LED's again...

[Acampingwewillg]

Hi all
I'm looking for replacement LED tubes for my Thin Lite recessed fixtures in the MH. The least expensive I've found has been about 20.00 per LED replacement Tube for the 11" fluorescent tubes. I thought maybe someone has found a less expensive location. If not I might go with replacement adhesive strips LED's and do the little extra to save on the many I have to do.

[Ivylog]

I have found the 5050 led chips run the coolest of any size and is all that I buy. At 100 degrees, heat is not the problem with my bathroom night light strip. My awning strip is fasten to the alum channel of my Girrard awning and I went ahead and replaced it yesterday... will try and keep better track of how many hours before I have to replace again.

It is only the strips that I'm have problems with, my other $1 leds from China have help up well.

As a side note, I bought 24' of expensive 120V led rope lights for above my kitchen cabinets. It did much the same with 3' sections stopping to work and the rest started to dim. At less than a year (3000 hours) I replaced it with the old fashion incandescent rope light... like the one around my front door which still works after six years of use.

[MrWizard]

You do realize that the wood cabinet is an insulator, not a heatsink
Try sticking the strips on a narrow strip of aluminum, and fasten that under the cabinet
As for the awning
Can you stick the strip directly to the awning tube ?
Let that be the heatsink,
These strips, really did start design life as something to be attached to car bodies and metal trim, material that conducts heat away from the LEDS

My main living room light, the one with the One bad led
Must have 3000 hours use time
6 hours or more per day for the past 18 months

I changed to led because I was tired of buying tubes that kept going up in price

The panels might be the best way for you, the good ones have metal backing and temp control via current control or heat sinking

[Ivylog]

As half timers I'm on the third strip under the bathroom base cabinets used as night lites in six years. More than half stop working and the rest get dim. When this strip needs replacing I'm going to try two 18 LED panels instead.

The strip I put under my awning needs replacing at less than 200 hours of use.

[MrWizard]

Ivy
I have had One led in One strip, that has gone out,, in the whole RV ,
Everything else is still 100 percent

[Acampingwewillg]

OK then....strip lights and/or something similar will be the project. A little soldering won't be an issue. I was thinking about replacing my old yellowed diffusers on the Thin Lites with Clear Diffusers but I've been told that might not be a good idea...the strip's would show through the clear? Thanks all.....

[Ivylog]

I've had poor results with the LED strip lights... failed segments and dimming over time. I've had better results from the 48 led 5050 panels. If you go with the strips, use the snap connectors so you can change the strip out without having to solder.

[wa8yxm]

I too have looked at those and dang near had to change my undies at the price.

Now.. if you do not mind a bit of cutting and soldering I found some on Amazon, these are not tubes like the direct replacement but peal and stick strips, 5 Meters long, about 10 bucks a roll Can't link to them just now but the info I gave you shoudl find them, They are DAYLIGHT color (come on other colros) which are bright white,, I happen to like that.

I had to cut the roll into strips. then tape the strips to the stripped Thin Light, Then solder jumper wires to connect all the strips together.
More light, less power, Very happy.

Found the link

LED Strips

[MrWizard]

i used the strip lighting
i cleaned the fixture plate real good with denatured alcohol
before attaching the strips, and put a dab of super glue on the end with the wires

the pre-made replacement tubes are an out landish price for what you get

for the price of one tube, I did the whole RV using strips

and guess what, even if you buy tubes, you still have to open the fixture and cut the ballast out of the circuit rewiring it

going that far, might as well glue and solder and save all that money

some people attach the strips with double sided tape

DO NOT DO THIS

the tape is a heat insulator, making the strips hotter

sticking the strip directly on the metal fixture plate inside
transfer the heat to the plate, keeping the LED segments cooler

[Oregun]

I just rewired four 18" fluorescent fixtures in my camper with the led strips. The adhesive didn't hold as well as I would like but I just glued the ends and middles with a little RTV to ensure they would hold. Had to solder the strips to the 12v switch using 2 strips for each light. Definitely has reduced the drain on the 12v battery.

[pianotuna]

Just use led strip lights.