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Author Topic: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!  (Read 28177 times)

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jace055

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RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« on: August 14, 2012, 03:39:31 am »
ROUND 2 IS UP WITH CLEAR PUSHBUTTONS!! 8/22/12

I wanted to compare all of the classic arcade style RGB buttons available so I could make a decision of what I wanted to use.  I started ordering one of each button I could find.  Nephasth posted a thread asking if anyone had done such a side-by-side so I thought I would post my results.

This will take some time to get through everything and I will update this first post as I move through the different stages.  I have been writing this for 2 days now and wanted to share what I had so far.  I have a few more buttons I want to look at and add as well. 

INTRODUCTION

Here is the selection of what I have thus far.



Button #1
Paradise Arcade Shop Hoku button w/Pele ring

IL button with ring style lighting module
There are no wires attached but there is a set of headers for a connector.  This can be used as a universal module on any standard arcade button. This is unique because it lights from the outside versus all of the others that have an internal LED. I'm curious to see what kind of effect a 3/4" panel has on the ring. There is not much of the button assembly beneath a 3/4" panel and a recess may need to be made for proper lighting in thick panels.
Total assembly per button will depend on the method used to wire the module. It would take 5 minutes or so to crimp a connector or to solder directly to the pins.
EDIT: I used the prewired connectors to connect the Pele rings that are available on the website.  This makes wiring easy and assembly takes no longer than a standard pushbutton. 

Button #2
Paradise Arcade Shop Hoku button w/IL illumination module


IL button with a LED module fitted under the switch.
The module on this button is placed between the switch and button to shine up through the hole on most IL buttons. Installation is straight forward but it may require a dab of hot glue to keep the module centered and square in the hole.
Total assembly time is about a minute even with a little hot glue

Button #3
Paradise Arcade Shop
Seimitsu clear/white 30mm push button w/ Uila-s flash module


Japanese style convex button with RGB + white LED module fitted inside.
In order to use this RGB module on this button, you must drill a hole in the bottom of the button for the wires to pass through. This is not hard and only takes a few seconds. The module then fits around the switch shaft and down into the well. The RGB module has the added feature of a white LED so you can have a flash like effect. This button is the reason I was forced to build a test panel out of 1/4 MDF.  The button is commonly mounted into a metal panel and not a 3/4" MDF panel. It can be done but you would need to remove lots of material.  Also be aware that a 30mm button is 1/16" bigger than the standard of 1 1/8".  I was unable to locate a 30mm or 1 3/16" spade or forstner bit at my local home depot so I settled on a 1 1/4" which is a hair to big but will suit my purposes just fine. 
Assembly time runs about 5 minutes per button to drill the hole and completely set the module into the well so the plunger can be reattached.

Button #4
Groovy Game Gear
Electric Ice 2 Pushbutton


This is a concave pushbutton with a custom printed circuit board with an LED and resistors.  This is also a custom pushbutton with an added switch mount that is capable of not only regular micro-switches but leaf and micro-leaf switches. The circuit board has a small ribbon cable for connection to a controller.    Extra attention may be needed in smaller panels to account for the leaf attachment arm. 
Assembly was straightforward and only took about a minute.  Its a simple twist on mount for the switch.  I will say the micro switch that came with the button seems loose in the arm.  It has not caused a problem or slipped out as of yet but I still thought it was worth mentioning. 
EDIT: I got advice from Randy about the loose switch.  The suggestion is to bend the retainer clip in without a switch installed.  This worked and the switch is no longer loose.  Don't be shy about it, I don't think it can be broken.   

Button #5
Ultimarc
ClassicRGB Pushbutton


IL pushbutton with RGB Bulb and light diffuser.
This button has an interesting lighting solution. The bulb has a wedge style base with wires soldered to the connection points.  The light diffuser must first be installed on the bulb which I found to be much easier with a hairdryer on low heat.  The plunger and spring are then removed, the bulb and diffuser put inside, and the whole assembly is then slid back down into the base.  Connection is done with 4 colored wires to the controller.  This was a major cause of frustration because the wires are not color coded in an intuitive way.  One would expect the blue, red and green wires to correspond to the LED colors and the odd colored wire (in this case yellow) to be the common.  I had to use my multimeter to figure out how the bulb was wired and the correct color codes. 
Assembly takes about 3 or 4 minutes to take the switch apart and assemble with the RGB module (not counting the 20 minutes I spent troubleshooting the wire colors).

