Brighter LED's needed

[sjturbo]

I would like to improve the lighting in my 2010 316RL. I have the old style "dual" fixtures with 921/ rectangular 5050 led array's, (diy), (12V only). Can't remember how many leds to the panel. I would like to either upgrade to a brighter array, (brighter led?), or go to a recessed fixture. I would also like to be able to use a dimmer if the lights are too bright? At any rate I would appreciate some suggestions, even links to possibilities. Thanks!

[nied]

Check out M4 Products. I converted all of my 921s in our old Trail-Lite.

[sourdough]

You need to know the "brightness" of the leds you have. They come in various "brightness" configurations of ratings of "k" if I recall (kelvins)? Warm white will give you a light sort of like a regular incandescent if I recall, cool white will be brighter (whiter) like a fluorescent and bright white is actually blue.

5050 leds are just the size of the led array - 3528s are similar just smaller. The color choice will determine what kind of light you are going to get. You need to get the color you like. I have about 4 boxes of various led lights I bought trying to find the right "ambiance". If you think you need "dimmable" lights you need to make sure the leds you buy will do that. For me, getting the right lighting for the right places using leds was pretty simple. You do have to buy some various leds but it works for us.

[sjturbo]

Thanks for the reply's! I believe the 5050 is the size of the led chip not the array. I checked one of the arrays and believe it is a 3528 led and is a 48 count rectangular array. Don't remember the actual color but they lean towards the blueish natural spectrum. I am hoping to do my research before having to buy a bunch of leds that will likely end up in the junk drawer. M4 products look interesting.

[sourdough]

Thanks for the reply's! I believe the 5050 is the size of the led chip not the array. I checked one of the arrays and believe it is a 3528 led and is a 48 count rectangular array. Don't remember the actual color but they lean towards the blueish natural spectrum. I am hoping to do my research before having to buy a bunch of leds that will likely end up in the junk drawer. M4 products look interesting.


The 5050s I have are larger physically than the 3528; the body, and, the led itself if I recall. The 24-3528 has 24 leds, the 24-5050 has 24 larger leds. They are GRV brand. Inexpensive and work well.


Picking the right "color" is the key to the brightness. You can google various examples of the different hues. We do not like the "warm" lighting that leaves things rather dark and yellow. We do not like the "bright" where the leds turn bluish. The cool white worked for us. Use the 12-24vdc leds, not the 12v only; mine died continuously until I used the 12-24s.

Edit; provided links to the leds on Amazon but it had all my account info so deleted.

[HitFactor]

LED lights have a couple of different numbers associated with them.

Color is measured in Kelvin degrees (K)
cool white 3,100-4,500 K nuetral
warm white 2,000-3,000 K yellowish
day light 4,600-6,500 K looks bluish at higher end
sun light is 5,000 K, just as reference.

Brightness is typically measured in Lumens (L)

Here are some comparisons for a general idea.

Incandescent Bulb
100 W
75 W
60 W
40 W

LED (respectively to above)
1600 (L) @ 22 W
1100 (L) @ 20 W
800 (L) @ 12 W
450 (L) @ 9 W

This technology is rapidly changing with more efficient LEDs. If the color and lumens for a LED are not specified, you might want to keep looking.

[rdhouston]

Just dvd you looked at www.superbrightleds.com?

Not just products but good info too