Illuminated button prefs

[CM]

What are the current preferences for illuminated push buttons?  Yes I got the bling itch ... damn you BYOAC vendors  .   

I want concave surface, 5V operation, and really like the button graphic-insert idea.

I think I narrowed it down to down to GGG Electric Ice or Novagems, but I am fishing for alternatives.  I would go with the ICE, but I don't think the graphic inserts would work in these.  Stickers might be an option but I think my kids would make quick work of those.

[Chunce DeLeone]

,  Go with TransLucent  Classixs + 12v pinball lamps soldered to a rigged PWRSPLY

Your Ancestors would Be Proud!

[Kaytrim]

sounds like the Nova Gems would be the best option for you then.

[Justin Z]

I would definitely recommend the Novagems as well.  Mine aren't wired up yet or I'd take some pictures, but I tested them, and I have four buttons with inserts inside and they look great.

[CM]

OK, I pulled the trigger on some Novagems.    I decided to completely replace my old-faithful CP, so now I have to find where I left all those CP-cutting tools again haha. 

[bfauska]

Good choice.  I didn't reply in time to be useful to you, but I'll post anyway to advise future readers.  I purchased some EE buttons and the insert disks for labels and was not happy with the results.  Neither is in use on my cabinet now.  I saw a sample in MikeDeuce's thread  of successful implementation of labels in the EE buttons but the difference was the disks he used were black and clear, and the standard disks from GGG are black and white, the white diffuses the light a little to much and you loose clarity in the text/graphics on the buttons. 

If Randy reads this maybe he'll take it as a suggestion to offer versions of his disks in a black and clear option.  I imagine that they would look better in the nova gems too.  The downside is that the graphics have to be cut to the letters/graphics and weeded instead of just being cut to the disk.

[CM]

Also for Randy:  Please consider adding PGI requests for "EMU" and "LISTS" text inserts as well. 

[RandyT]

I saw a sample in MikeDeuce's thread  of successful implementation of labels in the EE buttons but the difference was the disks he used were black and clear, and the standard disks from GGG are black and white, the white diffuses the light a little to much and you loose clarity in the text/graphics on the buttons. 

My honest opinion is that it was not a successful implementation.  When I saw the images, my thoughts were "well, it sort of works", but it wasn't really something I personally considered to be a "good idea."  The EI buttons are made to diffuse light to the greatest degree possible, which means that their design is incompatible with the insert method.  In other words, the better they are at doing what they were designed for, the worse they will be at allowing the use of an insert.  Applying a vinyl decal to the top surface is, IMHO, the better approach for the EI's.

If Randy reads this maybe he'll take it as a suggestion to offer versions of his disks in a black and clear option.  I imagine that they would look better in the nova gems too. 

I'll consider this.  Weeding them isn't that big of a deal and the designs are already vector so they can go straight to the cutter.  Of course anything with fine detail would have to be omitted  from the selections.  But again, after comparing the two methods, I believe that the current PGI's have the benefit of being more legible in a NovaGem due to to the diffusion that occurs in the white areas of the design.  It also makes them more legible when they are not lit.

RandyT

[bfauska]

Good points. I haven't seen the other options in person so I have very little frame of reference.  The illuminated happ buttons I ended up using have a plastic cap that you can remove to insert a graphic and I have been happy with the look of those so far, my only complaint about them is that they are incandescent and get hotter, are yellower, and burn out faster.  But, for admin buttons they aren't too bad.