(Topic ID: 247642)

LED installation

By mark532011

4 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 20 posts
  • 11 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by TheLaw
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

You

Linked Games

#1 4 years ago

I've followed a few threads discussing the pros and cons of LED conversions on old EM's, my question is how to do it... on SS machines the lights flicker without modifications to the lamp board.. I know there are not any boards, but is there something that must be done to prep for LED's or is it simply - plug in and enjoy?

I'm looking to add a few LED's to the GI attract lights in the backbox of my Target Pool, not a total conversion.

#2 4 years ago

Plug and play for EMs, you're good to go.

#3 4 years ago

Cool. Thanks

#4 4 years ago

LEDs really brighten up some of the darker old games. I put them in my Williams Rocket.

#5 4 years ago

I’ve followed a lot of discussions about the pros and cons of leds in older games and how they alter the “look” of them. But I think in the back box to get brighter lights behind the “game over” light and things like that seems like a good idea and even a 10% drop in power requirements should be good for the game too

#6 4 years ago

The lower heat is nice eXpecially if the glass isnt perfect.
You csn always put less leds in if it seems to be overly bright and will still evenly light it.
Look of for blinking lights though, 454s in some games.

#7 4 years ago

LEDs will ghost in EMs.

I've got one game I think they look ok. The rest not really.

#8 4 years ago

I used non ghosting LEDs on a capt fantastic I had and they worked great.

#9 4 years ago

If you use LED's make sure to get the non ghosting as they just cost a little bit more but then you can put them anywhere without issues.

3 weeks later
#10 4 years ago

I have a few "warm white" LEDs that I use on EMs only in places where the sockets are difficult to access or in places where it doesn't matter much.

That largely means installing them under ball arches or putting them in coin doors. I have several machines where the lamps under the ball arch were covered with colored plastic sleeves and in those cases, the LEDs don't really draw attention to themselves.

But I won't have to replace them anytime soon, and that's always a good thing.

Charlie

#11 4 years ago

It seems like placing them under the pf below the inserts so the “500 point bonus” lights up a little brighter isn’t such a bad thing

4 weeks later
#12 4 years ago

I plan on replacing any lamps on the head unit with LEDs just to keep as much heat away from the artwork. I can see places on my Big Deal where the lamps are causing paint failure.

#13 4 years ago

That makes sense, I doubt many would complain about that even though it’s not stock

#14 4 years ago

Just put in 4 LEDs in my front panel behind some faces. I can't tell the difference in the colors at all! Very nice to know it really works and the artwork is safer. I will pull the trigger for the rest of the head unit LEDs now that I know it works.

#15 4 years ago
Quoted from mark532011:

That makes sense, I doubt many would complain about that even though it’s not stock

Anyone that complains will be shown the door.

#16 4 years ago

Sometimes putting LEDs in pop bumpers will make yellowed pop bumper caps look better. This worked well on a Freedom I used to have. But sometimes it makes them look worse. When I tried it on my Grand Prix, it made the normally-yellow pop bumper caps look like tennis balls, so I stuck with incandescents there, even though I have LEDs in the rest of the playfield and they look great.

#17 4 years ago

The LEDs are pretty bright if you look directly at them, but being behind something it seems to calm them down. I have a couple of extra LEDs to run around my horseshoe area but you can look directly at one of them during play. So, I may need to mix and match or take a Sharpie to one side and blackout the part that shows.

#18 4 years ago

My last few EM projects I use nothing but LED, I'm so tired of the new failure prone incandescent.

I find the warm white SMD clear dome from comet mimics the PF GI lamps pretty good and use colored or plain white led in the inserts as you see fit. Frosted ones behind the backglass and sunlight frosted for score reels make them pop a bit.

#19 4 years ago
Quoted from MD_Pinball_Dude:

The LEDs are pretty bright if you look directly at them, but being behind something it seems to calm them down. I have a couple of extra LEDs to run around my horseshoe area but you can look directly at one of them during play. So, I may need to mix and match or take a Sharpie to one side and blackout the part that shows.

Another thing to try is using a flex bulb, and then aim it in such a way that it doesn't shine directly into your eyes. Off the top of my head, one place I've done this is in the center target bank in High Speed.

https://www.cometpinball.com/products/1smd-flex

#20 4 years ago
Quoted from MD_Pinball_Dude:

So, I may need to mix and match or take a Sharpie to one side and blackout the part that shows.

For EM/SS I'll just use a regular incandescent in spots where you can directly see them

Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
From: $ 10.00
Playfield - Protection
UpKick Pinball
Protection
From: $ 65.00
Cabinet - Shooter Rods
Super Skill Shot Shop
Shooter rods
From: $ 12.99
Cabinet - Other
The Pinball Scientist
Other
$ 15.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
UpKick Pinball
Toys/Add-ons
From: $ 5.95
Playfield - Protection
The Pinball Scientist
Protection
$ 259.99
Cabinet - Toppers
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toppers
$ 4.95
Lighting - Led
Mitchell Lighting
Led
Hey modders!
Your shop name here

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/led-installation?hl=hayfarmer and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.