LED lighting

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  • solorone
    solorone Solar Expert Posts: 257 ✭✭✭
    Re: LED lighting

    Been awhile since I checked in, great new information here. As already discussed the lights of America LEDs are poorly made and now the ones I bought this summer are showing light fall off. As in my OP the better lights seemed to be $$. They hopefully will come down when volume goes up. Thanks for posting.
  • gweedo
    gweedo Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭✭
    Re: LED lighting - DIMMERS

    News on Dimmers...

    So I've had the standard Home Depot Leviton or Lutron (not sure which, but 3 way Decora) Sliding dimmer on the LEDs for a while. After about 2 months, they pretty much stopped working well: Lights flicker and some cut out. Strange since it worked for 2 months with no problems.

    Anyway, ordering a Magnetic Low Voltage dimmer for both my 5 light and 3 light CREE LR6 arrays and will let you know if they work any better. The dimmers I bought are these: Lutron Diva Dimmer - Magnetic Low Voltage 450w (600va) Single Pole

    I'll post whether or not this fixes the dimming issue.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: LED lighting

    Also, look very closely at the LED's themselves... White LED's are frequently advertised as 50-100,000 hours of life--when in reality, most probably begin to die around 100-1,000 hours of life.

    Poor heat transfer (LED die generate quite a bit of heat in a small area, frequently embedded in plastic), phosphors don't last as long as the "blue LED" that drives the phosphors, etc.

    It is possible that the electronic dimmers are putting high surge currents into the LED's too (generally, a very sharp on spike every 1/2 cycle). Depending on the "ballast" design--these sharp spikes can put quite a surge current through to the LED's themselves.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • AntronX
    AntronX Solar Expert Posts: 462 ✭✭
    Re: LED lighting
    BB. wrote: »
    White LED's are frequently advertised as 50-100,000 hours of life--when in reality, most probably begin to die around 100-1,000 hours of life.

    It's all poor design, not LEDs themselves. About 1 year 2 months ago, I bought some bare chip Avago 1W warm white LEDs from Mouser. Hooked up 8 in series and connected to my 24V battery bank. They have been running 24/7 ever since. So far it's been 10,000 hours of operation and not a single one failed. I have them sitting on 7 x 2 x 1/4 inch aluminum bar for heat dissipation. But I only run them at between 150 - 200 mAh and not at 350 mAh as they are rated.

    To Gweedo, don't put your LED lights on dimmers. Simple chopper dimmers wreak havoc on power supply inside your LED light.
  • lamplight
    lamplight Solar Expert Posts: 368 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: LED lighting

    Hi
    just found this thread.. been using 12v led's from superbrightleds.com for a few years, one died. I started buying their AC led's with wide dispersion when they got bright enough and now have most of the house using led's except where the CFL's haven't burned out. Most of the good ones were at least $50 each which is shocking buit ireally dont need any more mercury spills as ive accidentally broken a couple cfl's over the years. I also recently picked up a couple in home depot no less, maybe 6 months ago. I think they were GE and about $60 each. we even have some of the globe style ones in our kitchen as overheads and they light up the whole room! i did some pics on this stuff back then and have posted results here (I've actually posted this info on this site once upon a time , not sure if it was this forum or the old one)

    http://florenceit.net/articles/15-our-green-office

    i recently just bought one of these "C. Crane Geobulb light bar" and hooked it up with some other led's i have all on the same run for under cabinet lighting all from my 12v battery bank, it works fine. http://www.altestore.com/store/Lighting-Fans/LED-Lamps-Fixtures/AC-120V-LED-Bulbs-and-Fixtures/C-Crane-GeoBulb-1-Light-Bar-AC-Adapter-Soft/p7336/

    I have the AC wall wart that outputs 12vDC if anyone wants that they can have it free if you take care of shipping.
  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    Re: LED lighting

    May want to look at this info:

    http://www.westnet-inc.com/content/view/25/37/
  • solorone
    solorone Solar Expert Posts: 257 ✭✭✭

    Wow!  I was going to post a LED ?.  Got sidetracked and had to look up my history and saw this thread from 7 tears ago !!

    Ok has anyone tried the CHINA corn bulbs as can be found on the big A. or elsewhere like  12 Volt Monster.  ( 12 Volt Monster is a pain, will not communicate on PHONE ).

    I have wanted to try some in the 12/24 V.  2500 to 3500 lumen range. I am worried about the old problem of light fall off.

    I have 2 -$49 outdoor large utility Phillips motion lights I converted to inside use  ((very well made). One in shop another in kitchen for ceiling bounce. The kitchen  light has about 2000 hours on it and I think I see light fall off at about 1000 hours. I still need to put up against the one in the shop and compare.

    If anyone has any experience with these larger bulb let me know.

    By the way how do you post pics on this new to me page/software?

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    You can drag and drop images directly into the edit window... Or, there is a little black rectangle with a corner clipped (like a folded page). You should see that just above the edit window with all of the other "edit functions" (assuming everything is setup correctly in the "relatively new" software.

    I have just tried a few four foot LED florescent bi-pin replacement tubes in standard tube fixture (~$30 from Costco)... So far, vary happy with them. Very bright and pretty much instant on. Used in different rated fixtures, and the results were the same (same amount of bright white light and quick start).

    As always with LED lighting, I suggest buying one or two "bulbs first" and try them first for a while before "replacing them all".

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm using one of the corn cob bulbs in my fridge (120VAC) pretty bluish, but it does not get hot and melt the lens when the door gets left open!

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