Are addressable LEDs amazing or annoying?

[JR]

If only I had both…..

I considered that!  When I built my cab a few years back I was determined to have an 80’s Bally.   So I had this huge backbox that looked ridiculous next to my ’69 Gottlieb.  So I chopped it down a bit and added a 3rd screen.  And now I’m about to install a 4k pf and move the current pf monitor into a Borgdog type wedgehead and set my 32″ with dmd backbox aside.  So I’m moving in the opposite direction!

 

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[JR]

I guess what I’ve learned is how to consider the environment my cab will be in.  I love looking at my 32″ with dmd when I’m across the room.  Looks amazing.  But when I’m playing?  If I had a room with a bunch of pins I think I would want it the original Bally EBdlx size.  But for my space it needs to be smaller.  And here’s something else I’ve been thinking about.  I have viewed countless builds that try to emulate bg’s from SS until now and no matter what chicanery is done they never look quite right.  B-dogs wedge design at least lets some bg’s  look exactly as they do irl.

Are you starting from complete scratch?  We’ll need pics.  wip thread  ‘Mornings With Tom’ live streams.

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[TerryRed]

Yah, way back when I built my cabinet 4+ years ago, I was considering doing something like BorgDog with a vertical 42 inch tv for the Backbox with part of it sunken.

If you don’t mind having the backglass image only being as wide as your PF then this can make for an easier setup in many ways. Only one tv connection needed for both backglass and dmd / fulldmd and topper (part of the tv sticking out the top of the Backbox)

The only downside is if you want to use the cabinet with VR or with PinEvent… then anything displayed on the backbox monitor in Portrait orientation (b2s / dmd / pupdmd,etc) won’t be able to stream into VR. This is a limitation with Windows and the pup plug-in both BAM and VPVR uses.

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[Tom]

I think I can reuse the playfield part.  The tv fits perfect.  I am going to have to rebuild the back box.

as far as everything else it will be new custom stuff.  The Vegas theme is going, the vintage lockdown bar and plunger are going.  I have a lockdown bar from a Chicago coin that I am gonna cut in half and weld a new section in to make the proper width.  I am trying to see if I want to do a fire button in the middle like newer games or on the right side of the lockdown bar like I had it.  Was very comfortable there for my thumb.

I am also gonna redesign the blower section, but not sure how

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[JR]

…did you mention a 1946 plunger?

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[TerryRed]

Given how many MAME cabinets back in the day had motorized monitors that would rotate for horizontal and verbal games… I’m surprised someone hasn’t tried similar with a backbox that raises and lowers for the different ratio backglasses.

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[Tom]

Yes my plunger, lockdown bar, side rails and glass was off a 1946 Bally victory special.

I just got my addressable LEDs in the mail today.  Need to order the board and find a wiring up addressable LEDs for dummies now lol.  I wish these were waterproof, I just like the extra protection on the front that the waterproof adds.

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[JR]

Curious to see how you like the Samsung.

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[Tom]

I’ll let you know tomorrow

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[JR]

Did you ever post any pics of your old cab?  I think you did.  While making Hard Body maybe?  Didn’t notice the vintage hardware!

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[Tom]

I will find a link.
4k tv is here.  WOW, beautiful!  With the 1080 it’s running very smooth and  I can actually read the instruction cards.

All my table povs are just slightly off.  I think it was the settings on the old tv and this one is proper.  Ah well some fun work adjusting 800 tables when I get the cab done

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[Tom]

@terryred, I got my tv today and need to look at dimensions to see if I need to change my cab at all. As far as the addressable strips on the sides, are they better to be mounted on the inside of the cab facing in or on the tv face facing the playfield glass.

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[TerryRed]

Well…. there’s no right or wrong…

Most people tend to not have them face towards you so they dont blind you.

 

Many people will route a channel in the inside of the cabinet and put them in there. This is kind of like what I did (except I added more mdf to cover the frame on my TV).

 

…and then you can see the result here after…

 

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[outhere]

I routed a channel on the inside of the cabinet and have them face inward and over the top I put some smoke colored plastic so the only time you see them is when they’re on
I also put the smoke colored plastic over the matrix

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[Tom]

Was it just a tinted plexiglass from say Lowe’s?

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[TerryRed]

Tom wrote:

Was it just a tinted plexiglass from say Lowe’s?

I just got some tinted plexi from a glass shop… and I also use privacy screen on the Back MX to help remove reflections on the pf tv.

 

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[Tom]

I got my addressable LEDs in and with the back large matrix and the (2)3 1/8 squares to form the whole back it measures 18 3/4 wide.  My cab is just over 22 wide.  Should I add another square for a total of 3 and that will stretch it cab side to side

for the height it will obviously be 3 1/8 height plus wiggle room between the glass and the top of the tv.  That’s pretty deep.  My flasher bar was about 2.  Is the front of the tv 3 1/8 from the glass or do you angle it up in the front.  I am just thinking of viewing angle.  To make the tv more of a desirable angle I would have to lower the front legs.  Just curious how yours are because on my old setup the bottom of the cab was almost parallel to the ground

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[Tom]

I am starting to have doubts about the back matrix after watching some videos.  I have always liked the side strips and the effects that shoot up and down the sides but the back matrix in a lot of videos is looking rather cheesy.  I know it’s customizable but I don’t want it to mimic a beacon or flashers because I am gonna have that on the top, I do want five flasher effects, I loved my old bar, but some of the shapes and plus signs look cheesy to me.  I’m sure there are some tables that have really cool light shows but what takes priority if you combine flasher and five flashers and regular effects all on the back matrix

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[TerryRed]

Tom wrote:

I am starting to have doubts about the back matrix after watching some videos. I have always liked the side strips and the effects that shoot up and down the sides but the back matrix in a lot of videos is looking rather cheesy. I know it’s customizable but I don’t want it to mimic a beacon or flashers because I am gonna have that on the top, I do want five flasher effects, I loved my old bar, but some of the shapes and plus signs look cheesy to me. I’m sure there are some tables that have really cool light shows but what takes priority if you combine flasher and five flashers and regular effects all on the back matrix

You can either:

• go with a single strip at the back
• keep full matrix
• if you dont like effects on a specific table… you can remove the Back MX effects for that table in DOf Config Tool and use only the MX Flashers on the Back for that table
• any table that has normal DOF, at any time can have the 5 flashers recreated on the Back MX automatically with the “Save and Create Basic Matrix Config”
• you can choose what shape and size you want for the MX Flashers automatically on most tables on DOF Config Tool on Port Assignments
• not all tables are made the same
• MANY tables have great effects on the back…while others not so much
• the best solution is to recreate the flashers on the “sides” positioned where they are on the pf… something only myself and a couple others did. This frees up the back for only effects, and works better to match what you see on the PF

 

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by TerryRed.

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Tom

[Tom]

Thanks Terry

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[Author]

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