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Old 02-20-2016, 11:32 AM   #1
RWS
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parchment paper difuser

Just sitting here with spring on my mind and was wondering if anybody tried using unbleached parchment paper to tone down the bright led lights in trailer? Seems like a cheap quick fix.
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Old 02-20-2016, 11:53 AM   #2
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Just sitting here with spring on my mind and was wondering if anybody tried using unbleached parchment paper to tone down the bright led lights in trailer? Seems like a cheap quick fix.
I use Kapton tape (used for taping on PCB normally) and it blocks out almost all the blue light, which makes the thermostat, solar controller, inverter, and fridge LED's much less bothersome at night.
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Old 02-20-2016, 11:54 AM   #3
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While cheap, another solution comes from the theatre, film & photography industry.

What I do is add a piece of theatrical frost. It comes in 20" X 22" sheets, is flameproof (it is designed to go in front of 1000w theatrical lights). There are about 20 different frosts available from Rosco, and about the same from Lee Color media. Both are usually available from a theatrical supplier for around $8.00 per sheet; just cut it to fit - one sheet will be enough all your fixtures.

Theatrical suppliers have "Swatch Books", a book of 1" X 3" samples that are useful for picking out which you want. Talk nice to them & they may give you one, otherwise it shouldn't cost too much. I used Rosco 115, but, as I said, there are many varieties, including some that will warm the color of the high temperature (blueish) lamps.
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Old 02-20-2016, 12:32 PM   #4
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Aren't warm LED's basically a regular LED with a coating that softens the output. Some of these ideas for diffusing are good ones I will note, as other than work task lighting, I prefer the warmer glow.
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Old 02-20-2016, 01:46 PM   #5
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You can add a dimmer, which will reduce both brightness and power consumption, and leave the option of turning them back up to full brightness when desired.

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Aren't warm LED's basically a regular LED with a coating that softens the output.
Not really. Current white LEDs are typically phosphor-based, and work the same way as a fluorescent tube: the LED produces blue light (like the gas discharge in the tube which produces ultraviolet), and the phosphor coating absorbs that blue light energy and converts it to "warmer" wavelengths of light. The phosphor isn't just softening the blue light, it is converting it, and its composition of the determines the colour distribution of the resulting output. Without the phosphor, the LED output wouldn't just be harsher white, or white at all - it would be blue and no filter could make it any other colour.

A frosted film or gel only absorbs unwanted light - it does not convert blue light to warmer colours, or produce any light at all. If you want warmer light you can absorb some of the remaining blue output of the LED, but it is more efficient and effective to use a different LED with a thicker or different phosphor (since the phosphor is built onto the LED).
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Old 02-20-2016, 01:57 PM   #6
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While cheap, another solution comes from the theatre, film & photography industry.

What I do is add a piece of theatrical frost. It comes in 20" X 22" sheets, is flameproof (it is designed to go in front of 1000w theatrical lights). There are about 20 different frosts available from Rosco, and about the same from Lee Color media. Both are usually available from a theatrical supplier for around $8.00 per sheet; just cut it to fit - one sheet will be enough all your fixtures.

Theatrical suppliers have "Swatch Books", a book of 1" X 3" samples that are useful for picking out which you want. Talk nice to them & they may give you one, otherwise it shouldn't cost too much. I used Rosco 115, but, as I said, there are many varieties, including some that will warm the color of the high temperature (blueish) lamps.
Looks like that might be the way to go. I might try the 115 and if it's still to bright I should be able to double it, or maybe the 117. Looking for a nite light type and could just use it on one side of the double lights. I'll give them a call Monday, thanks.
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Old 02-20-2016, 02:47 PM   #7
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What I do is add a piece of theatrical frost. It comes in 20" X 22" sheets, is flameproof (it is designed to go in front of 1000w theatrical lights)..
I'm sure this material is safe in a hot lighting environment. On the other hand, those theatrical lamps are intended to have filters mounted in front of them, and RV light fixtures are not. Even with no risk to the filter, I would be concerned about overheating the light fixture, reducing the LED life and potentially even causing safety hazards in extreme cases. While LEDs produce much less heat than the old incandescent bulbs, they still do produce heat and they are certainly susceptible to heat damage. Two LED units in ceiling fixtures in my motorhome (designed for G4 halogen bulbs) faded substantially over time and were visibly discoloured (brown) when I pulled them and looked at the devices; the fixtures have no ventilation, and are apparently too hot an environment for these LED units.

