Real Store for 12v LED Lights?

seasalt007 · 03-24-2018, 11:02 AM

Is there a real store that one can walk into and actually see a nice selection of 12v LED Light "bulbs"?

My local WM has a very limited selection.

I would like to buy some G4 LED's of various shapes and colors after seeing them first. For example some are barrel shaped and some are flat and some are round and some are soft light, etc.

Ordering online is the cheapest I am sure but since I am a relativity new user I am not confident that I would be getting exactly what I want.

And, are all LED's dimmable?

FoxtrotCharlie · 03-24-2018, 11:06 AM

Local ACE Hardware stores usually carry a wide range of LED bulbs. And, no, not all LEDs are dimmable - check the labels. Well worth the trouble, what little it is, to switch to LED

BandB · 03-24-2018, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seasalt007

Is there a real store that one can walk into and actually see a nice selection of 12v LED Light "bulbs"?

My local WM has a very limited selection.

I would like to buy some G4 LED's of various shapes and colors after seeing them first. For example some are barrel shaped and some are flat and some are round and some are soft light, etc.

Ordering online is the cheapest I am sure but since I am a relativity new user I am not confident that I would be getting exactly what I want.

And, are all LED's dimable?

Batteries plus Bulbs.

And, no, they are not all dimmable.

Most areas now also have stores specializing in LED lights.

C lectric · 03-24-2018, 12:05 PM

Other marine supplies, chandleries, may have a better selection.
ALso RV suppliers often have them as RVs face many of the same problems

**Larry M** · 03-24-2018, 12:13 PM

Surprisingly I’m seeing 12 volt leds at the box stores. Mostly replacements for G4 halogens but at least you can return them if they aren’t the right ones.

Benthic2 · 03-24-2018, 12:43 PM

If you posted a picture of the bulbs you are trying to replace, someone here has probably made the same swap and could guide you. For the cost of an afternoon driving all over town, you could afford to order a few different LED's, and pick the best one, and throw the others in your spare parts bin.

ssobol · 03-24-2018, 01:08 PM

All but one of my LED replacements were found on eBay. One I got from Superbrightleds.com.

There are plenty of led replacement bulb stores on the interweb. There's always Amazon (with good return policy).

eBay is usually far cheaper than a "regular" vendor.

If a led bulb is not dimmable on its own, you can get led dimmers (PWM) for a couple of bucks each. Sometimes an inline resistor works just fine too. For leds you need to limit the current, not the voltage.

Maerin · 03-25-2018, 05:35 PM

I'd be cautious about getting LED's to replace G4 Halogen's from the box stores. Domestic use halogens are connected to a power supply that provides 12V that's regulated to a closer range than those in a marine application where voltages can run up to 15V. LED's don't tolerate a wide range of voltage, and depending on the replacement, may fry in a marine environment.

I've been a long time customer of marinebeam, their LED's are superior to the cheap ones on eBay or Amazon. They include a voltage regulating circuit that enables them to work with voltages from 10V to 30V without risk of burning up. Color match in warm white is indistinguishable from the halogen side by side. They're more costly, but I find the appeal of doing things once justifies the cost. I replaced all my halogens (35+) with LED's, what a difference in power use!

They will advise you with selection, and if you're planning to replace a lot of halogens, they'll work with a bulk buy discount.

seasalt007 · 03-25-2018, 07:46 PM

Marinebeam looks like a great source I just wish they would say dimmable if they are.

Benthic2 · 03-25-2018, 08:48 PM

being dimmable is a big deal...any marketer worth his salt would make sure that was mentioned if it was true. If it doesn't say it, you can assume they aren't.

3blade single · 03-25-2018, 10:25 PM

Try Feit Electric online.

CaptTom · 03-26-2018, 08:33 AM

The problem with WM and all the other B&M stores is that the technology is advancing, and prices are dropping, faster than their supply chains can keep up. So you end up with yesterday's technology at yesterday's prices. Then, of course, add the WM "premium" to that.

