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Jon Hacking · 14-12-2010, 06:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

Jon, In ordering from BO YA, did you get the warm, pure or cool white LEDs? It appears the the warm LEDs have about 35% less output than the cool white units. I would assume the bright white units(4000-5000K) would fall in between... A

Hi Alan - Light quality was more important to us than absolute lighting efficiency or even light quantity (once we got past a certain point). Cool-white LEDs are brighter, but even 4500K is pretty blue so we ordered the warm-white. The warm-white LEDs are noticably warmer (yellower) than the 10W halogen bulbs they replaced, but we find the light very comfortable on our eyes, & the light output is still noticably higher than the 10W halogens. I'm afraid I have no info on the other "colors".

Please say Hi to Jessie for us!

Dynamo1181 · 14-12-2010, 08:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Hi Alan - I saw that unit but didn't try any of them. I also didn't notice its light or power rating. I guess now that I know the SMD5050, I couldn't afford to try other LED segments. We're cruising along the coast of Malaysia, so getting stuff sent to us is difficult. I can really only do minimal experimentation. The SMD5050 looks good & works well & seems to be used by lots of different companies. But I'd be interested in hearing if something better comes along.

I also haven't checked out the single-chip "high-power" LEDs that typically draw a full 1W or so by themselves. I've seen some & they seem bright, but I don't have a real, factual comparison of light output or current input between the high-power LEDs & the SMD5050 (or any others, for that matter). I wish someone would publish such a comparison - it would make our selection job much easier.

Jon,
I plan to order some of the 3528s so I will get back with you on what I find when comparing to the 5050s.
A

hellosailor · 14-12-2010, 14:01

LED Resource : LED Lighting : LED Light Bulb : LEDs : LED Supply

One of the best resources I've found online for technical information about LEDs. The cheap junk from China is simply cheap junk. In order to appreciate that you either need to learn up about the technical side of LEDs, or appreciate the maxim "You get what you pay for".

Prime suppliers like CreeX and LumiLed often make "the same" white LED but due to manufacturing variations, that "one" LED is then sorted out into ten bin groups for sales. (The brighter "white" processes simply aren't as uniform as the older colors are.) If you just buy surplus, you get stuff from all ten bins. Typically, there may be four or five distinct color groups among the bins, and in each group the brightness may range twofold, so "the same" LED from bin #1 may only be 1/4 as bright as the one from bin #8. That means the cheap LEDs and lamps will have a lot of variation in how birght they are, and what color they are from batch to batch. For some folks that doesn't matter, they're cheap light and that's enough.

Then there's power control. You'll see spec sheets from that reference page. The LIFETIME expectancy of an LED depends on how much power you run through it, and what temperature it is running at. In a proper design with prime parts, you can expect over 50,000 hours before the LED is down to 70% of the original brightness. Cheap stuff that's been running on too much power to brighten it up? Way less than that.

Beam spread? Some LEDs have a wide 180-degree beam spread, which may be measured and marked as falling off 50% at the edge of the beam. Others are designed for a 10 or 20 degree beam. The "brightness" is the same--if you're in the beam.

Power control? Some generate RFI, others don't. Some use control modules, which sip at power, while others use cheap resistors, which are less effective and several times more power hungry. Resistors leave the LED running all the time, but PWM power controls may actually be pulsing the LED too fast for the eye to see--and literally leaving it "off" half the time, for half the power consumption.

There's a lot more to LEDs than meets the eye, and there's good reason why a single prime high-power white CreeX LED can cost you ten or fifteen bucks, versus a Chinese POS that costs two bucks--complete in a nightlight assembly blisterpacked two up.

There's some overpriced stuff sold to yachties, but NONE of the prime stuff can be sold really cheap, it simply costs too much to manufacture.

Just like boats, they're all the same, right?

dennisail · 14-12-2010, 16:38

To the engineer theory types.

If the $2 Chinese one uses 5 times less power than the incandescent you replaced it with and puts out as much visible light, have you made a mistake installing it? Or should we spend $40 to get one that uses 4 times less power?

