CreeBar: 12V proto/ idea

[kenster]

I want my Desktop Lamp running on AC with a dimmer ...

Bernie, I believe you wanted it like a volume control so how about the Shark driver with a 20K pot like in the picture. Unfortunately, this particular Xitanium driver is not dimmable. Your lamp would have to have a wall wart If that bothers you???? :shrug:

Don, I believe you mentioned the Shoppe and at least one other place for the home lighting fixtures but I have searched for hours for that post and.......... :hairpull: Can you point me in the right direction please? Also, is the MC PET material available to purchase somewhere yet?

Thank you

Nice Cree strip and Xitanium driver but they need something?????

 

[greenLED]

OK, I'm buying a house and replacing all the light fixtures with Creebars...

 

[Fringe]

I like this alot. I want one for a desk lamp as Bernie said with an articulating arm.
Too cool.

 

[McGizmo]

Kenster,

Presently, some of my fixed lighting fixtures are available from the shoppe, BerkeleyPoint and TheLEDLight as far as on line merchants. I don't know what any of them are currently offering. The CreeBar won't be offered by me on a wholesale basis until I come up with some type(s) of turn key builds. I think Wayne and the shoppe will be offering stuff in a component and DIY format but that is up to him and Cindy as to what and when.

If you haven't done an outside porch light mod with the cree strip and xitanium, what are you waiting for?!?! :nana:

I haven't tried to find a dealer for the MC-PET material because Wayne and I have an order in with the US branch of the manufacturer. I believe Wayne plans to make it available in the shoppe. I did run across one wholesale supplier for the material but I can't recall who it was. I think this stuff is just making it to market and it might take some time. I have a small sample sheet I got from Wayne but as much as I want to play with it, I am holding back until I can use it in a final production CreeBar extrusion. I think this stuff has al kinds of applications with LED's as it allows you a good and efficient means of bouncing the photons. With over kill wattage and incandescent fixtures you can waste away the excess light but with LED's you want to get the best mileage you can. Well at least that's my take.

As for dimming from AC power, I too am waiting on the EE guys to come up with something we can use and a simpleton like me can understand. :shrug:

 

[kenster]

Don,

I do recall reading BP somewhere but that was it.... just... BP. :shrug: Fixed lighting at the Shoppe`s website has been growing larger with new additions but non of it is for sale just yet. I will keep checking. The combination of these cool new LED`s that just keep getting better and discovering all the home LED lighting that you and other folks have been having fun with has me a little excited, I suppose. A friend of mine just finished some minor remodeling and painting on a house he bought. He was happy it was all behind him so he could sit down and enjoy it but I went over there and pointed out some LED lighting what if........ He loved my ideas but pointed out he couldn`t do it without my help. Well, I knew that but I was too excited about all of it to see past my flappin lips. :green: Actually, it will be enjoyable. Not profitable since I am free labor but he will be paying for everything I have been wanting to buy and play with anyway so... Now, I need to figure out how & what it takes to operate the dimming feature on the 25watt Xitanium driver. oo:

The MC-PET Material seemed like it was something new and that is why I asked about its availability. People that know how to do something with this new material will obviously be getting it first. Anyway, thank you for all the info. Now, it is time to pick out another table or floor lamp to convert to LED. :wave:

I just noticed it is now offiicially a new day so...........

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

 

[Stillphoto]

So now I just need one with a rechargeable batter pack and a dimmer knob, and these will sell for $800+ in the film industry...I know I know thats all i ever say when it comes to these cree bars

Great work so far Don!

 

[Darell]

As for dimming from AC power, I too am waiting on the EE guys to come up with something we can use and a simpleton like me can understand. :shrug:

I'm qualified to answer as I have an EE (that would be "electric engine.")

And before you laugh at me, let me answer the call for help:
Wall wart + any dimming driver that we have at our disposal (bFlex from Georges80, Shark/remora from Wayne, etc). Presto, instant plug-in-ability and dimming control for not much coin. This is what Darell does, and it will soon be all the rage.

 

[jtice]

Wow, how did I miss this one, that is really nice.

This will be one EXTREMELY versatile system.
With just a few attachment points, such as tripod threading spaced around the light on all sides, the possibilities are endless.
It seems that you could actually use this as a desk lamp, pop it off its stand, and attach it to your video camera,
pop it off that, slap it on your bike,
stick it on a mini tripod and use it as a photo light.
Sheesh,,, I talked myself into one of these quick enough, didnt I?

I would love to see the parts available for DIY projects.

It would be really cool if you could find/make a frost snap on cover for it.
That way you could configure it with the clear window, so you can use it as a bike light, wise spotlight, etc,
but easily adapt it to a desk light, etc, with flood.

Is there any way to make this water tight? at least quick dunk proof?
I would imagine the side caps would need a custom shaped gasket, which would NOT be cheap.

