The driver of the monitor board delivers 5V. However the factory LEDs
are without built-in current limiting resistors. On the PCB there are a
current limiting resistor for each LED. Both blue LEDs I found at Radio
Shack are 5V (with built-in current limit resistor) this make the
current limiting resistor on the PCB unnecessary. However instead of
replacing the resistor with a wire I selected a lower value resistor to
make the blue LED less bright so it does not illuminate the cabin in the
dark. The original (high) value of the resistor will limit the current
to the 5V LED too much to the entend it does not illuminate.

- Vince

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Steve Delanty
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 12:46 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: LED replacement for westy

At 12:00 PM 8/4/2004, jon wrote:

>Jason,
>
>The Blue LEDs required more current than the red LEDs. I am not
>familiar with the circuit in the refer LED, but many times there is a
>current limiting resistor. By changing this resistor to a lower value,
>the blue LED will work. Also, some blue (white, etc) LEDs require a
>slightly higher forward voltage, as well.
-----------------

There should be no need to change the current limit resistor. With the
stock resistor, a modern blue LED will be many times brighter than the
green one it replaced. If anything, I wish mine had a little larger
resistor so it wasn't quite so bright.

I think the problem Jason is having stems from the fact that his LED is
infrared, not blue. It's just simply NOT going to put out any visible
light unless you REALLY put a lot of current through it... then it will
put out both light AND smoke...  (-:

Steve
'86 Westy "Escape Pod"
'73 Beetle "ain't got a name yet"