As any of you with a convertible knows, the display is virtually useless in the sunlight.

So I tried using a piece of 3M louvered filter (the stuff they sell as privacy filters for laptops) over the display and properly oriented it for the driver (me).

The results were disappointing. It only marginally helped in some low ambient lighting conditions. Not worth the effort...unless you want to block the display from your passenger.

Has anyone figured out a way to overcome ambient light wash-out?

What color screen are you using? Blue and green AR coated screens seem to do the best. In direct sunlight, its going to be washed out no matter what you do. No filter you put on it is going to change that.

I'm using an amber filter. I used a similar 3M louvered filter over an LED display in a convertible years ago with excellent results in all off-angle sunlight conditions (where the louvers effectively blocked the sunlight). I was hoping for similar results.

It's possible that the materal I used before (which was designed for this purpose and was even tinted red) had a different louver material with a different configuration and anti-reflective properties. The privacy screen I tried on the Empeg may have been designed only to restrict viewing angle; not to block off-angle light entry.

I should probably see if I still have some of the old material to try (with the amber filter removed).

Head over to riocar.org and try Tony's lens comparison tool. Compare the amber in ambient sunlight with the blue and green ones.

http://www.riocar.org/lens.php

The red and amber lenses simply block too much of the usuable light emitted by the vfd, which is greenish blue in color.

That said, I wish you the best of luck with the filters you are trying.

Sean

I've found putting your hand over the top of the empeg works surprisingly well. And it's free.

I tried doing that, but it cramps my driving style, makes me corner erratically, and means I no longer signal at roundabouts/junctions.

My god. It turns me into an average driver.

A.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work well for me when the top is down...way too much sunlight most of the time.

I tried doing that, but it cramps my driving style, makes me corner erratically, and means I no longer signal at roundabouts/junctions

Well, I didn't say you do it constantly.

I just do it if I want to see what's playing.

Usualy to find out what's playing you can just listen for a few secconds. The real problems arise when you want to find a song or go through menus. One hand sheilding from the sun, and another pressing buttons doesn't leave much to steer with.

I have this sort of problem enough with my sunroof that I do feel bad for you guys with convertibles. But then I think about it and realize you're driving around in a convertible on a sunny day with the top down, and don't really feel your pain.

Matthew

In reply to:

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I have this sort of problem enough with my sunroof that I do feel bad for you guys with convertibles. But then I think about it and realize you're driving around in a convertible on a sunny day with the top down, and don't really feel your pain.

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I find this an acceptable tradeoff , but some people (like me) just want everything.

I too have a sunroof. But, I tend not to fiddle with the buttons much while I'm driving. It's probably not the safest thing to do. So, I manage to be able to cover the display with my hand and press the skip button with my thumb, all while still keeping the other hand on the wheel.

What we really need is an external display that could be mounted somewhere (like in the dash) where you could read it.