you'll find, due to the beam spread/pattern on most leds, that you need a brighter-than-you-think led in the applications that rely on a side beam from an incandescent hitting a light pipe type plastic surround. Some leds have blunt ends that help a little, you can grind the ned of a regular led to get the same result. Also I have some sort of side firing leds (flat end, molded inverted cone) but have not tried installing one in the heater controls. 

but this may be all academic as I found out a while ago (http://shufti.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/vanagon-led-dashcontrol-lights-commercial-improvement/),  go westy sells what looks like leds with side firing SMDs.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23492&category_id=339&category_parent_id=

alistair

On 2012-11-18, at 9:06 PM, MICHAEL H wrote:

> what about using the same LEDs as the dash indicators ? I need them just bright enough to find quicker than fumbling for. any one have a source for those ? SUPERBright ?                            mike
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca>
> To: MICHAEL H <vwdash80@YAHOO.COM> 
> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 11:28 PM
> Subject: Re: Another dumb question,  air control slider lighting
> 
> sure, I gave it a go 
> 
> http://shufti.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/vanagon-heater-control-light-led-hack/
> 
> 
> alistair
> 
> 
> On 2012-11-18, at 8:15 PM, MICHAEL H wrote:
> 
>> ... Harry and David have me wondering if the front control panel socket could be lit by an LED. the rear control panel and the lighter surround might work like dash gauge LED lighting for the optical angle. anybody know how to do the math on this ?    t i a                mike