R8500 Dial Light replacement

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N9JIG

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It appears that one of the dial lights is out on my R8500. As far as I can tell there are 3, one on the meter and 2 on the LCD display. The left one on the LCD display is out on my radio.

Anyone know how hard it is to repair this and if it something I could do on my own? I suppose I would also need the bulb as well...
 

woody_46

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If you can solder it's an easy one. Just remove the top cover of the unit and you'll see the backside of the printed circuit board. I was going to replace mine but Icom Canada did mine because I had the dreaded PLL unlock and it needed repair anyways.

Oh just be careful you don't break the speaker connector when removing the top cover. Gently pull the wire connector off the circuit board.
 
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KE4RWS

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Has anyone replaced their display bulbs with LED's? Just wondering if there's any info on this or if anyone's done it to their R8500 . . .
 

KE4RWS

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Somebody needs to try.:)

I was thinking of buying a used R8500 but it's common for them to have display lights burned out. Although this is really no big deal to replace, I always wonder about older radio's that use incandescent bulbs and if anyone has found good replacement LED's that will match the lumen output and package type of the original bulbs. I know you can replace pretty much any bulb using an LED but you always have to be mindful of voltage, brightness and package style when retro-fitting using LED, as it could either be too dim, way too bright, or not fit properly due to size differences.

I always prefer replacing burned out lighting in older radio's using LED's simply because once you do it you'll never have to do it again, which is the great thing about LED technology ;)

I know a lot of the time these threads just don't get seen they should and a lot of the time people who would otherwise be able to give an answer right away just don't see these topics. That's why I playfully said, "Nevermind" :lol:

I'll have to keep looking around to see if someone has done this to their R8500, as someone has HAD to have done this at some point . . .
 

ratboy

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You can do it easily with 5MM LEDS, there are 4, one on the meter and 3 on the display. 3MM LEDS will work too, but don't fit into the holes very well. I did one recently with "Warm white" 3MM LEDS already wired for 12V and they work great. The hardest part is unplugging the speaker lead.
 

Intellifax

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Ratboy did my R8500, and it looks GREAT. Nice even light, just the right color and intensity, and its still dimmable.

The R7100 is next..... :)
 

KE4RWS

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LED Back Lighting on the Icom R8500

I bought a used R8500 about a year ago and decided right away to replace the bulbs with LED's but figured I would do it after the first bulb blew out. However, after a year of daily use the original factory bulbs are still burning bright so I've yet to swap them out. Fortunately I got the receiver from the original owner who only used it a a few months before passing away. I purchased it from his widow who was in the process of selling off her late husbands radio gear. He had bought it brand new and quite literally only used it a couple months before being diagnosed with some form of cancer but passed away soon thereafter :(

Needless to say the display bulbs have remained intact since acquiring the receiver but I think I'm gonna just go ahead and proceed with my LED retrofit anyway because it could be years before even one bulb blows out and I'd like to go ahead and swap'em out because once done I'll never have to replace them again - plus LED's operate cooler than incandescent bulbs. I just need to locate wide angle 5mm 12 volt LED's in the desired color and I'll be in business. The bulbs are extremely easy to access and easy to de-solder and install the new LED's. I only wish the R8500 had infinitely adjustable back lighting versus the factory "High" and "Low" choices :lol:
 

KE4RWS

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K4APR

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Has anyone replaced their display bulbs with LED's? Just wondering if there's any info on this or if anyone's done it to their R8500 . . .

Actually, Yes! We use 8500's in our RF Lab Receiver Site at NASA Wallops. Slowly, the backlights are burning out, so I am testing LED's as replacements. Here is one unit that has been converted:

IMG_20130704_085615.jpg


Here is one with the stock backlight and the converted unit for comparison:

IMG_20130704_085634.jpg
 

KE4RWS

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Very Nice

The blue LED's look very nice. What exactly did you use for this? I'd think I'd like to use blue just for a different look.
 

ratboy

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I did a conversion to 5mm green LEDs a few days ago on another 8500. Looked real nice. They came as clear lensed LEDs, but I took a pot scrubber to them and made them "diffused", and they looked better as backlights that way.

My camera (phone) wouldn't cooperate at the time, so I don't have any pics.I think I'm going to be getting a new phone soon..
 

KE4RWS

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LED back lighting

I did a conversion to 5mm green LEDs a few days ago on another 8500. Looked real nice. They came as clear lensed LEDs, but I took a pot scrubber to them and made them "diffused", and they looked better as backlights that way.

My camera (phone) wouldn't cooperate at the time, so I don't have any pics.I think I'm going to be getting a new phone soon..

That's a good idea creating a diffuse surface on the LED's before installing them. I'm going to buy a set of LED's, possibly blue, for my R8500 display. I wasn't sure what color I wanted until seeing how the one posted by KE4NYV looked. I like blue so I think I'll change it to that color but I'm just not sure about the best mcd to use. I want to buy the right LED's and I know to use the 5mm 12 volt variety but I'm not sure about the mcd and the best viewing angle for this application (obviously wider is better).

Ratboy, can you tell me what mcd rating you used for the one's you've converted so far? I can treat the surface like you did to cause a more diffuse broadcast but choosing the proper mcd is my biggest concern.
 
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