The covert1 LED dome light mod. - The Ford Focus Forum

**xerofall** · 09-25-2005, 12:45 AM

covert1 asked if I would be willing to donate my dome light for a few weeks so he could work on retro-fitting it with white LEDs.

Of course I said yes and sent it too him. Got it back a few weeks later and let me tell you, it looks FANTASTIC! I had been without a dome light for a while and I almost forgot what it was like to have light in the darkness.

When I unlocked my door with my fob, I was completely blown away at the difference. No more dingy plain light bulb, no more yellowish color.

He even replaced the map lights with white LEDs.

It's hard to take pics at night and show how clear and white the light is, but here are a few...

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...20256785&idx=1

The color is nice and white, not overpowering, so your night vision does not get affected, but does provide plenty of bright light.

As a thank you, I'm re-naming one of my characters in my Xerofall novel, Carl.

**xerofall** · 09-25-2005, 12:50 AM

He also did my license plate LED conversion. Read about it here...

http://www.focaljet.com/ubbthreads/showf...ge=0#2416740662

**Oreo** · 09-25-2005, 01:52 AM

Did it affect the dim-on, dim-off function when using the fob, or is it just simple on/off now?

**xerofall** · 09-25-2005, 02:21 AM

No affect at all. Still works like stock.

**Majikal** · 09-25-2005, 02:38 AM

oh oh oh, I want one! lol

**focusonfocus** · 09-25-2005, 02:42 AM

done mine like that..
my version,
http://teamfocusnorcal.ipbhost.com/i...ost&id=460

**o2_designs** · 09-25-2005, 03:04 AM

Quote:

done mine like that..
my version,
http://teamfocusnorcal.ipbhost.com/i...ost&id=460

Not everyone is logged into that website, so we can't access the pictures...

**focusonfocus** · 09-25-2005, 04:29 AM

sorry about that..

edited:
figured that i don't need to keep my pic in this thread.

**aliencds** · 09-25-2005, 04:42 AM

dam i would love this on my car..he should sell these. i would buy one

**xerofall** · 09-25-2005, 04:44 AM

Quote:

he should sell these. i would buy one

Stay tuned!!!!

**covert1** · 09-25-2005, 06:16 AM

I am very happy to see that Xero enjoys his new dome light. Also, I'd like to mention that I can certainly sell center dome lamp inserts to the FJ community, as I am a grassroots sponsor!

Getting an accurate pic of this is tricky, but here's an example of the light that graces mine and Xerofall's car:

As of right now, I have WHITE (above), and a YELLOW and RED LED immediately available. Other colors are possible, and, after fielding a few inquiries from FJ'ers, I decided to order some extra colors, such as:

Amber
Green
UV
Red
Blue

With regards to this particular mod, my aim is for either a) usable or b) powerful light. In other words, more of a practical approach instead of a decorative one. That doesn't mean I won't consider decorative things, it's just that I only acquire (and meticulously discriminate between) intense LEDs for my work.

Again, I'd like to point out that the center section of the dome light is what I am focusing on, here. (I'll get to the map bulbs) To maximize usability, I stuff 24 LEDs onto a board which fits nicely into the lamp assembly.

Pic of the board:

Since I have a bevy of festoon bulbs from my LED License Lamp efforts, I will probably solder those endcaps onto the wires for the board, so that the most novice of novices can install the module.

Regarding the map bulbs - I can't say too much because of two factors - 1) I haven't experimented with this enough, as I am reluctant to mess with MY dome lamp because I love it the way it is, now! and 2) what I've learned so far, is that it's not quite as straight-forward as the dome module is. The 2nd part is mainly the reason behind why I asked for Xero to send me his lamp.

To explain, here is a pic:

Unfortunately, if you want usable light, the 10mm LED (LEFT side) CANNOT be mounted that way. Since it doesn't refract light in 360 degrees like the standard lamp does (right side), it won't utilize those reflectors. The LED, by comparison, just spits light out through the very top. The end result is that the light gets reflected back to the LED, itself, and not into the car.

