Any lighting experts here? Replace kitchen halogens with LED

I want to replace the 12v 50W MR16 halogens with equivalent LED bulbs to save energy - anyone know of a good cheap source for them?

Any issues with straight swap? Can you use them on halogen transformers? Can you get up to equiv. 50W as I can only see 5W which approx. = 25W?

I wouldnt yet as they are still wank. Hang on a wee while as better LED stuff is just around the corner.

how about this though?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-X-MR16-12V-LED- ... 2c5187d9ab

plug n' play? and how long is 'just around the corner' - next 6 months?

hmmm - seem a bit cheap as decent ones are alot more money.

Its not the brightness of LED, its the wavelength they emmit - it can be very harsh or blue or slightly green. We have been used to the multi wavelength of normal filament bulbs which make the world a cosy mellow yellow.

''...LEDs now cover the entire light spectrum, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white. Although colored light is useful for more creative installations, white light remains the holy grail of LED technology. Until a true white is possible, researchers have developed three ways to deliver it...''

http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_understa ... echnology/


a while yet but halogens work better for now.

better alternatives:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/u1015ww-gu10 ... a700ccdc1e

I've ordered a few from the bay.Should be arriving anytime soon. They were the cheapest ones I could find just to see what they were like. I have 9 in a 3X3 grid and was going to replace alternate ones.

which ones did you get out of interest?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 229wt_1165


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 311wt_1165


think I got 2 from the top and 1 from the bottom

LED's are fine for bathroom but for actual lighting where you want to see there a pain. Not bright enough (compared to 50W Halogen).
(that is for a reasonable price, you can buy £35 LED that are damn good, but still tend to have the 'cool' shift)

They have the 'blue' tinge as a dominant (compared to normal bulbs) wavelength as that is the LED and it leaks though the phosphor coating to create the white light. They are also 'whiter' than normal bulbs which put people off them. They have tweaked them to be soft white.

You can buy Halogen replacements, not sure in the GU5.3 (MR15) you want, but certainly in the GU10 style and you may find them better, be warned they are fat and long so fine for recessed in a ceiling assuming you can push them though you fitting and have room above. But for drop down light using them as spots they're useless.

They do do energy efficient Halogens now where 35W is equiv to 50W, think homebase sell them so maybe Philips make them..

Best thing is get rid of the Lv transformer and go with mains, it's a myth that LV downlight are more efficent than mains (ask any lighting designer!) Get some GU10 lampholders (no need to change the light fitting. Don't bother with LED's if you have the space above the light fitting, e.g not an enlosed type. Go for cold cathode or compact flurescent (CF) the best brand to look at are Megaman or Phillips.