New Product: NovaGem Illuminated Pushbuttons. - GroovyGameGear

[WLVRYN]

Thanks for replying Randy.  You're right, I was looking at the pricing wrong.  I saw the RGB drive+EI button as +$5.20, but forgot to add on the original price of the RGB drive of $1.29, making it more than the NovaGems. 

I'm probably leaning towards the NovaGems so that I only need 1 LEDwhiz (I have 12 buttons to light up, which would require 2 LEDwhizs with the EI buttons).

Any chance you can post pictures of the different buttons (solid colors vs clear) lit and unlit?  I'm interested in the green ones and blue ones, but if the blue totally overpowers the green, then I may have to go with the red.

[fjl]

Thanks for the reply RandyT. I assume you mean that by whittling off a piece of the plastic, you are talking about removing it from the leaf switch, correct?

Another question I asked you on the PM was if you have P1 and P2 Electric Ice buttons. If not, what should I do to add the little P1 and P2 men on top of the button? Also what should I do if I want to add my own text to an EI button like PAUSE and CREDIT?

[JONTHEBOMB]

If you do a search on here, someone (Santoro maybe?) did a little writeup of what needs to be done to accommodate the RGB-Drive boards.  A piece of plastic needed to be whittled off of the switch adapter, but it was reported that it worked.  I cannot verify as I don't have any of these adapters.

Santoro's method worked slick for me.  Below is the thread.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=51918.msg508585#msg508585

[fjl]

Thanks for that link but thats a write up for some standard button that doesn't even use the LED RGB drive since you have to drill a hole into the button itself. I'm concerned about the Electric Ice button which I assume is built differently from a standard button since its pre manufactured to accomodate the RGB drive. I already read somewhere that the Electric Ice buttons are longer than the standard buttons.

[headkaze]

Thanks for that link but thats a write up for some standard button that doesn't even use the LED RGB drive since you have to drill a hole into the button itself. I'm concerned about the Electric Ice button which I assume is built differently from a standard button since its pre manufactured to accomodate the RGB drive. I already read somewhere that the Electric Ice buttons are longer than the standard buttons.

They are a little taller, but apart from the hole in them they are the same as regular buttons.

[JONTHEBOMB]

Thanks for that link but thats a write up for some standard button that doesn't even use the LED RGB drive since you have to drill a hole into the button itself. I'm concerned about the Electric Ice button which I assume is built differently from a standard button since its pre manufactured to accomodate the RGB drive. I already read somewhere that the Electric Ice buttons are longer than the standard buttons.

I have both Happ buttons and Electric Ice buttons.  By using Santoro's method I was able to modify the leaf switches to fit in either button with an RGB-Drive board.

[fjl]

Finally, thats what I wanted to hear. Not stories of having one and not the other.

Was it difficult to do and did you by any chance mess any of them up? RandyT mentioned that the use of Super glue might be neccessary to hold the switch in place. Did you have to go that route?

[JONTHEBOMB]

Modifying the leaf switches was fairly easy.  I highly recommend using a dremel tool instead of a utility knife.  Using a utility knife makes the process longer and harder in my opinion.  The dremel bits I used were a large thin disk like bit and a sanding drum bit.  Also, use safety glasses or you will have little plastic pieces in your eyes.  Looking back at Santoro's thread I think I took more off the leaf switch then he did.  Even with modifying the leaf switch they still fit snug on the button so glue is not needed.

Edit: Forgot to mention I didn't mess up any of the leaf switches, but I did order a few extra to be safe.

[rockin_rick]

Another question I asked you on the PM was if you have P1 and P2 Electric Ice buttons. If not, what should I do to add the little P1 and P2 men on top of the button? Also what should I do if I want to add my own text to an EI button like PAUSE and CREDIT?

Maybe this thread could lead you to your answer....

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=49291.0

Rick

[SodaPopinksi]

Any eta - or is there enough demand for orange Novagems? I would very much like 6 of them, but not sure if that's a popular enough color. 

