Anyone Replaced their T8's with LED Tubes?

[TheChad]

Hey all,

Has anyone replaced their T8 bulbs with T8 LED tubes?

I was looking on eBay at these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-T8-Tube-Replacement-Light-18-380-LUM-RV-Marine-8-30v-12v-T8188301-/320909636453?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ab7b47365&vxp=mtr

They look like they would work..  I'm just curious if anyone else has done this yet?   

Thanks!

-TheChad

[Ron (r273)]

Looks like it would work but take a look at the Lumen's. That bulb is 380 and the standard bulb is 845. So if you want
less light that's the one. Also you could buy 4 to 6 standard bulbs for that price.

Ron (r273)

[Harvs]

These work great in my opinion (link). - I changed out all my machines to them. Bright, clear, and easy as shat to install. - The only thing that may bug some people is the LED's kinda reflect off your strips (Depending on your strips Mintski level that is. I get 'Arc eye' occasionally due to strips with a mintski level of 10).. Ha.. A little adjusting can minimize that though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-HAPP-LightPro-91-1017-00-LED-Light-Lamp-Tube-REPLACES-2-FLUORESCENT-BULBS-/251383739056?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a87a372b0

Cheers,
Harvs

[angryninjas]

Harvs, what's your secret to adjusting the LED strips to reduce that glare off the strips?  I have color changing LED's replacing the reel glass floro in my Breaking Bad S2000, and it's fine when playing it standing up, but if you pull up a chair, eye level drops enough that the reflection of the LED's on the strips is a killer.  Interested to hear any solutions.

[Harvs]

By adjusting them I don't get rid of all the glare, it does help a bit though. I have mine angled more towards the glass rather then straight down on the reels/strips. I may try a film of some sort to diffuse them as well..

I played the machines for a bit tonight and still have some adjusting to do.., as you can see by my mildly irritated eyes. 

Harvs

[angryninjas]

lol, yeah I'd say they're slightly irritated 

Here is the difference in glare from sitting down and standing up on mine.  A little hard to see in the pic, but you get the idea.  I think I need a piece of white-ish backlit film to diffuse them, as you mentioned.

[Harvs]

Yup, same here. - I'm cool with it, for now.. Prob try some film or whatnot down the road..

[TheChad]

Those LED T8's are available with frosted tubes..

It sounds like that would be ideal...  As well as making sure they are wLED's (wide angel) so they dont spot beam as bad..

-TheChad

[angryninjas]

Yeah, I've seen that.  But not available for my color changing remote controlled one's    I'd lose my themed lighting

[DoubleZero]

I wonder if Krylon Dulling Spray wouldn't do the trick. It's removable, but if left untouched, I assume your strips would have more of a satin finish instead of gloss.

[TheChad]

I wonder if Krylon Dulling Spray wouldn't do the trick. It's removable, but if left untouched, I assume your strips would have more of a satin finish instead of gloss.

That's a thought!

[DoubleZero]

That's a thought!

And for not a lot of money.

[TheChad]

Rust-Oleum 11-oz Frosted Glass Matte Spray Paint

I assume this is what you were talking about?   Seem's like the perfect solution!

-TheChad

[DoubleZero]

Check out Krylon's product first - it only reduces gloss. I'm afraid the frosted glass spray may reduce gloss AND transparency, leaving your reels looking like they're sitting behind shower glass.

[Buzz]

I'm just a little slow so am I to understand that some of you are changing to 12 volt LEDs and others are using 24 volt LEDS, but the LEDs are not doing what we like so now the LED must either be painted or covered with a film? So why is the LED so much better ??

Tell you a story about LEDs, one day not to long ago I got a wild hair and decided to replace all the bulbs in the gauges in my Peterbilt. I have a total of nineteen gauges I installed a White LED in every gauge and I will say at night it does look pretty good but have just a couple of problems with them. One problem was the LED in the speedometer would only work sometimes, using a small flashlite I was OK there. The other problem,  in five of the gauges I can't see the hand in the gauge because of the piss poor lighting from a LED light bulb. Not a big deal except one of those gauges I can't see the hand is the engine oil pressure gauge. Oh  have a low oil pressure light and a buzzer that sounds off if the pressure drops and if all else the fails the computer will shut off the engine if you don't, of course it shuts off the engine in a place where you don't want to be. It's a real pain in the ass to have a cup of coffee in one hand a flashlite in the other hand trying to shift a 18 speed transmission and not run off the road.

As you can see I just love LEDs oh they look good in a button or factory backlit reels, other than that you can take your LEDs and stick they where the Sun doesn't shine.

[Harvs]

you can take your LEDs and stick they where the Sun doesn't shine.

That will definitely stop the mild glare from the LEDS on my reel strips, I'm gonna try that the sec I get home! Maybe even a whole set at once!! Thanks for the tip Buzz!

