F14t8 bulbs?

Broodwich

Well-known member

Donor 6 years: 2012-2013, 2015, 2020, 2023-2024
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
9,846
Reaction score
420
Location
Albany, New York
So i'm looking for a replacement bulb for my robotron, lil searching tells me i need a F14T8 or T12 bulb. so i go to my local orange box and they look at me like i have 4 heads when i ask for a 14" T8 bulb. I whip out my phone and look on there website find (2) matches only to find that both are 12" (tho the description reads 14" total length).

I don't have an original bulb to bring with me and i'd rather not relocate one of the ends/sockets to allow use of a 15" bulb. I head home to do a google shopping/amazon search and all the bulbs that come up that are listed as F14T* are 15" long.....

What's the deal? I just want a original size replacement for my robotron >.<
 
Measure between the tombstones for the length. The T8 and T12 refer to the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch, but I'm not sure if they are interchangeable, although the info on the ballast should tell you if it works for both. I can't remember what the procedure for testing the ballast is, a forum search might find it, but it's wise to test the ballast first. If the ballast is bad, you will get one bright flash from the bulb when power is applied and you can go buy another bulb and a new ballast. If there is goo leaking from the ballast, it is definitely bad. Ballasts are only a few bucks, might be a good idea to just replace it and the starter as well.
 
Last edited:
ok nice so some user error in there :D

the T12 was the original so the T8 should be smaller and still fit correct?

I first attempted to put a F15 up there before i knew what the original bulb was but that was obviously to long. the open bulb space between the 2 "tombstones" (great descriptive word) is 14" and with the lil electrical connectors at either end it's 14.5"..... making 15" slightly to long.

here's a pic with the F15 lined up. the ballast probably does need to be replaced as well... so thanks a ton for that heads up.

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • Got Bulb.jpg
    Got Bulb.jpg
    91.3 KB · Views: 330
Last edited:
I can't speak for the big box store......but you need a F14T12 (this was the original size) or a F14T8. The T8/T12 number has nothing to do with length....it's how "fat" the bulb is. Either size (T8 or T12) will fit in your assembly. Stern also used these smaller bulbs in their fixtures.

http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=F14T12CW

Edward
 
I can't speak for the big box store......but you need a F14T12 (this was the original size) or a F14T8. The T8/T12 number has nothing to do with length....it's how "fat" the bulb is. Either size (T8 or T12) will fit in your assembly. Stern also used these smaller bulbs in their fixtures.

http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=F14T12CW

Edward

i ended up picking up 2 of these thanks so much for the info. they wouldn't let me buy more than 2 :( so only 1 spare for now.

they're just a tiny bit to big but they do fit, tightly.

now to replace the ballast and put in a starter.
 
Competitive Products sells the 14 watt T8 bulb cheap in case lots...we have purchased hundreds of them over the years.

TIP!! If you have a bulb that still lights or tries to light, but is obviously bad (black on then ends), do NOT throw it out...keep it...because down the road, you can use it to "test" other games ballast's! If the ballast is blown in the game you JUST bought and you put a new bulb in it, it will light REALLY BRIGHT for a moment...and then its gone!! This means ballast is shot! (This is lousy worksmanship...I mean those ballasts are ONLY 30 years old and already bad!!! :) Just kidding....
Anyway, if the old bulb tries to light, then you know ballast is GOOD and THEN you can put new bulb in.

Always suspect if the bulb is completely dead. The starter somehow does not blow out even if ballast is bad, if you start with a new starter. This will save you a bulb! Todd
 
Competitive Products sells the 14 watt T8 bulb cheap in case lots...we have purchased hundreds of them over the years.

TIP!! If you have a bulb that still lights or tries to light, but is obviously bad (black on then ends), do NOT throw it out...keep it...because down the road, you can use it to "test" other games ballast's! If the ballast is blown in the game you JUST bought and you put a new bulb in it, it will light REALLY BRIGHT for a moment...and then its gone!! This means ballast is shot! (This is lousy worksmanship...I mean those ballasts are ONLY 30 years old and already bad!!! :) Just kidding....
Anyway, if the old bulb tries to light, then you know ballast is GOOD and THEN you can put new bulb in.

Always suspect if the bulb is completely dead. The starter somehow does not blow out even if ballast is bad, if you start with a new starter. This will save you a bulb! Todd


are they 14.25 or 14" tho? that's the issue i ran into when looking, all the ones i found were 15"

good info on saving the old bulb :D
 
For low-wattage fluorescent bulbs, the number after the "F" is NOT the length. It is the wattage. As already mentioned, the "T" means "tubular" and the number after it is the diameter in eights on inches.