Button #6
Ultimarc
Ultralux Translucent RGB White (Clear)


Clear convex pushbutton with white cap and LED twist in module.
This pushbutton has a neat twist to lock module that includes the switch.  The cap is removable and inserts are available for coin and start to make this a universal pushbutton that can be used all over your panel.  I wasn’t looking for this type of convex button when I decided on the look I wanted but I found this button intriguing.  It seemed to be so simple and a great design I had to get one.  I wasn’t disappointed.  I still haven’t decided if I like convex buttons but the design of this one is flawless.  I would like to see this LED module in a standard white concave pushbutton. 
Assembly time was nothing more than a standard pushbutton.  Screw the locking ring on and twist in the LED and switch assembly and you’re done. 

NEXT UP LIGHTING!!
VIDEO 8/15/12

I am having trouble capturing the light output on video.  I made a short video with LED Blinky running a simple attract mode through some of the colors.  I change the exposure about 40 seconds in but it is still washed out.  I'm going to play with some more exposure settings in camera to see if I can capture accurate color and intensity. 



Here are the first round of pictures.  I set an exposure (4 seconds) that I was happy with and took all pictures with the same settings using a DSLR.  These pictures were taken in a dark room with no other lighting.  I need to retake the white picture.  It looks like I bumped the tripod after I triggered the shot.





NOTES: There are some trade-offs in the buttons I wanted to point out.  #1 is the dimmest of the bunch.  This is the Hoku with the Pele ring.  However, this button also had the most even lighting of the group. #1 is brighter than the pictures show, I just had to compensate for the clear buttons.  They are BRIGHT!  You will see spots after staring at them for a while, bright.

Here is a picture to show how even and bright the color is for the Pele ring. 


I am going to do another round of pictures with just the classic buttons without the 2 clears (#3 & #6) so I can adjust the exposure up just a little to get a better picture without having to worry about overexposure. 

#5 (ClassicRGB from Ultimarc) is the brightest of the classics.  This is because the lighting module is in the plunger towards the top.  This does not allow the outer ring to catch much light.  I also need to play with the diffuser a little. 


ROUND 2!! CLEAR

Here is round 2 of the RGB buttons I have.  These buttons are all available from www.paradisearcadeshop.com. I wasn't aware of everything they offered until Armi spoke up in the other thread.  There are still a few buttons floating around the internet I would like to do including the one whammoed pointed out from nicemite and the new Ultralux from Andy when its released. 

Because these buttons are similar to the buttons I have already done above, I'm not going to show individual breakdown shots of them. 
 


Button #7: IL Clear Translucent Pushbutton W/ Pele Ring
Button #8: Seimitsu Clear W/ Pele Ring (Missing button plunger)
Button #9: Seimitsu Smoke with Clear Plunger W/ Pele Ring
Button #10: IL Clear Translucent Pushbutton W/ IL Illumination Module
Button #11: Seimitsu Clear with Clear Plunger W/ Uila-s Flash Module
Button #12: Seimitsu Smoke with Clear Plunger w/ Uila-s Flash Module

I decided to try the clear plungers to get the most possible light out of the module.  I only got 3 so one is missing from button #2.

I am going to break the illumination shots into two parts. One for the IL buttons and another for the Seimitsu buttons. 

IL Clear








Seimitsu






I also want to say, again, the Pele ring produces very even light through the plunger and outer ring. This fact gets washed out by direct lighting of the buttons around.  If you are looking for a complete assault on your retinas with light so blinding it can only be rivaled by a Mayan sun god, go with a direct lighted clear button.   







« Last Edit: August 22, 2012, 02:01:24 am by jace055 »

Bender

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2012, 09:44:44 am »
Great documentation so far!
Cant wait to see um lit up
Thanks for doing the side by side :cheers:

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2012, 02:23:14 am »
Could you also look at the how bad the ligthbleeding between lit an unlit buttons is for all the different led module/button combo's? I'm also interested in seeing the pele led ring used with the seimitsu button.


Anyway can't wait for the results :cheers:

shponglefan

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2012, 02:46:41 am »
Awesome!  Looking forward to this!   :applaud:

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2012, 06:37:26 pm »
Could you also look at the how bad the ligthbleeding between lit an unlit buttons is for all the different led module/button combo's? I'm also interested in seeing the pele led ring used with the seimitsu button.


