LED puck light conversion

[moisheh]

I have seen many posts on this subject but very few posters list a source for the bulbs. I was told that there are some Chinese sellers on ebay with a quality product. Apparently if you buy in bulk they are reasonable in price. Any help appreciated.

Marvin

[moisheh]

Almot: How could you use that term to describe Chinese people. You should be ashamed!!!! I am surprised to discover you are a racist.

Moisheh

[Almot]

Ivylog wrote:
So, why should I pay $4 when I can buy these for ......$1.20?

It appears that quality boards and cobs start somewhere from +$2 if shipped from China. Used to be under $2 some time ago.
$4 or more it would cost from US Amazon retailer, for the same product. The only benefit is the ease of exchange, though Chinks would usually replace it for free if there is something wrong, without asking you to ship it back. Let's keep garbage collectors in business.

[Almot]

GordonThree wrote:
thermal management seems to be the lowest priority for the average Chinese engineer. Pack as many led onto as little pcb as possible, claim some ridiculous performance numbers.

There is nothing ridiculous about performance of LED that I bought (link in my post on the 1st page). It draws 5 times less current, producing visibly same brightness as the old incandescent. This is what most sources say where it should be. Temperature I didn't measure but surely less than 200F, more like 100F. No RF interference either.

Consider that LED is inherently 2 times more efficient than incandescent when you need a focused light, like in RV dome lights where you want it shining downwards. In LED all the light goes downwards where you need it. So, even a LED made rather poorly, with a lot of heat losses, and only 1.5 times more lumens per watt than incandescent, it would still produce 3 times more lumens per watt in the desired direction.

[Gdetrailer]

Ivylog wrote:
Let's see, I can buy 20 with no warranty no return or six with return. Anyone, anyone.
PS: in six years I've had three out of 36 cheap China LEDs fail. To each their own.

You are more than welcome to buy grey market items were quality is never thought of. It's your money and time to do so.

I am perfectly fine to pay a little more and get items that are not made from grey market parts and will most likely outlast my camper..

Sorry to have attacked your cheap source of parts but in the real world, real manufacturers do not deal with grey market parts, there are just to many quality issues with grey market parts.

When I buy stuff, I don't necessarily shop by price (IE lowest price), too often those bargains are a bargain due to poor quality..

I have over the years bought and sold through Ebay, not everything you find there is a bargain..

For obsolete hard to find items it IS a great resource but for easy to find items like LED lights it is a poor choice.. There is too many real sources of better quality LEDs elsewhere.

On edit..

Put it another way..

Would YOU personally want a "pacemaker" (which is intended on keeping YOU alive) from a grey market source which the doctor bought off Ebay for $1000?

Or would you rather a pacemaker that was made from guaranteed first quality parts bought through real parts sources that cost $5000?

I don't know about you but myself I would go with the $5000 one..

[Ivylog]

Let's see, I can buy 20 with no warranty no return or six with return. Anyone, anyone.
PS: in six years I've had three out of 36 cheap China LEDs fail. To each their own.

[Gdetrailer]

GordonThree wrote:
thermal management seems to be the lowest priority for the average Chinese engineer. Pack as many led onto as little pcb as possible, claim some ridiculous performance numbers... profit?

As long as folks are enticed by "grey market" pricing of Ebay there will be plenty of shysters hocking their cheaply made wares.

[Gdetrailer]

Ivylog wrote:
So, why should I pay $4 when I can buy these for ......$1.20?

Well in the first place, do they have a QUALITY regulator?

The CHEAP ones like you linked tend to skimp on proper RFI suppression.. Makes for no TV or radio reception when switching regulators are not PROPERLY suppressed.

Second place, try RETURNING them.. Dealing DIRECTLY from China will result in a lot of hassle if they fail or don't work and you want to cash in on warranty..

Then there is the matter of light QUALITY.. Your cheap ones most likely will not be spot on for color temp and vary a lot..

There are many "grades" of LEDs, even within the same size number, the ones that do not meet 100% tolerance are often sold to the grey markets.. What that means is you will find that the LEDs can shift color as they heat up or not all the LEDS on your light have the same color..

At least if I am not satisfied with my Amazon purchase returns ARE HASSLE FREE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED FULL PURCHASE PRICE RETURNED and in most all cases even the SHIPPING is refunded..

Don't try that with 99% of the Ebay vendors..

The cheapness of the bargain is soon forgot when it breaks..

That IS why Ebay always mentions "Buyer Be Aware"..

I have found over time with LEDs, CHEAP does not translate into LONG LIVING LEDs. Pay a little more, get a lot more quality.

[Ivylog]

So, why should I pay $4 when I can buy these for ......$1.20?

[GordonThree]

thermal management seems to be the lowest priority for the average Chinese engineer. Pack as many led onto as little pcb as possible, claim some ridiculous performance numbers... profit?