Great work as always Don,
~John

 

[AndyTiedye]

Added to LED Fixed Lighting Threads

 

[pianoman]

Cree Bar tastes goooood!

 

[McGizmo]

Kenster,
With the exception of T8's in the garage/ shop, my house is all LED now and while converting some of the final lights which I always seem to get around to doing at night, I used the CreeBar-Makita to illuminate the room and work area. Technology has advanced to the point that LED lighting is not just an idea but a viable reality.

Darell,
Yeah, I was going to mention that with a wall wart or other form of regulated power supply one could get dimming via some of the low voltage drivers "our guys" have come up with. However in the case of the CreeBar, I don't know of a solution that would fit even though there is enough volume for the components. I also want a single clickie switch to power up as well as cycle or signal for the various levels. I have been in touch with an old contact at Judco and he has some switches that will work but the electronics are still an unknown. Messing with AC power also requires some consideration for UL and other certification standards. Unless I am off my rocker, a driver like the Xitanium could be designed to operate on 100 - 250 VAC 50/60 HZ and it could also have a UI that would allow for variable output via on/off signals from its power on switch. Although I haven't confirmed it, I believe Wayne's Shark with Remora could be coupled with a wall wart and the power switch used to power up the wall wart and its cycling triggering the Remora. :shrug:

jtice,

You bring up some good and insightful comments and questions. Weather proofing the CreeBar is not trivial and frustrating for me because I like weather proof!! A cast or milled CreeBar could have clean perimeter seal faces integrated into the ends, front and back. With an extrusion, this is a tall request and one I didn't satisfy with the CreeBar. With a good tube of sealant, I believe one can put down beads in the appropriate areas and come up with an acceptable seal as the components are assembled and some beads need to be placed upon completion of the assembly. I plan to visit this with some of the production extrusions once I have them in hand. In some ways, you want a light like this to be able to breathe but you want the components protected from rain and splash. To make the light dunk proof is a different story. With comformal coatings and good connections, it is possible to make the light servicable even if it does have some water intrusion.

You are right on about a snap on beam diffuser and it would be straight forward to come up with a wrap around piece. If one needed collimated light as well as flood from a CreeBar, this would be the way to go.

Now the extrusion alone is about 2 pounds so I am not clear that this would be a good solution as a bike light?!?!

 

[Kiessling]

Yes ... I'd like this as a very traditional desk lamp plugged into a wall outled ... with dimming capability and some means of positioning it in three dimensions ... think some sort of arm.

It could well ahve a rough and industrial look ... like Italian design ... function over form ... and a small revolution on my desk

bernie

 

[jtice]

Don,

Ah, good point on the non-milled ends, I wasnt thinking about that.
That would certainly make it more difficult.
From what I can tell from the photos, I would try a 1/16" thick soft rubber.
Besides a hole for the power cord, and a switch, you would actually not need to cut the gasket to fit the bar.
Just cut it to the shape of the end plate.
This makes a much less complicated gasket design, and eliminates alot of alignment problems with such a complicated shape.

How much heat is the Xitanium creating on its own?
I noticed you have it right behind the leds, and that bit of AL much be getting fairly hot.
Was wondering how much heat the Xitanium could take, and how it handles being mounted to the back of the led shelf.

How is the heat transfer BTW ?
Is the heat transferring all the way though the bar, to the outer areas of the fins fairly fast and even?
After you made a few, do you think there is enough mass there?
or do you think you could have done with more, or less?

Also, I THINK you are already doing this, but wanted to through this idea in for the tripod mount.
Do you have a square nut places in a channel in the bar?
So that it can be slide to any position on the bar, then tightened againt the tripod bolt/mount to stay in place?
I think this would be a much better solution than simply picking a spot or two to bore and thread it for the tripod.
This way, they tripod threading if movable, and you could even have two on it,
which I can see being nice for a more sturdy mount.
Such as, mounted on the back of my ATV as a reverse light.

This is the perfect kind of system I like.
One main head unit with a variety of mounting options,
able to adapt itself to different needs.

~John

 

[kenster]

Don, I am convinced that LED home lighting is calling my name saying "What in the Sam Hill are you waiting for boy?" So, I just ordered nine more Xitanium drivers including one 25watt dimmable driver. This house is over 100 years old with 11 foot ceilings and some of the existing light fixtures have me scratching my head a little at the moment. It looks to be a project that I will really enjoy.

I have a lamp that I planning on using a Shark driver powered by a wall wart with variable dimming control using the 20K pot pictured in this thread. In your last post you mentioned the Shark, Remora, wall wart combo, cycling the power switch to operate the Remora. That sounds like it would work fine to me but I would not suggest paying much attention to what I think. :green: Heck, I ignore myself all I can!