I wish I could just wait for the market to settle out before buying. But the switch to LED is just so advantageous that I end up participating in this "wild west" marketplace. The problem comes about when you have dozens of fixtures to update. You can waste a lot of money buying and trying out different products from eBay or Amazon, or waste a lot of money going to a high-end retailer.

danderer · 03-26-2018, 08:45 AM

Strangely enough we can't justify the change to LED lights.

Now we did replace the anchor light with an entirely new LED unit. Less than $100 and it saves about 20 AH per night (more if I forget to turn it off in the morning). 6 years so far without problems.

Whenever the running lights are on the engine is running, so no need to save there.

We haven't changed the interior lights for two reasons. First, we don't use them that much. Second, I've had trouble finding bulbs that provide brightness equal to the halogens (though admittedly I've only looked at cheap rather than quality options).

O C Diver · 03-26-2018, 09:37 AM

I've had very good luck with Hero-led.com for replacement G4 bulbs. They come in different color temperatures and run on 10 to 30 volts. Those that essentially have a wide voltage power supply are usually not dimmable.

Hero G4 replacement bulbs

Ted

seasalt007 · 03-26-2018, 10:15 AM

The PO changed every fixture on my boat to LED's. Some are on dimmer switches and some are not. My guess is about 50 interior fixtures plus navigation and cockpit lights. When one fails I have the old bulb for reference and I have some spares. The problem is that none of the bulbs have any meaningful information printed on them. Plus, the packaging on the spares is nothing but clear plastic, so no info there either.

I have had only a couple of failures in the last 18 months. One was the port navigation light and WM had a bayonet bulb that worked. The other failure was an interior light replaced with a spare that was aboard.

The problem is the future. If I find one that looks like one I have and buy it online, who knows if it is the same. I would really like to examine some in a real store before purchasing.

Sabre602 · 03-26-2018, 03:07 PM

I know that you'd like to have them in your hand before buying, but I've had wonderful luck with LED lamps from superbrightleds.com. My boat's fixtures were almost all lamped with G4 halogens with a few festoon and BA15d types thrown in. I ordered G4 replacement side pin LEDs for the dome lights and back pins for the reading lights. I selected warm white LEDs with the highest lumen ratings.

The thing is, compared to the LED replacements in marine stores, these things are dirt-cheap. We all know what happens when you attach the words "marine, aviation," or "medical" to otherwise inexpensive hardware!

I am delighted with them! They're far brighter than the power-hungry lamps they replaced while drawing a fraction of the electrical resources. I haven't had one fail yet but if one does, they're just a few bucks apiece. I've used the same source for relamping the family vehicles and my motorcycles, and I've only had one, in a motorcycle, fail after a few years of almost daily use.

The point is, you could try these folks (or other online sources) and, if you're unhappy with what you get, they're so cheap that you could just toss them.

foggysail · 03-26-2018, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssobol

All but one of my LED replacements were found on eBay. One I got from Superbrightleds.com.

There are plenty of led replacement bulb stores on the interweb. There's always Amazon (with good return policy).

eBay is usually far cheaper than a "regular" vendor.

If a led bulb is not dimmable on its own, you can get led dimmers (PWM) for a couple of bucks each. Sometimes an inline resistor works just fine too. For leds you need to limit the current, not the voltage.

++1

I have done business with Ebay for years. I have only had one bad experience for something that cost less than $10 and Ebay stood behind my claim. I am truly surprised at the number of things that can be found there.

seasalt007 · 03-26-2018, 04:16 PM

I have been looking on ebay for 12v dimmable LED lights and there are many to choose from.

Most of them ask you to select the watts...which range from 3 to 12...in addition to the color. Which wattage should I get?

ssobol · 03-27-2018, 12:56 AM

I replaced the bulbs in my Perko dome lights with something very similar to this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-X-White-...dVqVqi&vxp=mtr

The ones I got are warm white and it did involve a mod to the light to hold the led array (gluing in a plastic piece). These are brighter than the incandescent bulbs they replaced. 5 years and no problems or failures.

The lights work out to about $1.50 ea (or less).

Greatlaker221 · 03-27-2018, 04:01 AM

https://www.ledwarehouse.com/