Re: [Amc-list] Blue LED tamed

["Widiker, John D" <john.widiker@xxxxxxx>]

 The marketing for the ones that we got is admittedly terrible, red
perfect for a dash, green also perfect, blue OMG I'm blind!!! They have
a beautiful chrome surround and I'd been using the red and green for a
long time on several cars and they have always been great. For the price
compared with the way they look I'd actually say they are incredible.
When the call went out for the blue one I naturally assumed it would be
"perfect" as well, it's listed right with the red and green with no
disclaimer or description indicating it's at all different. 

My electronics guy ended up tying about 20 small resisters together to
measure the resistance needed to get it to half brightness, he showed it
to me lit up and gave me the 15K figure for the one that went out the
door. I posted that figure here as that's what he had indicated was
correct. I don't claim to be an LED expert at all other then having used
them to good results on many occasions. Tonight I'm digging out the
"cluster" of resisters (I think he tossed them up on a shelf still
twisted together) and seeing for myself how many ohms it is. We shipped
the other one and when installed the guy was very happy, even sent me a
note thanking us.... Either 15K worked or the guy is running it without
and doesn't mind the retinal burns. 

~J 

-----Original Message-----
From: amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Jennings
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 12:46 PM
To: AMC/Rambler owners, drivers and fans.
Subject: Re: [Amc-list] Blue LED tamed

Also, LEDs are highly directional. Most of them have 15 - 30 degree wide
beams! That *is* flashlight territory. That's also how they get the
claimed high brightnesses, but concentrating into a spot (marketing is
marketing).

If you get a 'water clear' LED you can see the LED device inside it, way
at the bottom. The rest is lens! Be careful, about 0.5mm above the tiny
die containing the LED is a wire a few microns in diameter. Break that,
it becomes a DED (Dark Emitting Diode).

You can grind all that lens down and radically change the beam pattern;
just a rough file and flatten the end will really diffuse the beam, and
is what I do for lighting panels and gauges. Or rub it with sandpaper.
You won't lose or block light just spread it.

More than you ever wanted to know about LEDs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED

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