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(Topic ID: 332998)

Gottlieb Bank A Ball - woah, there's lights up under here

By Fred17

1 year ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 12 posts
  • 9 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by Flipsteen
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 1 year ago
OP
 
???

Fred17

Pinside member

US Pfafftown, NC

2y 13,900 24

Yes, it's me again - progressing on my great Bank A Ball playfield refurbishment. Working towards the top, removed the top metal bracket to replace the rebound rubber and clean everything. To my surprise, there's lights under here - who knew? They were all burned out so I didn't realize they existed. There were two red tubes around the outer light bulbs, and a clear tube around one of the inside ones as seen in the pics. Questions - should the missing tube be clear? Can they be obtained via pinball resource? Will the pinball resource website work again?

Thanks, and thanks to your advice, I am making great progress! Ken

Under the rebound (resized).jpgUnder the rebound (resized).jpgUpper corner (resized).jpgUpper corner (resized).jpg
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#2 1 year ago
 
LJM

DaMoib

Pinside+ Addict

6y 63,150 882

PBR sells these - "Hard Plastics Lamp Sleeve/Shade", available in several colors. I assume these are applicable, talk with Steve to be sure, or someone else here can comment. Bank-A-Ball uses yellow and red.

pbresource.com/lampcov.html when the site comes back up...

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#3 1 year ago
 
GHL

Garrett

Pinside+ Frequent

US Pinckney, MI

11y 92,300 3,248 3 45

OP
Quoted from Fred17:

Yes, it's me again - progressing on my great Bank A Ball playfield refurbishment. Working towards the top, removed the top metal bracket to replace the rebound rubber and clean everything. To my surprise, there's lights under here - who knew? They were all burned out so I didn't realize they existed. There were two red tubes around the outer light bulbs, and a clear tube around one of the inside ones as seen in the pics. Questions - should the missing tube be clear? Can they be obtained via pinball resource? Will the pinball resource website work again?
Thanks, and thanks to your advice, I am making great progress! Ken
[quoted image][quoted image]

Although a pain in the ass to change the bulbs I love ball arch lighting. Not sure why Gottlieb got away from them.

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#4 1 year ago
 
BCY

Drain1

Pinside member

US Richmond, VT

7y 40,550 296 10

Not likely clear. Was yellow, faded to clear.

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#5 1 year ago
OP
 
???

Fred17

Pinside member

US Pfafftown, NC

2y 13,900 24

Thanks guys, I've sent PBR an e-mail - we'll see if their e-mail still working.

Answer - no, it's not. I will wait. Thanks again

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#6 1 year ago
OP
 
???

Fred17

Pinside member

US Pfafftown, NC

2y 13,900 24

Just a thought - don't they make little led bulb replacements? Maybe this would be a good place to use those?? Thoughts?

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#7 1 year ago
 
REC

Cash_Riprock

Pinside member

US Woodstock, NY

11y 51,050 1,781

OP
Quoted from Fred17:

Just a thought - don't they make little led bulb replacements? Maybe this would be a good place to use those?? Thoughts?

There are colored 47’s(and or 44’s) you can get. I think in red/green/blue/yellow. Been a long time since I’ve ordered.

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#8 1 year ago
 
TEB

homebrood

Pinside+ Frequent

US Glenview, IL

17y 81,300 1,309 12 10

Quoted from Garrett:

Although a pain in the ass to change the bulbs I love ball arch lighting. Not sure why Gottlieb got away from them.

I think you may have answered your own question within your question!

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#9 1 year ago
 
GHL

Garrett

Pinside+ Frequent

US Pinckney, MI

11y 92,300 3,248 3 45

OP
Quoted from Fred17:

Just a thought - don't they make little led bulb replacements? Maybe this would be a good place to use those?? Thoughts?

I know LED's can be a touchy subject for some purists but I would suggest using Comet warm white LED's under the ball arch. The tubes for the bulbs will alter the color of the white light slightly, it is not a dramtic effect. Colored LED's will be overstaured in color compared to the standard bulb with a colored tube. But either way I would use LED's.

Quoted from homebrood:

I think you may have answered your own question within your question!

Likely and thought the same when typing that. I'd imagine the operators stated they were a PIA to change and Gottlieb thought they could save a few bucks in manufacturing costs. I'm glad Bally kept doing it.

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#10 1 year ago
 
???

Mopar

Pinside+ Member

Unknown

7y 80,050 4,178

OP
Quoted from Fred17:

To my surprise, there's lights under here -

For the past quite a few machines, I put led bulbs in those 4 sockets. The yellow and
red plastic tubes don't naturally fit over the bottom portion of the bulb, so I carefully heat
the bottom (the end that I'm first slipping over the bulb) with a heat gun. I say carefully
because you need just enough heat to slightly soften the bottom of the tube without it
beginning to melt..
I found I had to cut a bit off of PBR's tubes. I cut about 1/4 of it off with a thin zippy
wheel..

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#11 1 year ago
 
WEN

jrpinball

Pinside+ Addict

10y 115K 10,722

Quoted from Garrett:

Although a pain in the ass to change the bulbs I love ball arch lighting. Not sure why Gottlieb got away from them

They designed the arch lamp sockets to be easily removable from beneath the playfield by loosening the screw, then removing the hairpin. If you notice, the screw hole on those particular sockets are larger than those on other lamp sockets. That's in order to facilitate easy removal (no need to remove the screw completely).
I imagine they went away from the arch lighting as a cost cutting measure.

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#12 1 year ago
 
CMF

Flipsteen

Pinside+ Frequent

3y 60,550 259

OP
Quoted from Fred17:

Thanks guys, I've sent PBR an e-mail - we'll see if their e-mail still working.
Answer - no, it's not. I will wait. Thanks again

PBR is up.

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