Which burns more electricity,vids or pins?

sohchx

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I have always been curious as to what the answer is to this question. Is the current draw different for instance between EM's and solid states and by how much?
 
Well, my Black Knight draws @180 watts with all the #44 bulbs in place.
Galaga @125 watts and a 19" monitor. Bigger monitors will draw more of course.
Black Knight with LED's for the GI circuit @125 watts

-Hans
 
Yeah, but current is kinda useless for this comparison, as it varies with voltage. A European machine running 220v is going to have lower amperage than a US machine at 110v. You need a consistent measure.

If you're seeing 7 amps at the plug on a machine, that's almost 800 watts. That's..... a problem.

However, as I do see your point, particularly if planning out how many machines on a given circuit breaker......

Black Knight with #44 lamps is 1.6 amps
Galaga or Black Knight with GI LED's is 1.125 amps.

-Hans
 
I know that my pins will pop a breaker if I have everything on (vids/pins) and several people are playing the pins and go into multi-ball. I have 5 breakers and all the vids are on the same breaker and the pins are divided up into the other 4 breakers.

The pins have a higher current draw when they are being played (especially by a good player).
 
This is an interesting thread. Logic would dictate that Pinball 2000 machines would draw more than anything else (pin + monitor + PC). Since I have two of them on the same circuit, is this something I should be worried about?
 
That was the draw while playing...I have 2 separate breakers just for my pins...nothing else on them.Not trying to be a pain...the OP asked about current draw.
 
As far as different voltages go....if resistance stays the same then current will go up with voltage....or am I out to lunch here ;)

Nope, you're right on the money there. Higher voltage = higher current, if resistance stays the same. Nor are you being a pain. He did ask current in the actual post, I read the subject and skimmed the original post. Just came out of another thread about power useage with LED's, so my brain was stuck on watts.

But also, don't forget that if power stays the same, and voltage increases, the current drops.
180 watts at 110v = 1.6 amps
180 watts at 220v = .81 amps

It all really depends on what the OP was looking for.
If he's worried about how many machines per breaker, you need to know the amps.
If he's worried about which one costs more to operate, it's the watts.
Both are important to know.

-Hans
 
http://www.amazon.com/Arbor-Scientific-Kill-Watt-Meter/dp/B001JHGY2Q

This is an awesome little device for measurements; I have a few and use them all the time.

It is hard to compare pins to vids as vids are pretty consistent on current pull while pins can vary greatly. Bonus modes and even attract modes of pins vary a lot in current draw as a bunch of lights and relays turn on and off.
 
My SS pins, Mata Hari, Gorgar, and Seawitch draw about 1.5 in attract mode. Gorgar actually pulls 2 amps in attract mode. My original Atari Crystal Castles draws 1.2 amps give or take 0.2amps.

So, in total, my 4 game setup draws about 6.5 amps which is about 800 watts. They are on their own 20amp breaker. They probably draw more when all are firing but I can't imagine it's that much more. I converted all GI lights from #44 to #47 to ease the power draw on the 30 year old boards...

To answer the question, pins draw more power than older video games. That's one good reason for adding vids - they draw less power.

Cheers,
Mike

PS - Get yourself a Kil-A-Watt - it's a great measuring device for anything in your house that you plug in.
 
A lot of people on here have measured the amps of their games with a Kill-A-Watt meter (myself included) and posted specifics as well as general ranges. Generally, late model pins take more amps than a typical classic videogame, but newer games with larger monitors, force feedback, etc. can be just as bad as the pins. And all games take more power when being played than sitting there idle.

Wade
 
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