 

[McGizmo]

John, the end plates can be sealed with a bead of goo or a rubber sheet like you suggest but you still have to seal the window and back panel along their two sides. This is where I see a simple bead of goo doing the job if desired. The xitanium no doubt puts out its own heat but I have not experienced it being a problem. The plastic case does not provide that great of thermal transfer at any rate. For fixed applications where the Xitanium is used, I think the 350 mA Xitanium is the appropriate choice and with high flux Cree's I don't think the thermal burdon is excessive on the system. Steady state on the surface of the CreeBar seems to be well within bounds.

As to the ultimate thermal capacity of the CreeBar, I really don't know. I am no engineer; thermal or otherwise. I doubt the fins are even close in terms of optimal for thermal radiation or convection. However, the fins do exist and this is a good hunk of Al!! My fall back is that if you are generating enough heat that it is a problem then you are generating too much heat! :nana:

There are some channels in the extrusion that provide a "T" slot that one could use for a sliding "T" nut and mounting. I have also had the production CreeBars tapped with one center and two off set 1/4"x20 threads which allow for aditional mounting options as a well as host to a tri-pod.

Kenster,

I enjoyed the process in my home and it was fun deciding whether to modify or replace the fixtures. There was certainly a learning curve and I think I could do it better if there were another go around.

Maybe Wayne can chime in on the wall wart/ Shark/Remora idea but I sure don't see why it wouldn't work?!?! If I find the chance coupled with energy, I may do a mock up just to try it. It would be cool to walk up to a standard wall toggle switch or even a three way switch and turn the light on to find it at the last selected level. If you want to change that level, you cycle on and off in a reasonably rapid succession until you reach the one of three levels desired. Perhaps not tactical but most home lighting isn't!

EDIT: I wonder if the Xitanium could be gutted just to get the AC to DC portion out of it and then couple that with the Shark/Remora?!?! It's probably a buck situation so the Shark wouldn't work. :shrug:

 

[dat2zip]

Don, I am convinced that LED home lighting is calling my name saying "What in the Sam Hill are you waiting for boy?" So, I just ordered nine more Xitanium drivers including one 25watt dimmable driver. This house is over 100 years old with 11 foot ceilings and some of the existing light fixtures have me scratching my head a little at the moment. It looks to be a project that I will really enjoy.

I have a lamp that I planning on using a Shark driver powered by a wall wart with variable dimming control using the 20K pot pictured in this thread. In your last post you mentioned the Shark, Remora, wall wart combo, cycling the power switch to operate the Remora. That sounds like it would work fine to me but I would not suggest paying much attention to what I think. :green: Heck, I ignore myself all I can!

Yes, the wall wart should work fine. Whether batteries, cigarette lighter plug to wall wart. They all should work fine. I would suggest a 12V 2A wall wart, but, any wall wart that has regulated DC output in the 9-14VDC should work fine. The higher the batter as long as it's less than the Vf of the string of LEDs.

The Makita light is basically a 18VDC source and could easily be a 18VDC wall wart instead of the battery pack.

Wayne

 

[tdurand]

All-
First off, this thread rocks!
I had a question about any impedance issues with the Xitanium drivers and the CreeBar or CreeStrip. Is there a limit to the distance these can be away from eachother? In all the photos it looks like some 18 or 20AWG is used from driver to strip, and I only noticed one application (Don's Closet) where the driver is located remotely.

I'm thinking about using these in a cabinet to highlight some statues and I'm not crazy about the standard low voltage halogen puck lights. The low profile design of the CreeStrip would seem to lend itself to stealthy installations. The ability to light the front of the statue rather than the top from above is critical. Eliminating the glare from the light itself would also be ideal. The strips would need to be near the front of the case shining back into the bay and the drivers could be mounted to the back @18" away. Does this sound feasible?

The only other concern would be the heat issue but I think I have an idea for the shielding.

T

 

[billybright]

Don or Wayne,
are any Xitanium drivers available for us Brits in 220v AC input
looks like all the drivers listed at the Shoppe are 110v only?

 

[McGizmo]

Tdurand,
18" is no problem as far as I am concerned! I think Ihave 6' leads in the closet application and sincethe driver is constant current, any voltage drop just means the driver works a little harder. :shrug: You might be able to use some of the MC-PET material to bounce-diffuse the light if that helps in the application.

BillyBright,
I think Xitanium has blundered in not having an "international" input voltage range like so many powersupplies and chargers now do! They came out a few years back and probably ahead of time. If they don't address this issue I am sure others will!!

 

[Mash]

Don or Wayne,
are any Xitanium drivers available for us Brits in 220v AC input
looks like all the drivers listed at the Shoppe are 110v only?

Xitaniums are available for european voltages, however we are even luckier!
We can get proper mains dimmable ones, ie On/off and dimming on just one switch, the AC input one!
look here!
I mentioned this on another thread, but it is not 110 v.
SO for once we europeans are ahead of the game!