Use of LED Head Lamp

If installed right, these types of lights should not be visible whether you’re the next game down or ten games down.

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Yeah there is the additional attachment from Pinstadium, can’t remember the name, but it makes it impossible to see the lights directly unless you literally put your eyes almost on the glass.

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Yeah, suppose I’m not noticing any direct glare from their primary light, but I feel I am “aware” of their ambience if I’m next door. Tbh, I’m probably just extra sensitive to the type of light… it might be that I’m not distracted by them actively, but my general grouchiness re: Pin Stadiums makes me aware of them nearby and there is a placebo haunting effect in my mind… :grin:

Installing them above the glass on a portable rig, that could confound things, might not contain quite as well?

I have a set like Wayne mentions from Pinstadium but they need outlet power. They can sit face down on the sides of the glass and point straight down or sit up. So no peripheral viewing of them at all If facing down. Battery powered ones would be way easier, but Pinstadium doesn’t plan to make those.

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My point is, I notice when I’m playing next to them vs. when I’m not, just on the general glow emanating out. I’d rather not play next to them, so adding them, for me, miiiight be interference.

I wouldn’t actually raise an issue with adding pin stadiums. I’m firmly in the “chill” camp here though, if someone wants to wear four headlamps, add some Christmas lights, blast metal music in their headphones, etc etc, go for it! different strokes, let’s all just play on unless there is a major major issue.

Rules and rulings on subjective things like here are challenging, though! It can be hard to balance the different needs of different folks

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The initial prototype did have problems with light bleeding out horizontally which could be seen on an adjacent machine, although not moving I could see how this could cause a player to complain (justified or not).
I’ve now resolved this and there is no bleed at all, with all light being directed to the playfield.

It’s surprising how quickly the costs are mounting up to make these, especially making them with a possible view to selling, rather than just knocking something up with scraps from other projects, which is what the prototype was made from.
3 different size 90 degree pvc 1m trims, battery holder, switch, magnetic tape, the led strip itself, for each individual unit. Obviously they come in a pair.

The next question is, what should they be named?

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I would be wary of any battery-powered solution. Lights that bright take a lot of juice. I doubt one charge would last all day. It’s inevitably going to flicker or die during someone’s turn, potentially causing a drain and comp ball. Then if you’re out of batteries, everyone who qualified before X time has a (dis)advantage vs. those who play later.

Wall outlet powered lights with a cord that stays out of reach/sight, and magnets strong enough to survive any slide save? Now you’re talkin’.

Major illumination? One notch below a general.

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Just bring a good computer UPS, it’d run multiple pinstadiums for hours. Stick it under a game and feed neighboring games as well. No need to waste venue outlets on them.

BTW they’re noticeable more because of the reflection/glare off playfield features, not direct sighting.

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Pinstadium portables? Assuming Scott doesn’t mind you using his name :slight_smile:

lights

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Pincoliseums… Arena-blaze…Pin-Illuminati

I find this sort of situation happens a lot. It’s not a violation until someone is bothered enough to actually report it, and no one wants to be “that guy.”

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Great, so now I get to listen to a UPS beeping?? (Presuming you meant stick the stuff on a ups that’s not plugged in at all…)

Yea, not plugged in. Nearly every UPS I’ve seen lets you silence the beeping. But yea, that would be hugely annoying if not LOL

Why not just sort out the ambient lightning rather than ramming a load of LEDs into the game?

Agree with @gammagoat on Albert’s lamp at Pinburgh - I was shot in the eye a few times by it. I don’t have great eyesight either but with glasses 20/20 if you need a lamp at an event like Pinburgh then I strongly suggest getting your eyes tested
And please don’t drive!

Sometimes nothing can be done about ambient lighting at the time. First replayFX pinburg had the failover games in a very dark part of the venue; it was quite hard to see playfields on games with insufficient GI. Headlamps sound more troublesome than temporary affixed lights, so perhaps the latter is what tournaments can allow going forward?

Exactly this, I played at a tournament this weekend where the venue was very dark, a true 80s style arcade. Changing the room lighting was not really an option.
The modern Sterns weren’t really a problem, surprisingly neither was Fireball 2.

T2 however was very dark. Haven’t received the parts to make the full light bars yet, so used my prototype (2/3 length) ones. Everyone was happy with the improvement.

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I drained two balls on SOR this weekend because of the crazy flashing effects. Would love to have a set of these lights flooding the game with light so that these moments don’t affect my ability to track the ball.

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I would love Stern to knock it off with the crazy flashing effects that shut off all the GI, all the dang time, so that we wouldn’t feel like we needed light bars on the game to see, play, and enjoy. :slightly_smiling_face:

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