- Joined
- Jan 1, 2018
- Posts
- 1,786
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- 2,234
- Location
- Westminster, MD
- Ram Year
- 2018 Power Wagon
- Engine
- 6.4L Hemi
This question isn't specific to the 4th gens, but I needed to put it somewhere, so here we are lol.
I will be installing the AEV dash switch pod with custom switches from OTRATTW in my Power Wagon, and my OCD wants the switches to match as closely as possible in color and brightness to the factory dash buttons. I can only control the light color so much, but I can control the light intensity with an in-line resistor or dimmer switch type roller. I'll be grabbing a wire from inside the dash somewhere that is set to the dash lights to power the LEDs in the switches so that they come on and dim with the dash lights. I did the same thing in my KL Cherokee. What I'm afraid of (and what happened in my KL) was that the LEDs in the switches are brighter than the dash lights. They do dim with the dash lights in my Jeep, but they're always brighter then the rest of the dash lights. I want to install something in-line so that I can dim down the LEDs in the switches to make them the same brightness, and then they will further dim when i use the truck's dimmer. this dimmer/resistor will only be tuned initially when i set up the switches the very first time, then it will get taped up so that it doesn't adjust itself inadvertently and stuffed behind the dash.
With that said, i've got just about everything figured out, but what can i use to dim the switches so that they start at the same brightness? I've never really used resistors in my wiring before, and without knowing exactly how much i need to dim down the LEDs in the switches, I don't know what load resistor i'll need, so i'll need to get one that is variable. can anyone who has done something like this point me in the direction of a small in line dimmer or variable resistor that will perform the task i'm trying to do? i tried searching for LED dimmers on amazon but i only got ones with 2 wires in and 2 wires out, and i need one with one lead in and one lead out. plus, those look like you have to turn them on and off at the device, which i won't be able to do since it will be inside the dashboard after installation.
Electrical gurus assemble!
I will be installing the AEV dash switch pod with custom switches from OTRATTW in my Power Wagon, and my OCD wants the switches to match as closely as possible in color and brightness to the factory dash buttons. I can only control the light color so much, but I can control the light intensity with an in-line resistor or dimmer switch type roller. I'll be grabbing a wire from inside the dash somewhere that is set to the dash lights to power the LEDs in the switches so that they come on and dim with the dash lights. I did the same thing in my KL Cherokee. What I'm afraid of (and what happened in my KL) was that the LEDs in the switches are brighter than the dash lights. They do dim with the dash lights in my Jeep, but they're always brighter then the rest of the dash lights. I want to install something in-line so that I can dim down the LEDs in the switches to make them the same brightness, and then they will further dim when i use the truck's dimmer. this dimmer/resistor will only be tuned initially when i set up the switches the very first time, then it will get taped up so that it doesn't adjust itself inadvertently and stuffed behind the dash.
With that said, i've got just about everything figured out, but what can i use to dim the switches so that they start at the same brightness? I've never really used resistors in my wiring before, and without knowing exactly how much i need to dim down the LEDs in the switches, I don't know what load resistor i'll need, so i'll need to get one that is variable. can anyone who has done something like this point me in the direction of a small in line dimmer or variable resistor that will perform the task i'm trying to do? i tried searching for LED dimmers on amazon but i only got ones with 2 wires in and 2 wires out, and i need one with one lead in and one lead out. plus, those look like you have to turn them on and off at the device, which i won't be able to do since it will be inside the dashboard after installation.
Electrical gurus assemble!
