LED Replacement Lighting - Where to Buy ?

[alan_fincher]

I'm sure the topic has been done before, but it is a moving technology, and I suspect the situation changes quite rapidly, so I'm asking again.

 

We successfully trialled a couple of LED units in some fairly elderly ceiling lights last year. These were ones based on a board with a G4 connector, which in turn plugs into an adaptor that fits the original socket in the fitting (BA15D, in our case).

 

I would now like to buy some more, probably having anywhere between about 12 and 18 LEDs.

 

The most obvious canal related suppliers are "Bedazzled" or "Baddie the Pirate", and the units currently price at about £8 to £12 depending on configuration. They seem to be well protected against over-voltage and spikes, (the Bedazzled ones for example saying they are good up to 30 volts).

 

There are clearly very much cheaper suppliers, but also fairly obviously some of the real cheapies do not have the same degree of regulation and protection built into them.

 

So are there perfectly viable, and cheaper, alternatives to the "tenner a shot" approach of Bedazzled and Baddie, that are likely to be just as long lasting, please?

 

I'd rather pay a bit more, and know they will keep going with no unexpected surprises, than save a few quid on something that is less than 100% reliable. But equally if the same thing can be obtained at half the cost........

 

Any recommendations? Any horror stories? Has anybody had expensive ones fail, and if so how did the suppliers treat the matter?

[Grace and Favour]

I've not had any of my cheapy ones (Fleabay) fail in overt two years (so far)

[grahame r]

Has anyone ever had one fail?

[ditchcrawler]

I've not had any of my cheapy ones (Fleabay) fail in overt two years (so far)

I have. I now stick with the more expensive ones from Ultraled

 

Has anyone ever had one fail?

Yes

[Chris Pink]

My failures have been the early cheapies with 'conventional' LEDs in and one very expensive early Cree ( or similar). The more recent SMD based devices all seem to be very robust and I wouldn't pay £10 a pop for lamps, the last lot I got were £1.50 each and, as well as being the nicest light, are all still going strong.

 

Slightly ( ever so slightly ) off-topic the SMD LEDs cause a fair amount of RFI on my DAB (gosh, abbreviation heaven).

 

Is this a problem with expensive lamps? And is there an easy way to stop it?

[HappyBunny]

Try Baddie the Pirate .... she is lovely and knowledgeable and boat based and has good stock

 

 

http://www.baddiethepirate.co.uk/

 

 

 

[boots]

So far we've been very happy with ours from Puffer Parts (though accept they are not in the £1.50 space)

[Keeping Up]

My failures have been the early cheapies with 'conventional' LEDs in and one very expensive early Cree ( or similar). The more recent SMD based devices all seem to be very robust and I wouldn't pay £10 a pop for lamps, the last lot I got were £1.50 each and, as well as being the nicest light, are all still going strong.

 

Slightly ( ever so slightly ) off-topic the SMD LEDs cause a fair amount of RFI on my DAB (gosh, abbreviation heaven).

 

Is this a problem with expensive lamps? And is there an easy way to stop it?

 

The ones from Bedazzled certainly don't seem to generate any RFI

[alan_fincher]

 

Slightly ( ever so slightly ) off-topic the SMD LEDs cause a fair amount of RFI on my DAB (gosh, abbreviation heaven).

 

Is this a problem with expensive lamps? And is there an easy way to stop it?

 

The Bedazzled ones make a specif reference to being supressed.

 

Try Baddie the Pirate .... she is lovely and knowledgeable and boat based and has good stock

 

 

http://www.baddiethepirate.co.uk/

Yes, if you look I refer to Baddie the Pirate, and it is in fact where I bought the two lights we have as a trial before committing to them on the whole boat.

 

However (say) 10 lights at £!0 each, plus a further £3 (I think) for an adaptor each could cost me about £130.

 

On the face of it, I could pay a tiny fraction of that, but I don't know if it is for an equivalent product - hence the original question.

[Chris Pink]

If you want Alan I'll send you a cheapo lamp so you can try it for yourself.

[alan_fincher]

I have. I now stick with the more expensive ones from Ultraled

 

Not heard of them, but they do seem to be about half the cost of the canal based suppliers, (also charging a more realistic price for an adaptor, although I'm minded to see ifit is worth trying to convert the lamps, as the adaptor arrangement seems a bit Heath Robinson, and results n the LED panel being rather offset).

 

Puffer Parts information is a bit scant on their web-site, (nothing new there!).

 

If you want Alan I'll send you a cheapo lamp so you can try it for yourself.

 

Its a good offer Chris, which I may take up, although I'm not sure the boat is going to get used enough for a while to really assess anything for long term durability. What voltage range do your cheapies claim to be able to operate under, please, (assuming they say, of course)?

[churchward]

We have all LED lights of one sort of bulb or other from Bedazzled. They are more expensive than others it is true but I have been happy with the service provided and the way the voltage and RFI protection works. We have had the LED lights for 5 years now and not one has had an issue yet. They do not interfere with the DAB radio either unlike some cheap units that come with some wall mounted reading lights. Now replaced with Bedazzled units and all is OK.

[AndrewIC]

Had a number of the cheaper bulbs but they generated terrible RFI (and I listen to the radio a lot). Replaced them with suppressed models from Bedazzled and had no problems at all. Bedazzled offered a full money back guarantee if I wasn't happy, pleased to say I've not needed to take them up on it.

 

Also converted some Labcraft Crystalite fluorescents by fitting them with a couple of the LED "discs" from the same place (as there was no suppressed tube bulb at the time). Very bright and under 500mA per fitting.

