Author	[Modern View]
farmer boy 04-03-2011 18:12:24 66.209.54.106 Report to Moderator	I"m looking at LED lights for a trailer and was wondering if there was a way to compare LED to conventional as far a wattage goes. Say a 24 diode superflux(50ma) to a 1157 bulb. I assume the LED is much brighter in this case but how much? [Reply]   [No Email]
scotc 04-09-2011 05:33:17 75.221.53.6 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   LEDs are much brighter and light faster. Nearly instantly. If you know someone with a semi trailer, ask if you can plug an LED in beside a standard bulb, it's a little surprising at first. It's not so much being brighter, but how much faster they come on and go out, that gets people's attention better. LEDs will also get covered in snow much faster, where a standard light will keep itself somewhat melted off for a while. LEDs also draw very little current. I wouldn't replace all my truck lights with LEDs, but I do plan to add LEDs on with them. And I wouldn't put anything else on a trailer. [Reply]  [No Email]
buickanddeere 04-07-2011 05:55:12 192.75.48.150 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to burnetma, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see Around here the incandescent lamps are visible when the LED's are covered. [Reply]  [No Email]
buickanddeere 04-06-2011 05:47:54 192.75.48.150 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   If you drive in snow, the LED won't keep the lenses melted clear. [Reply]  [No Email]
mkirsch 04-06-2011 10:28:55 64.80.110.74 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to buickanddeere, 04-06-2011 05:47:54   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see On a TRAFFIC light, yes. You must've heard that news story on the radio last winter. On a vehicle light, it doesn't matter. Only the headlights give off enough heat to keep the lenses somewhat clear. Even then they will ice over in heavy snow. [Reply]  [No Email]
charles todd 04-05-2011 21:35:07 205.242.95.130 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   Could be a bad ground in the truck or trailer wiring. Weak grounds will make the lights dim and will make lights do strange things. Like for example, turn on the right blinker and the left tail light goes on and off or the sidemarkers start to blink too. This has caused me grief before. CT [Reply]  [No Email]
charles todd 04-05-2011 06:31:52 155.130.107.41 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   These are complete assemblies that look like OEM lights but have LED's and electronics inside. Here are the lights I have. Tail Lights http://www.amazon.com/Chevy-Silverado-LED-Tail-Lights/dp/B001ESOMPQ/ref=sr_1_55?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1302010453&sr=1-55 Bumper Lights (Front Turn) http://www.amazon.com/Silverado-Parking-Signal-Lights-Chrome/dp/B004L7OQSA/ref=sr_1_96?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1302010479&sr=1-96 I would stay away from the conversion bulbs. I put some in my map lights and was disappointed. CT [Reply]  [No Email]
mkirsch 04-05-2011 06:19:44 64.80.110.75 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   The conversion LEDs that fit in the 1157 bulb sockets are total GARBAGE. Don't waste your money. An incandescent bulb is white and shoots light in all directions. They make the entire taillight housing glow red. LEDs are mostly directional. All you will get is a dim red dot where the bulb is. Notice how the LEDs are spread out across the entire face of the light assemblies. [Reply]  [No Email]
farmer boy 04-05-2011 19:05:30 66.209.54.106 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to mkirsch, 04-05-2011 06:19:44   I wasn"t thinking of a conversion light. Just using those for a comparsion. I"m only asking because the lightson the trailer are doing funny things and even when they were working they weren"t all that bright [Reply]  [No Email]
mkirsch 04-06-2011 05:32:00 64.80.110.75 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-05-2011 19:05:30   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see You've got wiring problems. Most likely some rusty ground connections. Swapping in LED lamps won't fix those problems. They may light brightly for a while, but eventually they won't work at all because the wiring will continue to deteriorate. [Reply]  [No Email]
PJH 04-05-2011 11:08:40 50.40.187.94 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to mkirsch, 04-05-2011 06:19:44   Thanks for the tip. I'll stay away from the conversions. Paul [Reply]  [No Email]
PJH 04-04-2011 21:05:29 50.40.180.217 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   OK - are you guys talking about the complete LED light assembly as a unit, or are you talking about the replacement/conversion LED "bulbs" that can be substituted for the common 1157 taillight/brakelight bulb? The other day, I pondered the conversion LED's that bayonet right into the 1157 sockets, but wondered if the existing lens would hamper the visibility. The conversion LED's, meant to pop into a 1157 socket, run in the neighborhood of $15, and the whole light assembly is around $20. Couldn't decide, so I went home with neither one. . . Paul [Reply]  [No Email]