[Gdetrailer]

Ivylog wrote:
From my post back in July:
Ten days ago there was a discussion about different ceiling replacement G4 led bulbs. Over the last five years I've had good luck with the cheap ones from China instead of the expensive ones from a US reseller ($11 each). I bought 10 15 led 5630 bulbs ($1.30 each) to compare to the 12 led 5050 ($0.95 each) I'm currently using.
They got here in less than 10 days and I would say they are a little brighter than the 12 led 5050 I've found to be the best of the various types I've tried over the last five years. At 3200 color temp (warm white) the 15 led 5630 are a little bluer than the ones I replaced.
On start up it was probably in the 2500 temp range but as it warmed up it became brighter/bluer than the 12 led 5050s which do not change color. Since I keep a IR temp gun handy I started comparing the temp of the two different bulbs. The 5050s peaked at 120 degrees while the 5630 started at 120 and was still climbing at 210 degrees after five minutes.
I'll probably only use them where I do not leave them on for very long. For use in the LR I'll stick to the 12 led 5050 bulbs. You can buy a 15 led 5050 bulb but they are a larger diameter and do not fit well in the puck lights.

15 LED 5630


12 LED 5050

:E

With THOSE temperatures you HAVE been ripped off.

There is a lot of energy wasted in heat with your LEDs.

I just measured the temps of mine and after 20 minutes of operation they are only 86 degrees F!

Granted you THOUGHT got a "bargain" BUT you didn't pay attention to the fact that 5050 and 5630 LEDs are not as efficient as 5730 LEDs.

210 F is only a bit cooler than the incadescent bulbs you removed..

Add to the fact that yours my not have a good regulator (IE resistor) you are burning up a lot of energy in HEAT.

There IS a reason the LEDs I linked to cost MORE than the ones you bought.. Better efficiency = MORE LIGHT = LESS HEAT = LESS POWER WASTED.

[Ivylog]

From my post back in July:
Ten days ago there was a discussion about different ceiling replacement G4 led bulbs. Over the last five years I've had good luck with the cheap ones from China instead of the expensive ones from a US reseller ($11 each). I bought 10 15 led 5630 bulbs ($1.30 each) to compare to the 12 led 5050 ($0.95 each) I'm currently using.
They got here in less than 10 days and I would say they are a little brighter than the 12 led 5050 I've found to be the best of the various types I've tried over the last five years. At 3200 color temp (warm white) the 15 led 5630 are a little bluer than the ones I replaced.
On start up it was probably in the 2500 temp range but as it warmed up it became brighter/bluer than the 12 led 5050s which do not change color. Since I keep a IR temp gun handy I started comparing the temp of the two different bulbs. The 5050s peaked at 120 degrees while the 5630 started at 120 and was still climbing at 210 degrees after five minutes.
I'll probably only use them where I do not leave them on for very long. For use in the LR I'll stick to the 12 led 5050 bulbs. You can buy a 15 led 5050 bulb but they are a larger diameter and do not fit well in the puck lights.

15 LED 5630


12 LED 5050

[moisheh]

Thanks for the replies.

Moisheh

[gotsmart]

I had pancake lights throughout my MH. The plastic on several were yellowed on the outside (over time). Some lights had poorly working switches on the fixture. I did not want to deal with LED bulbs or the square LED panels that one glues/sticks to the reflector inside the pancake light.

My solution was to replace all of the pancake lights with Thin-Lite LED pancake lights that I bought from Amazon:

Double pancake LED light , Single pancake LED light

The incandescent double pancake lights drew about 36W (or about 3 amps). The LED double pancake lights draw about 7W (or about .6 amps).

[Gdetrailer]

moisheh wrote:
I have seen many posts on this subject but very few posters list a source for the bulbs. I was told that there are some Chinese sellers on ebay with a quality product. Apparently if you buy in bulk they are reasonable in price. Any help appreciated.

Marvin

I shy away from anything "ebay", just too many questionable quality "merchants" to choose from.

LEDs are a hit or miss thing, must be aware of color temp in Kelvin, lumins per watt then in your case trying to find a real deal LED which will fit into a tiny "puck"..

Makes for a huge challenge to say the least.

I ran into the same problem, not many out there that have the lumens which will replace a 20W G4 bulb that fits into a puck fixture.

I found some which do AND are brighter than a 20W halogen G4!



These are made with 6 of 5730 LEDs which are 1/2W LEDS, has a built in regulator so it will easily handle 3 stage RV converters.

You can get them HERE for pack of 6 at $25.

Those are the "warm white" which is 3000 K in color temp, they are not "blueish" white so they are comfortable to be around.

They say they are 3W, but in reality it is two series strings of three LEDs, Each string draws 1/2 W and the regulator consumes some power. I measured mine at about 1.5W at 12V for power draw.

In other words, they draw about half the wattage of the rating but each LED puts out equivalent of 1/2W worth of light.

I have some that have been in constant use in my home for about a year with no dead ones and have even installed them in my camper puck light fixtures for camping this last summer.

Bright and much less heat..

On edit.. These come with LONG leads, you most likely will need to trim the length, I did.