LED Group Buy - Round II

[DirtDawg]

The Group Buy announcement below was posted on Casitaforum and Casita Club on Dec 15, 2011 although I didn't post it here this time. With consideration of holiday activities, LED Trailer Lights has agreed to extend the GB through Dec 31, 2011 rather than ending today to allow folks a few more days for purchases. If you wish to take advance of the pricing and place an order, you may do so (Casita ownership not required).

LEDTrailerLights.com - Casita Forum Specials

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After corresponding several weeks with the owner of LED Trailer Lights ("Doug"), I'm pleased to announce another Group Buy opportunity patterned after the well-received program of January 2011. As before, these are same style LED replacements for standard type 1141 incandescent bulbs and likewise "warm color" equivalent to incandescent preferred by many Casita owners. The small T-10 LED mini-wedge type lamp used in Casita galley range hoods also remains at reduced pricing. (Note: a 2nd style wedge lamp, T-10 / 921, has been added as an option for greater illumination. There is more than sufficient room to fit one within the galley overhead fan lamp fixture.)

For those new to the forum, you can do a key word search for earlier thread posts to see how replacing incandescent bulbs achieves significant reduction in battery consumption. This is especially beneficial while camping without shore power, i.e., operate all interior lamps same time using LEDs for roughly same power consumption of just one standard 1141 incandescent bulb.

Like last time, the GB objective is to obtain reduced pricing as an incentive during a limited time "window of opportunity". Check out the link below, but in brief; no minimum purchase quantity and flat rate shipping per transaction. Prices have gone up since last time (Doug says) due to increased pricing from his supplier plus higher air shipment costs to LED Trailer Lights from point of origin in China. Another objective from the prior GB has been addressed this time; sufficient inventory on hand at LED Trailer Lights to ensure prompt shipment of GB customer orders (avoid delays from demand that exceeded his ready stock). As disclaimer, I have no financial interest with LED Trailer Lights nor derive any benefit from this GB.

Note: this LED GB pricing offer is valid only through December 26, 2011. The prior GB time period was extended due to supply limitation delays which I believe will be avoided this time. In any case, the seller's terms are subject to change and not controlled by me.

[Don Dunsmore]

Careful....a bulb that sells for $11.45 above is $5.00 on ebay.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/170627945909?...#ht_6680wt_907

[steve dunham]

I don't know much about E bay so forgive my ignorance The one site says it's a brand new lamp , the ebay web site says the lamp could be new or out of pkg or factory second or new with defects . Are we comparing apples to apples . I don't know what the real world price of these lamps ishpuld be but $5.00 for a lamp thats a second and has defects seems about $5.00 too high to me

Thanks
Steve dunham

[GeorgeR]

I think there could be color temperature difference between these two vendors; likely bluish white from eBay and warm white from LED trailer. I would pay extra for warm white.

George.

[Don Dunsmore]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I don't know much about E bay so forgive my ignorance The one site says it's a brand new lamp , the ebay web site says the lamp could be new or out of pkg or factory second or new with defects . Are we comparing apples to apples . I don't know what the real world price of these lamps ishpuld be but $5.00 for a lamp thats a second and has defects seems about $5.00 too high to me

Thanks
Steve dunham

Not sure about that description Steve. If you scroll down to just under the photo's....it states 100% New. I guess it's buyer beware. I just received 4 of those bulbs and they all work fine at the moment.

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by Don Dunsmore

Not sure about that description Steve. If you scroll down to just under the photo's....it states 100% New. I guess it's buyer beware. I just received 4 of those bulbs and they all work fine at the moment.

What color are they?
George.

[Sharon G]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

What color are they?
George.

George, I ordered a full set of them and am thrilled with them. They are warm white. They are not nearly as yellow as the incandescents, but it's a nice, bright, natural looking light.

[Byron Kinnaman]

The LED trailer lights are listed as 3150°K.

I believe the eBay are the same as on Amazon.
Amazon.com: LED 2W 12V White Omni Bulb BA15S 1156 P21W Brake Tail 18 5050 SM: Home Improvement

Those are 4500°-5000°K.

For comparison standard incandescent lights are around 3200°K,
Sun light is closer to 5900°K
Full Spectrum Florescent lamps are about 5500°K

Since most of us are used to incandescent lights a color temperature close to the same would probably be preferred.

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

The LED trailer lights are listed as 3150°K.

I believe the eBay are the same as on Amazon.
Amazon.com: LED 2W 12V White Omni Bulb BA15S 1156 P21W Brake Tail 18 5050 SM: Home Improvement

Those are 4500°-5000°K.

For comparison standard incandescent lights are around 3200°K,
Sun light is closer to 5900°K
Full Spectrum Florescent lamps are about 5500°K

Since most of us are used to incandescent lights a color temperature close to the same would probably be preferred.

Thank you for your research, my preference is color similar to incandescent, the warm light. I have 3 G4 LED bulbs over the sink which are too blue so I am planning to change them with the warm light ones. For my 3 outside lights I would still prefer to get bulbs equivalent in color to incandescent.

George.

[Tom Trostel]

I was more interested in the coiled breakaway switch wire and bought one.

