TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

**Bill** · 03-27-2003, 11:08 AM

Oilspot -

What is the light coverage pattern like? Incandescents radiate more-or-less equally in all directions. I seem to recall that LEDS are like spotlights - very bright within a narrow cone of coverage, but quite dark outside that cone. In other words, they don't necessarily make any more light than an incandescent does. Instead, they focus their light into a narrow beam, and within the beam they are very bright. Of course that is where the brightness is measured.

If a spotlight is what you need, then a LED may very well be the way to go - hence the use of arrays of LEDS as brake lights, where you want all the light to go straight back toward the car behind you. I was never sure that interior lighting would be a good application, though, since you want a more diffuse light there. I admit I haven't actually checked out a modern high-brightness LED.

Bill

03-27-2003, 11:08 AM	#5
Bill Site Team Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine Posts: 10,112	Re: LED Lights to Save Power Oilspot - What is the light coverage pattern like? Incandescents radiate more-or-less equally in all directions. I seem to recall that LEDS are like spotlights - very bright within a narrow cone of coverage, but quite dark outside that cone. In other words, they don't necessarily make any more light than an incandescent does. Instead, they focus their light into a narrow beam, and within the beam they are very bright. Of course that is where the brightness is measured. If a spotlight is what you need, then a LED may very well be the way to go - hence the use of arrays of LEDS as brake lights, where you want all the light to go straight back toward the car behind you. I was never sure that interior lighting would be a good application, though, since you want a more diffuse light there. I admit I haven't actually checked out a modern high-brightness LED. Bill