Medusa
Bally, 1981Joined the club over the weekend. Thanks for all of the awesome build tips. I made a color set and a warm white set. I really like some of the colors on JP as it really makes some of the artwork more interesting. Set up the whites today. Really makes every dirt spot on the glass show up 
523226C0-1C16-43FD-AD10-039DBCED01DB (resized).jpeg5B14A00C-6D0C-4A18-9B47-7DD51BD9DB72 (resized).jpegQuoted from newovad:Joined the club over the weekend. Thanks for all of the awesome build tips. I made a color set and a warm white set. I really like some of the colors on JP as it really makes some of the artwork more interesting. Set up the whites today. Really makes every dirt spot on the glass show up
[quoted image][quoted image]
Yeah that makes a big difference, all you need now is a white 7 led strip center drain light.
Quoted from newovad:Joined the club over the weekend. Thanks for all of the awesome build tips. I made a color set and a warm white set. I really like some of the colors on JP as it really makes some of the artwork more interesting. Set up the whites today. Really makes every dirt spot on the glass show up
[quoted image][quoted image]
Very nice! Tons of mods too! I wish mine came with mods like that. It was bone-stock.
Are you going to be doing any more lights or mods?
Must be a JP weekend, I had already added cool white and some color LEDs, but the middle of the playfield was still gone. Also lit up the back banner and backboard from behind using 12v whites. Made the siderails and middle of the playfield comes to life. I know i splurged and used rgb+w including the wifi controller, but certain colors allow items like the orange spot to lite right up. Also found some LED mounting channel and lite lenses from leevalley.com, like I said went over the top but is JP not worth it 
Yes those are 7 led purple trough lites but was all I had.
JP (resized).jpgJP On (resized).jpgQuoted from jesperpark:Must be a JP weekend, I had already added cool white and some color LEDs, but the middle of the playfield was still gone. Also lit up the back banner and backboard from behind using 12v whites. Made the siderails and middle of the playfield comes to life. I know i splurged and used rgb+w including the wifi controller, but certain colors allow items like the orange spot to lite right up. Also found some LED mounting channel and lite lenses from leevalley.com, like I said went over the top but is JP not worth it Yes those are 7 led purple trough lites but was all I had.[quoted image][quoted image]
The lighting looks great.
I sent you a PM
Quoted from MustangPaul:Yeah that makes a big difference, all you need now is a white 7 led strip center drain light.
Maybe. I kind of like the drain nice and dark. It is where all my good games go to die.
Quoted from Daditude:Very nice! Tons of mods too! I wish mine came with mods like that. It was bone-stock.
Are you going to be doing any more lights or mods?
Mine came bone stock too, but on the bright side it was cheaper that way.
Add another JP with diy stadium lighting. I got mine up and running today powered from a 5a power supply with an in line dimmer. I also added backlighting to the background while I was in there, I used 10mm magnets attached to 1/2” black anodized aluminum rail, and drilled a matching hole in the cab and pressed a magnet into it. Works perfectly.
Next up are LEDs, new rubber and some custom 3D printed stuff.
A5ADB9FD-4211-4B70-9533-1773B039BBE7 (resized).jpegAB2C844D-BC0C-4D30-9372-476302651AC1 (resized).jpegQuoted from Geteos:Add another JP with diy stadium lighting. I got mine up and running today powered from a 5a power supply with an in line dimmer. I also added backlighting to the background while I was in there, I used 10mm magnets attached to 1/2” black anodized aluminum rail, and drilled a matching hole in the cab and pressed a magnet into it. Works perfectly.
Next up are LEDs, new rubber and some custom 3D printed stuff.[quoted image][quoted image]
What 3d printed things are you doing?
Quoted from Daditude:What 3d printed things are you doing?
I’m working on those 3D scoop toppers like we talked about in PM, a new gate, and a raptor cage. I have everything modeled, now just working on the lighting.
Quoted from Fytr:Your remote switch must be "leaky" where it provides a small amount of current even when it supposed to be off. I have an Xmas light timer that does the same thing, when it is "off" the lights are still very dimly lit.
