This page shows a mod to World Poker Tour to enhance the translite backlighting. This mod should work on all modern Stern games with a single fluorescent tube.

The reflectors can be made of any of number of things. Cardstock with aluminum foil attached could be used. Reflective Mylar would probably work well. The reflectors in the pictures below are plastic mirror material about 1/8” thick. They were bent slightly to help direct the light back to the translite.

Cut mirror pieces roasting on the plastic bender:

Finished reflectors - bent and mounting holes drilled:

Installed in the backbox along the top and sides. Reflectors don’t seem to be needed on the bottom, since the bulb is well below the center of the translite.

It’s tough to get good “before and after” pictures…but it definitely looks much better. The top portion of the translite is much more lit. Overall the lighting is more even.

Before:

After:

The backbox bulb has been replaced by a GE Kitchen and Bath F20 bulb. This is a 24” (F20T12) bulb. Color temp is 3000k. Available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. It give a much warmer glow than the original bulb from Stern.

This idea came from looking at the reflector material inside a Strange Science from 1986. They got pretty even lighting using one incandescent bulb and reflectors on the inside of the backbox.