Author Topic: Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......  (Read 4641 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Norm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1841
  • Country: us
  • Ohio's sharpest corner
Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......
« on: November 11, 2011, 10:04:43 AM »
I see there is a pretty good deal on tent lites at Big Lots
those UFO type tent lights 2 in a pkg. for $10 like them
however.....
takes 4 AA alkaline .....thats about 6.4 max nominal voltage.
Now 4AA NiCads ......5.6 work good ....for about a half hour.
So I think (bad) I've got these 6 volt (about) paks and now I
decide to by  pass the 3 position switch and go directly to the outside LEDs...
4 sections all linked together ....thats 5 LEDs in each section the 5 LEDs are
paralleled in each section so could I put each section in series with each other
and a resistor in series with the whole works hooked to a nominal voltage of 6-7
volts ?

ghurd

  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *******
  • Posts: 8059
Re: Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2011, 06:34:38 PM »
Nope!

Need 3V to make a white LED light up.

If 2 are in series, it needs 6V.
If 3 are in series, it needs 9V.
And that is without any voltage dropping, current limiting, resistor.
(without the resistor, they will blow up)

How many LEDs are in the whole thing?
Could series each section in groups of 3 sections, then run it from "12V" nominal,
which would be less bright but more efficient.

Could series each section, then build a NiCad pack suited to run it.
The voltage might be higher than is a good idea.

G-
www.ghurd.info<<<-----Information on my Controller

dnix71

  • SuperHero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2513
Re: Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2011, 08:14:05 PM »
I saw those last week. The 2 in a pack for $10 are not made as well as the ones that are $10 each. Look carefully at them. You can get a better version at Advance Auto.

The better version only runs on 4.5 volts. That's not very convenient off grid. I set one up as a usb computer light. They work for a while on 5v+ of USB power but it burns them out. Batteries don't have the current to melt them since they can only work for a few hours that way. You can run them on a little bit less than 4v but they are nowhere near as bright when you do.

Norm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1841
  • Country: us
  • Ohio's sharpest corner
Re: Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2011, 11:40:18 PM »
Well dnix71 and ghurd,
I guess I'll just stick with my newest conversion using 2.6 amp/hr
12-14 volt nicads....
these burn brightly for 12hrs +


3 flashlights 3 LEDs each $3 total
in series with 100 ohm resistor like you suggested ghurd sometimes this arrangement
has the one flashlight near the resistor more yellow than the blue of the other 2....
just coincidence?
Good ol' little hot glue gun melts a hole for the wood dowel rods.....(thought you'd get a
kick out of that ghurd?)

 





ghurd

  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *******
  • Posts: 8059
Re: Pretty Good deal on LED tent lites however......
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2011, 09:51:21 AM »
Just coincidence.

Hot glue is rust resistant, just like stainless steel.
G-
www.ghurd.info<<<-----Information on my Controller