jurb...@gmail.com wrote:
> I know it runs on a couple of volts, and if they are downconverting it
> it is surely switched mode. Or is it ?
The couple of LED lamps I have plugged into my Kill-a-Watt meter come up
with power factors around either 0.6 (the cheapest ones) or 0.8 (a nicer
Philips "dimmable" one), if that tells you anything.
> What y'all use for that ?
I personally just use a couple of 4 foot "shop light" fluorescent
fixtures over the bench, because they were cheap. :) I am not usually
trying to do tiny-signal stuff, though.
If you do want to make "low noise" LED lighting, here are some ideas...
1. Go to the big-box store and buy one of those LED "work lights" - the
ones shaped like the old 300 W / 500 W halogen flood lights. Remove
the existing power supply and drive it with a linear power supply at
the right voltage. (Hopefully the power supply isn't potted/
impossibly entangled with the LEDs.) Work up an adapter from the
"eye" / mounting holes on the back to one of your arm light brackets.
2. Roll-your-own with LEDs and some perf board, or ready-made boards
from somebody like
http://bigclive.com/shop.htm . Clive made his
boards before you could even get ready-made LED lamps at retail.
They are designed for strings of R, G, and B LEDs, but you could
also just buy white LEDs and install them. If you end up needing
less light, just don't populate the whole board.
3. Go to the car parts store and buy some LED lamps that are designed
to replace regular 12 V lamps in vehicles. I think pretty much all
of these just use resistors in series with the 12 V. You also get
to figure out a socket, reflector, etc (or use one off of a car).
4. Get some of the LED modules that are designed to go in signs for
buildings, as a replacement for neon tubes. Sometimes gas stations
also use them bare around their front windows. These usually run
on 12 V and each one has 3 LEDs and a resistor in it. They come
on a string with a few inches of wire between each module; stick
several modules parallel to each other on a metal plate and that's
a lamp. Examples here:
https://www.allelectronics.com/category/340800/leds/light-strips/1.html
5. Buy some of the LEDs that come assembled on a flexible strip or
tape. You can cut the tape every 3 or so LEDs (it's marked) to get
whatever length you want. Stick some of this to a plate, or wind
it around a piece of pipe, to make a lamp. Some examples at the
link above, plus these are all over Ebay, Amazon, etc.
If you want a bunch of them in a small area, these are IMHO a
little harder to use than the sign modules, because you either need
to fold/wind up the strip, or cut it in several places and solder a
lot of jumpers. The sign modules come with the jumpers already
installed.
Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration
from any companies mentioned.
Matt Roberds