LED Lights

[markopolo]

It used to cost $30 per ready made bulb for RV's. Now it's probably much cheaper.



Three of these LED's in series only draw 20mA. A 'normal' RV bulb draws 1 amp+!

For more info take a look at Wilton’s page here:

http://windsurf.mediaforte.com/roadt...trek_tips.html

he says:

“Using 14.5 volts, here are all of the options:
3 LEDs 200 Ohms
2 LEDs 375 Ohms
1 LED 550 Ohms”

I actually used:

3 LEDs 220 Ohms
2 LEDs 330 Ohms
1 LED 510 Ohms

Because they were what I could get.

My led’s are 70,000 mcd not 5,000 mcd like a lot of what is out there. 10mm in size, most led’s are 5mm.

I got them from eBay http://stores.ebay.ca/TopBright-Led-Store

I see they even have brighter ones now.

Here’s a handy tool:

http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

my six led bulb was put together as follows:



There is no noticeable heat. I used pieces of circuit board. I did not tape or glue them. I left space so that I can bend each led to direct the light. Mine actually touch the light cover.

The easiest way to try LED lighting is to use these Sylvania Dot it lights:
http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21

Accidently left one on at home while I was away for two days - came back and it was still shining bright!

DOT•it lights include three replaceable AAA batteries that provide power for about 100 hours of bright, white LED light. The LEDs inside DOT•it lights will last for years.

[markopolo]

Here's a photo of my 9 "bulb" led light.

[paulm]

I just order some 80,000mcd Warm White (3000K) Leds. Not that I got them for the camper, but for my 12volt MoonRays.

I've been playing with some Bright White ones and find there's a blue tinge to the light, where as the standard incandescent have an orange yellow glow.

I've noticed with compact fluorescents, that warm white give nicer light but cool white seems to be a lot brighter.

[markopolo]

I just bought some ready-made led bulbs on eBay. I haven't had a chance to try them yet but will report back.

They look a lot nicer than my homemade ones!



The back of the package:



The box indicates that they are 1.5 watts - by my calculations; 16 of these will draw the same amount of current as 1 regular 1156 incandescent RV bulb!

We like led lights in our RV but not everyone does. For the best of both worlds see my post on 50% LED Lighting here:

http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=580

[markopolo]

I like these new led bulbs!



There's a bit of of bluish tint compared to the very yellow incandescent.

These spread the light much better than my home-made ones. They were whiter though. With five of these new bulbs on (drawing about 1/3 of the current that one incandescent draws!) it's nicely lit up inside.

The incandescent are still brighter but I actually prefer the led's.

I got them here: http://stores.ebay.com/US-Home-Direct

I bought a 10 pack and have used 9. I might put the last one in the outside "porch" light.

[Mike]

Hi marco,
I've searched high and low for a few days now trying to find replacement LED bulbs for the interior lights in the 190P. No luck at
CTC or Rona (Ontario), although CTC had coloured ones for tail lights etc..
Any idea where I might find a retailer who sells them? I know you got yours off Ebay, but I'm leery of online shopping. I've googled as many combinations of LED/bulbs/etc. and have found nothing local.
Also, I've been looking for a water pressure regulator fitting for the city water connection, same 2 places, same luck. It was suggested that some parks provide too much pressure, and RT doesn't have one built in according to their doc, so I'd like to install a bit of peace of mind. Anyone know where I might get one?

Thanks for any help, sorry to bother,
Mike.

[Mike]

Hi,
I found the pressure fitting at a local Home Hardware for $22.99 + tax. So never mind about it. Sorry, my fingers and impatience with less than helpful associates at "big box stores" has gotten the better of me.
If I find any retailers for the interior LEDs, I'll post it up. I think someone mentioned whether or not there were solar-powered strings of LEDs for their awnings. I did see some while searching for the interior lights, and they seem much more common than 1156s or 1141s for the inside.

Mike.

[Davydd]

I've been a longtime user of online internet shopping. I have no qualms about it. There are just too many things available only via online that you simply cannot find locally. For instance the hitch receiver I recently bought was not available locally and a major hitch installing company, the Dodge dealer and the Pleasure-Way dealer all told me I would have to have a custom hitch made. The auxiliary AGM battery I bought to fit under my passenger seat was also not available in the Twin Cities, a 3 million people metro area.

[Mike]

I'm sure it's (relatively) safer than 10 years ago, but I just can't get my head around places like E-Bay and the like. There's always a certain amount of trust involved in any remote transaction, be it over the phone, or the internet, but I still shy away from it. Besides, I want to see it first, to make sure it's what I want/need.

Oh well,
Mike.

[markopolo]

LED lights are becoming more widely available.

I do not know of an "in store" source for you to try but I suggest trying marine / boating related stores. I have seen LED bulbs locally in marine shops. They might have wanted $25 per bulb though!

