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06-06-2012, 07:18 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe 2003 16 ft
Posts: 1,899
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LED Comparison
Being without adult supervision, (FWIW, the position of woman-friend is open and I'm accepting applications! WAH!!! I kill myself!) I have some discretionary income which I used to purchase a light meter (Extech 407026). This light meter measures lux and/or foot-candles. One lux is apparently 1 lumen/sq. meter. But a lumen is apparently a measure of all the light a bulb produces, not just light brightness in the center of the aiming point. (Surefire's description is as good as any I could find: Flashlight Technology - Page 1), So for my purpose I'm comparing lux as a relative measurement to tell me which LED provides the best light to read by. And buying an integrating sphere photometer(!) to measure lumens is way beyond my piddle-away limit.
I've always been a SuperBrightLEDs guy and Dr. LED makes West Marine LED products so that is where I got my comparison samples. I recently purchased the 45 LED lamps and got to wondering whether there was a net gain considering the increase in cost. This my little study.
Repeatability was pretty good as I got a different result than I expected and I repeated the measurements. Experientially, my existing cool white PCB lights were noticeably brighter (I have no issue with the cool white color, in fact I rather like it). But with the new 45 LED bulb the warm white was brighter so I redid all the measurements.
I make no recommendations, just putting the data out there.
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06-06-2012, 07:52 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1982 Fiber Stream and 2001 Casita Spirit Deluxe (I'm down to 2!)
Posts: 1,989
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Sounds like someone may have too much time on his hands?
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06-06-2012, 08:03 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
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Steve does state he is sans woman, ergo discretionary income.
I imagine that light meter cost a few $$$
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06-06-2012, 08:19 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1982 Fiber Stream and 2001 Casita Spirit Deluxe (I'm down to 2!)
Posts: 1,989
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I like the little chart with the pics Steve,somehow looks familiar to me?
I also have some issues with certain LEDs interfering with my Television and so I maintain a few incandescent bulbs to get light without any TV interference.
Any experience with this so far?
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06-06-2012, 08:28 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: gary
Trailer: 16' 1998 Scamp
Minnesota
Posts: 677
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Good chart... The column I like is that Lux/Amp one. Compare that 18W incandescent with the SB cool white: 69 v. 295. 6.4 times more efficient. Zounds! Add to that the life time of the LED (as in forever!) and you have a winner.
I just picked up a tri-colour LED coil'o'lamps with a controller for sticking under my (only two weeks now until I have it!!!) Scamp's awning. That will let me dim to a warm glow or go up to full brightness AND have a disco party if I want it. Details in a month or so...
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06-06-2012, 09:28 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
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Gary,
I think you meant 69 vs 442 = 6.4
The cost per lux does not consider the energy consumed. Potentially extending your battery life 3-6 times between charges is worth it.
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06-06-2012, 09:35 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: gary
Trailer: 16' 1998 Scamp
Minnesota
Posts: 677
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Yeh... well... my fingers move faster than my, um, what's that thing inside my skull called ????
Yes indeed... it's the extension of battery life I really care about too! Cost/Lux is nice, but it's the way it sips power that I like!
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06-06-2012, 09:38 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,185
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Harris
I also have some issues with certain LEDs interfering with my Television and so I maintain a few incandescent bulbs to get light without any TV interference.
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That's probably a switching regulator circuit on the LED board. Buy the cheap EBay LEDs. All they have is a resistor.
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06-06-2012, 10:10 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2008 21 ft Bigfoot Rear Bed
Posts: 629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve L.
Being without adult supervision, (FWIW, the position of woman-friend is open and I'm accepting applications! WAH!!! I kill myself!) I have some discretionary income which I used to purchase a light meter (Extech 407026). This light meter measures lux and/or foot-candles. One lux is apparently 1 lumen/sq. meter. But a lumen is apparently a measure of all the light a bulb produces, not just light brightness in the center of the aiming point. (Surefire's description is as good as any I could find: Flashlight Technology - Page 1), So for my purpose I'm comparing lux as a relative measurement to tell me which LED provides the best light to read by. And buying an integrating sphere photometer(!) to measure lumens is way beyond my piddle-away limit.
I've always been a SuperBrightLEDs guy and Dr. LED makes West Marine LED products so that is where I got my comparison samples. I recently purchased the 45 LED lamps and got to wondering whether there was a net gain considering the increase in cost. This my little study.
