LED bulbs to fit Pola/Piko wall lights

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Has anybody had experience with these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Stuck-...dellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item3f16717a4b < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item3f16717a4b

I have quite a few of the Pola/Piko 19V wall lights and they use screw E5.5 sized bulbs. These are LED versions and I was wondering if they area little too directional in output or if they are directional, if a covering of flat semi-opaque varnish could be used to make them more omni-directional like ordinary tungsten bulbs.
I know that I could rewire the lamps with leds more cheaply but these LED bulbs already have resistors and polarity protection (including a bridge) built in so are a direct swap with no messing
 
Hi Ross
I have not got them yet, I saw them on ebay and was wondering if anybody else had used them. As they are not surface mounted I was thinking that they would be too directional.
I have done some research and they are also available at a little higher price from Conrad electronics:

http://www.conrad.com/Klt-bulb-LED-19-V,-E5.5.htm?websale7=conrad-int&pi=403414&Ctx= < Link To http://www.conrad.com/Klt...amp;pi=403414&Ctx={ver%2F7%2Fver}{st%2F3ec%2Fst}{cmd%2F0%2Fcmd}{m%2Fwebsale%2Fm}{s%2Fconrad-int%2Fs}{l%2Fint%2Fl}{sf%2F%3Cs1%3EE5.5+led%3C%2Fs1%3E%2Fsf}{p1%2F530dbc83653e0666a5fdebc29698d783%2Fp1}{md5%2Fe6e3c4d3d47d8fde6f86f3bfc88eb9c5%2Fmd5}
 
oooh i want those

heres what i know, and im not an LED expert, but i do buy them here and
i have installed several in buildings, lamps and locos

the LED typically, when it has the plastic tube and rounded end (as opposed to the tiny chip-like emitter-) -either short or the longer ones we're all familiar with, are fairly unidirectional-sometimes very much so-depends upon the clarity of the plastic used-
i find the newest versions, from the source i use, evans , have crystal clear plastic and they are intense, very bright and pure in color -simply amazing for signals

this focus is great for the look of a bulb shining down , for a conical spill, and is good for creating the look of a porch light, dock light etc

here are two proven methods i have used to add disbursal,
one is to sand , with say200-400 grit, the LED plastic-this disapates the light a good deal

not relevant to the bulbs, perhaps, but also 5mm, 3mm, and tiny 1.2 mm all have perfect uses-larger is..larger...smaller...is pinpoint and becasue so bright, can really have an amazing effect as well-like on a loco control panel, or, on a desk lamp, rtc

another method to disapate, is to simply clip the end , ie, the domed or rounded portion, making it flat
in installations that did not allow for the full length LED-like a tight loco lamp housing, I use specail rail end clippers, which sheer instead of crushing-i have yet to lose or destroy an LED using this method-it too will create a wider disapation of the light (as oppsed to the rounded end-which acts much like a magnifying glass-in reverse

i have used LEDs in tiny brass tubing under building eaves to create a spotlight on a station clock-ie like a theatrical can light-and adjusting where the LED sits in the tube can foucs the light nicely

as for coating them, i havent tried this but i would think a flat clear would do well
hope this helps

say for use in a staniz lamp-i would thoroughly and evenly sand-as the beam will focus up- it will not look the same as an omnidirectional incandescent lamp-the hot point will not be visible from striaght on-ony from looking down into the headlight-a tiny bit of foil reflector at the top rim might work well-but i havent tried this-the best is to have the LED face the direction you want it to light-usually-unless you want indirect 'bounce'
for wall lamps they ought to do pretty well -in fact perhaps fantastic depending upon what it is you want-i think spot lighting is dramatic, but if you really want the yards lighted, maybe not as much

if i had a paypal account, id snatch those up right now

you didnt ask but ill add color temp can be very important
i have used cool white a few times, because it is so intense and bright, like the new car headlamps, but they evoke an entirely different era of technology-and it is this point i wish to emphasize-warm colors are older tech, hot blueish tints-ie white blue, purple, UV etc always evoke in me much much newer tech-these are the colors or acetylene torches, flourescent lights, HID lamps etc-

and...changing the tint with clear paint.....kinda works....but the eye is sensitive to color temp...adding clear yellow over a cool white can actually make it too yellow (not warm with some tiny amount or red) or even green
i have to get those screws ins-wonder if theyre available over here???
 
