ModMyPin.com a new firm has announced that they will the first real GID balls at the Chicago show! They are making them as replacements for the Viper Night Drivin' balls (which didn't really glow) and they are also making different color fluorescent balls. Check it out!
Very cool concept, but I have two comments...
1.) Will people be able to get past the look that they're playing with a high bounce ball from one of those 25c dispensers in front of Wal-Mart? (is the size, density, sound, etc... the same)
2.) Someone really needs to learn how to play No Fear 
Digging the new balls... but honestly; I'm curious what the balls are made of and how they respond to different scenarios.
As they wear; do they loose GID properties?
Are the non-GID; just uv reactive or do they GID as well?
I think I saw language about a metallic core... so magnets?
No I don't believe you'll give away trade secrets. I do wish you luck in this but for me the cost will really determine wide spread usage.
I'll have to ponder how or if I'll implement these in Star Trek: The Mirror Universe.
I'd definitely try them in my TZ. The gum balls I have loaded in the gum ball machines are the larger ones that are the size of a pinball. If I use the assorted color glo balls, it would add to the craziness of this game. I've been waiting for a mod like this for a long time!
I wonder if they are UV reactive? I know the glo balls need to be charged before they will glow.
I am interested in contacting the company, but I dont see this possible on site......Anyone know how to reach the principals?
Thanks
Quoted from SealClubber:Maybe add a white light in the ball trough to charge them?
That's what I was thinking, using UV strip lights for max charge in the trough.
Might interfere with games using optos, unless the UV is really clean and not throwing any IR
Quoted from JoeinNJ:I wonder if you'll need to charge them with a bright light...
I had a thought -- how about putting a small spotlight or two (maybe hooked into the GI) that shines into the ball trough when the machine is on? that would keep all the balls charged and glowing super bright once they are ejected onto the playfield 
Quoted from JoeinNJ:I wonder if you'll need to charge them with a bright light...
The more light they absorb the more they glow. If you look at the video and watch the balls that continue to get bounded into the upper playfield, you'll notice they glow more when they get to the flippers.
We are working on a mod for UV lights in the trough. Just not there yet. So what you are seeing are balls coming out of the black under the machine and glow right away.
Also note that the one ball that doesn't glow is the original Viper Ball.
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:I am interested in contacting the company, but I dont see this possible on site......Anyone know how to reach the principals?
Thanks
Send me an email.
Quoted from vster23:Will they work with UV lights? If so I might buy some for my Predator!
I think these would be beyond awesome in this machine. Hopefully they will let us put a set in a machine in Chicago. I promise this will rock!
Quoted from pezpunk:I had a thought -- how about putting a small spotlight or two (maybe hooked into the GI) that shines into the ball trough when the machine is on? that would keep all the balls charged and glowing super bright once they are ejected onto the playfield
This is another thought. You have to remember though if the light doesn't touch that area of the ball, it will have a dark spot there. But to get them started, this would work so that when a machine goes dark, the light hooked to the GI would go off.
I'll be at the show and I have tested these in my Metallica LE and all the magnets worked fine.
Due to the lighter balls 60 grams, it was a super fast flowing game it actually made the left ramp easier to hit.
Wow, this is great! I'm particularly pleased that they are the same weight as the original Glo-Balls, as that is a huge part about why I like that game so much. I doubt I'll use them in too many other things - the difference in ball weight really does make them play differently - but I am stoked to get some for VND!
Do you have any idea on pricing? Not sure if I'll be able to make Expo but might be able to ask a friend to pick up a pack or two for me
Actually at 60 grams it's more the weight of a TZ Powerball, which is 60.8 grams. The original Glo-Ball (I have a NOS one) weighs in at about 58.1 grams on my scale. By comparison, a regular carbon steel pinball is almost 81 grams. I don't mind the slight extra weight compared to the original Glo since I've played with a powerball in VND. Will be interesting to see how these hold up in the machine. I will definitely be ordering!
viperrwk
I think they'd look terrific in BBB, but the lighter weight would really make them fly around and I'd hate to break anything in the game because of the added speed and impact.
Quoted from littlecammi:I think they'd look terrific in BBB, but the lighter weight would really make them fly around and I'd hate to break anything in the game because of the added speed and impact.
In'm not a physics person by any means, but if the ball weighs less, I believe that it would actually carry less inertia, even at a higher speed, possibly resulting in fewer broken things.
If they are reasonably priced and hold up well without flaking off then I am interested. Could be fun for something new for tournament games.
