers back there...but their use is limited, leaving the plastics dark most of the time.

I've seen TNT Amusements drill out an extra four or five holes in the backboard and install sockets so that Superbright LEDs (they hardly use any other brightness) can be placed in there. This option makes for a very centralized and distracting lighting effect, in my opinion. I picked up a few SMD light strips from Comet and hoped this would give the light more wash, rather than the centralized throw found in TNT's modification of the game. Comet’s detachable male/female ends to the strip lights make for less of a destructive footprint when drilling out the backboard: you need only drill a hole large enough to feed the female lead of the wire through, rather than having to feed an entire socket or bulb through. I went with Comet's blue SMD strips...but I suppose white would have worked as well, as the transparent plastic already has a blue hue. I wired up the lights for each plastic girder to one common lead as seen in the photo attached. The smaller left girder was lit using two 3-SMD strips, and the larger right one (pictured) was lit using two 7-SMDs and one 3-SMD. No modification to the plastic pieces themselves needed to be done...the SMD strips come with adhesive backing and I attached them to the inside top of the plastic allowing the SMD glow to shine downward rather than directly at the player.

With a common lead for each, I only needed to drill two holes in the backboard to feed the female lead through. Once fed through, I attached the male 47-bulb style end. To keep things tidy, I wired in two extra sockets off of the general illumination string that lights up the rear portion of the playfied (which are also mounted to the backside of the backboard). Leads plugged into the sockets and voila...a nice subtle blue glow to the upper rear of the playfield.

Matches the overall "blue-ness" of the game, and makes for a great contrast against the red lights of the ACMAG and Cryo-Claw. Even with the plastics being constantly lit, the flashers still have a discernible effect when they are activated. I’ve always been a loyal Comet customer…big thanks to Art for affordable and innovative products that allow the community to get creative with their machines.
Rob
Creditdotpinball.com

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Great use of the strips, very creative, I love them also. Question why did you use 2-3 bulb strips for the small girder? 7 were too long? Did you know you could have used a 7 and just cut one bulb off. You can go all the way down to 4 if you chose. Of course it would make no sense to go shorter then 4. Also the black shrink wrap on the end of the strip can be cut off so the wires can bend close to the strip so you could have put 3-7 led strips on the long girder.

1 week later
#89 9 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

I love this thread. Keep em coming guys. Love the strips too. I put a blue on underneath my playbody 35th ramp. Originally there was no light there.

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Perfect use of the strip.

#90 9 years ago
Quoted from bimm25i:

I thought I read that its okay to trim these? is that true? Would I be able to cut it down to 1 LED and plug and play? what about the part of the strip I trim off can I still use it?

Yes you can trim them, I've only trimmed them to 4, don't see why you couldn't go to 1. Never tried to use the trimmed part.

#93 9 years ago
Quoted from spiroagnew:

and a seven strip and a three strip wouldn't fit

You can cut a 7 down to 6-5-4 if you want. I've cut a 7 down to a 4 to make it fit, a 3 was just a little to short. Here it is.

DIY Getaway light mod 3.JPGDIY Getaway light mod 3.JPG
DIY Getaway light mod 4.JPGDIY Getaway light mod 4.JPG

and this is a 7 cut to 4 because 3 wasn't bright enough.

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1 week later
#96 9 years ago
Quoted from spiroagnew:

Had the opportunity to ask Art a few questions about the LED business...can be found here:
http://creditdotpinball.com/2014/10/20/people-art-from-comet-pinball/
Big thanks to Art for being one of the good guys in this hobby and keeping us well stocked with low price/high quality bulbs.
Rob
creditdotpinball.com

That was a great read thanks. Art is THE man in led bulbs, no other company comes even close to Comet for innovation, selection and service. You can see some of the things I've done with their led strips. Here is my latest.

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1 month later
#102 9 years ago
Quoted from dluth:

Has anyone put a strip on the centre drain of TZ? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to tie into, given the length of wire supplied.

Just add a length of wire. I've done it many times to get the length I needed.

1 week later
#109 9 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

Maybe a bit of a mistake.....$1.00 profit each after all is done, but I dont do this just for money....
I LOVE seeing pics like you posted, and all the cool places you guys have found to use them!
Reward Enough!!!!!

Oh come on now Art....we all know you live in a big fancy mansion and drive big fine cars down in Florida.

#110 9 years ago

Here is a Cobra night light I made a mounting for, lit it with a red 6.3v 7 led strip from Comet and mounted it on my Mustang Pro. It's tied into a pop bumper led so it flashes when that pop is hit. Turned out great.

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#111 9 years ago

With T# I took off the metal subway that is behind the pf back board and put a Comet red 6.3v 7 led strip inside it at the entrance and a blue 7 led strip at the exit. Looks great.