F15T8 is a 15W fluorescent, 1" diameter. It is 18" long, but nothing in the designation tells you that.

F14T8 is a 14W, 1" dia. bulb. It is 15" long.

F10T8 = 10W, 1" dia., 13.5" long.
 
1.26 per bulb

I paid about 1.26 per bulb when replacing the bulbs in the cabinets at my house. I purchased them from 1000bulbs.com. Shipping was 20$ so I bought 30 of them to make the shipping worth it. In the end I paid 1.92 per bulb and was not able to find a cheaper price on the net. These guys even sell the cheapest priced blacklight bulbs that I have found, and some of the commercial versions of black lights as well.
 

Attachments

  • 1000.jpg
    1000.jpg
    54.5 KB · Views: 21
Last edited:
For low-wattage fluorescent bulbs, the number after the "F" is NOT the length. It is the wattage. As already mentioned, the "T" means "tubular" and the number after it is the diameter in eights on inches.

F15T8 is a 15W fluorescent, 1" diameter. It is 18" long, but nothing in the designation tells you that.

F14T8 is a 14W, 1" dia. bulb. It is 15" long.

F10T8 = 10W, 1" dia., 13.5" long.

Yup got that,

I paid about 1.26 per bulb when replacing the bulbs in the cabinets at my house. I purchased them from 1000bulbs.com. Shipping was 20$ so I bought 30 of them to make the shipping worth it. In the end I paid 1.92 per bulb and was not able to find a cheaper price on the net. These guys even sell the cheapest priced blacklight bulbs that I have found, and some of the commercial versions of black lights as well.

that's for 18" standard bulbs, i'm talking about the bulbs that were originally used in old williams games, and from what i've learned in this thread old stern pinball machines. which were 14" long.

btw mikes is now sold out after i nabbed the last 2
 

Attachments

  • 100_1539.jpg
    100_1539.jpg
    86.8 KB · Views: 12
Last edited:
I understand my bulbs were the wrong size I was just sharing the site and thought people would like to see the details. They have what you were looking for and it was 1.05 for EICO or 3.64 for Sylvania. Shipping to my home for 1 bulb though was about 10$. Hope you got a good price anyways.

1000bulbs has just about everything you could possibly look for so I recommend checking them out.

Stock Code: F-14T08D
Eiko 15520 - F14T8/D - 15 in. - 14 Watt - T8 - 6500K - 700 Series Phosphors
$1.05 ea
 
The cost for the bulbs around here at hardware shops and lighting centers was about 8$-10$ per bulb and I got them for under 2$ each.
 
I understand my bulbs were the wrong size I was just sharing the site and thought people would like to see the details. They have what you were looking for and it was 1.05 for EICO or 3.64 for Sylvania. Shipping to my home for 1 bulb though was about 10$. Hope you got a good price anyways.

1000bulbs has just about everything you could possibly look for so I recommend checking them out.

Stock Code: F-14T08D
Eiko 15520 - F14T8/D - 15 in. - 14 Watt - T8 - 6500K - 700 Series Phosphors
$1.05 ea

that's 15" and therefore 3/4-1" to long


I just buy F14T8 bulbs from my local Lightbulb Shop or Bulb Depot...

and does this fit into an un modified classic williams marquee setup? (ex stargate/robotron/defender/joust)?
 
Last edited:
Would the correct bulb be one of these? I searched on size at Grainger. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/fl...log/N-9hdZ1z0nxep?Pid=search&fromViewAll=true

I should probably open up my Robotron and see what the bulb number is on that.

The ones i got from MikesArcade are 14 3/16" long (just shy of the listed 14.25") from end to end not including the bi-pins, the ones in that link are all 12" bulbs.

you can always move the tombstones like mentioned earlier if you don't want to keep everything original. there's a thread about the original size that's how i started on this, my bulb and starter were gone when i removed the reversed and painted over defender marquee that made it's way onto my 2084.

I googled for a good hour looking at about a dozen different sites and none of them had a 14-14.25" bulb except for mikes. that grainger site is nice it's the first i've seen that you can actually sort by length, unfortunately the closest they have is 13.6" which is to short

I stand humbled...

sorry i'm just being super picky, and probably should have specified in the title that i needed a 14" bulb.
 
Last edited:
No problem I understand. If it is set-up stock already then keep it that way until you no longer have an option. It's cool I should have read better because it was in the post several times but embarrisingly enough I was checking the boards at work and was a little rushed.
 
Back
Top Bottom