XTS5000 - Change LED Color?

This forum is dedicated to discussions pertaining specifically to the Motorola ASTRO line of radios (those that use VSELP/IMBE/AMBE), including using digital modulation, digital programming, FlashPort upgrades, etc. If you have general questions please use the General or Programming forums.

Moderator: Queue Moderator

Post Reply
Rayjk110
Banned
Posts: 1183
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 4:10 pm

XTS5000 - Change LED Color?

Post by Rayjk110 »

I was pondering the idea the other night of how hard (or if it's easily possible) to make your XTS5k backling/keypad backligt color to a neon blue. Now, I was told that blue LED's draw more power than say green or orange, which would require some more work to do than just simply chaning out the LED's. Is this true? Also, would it even be worth it to do this? Or is there just too much involved...... I've seen this done on other radios, but not this one. (It's not fun having an $800 paper weight)
User avatar
mikegilbert
Posts: 657
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 12:08 am
What radios do you own?: All of them

Re: XTS5000 - Change LED Color?

Post by mikegilbert »

Many months back I was toying with the idea of a red backlight. It'd look cooler if the LCD was inverted (a simple process)

You need to rip off the old polarizing film and cut out a new piece. You simply change the angle of polarization and voila!

Start with:
Image

End up with:
Image
Hightower
Posts: 976
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: XTS5000 - Change LED Color?

Post by Hightower »

Hi

You have a flex, keyboard and display. The flex has dual colored LEDS, however only one is used is green. Red is the other color in the flex that is used for ?? Dunno. The keyboard would be the easiest to change it's LED's. The display I haven't looked into yet, but I believe it would not be an easy task.

Blue LEDS do require more voltage and draw more current. In the flex, each LED has it's own dropping resistor (i think it's 100 Ohm). At 100 ohms, they are probably feeding the LED's 5V, and using a resistor to regulate the current. Newer blue LEDS require less voltage and current, so I think its completely feasable to change the flex LEDS and the keyboard. I'd try to find the lowest voltage, but brightest blue LED, so you can use a larger dropping resistor to keep the current approx the same as the original leds.

Next time I recase my radios, thats a project I'd like to try. I'm thinking either blue or super green (not the dank green Mot uses).
Post Reply

Return to “Legacy Batboard Motorola ASTRO (VSELP/IMBE/AMBE) Equipment Forum”