# led lighting for interior light



## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

I am driving a Dodge Grand Caravan and the interior lighting in it is too bright even when we are loading and unloading the van.

Is there an aftermarket led lighting designed specifically for car/van/truck interior lighting and at a certain color that it can be safely left on all the time while driving. I am looking for something like a long strips of led lighting to run along the ceiling on each side of the van but looking like if it was factory installed.

I read somewhere that there is a certain color spectrum led light which can be used and left on all the time while driving but I cannot seem to remember where I read that at.

Can anyone here point me in the right direction for such kits if there is one available or using one themseleve and share us your experience and thoughts about it?

Thank you
Bill


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Walmart sells stips of different color led lights. Amber would probably be good.


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

I am thinking maybe instead of installing a led lighting ... just replace all the bulbs in the van with one of the color led lamps something like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1J0T35/?tag=ubne0c-20

When I was young 35 something years ago, I used to ride along in patrol car on weekends and the cars had red lamp that the officers kept on most of the time while driving to read maps or crime reports (before computer/GPS times). It didn't interfere thier drving vision during nightime.

Bill


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Swapping out the bulb themselves would solve the lighting issues with loading and unloading.

If you don't want to do major replacements, I use a 4 LED bar that connects to a cigarette lighter. Bluetooth enable so you can change the color on the fly.


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

steveK2016 said:


> I use a 4 LED bar that connects to a cigarette lighter. Bluetooth enable so you can change the color on the fly.


Where'd you get that LED bar? Remote controlled lighting for cabin is what I've been looking for.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

DocT said:


> Where'd you get that LED bar? Remote controlled lighting for cabin is what I've been looking for.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H8L2GQE/?tag=ubne0c-20

The app is bluetooh but does not require syncing. It just automatically detects the lighting system when you open the app. Its more than just 7 colors, you have a whole color wheel to chopse from and can adjust the brightness.


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

steveK2016 said:


> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H8L2GQE/?tag=ubne0c-20
> 
> The app is bluetooh but does not require syncing. It just automatically detects the lighting system when you open the app. Its more than just 7 colors, you have a whole color wheel to chopse from and can adjust the brightness.


Thanks!


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

steveK2016 said:


> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H8L2GQE/?tag=ubne0c-20
> 
> The app is bluetooh but does not require syncing. It just automatically detects the lighting system when you open the app. Its more than just 7 colors, you have a whole color wheel to chopse from and can adjust the brightne
> ss.


The price isn't too bad either and I will order myself one. Thanks for sharing!

Bill


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

TechBill said:


> The price isn't too bad either and I will order myself one. Thanks for sharing!
> 
> Bill


Real easy to hide the wires too. The 3M sticky backs on the LEDs are strong and are still holding up well.


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## TWO2SEVEN (Nov 17, 2016)

Trying to keep myself from buying these haha.


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

steveK2016 said:


> Real easy to hide the wires too. The 3M sticky backs on the LEDs are strong and are still holding up well.


Does the app have a dimner on it?

Bill


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

TechBill said:


> Does the app have a dimner on it?
> 
> Bill


Yes. You can download the app Happy Lighting to see all the options it has. That's a 3rd party app, the OEM app looks identical but the extra options work. The extra options suck, the lights to music doesn't work like you'd hope it did but it'll allow you to change colors and brightness.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qh.Happylightgoogle&hl=en


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

steveK2016 said:


> Yes. You can download the app Happy Lighting to see all the options it has. That's a 3rd party app, the OEM app looks identical but the extra options work. The extra options suck, the lights to music doesn't work like you'd hope it did but it'll allow you to change colors and brightness.
> 
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qh.Happylightgoogle&hl=en


I ordered this one instead.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GO2B6VO/?tag=ubne0c-20

It same what you have but comes with it own remote control instead of having to use phone Bluetooth to control it. I just wanted something to illuminate the van and nothing else.

I think this will work out for me.

Bill


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

TechBill said:


> I ordered this one instead.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GO2B6VO/?tag=ubne0c-20
> 
> ...


Give us an update after you install it.


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

DocT said:


> Give us an update after you install it.


Ok will do!

Bill


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## UberwithDan (Dec 2, 2016)

the floor led ligthing you can also get for significantly cheaper on ebay but its takes longer to ship. I was in autozone today looking at the sets they sell with 4 leds per strip for 30+, on ebay you can get a 12 led or longer one for like 15 bucks or less, it jsut takes longer to get.


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

DocT said:


> Give us an update after you install it.


I received the led bars and remote control today.

I have not install it yet but after playing with it today, I think it will work out great for me and the remote even have dimmer on it

Bill


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

UberwithDan said:


> the floor led ligthing you can also get for significantly cheaper on ebay but its takes longer to ship. I was in autozone today looking at the sets they sell with 4 leds per strip for 30+, on ebay you can get a 12 led or longer one for like 15 bucks or less, it jsut takes longer to get.


Word of caution about some of the leds bar on Ebay.

When I was looking at a couple on Ebay, some of them had a fine print on it that dimmer only work on white LEDs not the colored ones. The colored ones was at fixed brightness.

I am glad one I got dim both white and colored LEDs so be sure to check the fine print before buying it.

Bill


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## UberwithDan (Dec 2, 2016)

TechBill said:


> Word of caution about some of the leds bar on Ebay.
> 
> When I was looking at a couple on Ebay, some of them had a fine print on it that dimmer only work on white LEDs not the colored ones. The colored ones was at fixed brightness.
> 
> ...


Mine arrived recently also. Although it indicates it can be controlled via wifi ,it cant. I did find a wifi+ir controller to rig it to, which is on the way. It adds no value but i want it to work via wifi becuase i jsut do. If I can get it to work correctly I might even be able to program custom sequences just for funsies and it will also react to music on your phone (also if the controller I ordered works as expected).

Wouldnt it be awesome if you could rig it up to the electronic uber sign and it could control the color of the lighting to match the uber logo when pax select a color


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

TechBill said:


> I received the led bars and remote control today.
> 
> I have not install it yet but after playing with it today, I think it will work out great for me and the remote even have dimmer on it
> 
> Bill


Is the LED bar flexible enough to contour the curves of the seats?


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## TechBill (Jun 26, 2016)

DocT said:


> Is the LED bar flexible enough to contour the curves of the seats?


No it soldered on a strip of a circuit board then wrapped with a transparent shrink wrapper.

Bill


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

TechBill said:


> No it soldered on a strip of a circuit board then wrapped with a transparent shrink wrapper.
> 
> Bill


Thanks for the info. Sounds so simple for DIY style, using LED strips, resistors, solder, shrink tubes and connectors. The only part not so DIY friendly would be the control box and remote.


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## UberwithDan (Dec 2, 2016)

DocT said:


> Thanks for the info. Sounds so simple for DIY style, using LED strips, resistors, solder, shrink tubes and connectors. The only part not so DIY friendly would be the control box and remote.


thats why they make thing slike this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AA6221S/?tag=ubne0c-20


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