TIP # 155 “Newest of the New Innovations”, LED Technology Continues to Unfold….

Hello Friends and Boggers…. Our 30 LED Halogen replacement bulb reading light is now even better… It has been redesigned to accommodate 38 LEDs… Really packed them in… For those of you that made the Copeton Rally, as saw my LED Display, I have these lights in overhead ceiling swivel eyes as well, for general lighting…

Now the problem with all the LEDs has been that Most of them will not make it very long until the LEDs start winking out as they do not like voltages over about 13 volts… Both on solar and on battery charger, the voltages go over that, in the charging cycle… Of all the Lights I test, and I have been doing it for 5 years, these LEDs have proven the most robust and brightest.. Some of the people equipping new vans in the LED technology for trendy sales gimmick ends, will be battling for years replacing them as they go bad at the higher charging voltages…

Most of the other 50 or so LED lights I have tested, have been either too voltage sensitive, or too bluish and cold, or too little of a practical light source. Most LED lighting gives you the feeling of a candlelight dinner out, where you just want to turn the lights on… Irritating. But now that these have been improved by an estimated 25% it brings back the concept of pairs of them in place of our normal energy efficient looped fluorescent lights… I will replace all 15 in my van, and give you the latest report on how well they are received by the toughest Critic… My Wife…Ha!

No, seriously, they may be a bit of a breakthrough… I will give a report of what people think of the full interior LED lighting in my van.. For five years I have been saying: “The LED technology is just not quite there yet..”

The problem has always been cost efficiency as well. Not only is the cost per lumen (measure of light) really high in the high grade LED technology with voltage regulators, but also the power ratio per lumen raises some of the LED technology to a level where the quality LED lighting in concentrated number of lights, is not that much of a power savings at an extraordinary cost, to be worth the bother of giving out a non-renewable non-repairable light fittings. It has just been a trendy accoutrement… In other words, YES, I have a 100 big LED light, that will replace our energy efficient looped fluorescents, but it costs a fortune and is so big the power saving is not worth the cost and effort…

These now 38 LED lights, are as close as it gets to “being there” and a breakthrough for light and cost and power consumption… Technology marches on....

Regards, Ranger