Main > Main Forum
Self illuminating Tron stick? *** UPDATE with pics: Its alive, its alive!
drventure:
Ah,, yeah, that'd explain it. The stick itself barely looks like it's glowing at all in the pics. It's the camera UV filter that's probably messing it up.
ids:
I've no doubt it looks much better that the pics show. Congrats - cool thing there.
I actually bought some loose UV LED's a long time ago with the same idea in mind, and I've been watching this thread since it began. I held off doing anything due to the eye-damage scare earlier on. Is this a legit concern? Anyone know for sure?
goldenageofarcade:
I just finished a dedicated Tron panel with an original stick. I ended up mounting a thin self-contained blacklight fixture at the top of my cabinet, just above the marquee, it shines down and lights up the artwork and stick perfectly (as well as any white clothes anyone standing in front of the game is wearing). One thing I found that any light hitting the monitor makes it the monitor look funny, it sorta has a brown glow to it, I had to play with the angle a bit to make sure the monitor wasn't getting hit by the UV at all.
I wonder if these LEDs will have a similar issue if the light spills out in the direction of the screen?
Otherwise it's seems to look pretty cool. The pics make it look too bright, but as mentioned, probably just the camera reacting to the light...
lilshawn:
i wonder if a single UV black light florescent tube just underneath the marquee would work better.
i'm guessing the camera is making the UV LED's more obvious then they really are IRL. but they do kinda stick out.
pinballwizard79:
goldenageofarcade: My arcade is a big ol showcase cabinet with a bright 37" LCD, no concerns of light affecting the screen but that is a good point for those with traditional cabs. Did you make a thread of your project? I'd like to check it out.
lilshawn: Yeah dude the camera really brought out the individual LED's more than one would see in real life....problem is that wonderful diffuser effect I couldnt properly convey with pics earlier has been greatly minimized with the LED's now right up against the plastic to the point that it now looks just like the previous pics but in real life. No matter, there is a glowing Tron stick in my basement!
ids: I bought one of those Pachislo slot machine volume knobs to adjust the light, see pics below of various degrees of brightness. I dont think its dangerous as is, this LED strip is not blinding by any means (I have LED's in my trackball, 4 way joystick, coin rejects & scattered through out some of my pins). This strip here is much more tame than some of those which I would absolutely consider retina burners.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guys this isnt for a Tron cabinet, its for my MAME machine. Keep that in mind, my goal was to not let perfect get in the way of better if you know what I mean. Perfect would be a sit down Tron obviously & that isnt happening here.
So is this a Tron cabinet with an authentic & perfectly diffused florescent UV bulb? No, it sure isnt.
Is this a replica blacklight UV glowing Tron stick with an easily recognizable nod to the original from 30 years ago thats worthy of doing (it was either a black flight stick or a glowing one) with the Tron restrictor & a DOT apache spinner? Yep, it sure is & thats cool as hell to me.
It turned out pretty good IMO, much better than the non UV illuminated black one I had this morning. Fishing the wire in the case & especially through the metal rod was a ---smurfette--- so if anyone does this buy a spare strip just in case.
PW79