Quoted from Phatchit:How much ?
We are working out the final pricing. We won't have very many of each color at the show as we have to airfreight them in. Larger shipment coming later for online sales. It's a small run in terms of production so they aren't "cheap" but we are trying to keep the cost down.
They will come in a 4 pack and I"ll show you a picture as soon as a final first run sample get's here. The funny/unfunny story is that we tried to send them EMS Post during the recent Chinese Fall holiday and the Air Security people returned them and said we can't send them via PO. Imagine what they look like on an X-ray. So, good ole FedEX is next.
I had fun at airline security recently when I was taking them to show a friend... Oh look, you have wires, circuit boards, batteries and ??? shrapnel???? in your bag... hmmmm
Quoted from TurboBengal:In'm not a physics person by any means, but if the ball weighs less, I believe that it would actually carry less inertia, even at a higher speed, possibly resulting in fewer broken things.
Some testing on ball speeds with the new ball weight would need to be done to verify how much more or less impact would be felt. Looking purely at momentum, momentum is mass * velocity. I'd be expecting the reduction in weight will be offset by an increase in ball velocity from the flippers as the impulse from the flippers will be identical in a modern machine.
very curious also, will they last?
and how much is the big question, won't be surprised to see a ridiculous price on this, like $25-$29.
Quoted from coz6:I'll take two blue and two orange - Tron you got another mod coming.
I've played Tron with four VND glo-balls. It's pretty crazy, but quite fun!
BSavage will they work with games such as TOM where magnets play a big part in the game (i.e. Spirit Ring and the drain lanes (Hocus Pocus))?
Also, on the site it states "These are not GID but they do reflect light which makes them bright.
For example, if your machine's lights run blue, the pearl white ball will take on a blue cast, if green, a green cast...etc.". How much more can these reflect then a polished steel ball that is like a mirror to begin with!!!
Thanks and great to see so many people coming up with more mods for games, whether they be good or bad, it's good for the hobby!!!
Quoted from meSz:Also, on the site it states "These are not GID but they do reflect light ...
But they also state:
Pinballs glow in the dark only after being exposed to a light source that charges the balls. The longer the ball is exposed to a light source, the longer it glows.
So which is it? Do they glow, or don't they?
The way I read it is......there is a glow in the dark ball but then they also have the 5 other colored balls for a total of 6 all together.
I also see that there is a steel core but wondering if that is enough to activate the magnets on any game that would use them.
Have to admit the green or GID balls would look great on a RFM game!
Quoted from Kiwipinhead:What's going on here? All this metric weight talk. I didn't think U.S liked metric
That's how we buy our drugs, we're good with grams.
Quoted from beatmaster:like $25-$29
Don't forget the last glow balls I saw for sale where $99 each and that was if you could find them.
Quoted from gweempose:So which is it? Do they glow, or don't they?
There are two type of balls. The Glo-Balls and then the fluorescent balls which come in 5 different colors.
4 for $25 and I may try them in a game.
If they hold up then I would likely buy a larger quantity if I can get them for less than $5.
Premium regulars sell for 1.50 each. Powerballs for $25. These need to be substaintially less than powerballs if they are going to sell well IMHO. Afterall, I don't see people outfitting many games with all powerballs for the fun of it (Granted the Tron I played with em is super fast/fun/different).
Quoted from Purpledrilmonkey:Some testing on ball speeds with the new ball weight would need to be done to verify how much more or less impact would be felt. Looking purely at momentum, momentum is mass * velocity. I'd be expecting the reduction in weight will be offset by an increase in ball velocity from the flippers as the impulse from the flippers will be identical in a modern machine.
i'm no expert, but isn't the ball, regardless of its mass, merely carrying around the energy put into it by the flippers? in theory, any ball of any arbitrary weight ought to be hitting stuff with the same force as any other mass ball if they were all accelerated by the same source (the flipper, whose strength is assumed constant). they would all be traveling at different velocities, granted, but the force of impact would theoretically be the same, wouldn't it?
they should have videos of durability on here before expo if they want to sell a bunch. Many people have tried to make them and failed due to chipping and wear after only 100 games. Also, the weight and rubber like bounce of glowballs are different than a powerball or regular pinball.
Quoted from Kiwipinhead:What's going on here? All this metric weight talk. I didn't think U.S liked metric
Only the smart ones enjoy metric or maybe just the ones like myself who are too lazy to do imperial conversions.
I think the first part of this oatmeal comic sums it all up. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/senior_year
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