GI LED OCD

I put clear domed Warm White LED's from Comet 50/50 bulbs in everything except the Path of the dead and mode lights. Then I put an LEDOCD in it and it is freaking beautiful When I got the game it had a bunch of colored LED's in the inserts and it looked awful. The warm whites look really good with the color scheme of the game.

Any way you go, I fell that this game needs an LEDOCD to make it look good.

The best option is a flux type LED. It has a circuit in the LED the does not flicker as much. They are not as bright as smd type but LOTR has all clear inserts so the Flux style LED work very well. Never tried comet because the company did not exist when I did my LED conversion . But comet does sell the flux style LED. I used PinballCenter in Germany for all controlled /playfield inserts . They offer a wide spectrum of colors. link to type I used http://www.pinballcenter.eu/catalog/wedge-base-t10-superflux-c-22_23_33.html?page=3&language=en&sort=2a . The trick on LOTR is to not use LED's in the Shooter lane. They use the dimming effect the most.And flicker bad. There are 9 sockets along the lane. I used orange incandescent 44 bulbs in those sockets. Also The Mode sockets on back panel around the hole/ ring magnet dim a lot . So I used incandescent 44 for those as well. All other s light sockets GI and inserts are LED . If you do this lay out you will be Golden. I have not used the LED OCD . It is an option as others have stated . But it is expensive and seemed complicated . But it is worth looking into. I have 13 pinballs converted to LED and the cost of the LEDOCD for all my pinballs was too much. LOTR is a great machine to trick out with LED .

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The LED OCD isn't really complicated, easy to set up. But understand that it's only for the inserts, it won't do a thing for the GI on LOTR, and I don't think there is a Stern GI version.

Unless the GI in question is actually part of the insert lamp matrix? I don't know how they did the dimming.

Comet Flux style LED http://www.cometpinball.com/category-s/1837.htm

Simple solution.........you do not LED lotr

But

The pinsider wants to move in this direction . LED's .

I realize this was just stating the obvious solution lol
Personally I have not seen a good example of a lotr that looked right with LED's. I wish all the power to him. Reg bulbs do look good in the game though...adds to that old world look a lotr kind of should have.
I am sure something will come along that will address everyone's concerns. Until then incandescent for me. Hope he finds something to make him happy. Lots of great ideas here. That LED OCD is awesome! Will be great when they come down in price.
I am a fan of insert led only and backbox too to lighten the load in wpc titles. But for some reason GI led just looks wrong in some/most cases. It kind of washes the art out.
But not what this thread was for sorry lol
Hopefully someone will put together a cadillac of kits for all whitestar games.

Good luck. I went down this path also. I've led'ed all my machines. The lotr is the only one I took the time to do, then undid. To me it lost its personality. It's all opinion of course. I did replace the flashers and put a monster led in the back glass for the flasher mod. When your done make sure to put pics up.

Great blondes think alike. LEDs work well with MOST pins. But LOTR needs to have that warm incandescent earthy feel to it. It's part of the character. (Can't wait to see how JJP integrates LEDs into TH!) I only have LEDs in Balrog, under the PoTD Legolas ramp (the one that's on all the time), in Gandalf's staff and...

...a mamma jamma ablaze #89 LED behind the eye of Sauron in the backbox that goes off when Barad Dur gets hit.

To each his own, but I don't think you should turn your LOTR into a Star Trek machine...

The nicest looking lotr game with led's is RobKnapp's (at least how the pics look)...other than that, lotr doesnt need led's.

Thanks a Million !! It is all subjective . But I used a lot of creative right brain thinking for the LOTR

I have had good results using colored incandescent bulbs in LOTR. I do like the look of green LED's in the KEEP inserts and the skill shot inserts.

Also, +1 on the backbox flasher mod tied to the spinner. It adds so much!

Where is this kit to purchase ?

Buy the cheapest standard LEDs you can. Flat tops for inserts work well. Get warm whites and colours. Buy an led OCD board. All the beauty of incandescents with the benefits of led.

No flicker, complete control over brightness and fades in and out just like stock. Worth ever penny plus you'll save buying cheap LEDs instead of more expensive anti flicker ghosting ones to offset cost of led ocd board.

Leave gi at stock but could add some led yellows under gold ramps to enhance them and some reds, oranges around eye. Not my actual machine but where I got ideas from

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Led
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They were at Pinball Life but I don't see them there anymore. Anyone?

I've got mine tied into the Barad Dur tower, so it goes off when the tower's hit and the eye above the tower lights. I think it works better thematically, and it doesn't get old - you hit the spinner about every 10 seconds during a game, and while it does look cool, I think it's just a little too much when it goes off over and over. The novelty wears off quick.

