Nuts and Volts - May 2008

FIGURE 3. Upgrade components.

products by 2012 to 2014. The phase-in will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, bulbs must be 70% more efficient.

As illustrated by my lamp conversion project, the current limitation isn’t LED efficiency or lifetime, but the initial investment. LEDs are not yet universally cost-effective replacements for incandescents and compact fluorescents. However, in certain niche areas, the added cost is acceptable. A highly publicized conversion involves replacing the 160, 100W mercury vapor lamps on the Brooklyn Bridge in NY with 24W LEDs. The LEDs are supposed to last three times longer than the lamps and save 24 tons of greenhouse gases per year.

What niche areas of alternative lighting can you identify and exploit — for your purposes and the good of the planet? If you devise something, please consider sharing it with your fellow readers. NV

RESOURCES:

Arctic Silver; Thermal epoxies and compounds; www.arcticsilver.com.

LED Supply; High-power LEDs and constant current drivers; www.ledsupply.com.

FIGURE 4. Thermal epoxy adhesive.

VISI T OUR ONLINE STORE AT: www.goldmine– elec.com THE ELECTRONIC GOLDMINE

Toll Free Order Line: 1-800-445-0697

P.O. Box 5408

VISIT US ONLINE TO SEE OUR LATEST

PRODUCTS AND PROMOTIONS ^{Scottsdale, AZ 85261}

265,000MCD 10mm LED White 5 Chip Super Flux LED Contains 5 chips inside a Super intense 45,000 crystal clear 10mm lens & MCD output white Su-has a luminous intensity of per Flux LED requires 265,000MCD. The DC forward 3. 4 to 3.8VDC 100mA voltage is 3.4V to 3.8VDC, DC forward for operation. This LED current 100mA and viewing angle is 40º. ^contains ⁵ ^chips ^internally_{G16642 $3.25 ea}and has a viewing angle of 120º G16656 $2.79 ea.

Tiny Vibration/Tilt Switch

MicroSolarPanel2.3VDC3.5mA

Tiny tilt switch type BT411-2 has a built in rolling ball. Max- ^Micro ^sized ^{. 47}”^L ^x ^{. 25}” ^Wimum switching voltage is 24V ^x ^.04”^Thick ^shingle ^typeand switching current maximum ^solar ^panel ^puts ^outis 6mA. Size only 11mm long x ^about ^2.3VDC ^open

4mm dia. Has one pin and one ^circuit ^voltage ^and_{lead for hookup. Brand new and}about 3.5mA short circuit current. _very _unique!Has tiny wire leads attached.

_{G16165 $1.00 ea.}G16621 $1.49 ea.

4. 5”W x 1.5“L 1Amp Solar Cell

TDK CCFL Lamp Driver

Large 4. 5”W x

^TDK ^CCFL ^Lamp 1.5” Tall polycrys-

^Driver ^5VDC ^High_Voltage _Inverter. taline silicon solar

_Small _CCFL _driver cell puts out 0.5V open _produces _about _1050Vrms _from circuit voltage and 1Amp short cir- _5VDC. _Will _drive _CCFL _Tubes _up cuit current. These may have a slight _to _100mm _x _3mm _dia. _Model _TDK edge chip on the corners, however _TAD170. _Brand _new.this will not affect the output!