[RandyT]

Any eta - or is there enough demand for orange Novagems? I would very much like 6 of them, but not sure if that's a popular enough color. 

Ok, there's one vote for them.  I'll need to place another order for the parts for these soon, and when I do, I will try to get something that works for the orange.  I don't know if it will, but I am hopeful.

RandyT

[Jeff AMN]

Once I finish the cab I'm building now, my boss is having me build him one and another for the office. He's paying for my cab since it's kind of the guinea pig, but I'll probably go with these buttons on the 2nd and 3rd cab.

I'd be interested in orange as well. Orange is the company's official color that I work for.

[SodaPopinksi]

Woohoo! another vote for orange  From what I've read on the boards, orange translucent buttons seem to glow very bright, with either an orange or white led, the examples I found were the smaller leafswitch buttons though.

[SodaPopinksi]

Another thing that I think could be unique, is if you managed to illuminate a clear button purple, I was looking at some examples in this older thread of clear buttons with leds (not sure if these are the same type of clear buttons) http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=37034.360

[pointdablame]

Another thing that I think could be unique, is if you managed to illuminate a clear button purple, I was looking at some examples in this older thread of clear buttons with leds (not sure if these are the same type of clear buttons) http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=37034.360

you should be able to do purple with the Electric Ice buttons and an RGB drive.

[edge]

Another thing that I think could be unique, is if you managed to illuminate a clear button purple, I was looking at some examples in this older thread of clear buttons with leds (not sure if these are the same type of clear buttons) http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=37034.360

you should be able to do purple with the Electric Ice buttons and an RGB drive.

Purple is definitely possible with the Electric Ice buttons and an RGB LED. 

Take a look at a video of my cabinet in action (here).  When a game is launched, you can see how the buttons flash in purple (basically at full red, blue, green).  Just to give you an idea...

[Jeff AMN]

A cab with a purple and orange color scheme would probably look awesome.

[MameMaster!]

POSTED on retroblast.com

Congrats on what is sure to be another best seller!

[SodaPopinksi]

A cab with a purple and orange color scheme would probably look awesome.

I'm actually gonna try that scheme on my next project, a Metroid inspired bar-top, got the orange t-molding and such, will have a background thats rather purple, was thinking of an Electric Ice trackball, orange Novagems, but a mixture of orange/purple buttons might look pretty nice too   

edge - That looks excellent, I'm torn at which way to go with the Nova's or EI, I like the fact that the EI's can switch colors, but I like the look of the colored translucents switched on or off too 

[mtalkington]

Randy, please help an electronically-challenged dude through this. Right now, I use an ultimarc for my pushbuttons. But I really would like to use these LED buttons you're offering.

In order to do that, would I have to buy the LED-WIZ? If not, what all would I need? I would just take out my existing buttons (duh), and then install yours...and I could use my existing microswitches and Ultimarc? Would I run the power 5V power for the button from my computer power supply? And if so, how many Novagem pushbuttons could that same power supply handle?

If you would, go slowly in your response. Act like you're talking to a small child.

Thanks in advance for your patience with my questions!

EDIT**** I should add that I'm not looking for things like audio-controlled lights or flashing or anything...I just want them to light up.

[RandyT]

Just wanted to bump this and let folks know that the new parts I got in for lighting the Yellow and Orange translucents are doing the job much better than expected.

So officially, you can add the Yellow, Orange and "Clear / White" to the list of options.  Will add them to the store right away.

Unfortunately, there are no purple translucents, so no way to offer that color currently, other than to use the Electric ICE buttons.

I should add that I'm not looking for things like audio-controlled lights or flashing or anything...I just want them to light up.

I think I already responded in email, but no, if you are just looking to have them light up, you don't need an LED-Wiz.  Just a connection to 5v power from your PC supply.