- I personally think they are brighter then floro's, and just a whiter light. They also don't heat up like the floro's or have the ability to fade my strips over time.. They should last a long time as well. For those reasons I like them.  And, I can deal with a little glare without having to put spray or film on them. 

Harvs

[mvco]

I was about to go the LED route, but decided to try some different bulbs in place of my f15T8 that is a 3000K bulb.  Tried a case of 4100K F15t8 bulbs from topbulb.com.  Wow, what a differencem a much brighter light.  Ended up replacing all my award and belly glass, and reel lamps with these.  Looks so much better, and brighter, but not so much that they look strange or different from what we are used to.  Nice and bright, no need for LED tubes here. 

I'm with ya on that one, Buzz

[TheAirBalancer]

My belly glass bulb in a Game King was dimming pretty frequently due to a temperamental ballast connection which was annoying. So I bought a 24V LED tube replacement. It bypasses the pesky ballast and I was also curious how the LED would look. I just put it in today and I'm pleased with the crisp white light I get out of it.

[DoubleZero]

For me, the LEDs give the ol' s2000s a fresh, new look. When they arrive, they're usually dingy, yellowed and faded. The cool bright lights make them instantly new again and a bit more of a showpiece. Just my humble opinion.

[TheChad]

I'm just a little slow so am I to understand that some of you are changing to 12 volt LEDs and others are using 24 volt LEDS, but the LEDs are not doing what we like so now the LED must either be painted or covered with a film? So why is the LED so much better ??

Tell you a story about LEDs, one day not to long ago I got a wild hair and decided to replace all the bulbs in the gauges in my Peterbilt. I have a total of nineteen gauges I installed a White LED in every gauge and I will say at night it does look pretty good but have just a couple of problems with them. One problem was the LED in the speedometer would only work sometimes, using a small flashlite I was OK there. The other problem,  in five of the gauges I can't see the hand in the gauge because of the piss poor lighting from a LED light bulb. Not a big deal except one of those gauges I can't see the hand is the engine oil pressure gauge. Oh  have a low oil pressure light and a buzzer that sounds off if the pressure drops and if all else the fails the computer will shut off the engine if you don't, of course it shuts off the engine in a place where you don't want to be. It's a real pain in the ass to have a cup of coffee in one hand a flashlite in the other hand trying to shift a 18 speed transmission and not run off the road.

As you can see I just love LEDs oh they look good in a button or factory backlit reels, other than that you can take your LEDs and stick they where the Sun doesn't shine.

Well, first let me explain a bit about LED's..  First it is VERY important to know that NOT ALL LED's are created equal, there are TONS of different typed of LED's alone, then you have the manufacturing of the completed LED bulb itself and the quality or lack there of in some cases!

There is usually a reason why eBay LED's are cheap...  A quality built LED bulb should out last any and every one of us!

Which brings me to the next point, you can build the same "bulb" 10 different ways with several different actual LED's and get completely different results!

LED's can be 100's of times more intense than an incandescent bulb, or not!  They have wLED's which are wide angel LED's and spread the beam further apart.  There are just 100's or 1000's of variables!

A quality LED bulb manufactured correctly and set up in an appropriate array will not only offer way better performance, it will offer much reduced power consumption and a much cleaner light output with much more intense light.

LED's may not be great for ALL applications right now, however they are and will soon take over EVERY form of modern lighting!

The biggest thing with LED lights is quality of manufacturing and correct setup/array for a particular application!

As for spraying on or covering the bulb lens this would just diffuse the light better, still maintaining the brilliant intense LED light, just diffuse it so its not so much of a "spot beam" but more of just ambient light!

-TheChad

[TheChad]

My belly glass bulb in a Game King was dimming pretty frequently due to a temperamental ballast connection which was annoying. So I bought a 24V LED tube replacement. It bypasses the pesky ballast and I was also curious how the LED would look. I just put it in today and I'm pleased with the crisp white light I get out of it.

Pics please!!

[jdkmunch]

I can't agree more -  I love my LED bulbs - especially for the reel light  - It makes a huge difference. 

[jdkmunch]

one more -  for me it really updates the old girls and makes them a joy to have around

[TheAirBalancer]

My belly glass bulb in a Game King was dimming pretty frequently due to a temperamental ballast connection which was annoying. So I bought a 24V LED tube replacement. It bypasses the pesky ballast and I was also curious how the LED would look. I just put it in today and I'm pleased with the crisp white light I get out of it.

Pics please!!

This is with all the lights off in the room. In person the dark blue colors up top are more vibrant and deep, the center area where the light tube is are more baby blue.

[Harvs]

The machines glow with the LED's. Hard to tell by the pic but all have them. Well worth the $20+ to try a set.

Harvs