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skipgundlach · 27-11-2010, 05:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisail

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Regarding those head torches I recommend every cruiser get themselves one or a few just to have on the boat. For $4 delivered you cant go wrong. I purchased 12 of them because as soon as my friends and workmates saw them they all wanted one. These things are so bright they will shine a quarter mile (just) on a zoom setting and a few mounted on your mast would be good enough for deck lights.

I tried to PM the vendor but got no response about my question re shipping to the Bahamas. By the time I went back to look, in frustration, thinking I'd have to get it sent to the states for when I'm there in the spring, that $4.95 had gone to $9. As they have multiple "auctions" in their home store page, in every currency you can think of, I assume there'd be no issue - but was unable to get confirmation of that.

In your wizardy at developing contacts, do you have some means of getting a response from that vendor? And ...

Is there a current repeat of the bargain? At that price, I'd want to order a bunch, for giveaway friend gifts, but getting them sent NOW, e.g. to Georgetown, where we'll be soon, beats having to either wait or impose on a visitor (we presume we'll have one before we go back in the spring) to carry that bunch to us.

Another gift-item I've been doing is from Lowes, a 2-pack of lozenge shaped, two-element solar lights with a switch, even, for $15 - I velcro one to the top of my dinghy engine, making me "legal" but also allowing the dink to stand out in the dark when it's on a long painter in a crowded anchorage - I've given 3 so far to cruising buddy boats, and they all love them as much as I do mine.

L8R

Skip

doocruiser · 27-11-2010, 07:24

i was in a shop in phuket last week.the guy gave me a session in his dark room out the back.he has 3w,5w and 10 w leds that screw straight into a standard household e27 socket which can be bought for peanuts.he had a 12v battery,neg wire,pos wire and the socket.he had the normal bright white leds which were very bright and he had warm white in 3w/5w which were not blinding ,a nice soft light ideal for in cabins.these were roughly $15 each.he also had 7w fluros which look just like your modern day energy saving house globes.these also fitted a regular socket,put out a soft light and were $9.his 10w led was to expensive at $45.

Dynamo1181 · 28-11-2010, 05:06

I have tried to subscribe to this thread without success...suggestions?
thx
A

skipgundlach · 28-11-2010, 05:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

I have tried to subscribe to this thread without success...suggestions?
thx
A

Now that you've posted in it, if you've got the email notifications of your replies, you should get an email any time someone comments, I think. It's how I learned of your post :{))

L8R

Skip

Dynamo1181 · 28-11-2010, 05:41

Thx Skip,
Thats why I posted. I had tried twice to suscribe with no success.
thx again
A

donradcliffe · 28-11-2010, 05:48

As far as headlights go, we have been using the Binkman (Blinkman?, Brinkman?) ones we got at Home Depot--2 for $10. They have a white and a red setting, and use 3 AAA batteries.

skipgundlach · 28-11-2010, 06:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

Thx Skip,
Thats why I posted. I had tried twice to suscribe with no success.
thx again
A

You've gone into User CP, then Options, and set instant email notification under Messaging and Notification?

I noted a thread about email notification being broken, but I've been getting them...

L8R

Skip

Dynamo1181 · 28-11-2010, 08:31

Skip,
Yes i did...twice with no luck. I am getting now that I posted.
A

OmerBarlas · 02-12-2010, 06:31

As you know the angle of light emitting of LEDs are low. As the angle increases, the lumen of the light decreases. I'm getting to this; is it safe to use them as navigation lights since visibility is very important?

**roverhi** · 02-12-2010, 10:19

LEDs designed for running lights have them placed at angles to cover the spectrum that's called for in the ColRegs. The bulb for my stern light has three banks of LEDs, one pointing straight aft and the other two pointing out to either side at a less than 90 degree angle. The light is very bright for the 180 degrees or whatever it's supposed to be visible from

Dynamo1181 · 02-12-2010, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

I was checking out some of the ebay links posted above. Many of them are claiming 140 lumens out of 10 SMD5050 chips. I think they're stretching things a bit...

My casual research says that a 10W halogen G4 produces about 100 lumens (does anyone have a solid number?) My 10 SMD5050 LED replacements from the US are noticably brighter, but not 40%. I'd guess they're more like 120 Lumens.

So I'd guess that a single SMD5050 LED produces about 12 lumens, but I have no good data. Does anyone know the actual light output of an SMD5050 chip?

The ebay 10 SMD5050 replacements are also about US$10, which will take a while to amortize. Ocelot's got 26 G4 sockets, so price is a consideration. My 12 SMD5050 G4 replacements that I got from China (http://LightingGreen.cn) are only US$4 each, & they're noticably brighter than my US 10-chip units (probably 140-150 lumens). I haven't had them long, but I certainly haven't had a failure of any sort. They all work & my sales rep Jessie checks in with me now & then to make sure they're all working.

Current draw for all of these is about what I'd expect - about 0.01A/SMD5050 segment, so 0.1A for 10 segments, or a bit more for 12 segments. Vastly better than my halogens, so I'm not that interested in the final decimal points. I'm more interested in the amount of light, & the quality of that light. All of mine are "Warm White" which is noticably yellower than the old halogens, but very pleasant & nicer than the harsh blue of "cool-white".

IMHO, LEDs that have no ICs are a problem. They're trying to do current limiting with resistors. But the voltage swings of our 12V systems (12-15v) are such that they burn out LEDs that don't have ACTIVE current limiting. I've blown out 2 Aussie LED masthead lights because of that. Better to have good, active current limiting. I don't have a problem turning off lights to use the SSB (although I've never had to) but I don't want to have to replace LEDs all the time, especially at $10 a pop. A well designed LED cluster will have some capacitors in the circuit to minimize oscillations & RF noise.

Jon,
I am thinking of ordering from your china source (http://LightingGreen.cn) and are in communications with the company. I do have a couple questions that maybe you can answer...I am looking at the G4-lt unit and wonder if this has IC voltage limiting. In regard to this I am also wondering if the unit is "dimable" ? The freight was a bit steep on the shipment and was wondering if they gave you any breaks on the charge? Also did you look at any auto type LED bulb products from them? I was unable to find any on the site. Still happy with the company? What model did you purchase?
thx
Alan

**Pblais** · 02-12-2010, 12:11

Quote:

I'm getting to this; is it safe to use them as navigation lights since visibility is very important?

The short answer is in the US only USCG approved lights are legal for navigation. The certification is for the fixtures and the bulb in totality meaning a USCG approved light that you swap in LEDs is not USCG approved any more. Bulbs are not USCG approved all alone. I'm thinking they thought of the very issue you raise but they did it before LED's were around. How the build is packaged is clearly important. A compound bulb could be made to standards and there are a few certified.

It basically means you can't manufacture your own nav lights and have them be considered legal. It's not a matter of if you could make them yourself (you could) but you can't afford the certification required. "USCG Approved" carries a little more meaning.

gettinthere · 02-12-2010, 12:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

Jon,
I am thinking of ordering from your china source (http://LightingGreen.cn) and are in communications with the company. I do have a couple questions that maybe you can answer...I am looking at the G4-lt unit and wonder if this has IC voltage limiting. In regard to this I am also wondering if the unit is "dimable" ? The freight was a bit steep on the shipment and was wondering if they gave you any breaks on the charge?
Alan

I received a quote from BooYa yesterday (a Jim Kramer company?).

Minimum order is 100 pieces. (at around $2.50 each)