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Old 07-14-2013, 03:00 PM   #1
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Change Microwave range light to LED!

Forever I have wanted a different light over the stove. The original Microwave light required the inverter to be on in order to have a cooking light and that meant 40 watts (3+ amps just for the inverter) just to be able to turn on the light, then there was the fact that the light was actually 80 watts (two 40 watt, E17 incandescents), for a total of 120 watts, or 10 Amps! Very battery draining for boon-docking!

Enter LEDs, China, and Ebay! I had ordered and installed LEDs for some of my fluorescent ceiling light fixtures earlier ( http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/inex...ml#post1621543 ) and so I decided to manufacture my own 12 VDC range light fixture and change out the one inside the microwave. I used some 1-1/2 aluminum angle to serve as the fixture for both support and heat dissipation. I used clear RTV Silicone adhesive (I cleaned off the sticky tape) to mount four strips of nine 5630 LEDs (~21 LM per LED, ~4500K temp) for a total of 756 LM. That should be bright enough!

I ran the wires from the light fixtures next to the microwave that I had upgraded earlier with LEDs with added night light feature (actually it will be used as a morning coffee light). I installed a DC to DC regulator, mounted with 3M double sided mounting tape, to control the voltage for both fixtures, including the "morning" light.

Well, it was way too much light so I disconnected one of the four strips leaving 27 LEDs and 567 LM. Plenty of light, and we like the color temperature much better also. Went from 120 watts (10 amps) to 6.5 watts (1/2 amp).
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Old 07-14-2013, 03:27 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hdossett View Post
I installed a DC to DC regulator, mounted with 3M double sided mounting tape, to control the voltage...
Great mod, could you point me to the exact DC to DC regulator you are using or give more detail so that I can find it.
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Old 07-14-2013, 03:42 PM   #3
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Great mod, could you point me to the exact DC to DC regulator you are using or give more detail so that I can find it.
5X LM2596 DC DC Converter Adjustable Power Step Down Module Buck LM2596S | eBay


I read 13.4 VDC in (with solar panels) and 12V out.

Mistakenly ordered a step up converter first and that did not work at all!!

H.
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Old 07-14-2013, 10:21 PM   #4
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Way too much work...Led puck with rechargeables sorts out my stove view and the miriade of touch buttons . Mine is mounted on the ceiling about 6" away. It rotates and angles.
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Old 07-15-2013, 08:21 AM   #5
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Way too much work...Led puck with rechargeables sorts out my stove view and the miriade of touch buttons . Mine is mounted on the ceiling about 6" away. It rotates and angles.
Funny, I always thought changing, charging, and losing all those little AA and AAA batteries was too much work! I have tried the pucks and they don't work for me. I have met the enemy, and they are battery operated (stick on, or magnetic) pucks!

The challenge was to "Set it, and forget it", with apologies to Ron Popeil! I look at it this way,

Another way to think about geeks and repetitive tasks | Jon Udell

I hate batteries and am on a campaign to eliminate any that I can. Still trying to figure how to boondock without house batteries but that will take a lot of ingenuity since the sun don't shine at night (in AZ anyway).

One of these days!

H
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Old 07-15-2013, 08:38 AM   #6
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What works best is what works best. Congrats on your solution.
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