atari LED buttons?

That's because original Atari's only used RED LED's as that was the only color available. Green, yellow, blue and white LED's came out (or were economically viable) only recently.

You could always try pulling one apart and seeing if the LED is replaceable....

ken
 
A guy on BYOAC made some different colored ones a while ago. I believe RAM Controls has plans to do this as well.
 
thanks for clarifying and yeah i saw Ram Controls was planning on making, just don't know if it's finished or he gave up on the project! emailed him about it but hasn't responded yet.
 
That's because original Atari's only used RED LED's as that was the only color available. Green, yellow, blue and white LED's came out (or were economically viable) only recently.

You could always try pulling one apart and seeing if the LED is replaceable....

ken

actually i think(IIRC) the LED is white and the top cover is what makes it red! i think i took one apart awhile back and remember that. could be wrong though
 
actually i think(IIRC) the LED is white and the top cover is what makes it red! i think i took one apart awhile back and remember that. could be wrong though

If that's the case (and I believe it is, at least with the red cover... LED is probably red as well if I had to guess). Then you can still play with the colors a little. Blue LEDs would make violet, green LEDs would make... something... ... no idea, but still you see what I'm saying.
 
actually i think(IIRC) the LED is white and the top cover is what makes it red! i think i took one apart awhile back and remember that. could be wrong though
I just bought 4 of these off eBay last week, I can confirm for a certainty that the LED is white, the plastic cover over it red.
 
I just bought 4 of these off eBay last week, I can confirm for a certainty that the LED is white, the plastic cover over it red.

Wow, white LED? Neat for the time... I've been tinkering in electronics since I was little... I remember when I couldn't get anything but nasty red, green, and yellow LEDs... that's why I'm so in love with blue LEDs (I put them in everything I can) because I remember they used to be expensive, now I can get 100 of them for a few bucks. lol
 
I just bought 4 of these off eBay last week, I can confirm for a certainty that the LED is white, the plastic cover over it red.

Do you mean the LED gives off white light or that the casing is clear? I can't imagine they give off white light when red LEDs are so much cheaper and that is the intened color. I'm not even sure when white LEDs came onto the market but I don't think it was the early 80's. Many LEDs have a clear casing but emit a color like red or yellow. It is not the color of the casing that give LEDs their color, it is the wavelength(s) of light emitted.
 
Do you mean the LED gives off white light or that the casing is clear? I can't imagine they give off white light when red LEDs are so much cheaper and that is the intened color. I'm not even sure when white LEDs came onto the market but I don't think it was the early 80's. Many LEDs have a clear casing but emit a color like red or yellow. It is not the color of the casing that give LEDs their color, it is the wavelength(s) of light emitted.

well these are white LEDs and the cover/outside casing button(what your finger actually pushes on) is the part that's red, hence making the glow red.....not LED! my buttons on my Atari Football('79) were like this so i assume all the Atari red buttons have white LEDs in them.
 
well these are white LEDs and the cover/outside casing button(what your finger actually pushes on) is the part that's red, hence making the glow red.....not LED! my buttons on my Atari Football('79) were like this so i assume all the Atari red buttons have white LEDs in them.

So you lit them without the red cover on and they gave off white light?

edit: pic attached is red leds with clear lens
 

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i did about a month ago when restoring....yes! actually the top cover was loose and just easy to pull off/fall off.

That blows my mind since white LEDs weren't invented until the 90's. Is it possible the early generation buttons had very small incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs? Sometimes those tiny incandescents are mistaken for LEDs. You can tell if you look really close.
 
That blows my mind since white LEDs weren't invented until the 90's. Is it possible the early generation buttons had very small incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs? Sometimes those tiny incandescents are mistaken for LEDs. You can tell if you look really close.

i just took off a dragon spirit cover and it's red LED as your describing. my football was white when lit though...maybe it was incandescent! but they are definitely different somehow.
 
i just took off a dragon spirit cover and it's red LED as your describing. my football was white when lit though...maybe it was incandescent! but they are definitely different somehow.

Interesting. My money is on incandescent then for the very early ones. Makes sense I suppose since it was the late 70's.
 
Wow, white LED? Neat for the time... I've been tinkering in electronics since I was little... I remember when I couldn't get anything but nasty red, green, and yellow LEDs... that's why I'm so in love with blue LEDs (I put them in everything I can) because I remember they used to be expensive, now I can get 100 of them for a few bucks. lol
Sorry, by "white" I was referring to the light given off. The glass is clear, like a regular light bulb. My bad.
 
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