Re: Asteroids Deluxe backlight

The blacklight bulb used MUST be the "blacklight blue" type. These look black
when not lit (and not all that much brighter when lit, will have a dark
purplish glow). The "blacklight" type looks white when not lit and puts out
enough visible light when lit to wash out the screen of the game. Don't use
"blacklight", use "blacklight blue" only.

I believe these are 15 watt bulbs, a very common size. Spencer gifts, Radio
Shack, Home Depot, etc. should have these. Full designation is something like
F15T8BLB (F is fluorescent, 15 watts, T8 is tubular with 8/8" (1") diameter, BL
is blacklight, and B is the integral blue filter that makes the bulb appear
black when off and filters out most of the visible light). 14, 15, & 20 watt
bulbs all take the same ballast and starter. Starter will be FS-2. Ballasts
are available at any building supply, electrical, or hardware store.

It's a bitch to buy a $10 bulb only to have it instantly blown by a bad
ballast. A simple test is to take a 100 watt bulb with test leads on it and
connect it to the two sockets where the fluorescent bulb would mount. You want
the terminal in each socket that does NOT go to the starter. If the bulb
lights dimly the ballast is good, if it lights brightly the ballast is
shorted. If it don't light at all you either have something connected wrong or
the ballast is open.

>From experiments done by me as a boy, a 75 watt incandescent bulb can be used
as a ballast. It doesn't work quite as well as the real thing but may be
useful in an emergency.

Chris Loggans wrote:

> Actually, the best source I have found for these tubes is Wal-Mart.
> (Really!) They sell (I believe) GE brand blacklight tubes for around $5
> each.
>
> -Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Noel Johnson
> To: vectorlist@synthcom.com
> Sent: 3/23/00 12:02 PM
> Subject: VECTOR: Asteroids Deluxe backlight
>
> Hello all,
>
> I am trying to restore an AD upright, and am wondering about the light
> used to iluminate the playfield/monitor bezel area. I have heard this
> is supposed to be a blacklight. Has anyone found a suitable replacement
> bulb and ballast for this application?
>
> Thanks!
> Noel
>
> --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
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