What Color LED Lites?

[moodier]

I purchased some LEDs but do not know what color they are and do not like the light they give. I know there are several colors for these and I think heard that the warm white is the most pleasant.The ones I have work but give what I would call a cold lite. Especially want to replace the reading lites. Presently they are of the single element base-- look like a single element auto bulb but large lite .All the lites in this Itasca coach seem to be this single element type lites with just 2 of these bulbs in the central lites none are the tube types all just bulbs!

Wondering what color to get and for the reading lites what power to order!

Thanks

[BillAdams]

The ones I use are listed as warm white and offer a very similar color to an incandescent or halogen light which I like very much. There is a kelvin scale which rates the colors of white. If you are able to get that information you should be able to find the light you prefer.

[desertdeals69]

Warm color is around 2700K and pure white is around 6000K.

[MadHungarian]

I bought some of the "cool white" LED's on EBay. They are plenty bright, and I like the fact that they don't pull a lot of power from the coach battery. All the lights in these older coaches are designed to use an 1156 automotive bulb, and these bulbs went right in with no problem. Funny thing is, I have a couple of lights over the rear bunk that the LED's won't work in, but if you swap back in an 1156 they light right up. Wierd!!

[desertdeals69]

Check polarity, leds won't work if wired backwards.

[N7KGA]

Good morning;

DesertDeals69 is right. The name "Light Emitting Diode" does imply that there is a forward biased and reversed polarity possible with the devices. Yes, if the socket is wired "backwards" (and many of them will have two wires coming off the metal base that are to be attached to the source of the electrical power), then the LED light assembly will not work. Normally the center contact in the bayonet base will be wired to the positive or "plus" side of the battery or DC power source.

And, if you are wondering about the "color" of your LED lights, see if one of your friends who is a serious photographer (not necessarily just a "professional") has a light "color temperature" meter that he can aim at your lights and read out the "color temperature" in degrees Kelvin. As mentioned also by DesertDeals69, the "color temperature" should be around 2700º K. or so.

Enjoy;

Ralph

Latte Land, Washington

[mac2147]

The color is expressed as Kelvin, and the "temperature" of 2700 to 3000 is what you are used to with incandescent lights.

Most folks will find higher color temperatures to be unpleasant, especially above 4000 K.

There are many resources on this, check out Wikipedia for good info on the topic.

[MadHungarian]

Check polarity, leds won't work if wired backwards.

Good morning;

DesertDeals69 is right. The name "Light Emitting Diode" does imply that there is a forward biased and reversed polarity possible with the devices. Yes, if the socket is wired "backwards" (and many of them will have two wires coming off the metal base that are to be attached to the source of the electrical power), then the LED light assembly will not work. Normally the center contact in the bayonet base will be wired to the positive or "plus" side of the battery or DC power source.

You know, I hadn't even thought of that, and you are both correct!! I'll have to check the wiring on those two units and see what's up.....