Best LED Bulbs for the Buck

[wristwister]

I bought a couple of these from Ikea: DIODER Multipurpose lighting - IKEA

Each set includes 4 small low-profile lamp fixtures containing 10 or so LEDs each. They run on 12V, and the kit includes the 110AC-12DC converter (which I tossed). I then bought some little boxes and automotive switches from Radio Shack. I mount and wire a box/switch where the original boat light wiring is, and run two of the LED lamps from it. I have four such setups in my boat (port cabin ceiling, starboard cabin ceiling, galley, V-berth). Looks really cool, lighting is great, and it was CHEAP! I've only had them installed a month or so, so I can't speak to how long they'll last.

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by colemj

FWIW, I grabbed both AC and DC versions (didn't notice). They both work equally in the DC fixtures. Absolutely no difference that I can tell. I imagine the difference is simply a rectifier?

Mark

Mark,

I stopped by Home Depot today and showed them the pic of these lights - they have never seen anything like them before. They then tried to look up the part number with no luck there either. My guess is that Home Depot stores are divided up and supplied regionally. Anyway, here on the left coast they don't carry these lights.

Best regards,

Paul

[prroots]

Originally Posted by Viking Sailor

Mark,

I stopped by Home Depot today and showed them the pic of these lights - they have never seen anything like them before. They then tried to look up the part number with no luck there either. My guess is that Home Depot stores are divided up and supplied regionally. Anyway, here on the left coast they don't carry these lights.

Best regards,

Paul

I suspect they're not sold at any Home Depot although they may have been in the past. If you follow the link below you will see that Home Depot is not listed. We noted Lowe's and bought ours there. Be sure to bring the Lowe's sku of 323782 with you since the salesman may not know what you're talking about. As mentioned, be sure to buy the DC version with model number ADC10G4WW.

Array Lighting - Premium LED lamp bulbs utilizing Selective Heat Sink Technology

Pete

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Viking Sailor

Mark,

I stopped by Home Depot today and showed them the pic of these lights - they have never seen anything like them before. They then tried to look up the part number with no luck there either. My guess is that Home Depot stores are divided up and supplied regionally. Anyway, here on the left coast they don't carry these lights.

Best regards,

Paul

Maybe HD stopped selling them. I picked ours up last Aug/Sept at a Home Depot in Baltimore MD. It was definitely a Home Depot and not Lowes.

Guess you aren't on the "right" coast!

Mark

[colemj]

Originally Posted by prroots

As mentioned, be sure to buy the DC version with model number ADC10G4WW.

Array Lighting - Premium LED lamp bulbs utilizing Selective Heat Sink Technology

Pete

Yes, get the DC version just because it is made. However, as I stated earlier, half of the ones I picked up were the AC version (it isn't readily apparent on the package and they were all mixed in together). The AC version works just fine on DC and I cannot tell the difference between the AC and DC versions in adjacent fixtures.

Mark

[Capt.Chuck]

Here is a great site for LEDs, the warm white does give off the yellow tint and the Cool white is the blue tint.
LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS

[prroots]

I just received my 15 g4 bulbs plus the one modified festoon anchor light bulb from Lighting Matrix. I installed 11 of the g4 bulbs and they all work. The others are spares.The color seems to match the original halogens quite well. I did test the anchor light and that works as well. It may be a few days before we get it installed. BTW, they arrived within the promised time frame from Hong Kong so I was pleased with that. I just checked the power consumption of the g4 bulbs; they are 1.20 watts (.096A X 12.51V) apiece. The spec is 1.3 watts. I have also installed one marinebeam red/white g4 bulb over the Nav station to facilitate night vision while underway at night. That also works as advertised.
Pete

[prroots]

As an update, we've installed our new anchor light received from Lighting Matrix of Hong Kong. We're the brightest around! We're still very happy with the 11 installed g4 style bulbs down below. We're now cruising the Bahamas but when we get back to the States we'll continue our conversion to LED.
Pete

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by prroots

As an update, we've installed our new anchor light received from Lighting Matrix of Hong Kong. We're the brightest around! We're still very happy with the 11 installed g4 style bulbs down below. We're now cruising the Bahamas but when we get back to the States we'll continue our conversion to LED.
Pete

Thanx for being the Guinea pig. looking forward to your report.

[prroots]

Actually Jon Hacking (see post #49) was the real guinea pig; I just followed his lead. I can definitely agree with his experience. Bill was easy to work with and seemed determined to make us happy and the price was right. We paid less than $2/g4 bulb and less than $5 for the festoon style anchor light.
Pete

[belizesailor]

I've been very happy with products I've purchased from Super Bright LED's. Wide selection of bulbs and components. See LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS.

Replaced some of my 12" flourecents with their 12" LED strips. Also, replaced my anchor light with tower cluster from their site -- way brighter than my former incandescent bulb and draws much less.

[Force Majeure]

Mark is quite wrong about the Array G4s sold at Home Depot/Lowes being PWM controlled. They use a resistive linear regulator control, and according to the engineer that developed it (Justin Larson) these bulbs are under quite severe thermal stress at 14V, and are made for constant 12V applications only.

PWM Control is not enough when trying to control strings of Chinese orphan LEDs (with each chip having a different forward voltage and current characteristics). Besides damaging the LEDs, the color temperature and color rendering will also vary as one chip is over-driven and the next is under-driven. Top shelf clusters from IMTRA, Marinebeam, and Sensibulb use Bin-Select LEDs, with cleanroom produced phosphors, discrete diode bridges, rather than cheap single component rectifiers, and proper electrolytic capacitors, rather than SMD caps, etc., which result in a very different cluster than the Chinese $8 ones.

[SailingwithSoul]

I use these on Sailor's Soul and they work great. Just be sure to use better quality velcro tape (I use industrial strength). The one that comes in the package does not stick to fiberglass very well.




Here's where to find them:
Amazon.com: Rite Lite LPL626BX 5 LED Pivot and Swivel Puck Light, Grey, 6 Pack: Home Improvement

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Force Majeure

Mark is quite wrong about the Array G4s sold at Home Depot/Lowes being PWM controlled. They use a resistive linear regulator control, and according to the engineer that developed it (Justin Larson) these bulbs are under quite severe thermal stress at 14V, and are made for constant 12V applications only.

PWM Control is not enough when trying to control strings of Chinese orphan LEDs (with each chip having a different forward voltage and current characteristics). Besides damaging the LEDs, the color temperature and color rendering will also vary as one chip is over-driven and the next is under-driven. Top shelf clusters from IMTRA, Marinebeam, and Sensibulb use Bin-Select LEDs, with cleanroom produced phosphors, discrete diode bridges, rather than cheap single component rectifiers, and proper electrolytic capacitors, rather than SMD caps, etc., which result in a very different cluster than the Chinese $8 ones.

I mentioned in a follow up post that they may not be PWM.

Regardless, we have 11 of them in constant use for a year now on our full time cruising boat with no failures and no decrease in performance. And did I mention they only cost $9? They are by far the best color and performing lights under $25 I have found. They throw no rf onto our HF ham, HF marine or VHF radios.

Since ours are used at night, they never see 14V. They are cool to the touch at 12.5-13V and have shown no signs of stress over the past year.

Oh yeah, did I mention they only cost $9? If one does ever go bad, I have a few spares...

Mark