I have a question for everyone. Due to the greenish spectrum the display gives off, straight blue buttons do not match the color. I've tried to show this with my camera, but they both come out almost the same. So I have taken pics of the buttons side by side on a white background. They both look almost black when in place and only in ambient light. So vote in the simple poll and I'll start shipping "blue" buttons soon.



See the pics below

http://www.hulkster.net/empeg/buttons/pics/blue-green1.jpg
http://www.hulkster.net/empeg/buttons/pics/blue-green2.jpg
http://www.hulkster.net/empeg/buttons/pics/blue-green3.jpg
http://www.hulkster.net/empeg/buttons/pics/blue-green4.jpg

As an addendum to what Brian is saying, I wanted to add this:

The buttons he cast for me are pretty much an exact match, color-wise, for the blue empeg lens. The plastic color is more or less identical.

It's only the light emitted from the electronic components that is different. So, when lit up, the buttons glow a "bluer" shade than the "greenish" VFD display.

I personally think it looks fantastic with the buttons glowing a deep blue and the VFD glowing a cyan hue. It's a nice contrast, but they match well. And it makes the player look like an across-the-board match when the sun shines on the face.

I'm going with Tony. The pictures linked above show very clearly IMO the differences between the casting colours. I'd still want straight blue. (And I'll be ordering at least a couple of sets very soon).

Bruno

This may be a stupid question, but might there be LEDs available that approximate the greenish hue that the VFD has, instead of straight-up white?

Or maybe a film (or layer of greenish plastic) could be applied to the back of the buttons that would filter to that color?

There are a few choices for T1 LED colours. And there's nearly an unlimited number of colour films you can try putting up against a white (or other colour) LED.

I'd personally like to try the hack with frosted white LEDs instead of the clear ones. I've got two in my PC right now that are insanely bright.

Bruno

I would care more about the closeness of color when illuminated it wouldn't bother me when not lit, I think at first I'll have blue faceplate w/RED buttons/knob anyway.
Any idea when the red kits will be available?

Also I sent you an email oh about 3 weeks ago for the RED kits just wondering if you received it?

Well I'm of the opposite opinion. If they match closely in daylight then you can always play with the illumination (add filters in the back or the button, try different coloured LEDs, ...) to try and get the illuminated colour to match. Does someone who already has a set of buttons want to look at how well this works? Tony?

Has anyone ever tried casting the buttons in a blue-flourescent material to get round the problem of adding the LED's to the board. I am the worst solderer I know, but I reckon i could handle changing the buttons ... just about !

No, no one has ever tried that. Please give it a shot and let us know how well it works.

How good are you at putting things in boxes and driving to the post office? And spending money? Great. Send it to Mark to do the job. You won't get anything that looks anything like a lit button without using something that actually emits light.

The hat in your profile pic wouldn't flash green if it weren't for the light coming out of my monitor. I'm working on a patch to fix that though.

Bruno

Brian,

I want blue to match the blue knobs on my Eclipse head unit. So the bluer (is that a word?) the better..

- Neil

So your're not keen on the picture then ? I sort out a different one (static) when I get time.

What I was thinking is I only really want the buttons to light up at night, so florescent seeme the way to go to avoid the soldering. I don't have the facilties or the skills to mould them, but I was thinking, as the mould has already been made to cast the buttons, different materials could be tried.