The proper orientation of the LED is indicated by the semi-transparent red arrow. Sorry for not having a more suitable pic. The annoying part, is that the user has to take something like tape or epoxy putty so that the led can be properly aimed into the cabin. And, to top it off, when one puts the assembly together, they have to aim the light through the "bubble" over the map bulb lenses. Coupled with the cumbersome wire AND resistor(s) needed for the single LED, I found it frustrating to put together. (Another problem - epoxy makes this sorta permanent, unlike the dome module that can be replaced)

I tried to fashion a board to put in place of the single 10mm LED, but that didn't work nicely. It was an issue of space and that the 5mm lamps spread out too much. Some of that output was also hampered by the map bulb lenses, too. Working on the assumption that one wants their map bulbs to be narrow and directional, while somewhat comparable to the performance of the stock bulb, I found a single 10mm LED accomplishes this effect best.

Therefore, I am willing to provide these leds to the more courageous people out there - those that wish to wire up their own. Do note, that at this time I only have one kind of 10mm led, which works OK, but I have better ones (giant versions of the 5mm PURE white LEDs I use) on the way.

Anyway, feel free to PM me if you're interested in purchasing a LED dome lamp insert. White, Yellow and Red are available now, but in a couple weeks I will have the other colors available. Pricing depends on the nature of the request (color of LED, choice of map leds).

**CrUziN4L** · 09-25-2005, 09:58 AM

well well covert....

u made me a believer and lover with ur license plate mod, and im still rocking it..im definitely going to need this one also my friend.

I want mine in white, just like xero's...how much bro?>

-chris

**rw02kr43** · 09-25-2005, 11:25 AM

I have the license plate bulbs you did and love them. they are so bright and it almost looks like I have white neon under the back of the car. I'd love to have my dome light in yellow. I have a blue ummm, something around it right now to make it blue. I'd be cool to have yellow since I seem to have such a facination with yellow.

Jason

**xMandax** · 09-25-2005, 01:24 PM

ooooo its pretty....lol....i like it!!!

**Majikal** · 09-25-2005, 02:54 PM

yeah bro, let me know as soon as u get some Blue LED's in.

**covert1** · 09-25-2005, 08:36 PM

More examples.

Yellow:

Red:

While these two colors don't quite match the intensity of the white, the red one is pretty decent! I will admit, though - I might wait until I receive my new amber shipment so that I can compare it to the yellow lamp I made today. These older yellow LEDs are a bit narrow, so they don't flood as much as the white or red.

Maybe I'm being critical of the yellows, but if you all don't mind, I'll still make 'em.

**hkysk8r07** · 09-26-2005, 01:00 AM

yeah let me know when u get the blue too i wanna see what it looks like. do you make the license bulbs in red or blue too?

**covert1** · 09-26-2005, 01:20 AM

Well, two answers - 1) I probably *shouldn't* construct a non-white license lamp without a signed waiver

and 2) Yes, I can certainly configure the lamp with these same colors.

And, since you asked about blue - it made me wonder, has anyone shined a UV light to their license plate? What does it look like??? If it glows like I think it might, that could be kinda neat.

**hkysk8r07** · 09-26-2005, 04:06 AM

i'll sign a waiver. my car is registered out of state where i live now so it's hard for me to get [censored] for it

**screwdiver** · 09-26-2005, 07:13 AM

Are you still making the license plate ones? Last time I checked you didn't have any...I'd like a set of both

**covert1** · 09-26-2005, 01:02 PM

Screwdriver - yes, I still make both.

Hey, it says HI over there - speaking of which, do you happen to know NacronSE? I received an email from him about license lamps and I tried to get back to him, but haven't heard anything. Since that time I got more LEDS and license lamp assemblies. Also got some soldering advice from work

Still have at least 5 more pairs of assemblies available. I'll drop a PM to ya.

