Author Topic: What's the best way to light translucent buttons? (Read 2946 times)

AlanS17 · « **on:** July 18, 2003, 02:40:18 pm »

For translucent buttons, does each one have to be lit individually or can a larger bulb be placed under the general vicinity and have it light up several at once. For example, could 1 bulb light up a 6 button configuartion?

Hoagie_one · « **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2003, 02:51:36 pm »

Fiber Optics are y our friend

AlanS17 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:16:10 pm »

How would that work? I was under the impression that fiber optics were quite small and didn't provide alot of light. On top of that, how would I incorporate fiber optics? Where do you even find that stuff, etc.

I'd rather use a regular light bulb inside my control panel if it doesn't cause too much of a heat issue. That would be infinitely simple. I figure maybe a low wattage bulb would be ok.

ErikRuud · « **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:22:54 pm »

Alan,

Fiber Optics come in many sizes.

I have seen some setups that are used for home lighting. Coax sized bundles are run through the walls to a central light box with a large halogen bulb. The fixture usually have a lens to help spread the light.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:30:49 pm »

Sounds expensive. $:-\$

Hoagie_one · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:41:29 pm »

led's would be cheaper

AlanS17 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:43:40 pm »

Well aren't the LED's something like $2 or $3 each? Multiply that times 15 and you're still talking about an expensive lighting solution. After all, it's just a minor perk.

That's why I'm asking if low wattage light bulbs are a viable solution.

Aceldamor · « **Reply #7 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:43:56 pm »

Not tremendously expensive....I've actually considered this method

Check this link out for some prices.
http://www.thefiberopticstore.com/FOS-mainpage.htm

AlanS17 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:48:36 pm »

$400 for an illuminator isn't a lot of money??? Maybe you only saw prices for bulbs or something...

Hoagie_one · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2003, 03:55:23 pm »

you can use any light sourse to light up fiber optic cable, make your own florescent light bulb iluminator

ErikRuud · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2003, 04:02:12 pm »

Super Bright LED's are availbale for less than that.

American Science and surplus has them for 1.50 each in blue or white. That 25% less. Look around I'm sure there are other deals to be had.

Aceldamor · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2003, 04:46:02 pm »

Quote from: AlanS17 on July 18, 2003, 03:48:36 pm

$400 for an illuminator isn't a lot of money??? Maybe you only saw prices for bulbs or something...

You don't have to use an illuminator, make your own like Alan said. There are sites around that show you how...look around. Hell, you can make a decent illuminator out of a couple Superbright LEDs.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2003, 04:49:33 pm »

How about my old LiteBrite from kindergarten!
(That's a joke...)

Hoagie_one · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2003, 05:04:36 pm »

Quote from: AlanS17 on July 18, 2003, 04:49:33 pm

How about my old LiteBrite from kindergarten!
(That's a joke...)

Same concept, it would work

spidermonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2003, 05:23:03 pm »

I used a 24" 2 bulb flourecent light fixture with a large sheetmetal deflector that has a nice mirrored chrome like finish and a couple carefully placed unbreakable type mirrors to help intensify and evenly disperse brightness throughout the whole control panel. This works great if you're using the old school translucent leaf switch pushbuttons because since they are fully translucent (meaning the button AND the button bezel ) this means that there is no need for every button to have its own light sorce. If you're trying to light up the Happ style solid color buttons then you will infact have to mount an individual miniature light/led in every button to get them to light up.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 18, 2003, 05:36:06 pm »

Ok this is basically what I was getting at. To see if it were possible to mount a bulb that would light EVERYTHING at once...

Do you have any pictures?

SirPoonga · « **Reply #16 on:** July 18, 2003, 06:11:55 pm »

translucents let light pass easily. one large bulb (like a 18" flourescent" would light an entire panel. Look how well marquees light up.

A superbight LED in a normal button makes a normal button glow, think how a transluscent would be.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 18, 2003, 06:13:17 pm »

I know what it would take to light up a regular button. That's why I'm not doing it.

I just wanted to know how easy it would be for translucents. Thanks for the info.

KevSteele · « **Reply #18 on:** July 18, 2003, 06:30:34 pm »

One thing to watch out for is adequate ventilation - I had a 10" mini fluorescent in my CP (I put it in to illuminate my trackball), and the entire surface would get warm to the touch (the trackball even more so!

)

With enough ventilation it shouldn't be a problem, but I went with superbright LEDs for the trackball and the heat problem vanished.

If you can figure out an economical way to do it, the LEDs or the fiber optics would be your "coolest" solutions.

Kevin

creatine28 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 18, 2003, 07:10:29 pm »

Check these out!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/pcmods/lighting/5e66/

spidermonkey · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2003, 11:34:45 pm »

Sorry Alan I don't have a working digital cam but check out this guys cp. Similar setup to mine
http://home.carolina.rr.com/rmartinko/mame.htm

Dr. J · « **Reply #21 on:** July 19, 2003, 11:35:15 pm »

I don't know about the best way, but a really easy and inexpensive way would be to mount an under counter flourscent light inside your control panel. That's what Rick did. Check it out here.

spidermonkey · « **Reply #22 on:** July 20, 2003, 07:37:36 am »

Umm... Dr.J did you read the previous posts before posting ?

Dr. J · « **Reply #23 on:** July 20, 2003, 05:42:52 pm »

Oh, didn't see those

I got through the top half of the posts and got tired of reading about leds, light brights, and fiber optic cable. I guess it is kinda silly I put a link to the same sight right below your post. Oh well. Rick has some nice cabs worth mentioning twice.

grafixmonkey · « **Reply #24 on:** July 20, 2003, 07:58:12 pm »

I saw a 500 foot spool of .75mm fiber optic in that 'fiberopticstore.com' site for only $37.00. That doesn't seem expensive at all, considering sticking strands of that stuff next to any light bulb would replace the need for having any LEDs lighting your panel at all.

