# LED Lighting bought from Ebay



## Bigpeetee (Feb 15, 2011)

Just bought and fitted 6 LED light modules on a G4 pinout from Ebay, absolutely fantastic. Got the warm white and although a very little colder than the existing halogen, very similar colour (no blue tinge), similar if not better light output and all for £23.56 for the six inc post & packing. See Ebay item # 220691361632

Now on test with a 12.5 volt supply

5w halogen current 420mA = 5.25 watts
Led module current 71mA= 0.89 watts

This means that you can have approx 6 LED lights on for the current drain of 1 halogen or that one LED light drawers less that 1/6 of the power.

Great for wilding, I looked around Ebay and these seemed the best light output for the cost, they claim 150 lumens with a 120 degree light output

I'm chuffed with them so will fit out the rest of the van.

Don't forget, they don't get as hot as halogens and will probably outlast the van, so no changing lamps!!

Pete


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## Bigpeetee (Feb 15, 2011)

PS. They can work with any polarity on the pins


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## Deleted member 775 (Feb 15, 2011)

i was suprised when after getting some of those led srtrips for a freind of mines van  that you had to get the polarity correct or they would not light . i assumed that it would not matter which way you connected them .ps i got them from china and the quality seems good ,when i start refurbing my van i will be using only led lights from china as they seem the cheapest option


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## Bigpeetee (Feb 15, 2011)

These LED units can be used in household cabinets with a 12v AC supply, so have a bridge rectifier to allow either AC or DC operation


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## caspar (Feb 15, 2011)

I bought the ones to fit in Halogen spots - big mistake. They are supposed to have quite a wide angle beam, but the van seems awful dim with them on.


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## David & Ann (Feb 15, 2011)

Changed all 13 lights from halogen to M11-6 led lights. Absolutely brilliant.  I have one more set of lights to change which are 10W florescent tubes for the panorama window. Anyone know where I can get them if it is possible?


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## Bigpeetee (Feb 15, 2011)

Look on Ebay for strips of LED's, some come in 12v capacity, then it's a case of strip out the electronics in the flourescent and install the strips of 12v leds to the power switch of the unit, super glue, double sided sticky etc will do, look for the highest light output, usually they are from SMD (surface mount devices)

Try Ebay item 270625877697, but remember you don't have the led density compared to a bulb replacement, so won't get the same light output.

Pete


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## David & Ann (Feb 15, 2011)

Bigpeetee said:


> Look on Ebay for strips of LED's, some come in 12v capacity, then it's a case of strip out the electronics in the flourescent and install the strips of 12v leds to the power switch of the unit, super glue, double sided sticky etc will do, look for the highest light output, usually they are from SMD (surface mount devices)
> 
> Try Ebay item 270625877697, but remember you don't have the led density compared to a bulb replacement, so won't get the same light output.
> 
> Pete


 
Thanks Pete. Just found on the web a firm called Bedazzled.uk.co  They have them but they cost a bomb, £35 each. i have 4 in the MH. I have taken in what you have suggested, but I am no whizz kid with electricity.


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## Bigpeetee (Feb 15, 2011)

Alternatively just buy some LED modules as per my first post then link them together either soldering or using chocolate screw blocks and fix using double sided tape, you could get approx 5 units in the space of a 10w tube.

Very easy to wire up as it doesn't matter which way the power goes.

PM me with your contact details for more info

Pete


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## David & Ann (Feb 15, 2011)

Bigpeetee said:


> Alternatively just buy some LED modules as per my first post then link them together either soldering or using chocolate screw blocks and fix using double sided tape, you could get approx 5 units in the space of a 10w tube.
> 
> Very easy to wire up as it doesn't matter which way the power goes.
> 
> ...


 
Hi Pete, Give me a day so I can take a picture of the tubes and send them to you. As I am pretty dumb, you will need to give me step by step instructions. Thanks buddy.


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## maingate (Feb 15, 2011)

On another forum, somebody had also pointed out that LED replacements do not give the same amount of light as tubes. If you only use them now and again, it might be best just to stick with them.

I have bought all my LED bulbs from Bedazzled and find the ones to replace Halogen bulbs are about the same price as other firms. There was a thread on MHFacts not long ago and a lot of members complained of the short life and high failure rate of the Hong Kong ebay ones. I do not want to get into an argument on these LED's, I am just reporting on what I read.


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## Mastodon (Feb 15, 2011)

Yep, I got some cheap ones and the failure rate was high.


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## maingate (Feb 15, 2011)

David & Ann said:


> Thanks Pete. Just found on the web a firm called Bedazzled.uk.co They have them but they cost a bomb, £35 each. i have 4 in the MH. I have taken in what you have suggested, but I am no whizz kid with electricity.


 
Hi D & A,

I have nicked this info from another forum.

I metre strips of Led, £6 each on ebay.

You will need a 12 volt DC regulator for them. These are also on fleabay for about £25.Amperor 12 volt regulator.

I have not got the links but a search will find them easily enough.


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## David & Ann (Feb 15, 2011)

maingate said:


> Hi D & A,
> 
> I have nicked this info from another forum.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks Maingate, will look into it. By the way, Is your name Jim? If not, my apoligies.


