How is everyone lighting up their kick a** UV overlays?

chopperthedog · April 5, 2019

I've seen some vids on youtube with various lighting methods with limited details for the really cool overlays from Laurence. Just wanted to share my simple quick idea and I'm interested to see details of what others have done.

Came home from a trip yesterday and my overlay package and order from comet pinball was waiting for me. I was ordering other stuff from comet and added 1 of these https://www.cometpinball.com/product-p/7smd6.3vsmdstrip.htm to my order to try with the overlays. To get going fast, I cut a chunk of thin plastic from a 3 ring folder type thingy, wired in a 6vdc wall-wart, used some 200mph tape to secure it to the unit and I was off and running, works well for horizontal and vertical.

Really like the way it looks, works and the simplicity, I'd like to experiment with putting some small magnets at the very front inside the case (seems far enough away from tube to not muck with the image) so that I can just slap my little light hood on the unit when I want to use it.

Moon one is pretty slick with lunar lander, square one is fun with tail gunner. I'm a sucker for black lights with video games, I own an asteroids deluxe, space invaders and extra bases (only known working upright) coin op games that have the b&w monitors, back drops and 2 way mirrors, so these overlays were right up my alley.

good day.

Edited April 5, 2019 by chopperthedog

Flojomojo · April 5, 2019

That looks KICK ASS!

ClockworkRobot · April 5, 2019

yeh i'm cranking up to produce something similar
www.clockworkrobot.com
and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2GhXswzOUg&t=2s

Edited April 5, 2019 by ClockworkRobot

ClockworkRobot · April 5, 2019

Evaluating brightness control too.
https://youtu.be/6CBUFbPyiFM

Edited April 5, 2019 by ClockworkRobot

chopperthedog · April 6, 2019

yeh i'm cranking up to produce something similar

Oh cool.. Right on. I have no plans to sell anything, just spit balling ideas.

Was able to stop at microcenter and pick up some small neodymium magnets to experiment with. Used the thin metal strip from a hanging file folder and put two 6" lengths on the inside of the vectrex housing. Changed the the size of my plastic piece with a new one and epoxied the magnets to it. It works pretty damn well, snaps right into place for horizontal or vertical.

good day.

T.j · April 18, 2019

Oh my....

I've got one of the UV overlays this will get me thinking now..

SiLic0ne t0aD · April 22, 2019

Nice work! I might try something like this with my LED strips.

chopperthedog · September 24, 2019

In my color overlay set there are 2 fluorescent colors that offer an interesting glow with bright vectors and at one point I wondered if an image could be etched into the material to make a custom overlay. Fast forward many months and was exploring warrior via vecmame through the vecfever and saw that the game is virtually unplayable without knowing the original artwork or having an overlay. This was the chance to try out the etching idea from months ago. Took the mame art and made it real low res and turned into a cut file and with light pressure etched the image into the backside of the material. With a blue overlay on top and illumination from my black light it offers a pretty cool effect.

good day.