Replacement Reading Lights

DougH

The plastic toggle switches for the back reading lights eventually started going out.  So I picked up what I think a couple other folks on the forum have gone with...

Thalassa Blue Night Light / Dimmable Warm White Light / USB Port  $50 for the pair.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JNLCFQL

A bit pricier than many 12V lamps on Amazon, but these were the closest to original base size so I figured no new screw holes or mounting plates. That turned out to be correct.

[1] Unscrewed two Roberson head screws holding old reading light, [2] clipped wires right at lamp connection, [3] slipped included new mounting plate over wires, [4] soldered white camper wire to black wire of new lamp, and black camper wire to red wire of new lamp, [5] screwed plate in with existing holes and new provided phillips screws, [6] put lamps at an angle with USB port facing down and towards center of bench, [7] tightened down the set screw to keep lamps attached to mounting plate. Ten minutes total installation time, and two more handy USB ports. Only 1.4W and they remember the mode and dimming level. Press once for blue night light, a second time for white light, and hold finger on touch sensitive area to gradually or dim the bulb.

pthomas745

For the solder-inept among us I suppose some simple wiring connectors fit behind the fixture?  How much extra wire is back there?

Tabaz

Thanks for this Doug.  Really dislike the "Prison Yard" brightness of the stock lamps.  Spent hours looking for a replacement without success.  Will be placing my order momentarily.

DougH

@pthomas745 Half a foot or so, and yup wiring connectors will fit fine.

@Tabaz Someone here suggested quarter or half CTO correction gel.  I put one layer of...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08814S8KM

...on the old reading light to get rid of the starkness of the old lights, until the switches stopped working.

Tabaz

Kind of you to help the rest of us save some money with a simple CTO correction gel mod. 

DougH

@Tabaz   Post was from @VictoriaP on the gel:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/156084#Comment_156084

Think they went even warmer. I couldn't find a cheap kit that had a smaller square area of both 1/4 up to full so you could adjust the warmth to suit. It's probably out there somewhere.

Tabaz

Thanks again Doug - already ordered your lights before my second post. Life is short enough without having to deal with correction gel.

Tabaz

Great round table if I may add.

ontheroad

The one thing I miss about the T@g...the lighting...loved being able to change from white to the blue...

DougH

I know blue attracts less bugs... but all the latest studies show blue spectrum interferes with sleep.  So half of today's phones shift to a much warmer spectrum an hour before bed to help nod off quicker.  Always seemed odd to see so many RVs offering blue night lights. But then it's hard to sleep with a couple dozen bugs swirling about too.

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-blue-light

4ncar

I replaced my stock “retina burners” within the 1st months of ownership of my 320.  I had noticed the blue lights in the 400, back in those days, and ordered a pair from Elsie(when you could buy direct.). The blue DEFIANTLY doesn’t attract bugs and makes for a nice glow(and miserly on the battery). My SO only uses the white light to read by, otherwise we use the blue. 

Tampakayaker

DougH said:

@pthomas745 Half a foot or so, and yup wiring connectors will fit fine.

@Tabaz Someone here suggested quarter or half CTO correction gel.  I put one layer of...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08814S8KM

...on the old reading light to get rid of the starkness of the old lights, until the switches stopped working.

They look great

rh5555

Has anyone measured the current draw of these lights when they are "off"?  Having an available USB and touch-sensing is going to draw some trickle current, maybe insignificant, maybe not...

Dudlee

I'm experimenting with red,yellow, and white, electrical tape over the LED's.  I have a white and yellow layer over one and its perfect for reading,  I put 2 red layers over the other one and like the way it looks.

-

DougH

@Dudlee Looks like you're also contemplating changing the speakers.  We went with a pair of Polks. Did you find something even nicer sounding that fit?

Dudlee

@DougH I pulled the speaker to access the lamp wiring.