charles todd 04-04-2011 19:23:45 205.242.95.135 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   My truck is 2001 Silverado. I must have an electronic flasher instead of a thermal flasher because I have no issues. Running all LED's on the truck and when hooked to a trailer with all LED's cause no change in flasher speed. I have yet to hook either to my 1979 3/4 ton but I suspect if I do I will have to change my old flasher to an electronic. Electronic flashers are solid state and a change in load will not affect their flash rate. A thermal flasher is like a Christmas light bulb. I t relies on the load of the element to make the bi-metallic strip make and break. when you hook a trailer with many lights it will be slow. When a bulb goes out or you put LED's in, it looks like a strobe light. Any parts house should have an electronic flasher to replace yours. CT [Reply]  [No Email]
charles todd 04-04-2011 14:53:52 155.130.107.41 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   FarmboyWI, you have not used a quality LED flashlight. I have two Streamlight brand flashlights and both have CREE LED bulbs. This is a large, single LED and it is as powerful as a noble gas bulb. One is an industrial light called 4AA LUXEON and the other is a Stinger XT with an aftermarket conversion bulb. I believe it is a 3w LED. It is more powerful than the OEM Xenon bulb. I can illuminate and see several hundred yards with it while it is only about 8" long. Stinger XT http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=123 ProPolymer 4AA Lux http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=104 As for trailers, I have converted almost all my lights to LED and I love them. Not just the brightness or the look, but I don't have to change bulbs anymore. Heck i like LED's so much I even bought replacement lamp assemblies for my tail lights and parking/bumper lights on my Chevrolet truck. The tail lights have 28 LED's on each side and are almost blinding at night. CT [Reply]  [No Email]
Jim in Ma. 04-04-2011 18:31:42 72.74.2.162 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to charles todd, 04-04-2011 14:53:52   How did the LEDs affect your pickup? When I put them in my Dodge pickup they made the flasher blink fast - Had to change to a special flasher. [Reply]  [No Email]
farmboyWI 04-04-2011 12:02:42 74.99.227.58 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   As much as I hate LEDs in a flashlight for lack of ANY usable light, LEDs show VERY well for miles. I would not consider anything else for a trailer-you want to be seen. I had them on my bike to and they work great! [Reply]  [No Email]
Dennis Benson 04-04-2011 06:27:24 64.12.116.197 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   Volts times amps equals watts, if this is anything you want. [Reply]  [No Email]
mkirsch 04-04-2011 06:11:18 64.80.110.74 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   Do you want to know how much brighter the LED is, or do you want to know the difference in Watts? Wattage is not a measure of light output. It's a measure of energy consumed. The LED is going to consume a mere fraction of the incandescent. If you want to compare light output on paper, look at the LUMENS ratings. [Reply]  [No Email]
Scotty HOMEy 04-03-2011 20:55:18 70.105.250.161 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   There is some sort of industry equivalent for wattage to do with LEDs. You might try to Google around for it, but in the case of visibility, a lot has to do with the lens and in that case I can say I'm pretty impressed with what's out there on the market. Good intense light that focuses over a wide range from behind. That said, I haven't switched over due to the same concern that was mentioned, having to do with snow. LEDs run WAYYYY cool compared to incandescaents, and won't melt off the snow that will draft onto the lenses, to the point that your red to the rear can be completely obscured. If snow isn't a consideration where you are (It's a BIG one where I am), the only other thing that I can think of is that LEDs don't draw enough to make the resistance that incandescents do. Result, the way they design things anymore, is that some pickups will not detect enough resistance from LEDs to actually trip the relay or whatever to put power to them. The solution is to wire resistors inline on the trailer ahead of the first bulb in the running/brake/turn light circuits. [Reply]  [No Email]
mnchevyguy 04-03-2011 19:33:40 184.97.12.161 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   led takes less power the only downside i found to them is they dont get as hot so they dont melt snow off of them i personaly like led comparred to incandescent bulbs and my opinion is they are brighter also. [Reply]  [No Email]
Jim in Ma. 04-03-2011 19:04:42 72.74.2.162 Report to Moderator	Re: Comparing LED to incandescent in reply to farmer boy, 04-03-2011 18:12:24   I'm not sure how much brighter they are, But I can tell ya - once you go with LED's you won't want to go back to incandesent. I put them on my 5th wheel 6 or 7 years ago and not one problem with them. I also soldered all connections with shrink tube at all joints. [Reply]  [No Email]