BULBS

 

Listed are a few of the various types used in Pinball and Bingo Machines:

 
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# 44 - bulb

6.3v - 0.25A. Bayonet
Most common lamps used in EM and early solid state machines.
#755 is same as #47 but has a longer life. Also #46 (Not common).
 
 
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# 47 - bulb

6.3v - 0.15A. Bayonet
Many machines originally came with #44 bulbs, which look identical to the #47 bulbs, but are brighter,draw more current, and burn hotter than the #47 bulbs.
The heat generated by the #44 bulbs can damage the backglass paint over time. You may add years of life to your backglass by switching all the #44 bulbs to #47s.
 
 
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# 555 and # 259 bulbs

6.3v - 0.25A. Wedge
These bulbs are almost identical and are interchangeable. They have a glass wedge base that snaps into the lamp socket.
Most newer solid state machines come with #555 bulbs. The #259 was occasionally found in electro-mechanical machines. The #555 burns a little hotter than the #259 bulb.
 
 
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# 455 (Flasher Bulb)

Flashers are bulbs that blink on and off constantly. Every machine should have one or two flashes, just for the great effect.
Flashers use the same bayonet base as the #44 and #47 bulbs, but have larger flatter globes, often requiring a wider space to fit the bulb.
Many newer electronic games also use larger, more powerful (and expensive) bulbs for strobe effects. They often run on higher voltages.
Flasher lamps for newer games : #67, #86, #89, #194, #906, #1251.
 
 

BINGO MACHINE BULBS

 
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# 47 - bulb

6.3v - 0.15A. Bayonet
#47 lamps. People often replace all the #55 lamps with these. They are a little less bright, but not as hot, so they don't burn the backglass/melt the playfield light sheilds. They usually come in boxes of 10 or big bags of 100 or more.
If you really like the brighter 55's, I'd at least change out the playfield lamps to #47's. The remaining GI (general illumination/always on) lamps in the head are your decision. You probably aren't running the game lots of hours/day...then again, the ink on the backglass probably isn't as solid as it originally was.
 
 
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# 55 bulb (Red)

If you have an OK/red letter game, you'll need red #55's for those six lamps due to the way the circuit is designed, and the associated six clear lamps need to be #47's. Red ones are hard to find, so you may need to paint them yourself - or apply a few coats with a red permanent marker.
 
 
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# 1464 and # 1458 bulbs

#1458 (20 Volt - 0.25 Amp) Miniature Bayonet Base
#1464 (22 Volt - 0.25 Amp) Miniature Bayonet Base
These are usually the light bulbs used on the bingo cards. They are on a 17V circuit. #1458 and #1464 lamps can be used interchangably. The #1458 is slightly brighter.
 






















 
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