LED's...what's involved?

[Yoeddy1]

Hey all,

So from what I understand, LED's are cooler than standard bulbs correct?  Can one simply order LED's and change out the bulbs or does it require changing out the entire button assembly?

Thanks,
Jason

[stayouttadabunker]

Yes, LEDs are a little cooler and last awhile.
However, you find that not all LEDs fit and if you may have to
sand certain ones down to fit properly.
Depends on what machine you're talking about.
Type in LEDs in the search box & you'll find all kinds of topics and threads on that subject.
When sanding them down a touch to fit - you may run into safety problems
if too much LED housing material is shaved off.
It's important to get the right ones for your machine buttons.
Again, look in the threads corresponding to your machine type in the forums.

[KirkLasVegas]

LED's are interesting little "Critters". To start with they vary in brightness,color and most of all "Angle". The LED is a "Die" a small junction that sits under a focusing lens. The wider the angle the dimmer it will be. ALWAYS look at this spec, it's most important.
If you get one thats too narrow, all you get is a "Hotspot" in the middle of the button or reel. For most button applications you can get away with 45 degree LED's. When your dealing with a #73 or #86 lamp you have little room for experiment,but you do have room for a single LED and one resistor.
If your looking to replace a #194 type bulb it's game on! cutting small pieces of copperclad board and mounting up to THREE LED's and a resistor is easy to do.The small piece of Printed circuit board slips right into a socket designed for a wedge type bulb.
Inspect the socket, make sure you can get both sides of the circuit from ONE side of the board.
Some of the new LED designs are INSANELY bright, "Superflux" have a wide angle and pure white. LED's run on various voltages from 2.1 to 5.0 volts.YOU WILL NEED TO USE A RESISTOR! Do not exceed the recommended current rating on the LED's!!
If the LED will use(lets say) 20 Ma of current and your requirement is on 12 volts you MUST calculate this. 12 volts minus the voltage drop of the LED (from 2 to 5 volts) equals the final voltage. So 12-5=7 volts. You need to select the right resistor. Calculate 7 volts at 20 Ma. (R) is equal to (E)volts divided by (I) current, in other words 7 divided by 0.020 equals 350 ohms. 350 is not a standard value,but 390 is. Use a 390 Ohm..but what wattage? Good question! Power (W) is (I) times (E) or 0.020 times 7 equals
0.140 watts, use a single 1/4 watt resistor..
This is a CHEAP way to go. Too much "Labor" involved? Then be ready to cough up between $3.00 and $4.00 for the 194/359 series lamps. The #86 can be had for 75¢ around the internet since they are 12 volts and used in vehicles.

Design notes....
20Ma. is the rule of thumb,but I have LED's that can use up to 120Ma!
RED LED's use the least voltage,WHITE use the highest (5 volts)
LED's can be wired in series but consider the voltage drop in resistor calculation
LED's will "FLICKER" in some machines! this is due to them being wired in a matrix.
LED's might not fully extinguish in some applications, this is due to being "Strobed". Regular lamps wont light from the pulses, but LED's are faster and DO produce light from the short pulses!
LED's WILL allow the machine/power supply and I/O to run MUCH cooler! This is important in the "General Illumination" areas.
Buy your LED's DIRECTLY from suppliers in China VIA E-Bay, I have never been disappointed yet. Sometimes slow...but good deals.A lot of them offer FREE Shipping!
AVOID Happ!! (Happcontrols.com) they will rip you off on shipping!!!

Hope this helps....

Kirk

[StatFreak]

Great post Kirk 

Here is an Ohm's law pie chart and a resister color code chart for anyone who is interested.
If you have trouble remembering any of the equations, all of them can be easily derived from these two:
P=I*E
E=I*R

[stayouttadabunker]

    Sorry I couldn't resist...


Great informative posts guys! 

[Yoeddy1]

Thanks for the information guys!  I appreciate it!

Jason

[knagl]

Jason-

I've bought some LEDs from http://www.bcspinball.com/ in the past.  Their prices are reasonable, there's no minimum order, and I was pleased with my purchase.

[StatFreak]

   Sorry I couldn't resist...


Great informative posts guys! 

Resistance is Futile! (The Borg)