how do i change the color of backlighting?

hi folks!

i'm about to buy a cb radio but the one i want has an amber backlighting while i'm looking for blue. how does backlighting work?

i think it may be a sheet of colored material behind a clear led display, but if i'm wrong, let me know. i need to go blue!

thanks much!

ren

Is this a walkie-talkie, a car rig or a Base station rig?

car setup. it's going to (hopefully!) go into a 2000 ford explorer.

backlighting is normally just a few LEDs on the side of the display and the light is evenly spread over it by a light guide (plastic thing). So if you can change the Amber LEDS into blue ones, you're set! (blue ones need a higher operating voltage, 3,6V)

if i change them to blue, will i need to change anything else to accomodate the new voltage?

thanks!

oh, and where do i find a list of other colors' voltage? what about purple? green?

thanks again!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rich novak:
if i change them to blue, will i need to change anything else to accomodate the new voltage?

oh, and where do i find a list of other colors' voltage? what about purple? green?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In many cases, you don't need to change anything. I've replaced red LEDs with blue & purple ones in computers and small electronics and did not need to make any changes. The open circuit voltage (once the LED is removed) will very probably be more than high enough to accomodate any LED color; the resistor already in the circuit will keep the new LED from becoming a crispy critter.

Typical voltages of LEDs:
Infrared: 1.4 to 1.8 volts
Red: 1.9 to 2.1 volts
Orange: 2.1 volts
Yellow: 2.1 to 2.2 volts:
Yellow-green: 2.2 volts
True green: 3.4 to 3.6 volts
Aqua: 3.4 to 3.6 volts
"Standard" Blue: 3.6 to 3.8 volts
Deep Blue: 3.8 to 4.0 volts
Indigo: 3.6 to 3.8 volts
Violet: 3.6 to 3.8 volts
Ultraviolet: 3.6 to 3.9 volts
White: 3.6 to 4.0 volts