Backglass and Translite Hotspots

Are you seeing spots? No, really... in your translite or backglass; if you're seeing hotspots, check out this article!

Backglass or Translite Hotspots

Exactly what is a ‘hotspot’ in the backglass or translite?  Simply put, this is when you can visibly see the bright spots from the LEDs in the backbox. 

See, with incandescent lights, the light is omnidirectional meaning that the light spread is all the way around the bulb and doesn’t shine in any particular direction.  The nature of an LED is that it’s “directional”. That is, it shines in one particular direction.  The light spread can be manipulated slightly by using more LEDs that are less bright or the LED can be moulded in a resin to diffuse (spread) the light more or the lights can be pointed in different directions.  Examples of these would be the Pop Bumper Bulb and the frosted bulb that we sell.

Our Pop Bumper Bulb utilizes 5 LEDs; one larger one in the center on the top, which shines upward, and then four smaller ones around the rim that shine to the sides.  These offer very good light spread without sacrificing brightness.

The Frosted LEDs that we currently have contain a diode that is moulded in a semi-opaque resin.  As the light escapes from the diode, it bounces around the resin and then spreads light around outside the bulb.

So, by now, you’re either really confused or more interested… either way, you may be wondering “What does this have to do with Backglass Hotspots?”  Let’s get to that now.  If the wrong LED is used in the backbox, it can make the backglass or translite appear to have little spots of light, as opposed to the warm, even light that it was supposed to have originally.  This is due to the light intensity and proximity of the translite.  Imagine you have a flashlight and you put a sheet of paper right up to the light and turn it on.  The light will be concentrated in one place, but as you pull the sheet of paper away from the light source, the spread of light becomes broader and broader. 

Obviously, you cannot pull the backglass or translite further away from the light source in your backbox so, to make sure that you’re getting a nice spread of light, we recommend using a frosted, retro or Pop Bumper Bulb to provide a more even light to spread throughout the backglass.  If you’re looking for the brightest solution, consider the Pop Bumper Bulb; although we market it as a pop bumper bulb, we find that many customers are buying these in bulk quantity to use in other places including the backbox.  The Pop Bumper Bulb is bright and has an excellent spread of light, allowing for a nice, even look while still improving brightness.

When adding lights to your backbox, we recommend using a bulb with a sort of cap (Retro Bulbs, Frosted, etc.) or bulbs that point the light in different directions (Pop Bumper Bulb).  Super brights are a great light, but may cause this “hot spotting” in your translite since they’re bright and the translite is close to the bulb.

Be sure to email us with questions or let us know if you need a recommendation!!