LEDs Make the Big Time

For saving power, there are some lights out there for us. If you want the same light you get from a incan or fluorescent fixture, they just aren't there yet.
 
I was at Wal-Mart looking at 120v LED night lights and noticed Wal-Mart has a lot of battery powered LED lights that might be helpful... http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=649860

I might have to try the LED Wireless Puck Light, Three Pack because...
Anyone tried these lights?

Mike

I have bought a number of battery operated pucks and fixtures for closets and such. They work well. I have one in the camper on the wood bar that you use to push the roof up. The pucks are not as bright, but they supplement nicely or in my case are easily turned on and off when getting into a dark camper. I also bought one of the red LED panels that go in the fixture. I'm a big fan of red light at night- it doesn't destroy your night vision. I don't like getting up at night and being blinded before a trip outside, then stumbling in the dark because my eyes were just blinded.
 
I have one in the camper on the wood bar that you use to push the roof up.
Good idea :thumb:

I also bought one of the red LED panels that go in the fixture. I'm a big fan of red light at night- it doesn't destroy your night vision.
Great idea :thumb::thumb:

Mike
 
I found LED puck lights at Sam's club that are motion activated with two light levels. If not motion for an hour, will turn them selfs off. Work great inside cabinets, will go off when you put your hand in there if you forgot you got them inside :D, will turn off if you forget to wave your hand pass them again. Was about $28 for 3.

I have bought a number of battery operated pucks and fixtures for closets and such. They work well. I have one in the camper on the wood bar that you use to push the roof up. The pucks are not as bright, but they supplement nicely or in my case are easily turned on and off when getting into a dark camper. I also bought one of the red LED panels that go in the fixture. I'm a big fan of red light at night- it doesn't destroy your night vision. I don't like getting up at night and being blinded before a trip outside, then stumbling in the dark because my eyes were just blinded.
 
Ebay has the 36 light LEDs. I first bought two , one in each ceiling fixture and now have three more coming to finish the ceiling and for the back outside light. I won't need to worry about power consumption and like the color.
 
Led replacements

Hey Barko1
Which led replacement bulbs did you buy on ebay. How about a review. I'm looking for led lights to put into my existing overhead lights in my Eagle. Hoping to get something a bright or brighter than the existing incandescent bulbs if possible?
4WC should have offered this as an option in the first place imo.
Thanks
 
Bsharp,

I bought LEDs from the first site mentioned on this thread:

http://superbrightleds.com/other_bulbs.htm

I installed two of the 1156-PCB-WHP9 White High Power LED Lamps, in warm white. They are not quite as bright as an incandescent, but are plenty bright enough, even for reading. I'm very happy with them. The only mod I made, was to glue small bits of rubber on the corners so the lamp housing isn't scratched up, because I just have the board resting on the light cover. Works great.

Highz
 
Bump.

I want to add another red LED to my fixtures, but I can't remember which fit the incandescent contacts: 1156 or 1157 type connectors? Anyone know?
 
Bump.

I want to add another red LED to my fixtures, but I can't remember which fit the incandescent contacts: 1156 or 1157 type connectors? Anyone know?

These are 1156 bulbs. 1157 are dual filament I believe.

I have tried the 36 LED lights from V-LEDs as well as the hong kong ebay seller. One of the hong kong specials is already flaking out. None of the 36 LED boards I've received have any sort of active current regulation. They are basically groups of 3 LED's in series with a resistor. This means that at higher voltages (like when the battery charger is on), the LED's could be overdriven.

What I've been playing with is a single super bright LED emitter driven by a constant current driver circuit. This is just about as bright as an incandescent, but uses about 1/4 the power. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a plug and play solution, so I rolled my own. The LED emitter should be thermally glued to some sort of heat sink or heat spreader as it is dissipating up to 3W or so.

I got the LED's here and the driver board here. The driver board is actually a 700ma constant current source, not 350ma shown on the site. I broke open an 1156 bulb and soldered wires from it to the driver board. There are two wires that go from the driver board to the LED board. I had some small flat heat sinks laying around that I attached the LED's to, and used double sided tape to fix the LED assembly in the light fixture. It's a bit crude. I plan to order another batch, so I"ll try to remember the camera next time! Since these come from Hong Kong, they take a couple of weeks to get.

*edit* I should point out that I"m no einstein and didn't figure this all out by myself. I got a lot of this from this guy's website.
-steve
 
Steve,

Well done on your LED light. Your set up is an improvement, except in one sense; let me add to this for those of you who take a woman camping.

Some of the places we camp are remote with very little light at night. It is pitch black inside the camper. We found that the single red LED with only a resistor to control the current works perfectly. This is for you younger dudes, and old dudes who think they are young. A nekked woman looks pretty good moving around in that red glow. The little red LED provides just the right light.
 
John D: Now that's what I call useful info! :thumb: What value resistor worked for you?
 
John D: Now that's what I call useful info! :thumb: What value resistor worked for you?

This will depend on the LED used. You need to know what current (I) it requires, and what voltage drop (Vd) it has when on.

R = (14.4-Vd)/I

I used 14.4V rather than 12V as that is what can be seen when the battery is being charged. You don't want to overcurrent the LED.

Oh, since the resistor will be dropping 10 to 12V, be sure it has the correct wattage rating:

P = I * I * R

-steve
 
The resistance is different for each LED, but it is not critical. If you buy your LEDs from Radio Shack, the resistor value might be on the package. If not, there is an algorithm posted on the internet. That is what I used and have never had the first problem with resistor loaded LEDs. With only one LED, the resistor value is much easier to come to.

Use the base of an old incandescent bulb for making your single LED light. I have four or five of them in my Keystone. With only a single LED, the battery drain is nil. This fits my philosophy of reduced electrical consumption in the camper, which allows the camper to operate off a single truck battery. Simplifies the whole thing to not have a battery in the camper.

The single red LED is quite useful for several things ... where low light is preferred .... Stealth in the wilderness is always a good thing.
 
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