I've been working on this for a while, but have finally gotten a decent design up on the wall to illuminate my home.
Here are some of the specs - and reasons for doing this...
12VDC circuitry - the LEDs run at 700mA each - for a total of 1.4Amps when both are lit. This makes it about an 18-Watt Light. The light is about 1400 Lumens - both tubes lit.
One thing that is pretty neat. I measured the temperature on the LEDs - as close to the actual LED as I could get - and they only get up to about 110-degrees F - or about 45-degrees C. This is not hot at all, in fact I can feel all around the LED, and can barely feel any heat on it.
I'll try to attach a few photos to show what I've done...
This first photo is the controller that turns ON/OFF the LED Light tubes. I can turn on one or both of the tubes.
This is a photo of one of the LED Light tubes. There are 6 LEDs (~120 Lumens each) on this tube.
This is a view of both LED Light tubes.
This is a view of what it looks like in my home - the far wall is about 26 feet away, and the LED tubes are the only illumination in the room. (Well, other than the TV and the floor lamp - which is pointed downwards) I took the photo without a flash.
My wife and I enjoy the light from these LED tubes. The 12-volts comes from a battery that is charged/recharged by a solar panel on the roof - so the light is pretty much 'free'.
Regards,
James Jackson