**01-yellow-ZX3** · 09-26-2005, 05:51 PM

I'm still loving my license plate leds, thanks so much covert! They rock! Highly recommended!

They even stand up to a Canadian climate.

**2focusd** · 09-26-2005, 07:10 PM

Hey covert, could you drop me a PM letting me know what it'd cost me for the LED dome light in blue? And also, is this just the LED patch itself, meaning we'd have to take apart our current dome light setup? Thanks bro!

**covert1** · 09-27-2005, 05:49 PM

Ok - as of now I should have either PM'd or returned PM's to everyone who has sent me one. Except one individual, whose quota is exceeded.

FWIW, I ordered another dome light with map lights and one without, to see if the latter has more room for a larger board. Both are just over $20 and I recommend FORDSVTPARTS for purchases.

**covert1** · 10-01-2005, 04:36 PM

Update - I received one "sampler" pack of blue LEDs. Too bad it's not nighttime, yet, because I really want to see this baby in my car. I'll certainly add a night pic later. For now, here's an indoor pic of the light output:

I'm still waiting for the other Green, Blue, Red, Amber, and UV to arrive.

Also, another minor problem - I acquired a bunch of white LEDs from the same supplier I had before, but instead of being "pure white" they are a hint of blue-ish white. Hopefully I can resolve this in the next week. I'll get a night pic of these so the difference can be seen. Definitely not a catastrophic issue, just a bothersome one.

Anyway, there were a few individuals that requested white dome lamps - these will go out as "pure white". I made three dome modules before I ran out of those. Any license lamps, for now, will be with the different white LEDs.

Took a series of pics to construct a helper guide for those who'll receive dome lamps in the next few days. More to come later

09-25-2005, 12:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
xerofall [FJ] Addict Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kingdom of Unpopular Opinion Posts: 18,395	The covert1 LED dome light mod. covert1 asked if I would be willing to donate my dome light for a few weeks so he could work on retro-fitting it with white LEDs. Of course I said yes and sent it too him. Got it back a few weeks later and let me tell you, it looks FANTASTIC! I had been without a dome light for a while and I almost forgot what it was like to have light in the darkness. When I unlocked my door with my fob, I was completely blown away at the difference. No more dingy plain light bulb, no more yellowish color. He even replaced the map lights with white LEDs. It's hard to take pics at night and show how clear and white the light is, but here are a few... http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...20256785&idx=1 The color is nice and white, not overpowering, so your night vision does not get affected, but does provide plenty of bright light. As a thank you, I'm re-naming one of my characters in my Xerofall novel, Carl. Last edited by xerofall; 01-05-2006 at 02:18 AM.

09-25-2005, 12:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
xerofall [FJ] Addict Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kingdom of Unpopular Opinion Posts: 18,395	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. He also did my license plate LED conversion. Read about it here... http://www.focaljet.com/ubbthreads/showf...ge=0#2416740662

09-25-2005, 01:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
Oreo DoubleStuf™ Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: GlockPost.com Posts: 4,049	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Did it affect the dim-on, dim-off function when using the fob, or is it just simple on/off now?

09-25-2005, 02:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
xerofall [FJ] Addict Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kingdom of Unpopular Opinion Posts: 18,395	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. No affect at all. Still works like stock.

09-25-2005, 02:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
Majikal MAKE IT RAIN! ... is that like $@(3+/ a $!@" and @)(+/#? Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Hartford, CT Posts: 11,790	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. oh oh oh, I want one! lol

09-25-2005, 02:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
focusonfocus Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: toronto, on Posts: 4,176	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. done mine like that.. my version, http://teamfocusnorcal.ipbhost.com/i...ost&id=460

09-25-2005, 04:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
focusonfocus Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: toronto, on Posts: 4,176	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. sorry about that.. edited: figured that i don't need to keep my pic in this thread.