Repeatability was pretty good as I got a different result than I expected and I repeated the measurements. Experientially, my existing cool white PCB lights were noticeably brighter (I have no issue with the cool white color, in fact I rather like it). But with the new 45 LED bulb the warm white was brighter so I redid all the measurements.
I make no recommendations, just putting the data out there.
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I like your chart, for warm white Dr LED seems as a winner. Did you select the same light source (Tungsten/Daylight, Fluorescent, Sodium, Mercury) for all of your measurements?
George.
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06-06-2012, 10:16 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2008 21 ft Bigfoot Rear Bed
Posts: 629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Harris
I like the little chart with the pics Steve,somehow looks familiar to me?
I also have some issues with certain LEDs interfering with my Television and so I maintain a few incandescent bulbs to get light without any TV interference.
Any experience with this so far?
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All of my lights are LEDs and have no interference with TV.
George.
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06-06-2012, 11:23 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe 2003 16 ft
Posts: 1,899
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeR
I like your chart, for warm white Dr LED seems as a winner. Did you select the same light source (Tungsten/Daylight, Fluorescent, Sodium, Mercury) for all of your measurements?
George.
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I used the tungsten/daylight position for all measurements. But I did look at the effect of switching. It changed the magnitude some (about 10 lux min to max) but it didn't seem to change the relative relationships.
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06-06-2012, 11:32 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe 2003 16 ft
Posts: 1,899
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Harris
I like the little chart with the pics
I also have some issues with certain LEDs interfering with my Television and so I maintain a few incandescent bulbs to get light without any TV interference.
Any experience with this so far?
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I do get some sort of intermittent interference on my radio but I've always attributed it to the converter. I have a vague memory of switching off the converter circuit breaker and the noise ceasing. I'll have to repeat the experiment.
In the case of the Dr LED light, the catalogue claims " Zero RF emission, surface mount device design". I would expect no less from the SuperbrightLEDs even though it's not specifically called out.
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06-06-2012, 12:53 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Dave
Trailer: ,Bigfoot 25 foot plus Surfside 14 foot
British Columbia
Posts: 1,148
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy in TO
Gary,
I think you meant 69 vs 442 = 6.4
The cost per lux does not consider the energy consumed. Potentially extending your battery life 3-6 times between charges is worth it.
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A '69 442?
Wow!
One of my all time fav's.
Oh that's NOT what you meant?
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06-06-2012, 01:46 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
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4 barrel, Hurst 4 on the floor,dual exhausts=442
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06-06-2012, 03:10 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: David
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 1300
Cumberland, Indiana
Posts: 392
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They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I guess I should be flattered!
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ing-49741.html
Spanke
__________________
Trilliums Rock!
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06-06-2012, 05:59 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,185
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Put an AM radio in close proximity to the lamp. If they are using a switching regulator, you'll know it. The regulator is used to keep the intensity constant with variations in input voltage. Raz
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06-06-2012, 07:25 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe 2003 16 ft
Posts: 1,899
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanke
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Well...great minds think alike!
I didn't search the forum before posting so it's gratifying to see we both used the same basic approach. Your comparison is more comprehensive though. Good job!
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06-06-2012, 07:45 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: David
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 1300
Cumberland, Indiana
Posts: 392
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve L.
Well...great minds think alike!
I didn't search the forum before posting so it's gratifying to see we both used the same basic approach. Your comparison is more comprehensive though. Good job!
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Thanks! Great minds do indeed think alike!
Spanke
__________________
Trilliums Rock!
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06-06-2012, 10:04 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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Nice job on the comparison chart and getting all the measurements. It comes pretty close to what I would expect. I have the warm white LEDs 1156. Plenty of light and long battery life.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-07-2012, 09:57 AM
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#20
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,221
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I was looking at various offerings on eBay, and am a bit confused as to the output of the lamps. Some list specs for wattage or amperage, some list lumens of output, but none that list lux. Is there some kind of conversion for comparison. It does seem that most of the LED's used for what I would want are 5050 or 2010 bulbs, how do these compare for output.
I would likely want mostly warm white ones, but it would seem for the same number of lights as the cool white, there is about 25% less light. Is this correct?
I want bright, but then I imagine everyone does.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
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