6" round fluorecsent

[artboas]

I replaced the lights in my 49 as instructed above with the SBO LED replacements. I trimmed the flange with a hand saw (coping saw) and smoothed the edges with a wood file. The results are spectacular. I now have bright, high quality, natural looking light. The originals were awful. I replaced the dimmer with just an on/off switch. If I want less light, I’ll use one or more of the spot lights, which I also switched over to LED by retrofitting the originals with an LED bulb.

Here is how the dimming worked on the previous lights;
There was a third wire from the Ccfl fixtures that all connected in parallel, and went back to the dimmer.
The other 2 lights on the fixture were v+ and gnd.
The third line was a duty cycle modulated (pwm) signal that controlled brightness
It’s easy to control brightness on these fixtures.
Just connect an LED dimmer into the v+
feed.
Wire the 12v+ to the dimmer input, and the output to the led fixtures
You can get a nice unit from Lumitec that has a mountable remote disc.

 

[Georgedoyle]

The original dimmer switch wasn't user friendly and did not offer much variation in brightness. I opted for just a straight on/off switch. It works great, and the brightness is about what you would expect at home. Did you put in a new dimmer? If so, does it give you a wide range of brightness control?

 

[artboas]

The original dimmer switch wasn't user friendly and did not offer much variation in brightness. I opted for just a straight on/off switch. It works great, and the brightness is about what you would expect at home. Did you put in a new dimmer? If so, does it give you a wide range of brightness control?

I agree that the original dimmer wasn’t great, but was also a function of the ccfl lights,
I can guarantee you that putting a dimmer on these led lights is worth the effort,
Just get a reasonably good quality one.
You could get a rotary knob type,which are also used as dc motor controls. There are <$20 on eBay.
But, I think a hidden controller with a remote button is a better option,
You could experiment with a cheap dimmer, and upgrade if you feel the effect is worth it.
Not much downside

 

[artboas]

I agree that the original dimmer wasn’t great, but was also a function of the ccfl lights,
I can guarantee you that putting a dimmer on these led lights is worth the effort,
Just get a reasonably good quality one.
You could get a rotary knob type,which are also used as dc motor controls. There are <$20 on eBay.
But, I think a hidden controller with a remote button is a better option,
You could experiment with a cheap dimmer, and upgrade if you feel the effect is worth it.
Not much downside

BTW..
If anyone is really stuck, ive got 2 of the original fixtures new in boxes., pM me if interested .

 

[SVFreedom]

We left one of the wires disconnected. The switch we added can be used with two circuits. Click up activates one, click down activates the other. We could use the extra wire for something else in the future. It is tied to the switch. Here are some pictures.

Thank you. I replaced them all today. Terrible light, they are only getting 9v, the spare line is a solid 12+ but not on the switch.. I have a new dimmable switch I will install tomorrow, that may be limiting the voltage and why they are so low.. more to follow. Will also try the straight on / off, I dont need a dimmer anyway (NEver use it)

 

[Georgedoyle]

I think the blue wires are slightly different in color. Make sure you use the same blue wires at each light. Our install went fine. Full light output immediately.

 

[SVFreedom]

I think the blue wires are slightly different in color. Make sure you use the same blue wires at each light. Our install went fine. Full light output immediately.

Yes, one of the blue wires is a direct 12v and super bright, the other is much less, it was around 9v and was the only one that would actually turn off with the original dimmer switch. replacing the dimmer switch today with the LED style and will report back. I like the super bright light from the 12v side, the 9v was abysmal..

 

[SVFreedom]

Yes, one of the blue wires is a direct 12v and super bright, the other is much less, it was around 9v and was the only one that would actually turn off with the original dimmer switch. replacing the dimmer switch today with the LED style and will report back. I like the super bright light from the 12v side, the 9v was abysmal..

Success. Putting in the new Dimmer took care of it, works beautifully now... The Dimmer is definitely not made for LED as described. Thanks so much.

 

[Georgedoyle]

Great! Glad I could help. This forum has been an excellent resource for me.

 

[SVFreedom]

Great! Glad I could help. This forum has been an excellent resource for me.

I agree , this has been a great resource. Thanks again

 

[artboas]

I agree , this has been a great resource. Thanks again

Yes,, ok
To be clear
The Blue / white wire is +12v feed
The 9v you were reading on the other wire wasn’t real.
It was a PWM signal from the original dimmer. I’m glad that you went ahead and installed a led dimmer. It makes the lights much for functional for interior use.
Without the dimmer, it’s way too harsh.
Glad to have been able to help