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## maingate (Feb 16, 2011)

David & Ann said:


> Thanks Maingate, will look into it. By the way, Is your name Jim? If not, my apoligies.


 
My name is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and I am aiming for world domination (see my Avatar). 

Yes my name is Jim.


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## David & Ann (Feb 16, 2011)

maingate said:


> My name is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and I am aiming for world domination (see my Avatar).
> 
> Yes my name is Jim.


 
I knew your name was Ernst Stravro Blofeld. I was more curious over alias (Jim) ☺


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## Brian Evans (Feb 16, 2011)

maingate said:


> Hi D & A,
> 
> I have nicked this info from another forum.
> 
> ...


 
Shouldn't need a regulator if you are powering them off the van's 12v supply as this is already D.C. I have also purchased several l.e.d lamps from H.Kong , China . and found them to be pretty good .What we have to remember is that the very high prices we pay for LEDs in the UK actually are sourced from H.K and China .


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## AndyC (Feb 16, 2011)

Brian Evans said:


> Shouldn't need a regulator if you are powering them off the van's 12v supply as this is already D.C. I have also purchased several l.e.d lamps from H.Kong , China . and found them to be pretty good .What we have to remember is that the very high prices we pay for LEDs in the UK actually are sourced from H.K and China .


LEDs are quite voltage sensitive, the more expensive one have a voltage regulator chip built-in, the cheaper ones generally don't. 

If you run the ones with no built-in regulator at much over 12v their life is reduced. You need to bear in mind that on-board battery chargers may produce over 14v, which will seriously shorten the life of non-regulated LEDs.

AndyC


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## David & Ann (Feb 16, 2011)

AndyC said:


> LEDs are quite voltage sensitive, the more expensive one have a voltage regulator chip built-in, the cheaper ones generally don't.
> 
> If you run the ones with no built-in regulator at much over 12v their life is reduced. You need to bear in mind that on-board battery chargers may produce over 14v, which will seriously shorten the life of non-regulated LEDs.
> 
> AndyC


 
Precisely Andy. Which is why I chose to pay the extra for the ones with a built in regulator. Peace of mind for years to come. Remember, it is a one of payment, job done.


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## Brian Evans (Feb 16, 2011)

AndyC said:


> LEDs are quite voltage sensitive, the more expensive one have a voltage regulator chip built-in, the cheaper ones generally don't.
> 
> If you run the ones with no built-in regulator at much over 12v their life is reduced. You need to bear in mind that on-board battery chargers may produce over 14v, which will seriously shorten the life of non-regulated LEDs.
> 
> AndyC


 
LED lamps are very voltage tolerant . Some have a voltage range from 9v to 18v others I have seen from 8v to 36v . This is one reason they have been used in control instrumentation for many years . A quick search on ebay gave me a price a price of an Mr11 -12led £7.24 uk delivered ,and £2.87 delivered from Hong Kong . Both looked identical , and no mention from either of a built in regulator .Another point , any modern built Motorhome should have it's 12v D.C. output already regulated  by the manufacture .


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## maingate (Feb 16, 2011)

A recent survey found that ebay is the No. 1 place for fake goods. Most fakes come from China and a lot of better quality goods are made in China.

This is the first time I have heard that LED's are voltage tolerant and frankly I do not believe it unless they have an inbuilt circuit on them.

If you think that vans have built in regulators for the 12 volt DC then try checking the voltage on yours and report back. If it were true, we could all go down to the local lighting shop and buy the domestic 12 volt LED's at a fraction of the price.


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## Brian Evans (Feb 17, 2011)

maingate said:


> A recent survey found that ebay is the No. 1 place for fake goods. Most fakes come from China and a lot of better quality goods are made in China.
> 
> This is the first time I have heard that LED's are voltage tolerant and frankly I do not believe it unless they have an inbuilt circuit on them.
> 
> If you think that vans have built in regulators for the 12 volt DC then try checking the voltage on yours and report back. If it were true, we could all go down to the local lighting shop and buy the domestic 12 volt LED's at a fraction of the price.


 
Most fakes come from China , never said any different .Yes my van voltage is regulated .There is nothing different from the leds you use for domestic or Motorhome .Yes go down your local shop , and I can guarantee you will not get them at a fraction of the cost .


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## maingate (Feb 17, 2011)

I think I should point out that British vans with the Sargent charging system are fitted with a voltage limiting device to prevent the voltage going to the maximum level (over 14 volts) at the 12 volt sockets and lights. This can happen for a short period due to the 'intelligent' charger in the van. It is a limiter and not a regulator. Anyone with a foreign or older van can have problems with some cheap LED's.

There are 2 things I would like to point out:

If anyone wants to fit LED's, a Google search will find hundreds of places to buy them and will give you all the information you need. You could also do a search on this (and any other forum) for loads of info. There is no need to start a new thread.

Secondly, I am sorry to say that I will never respond to another thread on LED's as it always ends up as a slanging match between those that have cheap ebay ones and those that have not.


