Doctor Who
Bally, 1992Hello Pinsiders. I've recently installed the Color DMD LCD display. Very happy with the colors and HiRes mode. However, the installation does force the omitting and removal of lighting the lower row of the seven doctors. There is a mod fix available on the ColorDMD website that is offered by William Hollenbeck of Pacific Coast Pinball that has a very detailed tutorial of reinstating the Doctors lighting as original. Has anyone attempted this mod with success? Thanks!
New LCD displays have mounting holes to mount the display side by side with the original lamp board. The LED mod for the lamp board is not necessary.
The display will stick up higher above the speaker panel but is concealed by the translite.
Quoted from Dmod:New LCD displays have mounting holes to mount the display side by side with the original lamp board. The LED mod for the lamp board is not necessary.
The display will stick up higher above the speaker panel but is concealed by the translite.
Thanks for the reply ColorDMD. That would be great, but unless I've installed my display incorrectly, moving it up to allow for the Doctor lamp board would clearly create a clearance issue by the swing out translite lighting panel. I'm most certainly optimistic about your reply info, so I may need to contact you personally for direction.
IMG_1535 (resized).JPGIMG_1536 (resized).JPGIMG_1537 (resized).JPGQuoted from TechnicalSteam:Thanks for info. Wont be installing on my dr. Who
You should. It’s very easy to install the display higher up & keep your Doctors light board.
4E5A344E-8571-475C-90C5-4E46DFDA0BA4 (resized).jpegQuoted from pintechev:Is this a new ColorDMD?
Yes, my LCD DMD was recently purchased new.
Quoted from Rarehero:You should. It’s very easy to install the display higher up & keep your Doctors light board.
[quoted image]
Is that the LED or LCD version? The LCD is capable of changing the font style to six different variations and appears to be inherently taller than the LED.
It is taller.... but like someone said, you just have to remove the display/ speaker panel before opening the translite door. Its really not that a big of a deal, you shouldn't be getting in there very often.
Update on LCD DMD display by ColorDMD. I did raise the panel to the utmost position as the holes in the display provide. That does give room for the original 7 Doctor light strip to be reinstalled. The only thing I had to do was drill new screw mounting holes in the back of the speaker box for the strip. Not an issue. It was indeed easy, and I'm so glad the Doctors are working again. Highly recommend the LCD in HiRes over the orange original. On a final note, it would be helpful if ColorDMD would update their site with the info and I will contact them to suggest. This is all it says at this point, (*Because of the height of the LCD, installation in Doctor Who requires removal (or modification) of the lamp board that lights the Doctor's faces on the speaker panel. Information on modifying the Doctor Who lamp board to work with a ColorDMD can be found on the SUPPORT page of our website.) Thanks everyone for your comments!
Modifying the Doctor lamp board is pretty easy. Only takes around 20-30 minutes.
Short summary
You remove the molex connectors and stand-offs and lamp sockets. Buy some 555 LED's and unfold the wires from the plastic holder and remove the LED with wiring from the holders. Bend the wires into an S curve shape so that the LED are wires and now a horizontal disc and solder them into the location of where the lamp sockets were. Now make a 6-12" long wiring harness soldered onto the board where the molex connector was. Attach a new Molex socket on the end of the wiring and attach that to the factory connector using a Z-connector. Mount board flat against the speaker panel with no standoffs. LCD will now fit directly over the doctors lamp board.
Tutorial on Color DMD website. https://www.colordmd.com/Light%20Board%20Mod%20TAF%20and%20DW.pdf
The tutorial shows re-using the removed male molex pin connector. I prefer to use a female molex connector along with a Z-connector to avoid having to use all the shrink tubing or tape to cover up the exposed terminals.
Quoted from kbliznick:Modifying the Doctor lamp board is pretty easy. Only takes around 20-30 minutes.
Short summary
You remove the molex connectors and stand-offs and lamp sockets. Buy some 555 LED's and unfold the wires from the plastic holder and remove the LED with wiring from the holders. Bend the wires into an S curve shape so that the LED are wires and now a horizontal disc and solder them into the location of where the lamp sockets were. Now make a 6-12" long wiring harness soldered onto the board where the molex connector was. Attach a new Molex socket on the end of the wiring and attach that to the factory connector using a Z-connector. Mount board flat against the speaker panel with no standoffs. LCD will now fit directly over the doctors lamp board.
Tutorial on Color DMD website. https://www.colordmd.com/Light%20Board%20Mod%20TAF%20and%20DW.pdf
The tutorial shows re-using the removed male molex pin connector. I prefer to use a female molex connector along with a Z-connector to avoid having to use all the shrink tubing or tape to cover up the exposed terminals.
Thanks for this!
Not a problem with the modification looks quick and easy.
I'm swaying heavily towards the LED version right now.
I can do the led panel upgrade aftewards.
I'm also liking the speaker panel insert lights.
While has the nice deep blue kits?
For me it comes down to this;
LED version is brighter, a few bucks cheaper and easier to install.
LCD allows more animation variations with the connected/interlaced dots.
Not sure which one has more power draw on the 12V and 5V circuits, but I imagine it's the LED.
LED is usually preferable unless the game has great cartoon like animations, like AC/DC, Stern Star Trek and Doctor Who. So it's a toss up in this case
Quoted from kbliznick:For me it comes down to this;
LED version is brighter, a few bucks cheaper and easier to install.
LCD allows more animation variations with the connected/interlaced dots.
Not sure which one has more power draw on the 12V and 5V circuits, but I imagine it's the LED.
LED is usually preferable unless the game has great cartoon like animations, like AC/DC, Stern Star Trek and Doctor Who. So it's a toss up in this case
Having put both into my doctor who, I prefer the LED hands down.
Quoted from dsuperbee:Having put both into my doctor who, I prefer the LED hands down.
I think so too, so that's what I bought
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Smithville, MO
