Kph to Mph backlight style dial faces

[t25adict]

electroluminescence

thats what you want...
i can see if there is anyway we could make up some dial faces at work..
they use it in aircraft cockpit controls.

[v-lux]

Let me know what you find! I'm getting quite interested in all this.

I had thought about electroluminescence, but dismissed it as being too tricky not having any easy access to that kind of thing.

The dials themselves seem to be something along those lines.

Does anyone have a knackered gauge/dials/pod etc that i might be able to play with? Just want something i can use to experiment with for the needle illumination?

[v-lux]

Just a little update...

Been chatting more with the company. Got some samples as i wanted to actually see it in the flesh, and installed in the van. Unfortunately they sent me a Blue light/White dial face set.

But you get the idea.







They sent me some other bits and bobs and amongst it were some black face, white lettering gauge faces (for some other vehicle) and they look great.
The units come with a little adjustment control unit, gives you 2 different hues of colour (very slight change) and a brightness control. (i'll get some pics of all this when i pull it back out)

So, with original bulbs in you can see your needle just like before. With the white face dials its not a good combination, bright blue lettering and dials lit up dimish orange. Ive just tried upgrading my original dash bulbs with LED which has made a difference, much more white light and i removed the little metal heat shield thingy also, which brightened things up a bit. But with the black faces and white lettering (i bodged up a test with the sample) i think it'll be ok, the needle is visible and there's significantly less light being reflected by the dial face (its hard to tell just what it will look like as the sample dial is smaller than ours)

I'm still going to try the Ultraviolet thing though, as i still think it could work well with the dial faces. If it works right, then it'll look well balanced with the dial faces.

Out of interest, how many people driving imported vans would be interested in changing to a MPH dial face on their current speedo? Or are people not really bothered (I ask as mines a RHD) Could be a nice way to get it reading in English and have a modernisation to boot...?

[syncropatrick]

Drool.

I'm in. Prefer KPH but will settle for MPH. Petrol + tacho needed. Do they do orange or red?

[v-lux]

Patrick, if you want a KPH set that's no problem, they already make those. (but only in white face/blue lettering or black face/white lettering.

See here: http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... &sl=&tl=en

What i'm wanting to do is replicate the MPH dial face that has both Mph&Kph markings which would mean firstly i can get a direct replacement for what's in my van, secondly people who have imported vans can easily change (and modernise) to a Mph/kph speedo with out the need for getting a whole new speedo unit. Obviously the Odometer will still read in Km's, but you cant have everything huh.

[16vmini]

i would be interested , i have a LHD , allthough i only have a great big clock instead of a rev counter .. but really do want to swap to cluster with a rev counter .. ( not looked to see if thats simple yet )

Matt

[poshbuggers]

I'm in. Syncro Petrol with clock.

[..lee..]

fair play they do look nice. i do like a green when it comes to interior ilumination though.

[v-lux]

I knew this colour thing would start happening..

They can make gauges in pretty much any colour, but it would mean getting loads made in each colour. Same for different styles of gauge.

IF the MPH thing happens, then i'm most inclined to order black faces/white lettering as this is the closest match to the originals and give the best results with the standard + upgraded led lighting (for the needle). These would be ordered as sets with a rev counter.
To make up sets with the clock instead would also require making an bulk order. I'm toying with the idea......but it's quite a few sets to shift...

Let me play with the UV Led idea, i reckon it will improve it.

[poshbuggers]

Black would suit me too. If you want colour you can always paint the plastic dash surround.

[v-lux]

What colour would people prefer to see the needle?

I'm thinking of getting something UV reactive that is as close to invisible in daylight as possible. Its looking as though this will make the needle have a blue tinge when illuminated however. It will be mostly white, but the blue will perceptible though i expect.

Alternative is to paint it with a UV colour, such as Red. which inder illumination would look great, however i think it might look a little odd in the daytime?

Still after a gauge pod&clocks to experiment with i anyone's got one anywhere?

[poshbuggers]

Old Fords used an orange/red on the needle. It wasn't obtrusive and read very clearly.

I'd vote for that.

[Essex Nige]

count me in im blinging up the syncro a little

[axeman]

What colour would people prefer to see the needle?

I'm thinking of getting something UV reactive that is as close to invisible in daylight as possible. Its looking as though this will make the needle have a blue tinge when illuminated however. It will be mostly white, but the blue will perceptible though i expect.

Alternative is to paint it with a UV colour, such as Red. which inder illumination would look great, however i think it might look a little odd in the daytime?

Still after a gauge pod&clocks to experiment with i anyone's got one anywhere?

could the needles be the same orange as the the vdo gauges that most of us are using, i think also ottinger vans also had the had orange needles.

just my thoughts neil

[v-lux]

could the needles be the same orange as the the vdo gauges that most of us are using

I'll see what i can find to make it a close match.