(Topic ID: 165897)

New, and Coming Soon, more Bally LED adapter versions!

By HHaase

7 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 29 posts
  • 9 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by Clnilsen
  • Topic is favorited by 13 Pinsiders

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#1 7 years ago

(Updated this post to reflect current status)

You've asked, and I've been listening. You all have made my Classic Bally / Stern LED adapters a great success of the past two years. Enough that I've been able to grow internally, and take on a few new to me technologies. This makes things easier for me to release new products again finally. So, TWO new products are now available. These are the often requested LED adapter sets for your Bally auxiliary lamp boards, used in many -17 and -35 series games.

Now, remember, you still need one of the classic Bally/Stern LED adapter sets for ALL classic bally/stern games to convert the main lamp driver board if you're using an original factory board (Altek main lamp drivers are already LED compatible). The AUX boards are for the additional Aux lamp driver boards, if using factory aux lamp drivers.

First is the -52 style AUX board adapters, used in Space Invaders, Xenon, Flash Gordon, Eight Ball Deluxe (All versions), Fireball II, Embryon, Fathom, Medusa, Elektra, Vector, Speakeasy, Mr. and Mrs PacMan. Regular price of $30 for the adapter set

http://www.siegecraft.us/presta/index.php?id_product=63&controller=product&id_lang=1

Second is the -43 style AUX board adapters, used in Kiss, Future Spa, Centaur, and Centaur II. Regular price $17.50

http://www.siegecraft.us/presta/index.php?id_product=62&controller=product&id_lang=1

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These are a completely revamped design using surface mount resistors, which eliminates all the interference issues that plagued me during early development. Much lower profile, no risk of bottom side shorts, faster assembly, faster prototyping, and more parts commonality for easier inventory management. This is all a huge leap forward here as it makes these designs much quicker to bring from concept to production. Here's the final prototype version, for a sneak peek, final version will of course have full green masking and silkscreening. Plus a bigger 1206 sized resistor for improved heat dissipation and wattage rating.

Now, the next question that always comes up is "Where are the 6803 Adapters?" I have prototypes on-hand for testing. I'm looking for beta-testers who have a 6803 and are willing to trade a free adapter set for photos and feedback. PM me if you're interested. First come first serve.

#2 7 years ago

Is an adapter for the aux lamp board needed for EBD? I don't have one and LEDs work fine in the game as far as I can tell. I am using an alltek lamp board. Thanks.

#3 7 years ago

If your LED's are working fine, then no. The original aux boards are hit and miss with LED's. Some work fine with LED's, some don't. If your game is visually working fine for you ... then you won't need the adapters.

-Hans

#4 7 years ago

I am pretty sure the Altek lamp boards are LED compatible which is why they work fine in your game.

#5 7 years ago
Quoted from SealClubber:

I am pretty sure the Altek lamp boards are LED compatible which is why they work fine in your game.

Right but my aux board is original. But it seems from the OP's post that the aux boards are hit or miss. Thanks for the info!

#6 7 years ago

Just a reminder on the wholesale pricing if you pre-order. Looks like they'll be shipping from me to customers in under two weeks.

-Hans

#7 7 years ago

Ordered for my EBD. Thanks for the discount!

#8 7 years ago

PCB's and parts are here now, starting assembly in the next day or two, still have to sort out instructions and packaging. Figure about a week till things start shipping and the sale price ends.

Photos and such soon!

#9 7 years ago

Good luck. Great job

#10 7 years ago

Almost ready to go. Turns out I can use some of the packaging boxes I have on-hand for these, so I just need to get the instructions set and work out the lengths on the wiring harnesses. Once I'm done with those, these can start shipping.

-Hans

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#11 7 years ago

Which one would work in a Bally Gold Ball?

#12 7 years ago

Gold Ball doesn't use any of the AUX boards for additional lamps, you only have the main lamp driver.

This set is the one you need
http://www.siegecraft.us/presta/index.php?id_product=44&controller=product&id_lang=1

#13 7 years ago

These are ready to start shipping, and pre-orders will be hitting the post office starting tomorrow morning.
This means the pre-order sale has ended.

Still working on getting a rhythm going, so assembly is a bit slower than I'd like, may take a few days to get caught up.
Once I'm caught up I'll make the website pages for these items all nice and pretty.

#14 7 years ago

All the pre-orders are either already at the post office, or boxed up and ready to ship tomorrow morning.

#15 7 years ago

Got mine yesterday. PM sent with a question.

#16 7 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

I'm looking for beta-testers who have a 6803 and are willing to trade a free adapter set for photos and feedback. PM me if you're interested.

PM sent. I can test in Dungeons & Dragons and Hardbody.

