Interior light bulb replacement

Navy Flier · 08-02-2008, 08:45 AM

The nine reading lights in my coach are halogen spots. I think they are #1383 and are funnel shaped. I have replaced many of them yearly or sooner due to bulb failure. At around $5 that gets expensive. After researching LED replacements I bought three of the 19 bulb version at the FMCA St. Paul rally and am quite satisfied. They are brighter and cool to the touch. I think you can boil water with the haolgens. At $15 they are not cheap but if they last as long as advertise it will be money well spent.

Navy Flier · 08-02-2008, 08:45 AM

The nine reading lights in my coach are halogen spots. I think they are #1383 and are funnel shaped. I have replaced many of them yearly or sooner due to bulb failure. At around $5 that gets expensive. After researching LED replacements I bought three of the 19 bulb version at the FMCA St. Paul rally and am quite satisfied. They are brighter and cool to the touch. I think you can boil water with the haolgens. At $15 they are not cheap but if they last as long as advertise it will be money well spent.

dengraham · 08-02-2008, 09:06 AM

Navy Flier,
Thanks for the information. I have a half a dozen of those and also have experienced some failures. Can you provide more information on the LED's? Photo of the package? Who sells them. Model numbers? Direct replacement or wiring involved? Etc. Thanks.
>>

MrTransistor · 08-02-2008, 09:34 AM

Hi Navy,

Air Force Ground Pounder here. I've been looking also and have found these LED replacements for the 1383's.
http://www.ledtronics.com/newproduct/
But at $55.00 ea. and a minimum order of 5, I haven't made the switch. I do like the fact that they are made in two versions, spot and flood. I too am interested in what you have found. Can you provide us with a web link or additional information?

AFChap · 08-02-2008, 10:26 AM

The 1383 isn't Haolgen, but that isn't the point. Camping World has them as low as $5.00 for 2. I saw them a week ago at Winnebago Customer Service for $7.50 ea!!! We go through a lot of the 1383 bulbs 3 or 4 a year where the DW sits and reads. We have a mixture of reading fixtures with 1383 bulbs, and several wtih tiny JC10 Halogen bulbs. The JC10 bulbs last much longer. I have thought about LED for the 1383 replacements also.

I agree the $55 bulbs are beyond trying. When I found them I noted they were being marketed for elevator ceiling lights!!!

How about these at $9.75 ea?? Is anyone familiar wtih them? If they have a good beam pattern, they would be worth it!!

http://www.bizrate.com/homehardware/oid721314722.html

http://www.buylighting.com/ProductDe...83&click=16031

amanda_h · 08-02-2008, 05:01 PM

Hi again, Paul. Yeah, I think the LED for $9.75 is a no-brainer.

I recently talked with another RVer who is using a replacement LED for the 1383 and she said that the light is a bit harsher than a standard flood bulb. However, she was sold on using the LED because of less heat, less electricity used, and MUCH longer life. The longevity of the LED is rated at 100,000 hours! This is opposed to the 300 hours of life from a flilament-type bulb. Am I to assume that this bulb will last over 333 times longer than the standard bulb?

I also found a "warm" light LED at $26.10. This might be the compromise ...more than the $9.75 one but less than the $55.00 one.

http://www.atrlighting.com/webstore/...&type=ATR+Code

http://www.atrlighting.com/webstore/...umber=38963ATR

Oh, and for those who want a good deal on the standard 1383, I just ran across this for $2.35 with free shipping. Like other brands, they're rated at 300 hours of life. But an LED with 100,000 hours just makes sense to me.

http://www.bulbtown.com/1383_MINIATU...ASE_p/1383.htm

MrTransistor · 08-02-2008, 10:38 PM

Hi All,

The price seems much more reasonable but I wonder about the brightness. Neither of the less expensive LED replacements list the number of LED's, the pattern, or the candela (foot candles or brightness). The $7 unit looks like there may be around 13 LED's. The LedTronics replacement lists the number as 30 and it's available in both spot and flood.

Maybe a call to the manufacturer would be in order to obtain more precise specifications.

I still can't come to grips with a $55.00 price tag. And if I were to order replacements for that price I would only want one or two!

AFChap · 08-03-2008, 06:07 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Neither of the less expensive LED replacements list the number of LED's, the pattern, or the candela (foot candles or brightness). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The $9.75 bulb from Buy Lighting does indicate the beam pattern is "flood." But like you, I have been unable to find any indication of brightness.

Navy Flier · 08-03-2008, 01:38 PM

In one respect I am glad to know that I am not alone in regards to the 1383s. The web site that sells the LEDs is www.jclampstand.com. The ones that I bought are the JC-19-AB and have exactly the same bayonet base as the 1383. They are also shorter so the head is farther up in the case. They do not have as wide a pattern as the incandescent but do have a bright white light great for reading. Much brighter than the 1383s. I just bought a new coach and my LEDs are going with me. They also have a JC-9-HPR that replaces the bulb in the flat style under-cabinet lights. The $25 light strip LEDs replace the small flourecents but it takes two per unit. I also bought an LED bulb for my Maglight and am suitably impressed with the volume and brightness of light. At St. Paul there was another vendor selling 30 LED bayonet style bulbs for $18 but I think the 19 LED units are enough for me.

SCVJeff · 08-04-2008, 04:42 PM

Another option, although not as thrifty, is a 12V CF lamp. We have a small table lamp that started out in our PUP (20 years ago) that has been running a 12V incandescent that I just screwed a CF into, and there is zero difference in the color temp or "softness" of the light, but my current dropped by at least 2/3. During TV time it's the perfect lamp in the cabin and is a real easy reading lamp as well.

AFChap · 08-20-2008, 10:10 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">$9.75 bulb from Buy Lighting </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I bought 4 of these in hopes they would be a good replacement for the 1383 bulbs my wife goes through like crazy. They have 12 LEDs. The birghtness is ok, but they aren't going to do the trick.

Although they say they have a "flood" pattern, it is much narrower than the 1383 bulbs -- not a flood pattern at all. They are more like accent lighting -- much too narrow for decent use as a reading lamp.