Anyway can't wait for the results :cheers:

That is a good idea.  I will post pictures of the singles lit.  To be honest, I think the only button that will suffer is the pele ring but just looking at it while I was setting it up with LEDBlinky, it was so minor you couldn't tell in a semi lit room.  I have since wrapped it in electrical tape and all of the light bleed is gone. 

Does anyone else have anything they would like to see? I have a digital SLR camera lined up to borrow for a few days and I plan on taking tons of pictures.  Let me know if there is something you would like to see. 

NEW VIDEO ADDED AT THE END OF FIRST POST

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2012, 02:26:13 am »
Just one small suggestion: add the total cost to each led module/button combo?

AndyWarne

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2012, 04:11:54 pm »
  One would expect the blue, red and green wires to correspond to the LED colors and the odd colored wire (in this case yellow) to be the common. 

Oops, thats the way they are supposed to be wired! I have not heard any other reports of this incorrect wiring but I will check our stock. Note we will shortly have a new version of the Ultralux RGB which has the body made from the same material as the button rather than being transparent.

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2012, 12:11:43 am »
Just one small suggestion: add the total cost to each led module/button combo?

Great idea.  I will go through and add cost to each button. 

NEW PICTURES POSTED OF LIGHTING IN FIRST POST!!

whammoed

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2012, 10:12:24 am »

laminarflow

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2012, 01:02:18 am »
Thankyou for doing this. Im just about to purchase buttons for my first cabinet and this will help me decide which/if RGB button might suit what im looking for.   

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2012, 02:13:25 am »
One more option out there:  ;)

http://www.nicemite.com/LightmiteLB/LightmiteLB.htm

Thanks!  It looks like the clear button does not come with the leaf switch itself from pinball life.  Can you point me in the right direction to get the leaf ?  I know nothing about leafs. 

ROUND 2 WITH CLEARS IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST POST!!


whammoed

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2012, 08:10:54 am »
One more option out there:  ;)

http://www.nicemite.com/LightmiteLB/LightmiteLB.htm

Thanks!  It looks like the clear button does not come with the leaf switch itself from pinball life.  Can you point me in the right direction to get the leaf ?  I know nothing about leafs. 

ROUND 2 WITH CLEARS IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST POST!!

Bob Roberts for one, but don't worry, I'll send an extra switch I have with your order.

gamepimp

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2012, 09:23:22 am »
This is excellent work jace055! I wish that I would have had this info when I was making my decision about LED PBs. Perhaps this will get stickied?

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2012, 08:44:04 pm »
jace, thanks so much for doing this!  I am in the market for some milky-white concave buttons for my current build and this is exactly what I wanted to see.  Though I would like to see the additional pictures you mentioned.. based on the pictures so far, I want to see a more-properly lit-up picture of buttons 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the first round!

Quote
I am going to do another round of pictures with just the classic buttons without the 2 clears (#3 & #6) so I can adjust the exposure up just a little to get a better picture without having to worry about overexposure.

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2012, 02:13:13 am »
jace, thanks so much for doing this!  I am in the market for some milky-white concave buttons for my current build and this is exactly what I wanted to see.  Though I would like to see the additional pictures you mentioned.. based on the pictures so far, I want to see a more-properly lit-up picture of buttons 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the first round!

Quote
I am going to do another round of pictures with just the classic buttons without the 2 clears (#3 & #6) so I can adjust the exposure up just a little to get a better picture without having to worry about overexposure.

Sorry about that. My time was running short on the camera and I wanted to get at least a few snaps of everything.  I will be taking pictures of the leaf module from nicemite.com and I will need the camera again so I will do a side by side then. I got the lightmite module and leaf (huge thanks to Whammoed!) and I have been waiting this whole time for the clear button to come from pinballlife. Turns out, I forgot to order it.  :banghead:  I think I may have been drunk/tired/distracted and never completed my order. Oh well, it's ordered now. I will post the pictures when I get the button.

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #15 on: September 04, 2012, 10:31:20 pm »
Jace - Great Roundup!!

How would you compare button #2 (Paradise) to button #6 (Ultalux)?  Have you decided if you like convex  :angel:   I'm looking at a 40+/- RGB setup and was considering #2 and #6.  #6 looks really good and bright in your pictures, how was it when compared to the rest of field? 


