Hi guys, first post here and it's a dumb one just to get things started!
I am replacing a bunch of switch indicator lights on the instrument panel on my boat. My issue is that they are too bright when I'm running at night and I would like to cut the light output by around 75%. I exchanged emails with the manufacturer and they suggested a 470ohm resistor, no change. I progressively tried more and more and I think I had a total of six 470ohm resistors in series but virtually zero change. I really only have room for one resistor but I was just trying to get to a value and go from there.
I already installed a 12v rotary dimmer switch for my instrument backlighting so I hooked that up to one of the lights as a test. That works great if I have it set at almost max dimming, it would be perfect. The problem is that each indicator light picks up 12v+ from the switch itself when I turn it on. I can't figure out a way to wire all of the indicator lights (11) to the single dimmer and still have them work independently with each switch.
This is a great option if someone has a wiring suggestion. The switch just has 12v +/- IN and OUT. I have a common ground for each of the indicator lights and as I mentioned, they get 12v+ from each of the eleven switches.
I emailed the company that makes the switch and asked them if they knew what the approx. resistance would be at the almost all the way dimmed location (or close enough). Their response was:
"Our dimmer switch works by pulsing the current. It turns the current off and on 135 times per second and then the potentiometer adjusts the ratio between how long it is on versus off in each of those cycles. So there is no resistor that will produce a similar effect. You can dim LEDs by dropping the DC voltage but it is imprecise and usually, for 12v DC LEDs, is a range between 12v and about 8.5 to 9v where the light drops out."
Any ideas appreciated.
thanks
Bob
I am replacing a bunch of switch indicator lights on the instrument panel on my boat. My issue is that they are too bright when I'm running at night and I would like to cut the light output by around 75%. I exchanged emails with the manufacturer and they suggested a 470ohm resistor, no change. I progressively tried more and more and I think I had a total of six 470ohm resistors in series but virtually zero change. I really only have room for one resistor but I was just trying to get to a value and go from there.
I already installed a 12v rotary dimmer switch for my instrument backlighting so I hooked that up to one of the lights as a test. That works great if I have it set at almost max dimming, it would be perfect. The problem is that each indicator light picks up 12v+ from the switch itself when I turn it on. I can't figure out a way to wire all of the indicator lights (11) to the single dimmer and still have them work independently with each switch.
This is a great option if someone has a wiring suggestion. The switch just has 12v +/- IN and OUT. I have a common ground for each of the indicator lights and as I mentioned, they get 12v+ from each of the eleven switches.
I emailed the company that makes the switch and asked them if they knew what the approx. resistance would be at the almost all the way dimmed location (or close enough). Their response was:
"Our dimmer switch works by pulsing the current. It turns the current off and on 135 times per second and then the potentiometer adjusts the ratio between how long it is on versus off in each of those cycles. So there is no resistor that will produce a similar effect. You can dim LEDs by dropping the DC voltage but it is imprecise and usually, for 12v DC LEDs, is a range between 12v and about 8.5 to 9v where the light drops out."
Any ideas appreciated.
thanks
Bob