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MG MGB Technical - Dash gauge lighting

Any bright ideas on alternative dash lighting options for the MGB? I've been playing with diodes, but seek a halogen output level somehow to really show them up at night. Regards, VEM
vem myers

Diodes are far too directional for backlighting in our type of gauges. The light wouldn't get anywhere near the face of the gauge. I would love to find out about backlighting by using some custom gauge faces from www.metalmonkey.co.uk. The thing is, somebody would have to scan their gauge faces and email them into them. For this they would get a discount and everybody would then be able to buy them. They can do versions for both front and backlit applications, in black, white, chrome or brushed steel, with various letters and colours. They look excellent and I think in an MG they'd really look the business. Anyone fancy scanning their gauge faces in?
Ross Kelly

Chris Betson is experimenting with electroluminesnt wire for illumination, but hasn't posted his results yet. A number of us have a tentative order in with him for when he finally get it all sorted out. I think that this link will get you to the information http://octarine.mywowbb.com/forum5/6.html Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Have you tried painting the inside of the gauges with gloss white paint to give more reflection of the light there is?

My gauges are all aftermarket and light up a nice green colour. Should go well with the green body colour once I get there!

Simon
Simon Jansen

I use the 8w and 5w halogens you can get from Little British Car Co. (lbcarco.com). A tad pricey but worth it. IMO.


Rick Stevens

Off-the-shelf LEDs from an electronic components supplier are no good for instrument lighting but there are purpose-built arrays that are just plug or screw in replacements (http://tinyurl.com/6mno4j) and they *are* better than the standard bulbs, in the tach and speedo at any rate, but whether they are bright enough and worth the cost is down to the individual. See http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/wn_electricsframe.htm and click on 'Lighting' and 'Instrument Lighting' for some comparisons.

You have to be careful with halogens as they generate much more heat and can damage some gauges.

Chris Betson posted an image of a gauge lit with electroluminescent a while ago, and whether it was a genuine request or a bit of fun I don't know but someone wrote back saying the picture was a bit dim and could he make it brighter! Be aware that with LEDs and this electroluminescent the standard dimmer doesn't work.

The dimmer can fail, and in the printed circuit types I have come across they fail in such a way that they still provide a dimming function, but at the brightest setting they are much dimmer than they should be. The first step is to bypass the dimmer and see if that makes a difference. Then clean the bulbs or replace them if they are blackened inside, then clean the inside of the glasses and repaint the cans.

But the beauty of analogue instruments is that you don't need to read them, just see the angle of the pointer, which the current lighting does well enough. How many of us have watches and clocks without numbers on them?

Paul Hunt

I gave the inside of my instrument cases a very quick spray with some matt ultra white white. They were orrigionaly a dull blue green colour. They are easily bright enough now.
Peter Sherman

This thread was discussed between 02/07/2008 and 04/07/2008

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