-----------
Clear convex pushbutton with white cap and LED twist in module.
This pushbutton has a neat twist to lock module that includes the switch.  The cap is removable and inserts are available for coin and start to make this a universal pushbutton that can be used all over your panel.  I wasn’t looking for this type of convex button when I decided on the look I wanted but I found this button intriguing.  It seemed to be so simple and a great design I had to get one.  I wasn’t disappointed.  I still haven’t decided if I like convex buttons but the design of this one is flawless.  I would like to see this LED module in a standard white concave pushbutton. 
Assembly time was nothing more than a standard pushbutton.  Screw the locking ring on and twist in the LED and switch assembly and you’re done. 
« Last Edit: September 04, 2012, 10:36:58 pm by iserian »

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #16 on: September 04, 2012, 11:58:28 pm »
I like the concave buttons. That's what was in the arcades when I was a kid and what I cut my teeth on. 

The ultralux is a good button. I was impressed with the easy ability to put together and the brightness.  They are brighter than any of the concave buttons.  If I was going to do the convex, it would be the ultralux. Ultimarc sells insterts for them as well for coin and start. I really liked the ability to have one style of button on the panel and use the inserts where I needed to stay away from the vinyl stickers for coin and start.

The #2 from paradise is also a good button.  It was goldilocks bright (not too bright, not too dim). It is dimmer than the ultralux because the led is at the bottom of the button but thats not a bad thing. They are not as easy to assemble but they are a great option for a concave switch.

iserian

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #17 on: September 05, 2012, 12:42:46 pm »
Thanks.  I think based soley on your opinion  ::)  I'm going to pull the trigger on 40+/- of the Ultralux RGB's for a 3 way Cocktail build.  They are more $ by a margin but the ease of wiring to pacled64's (3 of them) hopefully will save enough time to justify the extra expense.

I like the concave buttons. That's what was in the arcades when I was a kid and what I cut my teeth on. 

The ultralux is a good button. I was impressed with the easy ability to put together and the brightness.  They are brighter than any of the concave buttons.  If I was going to do the convex, it would be the ultralux. Ultimarc sells insterts for them as well for coin and start. I really liked the ability to have one style of button on the panel and use the inserts where I needed to stay away from the vinyl stickers for coin and start.

The #2 from paradise is also a good button.  It was goldilocks bright (not too bright, not too dim). It is dimmer than the ultralux because the led is at the bottom of the button but thats not a bad thing. They are not as easy to assemble but they are a great option for a concave switch.

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2012, 11:39:13 pm »
Jace,

Did you experience what Ginsu experienced below?




Quoted from Ginsu Victim's nice review of the Ultralux
"
Update:
Been playing on these for over a month now and I'm not as happy with them. They are squeaky and nowhere near as fluid as my Happ concaves. (I'm missing the concave, as well)

I'm considering changing back to my Happs. My gameplay has actually degraded using these, despite what I thought when I first reviewed these.

I've reduced the score.
--------------------------

I like the concave buttons. That's what was in the arcades when I was a kid and what I cut my teeth on. 

The ultralux is a good button. I was impressed with the easy ability to put together and the brightness.  They are brighter than any of the concave buttons.  If I was going to do the convex, it would be the ultralux. Ultimarc sells insterts for them as well for coin and start. I really liked the ability to have one style of button on the panel and use the inserts where I needed to stay away from the vinyl stickers for coin and start.

The #2 from paradise is also a good button.  It was goldilocks bright (not too bright, not too dim). It is dimmer than the ultralux because the led is at the bottom of the button but thats not a bad thing. They are not as easy to assemble but they are a great option for a concave switch.

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #19 on: September 06, 2012, 01:32:19 am »
I haven't played with any of them to be honest. I have no idea of any problems that may arise down the road.  You would have to take Ginsu's word on that. Sorry I couldn't be of anymore help.

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #20 on: September 06, 2012, 06:40:17 pm »
I don't like buttons being turned into flashlights. Even if they only glow with color, unless the photos are giving a really bad impression, they still look like christmas lights to me.

I'm waiting for clear buttons with electronic skins at the top. Too bad their current eight colors don't match our needs.  :(

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #21 on: September 09, 2012, 03:20:43 pm »
Jace,

Did you experience what Ginsu experienced below?




