Post: #1

Converting the Yeti to LED's (externally and internally), and I'm torn on the gauge colors. I'm leaning to red, but the stereo faceplate is blue. It'd be much easier to switch everything to blue than to mod the faceplate to red. But red is MUCH easier on the eyes, so... What do you all think?

Or should I just bag it and keep everything incandescent?

Post: #2

Red. It's what i'm doing in my 760

Post: #3

Get rid of the head unit or turn off the stupid blue LED. Nothing better to kill night vision than blue light.

Post: #4

(12-30-2011 04:14 PM)harribert Wrote:  Get rid of the head unit or turn off the stupid blue LED. Nothing better to kill night vision than blue light.

That's what I'm thinking. Head unit has smd led's that shouldn't be TOO hard to replace - at least as far as the buttons go, but the display might be a different story. I'll order a bunch and see what I can come up with.

Post: #5

(12-30-2011 04:14 PM)harribert Wrote:  Get rid of the head unit or turn off the stupid blue LED. Nothing better to kill night vision than blue light.

This. Red FTW.

Post: #6

(12-30-2011 04:14 PM)harribert Wrote:  Get rid of the head unit or turn off the stupid blue LED. Nothing better to kill night vision than blue light.

This. Red FTW.

Post: #7

I love the look of blue and dimmed down, blue LEDs look awesome on the stock panel and don't really bother me driving at night.

That said, Red is the "proper" color for night driving..

Post: #8

I would choose blue. Blue is soft and inviting. Red is evil and will enrage your passengers. You wouldn't want to get your butt kicked by a buddy, would you?

Post: #9

My whole dash setup is red led backlit guages.....I love it. Very easy to drive at night.

Post: #10

Green.

Because red and blue are so 2011.

Post: #11

(01-22-2012 10:04 PM)Spugs Wrote:  Green.

Because red and blue are so 2011.

THIS !

The factory light is best i think...

Post: #12

If we're doing LED's, red. Either that, or orange. Easier to see...

-J

Post: #13

Red FTW

Post: #14

I did red - have yet to mod the stereo faceplate but this is what I've got thus far:

Post: #15

Looks good richard! I need to finish up my red conversion and share...

Post: #16

I ordered tiny red LEDs for the faceplate, and a new soldering iron so that I can remove the old and install the new, lol. The $15 radio shack specials just aren't going to cut it for this job...

Post: #17

This is what I have so far...

Need to do heater controls & console lighting as well as purchase a new head unit that has red lighting.

Post: #18

Go yellow for maximum visibility.

Post: #19

Yellow is the harshest color on the eyes. The last thing you want is abrasive lighting 2' in front of your face while driving at night.

Most OEMs use green or red for a reason. Green is the softest, or least abrasive on the eyes. Red is almost as soft as green in that respect. Notice how the companies once recognized for maximum efforts in vehicle occupant safety (Mercedes, Volvo, etc) used primarily green lighting for their instrumentation? They want you to be able to focus on the road far ahead of you with ease. With your eyes strained from what's immediately in front of you it decreases your actual visible range.


Similar consequences but different topic: Driving with your fog lamps on all the time has a similar effect on reduced visibility range, because they're designed to illuminate the road directly in front of the vehicle in inclimate weather conditions only. In clear conditions it actually reduces your effective vision range. While it may "look cool" to have your fog lamps on when it isn't foul weather conditions, you're actually making it more dangerous for yourself by reducing how far you can effectively see at night. Dedicated driving lamps project light far ahead of the vehicle and typically do not increase the drivers visible light directly in front of the vehicle by design, thus helping your long distance night vision while helping to eliminate the reduced vision spectrum.

There have been scientific studies done over the years by many different bodies, including OEMs. The internet is your friend if you wish to substantiate any of this on your own.