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John Canfield
Site Team
^^Excellent^^ Take pictures of where you install them.
Replacing the salon fluorescent lights with LED - project write-up
- Thread starter John Canfield
- Start date
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Director
Well-known member
More LED strips on the way. Soooo many places need more light.
John Canfield said:
Question directed to John Canfield. Regarding Pictures... Do you have a picture of the fixture with the translucent plastic 'lens' reinstalled? Would be nice to see what the LEDs look like then. Also a picture of the galley fixture with the fluorescent bulbs so a comparison can be made.
Everyone already knows I am a big fan of LEDs for RV use. Less power, less heat, longer laster. All great reasons to convert.
When I did my fluorescent to LED conversion last year, I wanted to keep the Fluorescents intact, just so I would have them if I wanted them. I added the LED strips AND another same-style switch to the other side of the fixture. Now I can have both, neither, or either.
I wrote it up in an article a while back with some photos of the build. You can see it here:
http://www.thewanderman.com/2012/05/convert-fluorescent-lights-to-led-dual.html
Same basics as John's with a little bit of a twist.
It's a good thing I have both, as since the switchover one of the ballasts went. I'll likely replace it eventually, but I still have light from that fixture.
Rich "The Wanderman"
When I did my fluorescent to LED conversion last year, I wanted to keep the Fluorescents intact, just so I would have them if I wanted them. I added the LED strips AND another same-style switch to the other side of the fixture. Now I can have both, neither, or either.
I wrote it up in an article a while back with some photos of the build. You can see it here:
http://www.thewanderman.com/2012/05/convert-fluorescent-lights-to-led-dual.html
Same basics as John's with a little bit of a twist.
It's a good thing I have both, as since the switchover one of the ballasts went. I'll likely replace it eventually, but I still have light from that fixture.
Rich "The Wanderman"
John Hilley
Well-known member
where did you get the switch?
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
There is no particular need to remove the ballast - just disconnect the 12v power to it.
I also did several halogen puck lights and removed the reflectors. Like Terry, I just gave them a yank with needle nose pliers and they popped out. The reflector body also held the G4 bipin socket in place, but a dab of glue anchored the socket once again.
For my fluorescents, I use the tube-replacement leds from rvledbulbs.com, either the Revolution brand or the Mings. Both are excellent and easy to install. For those of you who are less handy than John, the tube-style led replacements just slip into the same sockets as the fluorescent tubes. All you have to do is clip the two 12v wires from the ballast and connect to the pigtail on the led tubes (it's already in place) with wire nuts. You don't have to be skilled to do that. Plus, the bulbs are designed for RVs with suitable 12v power regulation. You do pay a price for the convenience and high quality, though. Not to mention the 100% satisfaction guarantee from rvledbulbs.com.
Here is my write-up on how it's done using the pre-wired Revolution fluorescent replacements. The Ming bulb is done the same way.
I also did several halogen puck lights and removed the reflectors. Like Terry, I just gave them a yank with needle nose pliers and they popped out. The reflector body also held the G4 bipin socket in place, but a dab of glue anchored the socket once again.
For my fluorescents, I use the tube-replacement leds from rvledbulbs.com, either the Revolution brand or the Mings. Both are excellent and easy to install. For those of you who are less handy than John, the tube-style led replacements just slip into the same sockets as the fluorescent tubes. All you have to do is clip the two 12v wires from the ballast and connect to the pigtail on the led tubes (it's already in place) with wire nuts. You don't have to be skilled to do that. Plus, the bulbs are designed for RVs with suitable 12v power regulation. You do pay a price for the convenience and high quality, though. Not to mention the 100% satisfaction guarantee from rvledbulbs.com.
Here is my write-up on how it's done using the pre-wired Revolution fluorescent replacements. The Ming bulb is done the same way.
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John Canfield
Site Team
NoMoreAZ said:
Yeah I have that, let me look around.
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John Canfield
Site Team
Gary RV Roamer said:
Yes, no technical need to remove the ballast but with a stripped-out fixture you have more LED strip placement options.
I received the other five meter strip of lights (16.4') and measured the current at 2.28 amps @ 11.7V (11.7V at the strip leads, source voltage applied was 13.8V but my tiny alligator jumper leads had two volts of voltage drop :
.) This is a far cry from the "72" watts as specified on the label - I measured 26.7 watts.
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John Canfield
Site Team
"Question directed to John Canfield. Regarding Pictures... Do you have a picture of the fixture with the translucent plastic 'lens' reinstalled? Would be nice to see what the LEDs look like then. Also a picture of the galley fixture with the fluorescent bulbs so a comparison can be made."
Oops - forgot about this... Here's a comparison of a cool white florescent bulb (one tube is bad) compared to the warm white strip lights. Note that capturing accurate colors is a bit tricky as far as white balance goes (for me at least.) These LEDs are quite a bit "warmer" than the cool white tubes.