Hi Nico, they don't seem to do the E5.5 19V sized LED bulbs that I have been on about but a good source for other LED stuff
 
Have received the new type of led bulbs that fit the miniature E5,5 sized screw-in for the Pola/Piko lights and some LGB ones too.
They are rated at 5V -22v but come on at about 2 - 3 V!
They have polarity protection circuitry already in place so no worries about wiring them wrongly and they are a completely swap-in fitting and work great even in a mixed line of tungsten and LED wiring. Their intensity remains pretty constant right across the voltage range.
Their light is warm white, and have just the right type of intensity but they are a bit directional as are all LEDs of the non surface-mount type (they give a good defined cone of light for street lights and for high up on factory walls etc. :bigsmile:). I have sand-papered (120+ grade) the bulb surface to give a wider spread for out side lower buildings etc.
Thoroughly recommend them for a hassle free swap for tungsten jobbies. Of course they are more expensive than wiring up bare LEDs or using LED strips for your own lights but if you have a few of the screw socket lights then these are just dandy.

Can't give any info on longevity yet, but will post how well one stands up to being switched on and off and prolonged usage at about 16V (the setting that I have all of my building lights operating at)
 
Useful info Mike. Thanks. Where did you get your bulbs from in the end?
 
I have some garden lights that blew the bulbs every week or so.

I found that Ford Mundeo side lamp bulbs fitted, but these also blew just as frequently. So I brought the LED version from a local motor factor. The initial outlay was quite expensive, but I haven't had to replace them since and it's been over 2 years. I reckon I've had pay back many times over.

So I reckon your LED lamps will by far outlast the filament ones Mike....
 
Hi Peter
I got them from German ebay in the end. Conrad over here also have a similar bulb that is polarity protected though not sure about the inboard resistor value..they are probably sourced from the same Chinese manufacturer!
Anyway, they come out at about £1.50 to £2 each with postage, which is not too bad when compared to what Pola/PIko want to charge for their replacement tungsten bulbs!
Here is the link to ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Stuck-...dellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item3f16ddf5f5 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item3f16ddf5f5
here is the link to Conrad
http://www.conrad-uk.com/ce/en/product/403414?WT.mc_id=googlebase?insert=8V < Link To http://www.conrad-uk.com/...d=googlebase?insert=8V

Hi Gizzy
I do realise that LEDs will far out last tungsten, as not only do our led christmas lights go on and on without fail but also as we have a whole heap of the 7w (50w halogen equivalent) gu10 spotlights in use in the house. 7W is what is needed to have any hope of matching a 50w halogen and they have outlasted the halogens so far. Mind you the initial expense will need a bit more time to balance out the lesser cost of ordinary halogens and the energy cost saved.
What I was meaning about longevity in my previous post is not the LED itself but the extra circuitry that is inside the bulb (the rectifier Bridge and the resistor) as the size of the bulb E5,5 (5mm) is pretty tiny and it will be driven at 16V (in my case) but could be up to 22V in other cases.
We shall see................
 
Four years on......

and all the 12v-22v (but light up at 3v) non-polarity sensitive E5.5 screw led bulbs that I installed to replace tungsten screw bulbs around the layout buildings etc.......are still all operating fine.
The price for them on ebay has gone up but the postage has come down so they still work out at about €2 each.
They are great for replacing all of the tungsten bulbs in the Piko and Pola light fittings (and some LGB ones with the same size screw base)

I have also found some E10 versions for light fittings with the larger screw base.

Both are an excellent quick way of replacing the tungsten bulbs in a fitting but of course not as cheap as wiring your own LEDs or LED strips to fit in other places.
 
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