#17 7 years ago

Prototype PCB's are here for the 6803 version. These are a pain to assemble having to apply solder paste to every single pad, but I didn't feel like spending on a stencil until I knew the dimensions are correct. I'll be mailing out to testers in about a week. Just waiting on connectors. If reports come back ok I don't see much time until they are available to the general public.

I don't have pricing yet, but have a general number in my head.

-Hans

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#18 7 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Prototype PCB's are here for the 6803 version. These are a pain to assemble having to apply solder paste to every single pad, but I didn't feel like spending on a stencil until I knew the dimensions are correct. I'll be mailing out to testers in about a week. Just waiting on connectors. If reports come back ok I don't see much time until they are available to the general public.
I don't have pricing yet, but have a general number in my head.
-Hans

DROOL!!!! Nice.. can hardly wait!

#19 7 years ago

6803 samples are dribbling out for testing. If testing goes well, they should be ready in plenty of time for the holiday shopping season.

Struggling to keep up with sales on the -43's and -52's, so there may be some interruptions in availability from time to time, but they are for sale as a regular item. Haven't really hit my stride yet on the quickest way to assemble them. Working on the website now to clear up a bit of confusion on which sets are required for which games.

ALL classic Bally/Stern games still require one of the main adapter sets that I've been selling for a couple years, unless you're running Altek lamp driver boards. Spectrum requires 2 of those sets.

Then add the additional AUX adapter board according to the list in the first post.

-Hans

2 weeks later
#20 7 years ago

6803 adapters are darn close, but not quite as much clearance as I had hoped, so I'll need to shrink them down a bit or it's going to bump into too many transistors. But the most critical dimension of the pin headers spacing looks good.

Sorting out where to connect the ground wire as well. But some interesting potential in that regard.

-Hans

#21 7 years ago

Could use a couple more beta testers for the 6803 adapters, 4 left I can give away in exchange for answering technical questions on the install. Won't be able to ship till next weekend, have to assemble a bit still, and have a busy week ahead.

2 months later
#22 7 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Could use a couple more beta testers for the 6803 adapters, 4 left I can give away in exchange for answering technical questions on the install. Won't be able to ship till next weekend, have to assemble a bit still, and have a busy week ahead.

I have no idea how I missed this post... but if you still need testers let me know. I have a 6803 Dungeons & Dragons.

Thanks!

2 weeks later
#23 7 years ago

Trying to push through a couple of dealers orders, but really really really want to get more 6803's out for testing by the end of the month.
I'll definitely hit you up on the offer once I can get them ready to go.

I'm also finding out that the AUX adapters are one of my least-favorite things to assemble right now. I made the solder pads WAY too big for the connectors, and it takes forever to solder them up. When this batch of PCB's run out I'll be making those pads smaller for sure, and spacing the power header out about 2-3mm to give more clearance.

-Hans

#24 7 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Trying to push through a couple of dealers orders, but really really really want to get more 6803's out for testing by the end of the month.
I'll definitely hit you up on the offer once I can get them ready to go.
I'm also finding out that the AUX adapters are one of my least-favorite things to assemble right now. I made the solder pads WAY too big for the connectors, and it takes forever to solder them up. When this batch of PCB's run out I'll be making those pads smaller for sure, and spacing the power header out about 2-3mm to give more clearance.
-Hans

I have a 6803 in my Special Force if you need a tester....

1 month later
#25 7 years ago

Time, anybody know a way to find more of it?

Anyway, I finally got the last 4 beta boards for the 6803's finished up and ready to ship out for testing. I snagged the 4 oldest PM's that I had, and sent messages out to see if folks are still interested and able to test.

-Hans

#26 7 years ago

6803 adapters are all accounted for and in the mail, with instructions on the beta testing.

#27 7 years ago

Great reports already coming back on the 6803 testing. Keep 'em coming!

A few trends I'm already seeing on these.....

1. 6803's still have a flicker issue, but it's nowhere near as bad as on the earlier bally/stern system. Some machine and LED combo's may not flicker at all even with the adapter.
2. First time fit is great, plugs right in!
3. No wiring needed, strangely enough. Must be some kind of quirk in how the 6803 drives lamps with the phase separation.
4. Pinball folks are awesome.

3 weeks later
#28 7 years ago

Ok, I've decided that for the time being I am going to discontinue any work on a 6803 adapter. After multiple reports, the 6803 lamp architecture is just too different from earlier Bally/Stern systems and far too inconsistent. Testers are reporting that many 6803 machines don't even need the adapter, while some flicker or act very strange with the adapter installed. Load resistors just aren't the solution here unfortunately.

Moving on to the next project in its place.

-Hans

#29 7 years ago

Thanks for trying!!!

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