Any luck finding anything else/new?

Funny that you should ask...

I did find another interesting light. I don't know if it will solve my unique problem with lighting the mini-loo, but it is a very interesting light nonetheless.




It is called a COB (Curcuit-On-Board), and not to be confused with Corn Cob Lights.




The idea is that several LEDs are directly attached to a circuit board, in close proximity, and the circuit board becomes the heat sink.




This particular light has a built in reflector and clear LED cover and contains the circuitry to change from 120-240 VAC to regulated current appropriate for the LEDs. There is no focusing lens integrated into the LED, so light is soft and widely dispersed. I didn't notice power detail when I ordered the light as I also ordered a LED power supply, too (NOT NEEDED). I'm sure I'll be able to use it on other projects.




The light has 'wings' that will hold it in place once it is inserted through a ceiling hole.

This light has a yellow filter to make it 'warm white', also available are cool white. In service, I didn't notice any yellow effect. My camera doesn't seem to auto color-balance on LED lighting but at hight, by eye, the color looks very natural to me.

I think that this is a really great light, it cost about $12 w/free shipping from China. I am strongly considering ordering about 5 more of them for ceiling lights in the basement.

This unit is rated about 7 watts (14 - 0.5 watt LEDs). Note that the lack of focusing lenses will result in a lower light level per square foot, but a much wider dispersion.

By the way, I came upon this wide array of LED lights by typing "LED light" into the ebay search window, and there I found everything that China had to offer, all 561,251 listings!

Best,

-AC

Typically those lights are designed to go into a housing like regular recessed lights to trap the heat and reduce fire hazards, also to provide an integral connection box to house the electrical connection

Hi Christopher,
I was interested in these LEDs also because they are inexpensive for recessed led lights. I bought some Crees that are horribly expensive and I'm always looking for alternatives to those. Unfortunately I don't think these LEDs and most of the other Chinese ones will work safely as recessed lights in the USA.

If you look closely at them they all seem to have spring loaded retaining clips that work like toggle bolts used in walls, that is, they need a flat surface like wallboard to install into. That means they won't install into recessed lighting cans because those can surfaces are oriented perpendicularly to them. The retaing clips on the Crees, (ecosmart brand) have a really ingenious retainer clip that grips the side surface of cans but still allow you to remove them. They work on surfaces that are oriented perpendicular to the Chinese LEDs.

Bottom line: you can't protect those LEDs from the insulation with can assemblies and they would be completely illegal from an inspection standpoint to be installed in insulated ceilings in the US. You might be able to install the smaller ones in cabinets. I wouldn't even know these things if I hadn't been forced to do the research because I didn't want to pay so much money for led recessed lighting. I guess you get what you pay for sometimes. Sorry to be negative but it's better to know about these things. I think a lot of the money you are paying for legal led recessed lights is the certification process the manufacturers are forced to go through.

+1. Cheap LEDs fade fast. I won't install LED lighting in my house if it's not Cree.

In Britain, it'd be allowable to install an intumescent "hood" over that sort of fitting.

I'd post a link, but the forum won't allow me to because I'm a new user...

Google for Intumescent downlight firehood or similar...

Tim.

inferior !!
 

I have never heard of inferior LE Diodes !!
Can you please name the manufacturers of such poor quality components and tell me how you discovered this.

After looking at their website it turns out you may mean AMERICAN and not CREE !!

:thumbup: see this:

Cree Lighting FAQ: Indoor Lighting

Are your products compliant with the trade agreements act -

If you overdrive an LED for more light output and/or it overheats, it will get dim.
This gets more important if your light fixture is too small and sealed. I've been lucky with my bedroom light, it is one of the 15" inverse glass dome type, which seem to be popular and I like them. My 2 8 watt LED lamps aren't getting too hot in the enclosure and after using them for almost two years(if I recall on the time correctly), they seem as bright as when I bought them. These are Sylvania Ultra 3000K LEDs (LED8A19/G2), the box says 50,000 hours life and 430 lumens. These make my room brighter than the two 13 watt CFLs that they replaced, even though the lumen level is lower than what the CFLs were rated for. ..and I don't have to wait for them to warm up to give me full brightness.

For what it's worth. "Assembled in US from domestic and foreign components" is on the box. They used to be $40 when I got my first one, then I immediately bought a second. Now I have a total of 5 after they went on sale during $10 and $15 sales at Menards. The packaging says they are compatible with dimmers but for the best efficiency of the lighting in my house, I put the appropriate light output in each fixture so that I have it as bright as I want.

All LEDs fade, the fading gets exponentially quicker the hotter they run.

Good overview in this article:

Lighting the Way for LED Development

Yes - LED is more efficient than CFL
 

As for overdrive on an LED .... any component which demands a Load and has an incorrect Resistor on it shall perish.
An increase in its Light output would break down the material owing to the heat which has increased owing to higher Current passing through.
It is that very heat which destroys the diode .

Now the big question is - Why do you need to use Low voltage bulbs on your projects.

Forget 120V or 240V - best playing with 12V / 24V / 48V .

What is sold as a DRIVER for Mains Voltage - is actually a drop down PSU .. !!

Problem with that kit is it wastes heat in the process.
Inverters waste heat in process ..

ECO to me does not = a 240V - 120V System. . . Get away from Mains - and you are on your way to an Off Grid System which will save you much money in the future. AND i AM TALKING LIGHTS ... and yes you are correct about the brighter LEDs over CFL.

120V / 10V = 12V = 10/1 ratio for the drop down coils = heat in the process!!
Why bother then with Mains - just use 12V from a Battery Directly on your LEDs WITH A Current Limiting Resistor.

KOI