RandyT

[Racer_X]

Randy:

I know you posted a video clip with the red/blue novagems - can you post (either here or on your site) videos with each type?  I'm trying to figure out what would look better for my CP: clear/blue and clear/red or blue and red.  A 15 second video of each one pulsing under the same light conditions would be very helpful.  And of course, if I'm asking about blues and reds, I'm guessing other folks out there would be as interested in the greens/yellow/oranges/magentas/burnt siennas/puces/metallic mint greens....   

[Kremmit]

Unfortunately, there are no purple translucents, so no way to offer that color currently, other than to use the Electric ICE buttons.

Red & Blue LEDs in a Clear button?

I wonder what purple vinyl dye would do to a clear button..

[SodaPopinksi]

Good to hear about the oranges I'll be ordering some very soon.

In my post above w/ a link there's a clear button pictured in that thread with purple leds, doesn't look too bad.

[Kaytrim]

Another thing that I think could be unique, is if you managed to illuminate a clear button purple, I was looking at some examples in this older thread of clear buttons with leds (not sure if these are the same type of clear buttons) http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=37034.360

Good to hear about the oranges I'll be ordering some very soon.

In my post above w/ a link there's a clear button pictured in that thread with purple leds, doesn't look too bad.

wintermute hasn't posted anything since Dec 2005.  Otherwise I'd suggest trying to get a hold of him to find out where he got his LEDs from. 

It is possible that Randy doesn't have purple as an option from his LED supplier or they are not powerful enough to match the others.  I found several LED suppliers using Google that have the purple that you are looking for but I don't know if they would work the same as Randy's Button Blaster LEDs.  Most of the purple LEDs I found had a luminosity (power) of 150 - 500 mcd (micro candle display).  I don't know the luminosity of the LEDs that Randy carries so I cannot compare them.

TTFN 
Kaytrim

[RandyT]

It is possible that Randy doesn't have purple as an option from his LED supplier or they are not powerful enough to match the others.

That is precisely the issue.  If they don't use the same type of lighting units, then I can't call them "NovaGems."  Unfortunately, the palette of colors for these types is profoundly more limited than what is available in normal LED's.  It was very fortunate that the yellow and orange were successful with what I had to work with.

I like Kremmit's idea of giving some clear ones a dye bath and see what happens.  I think I have some purple dye around here somewhere, so I'll give it a shot.   OTOH, it might be hard to illuminate them without a proper purple light source, so that would be a factor as well.

I found several LED suppliers using Google that have the purple that you are looking for but I don't know if they would work the same as Randy's Button Blaster LEDs.  Most of the purple LEDs I found had a luminosity (power) of 150 - 500 mcd (micro candle display).  I don't know the luminosity of the LEDs that Randy carries so I cannot compare them.

The ButtonBlaster LED's are in the thousands of mcd, and have an appropriately wider view angle for lighting buttons.  But don't confuse the ButtonBlaster LED's with the light source in the NovaGems.  Light output in the NovaGem modules is roughly 5x that of the ButtonBlaster LED's. 

RandyT

[Kaytrim]

The ButtonBlaster LED's are in the thousands of mcd, and have an appropriately wider view angle for lighting buttons.  But don't confuse the ButtonBlaster LED's with the light source in the NovaGems.  Light output in the NovaGem modules is roughly 5x that of the ButtonBlaster LED's. 

RandyT

  And I thought that the Button Blasters were bright    It would be interesting to see the NovaGem modules inside a standard button just to see how well they light up.  I like bling but I am cheep.  That is why I am using your button blasters on standard buttons in my cab.  I'll post pics when I get to that point.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Stobe]

Randy,

Any plans of releasing a version of the novagem line using EI buttons with different single colored LEDs installed?  I like the new idea of having the leads/resistor already hooked up (which BTW, I don't think I've seen a picture of yet).

I used the EI buttons with the press-fit LEDs on my last project, and soldered wires to each LED lead individually.  I'm still not sure how I connected them all up without breaking a single LED lead!?!?

-Stobe