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Backbox LEDs

skweek

skweek

Registered
10 Years
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
162
Location
Sarf East Lahndahn!
I know I don't post here that much but most of you know me and this has been bugging me for a while so I thought I should speak up about it.

Can people stop putting ****ty cool white LEDs in backboxes? It makes the backglass/translite look rubbish and that's what should be drawing you into the machine from across the bar.

Nice warm white ones that spread the light well or bulbs please.

That is all. :P
 
I think a lot of it is personal preference but it also depends on the pin. Whilst incandescent lamps certainly spread light around more on most modern pinballs I prefer cool white LEDs in the back box, mainly as they don't discolour the artwork yellow and make it pop more.

My main gripe about LED use is themed GI lighting both in the play field and back box. It normally makes everything look dingy or gives the artwork funny colour tints. I also dislike colouring white inserts something other than white, many kits seem to give blue LEDs for white inserts which I think look wrong. Its all down to personal preference though and lamps are easily changed so no big deal really IMO.
 
No can do.

Cold/daylight whites look great in TZ and TAF backboxes in my opinion. Takes away that p1ssy-yellow tinge you get with incandescent bulbs and give the translites their true colours back. Even better with the antiglare backbox backglass from Best of Pinball.

Yes I lose some of the fading GI effects in the backbox by using LEDs, but my eyes on the playfield during gameplay and no more heat streaks behind the translite.

Each to their own!
 
Mark Squires leds are a great compromise imo.
Whoever now has my old ES will have them installed for the GI.
 
Depends what the translite is as to whether cool whites work for it or not. JM for example works quite well with them.
 
Yeah, it does really depend on the game. I just don't like the horrible spotty effect I've seen on a couple of games recently.

Each to their own though!
 
I agree, warm white look better than cool white which are much too spotty, but some backglasses/translights look aweful with warm white too. I hate the spotty effect, i just put some warm whites in medusa backbox and it looked aweful. The backglass on a certain perfect funhouse at a very recent show looked freaking terrible, like a christmas tree it was so spotty. I love leds nearly as much as Wez but they often look **** in a backbox.
 
I'm with you on this, although I like LEDs in the playfield, I hate them in the backbox.
With LEDs being directional they spot on the glass, incandescent spread the light and look way better.
All imo of course.
 
That image with all 3 types in a back box together, in my opinion, shows normal lamps look far superior.

I know it is all "personal taste" but I think the warm glow of regular lamps throughout a machine look better and really enhance the art and appearance of a pinball, and in contrast, the harsh brightness of LED's take away from the artwork and general look of a machine.

In fact, when I buy a machine with LED's, with very few exceptions the first thing I do is change them back. I know LED's draw less current, but for home use it doesn't make much difference in the scheme of things.

I know there are some good tasteful uses of LED's in specific machines out there but there, but I think a lot of the time, people (probably more "newbies") think 1) buying LED's is relatively cheap and 2) it is within most peoples ability to put them in, so this automatically makes it a good idea.

Although, I know I am probably in the minority! Not sure if it makes a difference, but I had laser eye surgery a few years ago, so maybe LED's look "harsher" to me than they do to everyone else? -lol.

Just my tuppence worth!

Cheers, Mark
 
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