marque light, how close is too close?

[mameapl65]

im currently building my arcade cabinet and i thought id ask those who have cabs about there set up. SO, the question is:

How close do you have your light bulb (or led) to the marque on the inside of your cab?

AND does the marque light up evenly?


please state your light source (L.E.D., Light bulb), watts and distance! thank you!

[SORHP]

12 inch bulb on one cab, about 6 inches back from the marquee, and on my other cab the same, everything lights up evenly.

[GeorgeT]

I have a flourescent about 3-4 inches behind the plastic & metal marquee. it doesnt light evenly...brighter on bottom than top, but since it's red it has a pretty neat effect.

[garnerb350]

It really depends on what type of bulb/led you are using... I have a couple of bulbs in mine...and depends on what mood i'm in if i like it or not, to tell the truth...My are placed 3-4 inches back,( cheap 12 inch flourescents) and I have a Black/Red color scheme marquee. Bottom and tops is lit up well, but the sides are dim. The length of the interior is 24 inches...

Couple of solutions I have thought of trying eventually is maybe buying a bigger longer bulb, or finding a way to have something reflective placed inside to bounce all avialible light to the front. Groovy Game Gear .com has a LED strip that claims that it is ultra bright...but for me, it was just cheaper and more avialible to just get a reagular flourescent bulb.

[GeorgeT]

yeah, I placed a thin board covered in tinfoil (cheap solution) behind my light to re-direct the light forward through the marquee.

[mameapl65]

great ideas, thanks everyone. I measured... after i mounted the wood for the light and its only about 3-4 inches so i might have to cut or do some of the good ideas that have been posted.

Thanks again!
p.s. keep it going if you have any more ideas so that others can learn from this post!

[garnerb350]

One idea you might can try is this...I'm currently maming an old Mr DO cab...I thinks it cool, but it wil cause modifications to be made...Behind the marquee, the cab actually has a 2 inch board mounted to the cab, in which a floresesnt bulb is mounted. The board is placed directly behind the marquee. Only downside is that a hole has to be on top of the cab to where you can access the board incase you have to replace it... Look at the photo and at the marquee area, you can see what i am talking about...

[Mastrn8]

yeah, I placed a thin board covered in tinfoil (cheap solution) behind my light to re-direct the light forward through the marquee.
If you use tinfoil as a reflector, make sure that the FLAT side (as opposed to the MIRROR side) is reflecting the light. Actually, a better option is to use ceiling paint. That stuff reflects more light that tinfoil could ever hope to.

Not that it really matters though. Tinfoil on either side would work fine.

[GeorgeT]

Like white ceiling paint? I have the tinfoil shiny side facing the light but I figured it was only a temp solution.

[Mastrn8]

Yeah, White ceiling paint makes a good reflector in applications that don't need every last lumen. It is designed to be reflective so you get even lighting throughout the room. If the tinfoil is doing its job the way you have it, I would just leave it. If it ain't broke.....

Another hobby of mine is reefing; most people that keep coral are also lighting experts by necessity.

[kronic24601]

I tried led, and didn't really like the effect, it didn't really "flood" the way I wanted it to. Fluorescent was really the only way to go for me. 6" back.