[VAC] Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

My overnight vision of using LEDs in my Caravel is a strip mounted under
the length of the cabinet on each side. Probably 3 or 6 LEDs over the
galley. One or two for each task center (stove, sink, counter) mounted
in a wooden half round or quarter round just back of the face frame. I
don't yet know if the LEDs will need to be shaded from the eyes or if
the LEDs will need some optical modification. I'm leaning a bit towards
two LEDs per task to spread out the light source and reduce shadows that
would be more pronounced from a single point source of light.

I'm kind of thinking of two such strips, shorter, over the dinette. The
wood strip (which could be an aluminum channel, either bent or extruded)
would be hollowed on the back to contain wiring and switch and current
regulator. I'd pick up power from the existing four lamp fixtures for
the galley and dinette. Probably for the lounge side strip, from the
power wire in the closet feeding the lounge reading lamp.

But first I have to get LEDs in hand and experiment with them to see if
they really do... I tried to light up frosted plastic from the rear
about 20 years ago with the then super high output LEDs for a city
council voting machine. I ended up using incandescent lamps because the
LEDs didn't have enough light output. SO I'm skeptical! The same light
level in the trailer with 1/100 the power!!!

Gerald J.