Quoted from Ginsu Victim's nice review of the Ultralux
"
Update:
Been playing on these for over a month now and I'm not as happy with them. They are squeaky and nowhere near as fluid as my Happ concaves. (I'm missing the concave, as well)

I'm considering changing back to my Happs. My gameplay has actually degraded using these, despite what I thought when I first reviewed these.


I think you will find that review was from the early versions which has Sanwa microswitches with a rather hard spring action. The current ones have ultra low pressure microswitches which we has specially produced to address issues raised with the original batch. That was a very long time ago!

AndyWarne

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #22 on: September 09, 2012, 03:25:57 pm »
I don't like buttons being turned into flashlights. Even if they only glow with color, unless the photos are giving a really bad impression, they still look like christmas lights to me.

I'm waiting for clear buttons with electronic skins at the top. Too bad their current eight colors don't match our needs.  :(

I have to agree to some extent that clear buttons when lit dont look the best. But then I suppose I would say that as we dont sell them. Thats the reason though.
If you want to see one of our classicRGB buttons "in the flesh" PM me and I will send one along with our new Ultralux all-white translucent.

Yvan256

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #23 on: September 09, 2012, 03:55:37 pm »
I don't like buttons being turned into flashlights. Even if they only glow with color, unless the photos are giving a really bad impression, they still look like christmas lights to me.

I have to agree to some extent that clear buttons when lit dont look the best. But then I suppose I would say that as we dont sell them. Thats the reason though.
If you want to see one of our classicRGB buttons "in the flesh" PM me and I will send one along with our new Ultralux all-white translucent.

PM sent, thanks.

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #24 on: September 09, 2012, 04:06:30 pm »
Please clarify if I am incorrect, but I think Yvan256 was referring to all of the buttons, not just the clears.

Taking pictures of lit buttons is next to impossible.  Ironically you almost need to edit them to get them to look the way they do in person.  They do tend to look like flash lights when you take a picture because of the contrast and light detection in most camera's.  This review is doing a great job to hilite some of the differences.  But I still think that investing 10-20 dollars of money to look at a few before spending a few hundred on a control panel is a great idea.

Second, I think if you read what Jace is saying, about the way the lighting looks in person there is more information.  Despite selling a tone of the Uila's and IL-lumination boards in the last few years, we also wanted to change the way buttons were lit.  I didn't like the way light focused on the top an so that is part of the reason for the Pele Rings.  While we don't have as many lights as a photo booth does, the idea was to create multiple points of indirect lighting for a more even distribution in the button.  The rings will not generate the same blinding intensity of direct lighting but they produce an even glow in every button.

Lighting is a big deal and very personal.  You are going to spend more money and time than a non-lit control panel.  I think it's going to be impossible to find one magic bullet for the whole community, which is why I think providing as many options and variations as possible is good, while it may be confusing at first, you can tailor the cabinet to exactly what you want.
 
I don't like buttons being turned into flashlights. Even if they only glow with color, unless the photos are giving a really bad impression, they still look like christmas lights to me.

I'm waiting for clear buttons with electronic skins at the top. Too bad their current eight colors don't match our needs.  :(

I have to agree to some extent that clear buttons when lit dont look the best. But then I suppose I would say that as we dont sell them. Thats the reason though.
If you want to see one of our classicRGB buttons "in the flesh" PM me and I will send one along with our new Ultralux all-white translucent.

Yvan256

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #25 on: September 09, 2012, 04:22:06 pm »
Please clarify if I am incorrect, but I think Yvan256 was referring to all of the buttons, not just the clears.
I was referring to all the buttons, but yes the clear ones are really flashlights, since there's nothing to block the light. Jace055 himself said to not stare directly into some of them. If that's not a flashlight, I don't know what is.


Taking pictures of lit buttons is next to impossible.  Ironically you almost need to edit them to get them to look the way they do in person.  They do tend to look like flash lights when you take a picture because of the contrast and light detection in most camera's.  This review is doing a great job to hilite some of the differences.  But I still think that investing 10-20 dollars of money to look at a few before spending a few hundred on a control panel is a great idea.

Jace055 is indeed doing a great service to all of us with his review. But as you said, it seems to be really hard to take good photos that reflect how they look in person. I know I couldn't take good pictures of the first mini-LCD I tried to use on my MVS-99-6 cabinet. The second LCD was easier to photograph and is indeed much better than the first one, but the JPEGs I posted still don't do it justice. It looks too bright compared to the LCD in person.


