Power LED Residential Lighting

[transistance]

The $40 is the DIY unit price!

Deal Extreme's entry level mounted LED is **broken link removed**

Yeah... it is an expensive choice which is what I meant. I will check out your link uber.

 

[audioguru]

Entry-level LED

Deal Extreme's entry level mounted LED is **broken link removed**

No spec's for the cheap Oriental LED. No Datasheet.
A comment on the Deal Extreme's website says they do not know anything about the LED except its voltage, colour, size and weight. Somebody tried to translate the spec's from the manufacturer but they do not make sense.
Buyer beware!

 

[transistance]

No spec's for the cheap Oriental LED. No Datasheet.
A comment on the Deal Extreme's website says they do not know anything about the LED except its voltage, colour, size and weight. Somebody tried to translate the spec's from the manufacturer but they do not make sense.
Buyer beware!

Thanks audioguru I just got done reading those reviews. I couldn't even find power specs.

Any idea how this effect(or diffusion) created? Sand-blasted plexiglass maybe?
**broken link removed**

 

[audioguru]

Any idea how this effect(or diffusion) created? Sand-blasted plexiglass maybe?
**broken link removed**

Lights in the floor?
Cameras too? Hee, hee.

 

[transistance]

Switching to Osram T5 Tube Flourescent

I have built my case for the ceiling light. It's 8 cm thick and diffuses light through a light-density painting canvas. I am going to install 3 90cm long 28W cool white Osram T5 tubes for the lights source.

Here is the problem:
I do not know much about ballasts. Are they practically high frequency transformers? Which is smaller and lighter instant or rapid start ballasts?
I do not know how many ballasts one FL tube needs, is it 1 per filament or 1 for each tube?

Also we have these tiny wall-embedded dimmers for spot lights (halogen i think) in our living room. If i were to replace the current light switch in my room with one of these dimmers and connected the ends to 3-4 fluorescent ballasts would they function properly?

 

[Hero999]

Ballasts come in two types: electronic (these are switched mode power supplies as you correctly stated) and passive (these are either inductors or transformers).

The electronic converters are smaller and more efficient but seem to be less rugged than the passive variety. A dimmer normally won't work with a passive or electronic ballasts. You can buy special electronic ballasts that work with conventional dimmers but more often than not, you need to buy a special dimmer module too.

A couple of posts ago I attached a circuit which might allow a normal dimmer to control an inductor-type ballast. I don't know if it will work because I haven't tried it.

 

[transistance]

From the Turkish Osram Website but product description is in English:
OSRAM Dimmable ECG, as far as I understand this ECG is a package of instant starter + ballast capable of powering 2x24 W T5 which is exactly what I need. But does this work with a regular dimmer?

How do the AC dimmers work btw? Are they basically phase controllers? Do they somewhat control the duty cycle? or does the dimmable balast do the actual phase control? just wondering what part of the circuit does what...

EDIT: Don't wanna spam Osram but these T5 tubes seem to be very suitable for my project if go along with the above ECG.

 

[Ubergeek63]

No spec's for the cheap Oriental LED. No Datasheet.
A comment on the Deal Extreme's website says they do not know anything about the LED except its voltage, colour, size and weight. Somebody tried to translate the spec's from the manufacturer but they do not make sense.
Buyer beware!

Well I missed this way back when...

I posted the entry level as an example... you want the good stuff you have to ask for it, or better yet poke around on the site I posted:

**broken link removed**

Dan

 

[audioguru]

DealExtreme doesn't even know what color are their LEDs.
Maybe the colors are all mixed up and you get whatever color they have.

 

[Ubergeek63]

DealExtreme doesn't even know what color are their LEDs.
Maybe the colors are all mixed up and you get whatever color they have.

New one on me. That is the excat part number for an 80Lm white Rebel and when I ordered three some time ago that is exactly what I got.

Dan

 

[MrDEB]

If your still intent n using LEDs

**broken link removed**
Note you can purchase 140,000mcd leds on ebay very cheaply.
I am planning on lighting an entertainment cabinet/display case using leds.
see random cabinet lighting post
am using 140,000mcd clear leds and 13,000mcd blue leds

 

[audioguru]

DealExtreme doesn't even use Luxeon Rebel part numbers so maybe they are a cheap Chinese imitation. There are many "manufacturers" of a Rebel Star. Lumileds makes only the tiny chip and other companies mount them on an aluminum heatsink. With chewing gum?

