LED FAQs

5050 and 1210/3528 are the most common leds used in led lights. The 5050 is actually 3 leds in one package. IMHO they produce about twice the light that a 1210 does.

There is quite a variation between vendors. I have been happy with lights from 2011_led. I like the 36-1210 warm white panels.

Here is a link.

HI,

I just ordered some 24 LED panels with 5050 emitters. They are 5.0 X 5.0 mm square. The 3528 is 3.5X 2.8 mm and has about 1/3 the light output per emitter.

I bought mine here for $60 for 50 each, or $1.20 each. I am putting about 20 of them on a house, using a pair of 45 watt solar panels, 26 amp hour electric wheelchair battery that I have left over from changing out the batteries, and a $13 PWM solar controller that also turns on the lights once the sun sets, and can leave them on a programmed level (1 to 13 hours) or dust to dawn, like it is set now.

Each 24 LED panel uses about 0.1 amps so I figure that I will have a 2 amp load once complete. I used #18 thermostat wire to run all the lights, with only 1 amp going through it, the voltage drop should not be excessive, and it iswhat I had laying around.

AliExpress.com and do a search for 24 LED 5050 panels. You will get over 300 results, sort by free shipping and cost low to higher, and you will get some offers for $1 but in lots of 100 each, keep scrolling down to where they have $1.50 or so, and lots of 5- 10 each. It typically takes about 3 weeks for the order to show up.

What I did to install mine in the RV is first cut out the base for my light bulb, leaving behind 2 wires. The center black one is the +12 volts, and I wired that to two bases for the LED panels red wire. The other wire is ground, and I wired that to both bases black wire. I used tiny blue wire nuts.

Then I can plug in 1 or 2 of the panels, and glue them to the top of the factory fixture, then re-install the lens (after testing). After converting several lights, I find them a bit more blue than I orginally desired, but acceptable. They have very low amperage, and I am very sattisfied, and would do it again.

For my porch light, I used four of the LED panels, and put some sheet metal in between the original light and the LED panels. They are held in place by the lens. With 4 panels, it will light up the whole side of the RV, and you can read with that light about 6' away, while using just 0.4 amps. I leave the light on all the time, I figure the LED's will last about 50,000 hours, or something like 7 or 8 years if left on 24/7. My 300 watt solar system will make up plenty of power to keep the battery full all the time.

Fred.

5050 are brighter than 3528's. Figure about 3 times brighter.
I recently purchased some 5630. They appear to be somewhere between the 3528 and 5050.
For color I like something in the 5000 range. They are hard to find. Color below 4000 are to yellow for my eyes. Colors above 6000 can be almost blue. If your fixtures have a white lens. Then higher numbered colors will work. Like most florescent fixtures have.
Most of our lights are used for work area's. For reading and accent lights we use under cabinet lights. But none with color less than 5000 kelvins.