Equivalent Wattage for LED Upgrade

SimchaSabre · 02-08-2015, 07:22 AM

I'm working on doing a complete LED upgrade on our Sabre. Does anyone no (for sure) what the wattage is for the G4 Halogen bulbs used in the recesses ceiling lights.

I'm seeing both 10W and 20W equivalent LED replacements out there.

Thanks

youroo · 02-08-2015, 08:17 AM

SimchaSabre, look up and give this Co.a call (Cabin Bright.com). Please report back your imput! Thanks Youroo!!

Still Kickin · 02-08-2015, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimchaSabre

I'm working on doing a complete LED upgrade on our Sabre. Does anyone no (for sure) what the wattage is for the G4 Halogen bulbs used in the recesses ceiling lights.

I'm seeing both 10W and 20W equivalent LED replacements out there.

Thanks

Be careful on your replacement LED's. Mfg claims might not be accurate if there stating replacement equivalent for wattage. I had the same issue when switching out my halogens as well.

The basic things I discovered were; direction of the SMD's on the board (disc, or round)
effects the perceived light, because you lose some (more than you think) from reflection. The more SMD's the better. Companies are now making 5630 size diodes which emit more light per area on the disc than the smaller 5050's. Also you need to think about color, bright or white. Your reducing your wattage burn considerably, so you can make up the loss of light in areas I mentioned, if your going to get as close as what the halogens emit. Don't forget the marker lights on the outside. For those you need to consider size, to fit under the light cover Just sayin'

Paulie1138 · 02-08-2015, 09:55 AM

It is difficult to find out the correct information on LED lamp replacement, sometimes. So, that said, let me chime in on what I have found in my research. (As part of my job, I design Theater Lighting Systems) I have been building LED lights for personal use since the early 90's. Only recently has LED lighting gotten economical and having decent color rendering (how colors look in that light). I dislike those compact fluorescent lights.....they never last as advertised!

The old ideas for lighting with filament style incandescent lighting by using watts as your guide do not apply to LED. With LED, it is all about lumens. Lumens are a rating of output. Watts, are a measure of power consumed. Halogen, is still an incandescent light. The filament is immersed in halogen gas.

One of the biggest reason LED lighting is coming on so strong, is that they draw from 1/8th to 1/10th the current, which, equates to watts. Volts x Amps = Watts
If you add the "strain" the wires add, there is additional wattage lost to the wire as your amperage, or current goes up. Another factor, is the better LEDs last for 30-50,000 hours or so.

Just a note about flourescents of any kind. They draw about a third the power of incandescents, but last about 2-3 times the life of the incandescent. Plus, every time you turn them off and on, further shortens their lifespan, and they take up more space. These do not light up to full brightness until they have been on a few minutes. Even longer when they are cold.

Please understand the life cycle of an LED lamp. For the first 5% of their life, they may actually get a bit brighter, but not by much. After that, they slowly dim to about 1/2 brightness. That is where the 30-50,000 hour lifespan comes from. Not when they actually fail, but to half- brightness. LEDs are not the cure-all, but last longer than th other types available. Yes, the cheaper ones may fail sooner, but....hey...that is life with an electronic device. Just like your TV set. Sometimes you get one that seems to last forever, and some....the day after the warranty is up........

One more comment. Yes, LEDs do emit heat. A lot less than the incandescent they replace. Since the LED junction that produces the light is so small, all that heat is concentrated. Just be sure that you have some air space around your "bulb". You usually do not need much, especially with the smaller ones used for RV use.
The most critical 4 things to look for when buying LED replacements are this:

1. CRI or Color Rendering Index. This is how colors will look when using that particular lamp. For general lighting outdoors, CRI usually is less important than lumens. The higher CRI, the more the LED will look like a conventional incandescent bulb. For indoor use, try to stay above 85-90.

