Dr. J. and Rick,
I was trying to be mostly general to Ken to provide comparison but most of
the specs on LED's run 9 to 14.5 volts. I know they pop at 15 volts. The
specs for the LED 1.5" square high intensity 9 array was 120 ma as I recall.
Regardless, the power drain is very small compared to any other light. Just
a whole pile of them is required to achieve 1000 ma, or 1 amp. The Thin
light twins draw about the same as one 1156 incandescent bulbs which is
about 1 to 1-1/2 amps. That's just what I read on everyone's spec data when
I can find it listed. Still, it is much less than the heavy heat and drain
of the incandescent which so much more really good lighting. Unfortunately
the thin light pc board has one component on the board that heats up and
burns open. I have changed so many of the tiny little diodes, or simply
wired across it on the burned board, and the light works just as well with
less heat when bypassed. I do not know why, but I suspect the transformer
does not care or the bulb does not care at that point. The thin light
certainly is shorter lived for the tubes, than the LED, but it is really a
good but expensive lamp.
Jerry at Stasco is the one who constantly states white is the combo of blue
and brown. I truly do not know if a fact, but would tend to defer to Dr. J.
in all things factual and if it's blue and yellow, I learn. I do know for
experienced fact lenses color can kill the output light from a LED. Red with
red, yellow with yellow, white with white is absolute. Even a bright white
LED in a heat and age yellowed lenses cover will really decrease and change
the LED. Is all about light spectrum which formerly I could have cared less,
but is now important.
My Super Bright order came yesterday. $145, at first I reported to Tom my
disappointments but I continued to work until midnight, learned a lot, made
some receptacle perfect alterations, and feel good and now positive for my
expensive endeavor The nine board 1156 HO array is very impressive but $22
is a bunch. Still, it is more, better, and substantially less than the
alternative gimme-up of the thin light which I was afraid I would have to
settle. The 1156 1.5" board 36 wide angle array is really going to work out.
At first I just was disappointed, especially for the $17 ea price, but then
tried some cracked ice lenses in acrylic, not styrene, and if I hand make
new custom lenses covers, the bulb will be very good. Over the sink, beds,
bathroom sink, I would need either of the two choices and hand make the
lenses covers, but I have to decide do I want to spend either $66, $51, per
light for the three bulbs required for each. That's getting comparable to
the thin light cost. So many considerations about cost, heat, drain, and
longevity.
So many things I don't know. I see some arrays not using one resistor per
LED, but some a pairing up on a micro board. Some are voltage regulated, but
I cannot see the regulator or what they are using. Some are regulated and
not polarity slaves on DC. I can see at least a half wave bridge. I suspect
the other half of the bridging is the LED itself.
I do not trust even the best and most modern converters / chargers. Do
either of you know a component or way to build a voltage regulator or
limiter to 14 volts hopefully cheap? If I invested a lot of money for a 100%
LED conversion, could you imagine my scream if a momentary over voltage
occurred wiping out all LED's in an instant? I need a limiter or just never
shore power with any light turned on which would be quite doable if totally
LED.
I don't know and cannot find out what happens to the LED on low or
insufficient power. Does it just not illuminate? Do it harm the LED, like
with other components that are damaged by low power?
I truly thank you guys for your knowledge. I have been stuck on this quest
forever. I truly appreciated Daisy's site, all the time, work, attention and
investment in the conversion project. The pricing was just awful. I guess I
have a champagne taste on a beer budget.
-Eddie-
Houston, TX