Warm White LED replacement for FWC LED Strips?

[rando]

Has anyone found a good 'Warm White' replacement for the LED strip lights used in newer campers:

The stock ones are very bright and efficient, but the light is quite blue (~5000K). A 3000 - 4000k colour temperature LED would be more pleasant for hanging out.

I seem to remember a discussion not to long ago where someone found the manufacturer, but I can't find the topic, and don't remember if they also found a warmer option.

 

[EDR]

I found LED lighting strips on eBay. Check out item number 122664713876.
They offer different lengths, lumen ratings and color temperatures.

 

[Old Crow]

This LED interior dimming light bar thread may be the one you were thinking of, rando. Looks like there was no warmer version available at that time.

 

[rando]

That is the thread I was thinking about - embarrassing that I couldn't find it seeing that I posted in it.

I guess I will need to switch to new lights if I want warmer white. The problem here is there is almost no slack before the existing wire tucks behind the headliner, so it will be hard to splice in a new light.

 

[Advmoto18]

I would prefer warmer white as well.

Plz post any updates if y'all swap out your LED light bars.

Thanks!

 

[ntsqd]

Could the LED ribbon itself be replaced with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GL5UG2/ ?

 

[rando]

I think I found both a cheap and effective solution to the issue of too bright and too white lights, Color Temperature Orange Gels:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/44201-REG/Rosco_RS340811_3408_Filter_RoscoSun.html

These are cinema light filters that are specifically designed to make sunlight (color temperature around 5600K) look like incandescent lights (color temperature around 3000k), which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. These come in different "strengths", 1/4 CTO, 1/2 CTO and full CTO. I bought one of each, and to me the 1/2 CTO seems about right. The full CTO still cast a nice light, but the lights themselves seem very orange, the 1/2 CTO had an incandescent like light, with out making the direct view of the lights look too orange. One sheet is plenty to convert all 4 LED strips. I just cut four 6cm wide strips from the gell, pulled each light out of its mounting clip, wrapped the gel around the lens and taped it to the back. The gels also decreased the light output a little, which given the operating theater brightness of the LED strips, was also a welcome change.

This may have been the best improvement/$ modification I have made so far.

 

[Wildcat]

Could the LED ribbon itself be replaced with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GL5UG2/ ?

I recently ordered and installed the warm light 3000K version of the same product but attached the ribbon directly to the ceiling (I did not have a light bar). I'm not exactly pleased with the light output of the warm color, although it could be there are other warm light products which produce more lumens. I didn't look at the lumens output specs before I bought the ribbon. I think Rando's filter solution could be the best method to change color if you already have an existing light bar.

I've never worked with LED ribbon before so I've been learning about the different types and sizes of the LEDs that are available. Once you get a basic understanding of that and the connectors it's fun to play with different configurations and locations to install them, as they hook right into a 12v system. I also attached a dimmer switch to the ribbon. The ribbon doesn't look as refined as a fixture and doesn't have a lens/diffuser but the length can be easily modified and changed as needed.

 

[ntsqd]

The ribbon that I linked above I installed some time before that post. If you mentally divide the ceiling into thirds, we have ribbon on both sides of the rear third, and a ribbon section running across the width at the 1/3 third line. I repeated this lay-out over the bed as well. That much ribbon is too much light at full brightness. I installed the ribbon with one of the suggested PWM dimmers which allowed full brightness for cleaning down to soft, mood lighting.

Unfortunately condensation has killed the ribbon. I need to replace the ribbon with new. This time I will use the diffuser track as that will shield the ribbon from condensation and remove the direct points of light that could be bothersome at higher outputs.