 

Andrew

[George94]

I bought a load on Ebay a couple of years ago for 99p each and replaced all my 12V lights. 2 failed quickly, and I replaced them. Since then, no problems.

 

Madness to pay 10 times as much in my view.

[Trix]

Can I assume that you can just fit LED bulbs to existing fittings or do you have to change everything my units , dating back to the nineties have car bulbs , I have seen replacement LED bulbs but wonder if I can just use them or not

[Ex- Member]

Can I assume that you can just fit LED bulbs to existing fittings or do you have to change everything my units , dating back to the nineties have car bulbs , I have seen replacement LED bulbs but wonder if I can just use them or not

 

As long as the fitting is the same and the voltage is correct then not a problem.

 

Many LED lights though don't like voltages over 13v, they will blow quite quickly if too many volts, usually individual LED bulbs in cluster bulbs will start to blow, so sometimes you get some warning. We just fitted a 12v regulator for the LED bulbs, they've been working several years now without any failures.

 

All our bulbs are MR16 fittings, if you can upgrade, you'll have a much wider choice of bulb and type of light emitted.

[Starcoaster]

Ah, I'm glad you posted this, Alan! I posted a q. about LED brightness a few days ago but for the life of me can't find it now. My lights seem to be not that easy to find bulbs for as they are double contact bayonet and with offset pins... Can anyone recommend where I might source some of these for less than the stated £10 or so a pop? I'm after something that is bright but in a warm tone rather than the harsh white effect they sometimes seem to be.

[smileypete]

Slightly ( ever so slightly ) off-topic the SMD LEDs cause a fair amount of RFI on my DAB (gosh, abbreviation heaven).

 

Is this a problem with expensive lamps? And is there an easy way to stop it?

Try threading both supply wires to the light through a ferrite ring, wind them around it several times if poss, same # turns each. Try to have the ring near to the light as poss, any wire between light and the ring should be fairly tightly twisted together.

 

The ferrite rings are often moulded on old VGA cables, and some USB cables, and can be cut off with a sharp knife if you're veeeerrry careful and don't mind cutting through the lead.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[bizzard]

Ah, I'm glad you posted this, Alan! I posted a q. about LED brightness a few days ago but for the life of me can't find it now. My lights seem to be not that easy to find bulbs for as they are double contact bayonet and with offset pins... Can anyone recommend where I might source some of these for less than the stated £10 or so a pop? I'm after something that is bright but in a warm tone rather than the harsh white effect they sometimes seem to be.

I think you might need to change those bulb holders Star, they sound like vehicle dual stop and tail light holders, There are LED adapters for double and single contact holders but with level equedistant pins. Browse Bedazzleds site.

[Timleech]

I think you might need to change those bulb holders Star, they sound like vehicle dual stop and tail light holders, There are LED adapters for double and single contact holders but with level equedistant pins. Browse Bedazzleds site.

 

They sound like BAY15d, often used for navigation lights. Searolf among others have the lamps, I've bought from them & the products seem good, but they're not budget price.

 

Tim

[Starcoaster]

Bizzard, there are some lamps available for this type, I have got one in the chandlery, but it was over £10 an a bit pants. I am getting the impression that they are harder to get hold of than the regular single contact or non-offset types of connectors though. I'm not sure exactly what I should be looking at when you say connectors though? My lights are all like this (or similar variants of this):

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/Lighting/CeilingBulkheadLights/Incandescent/VL110.aspx

 

on the outside, it's going to be a real pain to have to try and get them changed, and I don't think connectors can just be used within them?

[Timleech]

Bizzard, there are some lamps available for this type, I have got one in the chandlery, but it was over £10 an a bit pants. I am getting the impression that they are harder to get hold of than the regular single contact or non-offset types of connectors though. I'm not sure exactly what I should be looking at when you say connectors though? My lights are all like this (or similar variants of this):

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/Lighting/CeilingBulkheadLights/Incandescent/VL110.aspx

 

on the outside, it's going to be a real pain to have to try and get them changed, and I don't think connectors can just be used within them?

 

Do you know whether the supply is connected to the two pins, or between one or both pins and the outer body of the lamp holder?

 

If it's between pins and body, you should be able to use something like this, but if just between the pins it'll be the nav light type you need (if you can't rearrange things).

You need to check how much room there is in the housing, for the size of lamp.

 

Tim

[bizzard]

Bizzard, there are some lamps available for this type, I have got one in the chandlery, but it was over £10 an a bit pants. I am getting the impression that they are harder to get hold of than the regular single contact or non-offset types of connectors though. I'm not sure exactly what I should be looking at when you say connectors though? My lights are all like this (or similar variants of this):

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/Lighting/CeilingBulkheadLights/Incandescent/VL110.aspx

 

on the outside, it's going to be a real pain to have to try and get them changed, and I don't think connectors can just be used within them?

Your boats lights should be double wired ie neg and pos wires connected to the two holders contacts. Single contact holders would have to have the neg- wire attached to the holders body as these are meant for most vehicles which the vehicles body is used for the earth neg- electrical link.

Your whole boat maybe being used for these neg- return links,''very dodgy'' but I doubt it. Do the lamp holders have two wires going to both bulb contacts on your double contact holders and if you have any single contact holders is one wire attached somehow to the metal holders body?

[bizzard]

They sound like BAY15d, often used for navigation lights. Searolf among others have the lamps, I've bought from them & the products seem good, but they're not budget price.

 

Tim

Sorry Tim I didn't see this post. Yes they might be.

[Starcoaster]

Ok, I am fairly sure they are double wired neg-pos, as the two pin LED lamp I do have only works in them when put in one way round and not the other.

Is that the answer?! Or do I need to pull the holder from the body of the fitting and see what's happening with the wires?