09-25-2005, 04:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
aliencds Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,077	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. dam i would love this on my car..he should sell these. i would buy one

09-25-2005, 06:16 AM	#11 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. I am very happy to see that Xero enjoys his new dome light. Also, I'd like to mention that I can certainly sell center dome lamp inserts to the FJ community, as I am a grassroots sponsor! Getting an accurate pic of this is tricky, but here's an example of the light that graces mine and Xerofall's car: As of right now, I have WHITE (above), and a YELLOW and RED LED immediately available. Other colors are possible, and, after fielding a few inquiries from FJ'ers, I decided to order some extra colors, such as: Amber Green UV Red Blue With regards to this particular mod, my aim is for either a) usable or b) powerful light. In other words, more of a practical approach instead of a decorative one. That doesn't mean I won't consider decorative things, it's just that I only acquire (and meticulously discriminate between) intense LEDs for my work. Again, I'd like to point out that the center section of the dome light is what I am focusing on, here. (I'll get to the map bulbs) To maximize usability, I stuff 24 LEDs onto a board which fits nicely into the lamp assembly. Pic of the board: Since I have a bevy of festoon bulbs from my LED License Lamp efforts, I will probably solder those endcaps onto the wires for the board, so that the most novice of novices can install the module. Regarding the map bulbs - I can't say too much because of two factors - 1) I haven't experimented with this enough, as I am reluctant to mess with MY dome lamp because I love it the way it is, now! and 2) what I've learned so far, is that it's not quite as straight-forward as the dome module is. The 2nd part is mainly the reason behind why I asked for Xero to send me his lamp. To explain, here is a pic: Unfortunately, if you want usable light, the 10mm LED (LEFT side) CANNOT be mounted that way. Since it doesn't refract light in 360 degrees like the standard lamp does (right side), it won't utilize those reflectors. The LED, by comparison, just spits light out through the very top. The end result is that the light gets reflected back to the LED, itself, and not into the car. The proper orientation of the LED is indicated by the semi-transparent red arrow. Sorry for not having a more suitable pic. The annoying part, is that the user has to take something like tape or epoxy putty so that the led can be properly aimed into the cabin. And, to top it off, when one puts the assembly together, they have to aim the light through the "bubble" over the map bulb lenses. Coupled with the cumbersome wire AND resistor(s) needed for the single LED, I found it frustrating to put together. (Another problem - epoxy makes this sorta permanent, unlike the dome module that can be replaced) I tried to fashion a board to put in place of the single 10mm LED, but that didn't work nicely. It was an issue of space and that the 5mm lamps spread out too much. Some of that output was also hampered by the map bulb lenses, too. Working on the assumption that one wants their map bulbs to be narrow and directional, while somewhat comparable to the performance of the stock bulb, I found a single 10mm LED accomplishes this effect best. Therefore, I am willing to provide these leds to the more courageous people out there - those that wish to wire up their own. Do note, that at this time I only have one kind of 10mm led, which works OK, but I have better ones (giant versions of the 5mm PURE white LEDs I use) on the way. Anyway, feel free to PM me if you're interested in purchasing a LED dome lamp insert. White, Yellow and Red are available now, but in a couple weeks I will have the other colors available. Pricing depends on the nature of the request (color of LED, choice of map leds).

09-25-2005, 09:58 AM	#12 (permalink)
CrUziN4L [FJ] Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NY Posts: 19,002	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. well well covert.... u made me a believer and lover with ur license plate mod, and im still rocking it..im definitely going to need this one also my friend. I want mine in white, just like xero's...how much bro?> -chris

09-25-2005, 11:25 AM	#13 (permalink)
rw02kr43 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Racing Capital of the World Posts: 3,076	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. I have the license plate bulbs you did and love them. they are so bright and it almost looks like I have white neon under the back of the car. I'd love to have my dome light in yellow. I have a blue ummm, something around it right now to make it blue. I'd be cool to have yellow since I seem to have such a facination with yellow. Jason

09-25-2005, 01:24 PM	#14 (permalink)
xMandax Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 3,658	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. ooooo its pretty....lol....i like it!!!