Okay - I'm really out to lunch - I forgot to upload the pix :
John Canfield said:
Oops - forgot about this... Here's a comparison of a cool white florescent bulb (one tube is bad) compared to the warm white strip lights. Note that capturing accurate colors is a bit tricky as far as white balance goes (for me at least.) These LEDs are quite a bit "warmer" than the cool white tubes.
Okay - I'm really out to lunch - I forgot to upload the pix :
Attachments
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I wonder if the 72 watts is the max allowed (if you connect strings together)?
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John Canfield
Site Team
Yeah, I don't know about their ratings methodology Gary - maybe somebody in their marketing department figured out the specs ;D.
Director
Well-known member
John,
Having trouble putting pix in text. Can you Help? I have used attach...after all pix picked, preview and nothing...send and nothing.
Max
Having trouble putting pix in text. Can you Help? I have used attach...after all pix picked, preview and nothing...send and nothing.
Max
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John Canfield
Site Team
Max - it's the + Attachments and other Options option directly under the text entry box. Click on it and click on the Browse button. Select a file and then hit the Post button when ready to complete your post. You cannot upload a picture larger than 500 Kb, the ones I upload are usually 30-75 Kb.
Attachments
John Canfield said:"Question directed to John Canfield. Regarding Pictures... Do you have a picture of the fixture with the translucent plastic 'lens' reinstalled? Would be nice to see what the LEDs look like then. Also a picture of the galley fixture with the fluorescent bulbs so a comparison can be made."
Oops - forgot about this... Here's a comparison of a cool white florescent bulb (one tube is bad) compared to the warm white strip lights. Note that capturing accurate colors is a bit tricky as far as white balance goes (for me at least.) These LEDs are quite a bit "warmer" than the cool white tubes.
Okay - I'm really out to lunch - I forgot to upload the pix :
Tnx for the pix.
Hope you enjoyed your lunch!
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John Canfield
Site Team
Okay - I have more precise current measurements that I made while installing the strips in the galley fixture.
Voltage: 13.8V
- One 35" strip with 18 three LED sections draws about 1.24A (the current changes a bit probably due to heat)
- Two strips draws about 2.25A (yes, I can't explain why two don't draw 2.5A ???) but the 2.25A measurement is accurate, I let the reading stablize.
So one ceiling fixture will draw about 4.5 amps which is a little more than I expected. If we were into boondocking in a big way, I would install a small switch to disconnect two of the strips in each fixture to save a few amps. The salon and galley are now well lit up with both ceiling fixtures turned on.
Oh, I now suspect the 72 watts is an accurate specification.
Voltage: 13.8V
- One 35" strip with 18 three LED sections draws about 1.24A (the current changes a bit probably due to heat)
- Two strips draws about 2.25A (yes, I can't explain why two don't draw 2.5A ???) but the 2.25A measurement is accurate, I let the reading stablize.
So one ceiling fixture will draw about 4.5 amps which is a little more than I expected. If we were into boondocking in a big way, I would install a small switch to disconnect two of the strips in each fixture to save a few amps. The salon and galley are now well lit up with both ceiling fixtures turned on
.Gary RV Roamer said:
Oh, I now suspect the 72 watts is an accurate specification.
judway
Well-known member
John C.
Thanks for the information. I have my roll of LEDs and I am waiting for the small power supplies from China. When I get the power supplies I will finish the job.
Thanks for the information. I have my roll of LEDs and I am waiting for the small power supplies from China. When I get the power supplies I will finish the job.
judway
Well-known member
I finally received all of the parts. I installed the LED strips along with the power supplies listed by Chet.
The power supplies Specs stated that the input voltage was from 8V to 50V and a regulated output of 12V making them the perfect units to use.
The units did not have a capability of delivering 12V with an input Voltage of less than 13V. They are regulators and not power supplies. Someone stated this problem in one of the posts I don't remember who. I left the power supplies in the light fixture to protect from the high voltage spike of greater than 14V.
My installation looks just like John C's. except for the regulators. I don't recommend using the regulators. A good simple regulator chip would be just as good.
I need to find a power supply that meets the Spec from some other source.
The power supplies Specs stated that the input voltage was from 8V to 50V and a regulated output of 12V making them the perfect units to use.
The units did not have a capability of delivering 12V with an input Voltage of less than 13V. They are regulators and not power supplies. Someone stated this problem in one of the posts I don't remember who. I left the power supplies in the light fixture to protect from the high voltage spike of greater than 14V.
My installation looks just like John C's. except for the regulators. I don't recommend using the regulators. A good simple regulator chip would be just as good.
I need to find a power supply that meets the Spec from some other source.
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John Canfield
Site Team
Interesting. A three-terminal regulator (like an LM7812) needs a much higher input voltage to regulate to a lower voltage. What you wanted was a DC-DC switching power supply.
John Hilley
Well-known member
Might need a boost and buck supply.
