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Old 09-13-2013, 04:19 PM   #21
NN5I
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Zowie! I now have the best reading-in-bed lights I've ever had, or heard of.

When I was buying the LED strips on eBay, I noted that there were (at least) two different kinds: the ones with 300 LEDs in five meters, and similar ones, but waterproof, with 600 LEDs in five meters. I ordered both.

Just now I mounted a strip of the 600-LED-per-five-meters all the way across the bottom of the frame of the utterly purposeless window in the back of the motor home. As I said, this turns out to be the best reading-light I've ever used anywhere. It's bright, it's diffuse, and it's very white. Runs cool, too. It's about eight inches above the bed and shines directly out from the rear-wall surface.

The particular strip I used is waterproof and could be used for outside lighting, though I'll probably not use it there. I haven't used half the $12 roll yet.

Highly reommended.
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Old 10-23-2013, 06:24 AM   #22
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Spent the last two week's in Macon with the Kid's and the MH.
Did a refit on several of the light fixtures in the MH , adding the "strip" leds to the fixture's.
To most , I installed two set's of the 3 led strip, worked very well ! put out a good bit of bright white light and lowered the lighting load in the MH considerably .
I even converted the "PORCH LIGHT" and with the awning deployed , light's the whole under awning area as well as the incandescent and NO BUG"S .

Son Jeff (WA9DDK) also introduced me to some LED "STRIP" lighting and florescent tube replacement's he has been installing in convenience stores , 4 foot and 8 foot florescent tube's and canopy light's , really bright ! and one tube of led's replaces two of the florescent eliminates the ballast transformer and wires directly to 120 VAC line.
Station canopy light's typically present a 250- 500 watt load with a ballast transformer per unit at 240 to 480 VAC, the led replacement fixture presents a 100 watt load with the driver at 120 VAC and illuminates 3 times the area or more (he lives in a very rural area of BIBB County, and we rigged one on his 70foot tower at the 20 foot level , it illuminated his whole 2 1/2 acre yard quite well enough to play any yard game you would care to, some of the neighbors even came out to ask if he was installing street lighting !).
Well, there's the report !
"73"
PS , If you want or need more information on what Jeff is using please contact me "OFF LIST" and I'll give you his contact Information, I Don't want to exactly "ADVERTISE" for him on list without approval !
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Old 10-23-2013, 09:31 AM   #23
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John,
anyway you could share a photo or two of how you did the light conversions? I'd especially like to see what you did on the poarch light.

73
Bob
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Old 10-23-2013, 10:02 AM   #24
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Saw a brand new Jaco 32' trailer it had LED lighting strip the full length of the awning against the body from the factory. We installed some T5 fixtures with chrome plated reflectors that were 120 volt with no ballasts very bright they were florescent tubes.
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Old 10-23-2013, 06:12 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimeToGetGoing View Post
John,
anyway you could share a photo or two of how you did the light conversions? I'd especially like to see what you did on the poarch light.

73
Bob
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Bob:
See my earlier post on these, they can be cut every third led and wire's added if needed , I used "Sure-Prep" wipes (available at medical suppliers) to prep the surface the led's I used have an adhesive backing so they were "peel & stick" .
From there it was just a matter of wiring to the switch and ground (remove the old bulb before you start) .
These are easy, just use your imagination , they are not water-proof so use some common sense , but they work well !
73, John
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Old 10-23-2013, 08:50 PM   #26
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[QUOTE=W9WLS;11562] they are not water-proof so use some common sense/QUOTE]

The waterproof ones are not particularly any more expensive on eBay, but are a little harder to solder -- you've got to scrape the waterproof transparent silicone off the solder pads.
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Old 10-24-2013, 06:10 AM   #27
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I picked up a couple of LED :"Accent Lights" at a local auto department and glued one to the top of my top Kwikee step (In an area where I can not step on it or kick it) and bolted the other to the bottom of the same step angled down to light up the bottom step.

WORK GREAT.

These are a little flat LED assembly about 2-2 1/2 Inches long with about half a dozen LED's each..

The light Kwikee put up next to the controller.. Useless.
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Old 10-24-2013, 05:15 PM   #28
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[QUOTE=NN5I;11563]
Quote:
Originally Posted by W9WLS View Post
they are not water-proof so use some common sense/QUOTE]

The waterproof ones are not particularly any more expensive on eBay, but are a little harder to solder -- you've got to scrape the waterproof transparent silicone off the solder pads.
Stainless Steel "toothbrush" like the ones "Harbor Freight" sell's maybe ??
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Old 10-25-2013, 06:59 AM   #29
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The silicone is abut 1/16 inch thick over the solder pads. I used an Xacto knife.
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