12 volt dc led lights

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System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Hi once again everybody.
I'm looking for some GREAT places to buy 12 volt dc led lights for outdoor use with my solar setup. I know some of you would try and talk me into other sources other than led but I'm fixated on LED's, anybody got some good info for me? Thanks again, Larry
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  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    #2
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Outdoor type is going to be hard to find. The best I know of would be the solar powered walk lights. Could try eBay. I am using some 1157/1156 automotive LED's in my house,look at my site for pics.

    Good luck. I like them, but they do have their limitations.
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  • crewzer
    crewzer Registered Users, Solar Expert Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Here's one source: http://www.superbrightleds.com

    There are a few others, but I can't remember 'em at the moment. Perhaps a web search would help: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=LED+12V&btnG=Google+Search

    HTH,
    Jim / crewzer
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #4
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Doc,

    There is kind of a problem with many 12 VDC appliance/equipment/Lighting... Much of the time 12 VDC input is designed around 12 +/- 10% or around a car's maximum voltage of 14.xx volts...

    In reality, with a storage battery system, the voltage can range from 10.5 (dead battery) to ~15.5 volts (equalization of a wet cell battery in cold weather)...

    Quite a few seeming well engineered DC devices (laptop converters, automotive DC LED lights and such) can "pop" at much over 14.5 volts or so...

    So--if you want to play around, sometimes it may be better to get the LEDs and some salvage fixtures and design your own power supply that will withstand the wide range a typical lead acid storage battery system will expose your LED's to...

    If you have some electrical experience, you can buy/build your own power supply (like a small buck converter to drop your LED voltage to 6-7 volts or so, then use a couple white LEDs in parallel with a low resistance ballast resistor in series to better control the current). Or a high voltage series string boost converter with current control (better for LED regulation as they are very non-linear devices and don't work real well with voltage based regulators).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #5
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    I'm using automotive #1156 LED "bulbs" for outdoor lighting, but since they are on a daylight sensing switch, they cannot come on during daylight hours, thus avoiding the higher voltages that could exist during those daylight hours. For inside night lights, I use several strings of 3 LEDs in series with a resistor for current control, supplied from a 9 volt regulator. These have been on 24/7 for about 3 years now. Just haven't had time to wire them into the daylight sensor yet. Very happy with them. If anyone is expecting the output of a city streetlight, perhaps they should forget all this and move to LA, or NY City.
    Cheers
    Wayne
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #6
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights
    Wayne from NS Cana wrote: »
    I'm using automotive #1156 LED "bulbs" for outdoor lighting, but since they are on a daylight sensing switch, they cannot come on during daylight hours, thus avoiding the higher voltages that could exist during those daylight hours. For inside night lights, I use several strings of 3 LEDs in series with a resistor for current control, supplied from a 9 volt regulator. These have been on 24/7 for about 3 years now. Just haven't had time to wire them into the daylight sensor yet. Very happy with them. If anyone is expecting the output of a city streetlight, perhaps they should forget all this and move to LA, or NY City.
    Cheers
    Wayne
    Wayne, If I'm using a morningstar charge controller doesn't that help stabalize the output to the lights? Larry
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #7
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights
    Wayne from NS Cana wrote: »
    Not if the controller is doing it's job man...
    Wayne

    man? MAN??? from Wayne :confused:

    -Bill :p
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #8
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights
    HypnoDoc wrote: »
    Wayne, If I'm using a morningstar charge controller doesn't that help stabalize the output to the lights? Larry

    Not if the controller is doing it's job man. The better Morningstar units, like the TS-45 and the TS-60, are 3 stage controllers, providing “bulk" charge until the batteries reach the "absorb" voltage, which the controller will then maintain (assuming the sun hasn't gone behind the clouds etc) until it's ready to switch to "Float” voltage. It also has user selectable manual, or automatic "EQ" mode (for flooded batteries) which is usually the highest voltage of all. The Absorb voltage will vary, depending on the temp of the batteries, assuming the remote battery temp sensor is installed, which it should be for the good of the batteries. So, the voltage can range from 12 or less, depending on how far the batteries are allowed to discharge, to perhaps 15.5 or more during EQ, and even during Absorb, if it's winter and the battery temp sensor sees really cold batteries.
    So yeah, a "12 volt system" can have voltages kind of all over the place, depending on what's going on. You could easily see 30% swings. Think what would happen to some of your “normal” 120 volt items if they were subjected to 30% voltage swings if they were not designed to handle it.
    Hope this helps.
    Wayne
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #9
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights
    BB. wrote: »
    man? MAN??? from Wayne :confused:

    -Bill :p

    Haha, Well it's "Larry" and not really knowing him, didn't want to be too insulting, at least not right away. :p
    Wayne

    My last post is now out of sequence because I had to edit it, and since the edit function doesn’t work, had to delete and re-post.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #10
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Wayne, "Thanks for not wanting to be too insulting". I aske a question and I get an answer (right or wrong). As I'm sure you'll agree, if I knew what I was doing I wouldn't have to ask the question. This is all new to me. ALL NEW... I'm 59 years old, disabled, and on medication that doesn't let my brain work the way it use to, (or my body). I'll continue to ask questions at this sight and if someone wants to help me come up with an answer I'm appreciative. Thanks, Larry
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #11
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    You're very welcome buddy, any time. You'll find the people on here to be among the most helpful and knowledgeable you will find on any on-line form of this type. I've always found them to be awesome when I had questions myself and I'm sure you will too.
    All the best
    Wayne.

    PS: Hey BB, did you notice I went from "man" to "buddy". hahaha
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  • crewzer
    crewzer Registered Users, Solar Expert Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Wayne,

    I cleaned up the deleted posts.

    Hypnodoc,

    Feel free to ask all of the solar energy (PV, wind, hydro, etc.) questions you like. You'll find a very knowledgeable group on the forum, and we're always willing to help out on these issues.

    Best of luck to you,
    Jim / crewzer
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #13
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    You the man, Wayne buddy! ;)

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #14
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights

    Because of the nearly 16V that can be applied to the batteries during various charge scenarios, you need to protect your 12V appliances. Nighttime lighting, that's photocell activated, should be OK, as at dusk, the solar charger will shut off. For other things, you can use various gadgets to run daytime loads, (DC-DC converters, 10-20VDC in=12VDC out) but the more loads you run daytimes, the less power you have to recharge your battery with.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #15
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    Re: 12 volt dc led lights
    crewzer wrote: »
    Wayne,
    I cleaned up the deleted posts.
    Jim / crewzer

    Thanks Jim. There is something I don't understand though. Were the "deleted" posts still hanging around in the system someplace?
    Thanks again
    Wayne
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