Vdo led upgrade

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

I'll bet that's not the only "closet filled with light bulbs" at your house...

Our laws are soon to allow this.

[TJones]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Our laws are soon to allow this.

It's about time. We should be able to use whatever bulbs we want and not have to hide them in closets.

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by TJones

It's about time. We should be able to use whatever bulbs we want and not have to hide them in closets.

You made me laugh that time. I ran across this video; you may have already seen it. It makes a good case for those VDO LEDs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNKV1sg9Bqg

[TJones]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

You made me laugh that time. I ran across this video; you may have already seen it. It makes a good case for those VDO LEDs...

Yup I saw that one. I've got one red and blue on the way. I'm looking for a seller that doesn't charge as much for the shipping as they do for the HD White. I could have a very patriotic theme but it would not be easy on the eyes.

Ted

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by TJones

Yup I saw that one. I've got one red and blue on the way. I'm looking for a seller that doesn't charge as much for the shipping as they do for the HD White. I could have a very patriotic theme but it would not be easy on the eyes.

Ted

I am a doofus... I just noticed that you referenced that youtube video several post before I chimed in with it. I should pay attention...

[TJones]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

I am a doofus... I just noticed that you referenced that youtube video several post before I chimed in with it. I should pay attention...

That's ok. I'm not smart enough to embed the player in the post.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by TJones

That's ok. I'm not smart enough to embed the player in the post.

Just copy the url and paste it directly without using the tool bar.

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Just copy the url and paste it directly without using the tool bar.

Great, now Ted is smart, but I am still a doofus ...

[BlackJohn]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

Great, now Ted is smart, but I am still a doofus ...

Well ain't that just bama lama lam!

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Well ain't that just bama lama lam!

Bama Lama Lam?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I_l8qTS0jU

[dan-fox]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Has anyone got any idea what happens when an led light is aimed through a prism? I have neither but wonder if it might diffuse the led and help with a wider illumination area.

If so maybe a deflector could be made over the switch panel for a unique affect.

IIRC LEDs are monochromatic, only emitting one wavelength of light. So a prism would just bend the whole output through some angle and send it some direction. Useful? You be the judge.



a 70's era Cessna 172 single engine 4-seater aircraft I once owned a share in had a nice panel illumination setup. The whole of the panel had a piece of ~1/8" plexi behind the faux wood grain, with holes drilled through both. The plexi was essentially the size of the panel itself. Grain-of-wheat lamps were placed around each instrument in holes or indents in the plexi; I forget which. The plexi served to diffuse the light evenly around the whole of each instrument cutout, and provide a sort of "redundancy" if one bulb went out. Worked pretty well, with no bright/dim spots on the instrument faces.

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Has anyone got any idea what happens when an led light is aimed through a prism?

Originally Posted by dan-fox

IIRC LEDs are monochromatic, only emitting one wavelength of light. So a prism...

If you guys really want to learn about light refraction and prisms, I recommend this product from Irwin Mainway.

Originally Posted by dan-fox

...a 70's era Cessna 172 single engine 4-seater aircraft I once owned a share in...

Nice touch...

[BlackJohn]

"IIRC LEDs are monochromatic, only emitting one wavelength of light. So a prism would just bend the whole output through some angle and send it some direction. Useful? You be the judge. " Dan Fox


Thanks Dan, was hoping that a prism might be a deflector or diffuser to redirect that beam. Sounds doable.


John

[TJones]

The USPS finally found and delivered my HD White LED that I ordered back around Christmas time. So here is the comparison between VDOs red, white and blue led upgrades. I'm leaning toward either the red or the white. The blue is too difficult to see. The white does make the gauge really crisp and easy to read. The red may be easier on the eyes. I still need to take all the incandescent bulbs out and spread the LEDs out so they are not next to each other and put the head lights on before I pass final judgement. The blue will be nice illumination for the bluebird on my dash.

Ted

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by TJones

The USPS finally found and delivered my HD White LED that I ordered back around Christmas time. So here is the comparison between VDOs red, white and blue led upgrades. I'm leaning toward either the red or the white. The blue is too difficult to see. The white does make the gauge really crisp and easy to read. The red may be easier on the eyes. I still need to take all the incandescent bulbs out and spread the LEDs out so they are not next to each other and put the head lights on before I pass final judgement. The blue will be nice illumination for the bluebird on my dash.

Ted

FWIW, I agree. Again, if your gauges are not currently dimmable, adding a dimmer (like this one), although not free, could be the perfect finishing touch, especially if you go with the white LEDs. The white does look really nice in your pic, but I wonder if a dashboard full of them may be as bright as ECCB's grow lights.

[TJones]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

FWIW, I agree. Again, if your gauges are not currently dimmable, adding a dimmer (like this one), although not free, could be the perfect finishing touch, especially if you go with the white LEDs. The white does look really nice in your pic, but I wonder if a dashboard full of them may be as bright as ECCB's grow lights.

My factory dimmer seems to work with the bulbs. The red is not as bright as your gauges. The reds at their brightest seem to be about the same as the HD white at the dimmest. The neat thing with the HD white is it stays white as you dim it. There is no yellowing like the incandescents. The white light seems to absorb into the black gauge face much more than the yellow.

Ted

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by TJones

My factory dimmer seems to work with the bulbs. The red is not as bright as your gauges. The reds at their brightest seem to be about the same as the HD white at the dimmest. The neat thing with the HD white is it stays white as you dim it. There is no yellowing like the incandescents. The white light seems to absorb into the black gauge face much more than the yellow.

Funny, my crappy Gillig dash didn't even have a factory dimmer...

[Mark_In_MA]

Originally Posted by TJones

The USPS finally found and delivered my HD White LED that I ordered back around Christmas time. So here is the comparison between VDOs red, white and blue led upgrades. I'm leaning toward either the red or the white. The blue is too difficult to see. The white does make the gauge really crisp and easy to read. The red may be easier on the eyes. I still need to take all the incandescent bulbs out and spread the LEDs out so they are not next to each other and put the head lights on before I pass final judgement. The blue will be nice illumination for the bluebird on my dash.

Ted

Another vote for the white LEDs with the dimmer.

Would it be possible to install two dimmers, so that your core gauges could remain at full brightness, while the others are dimmed a little bit to keep the ambient light down while driving?

The gauge needle disappears too much on the red IMO, defeating the purpose of the gauge in the first place.

[Mark_In_MA]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

Funny, my crappy Gillig dash didn't even have a factory dimmer...

Gillig doesn't like dim bulbs behind the wheels of their fine coaches.

[Ninjakitty]

I went with green LEDs. Currently waiting on a new headlight switch unit to reassemble the dash board. Green is, from what I read somewhere, the color that is least disturbing to your night vision. I could be wrong though