Second, I think if you read what Jace is saying, about the way the lighting looks in person there is more information.  Despite selling a tone of the Uila's and IL-lumination boards in the last few years, we also wanted to change the way buttons were lit.  I didn't like the way light focused on the top an so that is part of the reason for the Pele Rings.  While we don't have as many lights as a photo booth does, the idea was to create multiple points of indirect lighting for a more even distribution in the button.  The rings will not generate the same blinding intensity of direct lighting but they produce an even glow in every button.

Lighting is a big deal and very personal.  You are going to spend more money and time than a non-lit control panel.  I think it's going to be impossible to find one magic bullet for the whole community, which is why I think providing as many options and variations as possible is good, while it may be confusing at first, you can tailor the cabinet to exactly what you want.

The problem with trying to do tests like Jace055 did here happens when you don't live in the USA. I'm in Canada, and ordering things from other countries often results in delivery charges that cost more than the parts ordered. I know I'm staying clear of UPS and FedEx, since they charge you brokerage fees on top of the duty fees and the shipping fees. So if I were to want to do the same kind of "Showdown" as Jace055 did here, it would probably cost me more than just picking one of those solutions and ordering 14 buttons with a controller.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2012, 12:49:37 am by Yvan256 »

armi0024

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #26 on: September 09, 2012, 04:28:57 pm »
Most of the direct lit clears are done with the intent of throttling the light back a bit, and I completely agree that light up through a clear button at full blast can be too much.  This flashlight effect was one of the main reasons we came out with the Pele ring.
  I am sorry to belabor the point but I just want people to understand there is an option in clear buttons that is not overwhelming.

This is what Jace said:
In regards to the Pele in a clear button:
"I also want to say, again, the Pele ring produces very even light through the plunger and outer ring."

In regards to other direct lighting in a clear button
"If you are looking for a complete assault on your retinas with light so blinding it can only be rivaled by a Mayan sun god, go with a direct lighted clear button."

I really love the Mayan sun god reference, and I think this reinforces the need for alternative lighting other than just direct.

As far as cost and testing..... Maybe it's time to put together a multi light button trial pack, if we did that with first class shipping people could trial about 8-12 different combos for around 20 dollars.

I have a soft spot for Canada... not to mention a Canadian passport :)
« Last Edit: September 09, 2012, 04:33:51 pm by armi0024 »

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2012, 02:57:30 am »
As far as cost and testing..... Maybe it's time to put together a multi light button trial pack, if we did that with first class shipping people could trial about 8-12 different combos for around 20 dollars.

Please do!

Zensouken

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #28 on: September 13, 2012, 04:53:26 pm »
I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind showing a picture of how you have your Pele Rings wired up. For some odd reason I can't get the Red channel to illuminate at all. I'm using this http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/jamma-harnesses/301-4-wire-100-header-wiring-harness.html wiring harness from Paradise and I have it attached to the row closest to the ring with the white wire on the left and the red wire on the right.

The Green wire does produce Green illumination, however both the Blue and Red wires produce only Blue illumination. I have the White wires drawn to the VCC terminal on an MC Cthulhu. Also, if I have two or more Pele Rings attached to the VCC terminal when I hit one button, they both light up. I can't tell if that's an issue with having two wires in the VCC terminal or if there's something wrong with the wiring harness / Pele not producing Red illumination.

I' more inclined to believe I'm doing something wrong but I haven't a clue where to start as I've tried every combination of wiring I can think of. Thanks in advance for you help; this is the only place on the net I see with a hefty amount of focus on this product.


EDIT: I actually was able to get the signals separated by way of an FGWidget so the buttons are lighting up properly on activation, however I still can't get one of these Pele's to produce any form of red light. I wonder if it's the wiring harness?
« Last Edit: September 13, 2012, 06:37:26 pm by Zensouken »

jace055

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #29 on: September 14, 2012, 12:07:56 am »
I am not familiar with that controller and I can't find the specs on the web. I can't determine the output voltage of the controller. The inside ring is used for controllers with current limiting built in. The outside is used for controllers that output 5 volts. I was connected through the outside set since my controller (ledwiz) outputs 5v.

I'm sure Bryan from paradise arcade will be along shortly with a better answer than I could guess. 

