From what I understand, there's some sort of a timer chip embedded into the lamp base. Adding a resistor to the socket isn't going to change the setting. If they are using a micro surface mount 555 timer you could change it but only if you could get inside and change the resistor and the capacitor on the timer.

Maybe whatever component of the circuit that makes it either a slow or fast blinker could just be changed to use a lot more values in between those two, i.e. if it's just a resistor or capacitor that's determining it. Then just mix 'em up and sell them as 'more randomly timed blinkers'.

I'll suggest trying the blinking circuit from the brake warning light in a LADA 2107, only with a different wiring. It works in the same way as the blinking bulbs, with a heating wire around a bimetal spring.

Holy cow, these are going for $55+ a ten-pack on eBay. Makes me kinda sad.

Just got the 10 in a bag deal from PBR today. I'm sure these aren't GE but I'm glad to have them just the same.

They appear to be old stock, has to be better than Eiko. Mine are only going in keepers.

Behind the spinning disk in the Black Hole backbox there are about 11 of the 455 bulbs. I was doing a complete LED upgrade on the game and found that Comet actually has three different 455 LED replacements. There is a fast blink, slow blink and the third is a dim fast blink. This worked out perfectly because I used 4 of the fast, 4 of the slow and 3 of the dim fast randomly placed and it looks amazing. It looks totally random like stars flashing and the dim bulbs add to the effect.

That said I have a number of boxes of real 455s in my tool kit. I like to put them behind the machine name on EM backglasses.

I know Steve had Westing House brands a long time ago.

I’ve got some pretty old EMs and never really bothered looking into blinking bulbs. For my games,
Stop ‘n Go
Mars Trek
Drop-A-Card
Ro Go
Super Straight

How do I find out where you’re supposed to use 455s? If this is how they authentically looked then I want to add blinkers to them. Plus I don’t know if any of them actually require a 455 on some delay relays to work properly. I’ve never looked into it.

Hopefully youse can educate this 455 newbie.

Typically in a backbox, the wood around the socket is dished out for the circular globe of the 455 bulb to fit.

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Bally uses them for anti cheat and slam switches. The flasher acts as a timer. Knee the front door and the game will go dead until the bulb re-engages.

That is true, except for the Gottlieb EMs. On those games, they used a different socket that sits farther inside the drilled hole, so that the round globe of the #455 bulb ends up above the wood face of the insert when the bulb is in the socket.

In other words, if you put a #44 or #47 bulb in a Gottlieb socket, and the lamp sticks out farther than the other lamps, it means that socket is supposed to have a #455 bulb in it.

- TimMe

I will straight trade 100 NOS GE #455 bulbs for any JJP PotC.

Just to clarify the pinwiki language a bit, the #455 lamp is in series with the relay coil itself, via the relay coil lock-in switch. When the the bulb blinks off the first time, the power to the coil is interrupted, and the relay drops open. So the relay pulls in and stays energized for the length of time it takes for the lamp to blink out for the first time, usually just one or two seconds.

As was already mentioned, on a Bally game this is all wired into the regular 50 VAC circuit for the coils. The resistance of the relay coil is chosen to act as a current limiting resistor for the #455 lamp so that the lamp doesn't blow out, although the lamp is definitely running hotter than normal.

An LED blinker lamp will not work in this circuit. For one thing, an LED blinker does not work by interrupting the circuit, so the coil would never release. And in any case, I have to guess that it is very likely an LED blinker lamp would quickly be fried in this circuit due to the high voltages and high currents involved.

- TimMe

bulb porn

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I ran out of my stash of 455's and now realizing that replacing them is an issue. has anyone tried these? https://www.amazon.com/Memotronics-Blinking-Flashing-Bulbs-Shape/dp/B09DTDR953/ref=sr_1_1

I am still seeing bags of new loose 455 bulbs at pinball shows. I consider a couple bags a lifetime supply.

Tungsten treasure! I scored a bag of 455s from PBR a few months back. Might still have some in stock.

Comet is also offering an incandescent 455 now, as well as the two led style 455 blinking bulbs in both bases.

The incandescent one's are $2.99 each

Inconceivable!!!

Just a few years ago they can be bought for 50 cents/each. These were scored at the Allentown show.

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I'll let you know, just ordered a pack of ten.

I ordered some from that link. They look right and I put one in my Funhouse and it works just as expected. Can't speak to the reliability at this point. For that price I'm glad I grabbed some.

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https://www.pinballlife.com/455-bulbs-box-of-10.html

Pinball Life shows they have them in stock as a "New Item." Anybody ordered some yet? I may give them a shot. Looks like Marco and PBR both show them in stock again too.

Pinball Life had them made: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/455-bulbs-#post-7249923

i use the comet warm white led 455's and they're fine. i'm done with the hassle of replacing eiko's burning out within days.

Awesome news!!!

I have used the Comet led version in a game or two with great results (they do spread themselves out eventually), but like the old ones too. Essential for relays in my Capt. Fantastic, and I love the sound of them, for some reason they seem loudest in Mars Trek.

For those in the know, or maybe not, heres some info. I worked at an aircraft lighting company and delt with GE as a supplier for specialty lamps. Trust me, the volume of lamps you have to buy in order for GE to return your calls is more than EM pinballs use collectively globally every year as We needed tens of thousands of specilty lamps yearly and even that was effectively a zero market to them, there was also zero interest in supplying such a small market.

However the cost to make your own lamps is prohibitive, and we found that out too. They (GE) have the equiptment and no interest. You need to find a supplier who has the ability to make them, but not a lot of market penetration. At 10 bucks a lamp, feel privileged. We had lamps we were paying $$$ for because the aircraft lights they fit in were still needed on aircraft still in service. Ask a Doctor how much he pays for Welch Allen lamps for his otoscope, because 20 years ago they were $100 bucks a piece due to their monopoly. We had sourced them for a reading light for Boeing and sold them for $$$$ until the airlines (Boeing's customers) found out it didn't matter what lamps they used and started buying knock offs that fit but didn't meet design requirements for $10 bucks a pop.

Long story short, I bought 20 bulbs from Steve and will continue to do so and feel good about it untill a decent random-firing, warm-white LED hits the market, and someone builds a delay module for that alternate use case.