Probably not a big deal, you might try measuring the current coming out of the socket when it is off with a multimeter (carefully).
or to be safer use something like this
https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU
Been contemplating & planning out a DIY Stadium Lighting project myself, and trying to resolve the mounting question. I've fully read and followed this thread since the beginning. All of my pins have side art, and several of them are extremely tight in terms of clearance between cabinet and playfield. I don't want to damage or ruin my sideart by drilling screws or making holes for magnets, so I've been thinking about sliding in some extremely thin metal L brackets between the playfield glass channels and the cabinet, and then put magnets on the lightbar. Has anyone tried this approach or something similar?? How is the glass channel mounted to the cabinet with Stern or JJP??
I use the 3M Command pic hangers. They're velcro and fairly cheap. It also doesn't damage anything if you need to remove the velcro off the side to lift the playfield.
Quoted from KoolFingers:I use the 3M Command pic hangers. They're velcro and fairly cheap. It also doesn't damage anything if you need to remove the velcro off the side to lift the playfield.
Thought about those. however as often as I raise the playfields working on mods the value of my 3M stock holdings may go thru the roof due to velcro sales.........
My playfield is fairly tight, but if I take my time I can lift it without messing up the velcro. Though the first time I lifted it I wasn't paying attention and pulled one off. But they're cheap enough to give them a shot. Good luck with whatever you try.
If you are very careful, you can take an xacto knife with a new #11 blade and cut around the outside of the rare earth magnet wherever you chose to install it. Carefully peel the side blade art you cut off the cab and set it aside. Then do the rest of the rare earth magnet install. When you are finished, reapply the cut out section of art blade material, and the seam should barely be visible.
Quoted from tonycip:or to be safer use something like this
amazon.com link »
Or maybe this https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-HS110-Monitoring-Required-Assistant/dp/B0178IC5ZY/ref=mp_s_a_1_16
Quoted from newovad:Got the color set wired up and put in. Took these with the machine off.
[quoted image]
Oh man those look terrible. Stick with the white. 
Quoted from newovad:Got the color set wired up and put in. Took these with the machine off.
[quoted image]
You could tie the colours into flashers on the PF and keep the WW for GI.
Is that what you are planning?
Quoted from Fytr:You could tie the colours into flashers on the PF and keep the WW for GI.
Is that what you are planning?
Nope. I just made a set because they were cheap and I wanted to see what they would look like. Warm white is definitely the way to go on this machine. I could look into hooking them to the GI and see if that tickles my fancy.
I just picked up some "LED Neon flex light ropes."
Going to try them out to see how well they do. I got them because I wanted to eliminate the spot-dot affect on the wireforms and such. Going to experiment on my Shadow and see how it goes. I'll post some pics in the next day or two.
If anyone wants to order them, I found that if you order more than one they charge a lot for shipping. So, I made two orders to get free shipping.
LED Neon (resized).jpgQuoted from Lamprey:I just picked up some "LED Neon flex light ropes."
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/HOTOOK-Mini-LED-Neon-Flex-12V-SMD2835-Rope-Light-Waterproof-IP67-6mm-DIY-Tape-Ribbon-With/32898108611.html
Going to try them out to see how well they do. I got them because I wanted to eliminate the spot-dot affect on the wireforms and such. Going to experiment on my Shadow and see how it goes. I'll post some pics in the next day or two.
If anyone wants to order them, I found that if you order more than one they charge a lot for shipping. So, I made two orders to get free shipping.
[quoted image]
Those look promising!
Quoted from Lamprey:If anyone wants to order them, I found that if you order more than one they charge a lot for shipping. So, I made two orders to get free shipping.
[quoted image]
Looks cool looking forward to your report
Crazy shipping : 1 is free, 2 is $39??? uh ok
Quoted from pinballdork:Looks cool looking forward to your report
Crazy shipping : 1 is free, 2 is $39??? uh ok
LOL right! 
I'm a little behind schedule. Should have some pics this weekend.
Quoted from Lamprey:I just picked up some "LED Neon flex light ropes."
