An LED question

In my garden I have some globe lights, all are fed from a transformer giving nominally 12v ac from a radio switch I can operate from my pocket. However the construction of the wiring andlights is quite frankly rubbish, but I do like globes. I was wondering if any led bulbs capable of operating on such a system and giving uniform globe illumination was around. Ifrequired I would even buy holders as this is the problem in the current lights, ie insulation displacement connections are unreliable.

I I am aware that many forms of rechargeable garden lights exist,but for my use I'm happy with centralcontrol and bright lights. the plug in wire ended bulbs are rubbish and of course tungsten and inefficient. My feeling was a small defused led of some kind in series with a diode so I could share the ac cycles between lights soto speak. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff
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Something like this might well do the job.

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There are cheaper ones too but not quite so nice.

Reply to
Martin Brown

Spotlights sounds like one direction though. I'm looking at something where the large ish globe is all evenly illuminated. My light perception is what I'm after using having no focus any more spots would vanish if viewed from other directions. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

I have bought 4 of these for the garage - they're brilliant.

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Reply to
Simon Mason

Its a "spotlight" with a beam width of 270 degrees. Basically intended as a functional equivalent of a bare 12v quartz halogen bulb.

I haven't used the new ones but something similar and they are pretty bright compact light sources. The only criticism might be that they are too point source like and a bit dazzling when in line of sight.

Reply to
Martin Brown

LEDs as such do tend to be approaching a point source and directional. The 'lens' on them may modify this.

To get a large even globe, you'd need a lot of them and a diffusing outer.

I've not seen any that look just like opaque globe tungsten - they tend to have more of a hot spot. Tungsten of that type likely have a very long filament which is why they are more delicate than GLS.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Is an opaque one an energy saving bulb as you don't need a filament or is 100% inefficient as it just gets hot?

Reply to
dennis

Use 12V LED lights meant as replacements for car side lights. For example

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These have near enough all round illumination. If you need to remove all light point sources simply put a tube of translucent material such as tracing paper over them.

You might need to get someone to do minor surgery to connect to the base wires but that doesn't seem to be too difficult. Run them all off a suitable 12VDC supply (such as a surplus computer power supply).

Reply to
Peter Parry

These

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In action here:

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Reply to
Simon Mason

You can get them in globes. Although TBH I prefer the cheaper corn on the cob types if I want something approximating omnidirectional.

Reply to
Martin Brown

I nearly got killed while 20 foot up a ladder screwing in a corncob.

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Reply to
Simon Mason

All the ones I have are safely encased in a plastic envelope.

I have seen spotlight versions with bare wire connections in a holiday cottage that we hired. I don't think it is a good idea but as Edison used to say DC doesn't normally kill you (unless you fall off a ladder).

Reply to
Martin Brown

I have a large globe tungsten in the light above a table. Used because it looks pretty. Very evenly lit approx 6" sphere. I'd like a dimmable LED to do the same job. But must look as good on and off.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Even without electrical training surely common sense should have suggested to you that it's always advisable to switch off the light before changing a bulb ?

The point being, that if there's already sufficient light for you to climb the ladder and fit the bulb then there should be sufficient light for you to climb down again without the switch having been left to on.

Also given your propensity for jumping off of bridges there would also be less temptation for you to stick your fingers in the live light socket.

Reply to
Moron Watch

I was at the top of a ladder fitting a security light to my garage's loft roof and did not want to have to come all the way down to test it by switching it on at ground level.

Since I had never got an electric shock from a lamp and an LED was not going to get hot enough, it was safe enough a procedure, however, I hadn't reckoned with those naughty Chinese people.

In the end, I did a proper job and fitted this instead.

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Reply to
Simon Mason

A number of things that might be, proper is not one of them. Only the terminally antisocial and selfish mount floodlights pointing horizontally rather than vertically.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Odd, isn't it? Perhaps they look brighter that way. What they actually light up doesn't matter.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Well, look who posted it.

Reply to
Huge

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

In unrequested defence... the mounting brackets supplied and the PIR position make life rather difficult.

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Reply to
Tim Lamb

That is always a problem when bodging things. Either a separate PIR should have been used or a bit of surgery done on the cheap combined unit to allow both the light and PIR to be oriented correctly. Flooding the sky and neighbours with light from an ineptly mounted floodlight is antisocial and selfish. "I bought the wrong light" isn't an acceptable excuse. Fortunately in this case the sealing strip appear to have been fitted incorrectly so it should stop working soon.

Reply to
Peter Parry

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