Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 13:15:12 -0700
Reply-To: Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: LEDs for idiot lghts and temp gauge
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Does this mean that your dash lights are no longer brightness adjustable?
john clark wrote:
> Sean wrote:
>
> Subject: LEDs for idiot lghts and temp gauge
>
> I currently have the dash fully disasembled. I'm installing white faced
> gauges and will post pics to my site when everything is done. I just
> thought that while I was in there I would upgrade the LEDs. Anybody know
> what the specs of the current LEDs are so I know what to replace them with
> to get them brighter? Or will any "super bright" LEDs work?
>
> Just a side note, I also installed a 7k tach from a Mk II golf/jetta due to
> the TiiCo install. It went in even easier than I thought it would!
>
> =========================================================
> Howdy all,
>
> A while back I decided I wanted my dash to light up green instead of
> bright white. I experimented with the superbright LEDs. SuperBrights
> have some different specs over regular LEDs, generally they work in the
> 2 V range so you'll need a dropping resistor when using 12 V, those resistors
> already in the dash might work. Looking straight on they are very bright and
> personally I'd think they are too much light facing at the driver. I suggest
> trying
> one out first. One way to do this would be to purchase one of the small photon
> flashlights (such as found at:
> http://www.photonlight.com/products/photon_microlight.html)
> and sit in the drivers seat and experiment.
>
> The specs to look at are the candle power and beam width. The candle power
> (expressed at 'mcd') ranges from a couple hundred to a couple thousand. The
> beam width seems to vary form about 15% (very narrow) to 45~55% (pretty
> wide). I found the higher mcd and narrow beam were too bright to look at
> directly.
>
> I replaced my dash lights (If I recall correctly) with super bright green led's
> that had a 45% beam width and around 3500 mcd. They are bright enough
> but I'd like to have them a tad brighter. I tired to take a picture of them to
> post for everyone, but the digital camera wasn't up to that low of a light source.
>
> good luck.
>
> John
|