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/HOTOOK-Mini-LED-Neon-Flex-12V-SMD2835-Rope-Light-Waterproof-IP67-6mm-DIY-Tape-Ribbon-With/32898108611.html
Going to try them out to see how well they do. I got them because I wanted to eliminate the spot-dot affect on the wireforms and such. Going to experiment on my Shadow and see how it goes. I'll post some pics in the next day or two.
If anyone wants to order them, I found that if you order more than one they charge a lot for shipping. So, I made two orders to get free shipping.
[quoted image]
Though they seem to stick out from the edge quite a bit. Might need larger L channel to block them from the top?
Quoted from Fytr:Though they seem to stick out from the edge quite a bit. Might need larger L channel to block them from the top?
It does, depending on how you position it.
I have 2 L-channels that I can put together to make a "shield." I'm also thinking about trying to aim it downward (long side vertical). That might allow for a skinnier U-channel. Or possibly an offset-leg U-channel. No sure I can find the right size in an offset-leg though.
Something to play with this weekend.
Ok. Did some preliminary test. I need to order the u-channel as my local hardware stores don't have what I want.
Overall I'd say the LED strip puts more light near the middle of the playfield. But, the LED Neon looks sharper/smoother overall.
Here is a sample:
LED Strip:
LED Neon:
None:
Shadow_NO_LED (resized).jpgQuoted from Lamprey:Here is a close(r) side-by-side comparison near the outlane:[quoted image]
Seems like a winner in terms of avoiding the "ribbon striping" effect on metal ramps, etc. I guess there wil always be a reflection though.
This may just be the ticket for me. I like the idea of pinstadiums like many as I would like some extra light on some games for sure but like many of you hate the zebra/dot effect. This LED neon stuff may just be the right mix of light, but not too much and no zebra effect. Wouldn't be multicolored like PS but that may not be a bad thing at all.
On other note, because of the way the LED Neon works, this is at 100% brightness. When running the LED strips, I ran at about 10% brightness.
So, if you want retina-burning brightness, this won't work. If you want to add a bit of extra light, then it may be the ticket for you.
Quoted from Fytr:Seems like a winner in terms of avoiding the "ribbon striping" effect on metal ramps, etc. I guess there wil always be a reflection though.
Haven’t looked through the rest of the thread but had anyone experimented with diffusing materials to reduce that? This is the biggest thing that stops me from making my own.
Frosted Strips, and Diffusion Lenses with Mounts can be found.....They reduce spotting significantly, but also drop
brightness a bit...
This is such a great thread. I read thru the info, ordered parts, made some tweaks of my own, and spent around $45 a machine to put in color changing lights. Did all 4 of mine in about 3 hours start to finish. Just couldn’t fathom spending $280 per machine. Thanks again for starting this!
8B4B6E44-BB6D-448C-A995-4685AC0FF429 (resized).jpeg9ACEC619-2262-4F69-8F98-EF48BDEC2AC5 (resized).jpegA358C183-1E83-4B39-91A3-746C9473ED33 (resized).jpegBDA8E6EE-8FD2-413C-941F-0693B27DD561 (resized).jpegDEDFF9FD-1322-4BE8-BACF-11B16C220883 (resized).jpegMy second go at these tonight...
About one hour (or podcast).
Parts:
Magnets $5 ebay.com link: N35 1 100Pcs Neodymium Disc Magnet 10mm x 1mm Super Strong Rare Earth Magnets
Remote $2 ebay.com link: 12V RF Wireless Remote Switch Controller Dimmer for Mini LED Strip Light New
Power supply $8 ebay.com link: Universal 12V 36 600W 3 5 10 20 50A Switching Power Supply Driver for LED Strip
Connectors $5 ebay.com link: 10cm JST Plug 2pin Connector Cable Wire Female Male RC Lipo Battery 10Sets
LED cable from another project ebay.com link: 2 Pin Extension Cable Connector Wire Cord For Single LED Strip Light 3528 5050
Aluminum channel from Home Depot was like $8
White LED strip had from another project
Some heatshrink to make it all neat
Hot glue gun
Dedicated 12V switching power supply this time.
The previous owner had a arcade power supply 5V hack, I used that existing wiring that was nicely tapped into the switched line voltage.