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## Brian Evans (Feb 17, 2011)

maingate said:


> I think I should point out that British vans with the Sargent charging system are fitted with a voltage limiting device to prevent the voltage going to the maximum level (over 14 volts) at the 12 volt sockets and lights. This can happen for a short period due to the 'intelligent' charger in the van. It is a limiter and not a regulator. Anyone with a foreign or older van can have problems with some cheap LED's.
> 
> There are 2 things I would like to point out:
> 
> ...


 
Not having a slanging match here . Just a disscussion , and also agree with a lot you say but not everything .My biggest gripe is the middle men in the UK overpriceing a cheap product from China as they do with everything else that is imported from these country's


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## confucius (Mar 11, 2011)

hi all, i came a cross some led strips that are self-adhesive backed,

Home

Andy


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## Brian Evans (Mar 12, 2011)

confucius said:


> hi all, i came a cross some led strips that are self-adhesive backed,
> 
> Home
> 
> Andy


 
Thanks for the link .Could be usefull .


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## Hycon (Mar 12, 2011)

I belive that some LEDs are not tolerant of voltages above 12v I have Hong Kong/ China LEDs and had one fail  when in use while on Elec Hook up and charger on.When charging my 12v supply goes up to 14.5 -15v (1996 Hymer with electoblock 12v control unit) .So now when using LEDs I tend to switch the charger Off and switch it on in the daytime or at night  after lights out.I still have 12v fluorescents which do not take too much power and can tolerate a larger voltage range and can be on while charging.I have fitted a 12v voltage regulator to the TV supply just in case the TV may be damaged by higher voltages .It also maintains 12volts if the voltage goes too low.A regulator could be fitted to the lighting circuit but may not be worth the cost.


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## Bish (Apr 16, 2011)

*LED lighting*

I can vouch for the Bedazzled outfit. Very knowledgable and helpful of the phone. Replaced 19 halogen bulbs on our narrowboat, 25w/30w mixture, and we could run all 19 for the same consumption as 3 of the others. I`m not electrically trained but LEDs have moved on from the type used in the average torch and give great light output, not cheap but worth the money.

Pete


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## Tony Lee (May 7, 2011)

Brian Evans said:


> LED lamps are very voltage tolerant . Some have a voltage range from 9v to 18v others I have seen from 8v to 36v . This is one reason they have been used in control instrumentation for many years . A quick search on ebay gave me a price a price of an Mr11 -12led £7.24 uk delivered ,and £2.87 delivered from Hong Kong . Both looked identical , and no mention from either of a built in regulator .Another point , any modern built Motorhome should have it's 12v D.C. output already regulated  by the manufacture .


 



LEDs by themselves are current devices, not voltage devices so either need to have a current regulator in series to limit the current to a safe level - often about 20mA per LED - in which case the lamp can be made to tolerate a fairly wide voltage input range - the 8V to 36V referred to, OR they can have a current limiting resistor in series with each series string of three (for 12V operation) in which case they are very voltage sensitive and an increase in supply voltage of a couple of volts, may double the current flowing through each LED. Since they have very little capacity for getting rid of excess power generated, they don't last long and this has been a major sticking point to more general acceptance. With current regulation becoming the standard, voltage intolerance and short life should be a thing of the past. Trouble is, just how does one know which has a current regulator. I guess if the specifications say it does, or if they are sold with a wide voltage range, then that is a good sign, but other than that there is no way to know except by buying some and testing their current vs supply voltage characteristics. Price is NOT a good indicator.

Claimed super-long life hasn't materialised either and it is pretty easy to find trucks  with tail lights having groups of three LEDs dark even though they are the wide voltage current regulated type.

Haven't heard of many motorhomes with regulated DC habitation supply. Some - older types - have voltage converters which are fixed 13.7V, but seems to me the trend is away from those battery killers and more towards decent three-stage chargers which can produce charging voltages up to 15V in equalisation mode and 14.4V normally. Blowing an occasional $3 bulb doesn't come close to wrecking $1000 worth of batteries so I prefer a three-staage charger anytime.
This is why better quality lamps have current regulators instead of series resistors.

I'm not a big fan of LED lighting - only because until fairly recently their so-called warm white was invariable more like blue daylight, but now that their warm white is a lot more to my liking - although still a bit monochromatic  - I have tried a few different types with reasonable results.

To replace the fluros, I've ordered a couple of these from Deal Extreme 
	80310 	12W 3500K 800LM Warm White LED Emitter Metal Strip (12~14V)
to see how they go.

Another problem you will stike and already alluded to is that although the surface mount device (SMD) LEDs have a beam angle of 135 degrees, normal lamps are a lot less glarey (not the extreme pinpoint source of a LED) and have a wider beam so in my opinion give a more pleasing, less contrasty atmosphere than LEDs. Better design of lighting fittings may solve the problem but not yet.


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## daza (Jun 7, 2011)

Tony Lee said:


> I'm not a big fan of led lighting - only because until fairly recently their so-called warm white was invariable more like blue daylight, but now that their warm white is a lot more to my liking - although still a bit monochromatic  - I have tried a few different types with reasonable results.


 
Yeah I had the same thoughts but now I really like the warm white.


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