09-25-2005, 02:54 PM	#15 (permalink)
Majikal MAKE IT RAIN! ... is that like $@(3+/ a $!@" and @)(+/#? Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Hartford, CT Posts: 11,790	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. yeah bro, let me know as soon as u get some Blue LED's in.

09-25-2005, 08:36 PM	#16 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. More examples. Yellow: Red: While these two colors don't quite match the intensity of the white, the red one is pretty decent! I will admit, though - I might wait until I receive my new amber shipment so that I can compare it to the yellow lamp I made today. These older yellow LEDs are a bit narrow, so they don't flood as much as the white or red. Maybe I'm being critical of the yellows, but if you all don't mind, I'll still make 'em.

09-26-2005, 01:00 AM	#17 (permalink)
hkysk8r07 [FJ] Fail Brigade Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, CA/ Stamford, CT) Posts: 6,625	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. yeah let me know when u get the blue too i wanna see what it looks like. do you make the license bulbs in red or blue too?

09-26-2005, 01:20 AM	#18 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Well, two answers - 1) I probably shouldn't construct a non-white license lamp without a signed waiver and 2) Yes, I can certainly configure the lamp with these same colors. And, since you asked about blue - it made me wonder, has anyone shined a UV light to their license plate? What does it look like??? If it glows like I think it might, that could be kinda neat.

09-26-2005, 04:06 AM	#19 (permalink)
hkysk8r07 [FJ] Fail Brigade Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, CA/ Stamford, CT) Posts: 6,625	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. i'll sign a waiver. my car is registered out of state where i live now so it's hard for me to get [censored] for it

09-26-2005, 07:13 AM	#20 (permalink)
screwdiver Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Kunia, HI Posts: 1,505	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Are you still making the license plate ones? Last time I checked you didn't have any...I'd like a set of both

09-26-2005, 01:02 PM	#21 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Screwdriver - yes, I still make both. Hey, it says HI over there - speaking of which, do you happen to know NacronSE? I received an email from him about license lamps and I tried to get back to him, but haven't heard anything. Since that time I got more LEDS and license lamp assemblies. Also got some soldering advice from work Still have at least 5 more pairs of assemblies available. I'll drop a PM to ya.

09-26-2005, 05:51 PM	#22 (permalink)
01-yellow-ZX3 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 2,710	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. I'm still loving my license plate leds, thanks so much covert! They rock! Highly recommended! They even stand up to a Canadian climate.

09-26-2005, 07:10 PM	#23 (permalink)
2focusd [FJ] Addict Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Uniontown, PA Posts: 15,364	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Hey covert, could you drop me a PM letting me know what it'd cost me for the LED dome light in blue? And also, is this just the LED patch itself, meaning we'd have to take apart our current dome light setup? Thanks bro!

09-27-2005, 05:49 PM	#24 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Ok - as of now I should have either PM'd or returned PM's to everyone who has sent me one. Except one individual, whose quota is exceeded. FWIW, I ordered another dome light with map lights and one without, to see if the latter has more room for a larger board. Both are just over $20 and I recommend FORDSVTPARTS for purchases.

10-01-2005, 04:36 PM	#25 (permalink)
covert1 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 2,306	Re: The covert1 LED dome light mod. Update - I received one "sampler" pack of blue LEDs. Too bad it's not nighttime, yet, because I really want to see this baby in my car. I'll certainly add a night pic later. For now, here's an indoor pic of the light output: I'm still waiting for the other Green, Blue, Red, Amber, and UV to arrive. Also, another minor problem - I acquired a bunch of white LEDs from the same supplier I had before, but instead of being "pure white" they are a hint of blue-ish white. Hopefully I can resolve this in the next week. I'll get a night pic of these so the difference can be seen. Definitely not a catastrophic issue, just a bothersome one. Anyway, there were a few individuals that requested white dome lamps - these will go out as "pure white". I made three dome modules before I ran out of those. Any license lamps, for now, will be with the different white LEDs. Took a series of pics to construct a helper guide for those who'll receive dome lamps in the next few days. More to come later

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