Instrument illumination

[Popell]

I find that the contrast on my 05 GS12 instruments at night does not allow me to read the info - not the fault of the panel, just my crap eyesight, I can read it clearly with glasses but black on red is pants without the goggles.
So my question is: has anyone changed the colour of the illumination and if so how, to what colour?
TIA

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

get your eye sight checked

 

[WindyChuffer]

Are you legal to drive without glasses?

 

[Wapping]

There is a thread somewhere in the 1200 section giving lots of details (with pic's) of a bod's successful changing of his dials... It is, not surprisingly, very long and involved painting the finger, for a real quality finish.... until he then realised it no longer illuminated.....

A trip to the optician may well be quicker, easier and who knows, maybe even safer..... You will look into a machine very similar to your avatar. It won't hurt.

 

[mr_magicfingers]

I would echo getting your eyesight checked but would also add that as someone who has trouble with low light/low contrast colour perception that sometimes it's just a colour issue, not a focus issue.

Being red/green red/brown colour blind, I also have trouble reading the dials easily, black on red being very low contrast in the dark, particularly with the low power bulbs in the clocks. I'm considering getting some led bulbs to put in instead to give a whiter light rather than the dim yellow that's currently produced by the bulbs. I think this will increase the contrast significantly without being dazzling.

All that said, I know pretty much what the clocks indicate just by seeing where the needles are pointing. Seeing the miles on the odometer aren't so easy though.

 

[Kremmen]

The display is I'm afraid already LED illuminated.
I did though strip out my display two years back & fitted white background decals, and painted the upper face of the needles Red to give a better contrast

 

[Popell]

get your eye sight checked

They are checked with boring regularity, long distance fine, just the close up black numbers/red illumination problem

Are you legal to drive without glasses?

Barely legal with them most of the time, only need them to read - don't fancy getting stopped whilst reading so I don't wear them whilst riding

I would echo getting your eyesight checked but would also add that as someone who has trouble with low light/low contrast colour perception that sometimes it's just a colour issue, not a focus issue.

Spot on, exactly my prob

All that said, I know pretty much what the clocks indicate just by seeing where the needles are pointing. Seeing the miles on the odometer aren't so easy though.

no probs seeing the dials, just the odometer and time - bike hasn't got the fancy computer

The display is I'm afraid already LED illuminated.
I did though strip out my display two years back & fitted white background decals, and painted the upper face of the needles Red to give a better contrast

Thats what I imagined - shame we can't up the current to the leds /change the colour of the panel illumination

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Ahhh, the age old "getting old and now I can't read the paper at breakfast" problem!!! Rough guess, but, late forties? (like me ).

Recently when I had my eyes tested (I'm becoming long sighted now so need readers) I discussed with the optician the problem of not being able to read a book/paper etc when in sunshine - there's no way I'm going to put those sunglass-lense thingies on my readers - so maybe I should order prescription sunglasses? I understand the likes of Oakley etc will do prescription lenses for their whole range. His suggestion was not to get tinted readers because I'd still be continually swapping them with normal sunglasses, but to go for bi-focal sunglasses, with the upper section non-lens.
He recommended Maui Jim glasses and ordered me a set for my required correction ..... and they are brilliant! Can't tell they're different to regular sunglasses from the front, but to the wearer the lower section is perfect for reading. Takes a little getting used to because your brain has to ignore the transition area across the middle/lower section of the lens, but now I can read gauges again! Doesn't help in the dark but i guess ordinary bi-focals would!

Stu.

 

[mr_magicfingers]

Ahhh, the age old "getting old and now I can't read the paper at breakfast" problem!!! Rough guess, but, late forties? (like me ).

Recently when I had my eyes tested (I'm becoming long sighted now so need readers) I discussed with the optician the problem of not being able to read a book/paper etc when in sunshine - there's no way I'm going to put those sunglass-lense thingies on my readers - so maybe I should order prescription sunglasses? I understand the likes of Oakley etc will do prescription lenses for their whole range. His suggestion was not to get tinted readers because I'd still be continually swapping them with normal sunglasses, but to go for bi-focal sunglasses, with the upper section non-lens.
He recommended Maui Jim glasses and ordered me a set for my required correction ..... and they are brilliant! Can't tell they're different to regular sunglasses from the front, but to the wearer the lower section is perfect for reading. Takes a little getting used to because your brain has to ignore the transition area across the middle/lower section of the lens, but now I can read gauges again! Doesn't help in the dark but i guess ordinary bi-focals would!

Stu.

That's a good idea, I should get those for reading during the summer, usually I try and put shades over the top of my reading glasses.

 

[chesuk]

bi-focal sunglasses, with the upper section non-lens.

Very good idea but for me it was a very expensive waste of money - i found the reading part of the lens was so narrow I had to turn my head from side to side has I read a book - that is even more disturbing than having to hold the book at arms length

Th lens pattern on mine seemed to be a spot for the reading area (about 10%) a stripe for the distance area (about 40%) and the rest just nauseating transition areas

If you found a simple bifocal with a horizontal transition I'd like to know where - i need new glasses - maybe its time to try again