LED ceiling light installation ... electrolytics! Yikes

[Klondike Mike]

I'm in the process of replacing a couple of fluorescent light strips that have been in service for the last 50 years with a couple of LED flush mount ceiling fixtures. They will provide better lighting and power savings but will they last 50 years? I doubt it with those Chinese electrolytics in there.

 

[Redbeard U812]

Friend of mine just installed 4 of the large LED lights. 3'x4' I think. The ones the same OD of the fluorescent tube style. Cut his power way down. He has also bought several at Wally World the size of the 2 tube fluorescents. They put out plenty of light for a lot less. If they last you 10 years I believe they are worth it.

 

[357magnum]

I replaced my 4' shop lights in my garage w/ them (5) not sure about the savings but they light right up in cold weather & makes my garage as bright as walking through a Walmart Store ! Best thing I ever did ! I think I paid $15 each for them @ a local Job Lot store .

 

[Klondike Mike]

Yes, we can all agree on the benefits of LED technology. I just wanted to point out that another product that we will rely on (just like our radio's), has a built in life cycle timer with unknown duration.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'm sold on LED lighting. I haven't tracked the savings but I like the light from them. I even just converted my truck to LED headlights. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The light is pure white instead of a yellowish hue and road signs light up at twice the distance as before. I was told they respond to pure white light better and believe it. Some larger signs with white backgrounds are almost too bright for ME when I come up on them. LOL

 

[Redbeard U812]

Yes, we can all agree on the benefits of LED technology. I just wanted to point out that another product that we will rely on (just like our radio's), has a built in life cycle timer with unknown duration.

I like these. Makes better coffee, just don't chip the enamel.

Last longer.

 

[Slowmover]

I'm sold on LED lighting. I haven't tracked the savings but I like the light from them. I even just converted my truck to LED headlights. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The light is pure white instead of a yellowish hue and road signs light up at twice the distance as before. I was told they respond to pure white light better and believe it. Some larger signs with white backgrounds are almost too bright for ME when I come up on them. LOL

Quality of light matters. Spectrum. Daniel Stern is an automotive lighting engineer with a (now old) website with useable info (print off directions on headlight aim).

I use color-corrected Phillips on my pickup (NIGHT GUIDE; NOS still out there dirt cheap) and seeing is believing. (These are tri-color). You may remember your father telling you that the edge of the road can trump what’s a half-mile ahead. With this design, both are evenly illuminated.

Light scatter and glare are more of a problem than we’d like to think. Reduces long-range night vision. My Pete uses projector lamps which are great for focus (more important IMO).

Not saying you’re wrong, but keep reading.

Aftermarket JW Speaker headlamps are always worth emulating. LED requires a different housing.

I’ve gone thru the best part of my travel trailer using LED (fluorescent & incandescent), but for reading and where health is a concern, no free lunch. Incandescent still has its place. LED may be a harm.

.

 

[Redbeard U812]

My camper has some of both. The LED's are nice for efficiency but I just can't see as well as with incandescent. Same with headlights on my truck. I see farther with the yellow spectrum than with the bright white. Read an article where the spectrum showed how that works. Those super bright lights coming at me are hell. Then when that vehicle gets close I can see how far their beams are shinning. We lined up my truck and a friends, who had the super white bright lights, and he could see farther with the yellow. Guess it may be a matter of preference to different eyes. Fluorescents are known to be bad on the eyes.

 

[TheRealPorkchop]

Those little laser pointers that run off a couple of watch batteries, the type you make the cat chase the red dot with... they light up stop signs real good from 1/4 mile away.

You just need to wire one to a 9v battery.

That stop sign will look like it’s on fire. That also causes people to freak out and slam on the brakes when they see that sign light up.

Now I got to go buy another one, relive the old times,

 

[Redbeard U812]

Those little laser pointers that run off a couple of watch batteries, the type you make the cat chase the red dot with... they light up stop signs real good from 1/4 mile away.

You just need to wire one to a 9v battery.

That stop sign will look like it’s on fire. That also causes people to freak out and slam on the brakes when they see that sign light up.

Now I got to go buy another one, relive the old times,

Digging mine out now. Have both port and starboard. Got a greenie on an M4. But that one stays put till needed, which I hope is never. But it's getting pretty lively down here with the smugglers bailing out and their cargo running awl over the place. Sherriff "treed" one couple days ago mile or so dwn rd., held him at gun point and told him to put his hands up in Spanish. Don't know if the poor guy fell out of the tree or not.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I see no difference in range with the new lights just better lighting and the road signs light up much better too. I hear you too about LED's being harsher to read by. It seems like there is too much reflected light off the pages. Yellowish is a warmer and softer light.

 

[autotuner]

Yes the LED headlights on my new vehicle seem to light up the street signs at a distance, but I find it harder to see the blacktop roads , especially when it has been raining. As to house lighting, I go for the warm white, it just seems less harsh on my old eyes.

 

[Slowmover]

With the advent of CFL years back I sure didn’t miss heating a room with incandescent during summer.

And in my TT, looking to power draw is essential for off-grid.

As a trucker they’re a lifesaver. EVERYONE can be “seen” now, the power draw is negligible and my collection of spare marker lamps may never be depleted.

I’ve started looking at LED for the non-projector half of the headlamps and may try a pair. Another brand truck with $$ optional LED headlamp system was best I’ve ever used (we overdrive headlights on HIGH even at 55-mph).

They have their place. It’s just not automatically assumed without designed fixtures, or DOT guidelines. See discussion pages shootout on CLEARCORNERS.

Yellowish part of spectrum for me.

Anyone recall the cadmium-plated CIBIE yellow high beams of the 1960s on French and some other cars?

 

[543_Dallas]

Those little laser pointers that run off a couple of watch batteries, the type you make the cat chase the red dot with... they light up stop signs real good from 1/4 mile away.

You just need to wire one to a 9v battery.

That stop sign will look like it’s on fire. That also causes people to freak out and slam on the brakes when they see that sign light up.

Now I got to go buy another one, relive the old times,

The green laser pointers work good on the big green signs. I got one for 8 bucks on Ebay that will burn electric tape.

 

[S&W357]

Crimson Trace Green Laser rides atop my 14" barreled Mossberg Shockwave 12 gauge.

I probably shouldn't try lighting up road signs with it though.

I've been thinking about replacing some overhead 4' fluorescent hummers with white LED's. After reading on this thread about them being harsh on one's eyes I'm having second thoughts. Might just toss the noisy fixtures and go with "soft yellow" fluorescent.