Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 19:15:19 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Fridge burner LED
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> There are a couple or three basic ways to make that LED brighter -- 1) use
> a brighter LED; 2) increase the gain of the amplifier; 3) combine 1 and 2;
It is my undertanding that the thermocouple puts out about 500 mA. ...
that's why the stock LED is so dim and without more amps my guess is a
'brighter' LED would not look brighter.
> 4) install a thermocouple with greater output. I'm not sure yet, but I
> have a notion that some people's thermocouples are putting out more than >
others -- some folks have a display that's just as dim^H^H^Hbright as the >
other lights in the panel.
My thermocouple was changed with no apparent difference in brightness so I
doubt the dimness of the LED is due to an aging thermocouple... but perhaps
there are thermocouples with greater output... that would work on the
Dometic fridge... dunno
But there is another possibility... As I understand it the thermocouple
generates power to both light the LED and to keep the gas valve open.
Perhaps some gas valves use up more of the power than others... leaving less
for the fridge LED?
>
> The brighter LED is falling-off-a-log easy except for desoldering the old
> one -- it's electronic soldering, but at the easy end of the scale.
But critical to remove static electricity from your body BEFORE touching the
LED circuitry or you can blow the thin out... and they're expensive... like
$150 or so... unless you can fix it yourself or have a friend to do so.
(This is not for you David... I know you are an expert... just a caution
for those in over their heads... before it gets expensive)
>
> If you want to work with the amplifier, here's the schematic:
> http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/Pilotmod_schematic.gif
>
> If you want me to modify the panel for you we can work something out.
>
> david
>
> At 08:12 6/10/2000, Joe L. wrote:
> >clothing die. I know this last works for tinting some plastics as I used
to
> >do it to simulate tinted windows on model cars I used to build. If these
> >sound worth a try I would try the thin paint wash first. If you dont like
> >what the paint does you can wash it off. Because the die works as a
stain
> >and not a paint, depending on what kind of plastic the LED is made from,
> >that die will either go on forever or it wont go on at all. Also note
that
> >the color you end up with will be a MIXTURE of the LED color and the die
> >color. Color 1 plus color 2 makes color 3. Apply the wrong color die and
you
> >may end up with a black LED.
>
> David Beierl - Providence, RI
> http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
> '85 GL "Poor Relation"
>
