DIYbanter - View Single Post

Joe Pfeiffer

writes:

On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:37:57 -0500, "Robert L Bass"
wrote:

salty wrote:

... The simple answer is that most LED replacements
for incandesent bulbs in almost ANY application other
than indicator lights on a panel, are accomplished by
use of arrays of LED's, not a single LED.

Therein lies the problem. Lamp housings using reflectors or prismatic lenses
for nav lights and other purposes are designed to use a light coming from a
single point.

You are already off course. ;-)

Umm... you know boats and I don't, but when talking about automotive
taillights he's exactly correct.

Incandescent bulbs do that rather well. An LED array can't work
as well in that type of lamp because only a few of the LEDs are at the focal
point. Light emitted from the rest of the LEDs will be scattered in wrong
directions.

Way off course. The alarms are now sounding and crew are running up on
deck.

No... exactly correct for autos.

That does not mean that LEDs can't serve well in nav lights -- only that they
don't work well as replacements for standard bulbs in *existing* lamps.

Not true. As I said, they have to perform to strict legal standards -
and they do. I did not replace any fixtures for my nav lights. All
done with drop in LED arrays made to completely and legally reproduce
the same or better light. Couldn't do it if they didn't comply. LED's
can be mounted in arrays on the surface of any shape in order to give
full brightness in all directions needed. They individually have a
fairly narrow beam, but you simply mount a bunch of them so that the
beams overlap. I'm not speculating about this. I have them on my
sailboat. So do a lot of other folks.

This I can readily believe -- but that's absolutely not what the
automotive "replacements" that try to drop a bunch of LEDs in to replace
an 1157 are like.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)