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Best color for interior LEDs?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by macmaster05, Dec 7, 2010.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Personally, I'd get natural white for vanity mirrors. For me, cool white is too... sharp? glaring? esp. if it's used to look at something at my face. Natural white is very close to normal incandescent but way brighter.

    Yeah my rang up to about $50-$60. It's still cheaper. Really good quality LED bulbs can run $40/pair. You're getting 8.



    Hey Mark, how'd you get the festoons to fit? My 4-bulb ones barely fit in the rear dome and cargo area.
     
  2. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    I think I've decided to go with a red/white combination. Red will be for the lights that turn on when I open my door (front and rear dome, door/courtesy lights). Cool white will be used for everything that doesn't go on automatically and when I actually need light (vanity mirrors, hatch light, 2 front map lights). Again, the idea is that these 2 colors will never have to be on at the same time.


    [​IMG]

    Here is some more of my reasoning:

    - Red is actually the easiest color on the eyes
    - Red is used in aircraft cockpits to read maps
    - Audi uses red interior overhead lighting
    - Red would best match my magnetic gray exterior and gray interior the best
    - Blue is a garish color that I'd probably grow tired of
    - Blue strains the eyes more than red or white
    - But white is too boring to use for everything - I want to have a little fun.

    So you can see my decision was quite simple. I hope others find this useful. I'm very excited!
     
  3. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I remembered you saying that Tideland as I was ordering them and again actually installing them and honestly, mine fit without much force. Maybe they have reduced their size a small bit after complaints or the batch you got from was just overly big?
     
  4. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    I finally bit the bullet and ordered some lights from superbrightleds. I really hope the High Powered Red SMDs won't be overkill:


    Qty | Product / Options | Price/ea |
    ============================================================
    1 | 3022 High Power 4-LED Festoon bulb | $ 6.95 |
    Red 3022-RHP4
    ------------------------------------------------------------ (1 x rear dome)
    4 | WLED-xHP5 Wedge Base Bulb | $ 5.95 |
    Cool White WLED-WHP5
    ------------------------------------------------------------ (2 x map lights, 2 x license plate lights)
    3 | WLED-xHP5 Wedge Base Bulb | $ 5.95 |
    Red WLED-RHP5
    ------------------------------------------------------------ (2 x door lights, 1 x front/center map light)

    I skipped out on purchasing the Festoons for vanity mirrors and hatch lights for now, since I never use those lights. And unfortunately the 10% coupon code (D810M) that I wanted to use was expired by just 1 day! BOOOOOO! Anyways I can't wait to play around with this mod. Thanks for everyone's help.
     
  5. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    Red is also used because it least interferes with night vision. I would like to get at least one red light in the Zhang Heng to use when unloading astronomical equipment after dark.
     
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Weird.... ok. It's possible.

    And that's one reason I went against blue as cool as it is (matches the Blue Ribbon Metallic and the PRIUS illuminated door sill plates). It's hard on the eyes if it's the main source of light.
     
  7. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    I'm surprised you haven't done this already, Doc.

    I really hope putting red on 2 domes and the doors isn't overkill. I also hope it doesn't scare the s**t out of me when I get in the car at night. Anyways, I'll definitely take pictures to show y'all when it's finished.
     
  8. pEEf

    pEEf Engineer - EV nut

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    When flying planes at night it's a different story as there is *no* light up in the sky and you need every ounce of your night vision to hope to spot the stuff your TCAS keeps beeping about.

    While I turn down my dash lights a lot lower than most after having been flying at night, I don't feel the extreme need for red lighting. Besides, it's all for nothing as soon as you see another car (bright headlights) or a streetlight.

    The Interior lighting for me is a functional thing. When you drop that important parking ticket down the "crack" in a dim parking garage you'll appreciate bright white lighting. This is why I bothered with the LED upgrade, and adding the Diodes so I get all 3 in front when the door opens, it really makes the interior pop!

    I saved my "cool factor" for the Dash lighting by doing the blue LEDs there:
    [​IMG]
     
    m.wynn likes this.
  9. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    The blue LED dash looks awesome! I've seen your pic before...

    Nobody needs red LED lighting, it is 99% cosmetic, with the 1% being my justification for needing the modification! :D I don't expect it to improve my night vision for the reasons you just stated. It's just fun to to use it as an excuse for red ("It's what the airplanes use!"). It's just like I never expected lowering my car to actually improve my gas mileage.

    Keep in mind that I'll also have bright white map lights as an option for "when I drop that important parking ticket down the crack." The red will just be the "wow" factor when I open up the car doors. Trust me, I think I've covered all my bases.
     
  10. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Install has been completed. Pictures are here.

    I made a new thread, cause playas I dont mess aroun'!
     
  11. Azipod

    Azipod Member

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    Wow, how do you do you change the colors on the steering wheel and dash to blue?
     
  12. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    In addition, the reduced oxygen at altitude diminishes night vision.

    Tom