Should I go LED for my Judge Dredd?

qbass187

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Hey guys,
A month or so ago I picked up my first DMD pin; Judge Dredd.
It's an absolutely awesome game...I don't know why this pin doesn't get more love OUT LOUD but whatever.
Anyway;
The original owner, for some reason, had replaced 2 of the 555's with white frosted LEDs on the left side of the playfield and to be honest I think they look awesome. So I was thinking about replacing the rest of the 555's on the PF with the same LEDs when I shop it.
But then I was thinking I might NOT do the ones under the playfield, that it might be a waste. And I'm undecided about behind the translight.

I'd like to make a decision and order the LEDs soon and I also don't want to "overdo" it and make the thing look shitty.

Anyone have an opinion on the subject?

I'd appreciate any feedback.
Thanks, ERIC
 
I would, but make sure that each led bulb is about equal brightness to whatever you are removing. Or you will be playing an eye sore.
 
I have leds in my JD and I would recommend them.

The backbox can benefit without question, but personally I think that the game needs to be brighter in the rear playfield and used brighter leds selectively around the playfield. You can get too bright but most games could benefit from added brightness, especially in the rear GI.


Oh, and I love this game OUT LOUD! ;)
 
My friend KenR shopped out his JD last fall and did 100% Cointaker LEDs (mostly Superbrights) and it turned out fantastic.

I will be shopping out my own recently acquired JD over the summer and will also go with LEDs.

I plan to go with a reduced-cost plan that has worked well with other games:

Pinballlife Ablaze LEDs in the backbox and the playfield GI (these are 27 cents each if you buy 100 or more at a time)
Cointaker Superbrights in the inserts and selected areas (these are 1.19 each so much more expensive

Going over to LEDs reduces the current draw by 90% or so - really reduces the strain on the system

RussM
 
If you want it to look like a fridge, sure.

I agree about the game though, it's a much underrated pin. It beats the hell out of a number of recent Stern machines....
 
JD is a nice game. But DON'T do it all in LEDs!!!! Why? It will give a strobing effect and make the ball hard to follow. For the pf GI and features, keep stock bulbs or, if you want to give it some pop, colored bulbs (44's, 47's, or 555's) really bring out the pf and plastics colors without being obnoxiously bright, plus they have the proper fade in/fade out behavior that the game was designed for. I prefer colored bulbs for any lights above the pf (esp. where you may see a bit of the bulb), and *maybe* a few LEDs below certain inserts. But if the game cycles the insert lights, those lights will look very strobey and be distracting if you use LEDs there. And any mod that impairs gameplay is UNACCEPTABLE imo.
 
Yeah, that's where I was going to order them from.

Should I do the whole machine?

I do inserts and bulbs under domes, but I dont do GI in my machines.

Also if you buy from Coin Taker at a show or Expo, they always have a show special rate on the two most commonly used, #555 and #47/44.

I buy all mine from Coin Taker at Expos.

LEDs are here to stay!

Less voltage consumed, less heat given off, vibrant colors produced, rapid flash responses, those reasons alone are enough to use them!
 
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Should I do the whole machine?

I would do all but the GI.

For the pf GI and features, keep stock bulbs or, if you want to give it some pop, colored bulbs (44's, 47's, or 555's) really bring out the pf and plastics colors without being obnoxiously bright, plus they have the proper fade in/fade out behavior that the game was designed for. I prefer colored bulbs for any lights above the pf (esp. where you may see a bit of the bulb), and *maybe* a few LEDs below certain inserts. But if the game cycles the insert lights, those lights will look very strobey and be distracting if you use LEDs there. And any mod that impairs gameplay is UNACCEPTABLE imo.

+1 on the colored bulbs, I ordered a few different #555's in various colors and tested a few inserts and I like it a lot.
 
Excuse my ignorance but what is considered the GI? I know it stands for general illumination but its unclear what exactly falls into that category?
Any help would be appreciated guys.

ERIC
 
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Excuse my ignorance but what is considered the GI? I know it stands for general illumination but its unclear what exactly falls into that category?
Any help would be appreciated guys.

ERIC

GI bulbs are bulbs that aren't under inserts, and whose primary purpose is to illuminate the playfield so that you can actually see it.
 
JD is a nice game. But DON'T do it all in LEDs!!!! Why? It will give a strobing effect and make the ball hard to follow.


LEDS in inserts are so bright and do make it hard to follow the ball. I've seen LED versions of the pins I have and would never enjoy playing them that way.

But, if you dont play them seriously and want the machine to look pretty, then sure, LED is the way to go.
 
LEDS in inserts are so bright and do make it hard to follow the ball. I've seen LED versions of the pins I have and would never enjoy playing them that way.
But, if you dont play them seriously and want the machine to look pretty, then sure, LED is the way to go.

This is misleading. There are different brightness levels of leds and if you use something too bright (especially in clear inserts) it will be detrimental for play. However, if "supers" (from cointaker) are too much, usually their standard led is just right. They also have narrow and wide angle bulbs that work great for certain applications.

I would recommend avoiding a prepackaged kit and mixing and matching to taste for best results.
 
i do inserts and bulbs under domes, but i dont do gi in my machines.

Also if you buy from coin taker at a show or expo, they always have a show special rate on the two most commonly used, #555 and #47/44.

I buy all mine from coin taker at expos.

Leds are here to stay!

Less voltage consumed, less heat given off, vibrant colors produced, rapid flash responses, those reasons alone are enough to use them!

+1


........
 
This is misleading. There are different brightness levels of leds and if you use something too bright (especially in clear inserts) it will be detrimental for play. However, if "supers" (from cointaker) are too much, usually their standard led is just right. They also have narrow and wide angle bulbs that work great for certain applications.

I would recommend avoiding a prepackaged kit and mixing and matching to taste for best results.


You're right, it was a bit misleading. Except a lot of the LED machines I've seen from the vendors who sell the LED's really make it bright. Everytime I see someone LED a machine they tend to put in the brightest bulbs they can. Now this isn't a problem in a really well lit environment, but hey, I tend to keep my arcade a bit more arcade looking with black lights and lower light levels.


Then there's the flicker. Sure that doesn't bother everyone, but it does me. I'll stick to regular bulbs, thank you. :)
 
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