I recommend the eBay seller I got my latest batch from. Very easy transaction.

http://stores.ebay.ca/US-Home-Direct

I bought a wholesale lot of 10 bulbs. Ended up costing approx. $7 per bulb which included shipping to Canada.

[Mike]

Thanks for the tip on marine supply outlets. I'll have a look, but I'm not holding out much hope, as I've googled the heck out of it, and found nowt.
Mike.

[WAPITI]

I was surfing the net last evening and found a site for LED lights, as well as solar panels, etc. called WSE Technologies. This company is out of Saskatoon, SK. You can order from them using credit card, and they have a large selection of LED's. I'm going to have my father-in-law, who lives in Saskatoon, check it out. Thought some of you who may not have found any distributors, or manufacturers might be interested. Their web site address is http://www.ledlights.ca

Brian

[Mike]

Hi and thanks for the info.
I eventually found LED lights and a digital converter for my TV at a place called Nutech Electronics in St. Catharines Ontario.
While I was looking for the lights, I found a website in St. Louis Mo called SuperBrite LEDs (or something like that) that did online orders. Here's a link to the thread with my searches for LEDs and ATSC tuners in Canada if you're interested in LEDs.
It all wound up in the GENERAL category as part of a thread about digital tuners for analog TVs.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=924

I currently have LEDs in all the interior courtesy/utility lights (except the forward overhead map lights and the lower door step lights), the range hood, and the porch light. They all seem to work just fine and supposedly draw 1/15 the power of their incandescent predecessors. Good luck out there with your search.

Mike.

[fmvan]

Ikea and Home Depot carry LED's that are 12 volts. They come with a transformer that can be cut off so they can be wired directly into the battery. Both carry hockey puck style lights - with 9 or 12 LEDs in each puck.

[Mike]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. I searched HD Canada's website and found some LED options, but couldn't find anything except decorative and Xmas style lights at the IKEA site. Maybe they're not up here in Canada yet? A review at the HD site says they're only about the equivalent of a 15W incandescent, but suggest they'd be useful in places you need only that much light.
I'm sure I searched HD/Rona/CTC/ everywhere else I could think of last summer when I first started pursuing LED lights.
I'm also sure they didn't have anything back then, but then we're always lagging behind the US when it comes to "cool new toys".
I'm off to HD when the snow stops for a look see........

Mike.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by WAPITI

I was surfing the net last evening and found a site for LED lights, as well as solar panels, etc. called WSE Technologies. This company is out of Saskatoon, SK. You can order from them using credit card, and they have a large selection of LED's. I'm going to have my father-in-law, who lives in Saskatoon, check it out. Thought some of you who may not have found any distributors, or manufacturers might be interested. Their web site address is http://www.ledlights.ca

Brian

Thanks for posting the link. There'd be some interesting possibilities using that led 'tape'.

Originally Posted by fmvan

Ikea and Home Depot carry LED's that are 12 volts. They come with a transformer that can be cut off so they can be wired directly into the battery. Both carry hockey puck style lights - with 9 or 12 LEDs in each puck.

fmvan's led modification is on his website. Here's the link: http://fmvan.com/?page_id=176

[markopolo]

All of my light fixtures have led bulbs in them now. I had to get a few different types. The large halogen replacements are very bright.

[Mike]

I received my 4410 LED festoon lights to replace the incandescents in the overhead interior
courtesy light in the cab, and the 3 door step illumination lights. All are lit when you open the
van doors.
They are from an outfit called Superbright LEDs in St. Louis, MO. I took the plunge and ordered
them last week online (I'm a big boy now!!! ) and they arrived today.
I chose "natural white" from their list of color options, as it was recommended by one of their
email staff.
They look great, have 9 led bulbs/light on each mini-circuit board, so they are pretty bright.
I think that'll be it for LED replacements in the van for a while. All the external running lights
are factory incandescents, as are the cab map lights and those pop-on/off lights on either
side of the cab dome light. They're only likely to be used when we're in motion, so I can
justify leaving them as is.

I'd recommend Superbright as a source for LED lights for your vans.

[markopolo]

An update to this topic.
LED bulbs have come a long way in terms of brightness compared to the earlier offerings.

I ordered and received 4 of these:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271046417623



120 led bulb

Type: 1156
DC 12V
Color: white
120 3528SMD LEDs
Color temperature: 5000K-6000K
Diameter: about 2cm
Height: about 6cm

With 120 LED's these are probably twice as bright as the previous led bulbs in the van.

[Mike]

So, you want to be visible from space at night?
I'll assume the power consumption is greater, by a factor proportional to the total LED count.
At what point do incandescents start to become economical again? These little LED guys start to get expensive when you add lumens.