[DeadEyeDan]

I purchased the LEDtrailer lights and also some of the Amazon lights. The Amazon lights are a little warmer, or yellower. I like the LEDtrailer lights better. I put the warmer ones around the bed and the whiter ones everywhere else.

[DirtDawg]

FWIW, the question of cost versus equivalency on some of those eBay and Amazon sellers' products has been discussed on the mentioned forums. In correspondence with LED Trailer Lights related to that prior to this 2nd round group buy, he cautioned that those other lamps likely don't utilize internal voltage regulation circuitry (his are good from 8-30 VDC). This is especially important in RV applications where the converter is used with shore power for DC lighting, compared to an automobile that doesn't require such to avoid premature failure. True LED lamp comparisons should be made side by side viewing their circuit boards - not just the count of LED elements and advertised specs.

My only direct experience has been with the LED lamps I bought on the 1st round LED group buy last January. My knowledge on less costly product alternatives is second hand as described above. So as the saying goes, "you pays yer money and takes yer choice"...

[Don Dunsmore]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

What color are they?
George.

As stated....daylight is around 5900K and the bulb I referenced is around 6000K giving a pure white light.....not the bluish white of earlier bulbs. All lights in my Bigfoot are now the white LEDs and after a short period of time one gets used to the colour and come to prefer it.

[brian m.]

Just to clarify, the LEDs from the group buy that Jeff has been so nice to arrange, is from a company here in the USA that you can actually contact if you have questions. Definitely worth something I think. The above listed ebay site is from China, is full of stock photos that may not be what you are actually getting ,doesn't list the actual color temperature of the lights you are buying, and probably doesn't have someone you can actually contact if you have questions, definitely worth something.

The group buy bulbs are listed as 3150K which is warm like the existing bulbs in our trailers. Bulbs in the 5000-6000K range are bluer and whiter.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by DirtDawg

FWIW, the question of cost versus equivalency on some of those eBay and Amazon sellers' products has been discussed on the mentioned forums. In correspondence with LED Trailer Lights related to that prior to this 2nd round group buy, he cautioned that those other lamps likely don't utilize internal voltage regulation circuitry (his are good from 8-30 VDC). This is especially important in RV applications where the converter is used with shore power for DC lighting, compared to an automobile that doesn't require such to avoid premature failure. True LED lamp comparisons should be made side by side viewing their circuit boards - not just the count of LED elements and advertised specs.

My only direct experience has been with the LED lamps I bought on the 1st round LED group buy last January. My knowledge on less costly product alternatives is second hand as described above. So as the saying goes, "you pays yer money and takes yer choice"...

LEDs are very forgiving. A voltage regulator is generally not necessary. The difference between them more than likely has to do with vibration testing.
A typical LED will operate between 10 mA and 30 mA, that's a pretty wide range. I always set the current at 20 mA, the middle of the range so that voltage swings wouldn't do much. Voltage regulation I believe is more like the 60s - 70s transistor radios advertising 12 to 16 transistors, when only 3 or 4 were actually used.
That's just my opinion after being around them and designing circuits using LEDs starting about the time they first came out.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by brian m.

Just to clarify, the LEDs from the group buy that Jeff has been so nice to arrange, is from a company here in the USA that you can actually contact if you have questions. Definitely worth something I think. The above listed ebay site is from China, is full of stock photos that may not be what you are actually getting ,doesn't list the actual color temperature of the lights you are buying, and probably doesn't have someone you can actually contact if you have questions, definitely worth something.

The group buy bulbs are listed as 3150K which is warm like the existing bulbs in our trailers. Bulbs in the 5000-6000K range are bluer and whiter.

I think I'll differ a bit on this one. The bulbs are most likely NOT manufactured in the US. The chips probably from Israel, the assembled bulbs probably from China.

[brian m.]

Correct, the bulbs are most likely made in China. I only meant to point out the difference you might expect in customer service between an ebay posting from China full of cut and paste information, and a company here in the USA with an owner you can get your questions answered. The color temperature thing is also important to some people. No actual temperature is listed in the ebay company. It's just a good idea to keep all these things in mind when making a purchase decision, IMO.

[Raz]

Just for comparison, these came from Superbright. At $17 + shipping they are pricey. In my opinion they are top quality. They draw less than 200 mA and produce a warm white light almost as bright as an incandescent 921 bulb. The flat design puts all the LEDs in one direction and fits flat in the fixtures in my trailer. Additionally there is a diode bridge circuit which eliminates polarity concerns and a regulator circuit that keeps the output light at a constant level for a wide variation in input voltage. I have seen similar looking lamps on eBay. They lack the bridge and regulator circuits. Quality?? Raz

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by brian m.

Correct, the bulbs are most likely made in China. I only meant to point out the difference you might expect in customer service between an ebay posting from China full of cut and paste information, and a company here in the USA with an owner you can get your questions answered. The color temperature thing is also important to some people. No actual temperature is listed in the ebay company. It's just a good idea to keep all these things in mind when making a purchase decision, IMO.

Amazon has what appears to be the same bulb with color temperature listed for less than eBay.

All that said I bought the ones that are listed for the group buy last spring from the same place and I'm very happy with them.

[Panoz77]

I have purchased several different styles of LEDs from Ebay all for less than $4.00 and they have all been very nice and work well, I prefer a brighter white light.