The fact is cheap ones work perfectly for many applications. Not everyone cares that there is something better out there. And if you really think you must have the best and most up to date "everything" on your boat you will need to spend thousands updating perfectly adequate gear every year.

hellosailor · 14-12-2010, 18:39

"have you made a mistake installing it?"
Ever drive behind a city bus or truck, with the cheap LED array back lights that usually have two dozen LEDs in each with a quarter of them burned out? <G>

Honest, for them cheaping out is the way to go. Getting pulled over for a burned out tungsten bulb and paying a $100 ticket and then needing to put the truck/bus in the depot for a replacement...way expensive. Running with an ugly LED array that's still doing the legal job, and routinely replacing THAT annually at a depot maintenance stop is a very cost effective way to go. (Especially when someone can walk up and steal an expensive light in no time flat.)

On a boat...I don't think I'd want Chinese nav lights or a masthead light. I'd rather have the brighter more reliable light that lasted way longer. Down in the cabin? Depends on how inconvenient it would be if a light failed. the cheap ones COULD be a great way to go. Unless "this light is bright, this light is dim, this one is bluer, this one is pinker" upset someone on the boat.<G>

dennisail · 14-12-2010, 19:27

Quote:

The fact is cheap ones work perfectly for many applications

Masthead lights are not where I would use one.

**GordMay** · 15-12-2010, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisail

Masthead lights are not where I would use one.

The mast top is an ideal application for a long life, low power LED light.

dennisail · 15-12-2010, 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordMay

The mast top is an ideal application for a long life, low power LED light.

True. But I would prob buy a more expensive one for it given the difficulty in changing it.

hellosailor · 15-12-2010, 11:46

Gord, she's referring to a CHEAP CHINESE LED.

Don't think you'd want one of those at the masthead either.

"Yesyes, coase card certify, i give you certifycate no extra charge. Fie dollah, fie dollah, jus for you!"

What, they don't sell masthead lights on the subway in your town too?<G>

**boatman61** · 15-12-2010, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

Jon,
In ordering from BO YA, did you get the warm, pure or cool white LEDs? It appears the the warm LEDs have about 35% less output than the cool white units. I would assume the bright white units(4000-500K) would fall in between.
BTW I am dealing with Jessie there, who I find most helpful.
A

Ok.. I'm stumped... how'd ya get the eyes in da fish...??

Dynamo1181 · 15-12-2010, 15:08

Its a technique learned from another which I will gladly share...called plagiarism

Jon: I sent you a private message re LEDs and Jessie.

A

**Cotemar** · 15-12-2010, 16:09

Its all about rethinking your "usage".
Its far cheaper to rethink and modify your electrical usage than it is to keep adding batteries or more solar panels.

Keep finding ways to minimize our power usage with LEDs.

Start by not using an anchor light. We have 6 solar lights that we modified to go on the stanchions. No power required and they also light up the deck for safe walking.

Task Light LEDs from 10 watts to 1.5 watts
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f136/lighting-and-leds-38757-2.html#post361290

Replaced the Refrigerator 3 Watt filament bulb with a 40ma LED
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f136/lighting-and-leds-38757-2.html#post440743

LED for Aqua Signal 25 Masthead (Green|Red) / Foredeck Light model # 25100
10 watts to 3.2 watt LED
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f136/lighting-and-leds-38757-4.html#post531891

LED's for Aqua Signal Series 40 Tri-Color / Anchor Light at the top of the mast
25 watts to 3 watts
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f136/lighting-and-leds-38757-4.html#post531956

Fluorescent light conversion to LED's
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f136/lighting-and-leds-38757-4.html#post577382

Mark

Dynamo1181 · 15-12-2010, 18:09

I am running 20 of the cheap LEDs from China with no burnouts or color/intensity variation that I am able to detect. If these Chinese lights are inferior, wonder where the good expensive ones are made? I think the three dollar version suites me just fine! I will risk having to change one out some day.
A

dennisail · 15-12-2010, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

I am running 20 of the cheap LEDs from China with no burnouts or color/intensity variation that I am able to detect. If these Chinese lights are inferior, wonder where the good expensive ones are made? I think the three dollar version suites me just fine! I will risk having to change one out some day.
A

Some people rather argue about technical specs. Where I have actually gone out and purchased a heap of cheap LEDs and actually tried them too. So far I have had the same results as you.