LED lighting

[jwv]

Thought there was an earlier thread on this subject but couldn't find it.  I bought some track lighting with halogens and want to change them all out to LED.  I ordered these http://www.amazon.com/Light-bulb-GU10-20LED-White/dp/B000M178Y8/ref=pd_ys_qtk_rvi/104-5457291-1975923
and they are good, fast shipping, etc.  Anyone have any better sources?

Judy

[outhouse]

I think you might have the best price there on amazon, but hear are some other suppliers that seem to have pretty good quality and varieties.
http://www.theledlight.com/
http://www.superbrightleds.com/index.htm
http://www.bluhmenterprises.com/

[Amanda_931]

Super Bright is the one I bought from.  A very dim (but 36 tiny LED's, so it's not terribly directional) panel that fits in a 12 volt socket in the trailer.  I can use it for hours and still not have to recharge the battery the next day.  It does put enough light out that I can see the keyboard on the computer.

Prices are going down, selection is increasing a lot.  Even Home Depot (or was it Lowe's?) had some for undercounter lights the other day.

I've heard about 100 watt LED's.  Suitable for aircraft landing lights.

[MountainDon]

I just came across some LED night lights at HomeDepot while I was searching for some of those 7.5 watt bulbs. I bought a couple for here and there.

[jwv]

An update on the LEDs. So far so good.  They are not like a 60w bulb but for the hallway will be perfect.  One "burned out" soon after installing and we emailed and he sent us one post haste. I was impressed, no questions asked.  We will order more from him.

I haven't found them at HD yet but our trips there are very focused at the moment, no time to dawdle.

Judy

[Amanda_931]

Treehugger had a listing the other day for some that are supposed to be 70 w equivalent.  Standard medium base bulb, well above 50 bucks apiece.  Comments are pretty interesting.  

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/led_bulb_replac.php

Right now I'm using a 12 v one suitable for travel trailers, that doesn't put out much light with its 36 little lights, but it's perfectly fine for seeing the laptop keyboard with.  And I haven't burned it out yet.  Which one tends to do using the kind of bulb intended for brake or turn signal lights continuously.

[MountainDon]

Amanda, interesting lamp at treehugger. Have you tried any 12 VDC compact fluorescents?

[Amanda_931]

Not really.  I'd like to get the (tiny) solar panels set up to charge my 12 v battery.  But really, it's got to be more automatic than giving just me a continuous tone every time the panels go into the shade.  Where they are going to be roughly 18 (maybe 20) hours a day.

But that setup came with a pair of 5w fluorescents.  One of which got stepped on.  But that's my total experience.

The trailer has automotive type bulb sockets and one lighter plug socket.  

[MountainDon]

I would really like to see some better LED lights, especially ones rated for 12 VDC, at more reasonable prices. It may just take more time.

In the RV I switched a couple of the auto dual incandescent bayonet base units for Thinlite 115 fixtures (single F15T8 FL tube, 15 watts, 825 lumens at about 1.3 amps/12 VDC, a number of years ago. In a small space that's more than enough light and draws much less power than the dual auto types. If I'm right the 1156 auto use about 2.1 amps.

A couple of years ago I came across some compact FL bulbs with a standard edison screw base. They fit a regular household socket. I wired up a plain plastic ceiling socket as an experiment. I've tried 3 compact FL lamps; a 7 watt, 400 lumen, .6 amp (not quite as bright as a 40 watt incandescent I'd say) and an 11 watt, 750 lumen, .95 amp (maybe as bright as a 55 watt incandescent). The third is 18 watts, 1200 lumens, 1.5 amps, like a 75 watt incandescent. The first 2 were about $16 (each) from http://www.solarseller.com and the third about $24.  I'm sure other places may have them. I've bought a number of things from solarseller and have been happy.

They also have some LED lights, but none seem too bright for the price, tho'I haven't actually tried any. The potential for energy savings is there, if they can be produced eco-economically, and if they can provide enough light to read by. My 60 yr old eyes need more light than used to.

The LED you mentioned, that was bright enough to see the keyboard by... what would you judge the lumens or incand equiv watts to be?

[glenn-k]

I saw a chart the other day - don't remember where, that was pretty well comparing apples to oranges regarding LED's.

100 watt incandescent compared to 23 watt CF in lumens but was compared to only about 30 watt lumen LED for an outrageous price, then when you multiplied the lumens to get the same amount the wattage was only around 25% less than CF.

or whatever I meant to say. :-?

[Amanda_931]

I've no idea.  It's a lot better than using the laptop screen to try to see the keyboard.  

Some of the people commenting on that big expensive bulb seemed to think that equivalent bulb size/lumens was not going to work very well.  Because the LEDs would probably look and feel a lot dimmer than the numbers.  And have those pretty glaring shadows.  A little fuzzy with 36 little bitty LEDs, maybe getting semi "normal" if you've got a hundred of them.

I can read a few words in black type off a white page with it.  But if I wanted to do more than that, I'd turn on something else.  There's a PL 13 fluorescent plugged in within reach.

[MountainDon]

I'm gambling here, but I think I know where you were going with that apples/oranges thing. For the watts being used, the LED's don't fare too well when you gang them up to try and get the same amount of light on the job, compared to a CFL.   :-?

One of the problems I see with LED's is that they're usually quite directional. It could be very bright aimed at the pages of the book you're reading but the rest of the room is dark. OK for task lighting for some folks, but I find the contrast between the bright nearly focused light and the rest of the room bothersome.

[MountainDon]

I've no idea.  It's a lot better than using the laptop screen to try to see the keyboard.  

Done that; but then the LCD screen goes darker, too my eyes, or harder to read because of the angle... can't win    

Thanks

[glenn-k]

That's my trick - have to turn a light on each side to keep shadows away.

Looks like th e 150 leds equal 50 watts so 300 leds to equal 100 watts @ 18 watts used compared to 23 watts for CF 100 -

I was wrong above so am changing it to 23 from 13 watts.

[MountainDon]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  

[glenn-k]

The apples - oranges - they compared equivalent CF and incandescent but about 1/4 output on LED.

Looks like a 100 watt LED costs 160.00 and uses near the same power as a CF - a bit less - then you do have pretty directional fuzzy light .  I do like them for a small flashlight though - 4 led always with me and good for about 8 months on batts.

[Amanda_931]

The flashlights are nice

[MountainDon]

You can't beat them for a flashlight.   They do tend to go dark in a hurry when the batteries are about to give their last.

[glenn-k]

Yeah - It's right now - about 3 seconds light to dark.  I did that once then soon had worn out the twisty top aluminum case switch so bought a new one -- or Sassy bought it for me.