Machine lamp.......

[Stilldrillin]

I thought the idea of a ring lamp, around the spindle of my mini mill was a great idea.

So, this arrived yesterday.......   http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200678890770?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I then realised, I didn't have a 12v transformer! 

This is on it's way......    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280622615926?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

As I know nowt about much, to do with led's and such......

I'm asking, they are compatible aren't they?

David D

[-steves-]

It will be interesting to see if they are as I have no idea what Waltage means? A cross somewhere between Voltage and Wattage? If it works David, I shall be making one up myself, have thought about it for a while now and seems easier than placing my own LED's in a ring, lol

Specification:

Color: white
Color Temperature: 8000 ± 200K
Lumen Voltage: 700 ± 5% Vrms
Frequency: 40 ± 5%
Brightness: 45,000 ± 10%
Current: 6.5  ± 0.5mA
Waltage: 3.5 ±10%W
Life Time: more than 15,000 hours

[sbwhart]

I rigged something up like that Dave using a LED torch thing from aldi and a transformer from a phone or something it worked fine for over three years but the led's were started to give up one at a time, so got myself one of those goose neck jobs.

Stew

[Moo]

I think you are going to find that they are not compatible.

That ring light is a CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent) tube. They need to be powered up by a low current high voltage power source, usually a small inverter circuit. Looking at the specs on the ebay page, it looks like it needs 700V at 6.5mA to operate it. What you need to look for to power it is a CCFL_Inverter that has the correct output specs for that tube.

Something like his: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-Spare-INTERFERENCE-inverter-CCFL-Angel-Eyes-Light-Halo-Ring-12V-/200678592230?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2eb9604ee6#ht_3958wt_1396

This inverter still needs 12V to power it up on it's input, so you will be able to use the 12V 1A LED Driver you have already ordered to do this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_cathode
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCFL_inverter

[Stilldrillin]

Waltage Steve? Hmmm..... Hadn't spotted that! Even more confusing! 

Stew. I spotted your lamp changeover some time ago, and being a cheapskate, bought a battery powered table lamp.
It does the job. But, you know how it is, everything's closing in. Not much room to stand it, close enough.......




David D

[Stilldrillin]

Moo.
Thank you for the info. That sounds more like the kind of tangle I often get myself into....... 

So, I need the extra gubbins to work with the transformer...... Because, I've bought a fluorescent tube, rather than led's.

Guess I now have two options....... Led ring, or gubbins......

Why is (my Modding), life never straightforward??? 

David D

[Moo]

M personal preference would be to rather get an LED ring that would run on the Transformer you already have on the way.

The reason for this is that I believe that a ring of LED's will give a much brighter more focused light.

Those CCFL rings are used around car and motorbike headlamps mainly as a decorative effect, and I don't believe that they actually project much useful light forwards. When used as a work light on a mill, I think that the light will be more of a flood effect, and will not be very focused on the work piece, and given that they are not very bright to begin with I don't think there will be enough light to make it worth while.

LED's on the other hand tend to focus the light that they emit forwards which will result in much better illumination of the work piece. Modern white LED's also tend to be much brighter than CCFL's which will also improve the results you get.

Nick

[-steves-]

Would these work on 12V ok and would they fit, anyone know as I am at work? Mill is a mini mill similar to Davids 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-100mm-BMW-Angel-Eyes-33-SMD-LED-Ring-Car-Light-White-404-/370560550870?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item56472147d6

[jiihoo]

Hi,

Before you buy any power source for your light, may I draw your attention to this bit of the spec:
Color: white
Color Temperature: 8000 ± 200K  <===== This is the color temperature (aka color of the light) in Kelvins.

Incandescent bulbs and normal fluorescent tubes are 2700 - 3000 K; that is the kind of "yellowish" light that we are most used to at home. "Pure white" is 4000 K. "Daylight" is 5500 - 5800 (or upto 6500) K.

We have switched to "Daylight" aka 5500-5800 K lights at home and I like the way it looks. It takes a little getting used to, but after that initial period it is very nice. If you switch the lights on before it gets dark, you will just notice later that it is dark outside but there was no change inside. Awesome. Not so with the old incandescent bulbs; then the change is more noticable as both the color temperature and the amount of light change.

Now when we look at your purchase, it states a color temperature of 8000 Kelvins. Well, that is pretty bluish light. It looks cool (at least according to some persons) as a daytime running light on a car, but I seriously doubt that you'd like it as a worklight. Sorry David.

I have a led ring light awaiting my action. It should get installed in the same place that you were thinking. These were sold on Ebay as angel eyes; they take 12V straight and were white color.

Jari

[andyf]

Those would work fine off a simple transformer, Steve.

Andy

[Moo]

Steve

Yes, those will run fine on 12V. Just make sure that the output from the transformer or supply that you will use to power them is DC and not AC.

Nick

[Moo]

Jari

You have raised an important point. My interest in LED lighting stems from building LED lights for mountain biking.

