Adding LED's to a playfield question

[bottlejunkie]

since im a newb(have only owned two other pins) and only ever replaced blown lamps and have no experience with LED's my questions is how do you do it? are there LED's that just plug into the lamp sockets that replace the current incandescent bulbs or do you have to replace the socket as well, any voltage issues?

 

[KenLayton]

It's as simple as just removing the old bulb from the socket and inserting an LED bulb instead.

But....... that doesn't necessarily mean the LED will work properly or look right. Certain pinball machine manufacturers' machines don't work properly with LEDs like the classic Bally/Stern machines. The LEDs will "strobe" or "ghost" (not quite shut off when they should be off) and be partly lit all the time or flicker badly.

LED bulb prices are still expensive (around $1 a bulb) versus incandescent (about 7 cents a bulb from Pinball Life).

Here is one source of quality LED bulbs for pinball machines:

http://www.pinballbulbs.com/

 

[tstone]

I'm a fan of the LEDs. I've installed them in my games. I like the ability to add different color LEDs in certain locations, and the lower power usage/lower current draw/less possibility of cooked connectors is a good potential benefit also.

I buy mine from cointaker (http://cointaker.com/).

I usually use the "non-ghosting/premium" LEDs to avoid the ghosting issued Ken mentioned, and they are definitely expensive compared to regular incandescent lamps. I've seen ghosting with other LEDs, which can be irritating. In cases where a lamp is on all the time (GI), I use cheaper LEDs, don't need non-ghosting there.

Sometimes I'll get bulk pricing or a special sale, which helps.

 

[bottlejunkie]

thanks guys.

 

[KenLayton]

If you attend any of the pinball shows/expos, many times the LED bulb vendors there have "show special" pricing on the bulbs.

 

[bottlejunkie]

If you attend any of the pinball shows/expos, many times the LED bulb vendors there have "show special" pricing on the bulbs.

Nice to know since I was at a show a couple weeks ago LOL. But I picked up this turd on the way out Sunday morning anyways after all the vendors were gone(bought the pin at the show)

 

[BulkOfTheSeries]

LEDs are great but can be overdone.

One big plus is the low heat output. I realize in the home environment that backglass art doesnt take that much heat but, in theory, the LEDs will reduce the damage from heat.

 

[jarcade]

I get all my pinball LEDs from Comet. Great prices and great service. Basic LEDs start at about 38 cents each.

www.cometpinball.com

 

[oldpinguy]

Big Sale starting Tomorrow at Midnight!

Art
cometpinball

 

[madsci]

I do LEDs in certain areas of my games, but not all. I like the mixture, and it can look great when done right. For PF inserts, LEDs definitely look awesome, but they really need to be non-ghosting for inserts. I've had ghosting on older SS williams, up to my BSD and Stargate, and on my buddy's PoTC. For GI, you don't need non-ghosting, which saves money. Best bet is to get an assortment of different colors and different types, as there are lots of different types of bulbs for them, depending on the look you're going for.

 

[bottlejunkie]

I do LEDs in certain areas of my games, but not all. I like the mixture, and it can look great when done right. For PF inserts, LEDs definitely look awesome, but they really need to be non-ghosting for inserts. I've had ghosting on older SS williams, up to my BSD and Stargate, and on my buddy's PoTC. For GI, you don't need non-ghosting, which saves money. Best bet is to get an assortment of different colors and different types, as there are lots of different types of bulbs for them, depending on the look you're going for.

I was going to do this, some bulbs sorta shine up/out and would be too bright in your eyes so was thinking about just sprinkling around. Are those 38cent led's posted above non ghosting? Haven't clicked the link yet.

 

[tstone]

I was going to do this, some bulbs sorta shine up/out and would be too bright in your eyes so was thinking about just sprinkling around. Are those 38cent led's posted above non ghosting? Haven't clicked the link yet.

Cheapest non-ghosting lamps I saw on that site had a sale price of 89 cents, which is a good price, a little lower than I usually pay.

 

[jarcade]

One nice things about Williams WPC games is that you can just patch the ROM so it will work with standard LEDs that do not have any non-ghosting features. I did this in my T2 and was able to use the cheapest LEDs available and they do not ghost.

Many other games do not have an easy software fix though, and require the nonghosting LEDs which cost a bit more.

I recommend anybody swapping to LEDs in a WPC game use the software fix though. It's free and you will save money by using the cheaper LEDs! PM me if you need any more info on this.

 

[ieure]

I love LEDs in any SS pin. Color matching with inserts really makes them pop, and I greatly prefer the cool white LEDs for GI and clear inserts. I wouldn't recommend them for EM pins.

As someone else mentioned, the reduction in heat / power draw is great. The heat speeds delamination of the backglass and causes cracking in playfield inserts, both of which can be very expensive to repair.

PinballBulbs is local to me and I prefer their kits/instructions over CoinTaker. SS machines often have hundreds of lamps to replace, some of which require PF disassembly to reach. It can be pretty overwhelming if you haven't worked on pins before. The PinballBulbs instructions are very good, and list each position exactly like it is in the manual, along with the correct lamp for that location.

 

[ryandimx]

All good experiences from Comet. Very helpful with questions. Prices low enough you can buy extra to play around with different colors. The visual charts help too so you can see how bright each type will be

 

[Slackmoe]

The ghosting leds dont bother me a bit. I would order a sample kit of the different level of brightness and see which ones you like best in GI, Flashers, and inserts etc 44,555,906,89 Comet is all I buy from anymore. Great prices and bulk discounts!


Andrew

 

[bottlejunkie]

what does GI stand for?

 

[ieure]

what does GI stand for?

General Illumination, the lamps which light the playfield. They aren't controlled like the inserts, they're always on or off. The other lamps can be enabled or disabled individually.

 

[oldpinguy]

Just finished up getting ready for tomorrows sale.....over 100,000 bulbs in bulk
going up at midnight. Ill be posting our ad on pinside, as Im unsure of the etiquette here.

Great Sales from All vendors...all good for everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Art
www.cometpinball.com