Oh, and BTW I buy superbright LEDs in any colors but blue and white for $0.22, blue usually for $2.50 or so, and white 6400mcd LEDs for $2.40 each.

Oh and you guys might like this - I just saw an RGB LED for $10.00. It has 4 pins: ground, R, G, and B. Looks like it's a single LED package with all 3 semiconductor sets inside, that can turn on in varying degrees and make any color you want.

Check out www.theledlight.com

KevSteele · « **Reply #25 on:** July 20, 2003, 08:13:58 pm »

Quote from: grafixmonkey on July 20, 2003, 07:58:12 pm

Oh and you guys might like this - I just saw an RGB LED for $10.00. It has 4 pins: ground, R, G, and B. Looks like it's a single LED package with all 3 semiconductor sets inside, that can turn on in varying degrees and make any color you want.

Check out www.theledlight.com

Very COOL! With the right software (what was the name of that application that lit the correct game buttons?) you could have the buttons change color to reflect the current game layout (active buttons turn green, inactive ones red, for example)

Imagine an "attract mode" for your control panel...

Kevin

EggZilla · « **Reply #26 on:** July 22, 2003, 01:11:52 am »

You may also want to consider cold cathode lighting. It's what I'm doing, but I haven't yet gotten it done, so I can't comment upon its effectiveness. They're cool-burning, so no heat, and they hook right up to your PC power supply.

I got mine from www.svc.com

-Eric

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #27 on:** July 22, 2003, 02:07:51 am »

I would go with the flourescent tube light that the others have mentioned above. Btw no need for expensive mirrors, deflectors, or other such nonsense. Just line the inside of your control panel box with tinfoil, or if your worried about causing a short, simply get some chrome spray paint and spray the heck out of that sucker.

Afterall, do you really wanna spend 60 bucks just to light up some 75 cent buttons?

spidermonkey · « **Reply #28 on:** July 22, 2003, 03:51:25 am »

If you don't have anything to effectively reflect and distribute the light evenly then the buttons that are closest to the flourecent tube will be really bright and the buttons that are further away will be dim. Nothing reflects light better then a mirror. Take a look inside your flashlight Howard.

Furthermore, plastic mirrors are dirt cheap at a craft store and I only used two of them. Chrome spraypaint is nothing but bright silver paint. It doesn't look anything like the cap that they put on the can so whoever uses it will be disappointed with the results. Tin foil is a bit better but still falls short of an actual mirror. Is this the only way to effectively light up your buttons without individually lighting each one ? No but it worked for me. My friends all thought that all my buttons had a little light inside of them.

Generic Eric · « **Reply #29 on:** July 22, 2003, 04:05:25 am »

Quote from: kevsteele on July 20, 2003, 08:13:58 pm

snipped

Very COOL! With the right software (what was the name of that application that lit the correct game buttons?) you could have the buttons change color to reflect the current game layout (active buttons turn green, inactive ones red, for example)

Imagine an "attract mode" for your control panel...

Kevin

You are thinking of DinoRogers Software

KevSteele · « **Reply #30 on:** July 22, 2003, 07:20:28 am »

Quote from: generic_eric on July 22, 2003, 04:05:25 am

You are thinking of DinoRogers Software

Yup, that's it. Thanks for the URL!

Kevin

AlanS17 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 22, 2003, 10:40:06 am »

Quote from: Howard_Casto on July 22, 2003, 02:07:51 am

I would go with the flourescent tube light that the others have mentioned above. Btw no need for expensive mirrors, deflectors, or other such nonsense. Just line the inside of your control panel box with tinfoil, or if your worried about causing a short, simply get some chrome spray paint and spray the heck out of that sucker.

Afterall, do you really wanna spend 60 bucks just to light up some 75 cent buttons?

That's exactly what I was getting at... I didn't want to spend much. Thanks for a the info.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #32 on:** July 22, 2003, 06:19:21 pm »

Quote from: spidermonkey on July 22, 2003, 03:51:25 am

If you don't have anything to effectively reflect and distribute the light evenly then the buttons that are closest to the flourecent tube will be really bright and the buttons that are further away will be dim. Nothing reflects light better then a mirror. Take a look inside your flashlight Howard. Furthermore, plastic mirrors are dirt cheap at a craft store and I only used two of them. Chrome spraypaint is nothing but bright silver paint. It doesn't look anything like the cap that they put on the can so whoever uses it will be disappointed with the results. Tin foil is a bit better but still falls short of an actual mirror. Is this the only way to effectively light up your buttons without individually lighting each one ? No but it worked for me. My friends all thought that all my buttons had a little light inside of them.

Two points you brought up..... Chrome spray paint looks exactly like it does on the cap unless you get some cheap, generic spray paint. I use it all the time. But let's just say that those who don't know how to paint aren't going to get good results.

Metallics need special attention, which usually means preparing the surface in some way. But for this application it's not going to make a huge diff.

Inexpensive is a realtive term. Your going to need quite large mirrors to line your entire cp and if you pay over 5 bucks total for the mirror rig, then that's waaaay to much imho. Trust me, I've done the tin foil bit, it works flawlessly. You may need to take some cardboard to angle the reflection a tad, but again, that's super cheap. Your not trying to look at yourself in your cab box, your just trying to distribute the light a little better.


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