Are the awning LED lights dimmable?

johnm · 10-03-2014, 04:28 AM

I want to make the factory awning LED lights dimmable. They are just way too bright for me to use. Has anyone looked into putting a dimmer module (?) in the system?

BTW: I have a 2015 Laredo 291TG.

Thanks,
john

2014Fuzion300 · 10-03-2014, 05:10 AM

What I do with ours is to extend the awning a little bit more so the lights point at the hanging flapper on the awning....still bright but at least they are not directly pointing at you [emoji12]

**JRTJH** · 10-03-2014, 05:44 AM

There are two ways to "dim" LED's. First is to reduce the voltage to them. That can damage the LED's and cause them to fail prematurely. (obviously not the way to go), The other is by using "pulse width modulation" which cuts off power to the LED's for a period of time causing them to flicker. This flickering happens so rapidly that the human eye can't see the LED's turning off and on, rather we "see" it as a "dimmer light". Sort of like the way the eye views a motion picture.

LED "dimmers" are available online and in some electronics stores like Radio Shack. They simply install in the power supply line to the LED assembly.

As stated, if you can just roll the awning a bit further and "mask the LED's" it is cheaper and just as effective. If your LED strip is mounted at the drip rail, covering it with a piece of translucent tape may reduce the light without having to install a dimmer.

**chuckster57** · 10-03-2014, 05:49 AM

I have 5 LED backlit gauges on my pillar in my truck. They are Autometer and I bought a dimmer made for them. It may be the same thing as described above, but it works.

Signguy71 · 10-03-2014, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2014Fuzion300

What I do with ours is to extend the awning a little bit more so the lights point at the hanging flapper on the awning....their still bright but at least they are not directly pointing at you [emoji12]

I do the same thing to adjust how much light I want and where to point it.

johnm · 10-04-2014, 04:23 AM

I've got the electric awning so I can't, as far as I know, put it a little bit further out. But, I searched on the dimmer module thing and for a whole whopping $3.33 I ordered one from amazon. It's on the slow boat from China so I won't see it for a few weeks bit for 3 bucks it's worth trying.

Oh, it is pulse width modulated so thanks John for that needed info.

Thanks for the ideas.
John

**chuckster57** · 10-04-2014, 04:39 AM

What they are describing is just holding the extend button a bit longer. Some models will actually start retracting backwards if you keep the extend button pressed.

2014Fuzion300 · 10-05-2014, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

What they are describing is just holding the extend button a bit longer. Some models will actually start retracting backwards if you keep the extend button pressed.

Yes that is exactly what happens in our case!

johnm · 10-05-2014, 04:58 AM

Hmm ... I never noticed that it did that. I also haven't used the light very much because it's so dang bright so I wouldn't have noticed it.

On a re-read of the comments, I noticed that the idea of rolling the awning out "a bit further" won't help me (if I understand it correctly) since my LED's are attached to the drip rail (or whatever it's called) on the underside of the awning tube on the wall of the camper not near the hanging drip flap.

Thanks for the ideas and I'll try to post feedback on the LED dimmer after it comes in (around the end of Oct).

john

shane772 · 10-22-2014, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnm

Hmm ... I never noticed that it did that. I also haven't used the light very much because it's so dang bright so I wouldn't have noticed it.

On a re-read of the comments, I noticed that the idea of rolling the awning out "a bit further" won't help me (if I understand it correctly) since my LED's are attached to the drip rail (or whatever it's called) on the underside of the awning tube on the wall of the camper not near the hanging drip flap.

Thanks for the ideas and I'll try to post feedback on the LED dimmer after it comes in (around the end of Oct).

john

subscribing for update. Our first trip out and we decided they need a dimmer.

johnm · 10-22-2014, 08:41 AM

Apparently the dimmer controller is on the slow boat from China as it hasn't shown up yet. I hope to get it in before the snow shows up so I can, at the very least, see what it does.

shane772 · 06-14-2015, 10:14 AM

johnm - Did you ever complete this?

johnm · 06-15-2015, 04:45 AM

Sorry - no I haven't. Pretty much as soon as I got the controller we decided to move to a new (to us) house which meant we had to do all the painting and decorating to our house that we we had been putting off so we could get ours on the market. Now that we're done moving (a whole whopping 2.1 miles down the road!) I can start thinking about the dimmer switch again. I just have to remember which box it's in!

My plan is to relocate the switch panel (which is behind the glass door in the TV cabinet) to outside the cabinet, but on the side of the TV cabinet. In other words, you'll be able to see the switches, and more importantly, FIND THEM IN THE DARK, when you come inside the camper. I can't understand why they would put all the switches behind a door.

John

skidooxman · 06-15-2015, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnm

I want to make the factory awning LED lights dimmable. They are just way too bright for me to use. Has anyone looked into putting a dimmer module (?) in the system?

BTW: I have a 2015 Laredo 291TG.

Thanks,
john

They are and it simple to do, let me know if anyone wants specifics and I can do a quick write up with parts needed from where, looking at 19$

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