For these lights we try and use white LED's with the lowest possible colour temperature. The closer you can get to "Daylight" the better. The reason for this is that when using very high colour temperature LED's which have quite a blue light it makes it more difficult to pick out detail while riding at night, however, when using LED's that are closer to daylight, the illumination they give is much more natural and easier on the eye's.

I would imagine that they same applies to using LED's for a work light. The closer the LED's colour is to the daylight 5500 to 5800k range the better. Unfortunately these "Daylight" led's tend to be more expensive and not nearly as common as the bluer ones.

However, I don't think even LED's with a very high colour temperature would get as high up as the  8000k of that CCFL tube. I think 6000k to 6500k  is more typical for most white led's.

Nick

[Stilldrillin]

......... Or these rings, which are just over the Pennines. Not in Hong Kong..... 

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260880902429?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Compatible with the transformer. When it arrives? 

David D

[Moo]

Hi David

Those should work fine with the transformer.

Nick

[-steves-]

......... Or these rings, which are just over the Pennines. Not in Hong Kong..... 

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260880902429?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Compatible with the transformer. When it arrives? 

David D

Good find, just ordered a couple of those myself, I am sure I can find an old laptop power supply around 12V somewhere that should do the trick 

[Stilldrillin]

Hi David

Those should work fine with the transformer.

Nick

Thanks Nick! 

Just ordered a pair.

Thanks for  all the discussion/ advice, Chaps........ What a great little forum this is! 

David D

[75Plus]

I had look at the light and it appears to be made to connect directly to the 12 volt system of an automobile. If so it should work with the power supply that you ordered. The light is rated 12 volts at 3.5 watts and the power supply is rated 12 volts and up to 12 watts. This combination should work as planned.

I used 20 55,000 mcd, 8,000K LED's in this project and am verry happy with the outcome. I can actually use the machine in the dark and see what I'm doing. The 8,000K color temp. does not appear that blue in this application. Perhaps it is because I am not pushing the limits of the LED's.

Joe

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=3111.msg65962#msg65962

[Stilldrillin]

Thank you for your original posting Joe! 

That has stayed in the back of my mind all this time, until I actually got around to doing something about it...... 

David D

[75Plus]

Now when we look at your purchase, it states a color temperature of 8000 Kelvins. Well, that is pretty bluish light. It looks cool (at least according to some persons) as a daytime running light on a car, but I seriously doubt that you'd like it as a worklight. Sorry David.

The light that comes in thru a North facing window is in the 7000 to 8000K on a bright sunny day. I cannot imagine a better light for laying out or other close work.

Joe

[andyf]

You mentioned earlier that perhaps your LEDs didn't look too bluish, Joe, because you weren't pushing them to the limit. The same may be true yours, David, if you run them on 12v. They are intended for use on a car, and though car electrics are often referred to as 12v, a fully charged car battery puts out 13.8v.

I suppose a regulated 12v PSU might help in this respect.

Andy

[Stilldrillin]

Well.... It's been a while, as I often say! 

I bought a ballast gubbins for the tube light, and tested the two lights against each other.
The 30 led light was brighter, no mistake! 

It needed a lampshade......

A pet feeding bowl. Mounted to my r/t, and cut a 2"(ish) hole, 1/4" offset from centre.

Then proceeded to mill around, to part off at 5/8" long........




Added two little magnets, and it's positioned ok, I think.......




Glued several layers of rubber to the rear of the light unit, and glued it securely into place.....




I secured the transformer with double sided tape, and soldered it's feed wires to the e-stop switch.....




Reminds me of "Close Encounters"........




Original, shop lighting......




Plus machine lamp........




Machine lamp, only.......




That's another round tuit crossed off the list! 

David D

[Divided he ad]

Very cool David     


That there is a proper mad mod.... cut up a pet food bowl for a lampshade 


Now I have possibly missed it due to my literature induced narcolepsy and want to view a few posts this morning (basically I skimmed this post and mostly viewed the pic's, cause it's nearly 3am and my eyes are heavy! )

Could you point me to the source for the LED part supplier? This looks like a very useful bit of kit 



Ralph.

[HS93]

Very cool David     


That there is a proper mad mod.... cut up a pet food bowl for a lampshade 


Now I have possibly missed it due to my literature induced narcolepsy and want to view a few posts this morning (basically I skimmed this post and mostly viewed the pic's, cause it's nearly 3am and my eyes are heavy! )

Could you point me to the source for the LED part supplier? This looks like a very useful bit of kit 



Ralph.

Yep I agree I give it 10 /10 but the dog only gives it 2/10 for some reason


                                Peter 

[Divided he ad]

Yep I agree I give it 10 /10 but the dog only gives it 2/10 for some reason

 

Very good Peter 

You're as bad as me... posting at 3am! 

Think it's about time I get some sleep... Got a lighthouse to finish off in the morning!! 




Ralph.

[Stilldrillin]

Nice one Lads! A good laugh, just before breakfast......... 

Here you go Ralph. His latest listing.......    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260967334780

David D