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Benefit of LED?

jsandidge

jsandidge

Forum Sage
Past Site Supporter
Before I put my gauges back together, I thought it would be a good idea to address the bulbs. Is there any benefit to LED bulbs for this application? If so, any recommendations on what to get and where to get them?
 
LEDs draw less power. Use direct replacement bulbs. If you get a series r/r.
 
jsandidge said:
Before I put my gauges back together, I thought it would be a good idea to address the bulbs. Is there any benefit to LED bulbs for this application? If so, any recommendations on what to get and where to get them?
Click to expand...

Early GSs use the BA9 caps, later use the T10 wedge caps. In both, they tend to be sold for side, tail, and parking lights, which are twice as bright as needed for instruments, and that can be annoying at night. If you hunt around ebay and other suppliers you will find the lower output instrument bulbs, but they are less common and tend to be available from more specialised suppliers, with a commensurately higher price. Warm white is a nicer option to go for, too - the common bright white is too glaringly white in the 'Zuk clocks, I find.
 
One problem with leds in the guage cluster: they don't generate very much heat. Sounds like a good thing.... until you get condensation over / under the glass lens. Normal bulbs help to evaporate moisture, leds make you wait for the sun to come out.

But I've always been a fan of www.superbrightleds.com
 
Another benefit of LEDs is longer life. Assuming, of course, that they are fed proper voltage.

Posplayr dropped the hint of using a series R/R. The amount of electrical load that will be reduced by changing all of your instrument lights will not mandate the use of a series R/R, but the overall benefit of a series R/R simply makes sense, no matter what kind of lights you use.

Now, when you start changing the other lights, the ones that draw more power, like the headlight, tail/brake light and turn signals, the reduction in electrical load will be considerable. To keep your charging system intact, the use of a series R/R would be pretty much mandatory.

On my bike, the instrument lights are the only ones that are still incandescent. That might change next winter, but I am not worried about it for now. I will stay tuned to this thread to see what recommendations might show up for bulb selections.

.
 
jsandidge said:
What do you mean?
Click to expand...

You buy an LED because it is low electrical power/low current. These are the inputs with hopefully light power output comparable to an incandescent.
You don't buy an LED because it is low output (i.e. low light power).
 
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posplayr said:
You buy an LED because it is low electrical power/low current. These are the inputs with hopefully light power output comparable to an incandescent.
You don't buy an LED because it is low output (i.e. low light power).
Click to expand...

Yes, I do understand that. What I meant to say was that I would search for the lower output ones like Grimly suggested, so they won't be too bright.
 
jsandidge said:
Yes, I do understand that. What I meant to say was that I would search for the lower output ones like Grimly suggested, so they won't be too bright.
Click to expand...


You mean lower light output dash lights? I have a bunch in assorted colors . The main way you lower the brightness is to lower the current which is to put a resistor in series beyond the one that is already there (or swap it out for a larger resistor).
 
posplayr said:
You buy an LED because it is low electrical power/low current. These are the inputs with hopefully light power output comparable to an incandescent.
You don't buy an LED because it is low output (i.e. low light power).
Click to expand...
For instrument bulb replacements, you do. Of course, it will have a correspondingly lower input demand, too. Ask a parts guy for a 'low input' bulb and he'll just look at you blankly.
 
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Grimly said:
For instrument bulb replacements, you do. Of course, it will have a correspondingly lower input demand, too. Ask a parts guy for a 'low input' bulb and he'll just look at you blankly.
Click to expand...

Thanks I finally understand the op.

i bought several dash bulb LEDs and did not find high and low power options. Rather they are designed for the application.
 
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I converted a high output LED at work into a low output LED by running it over current for a few seconds. I guess its actually a no output LED.
 
I ran an multi emitter led at higher than rated voltages and it started to flicker. The solder joints would melt as the temp went up but would fill when the joints would cool.
 
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