Coin door lights

radioflyer

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I have a bunch of coin doors that need bulbs, but what are they? Are the push in ones the 555's that I use in my pins? Or are they different? Tried a few, and they got bright as hell, and PooOoF! Gonzo.


What SHOULD I be using?
 
Measure the voltage. Will be 5-7V or 12-14V. You may need to set your meter to AC instead of DC as many are directly connected to the transformer windings instead of being rectified through a DC converter since lamps don't need a clean voltage.

Then go to a pinball lamp reference site and find the base type (bayonet vs. wedge) and then find the voltage you need, then decide if you want the low amp or high amp versions.

E.g. a 44 and 47 are the same voltage and same base but one uses .19 amp and the other .25 amps. Obviously one will be about 25% brighter than the other at the same voltage but will produce more heat and draw more from the transformer.

So:
Base type (obvious)
Voltage (measure)
Amperage (your preference of brightness/heat/burn/limit of power supply output)
 
Or if you have 6 VAC/6 VDC get the white LEDs that match the base. They are more expensive, but draw less juice, put out less heat and last forever. I have been converting all of mine over and it has solved the age old, where did I leave that pack of bulbs question.

Also for boxes that have been convered to run a switcher, I can use the -5 V (which most games to bother with) or +5 V without having to worry about drawing too much power and tripping the current limiter.

They also make 12 V LED sets, but I don't know where to get them. There is a thread or two in the pinball machines forum that discuss the LEDs, where to get them and which ones are best.

ken
 
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