I agree with all of those that say LOTR needs to stay incandescent. I have a lot of pins with LEDs and think they look great, but LOTR just looks better with incandescent in my opinion.

Yeah, I've converted all my games to LED - except LOTR. I started to experiment a bit - and I just wasn't feeling it. At the end of the day - what's the real purpose of LEDs? For me, it's to bring out vivid colors that incandescent can't. With LOTR, the incandescents already compliment the visual tone of the game. I think the only LEDs I'm going to leave in my LOTR are warm whites in the spotlights.

I know I may get crucified…..but pinballbulbs LED kit for this machine is awesome. I was super hesitant to LED this game, but after doing so, I couldn't be happier. Sitting next to METLE, ACDC it just looked bland. This may not be the best pic, but I really like the look these guys give. I know LED's are not for everyone…..

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^^^^^^^^^^Stupid crooked photos ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why would you get crucified? It's YOUR machine...do what you like! I think the green and purple/pink wash out all the wonderful colors of the pf artwork, though. But it's not my machine, so I can go F myself.

You're right. Don't go F yourself…..it might hurt!
It does perhaps wash out the colour, but I do like the eerie glow it gives. Besides, it now looks good next to METLE, ACDC

You're absolutely right. That looks F'ing horrible. The fellowship looks like purple people eaters....the bottom portion of the playfield is monochromed to Gameboy green. Is Pinball Bulbs run by colorblind people? ...or people pulling a prank on colorblind pinball owners? It's bizarre and tasteless.

It works on my WOZ, though. I think the Pinball Bulbs lighting kit is an absolute must for that game and really compliments all the rainbow colors for that theme. For LOTR? Not so much.

A little insensitive man. Pick on me and my tastes, I really could care less. I think the LED lighting is great. I have their SS kit and will more than likely get their IJ kit. I may not have as many games as you, nor have I been in the hobby as long. (I will tell you that from stock (incandescents) to now (PBB LED's), the game get's a lot more attention from everyone who sees it). However, to insult the crew at pinballbulbs is pretty tasteless. They are not colour-blind, they try hard to come up with what they deem to look good. I have no affiliation to or with the guys over there, but I really do think they provide a great product and EXCELLENT customer service.

Look man, I'm an LED guy too...but I also understand that certain colors and color temperatures work well with a certain type of lighting. LOTR - warm/earthy game. Warm white (even LED) is what brings out the artwork nicely. If you're gonna color bomb it...maybe some reds, oranges, yellows....sure, green up near the Path of the Dead, that makes sense. ...but purpleing the middle of the playfield and greening up the bottom? Makes zero sense....if PBB thinks it looks good, and you think it looks good, and there's a market for things that don't look good...the more power to ya. ...at the same time, I'm not going to hold back my opinion. Peace and love, peace and love.

With the OCD led board you can set LEDs to 40-50% brightness and they look virtually like stock - nice and warm. I run colours at 60% and whites at 40%. All the benefits of LEDs with stock out of the box feel. Being able to control every lamp is just genius. Without it I would agree that lotr is better left at stock so if you don't want to spend the money stick with incandescent.

The fading effects are primarily in the inserts, for that the LED OCD would work. For me I like the incandescents, the bulb colors match the game better than LEDs. The game can look a bit like fruit loops if you are not careful, and doing it right will take a lot of experimentation.

So, Ive been tinkering with LEd's with my LOTR LE, just got it. For me, I like more GI light to light up the playing field and I really dig how brighter GI lights bring more reflection to the ball.

I bought the Comet SUPREME BRIGHTNESS WITH A FLUTED DOME (warm) and after experimentation they look good with the tops sanded and in area's that are not directly visible - in area's where they provide indirect light, because damn, they are bright!!! This looks good. The play field colors pop, the figures light up nicely and the ball looks amazing. With this pin, there are a fair amount of GI bayonets visible from the player vantage point and Im not crazy about how they look, but I don't want an LEd that is too bright that it becomes distracting. Im thinking a frosted 1 LED, but want to put the question out there - if you have replaced your directly visible GI lights, what have you used?

As well, the fellowship inserts (set of arced lights across mid-play field) that came with the machine were blue, I think original was white. What do you have? Have you deviated from white?

My STTNG looks great w/ LEDs. My LOTR - well I'm back to incadescents (like others above said). matter of taste but it can be overdone in some pins.

I have leds in almost all of my pins. However, LOTR looks best in incandescent. The only thing I would led is the flashers in Balrog and the ring.

Mike

i have the plain cointaker kit in mine and love it, warm white frosted gi, warm white felowship inserts, and the rest are colour matched. Think its great.

Learned to avoid their super kit because its usually more colourful and just too much, where as there standard kit, is more tasteful.