In a theatre, different scenes call for different levels and colours of light, and filters ("frost", "films", "gels", whatever) are used to get them from the same lamp - it would be completely impractical to have every intensity and colour of lamp needed otherwise. In an RV, are we changing lighting to suit the mood... or is this just about having the wrong light source and wanting to permanently change it?

When someone needs a night light at home, do they buy a 60-watt desk lamp and put a heavily frosted filter over it? No, they buy a dim lamp with a 7-watt bulb intended for use as a night light. If an LED lamp is too bright for use as a night light, why not use a lower-power LED lamp instead?
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Old 02-20-2016, 04:13 PM   #8
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I'm sure this material is safe in a hot lighting environment. On the other hand, those theatrical lamps are intended to have filters mounted in front of them, and RV light fixtures are not. Even with no risk to the filter, I would be concerned about overheating the light fixture, reducing the LED life and potentially even causing safety hazards in extreme cases. While LEDs produce much less heat than the old incandescent bulbs, they still do produce heat and they are certainly susceptible to heat damage. Two LED units in ceiling fixtures in my motorhome (designed for G4 halogen bulbs) faded substantially over time and were visibly discoloured (brown) when I pulled them and looked at the devices; the fixtures have no ventilation, and are apparently too hot an environment for these LED units.

In a theatre, different scenes call for different levels and colours of light, and filters ("frost", "films", "gels", whatever) are used to get them from the same lamp - it would be completely impractical to have every intensity and colour of lamp needed otherwise. In an RV, are we changing lighting to suit the mood... or is this just about having the wrong light source and wanting to permanently change it?

When someone needs a night light at home, do they buy a 60-watt desk lamp and put a heavily frosted filter over it? No, they buy a dim lamp with a 7-watt bulb intended for use as a night light. If an LED lamp is too bright for use as a night light, why not use a lower-power LED lamp instead?
I am not an electrician, If you could recommend a very low watt led that would fit I'll get it for sure.
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Old 02-20-2016, 09:39 PM   #9
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Just sitting here with spring on my mind and was wondering if anybody tried using unbleached parchment paper to tone down the bright led lights in trailer? Seems like a cheap quick fix.
I wanted one dim led fixture to use around bedtime. My solution was to purchase a cheap Chinese led dimmer with remote control. Now we can crawl into bed and turn off the dim light when settled under the covers.

The dimmer in question appears to be sold by many vendors on Amazon. It has a voltage input range from 6 to 24 and a supposed load capacity of 10 amps. I would say the numbers are absurd but it certainly has the ability to handle one Escape LED fixture. It takes a bit of wiring ability and some faith that the low quality Chinese design will actually work. I purchased two, just to be safe, and to my surprise they both worked.

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Old 02-21-2016, 09:11 AM   #10
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I switched to two corner reading lamps to solve this problem. Now we only use the too intense factory LED fixtures when we need to hunt for stuff lost in the swaddling.
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Old 02-21-2016, 10:10 AM   #11
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Are we the only ones whose vision requires more light as we age? We find the lights perfect for us, though we only have one or two on at a time. I also had a couple of Captain's lights installed on the driver's side of the dinette in our 21 for tying flies. I sometimes use them for reading while my wife uses the overhead light on her side of the table.

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Old 02-21-2016, 10:25 AM   #12
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Are we the only ones whose vision requires more light as we age? We find the lights perfect for us, though we only have one or two on at a time. I also had a couple of Captain's lights installed on the driver's side of the dinette in our 21 for tying flies. I sometimes use them for reading while my wife uses the overhead light on her side of the table.

Bob K
No, it is a sign of aging eyes and the onset of glaucoma, I find direct sunlight to be the best to see in.
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Old 02-21-2016, 10:46 AM   #13
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I replaced the bulbs for "my" captain's reading lights with some warm white bulbs from Amazon. It makes it easier for me to read at night, and I think it makes the trailer seem more cozy. Lindy doesn't think it makes any difference.
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