2. RFI or Radio Frequency Interference. Some emit radio waves that will affect everything from TV and radio reception to problems with your routers. An easy test for RFI, would be for you to bring along a cheap AM radio and tune it to a weak or no station. Test this around your house by turning it on, and walking around to things like your flourescents or router, TV set....you will be surprised at the noises you hear. Then take it to wherever you plan to sample the LED. If the radio picks it up more than 1-2 feet, become suspicious, as that indicates the LED may be a problem.

3. Lumens. This is the usable light output from any type of light source. If you look on the box or go online and search for the bulb type of your incandescent light, you will find both watts and lumens. With LEDs you will usually find just lumens, temperature in Kelvin, and CRI.

4. LED temperature. This is rated in Kelvins. This is NOT a rating of how hot they get, but the colors and type of light they emit! There are tons of information on that online, but to save this from getting longer than it already has, here is a generality. 2700K to 3000K is the most like a standard yellowish kind of light you get from a standard bulb. 3000k to 4500k becomes like Halogens. 4500k to 6000k looks like flourescents. The lower the K rating, the more reddish it will look. Above 5000k, they begin to get blue-ish. Many feel the higher K lamps are too harsh, but usually work great for outside lighting where quantity is more needed than quantity.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps you, as much as many of you....have helped me understand my new RV!

Rupkin2 · 02-08-2015, 10:13 AM

Paulie1138

That was a good read and I don't even want to change mine to led.

John

SimchaSabre · 02-08-2015, 03:32 PM

Lots of good info and idea...Thanks all...

...But...

I am still hoping someone could tell me what the wattage is for the G4 bulb used in the Sabre Ceiling lights.

fasthauler · 02-09-2015, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimchaSabre

Lots of good info and idea...Thanks all...

...But...

I am still hoping someone could tell me what the wattage is for the G4 bulb used in the Sabre Ceiling lights.

10 Watts or about 0.769 amps at 13vdc.

Paulie1138 · 02-10-2015, 08:25 AM

Fast hauler is probably correct. Here is a way to determine for sure. You will need to get your multi-meter out and do the following, if your skill set will allow.

I am going to describe to you how to get the current reading your bulb draws. After that, you get to do MATH! You will be able to determine the wattage from this simple task.

Before proceeding with the description that follows, remember, the bulb will get hot fast. Be certain your connections do not short out. If your meter is not digital, you must determine the polarity of your bulb socket before connecting your meter, otherwise, you may damage your meter. Be ablolutely certain you are on the current scale of your meter, and, if applicable, the leads in the correct plugs.

Turn off the lamp at the switch. Remove the bulb from the lamp. Use jumper leads to complete this circuit. Put your meter on the amps scale, 2 amps or above. Connect one meter lead to one of the connections in the lamp socket. The other meter lead will go to the bulb. The other bulb connection will go to the unused connection remaining at the socket. Turn on the switch, observe your amp draw, and turn off the switch.

Now, Mr. Wizard, you get to determine your wattage by multiplying your current draw by your voltage. Remember, Power (P) is equal to current (I) times voltage (E) P = I x E. To keep it simple, assume 13 volts. So, if your bulb draws 1 amp, you are drawing 13 watts. Knowing things always do not come out exact in the real world, round out your power to what is likely available over the counter. Your bulb will be the nearest readily available match, in this case 10 watts!

Hope this helps!

Paulie1138 · 02-10-2015, 08:28 AM

Whew! That hurt my brain! Can I take the rest of the day off.....with pay?

okietom · 03-01-2015, 10:31 AM

In my Sabre they were 10 watt, replaced all with LED's off eBay, changed all for about $25.00. There are eleven of the recessed lights in the living/kitchen area and love the light from the LED's.

Westielover · 03-01-2015, 11:21 AM

I think my 2015. 33ckts has led all ready

SimchaSabre · 03-10-2015, 01:07 AM

I completed my LED upgrade today. I purchased them from Filament Free LEDs . This is a small business that was started by an RV'er after he did the research for his own LED upgrade. I know I paid more than on EBay or Amazon, but I got exactly what I needed and they look great.

Thanks all for the info.

You may also like: