BajaNomad - LEDs as a Baja camping light source

LEDs as a Baja camping light source

dean miller - 7-29-2008 at 05:49 PM

I have always liked a lot of light. Our Baja trailer is only 13 foot long but is illuminated by ten lights 5 -12 volt florescent and 3- 110 floresent plus a combination set of a 12 V & 110 for a total of 10 lights....For a number of years I have become ever increasingly fascinated with the LED (light emitting diode) lights as a source of illumination for our small Baja trailer.

A brief history;

It began with a small single LED clip on light I discovered at the local "99 cent" store

We then migrated set of small 3 LED clip on lights I purchased at Costco.

We used them as a light to guide the way to the bath room in the middle of the night, a light to tell the time, and often with my early before daylight awakenings to pour hot water in to a cup for my early morning hot chocolate.

Next we obtained a package of three LED "puck" lights, each containing a dual power, high and low powered by 5 LEDs. These were just set on the table and utilized as a mood lights when full illumination was not required in the trailer.

A year ago I discovered a "Tent light" at Target. It was about 6-7 inches in diameter and contained as I recall 13 LEDs. On our last trip we suspended it by it's built in attachment and used is as a primary light for dinner and on occasion after dinner conversations.

This past few months I have obtained a "wireless 9 LED track lights" from Walmart. I was under the impression that this might be an auxiliary light source for above the stove and sink. But after testing discovered it was not up to the wife's expectations.

I also obtained a small six LED mini camp lantern from Walmart. It had several unique features: 3 LEDs,6 LEDs or a single red LED. We have only house tested this unit, but so far the light illuminated adequately but the beam is narrow. Only a field test will provide the answer.

Last week end we purchased a set of two "Lumen 6 under the cabinet light" at Costco. It has many features that would be handy for Baja camp life. Six LEDs, an up-right mount which allows easy detachment, as well as a permanent shoe type mount. The two light combined would provide 12 LEDs of illumination.

Two weeks ago we were at a Bar B Que. The tables all had a umbrella which was illuminated by a " LED UMbrella light " which I recall being 24 LEDs. I asked the host about the source and he indicated his wife, the catalog queen of our social group discovered them in a --where else? a catalog. So far the have not appeared on the local market.

There are two points to this post;

LEDs are here and avaliable!

How doYOU use them?

Comments or suggestions?

Hook - 7-29-2008 at 08:24 PM

For me, LEDs are OK for lighting small specific areas when their "elements" are below the eye level.

But for the same reason I dont really like fluorescent tubes, I dont like general lighting by LEDs; the color temp of most all I've seen are harsh on my eyes or too pink/red to be enough lumens. PLus, they wreak havoc on night vision outside of the immediate lit area.

I prefer the warmth of your basic incandescent light with a tungsten element. The 12v ones are fine with me.

The best use for LEDs, IMO, is as exterior marker lights for vehicles.

[Edited on 7-30-2008 by Hook]

motoged - 7-29-2008 at 08:33 PM

Nomads,
I have been using various LED headlamps for a number of years....handy as they use little battery juice....

Up here in the great white north, they have taken over the christmas light market....

The bulbs last nearly for ever and draw little current :light:

Bob and Susan - 7-30-2008 at 05:54 AM

we use ALOT of LED light bulbs...110v

it's "forced participation" to save electricty

there are two kinds of bulbs...
the "harsh" blue light and
the "relaxing" yellow light bulbs

we got ours on ebay from hong kong
we haven't found a source in the states that can supply them

dean miller - 7-30-2008 at 05:57 AM

This harkens back to my UW cinematography days of yesteryear when color balance was every thing..

Light is measured as a Kelvin factor

5600 Kelvin is considered sun light

Progressing down the scale;
4200K Florescent lights
3000K Halogen lights
2700K Incandescent lights

LEDs vary depending on application from a high of 6000K- brighter than sun light, to a low of about 4500 K which is near that of the florescent lights at 4200K--and which I somehow suspect is used in most of the LEDs intended to illuminate for possible reading.

I still have my old UW color temperature meter -some where. If I uncover it and it still works It would be interesting to measure the K factor on LEDs compaired to other sources of light

The higher the K factor the whiter the light; the lower the warmer the light.

To obtain a very warm light use Incandescent lights to obtain a real warn glow use a candle for illumination.

woody with a view - 7-30-2008 at 06:08 AM

led headlamps for ease in finding the potty in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night....

Hook - 7-30-2008 at 06:11 AM

Motoged makes a good point. Those LED headlamps are great. But again, directional and not in the eyes.

And, yes, Dean, we use lots of candles. We also strive for indirect lighting when we can. Love the torchiere lamps with the halogen bulbs that are in so much disfavor nowadays (of course, not for camping!). Just cant stand looking at the source of most lights. One of the worst is when the guy next to you at a camp breaks out the double mantle Coleman lamp on high or the fluroscent tube version and sets it on the picnic table. Instant night blindness all around.

[Edited on 7-30-2008 by Hook]

woody with a view - 7-30-2008 at 06:41 AM

good point Hook. i hang my double mantle from the inside of the easy up and it throws light where it's needed, as long as you don't look at it.

ncampion - 7-30-2008 at 10:57 AM

Don't get too attached to your incadescent lights cause they're on the way out. Energy and all that. About all you see now are the compact florescent bulbs, in fact at Costco yesterday, they did not sell any incadescent bulbs at all, just CF. LED's are getting there, soon they will have the softer color that we all want. I like the flickering ones that they make in Tiki Tourch lamps that are solar powered.

Jack Swords - 7-30-2008 at 04:53 PM

Lots of options here http://www.superbrightleds.com/

Hook - 7-30-2008 at 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ncampion
Don't get too attached to your incadescent lights cause they're on the way out. Energy and all that. About all you see now are the compact florescent bulbs, in fact at Costco yesterday, they did not sell any incadescent bulbs at all, just CF. LED's are getting there, soon they will have the softer color that we all want. I like the flickering ones that they make in Tiki Tourch lamps that are solar powered.

The thing about the CFs that they werent revealing initially is that they have a short lifespan if they are turned on and off frequently and they also fail quickly if the base is not mounted down or sideways.

Costco aint what I'd call a retailer that is a predictor of shopping trends; heck, it's a crapshoot as to whether ANY product will be there the next time you're there.

This was a discussion about CAMPING light sources, wasnt it? I havent seen many 12v CFs.

Bob and Susan - 7-31-2008 at 10:46 AM

i can recommend this guy on ebay...

http://stores.ebay.com/w6trade_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ0QQ...

he responds to email and has ALL the LED's you would need

Bruce R Leech - 7-31-2008 at 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i can recommend this guy on ebay...

http://stores.ebay.com/w6trade_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ0QQ...

he responds to email and has ALL the LED's you would need

Bob has the site this guy is good I have worked with him also and you cant do better

Sharksbaja - 7-31-2008 at 03:04 PM

Quote:

Yeah better stock up on Chinese stock. :mad:

Johannes - 7-31-2008 at 03:57 PM

http://www.siliconsolar.com/led-boards.html
for those of us who can solder, They have other ineresting lights and solar technology.

dean miller - 8-1-2008 at 08:54 AM

per Hook;

Costco aint what I'd call a retailer that is a predictor of shopping trends; heck, it's a crapshoot as to whether ANY product will be there the next time you're there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If it can't be found at Costco, Walmart, Harbor Freight or at a Garage Sale, then is isn't worth owning...

sdm

Hook - 8-1-2008 at 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dean miller
per Hook;

Costco aint what I'd call a retailer that is a predictor of shopping trends; heck, it's a crapshoot as to whether ANY product will be there the next time you're there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If it can't be found at Costco, Walmart, Harbor Freight or at a Garage Sale, then is isn't worth owning...

sdm

Largely agree except that I'm convinced that Costco is sometimes used as a dumping ground by mfgrs. for outdated products.

dean miller - 8-3-2008 at 08:12 AM

Quote:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If it can't be found at Costco, Walmart, Harbor Freight or at a Garage Sale, then is isn't worth owning...

sdm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Largely agree except that I'm convinced that Costco is sometimes used as a dumping ground by mfgrs. for outdated products.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEDs are out dated?

I have been laboring under the impression they are the very latest in lighting...Is there something new and exciting we on this board should know about?

If so --share as I have about LED usage.
sdm

Hook - 8-3-2008 at 08:22 AM

You're taking my statement out of context. Clearly, LEDs are not out dated.

I earlier indicated to someone that just because something is sold at Costco is no indication that it is cutting edge or an indicator of trends. Costco is a clearinghouse; sometimes for products that are on the way out.

Flat panel TVs and laptops are a good example. Clearly, they are not out dated but Costco often carries discontinued models.

I have embraced LEDS for specific functions. But I'm not so battery-capacity challenged that I MUST use them. Twin 6 volt batteries in series is enough for most all of my needs. And when it isnt (running a 12v freezer, for instance), LED sources aren't going to make or break the situation.

[Edited on 8-3-2008 by Hook]

Mango - 8-3-2008 at 06:54 PM

I have used LED lights almost exclusively for camping for years.

Yes, I still use a propane lantern for car camping when I'm cooking and playing cards; but, that will change soon enough. The amount of light you can get from an LED vs the amount of energy required just can't be argued with.

Several years back I gave a high powered LED flashlight to an older Mexican gentleman that was a tourist guide in an old mine near Guanajuato ... he was amazed when I told him that the light would run 24 hours on a few AA's.

The LED that I gave him was much brighter and lasted longer then the rechargeable battery pack that he was using to give tours with. Nonetheless, I told him always to carry a backup light source.. but I'm sure as an old miner, he knew to do so.

The one place I have found halogens lights to be more useful, is for serious cross country navigation at night. I have had and have some serious LED's in the past.. but they just don't cut it when trying to survey the best way down a steep ravine at night. Time will, and maybe has, changed since I last climbed.

Some headlamps combine LED and Halogen to enable you to conserve power while still allowing you to cut though the night when needed. For around camp.. there are more and more LED solutions each year.

Tommy A - 8-4-2008 at 08:38 AM

Solar Patio String Umbrella Lights

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&...

bajalera - 8-7-2008 at 02:41 PM

Do we get 5 credit hours for reading all this?

only if you spent 5 hours on it

BajaVida - 8-16-2008 at 05:07 PM