9LED high intensity instrumentation 'bulbs'... 2nd and LAST time around

[Odd]

"9LED high intensity instrumentation 'bulbs'... 2nd and LAST time around"

 

OK friends: I've been talked into making this once more.

[You might know about the last time, and if you don't here's a previous thread:

http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8855 ]

 

 

I have a source for green high intensity 9LED 'bulbs' that fits like a charm inside our instrument pods.

I'm going to order another shipment in a couple of weeks. They aren't cheap (actually they are a bit

on the expensive side I'd say) but they are THE FINAL SOLUTION to our from heat ageing bulb holder

problems and they are also a bit more intensive compared to the original 2.2W bulbs behind their

not-doing-it-any-better dark green dome filters. My '8 and some 50 other cars have these fitted now,

and I can honestly say I haven't heard a single complaint about them. On the contrary most people

seems to highly appreciate them.

 

Here's some digipics of it all fitted into my car

- OK, I admit they aren't the best pictures around but one can at least get a hint of the end result...

 

 

If you think this could be something you're interested in: send me an e-mail asap stating your interest.

Send it to: odd 'at' triumphclub 'dot' se

 

The cost for this last chance offering will depend on what the exchange rates have done to it all

when I get the shipment. When I did the last one, as a once-only undertaking, and done entirely

at cost (=no profit and no hurry...) for the benefit of the Wedge community - it ended up at SEK 79

per bulb. But we've had currencies going for a roller coaster ride since then, so what the final cost

this time will be I really don't know. You'll have to order it cost unseen, but remember whatever I

pay, you will pay the same + posting costs and the PayPal fee of roughly 5%. Listed postage for

100 grammes (good enough for up to 16 bulbs) is: Sweden (outside Osthammar): SEK 12, EUrope

(outside Sweden): SEK 24 and Rest of the World (outside EUrope): SEK 28. I 'think' the LED bulbs will

be something like (please note! this is only a ballpark guesstimate) USD 11.5 to 12 each + shipping

etc. (=Something like UKP 7.50 each + shipping etc.) Sorry, but I can't be more specific - since it's

the then exchange rates at the time of delivery to me in Sweden that will determine the final cost.

My order for this will go out in a couple of weeks, or so.

So; don't hesitate/procrastinate if you want a set!

 

Fitting them is easy; just opening the instrument panel up, taking the front panel pieces off (the clear

screen, the black screen, the green filters and also the temperature + tachometer instruments) and

then removing the original bulbs - and then (now with power on!) pushing the new ones in place

(using a set of long tweezers as an aid) and when/if they light up - they are turned the correct way.

(You have a 50/50 chance of putting them in the wrong way - since LEDs are polarity dependant...

All very easy. And then it's just putting everything back together again...

There's an instruction sheet in the package as well.

 

 

As a side serving

I'm going to offer the tiny 1LED bulbs for the warning light cluster (in the middle of the instrument

pod). At cost, of course... These will be available in RED, BLUE, GREEN and AMBER since fitting a

'white' LED behind a coloured filter won't work, they just look sick... This is due to the simple reason

the spectrum of a white LED isn't a continuous one like it is from an incandescent bulb. The rule is;

you fit a LED of the same colour as the filter in front of it - and everything looks as it did before.

So, a blue LED behind the blue high beam warning, an amber LED behind the amberish yellow

fuel level warning, two green LEDs behind the two green direction indicating arrows, red LEDs

behind the various red warning positions AND FINALLY! you keep the incandescent bulb in the

IGN. warning position! (This since it needs to be conductive in both directions - and a LED is a

diode and only conducts current in one direction...)

 

 

Yours,

/Odd

 

PS.

Last time there were some people wanting to buy directly from places like superbrightleds, virtual

village etc - you're welcome, do that if you can find them. I'm not going to argue, I can only say

that last I looked they didn't have the needed high intensity and side directing LED bulbs in green.

What I've seen elsewhere don't have enough light directed sideways to fulfil the needs inside our

rather awkwardly designed pods. During my quest for this I tested several different (To tell the truth

I don't remember how many different LED bulb designs I tried - it was many!) LED bulbs with wedge

sockets and various 'head designs'. None made any real improvement in our pods (compared to

the OEM solution with its 2.2W incandescent bulbs and dark green dome filters) - until I found the

one pictured above. It sends almost 90% of its light sideways - which is exactly what's needed in

our instrument pod - AND! I think it's much brighter than the OEM solution. Something I've heard

people wanting several times over the years on the TR8 mail list. We're not getting any younger,

are we? Lots of old farts owning the Wedges nowadays...

The 9LED bulbs only dim to a certain degree and not to as wide a range as with the old tech

incandescent bulbs, they tend to go to black/off earlier/at a higher voltage...

 

PPS.

For those of you that want to fit multi-LED bulbs in your direction indicator, rear position, brake light

and reverse light positions I'd recommend a visit to www.VirtualVillage.co.uk who sell great, but

a bit costly, multi-LED bulbs for our dear Wedges. Don't forget to fit two electronic flasher relays

for LED bulbs if you go this route. - Personally I think they are much better compared to the ageing

incandescent bulbs;

In my '8 (and in dads TR7V8) I used:

 

2 White 63-LED BA15S 1156 Car Bulbs for the reverse light positions and

 

4 Red 57-LED BA15D 1157 Car Bulbs for the rear position and brake light units. (But do remember here:

I use the E99996 double filament bulb holders from www.texautomotive.com/classic_electrical.html

in the red positions!)

 

2 Amber 45-LED BA15S 1156 Flash Indicator Light Bulbs for the front and

2 Amber 57-LED BA15S 1156 Flash Indicator Light Bulbs for the rears...and

then...I ditched the amber inner lenses. Both front & rear...

 

My two 1980 Wedges...

[Guest Wayne S]

I've had these bulbs supplied to me by Odd and can thoroughly reccomend him and them!

[wedggie perrin]

Yup, I agree with Wayne, one of the best mods to do and Odd gets my recomendation.

[Odd]

Just days left now - don't hesitate/procrastinate if you want them.

 

Order NOW!

[Odd]

OK friends,

it's afternoon on New Year's eve - and time to wrap this LED-project up...

If I don't hear anything about new orders before Monday January 4th 2010

I will sum it up and send the order in.

 

As it stands now we're ordering roughly half the volume of last time...

 

/Odd

 

PS

A happy and safe 2010 to all!

[tthomson]

Hi Odd,

 

I only occasionally look on the wedge forum, since I have a 4A, but I wanted to say that I liked this posting - some really useful stuff. I like LEDs, but as you rightly point out, they are very focused so side shining is essential for good illumination and the colour filter issue is really important.

 

TT