Date:         Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:34:28 -0600
Reply-To:     Larry Alofs <lalofs@RCN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Larry Alofs <lalofs@RCN.COM>
Subject:      Re: Interior Light Improvements?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

John Bange wrote:

>On 1/23/06, David Wilhite <dlwilhite@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Anybody have some recent ingenious interior lighting options for their
>>Vanagons using Neon or LED lighting.  Wanting to improve my 12V interior
>>lighting and looking for ideas.
>>
>>
>>
>
>I was working on adapting a bunch of old military cockpit lights I had lying
>around to use LEDs, but seeing the price they go for on eBay <*
>http://tinyurl.com/8gh3v>*, I should probably just sell them and get some of
>these:
><http://www.theledlight.com/light_bars.html>
>
>I've installed LED under-counter lights built from these for clients before
>and they're pretty nice. They do need some sort of diffuser though, 'cause
>they're ugly and throw spotty light otherwise. I only wish they didn't cost
>so much. I've been tempted to hand-assemble something similar from the big
>$10 bag of cheapo superbright LEDs I have (ebay, straight from Hong Kong!)
>just to see what kind of concentration of them is necessary, but I have no
>surplus energy and even less free time...
>
>--
>John Bange
>'90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"
>
>
>
I used 4 LEDs to build a better map lite in my '91.  Since the front
part of the AC duct is no longer used , I attached the LEDs to the fins
of the vent on the passenger side.  I drilled two holes thru each fin,
stuck the leads of the LED thru, glued the leads, and bent each LED at a
right angle, so that it would point down into the lap of the passenger.
 By moving the fins, the direction of the light is somewhat adjustable.
 I drilled a hole nearby for a switch.  Of course current limiting
resistors are needed to get a suitable surrent for the LEDs.
  I have also used an LED to replace the burned out bulb behind the
heater controls.

Larry A.
owner of about 10 LED flashlights