dimming LED's
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,068
Likes: 63
From: Belgium
dimming LED's
Hey everyone
Is it true that I can't dim the LED's that I will install in my gauge cluster, speedo, ...?
Are there other possibilities besides LED, that give more light than the standard bulbs, and that you can dim?
Is it true that I can't dim the LED's that I will install in my gauge cluster, speedo, ...?
Are there other possibilities besides LED, that give more light than the standard bulbs, and that you can dim?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 872
Likes: 114
From: Round Hill Virginia
I'm thinking about doing the same thing... I still want to maintain the warm "stock" light as opposed to the bright white, and I don't really want to have the dash apart again. I've heard that this is the place to go, but I suppose there's others. superbrightleds
Let us know what you find!
Let us know what you find!
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,920
Likes: 731
From: Youngstown Ohio
I just changed my speedo and gauge cluster lights to LED's. I got Superbrightleds and they are dimmable. Not way down low dimmable, but noticeably dimmable. I'm very satisfied with them, compared to stock the change is like night to day, like a modern car.
These....https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...07&scc_id=1416
These....https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...07&scc_id=1416
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 11,877
Likes: 4,467
From: Virginia
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
I don't believe there is presently any way to reproduce that nice instrument panel glow using LEDs. Why? Because incandescent and LED lamps produce light very differently. The way they dim is particularly different--both the color and quantity of light varies as you dim incandescents while only the quantity (not color) varies when you dim LEDs. As you surely know the further down you dim the incandescent dash illumination the more green it seems.
in my opinion LEDs are far more useful as indicator (turn signal, warning, etc) lamps than general illumination. Even here though the differences in LEDs and incandescents matter. If you want a green indication with LEDs you MUST use a green LED even if it is installed behind a green filter.
in my opinion LEDs are far more useful as indicator (turn signal, warning, etc) lamps than general illumination. Even here though the differences in LEDs and incandescents matter. If you want a green indication with LEDs you MUST use a green LED even if it is installed behind a green filter.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 268
From: iowa city iowa
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C3 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
not sure if this helps, but when I had my auto meter gauges I had LED's (red) and used a PWM box I got off ebay to control the brightness. It worked well for six bucks but takes a bit of wiring..
https://www.digitalcorvettes.com/for...d.php?t=292232
https://www.digitalcorvettes.com/for...d.php?t=292232
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,672
Likes: 1,363
Depending on how much effort you want to put into this. Here's my exercise with LED strip lights. Dimmable and various colors. I like them, but it may not be everybody's cup of tea:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-and-tach.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-and-tach.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,872
Likes: 3,548
From: Fernandina Beach FL
2023 Restomod of the Year finalist
2020 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
I don't believe there is presently any way to reproduce that nice instrument panel glow using LEDs. Why? Because incandescent and LED lamps produce light very differently. The way they dim is particularly different--both the color and quantity of light varies as you dim incandescents while only the quantity (not color) varies when you dim LEDs. As you surely know the further down you dim the incandescent dash illumination the more green it seems.
.
.
Guess which side is LED???
And they are dimmable- but only to a certain point
Last edited by Richard454; Oct 4, 2018 at 10:59 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 468
From: Wichita Kansas
I don't believe there is presently any way to reproduce that nice instrument panel glow using LEDs. Why? Because incandescent and LED lamps produce light very differently. The way they dim is particularly different--both the color and quantity of light varies as you dim incandescents while only the quantity (not color) varies when you dim LEDs. As you surely know the further down you dim the incandescent dash illumination the more green it seems.
in my opinion LEDs are far more useful as indicator (turn signal, warning, etc) lamps than general illumination. Even here though the differences in LEDs and incandescents matter. If you want a green indication with LEDs you MUST use a green LED even if it is installed behind a green filter.
in my opinion LEDs are far more useful as indicator (turn signal, warning, etc) lamps than general illumination. Even here though the differences in LEDs and incandescents matter. If you want a green indication with LEDs you MUST use a green LED even if it is installed behind a green filter.
