Dial illumination colour

[joolzb]

Has anybody changed the colour of the lights that illuminate the dials on the dash. If so how did you do it? Did you use replacement bulbs, LEDs, ...?

cheers
JoolzB

[Ballistic Banana]

Think David Beer at modwise might have some Bulbs you are after.

BB

[joolzb]

BB, was waiting for a reply from you. Is this where you got yours from? Does he do colours other than yellow.

[mel]

I tried blue hi intesity LED's first and found the result pretty poor (nothing like VW) I then tried red and got much better results not far off an an Audi style dash. You do need to strip the clocks right down though and install a circle of Leds round the inside of the case.

[joolzb]

mel said:

I tried blue hi intesity LED's first and found the result pretty poor (nothing like VW) I then tried red and got much better results not far off an an Audi style dash. You do need to strip the clocks right down though and install a circle of Leds round the inside of the case.

Sounds like a pretty big job that? Did you try replacement coloured bulbs? How did you mount the LEDs?

The end result sounds pretty good though, ideally I'd like blue though.

[mel]

Its not that bad especially if you've got the dash out anyway and even more so if the clocks are stripped down to get the bezels either re painted or chromed. I assume you have got the older ETB gauges and not the white faced Caerbonts, if so the biggest problem is the fact that the standard bulds are mounted a lot further away from the face on the rev counter and speedo than the other gauges (this is why they always look duller). I found that blue light just doesn't diffuse well enough to illuminate the dials and after a bit more research into how VW do it discovered they use "light pipes" to channel the light right onto the gauge face and down the speedo needle, these are specically made gauges to do this and IMO the effect is not easily achievable using standard gauges. Red light on the other hand appears to diffuse much easier and I found that a nest of three LEDS in a little rubber grommet in place of the lamp holder did the job for the small gauges, the speedo/reve counter did appeared dull though and I needed to stick the LEDS on little self adhesive pads all round the inside of the gauge covers to give a nice spread. Normal coloured bulbs do not create enough light without increasing the wattage and hence the heat generated so don't try them you may however like to try the special LED bulbs with integral resistor mounted in a standard bulb holder avaliable from RS components but at about £7 a wack I found them a bit rich. Hope this helps.

[wildeep]

I've got my dash out at the moment to fit a new Leven one. It looks a bit tricky to fit the LED's to the later type Caerbont dials as they dont come apart very easily.

[simpo two]

I was amused to see that Rapid Electronics sell LEDs made by a company called 'Kingbright'

[Ballistic Banana]

simpo two said:

I was amused to see that Rapid Electronics sell LEDs made by a company called 'Kingbright'

And soon to be on the Throne 'KingWille' who me



I have Yellow Dials so dont need coloured Bulbs, I tried a Brighter white one from david, which didnt change the brightness of mine at all. But beklieve they make quite a difference to White dials.

BB

[marino]

BB, whilst looking through the RS catalogue for some new switches, I noticed that they supply yellow covers for the dash buttons, 20p each. I realise you're fond of yellow, but this may be over-egging the pudding.

RS code 319-398 (www.rswww.com)

[joolzb]

simpo two said:

I was amused to see that Rapid Electronics sell LEDs made by a company called 'Kingbright'

Did you spot any made by "KingDullButBlue"????

[simpo two]

joolzb said:

simpo two said: I was amused to see that Rapid Electronics sell LEDs made by a company called 'Kingbright' Did you spot any made by "KingDullButBlue"????

Umm... the brightest one appears to be code 55-1662 which is 2200mcd's. (millicandelas?)

However it does say they are for signalling and control ystems, not for actually illuminating things.

[joolzb]

Hmmmmm! Millicandelas?? Any relation to Nelson?

Thanks for looking. I'll have to order up a catalogue I think as my downloaded one seems to have gone and now I can't see the link to re-download it.

Hopefully getting the dash back together and fitted tonight so it's looking like I'm gonna be sticking with me beige dials. I do like them anyway but they don't match my radio so maybe it's a new radio to match the dials. Nah!

Simpo one, Simpo two?? Have you gone incognito??

[shpub]

simpo two said:

I was amused to see that Rapid Electronics sell LEDs made by a company called 'Kingbright'

So do Maplins...

[Ballistic Banana]

marino said:

BB, whilst looking through the RS catalogue for some new switches, I noticed that they supply yellow covers for the dash buttons, 20p each. I realise you're fond of yellow, but this may be over-egging the pudding. RS code 319-398 ([url]www.com">www.rswww.com[/url])

HHmm NAH like the LEven ones i have, now do they have Yellow Windscreen vents

BB

[simpo two]

joolzb said:

Hmmmmm! Millicandelas?? Any relation to Nelson?

No, but a face capable of launching one ship is called a millihelen...

joolzb said:

I can't see the link to re-download it.

www.rapidelectronics.co.uk I hope I get my commission soon.

joolzb said:

Simpo one, Simpo two?? Have you gone incognito??

Constant product improvement!

[jam1et]

mel said:

...you may however like to try the special LED bulbs with integral resistor mounted in a standard bulb holder avaliable from RS components but at about £7 a wack I found them a bit rich. Hope this helps.

I cant seem to find these. Any idea what the part number is?

Cheers

[mel]

Sorry haven't got RS book to hand but have got the Fanell equivalent try single led bayonet cap bulbs
Red 744-372 £3.81ea Blue 744-402 £6.70ea or the bells and whhistles version with 5 Leds per bulb Red 138-915 £13.28ea or Blue 138-940 £24.65ea by my sums you'll need 9 of them so if you went for the decent blue ones thats £221.84 on bulbs thats why I didn't do it that way.

[jam1et]

Thank god I need red and not blue. Maybe I'll order just the 1 first and see how it looks!

[Reeso]

Jam1et,
If you do order 1 bulb, could you let me know how they look as I too was thinking of doing the same, it's just that I need blue! Doh!

Mel,
Are these bulbs direct replacements for the existing ones?