(you need Adobe Acrobat Reader for this link)
https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdCT/p031.pdf

I just got my new Jameco catalog in the mail, and saw this page... which LED would be the kind we need for the HVAC/gauge conversion? I was guessing either the MCDL513SBC4, or the BVU5E1BA4. Problem is, I'm not sure what the difference between the two is.

Anyone care to clarify?

-Matt

the higher the MCD the brighter it is.. so chose the one with the larger number in the MCD column BVU5E1BA4 for example for the blue

Thanks, Jason.

I thought that was the case, but I wasn't sure if there were any other differences. The ones everyone's been using so far have been the 2,600 mcd LEDs from Radio Shack, correct?

These are 10,000 mcd. Anyone with more LED experience than me(not that that would be hard) wanna let me know exactly how bright that would be? For those of you familiar with stereo equipment, I'm trying to match my lighting to the lights on the Alpine 7977(well, the 2002 silver Alpine mp3 deck, but it's the same lights). Which would be the better choice: 2600 mcd, 3000mcd, or 10000mcd?

Thanks in advance for any advice/help

-Matt

the funny thing is i had yet to see such a huge MCD number like that, but ill assume its very bright.. because the 2600 ones are pretty bright. for example.. i changed out one of leds in my computer case with one of the blue ones.. and that thing shines a circle about 2ft in diameter on the wall about 11ft away and almost acts like a night-light at night.. i might have to order some of those 10k ones and see how well they work you see the main reason the hvac with blue doesnt look so bright is partly due to the way the light emits from the leds.. a reg bulb shines from all directions but leds have a much more restrictive radius.. and they dont shine that much towards the sides.. but brigher leds should help out too to dissapate the light. also remember that you wont need that bright of an led in the small buttons.. not to menchen that you will need to get a smaller sized led to fit in some of those buttons too.. in most applications like the hvac you can use the 5mm leds but you will need 3mm ones to fit in some of the buttons.

if its too bright just change the resistor value..