Zensouken

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #30 on: September 14, 2012, 12:57:44 am »
http://www.godlikecontrols.com/download/LEDControllerWelcome.pdf <- The welcome sheet which should have the stats you're describing. Everything you're stating makes sense to me, and I'm glad to FINALLY know why there are two rows on the Peles. Well with the FGWidget controller I got the setup stabilized and working out well enough that I was able to play a few rounds on it but the Peles still won't display any red. And without red I can't get white, right?  ???

Yeah, I guess I'm going to need Bryan to peek-in and have a look. Thanks for offering your insight though, it's much appreciated.

armi0024

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #31 on: September 14, 2012, 05:44:23 am »
Email pics of your connections to armi0024@gmail.com

I don't think this thread is the best for discussion, it's a little off topic, but you do need red for white. 

-Bryan

Zensouken

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #32 on: September 14, 2012, 11:25:59 am »
I've sent you an e-mail with details and pictures, thanks for stepping in Bryan.

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #33 on: December 12, 2012, 03:53:55 am »
I find the Seimitsu buttons when lit up pretty ugly, as you see this cross shaped shadow. That shadow comes from a white piece of plastic that's part of the plunger and makes contact with the micro switch. There are various ways to remedy this:
1- buy the transparent plunger from ParadiseArcadeShop
2- add a piece of vinyl or thick paper between the two plunger parts.
3- spray paint the white plunger part

I tried option 2 first with vinyl and various colors of paper. Note that using paper other than white will change the look of the button. The results were good, but I really hate having to cut out perfectly round inserts for each button. Furthermore, it only covers the top of the white plunger part, meaning a small part of the side is still visible and will give a different color than the top. Maybe not a big deal, but it was for me.
Next I tried option 3, spray painting the white plunger part black. This worked really good. I kinda like how it darkens the color of the entire button plunger. If you do not want to change the original color/look of the plunger, than just spray paint the bottom only!

I will make some pictures coming weekend to show the difference.

armi0024

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #34 on: December 12, 2012, 04:15:14 am »
edekoning what you need are X-busters!!! :)
We decided to do clear plungers for Seimitsu buttons and a friend of ours commented how he hated the X's, so we got rid of them! There are similar problems with Sanwa's, but here are our solutions:


Or for Sanwa's...


edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #35 on: December 12, 2012, 01:42:20 pm »
edekoning what you need are X-busters!!! :)

I know it was my first suggestion :P I'm sure they work/look great with the Pele rings you are selling, but I don't think that they would look good with a Uila led installed.

seba

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #36 on: December 13, 2012, 01:11:27 pm »
Thanks for this most interesting review!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I saw this vid (around 2 minute mark):
I really like those buttons and I'm looking for something similar.

I would like them to be:
-Convex
-for 30mm holes
-Make no clicking noise
-have RGB lighting connected to pacled64
-Have a black solid plunger and clear rim.

After a long search and reading this thread I believe my best (only?) option are these buttons combined with the pele ring:
http://www.focusattack.com/sanwa-obsc-30mm-pushbutton-clear-rim-solid-plunger-black/

Do any of you know any other options, because I'm not a real fan of the pele ring (because of the light leakage and the lower brightness than other solutions)?

Maybe I could get seimitsu's that work with uila, but than I would have to switch the plungers myself, can you just replace the plunger of any kind of button?

Than just another question, what is the difference between uila budget & uila s flash?
« Last Edit: December 14, 2012, 07:17:58 am by seba »

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #37 on: December 29, 2012, 01:56:44 pm »
Here are the pics I promised for the Seimitsu buttons with and without a black spray painted plunger. I only have a red and purple button, and do not have any Pele or Uila leds. Instead I put the two buttons in a small black piece of MDF and placed a Philips led light behind that.

Notice the X shape on the back of the white plunger. This is what is causing the 'ugly' lighting effect. By spray painting this plunger this effect is illuminated. Note that I chose to paint the top of the plunger, thus altering the appearance of the button. You could also spray the back of the plunger, thus keeping its original appearance.

recklessindian

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #38 on: December 29, 2012, 02:08:19 pm »
Great work,  I appreciate the effort you are doing for all of us.
Arrrrr Scurvy

edekoning

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Re: RGB Pushbutton Showdown!!
« Reply #39 on: January 01, 2013, 12:43:06 pm »
@recklessindian

thanks

@armi0024

When are the UILA budgets going to be back in stock?