LED Bulbs

n7bsn wrote:
....

None of them are made by wiring a series of LEDs in series (OK, I have some I've personally made)
....

Why they aren't I dono. Something like 25 years ago I made a night-light for our first rig. It was 8 red LEDs wired in series, then to a 12v plug, and I potted the entire thing together with hot-melt glue.
That night-light has been plugged into every RV we've ever owned and those lights have been running 24-7-365 ever since. That means those LEDs have been running, continuously for nearly 250,000 hours.

996Pilot wrote:


We're not talking 110V bulbs with built-in power sources the OP is looking for 12V bulbs like 1156 base - no power supply. These are DC, LED bulbs so there is NO interference with anything electrical.

Amazon - there is a company that has 20 pieces for $18.99. They are WARM WHITE color which is preferred as you don't want that blue cast inside at night.

I purchased mine a couple of years ago and they are great, nice light, cool to the touch, and none have failed (I'd doubt they will fail for the life of the camper, at least they will last a darn site longer than the old filament bulbs). All of the LED lights on draws about as much as one of the old lights.

Dan

You do know that LED's don't run off 12V? Or don't you know that there is a voltage regulator in the base of every "12V" LED bulb.

None of them are made by wiring a series of LEDs in series (OK, I have some I've personally made)

A few use resistors, but most use DCtoDC regulators and some of those make RF noise.

996Pilot wrote:

We're not talking 110V bulbs with built-in power sources the OP is looking for 12V bulbs like 1156 base - no power supply. These are DC, LED bulbs so there is NO interference with anything electrical.
Dan

Sorry, wrong on both counts. LEDs require and come equipped with current driver circuitry, and this circuitry is known to cause interference. The problem becomes worse in the marine industry, where radio communication is crucial. Therefore, look to that industry for the best solutions to the problem. https://store.marinebeam.com/controlling-emi-1/

Sam Spade wrote:
You can put one of each side by side and you can't tell which is which.

You can look at the pictures of them and tell the difference. ;) Of course, there are cheap bulbs sold for expensive prices and in that case, there isn't a difference.

You can agree or disagree, but here's the reasoning. http://www.m4products.com/lumens-and-quality/

trail-explorer wrote:

Correct, they are a reseller of products made in China, which is the case of all the LEDs I have run across.

The funny thing about "cheap stuff versus expensive stuff" is:

You can put one of each side by side and you can't tell which is which.

You can turn them ON and you still can't tell the difference.

You can take them apart and examine the components and you STILL can't tell the difference.

I will leave it to the reader to guess at why that is. :R

ticki2 wrote:
It is my understanding that M4 is a seller and do not make any of their products . Since you have some , does it say where they are made ?

Correct, they are a reseller of products made in China, which is the case of all the LEDs I have run across.

There are varying qualities of LEDs from numerous factories in China. The cheap stuff is what's being peddled on Amazon and Ebay.

I bought mine from www.ledtrailerlights.com which is a vendor that has been around for a lot longer than others, which was the place I found online in various forums, etc back in 2009. They are still in business, and I have bought other stuff from them over the years.
You want to get LEDs that are rated at 10-30vdc, which all the LEDs I got from www.ledtrailerlights.com are.

Some of the cheap stuff simply states "12vdc" and they have a very narrow operating voltage range. I've heard people with that style LED saying that when they are charging the batteries, the LEDs will flicker due to the higher voltages seen during battery charging.

I went the led bulb route but got tired of the bulbs failing and only the tips lighting up, I am now replacing the whole fixture with the led boards built in, very nice difference, I just upgraded all my outside lights, even upgraded one to a 300 lumens so I can have more light at night outside.

Outside light:
https://amzn.com/B01FF2RX0C

This is the inside lights I am getting next:
https://amzn.com/B00CZEZNGU

3oaks wrote:

ticki2 wrote:
I got a 10 pack from ebay $13.95 . Sorry computer won't post the link , the sellers name is yitamotor . Has been a year and so far so good . I just think $15 a bulb is a rip off . At that price I could buy an extra battery or some solar . I have yet to see bulbs that state " made in USA" .

Your choice to make.
My choice was M4 Products.
Isn't it nice that all of us can make our own choices! :@

I agree , it is nice that there are choices . I looked long and hard at M4 products . From what I read they have a good product line . Only time will tell if I made the right choice . It is my understanding that M4 is a seller and do not make any of their products . Since you have some , does it say where they are made ?

n7bsn wrote:
I would recommend against the super cheap LEDs via eBay (and other sources) for two reasons
1) they tend to fail early
2) they tend to have not "compliant" power sources. By that I mean they are not shielded and do not meet FCC specs for home equipment. Which means that they interfere with all AM radio and will also interfere with weak signals on FM and TV.

I've been buying mine from SuperBrightLED

We're not talking 110V bulbs with built-in power sources the OP is looking for 12V bulbs like 1156 base - no power supply. These are DC, LED bulbs so there is NO interference with anything electrical.

Amazon - there is a company that has 20 pieces for $18.99. They are WARM WHITE color which is preferred as you don't want that blue cast inside at night.

I purchased mine a couple of years ago and they are great, nice light, cool to the touch, and none have failed (I'd doubt they will fail for the life of the camper, at least they will last a darn site longer than the old filament bulbs). All of the LED lights on draws about as much as one of the old lights.

Dan

I would recommend against the super cheap LEDs via eBay (and other sources) for two reasons
1) they tend to fail early
2) they tend to have not "compliant" power sources. By that I mean they are not shielded and do not meet FCC specs for home equipment. Which means that they interfere with all AM radio and will also interfere with weak signals on FM and TV.

I've been buying mine from SuperBrightLED