Led Lights
Led Lights How to wire up LED lights using a 12v source. How many and how do you wire them up? I am planning on wiring around (16) 3mm red led lights up to my xbox using the xbox's 12v source. Ho...
Led Lights
What Exactly Is Led Lighting?
It is difficult to provide a quick and simple answer about LED lighting. Basically their name comes from the fact that they are actually Light Emitting Diodes that are just small electronic fixtures that illuminate as electrical currents pass through them. Yes, this sound quite similar to traditional light bulbs, but in fact they are remarkably different. LED's are closer to the old transistor radio technologies than they are to light bulbs.
Traditional or old-fashioned light bulbs work with a small and easily broken filament that casts a brilliant glow whenever the electrical current within their structures are completed. This means they tend to burn out quickly, make a lot of heat and consume significantly more electricity than LED bulbs.
Where do you find LED light bulbs? For the most part they are found as indicator lights in computer and electronic equipment; they frequently appear in modern flashlights and remote controls, exterior lighting fixtures, solar lighting and even holiday light strands. They are also the bulb of choice for the bulk of solar lighting fixtures available today. They appear in the items listed because of their durability, reliability and tremendously long life spans.
There are some common misperceptions about LED lights that lead people to avoid them, and these include:
- They cast a feeble light
- They cost a great deal more than standard bulbs
- They are only available in a blue/white color
- They are small and limited in application
All of these statements are terribly inaccurate, and over the coming decades consumers are going to see the LED technology appearing in more and more applications. This is due to many reasons including their ability to cast strong lights, such as spot and flood lighting applications, their ever shrinking costs, their wide range of colors and their ability to withstand shocks, weather and heavy usage which is making them more desirable in a wider range of uses. Additionally, they do not contain the same wide range of toxic elements and materials as other lighting options, including such heavy metals as mercury which frequently appears in fluorescent lights. This is of great interest to those in the "green" movements and those looking for lower priced items.
Many consumers remain convinced that LED lights are more costly, and the facts need to be addressed once and for all. First, LED bulbs tend to last a tremendously longer time span than traditional bulbs which all ready makes them well worth any difference in cost. Secondly, they do not use expensive materials in their manufacture, and finally they are far more efficient when applied in fixtures such as solar garden lights. What this all means is that an LED fixture will pay for itself in savings much faster than an investment in traditional, filament bulbs.
About the Author
Jonathan Gal is a solar lighting expert and owner of YCA Solar Lights, an organization dedicated to promoting clean, energy efficient solar lighting technology. To find out more about how solar technology is changing the way we live, especially with respect to lighting, you are invited to visit Jonathan's solar outdoor lights site.