There may be a time when you need one or two of a particular bulb that you ordered but don't quite remember which labeled bag it came from or what its called. By identifying a few characteristics of the bulb, we can narrow down the type of bulb it is. Note that this information applies only to the 44/47 and 555 type bulbs commonly found in pinball machines and does not apply to the flashers, although some of the same information can be applied. Looking at the diagram pictured, you can see the different components that make up the bulb. Starting from the base, we need to know if it is a wedge or bayonet base (most commonly it will be a 555 or 44, respectively). Next, look at the collar of the bulb. The color of the collar is going to indicate the light color. If the collar is clear, it would be either a warm white or cool white bulb. "Cool White" and "Warm White" can sometimes look similar because of the same white/clear collar, but on the base a "WW" will appear on Warm White bulbs; if there is no "WW" then the color will be Cool White. For many of the 555 style bulbs, the entire base may be the same color as the collar, but ultimately, we want to use the collar to determine the color.Now that we have the base type and color, we need to determine the type of bulb. Here is a list of the types of "tops" or "caps":No Cap (diode is exposed): Super BrightElongated Frosted Top: Standard FrostedShort/Stubby Frosted Cap: Super Bright FrostedShort/Stubby Clear Cap: RetroSlightly Domed, Facetted Cap: Non- GhostingOnce you've established the bulb type, the "call-out" is the last step. A call-out would be the verbal translation of all this information and should be listed in order of BASE-CAP-COLOR For a bulb that has a 555 base, red collar and no cap (exposed diode), the call-out would be "555 Super Bright Red". For a bulb with a blue collar, 44 base and an elongated frosted top, the call-out would be "44 Standard Frosted Blue".Click the diagrams above to see the different components of the bulbs for reference. Remember that we're always happy to help with any questions you may have, so feel free to call us or email us for assistance.