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#114 9 years ago

Seth, what bulbs do the sockets have in them? Big ones #89? If so those are 12v and you burned up the 6.3v strip. Do you have all leds in your GI?

#116 9 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

No, they're just regular #44 bayonet base. My lamps are all LED except for the flashers.

Well that's 6.3v then not 12v. All lamps are led, that's good. But I've never had a problem like you described but that is an older game. I can't think of anything that would cause your problem.

#120 9 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

I got an answer, and it's so simple.
When you attach the strips to matrix lamp sockets, you have to be sure to clip one lead *behind* the diode. Otherwise you're connecting a whole row of the matrix.
5 minutes' worth of consideration or a simple "hey, how do I attach this" on this thread would have told me all I needed to know. My bad, entirely.
New strips ordered. Now I want to put them on everything.

Just look at my past posts and topics, I've used them a lot.

#121 9 years ago

To see my latest led strip mod for my new NASCAR game go to "My Custom NASCAR Topper & mod talk". I LOVE these strips.

7 months later
#126 8 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

Right at this time, strips can be alligator clipped to GI, or other 6.3V input, like inserts.
They can also be soldered, or socket attachments are included.
Being released in a few weeks, is our new Matrix system, with a larger variety and length of strips, brightness controls and more,
that will plug into any socket, without loosing the original light source. This will work with existing strips, as well as all the new ones
being offered.
It will take just minutes, to add all kinds of additional lighting, and affects, with a simple bulb change.
Formal announcements of a soft release should be in just a couple of weeks.
Art

Way to go Art and as usual LEADING THE WAY in bulb tech and innovation.

#128 8 years ago

Well thanks Art. But for you to think it's a good idea and to make a way to see it happens is the real genius. I'm just an idea's kind a guy. Take my leg light up idea.

#130 8 years ago
Quoted from Hazoff:

I too thank you Art for the great lights, man those LED 3 and 7 strips make a huge difference in the pins, and the fluted dome's are really fantastic. Looking forward to seeing this latest innovation.

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Lookin goooood.

1 week later
#135 8 years ago

I've got the 6.3v, 7 led strips all over my games, especially under the long plastics that have no bulbs like on one plastic on Mustang or just one or two bulbs. They spread out and smooth the light perfectly. Can't wait to see the new stuff.

#137 8 years ago
Quoted from jawjaw:

New light strips? Sounds great. I have several light strips in my Getaway and love them.

Yup a bunch of new stuff comin down the pipe from Comet, that Art never rests. You saw the way they lit up my gauge plastics above the sling plastics didn't you?

1 month later
#140 8 years ago
Quoted from softail:

Some pinsiders say that the best thing to do is to choose colored leds to match the insert color. I am not sure about this. I've tried to light up the inserts with 2835. Honestly the result is excellent. Actually, the bulb provides a strong white light and the color of the insert itself makes the job....
This is true with all inserts except the red ones. With a white light, the red turns to orange... This is probably why some advocate using red bulbs under red inserts...

I use the white bulbs in the inserts mostly because I like the way they make the facets of the inserts "sparkle". If you look at a new Stern you'll see what I'm saying. For white clear inserts I will put colored clear bulbs in them if I think it makes sense to do so otherwise I leave white clear bulbs in. Putting colored bulbs in colored inserts can make the decals printed on them difficult to see..."color bombed" if you will.

#142 8 years ago
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

Regarding inserts and color matching.
Certainly, a color match results in a darker, more saturated color.
and Twin 2835 can be used in Yellow and orange to match as they are bright enough.
Frosted is recommended for older games...it will help hide surface scratches.
Regarding white in red, the answer/issue is less the bulb, but more the plastic insert.
Perhaps, you have seen some Blues that after 30 years, the color has lightened or decayed.
A white light wont look good at all. Blue, or Ice Blue, will restore the color insert.
On red, its similar. The batch of plastic, the amount of UV/Sunlight a game has received over its life, etc.
No standard rule. Reds, ....white or Red.
One just needs to try, and see what is right for them and their eyes, relative to the game, and home lighting conditions.

All true.

#145 8 years ago
Quoted from jfesler:

MustangPaul, your whites in inserts is interesting for "Sparkle". I'll have to keep in mind to try that depending on the title. I'm guessing retros/bare bulbs would be better here vs frosted, if it works for the color combination with the age/wear on the inserts.

Actually from the new Star Trek on Stern used all clear whites in their inserts. I just love the look in ST and Mustang.

5 months later
#150 8 years ago
Quoted from Rferullo:

Has anyone used the Comet system on a game with an OCD GI board? I just got some and the LEDs don't light. I get about 4.2 V at the bulb. I'm guessing that's not enough to power the LED strips.

I have 3 of them on games and Comet bulbs work perfect.

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