RE: Red Dash Gone?

[Brett Dikeman <brett@pdikeman.ne.mediaone.net>]

You're wrong on several points.

In aircraft, the entire panel is gently illuminated in red via floods 
located in the top of the dash an inch or two away from the panel, 
but the instrument faces are lit by small white lights on stems that 
cast light at an almost straight down angle.  At least, that's the 
way it was in the several Cessana's I've been in and a Mooney 201. 
Now, we've got CRT's, backlit LCD's and plasma displays going into 
aircraft to replace mechanicals.  Can't speak on any other types of 
aircraft.

Secondly, Audi hasn't always used red backlighting.  Early 5k's had 
gauge needles that were black with a center white line; the 
instrument cluster was front-lit, and I -believe- that it was front 
lit with a white light.  My friend's 84 or 85 5ksw is this way.

Third, several major magazines have always commented(on cars ranging 
from the 91 200q20v to the A8) on the "fighter cockpit" dash 
illumination, quickly followed by analogies to jet fighter 
performance.  Doersn't sound like "bashing" to me...

Our Volvo wagon has a greenish-white light for all its instruments, 
and I believe Volvo has always been this way.  Considering how Volvo 
feels about safety...

I think the theory is that red preserves night vision, but white has 
better contrast(and hence can be dimmed to a lower light level, or 
the driver "sees" the instrument cluster better in his/her peripheral 
vision?) I'm certainly no vision expert.

Most of the auto industry can't be wrong...some fairly 
respectable(all opinions aside) car companies use white, or 
greenish-white light, for instrument lighting.  MB comes to mind, as 
does Volvo, Toyota/Lexus, Acura/Honda...

Really, you guys are getting way bent out of shape over a instrument 
cluster color.  Good grief.  If you don't like it, no one is forcing 
you to:

a)buy a new audi
b)buy an audi period



Brett
91 200q20v(red backlighting, looks cool, seems to work well, beyond 
that...I don't give a rat's ass...I didn't buy the car for the dash 
lighting color.)

At 5:25 PM -0800 3/26/99, Dan Sinclair wrote:
> That SUCKS!  Consumer Reports was the only frigin' magazine that didn't bash
> the Audi's red illumination, and this is the end result.  That stinks.  The
> red was not only distinctive, but it's amongst the BEST illumination colors
> for protecting night vision!  Military aircraft manufacturers have used RED
> illumination for years for just that reason.  Once again, fashion for the
> masses is going to kill another excellent design.
>
> Dan Sinclair
> 1988 Audi 90, 68K mi.
> Photo and details online at:
> http://131.107.68.28/a4.org/registry/details.asp?car=761
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net
> [mailto:owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net]On Behalf Of dtdaily@ibm.net
> Sent: Friday, March 26, 1999 4:05 PM
> To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net; audi-20v@emailsol.com
> Subject: Red Dash Gone?
>
>
>>From Auto Week...
>
> Blah, blah, blah about navigation system in trip computer area using red
> lights..."However, the red lights will have a greater contrast to its
> surroundings, since audi will change in model year 2000 to more
> conventional white-lighted gauges with red needles, abandoning the
> orangeish-red instrument panel illumination it has used through 1999."
>
> I'm getting more than a little frustrated with all of this mass
> homogenization between cars (and hardware stores, and eateries, and
> electronic manufacturers, ad infinitum).  For ----- sake, why doesn't
> anyone want to be different anymore?
>
> Also, there's a tt giveaway.  Pony up $100 and take your chances
> (1:750).  See www.guiding-eyes.org
>
> Derek Daily
> 90 CQ w/ red speedo and I love it.  dammit.

------
Brett Dikeman
brett@pdikeman.ne.mediaone.net
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