Parts:
IMG_20190521_224727 (resized).jpg
Cut the wire - I did 6 ft for the sides, 12 ft for the trough. Could've gotten away with a foot or two less on the sides but whatever
Strip all the wire and tin it
Solder on the connectors (don't forget heat shrink!)
Test!
IMG_20190521_230023 (resized).jpg
I had already pre-cut and painted the aluminum channel
Swap with alcohol the inside of the channel and where you're going to mount the magnets
Apply the LED strips
IMG_20190521_235124 (resized).jpg
Break up the magnets into 6 pairs
Hot glue a pair of magnets on the ends and middle of each strip
Line up the strip on the side of the cabinet
Put a dab of glue on one pair of magnets and apply it to the cabinet
Line it up and do the rest one at a time
Connect it all and enjoy!
MVIMG_20190522_001006 (resized).jpgMVIMG_20190522_001010 (resized).jpg
Quoted from PTHermes:dudah Are you lights pointing down or towards the center? Looks like a nice improvement.
Center
Quoted from dudah:My second go at these tonight...
About one hour (or podcast).
Parts:
Magnets $5 ebay.com link » N35 1 100pcs Neodymium Disc Magnet 10mm X 1mm Super Strong Rare Earth Magnets
Remote $2 ebay.com link » 12v Rf Wireless Remote Switch Controller Dimmer For Mini Led Strip Light New
Power supply $8 ebay.com link » Universal 12v 36 600w 3 5 10 20 50a Switching Power Supply Driver For Led Strip
Connectors $5 ebay.com link » 10cm Jst Plug 2pin Connector Cable Wire Female Male Rc Lipo Battery 10sets
LED cable from another project ebay.com link » 2 Pin Extension Cable Connector Wire Cord For Single Led Strip Light 3528 5050
Aluminum channel from Home Depot was like $8
White LED strip had from another project
Some heatshrink to make it all neat
Hot glue gun
Dedicated 12V switching power supply this time.
The previous owner had a arcade power supply 5V hack, I used that existing wiring that was nicely tapped into the switched line voltage.
Parts:
[quoted image]
Cut the wire - I did 6 ft for the sides, 12 ft for the trough. Could've gotten away with a foot or two less on the sides but whatever
Strip all the wire and tin it
Solder on the connectors (don't forget heat shrink!)
Test!
[quoted image]
I had already pre-cut and painted the aluminum channel
Swap with alcohol the inside of the channel and where you're going to mount the magnets
Apply the LED strips
[quoted image]
Break up the magnets into 6 pairs
Hot glue a pair of magnets on the ends and middle of each strip
Line up the strip on the side of the cabinet
Put a dab of glue on one pair of magnets and apply it to the cabinet
Line it up and do the rest one at a time
Connect it all and enjoy!
[quoted image][quoted image]
This is great. I haven't had a chance to create one of these yet, but was hoping for a summary of the thread. Thanks for the tutorial.
I have an idea to use a frosted acrylic art blade using leds inside the cabinet to transfer light to the sides, hopefully enough to brighten up the playfield.
Do you guys think it is possible to make an art blade that uses the same principle as those stupid laser engraved plastics toppers to light up the side of the cabinet?
Quoted from jimjam:I have an idea to use a frosted acrylic art blade using leds inside the cabinet to transfer light to the sides, hopefully enough to brighten up the playfield.
Do you guys think it is possible to make an art blade that uses the same principle as those stupid laser engraved plastics toppers to light up the side of the cabinet?
Hmmmmmm 
dudah since you are already using hot glue on your magnets.
You should insulate your solder joints being so close to the aluminium.
Put some hot glue under and on top of your solder joints, it will help hold the wiring in place as well.
b35364238a7a37838e9f8a28bd7a0f63559b1a2f (resized).jpgMy homebrew MM with 9 led spots on and off.
Photo taken in the dark, no flash.
So you can play it in total darkness.
And cheap to make ( Closeup is with flash).
2x led upper playfield, 2x led pop bumpers, 3x led castle wall and left and right slingshot.
I use ultabright quad leds and old bayonet sockets.
IMG_20190604_150238 (resized).jpg15596538061881573681448675462132 (resized).jpgIMG_20190604_150355 (resized).jpg
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