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10-03-2014, 04:28 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 19
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Are the awning LED lights dimmable?
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
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10-03-2014, 05:10 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 231
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Are the awning LED lights dimmable?
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]
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10-03-2014, 05:44 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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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.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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10-03-2014, 05:49 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,341
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Are the awning LED lights dimmable?
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.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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10-03-2014, 05:44 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Ohio
Posts: 58
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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]
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I do the same thing to adjust how much light I want and where to point it.
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10-04-2014, 04:23 AM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 19
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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
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10-04-2014, 04:39 AM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,341
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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.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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10-05-2014, 04:38 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 231
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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.
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Yes that is exactly what happens in our case!
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10-05-2014, 04:58 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 19
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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
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10-22-2014, 06:47 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 30
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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
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subscribing for update. Our first trip out and we decided they need a dimmer.
__________________
1999 F-250 7.3, 2WD, CCSB
2015 Keystone Sprinter Copper Canyon FW324BHS
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10-22-2014, 08:41 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 19
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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.
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06-14-2015, 10:14 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 30
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johnm - Did you ever complete this?
__________________
1999 F-250 7.3, 2WD, CCSB
2015 Keystone Sprinter Copper Canyon FW324BHS
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06-15-2015, 04:45 AM
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#13
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 19
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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
__________________
2014 Keystone Laredo 291TG
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06-15-2015, 10:25 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Las Vegas NV
Posts: 127
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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
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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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