can't see new dashboard lights.. Options

[se99jmk]

So, after 3 attempts at ordering light bulbs (1x ebay, 1x random site, all offering dashboard bulbs), I found out i needed 501s, and 'lo, there are loads on the net.

I plumped for these babies: http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/product_info.ph...95e294389250244

but this is all i got:


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I can;t bloody see the speed I'm going!
The pictures actually don;t do them justice, they are a perfect colour of purple, and marginally brighter, but anything generally beyond 40mph and I'm blind.

I had actually contacted the company in advance asking about dashboard use, which they said would be fine. Since buying and installing them, their response is:

"Jamie you bought uv / purple these are not bright lights to the naked eye
- we also have a 6 led version which is far brighter"

... not bright lights to the naked eye? then why tell me they're ok for the dash?
Also your ad says "Ultra Bright Wedge Base Led". Ultra bright? my ass.
Oh, and thanks for the offer of making me pay more, muchos gratias

The site says they're doing a stock take so won;t be open for calls until the 16th, and in the meantime won;t respond to emails.

DO NOT ORDER FROM ULTRALEDS.CO.UK

/rant

[Zimluura]

i've read (http://ledmuseum.org/ somewhere on there) that trying to focus on the light you *can* see from a UV led for too long can lead to minor but permanent eye damage.

i put a num74 uv led in for my highbeam light (not on very often, and regular blue doesn't stand out agaisnt blue everywhere like i have for back lighting).

but yeah, those are very very dim compared to everything else.

if you're dead set on purple (i don't blame you, it's a good color to go for)

what i'd do is this:

try getting several of these blue + red leds
http://www.ledsupply.com/l3-0-v5th15-1.html
only 15 degrees, but that just might be enough. haven't used them myself, but blue + red in a combined led can product good purple light.

then try to wire & solder 3 of them in a series with a resistor to a 194 bulb base.
then play around with the gauge cluster to see what angles the 3 lights need to be at ideally. then maybe use some kind of non-conductive glue (is glue normally conductive? anyone?) to bond them to the base permanently.

that should be brighter purple and not strain your eyes at all. but with only 15 degrees on each, and only 3 of them there's no telling. if you have steady enough hands you might be able to fit in more of them, but that makes a parallel circuit and those are more difficult to wire.

could also try matrix leds, going blue -> red -> blue to get a gradient with purple in it.

good luck