 

[audioguru]

LEDs advertised with a very high mcd brightness rating are usually cheap old dim Chinese LEDs in a package that focuses the light into a very bright narrow angle. Not suitable for lighting.
For lighting you need a wide angle beam and also high brightness.

A nice guy on another website sent me many Luxeon Lumileds as thanks for helping him with a circuit. They have a 70 degrees wide beam that is extremely bright.

 

[Hero999]

From the Turkish Osram Website but product description is in English:
OSRAM Dimmable ECG, as far as I understand this ECG is a package of instant starter + ballast capable of powering 2x24 W T5 which is exactly what I need. But does this work with a regular dimmer?

I don't know, I tried clicking on the links to the datasheets on the website but they seem to be broken. Do they have a contact number or email? Perhaps you should ask them.

How do the AC dimmers work btw? Are they basically phase controllers?

Yes normal dimmers are just phase controllers.

Do they somewhat control the duty cycle? or does the dimmable balast do the actual phase control? just wondering what part of the circuit does what...

Dimmable ballasts do not do phase control, even if they are compatible with phase controllers. Dimmable ballasts normally work by either varying the duty cycle or the tube current.

 

[transistance]

Finally I found the electronic pieces required for this project, and I will be getting them this Saturday. Although the project was started as an LED array lighting project, general forum decision was to go with FL light sources to achieve better diffused lighting.

Granted that none of the electronic parts are DIY, I still wanted to share my final design and thank for all the help you guys have provided.

A quick list of parts and what I ended up paying: (Probably cheaper in U.S.)
Dimmable E-ballast
EAN/ Product: 4050300870489
Product description: OSRAM QTIDALI 2X21/39/220-240 DIM VS20
Price: 2*50$*1.18 = 118.00$

High Output T5
EAN/ Product: 4050300591681
Product description: OSRAM FQ 39W/840 HO 20X1
Price: 4*5$*1.18 = 23.60$

White Pine Planks and Beams: 18.75$
Stretched Painting Canvas: 18.75$

Total: 179.10$



Once I mount the fixture, I will post pictures of it and let you know if the diffused light was satisfactory.

Question:
I have 1 power line going from my light switch to the ceiling (concrete building). How do I connect two (2x39W)dimmable e-ballasts and four 39W T5 FL to 1 power line? (any sketches would be awesome)

 

[Ubergeek63]

DealExtreme doesn't even use Luxeon Rebel part numbers so maybe they are a cheap Chinese imitation. There are many "manufacturers" of a Rebel Star. Lumileds makes only the tiny chip and other companies mount them on an aluminum heatsink. With chewing gum?

To my knowledge there is only one company making that form factor. Rebels are then soldered directly to a metal core PCB.

I would be more worried about the other types that require thermal epoxy and spot welding if I were you.

Dan

 

[transistance]

Question:
I have 1 power line going from my light switch to the ceiling (concrete building). How do I connect two (2x39W)dimmable e-ballasts and four 39W T5 FL to 1 power line? (any sketches would be awesome)

Sorry for the bump, weekend is approaching I want to make sure I get all the required parts.

Thanks in advance,

 

[sfttailpaul]

I am a very new person to this, so please excuse me. I have been selling Lighting for some 25 plus years now. I have seen LED's come from crude and expensive "arrays" necessary to produce "white light" to the sophisticated replacement, "screw in" bulbs of current offering. They have dropped in 1/2 the beginning of 2008, then again 1/2 of that in late 2008. Amazing! Supply and demand. LED's are superior to anything we are familiar with. It only took a demand for "them" to produce them efficiently (just getting going).
My question is there anyone who could SIMPLY explain how to hook-up Amp and Volt Meters (12-24-48Volt) to me? I would be so greatly appreciative.
I understand the shunt for Amp,s, but couldn't a length of wire, or a resistor be substituted?
I can thank you enough.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I understand the shunt for Amp,s, but couldn't a length of wire, or a resistor be substituted?

A shunt is a resistor - and for high currents will be a piece of resistance wire.

You shouldn't need to provide them though, they are already inside the ammeter.