Shop Lighting-Page 2| Off-Topic Discussion forum |

Ian F MegaDork
11/25/19 8:27 a.m.

volvoclearinghouse said:
914Driver said:
I have four 3-bulb lamp fixtures recessed in an 11 ft. high ceiling. Decent light but hate cold winter nights. I removed the lamps and put in LED outdoor flood lights. Terrific lighting but messes with the radio a bit.

I've noticed this too- I put up LED lights and now all but the strongest FM stations are all buzzy. Anyone else have this problem? Is it just something that happens with cheap LED lights or is this endemic to the technology?

My guess is the cheap LED fixture manufacturers are playing a bit loose with FCC driver requirements.

Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
11/25/19 5:10 p.m.

Costco has led shop lights for 17.99 on sale until Christmas Eve.

CarKid1989 SuperDork
11/26/19 8:39 a.m.

Sorry if I am hijacking a bit...

Thoughts on retrofitting led tubes to old florescent fixtures vs buying Barrina LEDs of similar ?

AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/26/19 8:56 a.m.

I’m putting these in my Christmas wish list, but not sure how many to get. Is one strip equivalent to a typical 2x48” T8 32W fixture? Or maybe a better question is: can someone point me to a useful guide for light output and layout recommendation? Thanks!

wae UltraDork
11/26/19 9:05 a.m.

CarKid1989 said:
Sorry if I am hijacking a bit...

Thoughts on retrofitting led tubes to old florescent fixtures vs buying Barrina LEDs of similar ?

There are two types of those retrofit tubes: Some that require the ballast and some that require the ballast be removed. The ones that require the ballast actually require a very specific type of ballast, so shop carefully.

I've got a carton of Phillips LED tubes that require an instant-start ballast. If you happen to have some fixtures that use the ballasts listed in their docs (https://images.philips.com/is/content/PhilipsConsumer/PDFDownloads/United%20States/ODLI20180301_001-UPD-en_US-PLt-16118CR_InstantFit_Ballast-Compatibility-Guide_2018-1.pdf), I can make you a great deal.

Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/26/19 9:21 a.m.

I've used both the no-ballast LED tubes and the Barrinas. The latter seem to put out more light, but I've had at least one situation where the retrofit tubes were a far easier installation due to space constraints.

Angry, apparently a 48" T8 tube is a bit under 3000 lumens. The 48" LEDs are about 2200. The light output on the LED is directional while the tube is omnidirectional, so you need a good reflector to get all of that T8 light to go somewhere useful and not just provide excellent illumination to the back of the fixture. In real use, I'd peg them as roughly equivalent.

Indy-Guy PowerDork
11/26/19 9:52 a.m.

CarKid1989 said:
Sorry if I am hijacking a bit...

Thoughts on retrofitting led tubes to old florescent fixtures vs buying Barrina LEDs of similar ?

Unless installation is a total pain in the A%%, I would recommend the Barrina's over tube replacements. As I stated earlier in this thread, I really, really like the Barrina's. They are silly cheap and make a HUGE difference in the "feel" of the garage with all the illumination.

STM317 UltraDork
11/26/19 9:58 a.m.

AngryCorvair said:
I’m putting these in my Christmas wish list, but not sure how many to get. Is one strip equivalent to a typical 2x48” T8 32W fixture? Or maybe a better question is: can someone point me to a useful guide for light output and layout recommendation? Thanks!

You can model your situation with different light styles and intensity on Sylvania's site

volvoclearinghouse PowerDork
11/27/19 9:07 a.m.

In reply to Ian F :

Kindof what I figured. Anyone have any experience with listening to terrestrial radio in a shop equipped with Barinas or other name-brand LEDs?

ultraclyde PowerDork
11/27/19 10:05 a.m.

I run a standard home stereo tuner in my shop with Barrinas. THe antenna is just a bare copper wire run across the plywood ceiling where the Barrinas are mounted. No issues on the frequencies I frequent.

AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/27/19 10:57 a.m.