Converting Halogen to LED for in home use

aMENshop

Member
Feb 7, 2012
64
Eastern NC
ok i started out with a little whelen responder dx that ive had for years its never going back out on a truck but it was the first in my collection.


Now i kept tripping my 15amp power supply when i wanted to run it.


i had a few Led JC 1.5W G4 Bi-Pin bulbs laying around and pulled the whelen bulbs out of the bar. If you take a soildering iron to the pins on the original bulbs you can just pull the bulb out of the housing.


then take the cup (non glass piece of the bulb) and shave it down so the new led tower can sit flush, place the new led tower into the base and flip it over and start to solder into the base pins which are hollow flip it over one more time and add any more solder from the sides if needed.


now this will now be as bright as the stock 30w bulbs but its still 80lumens and you can run it off almost anything DSC05814.jpg

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rad123

Member
Aug 5, 2011
896
Dixon, CA
Could you post pics of the LED's off so we can see what they look like.
 

rad123

Member
Aug 5, 2011
896
Dixon, CA
Has anyone seen and/or used these in a MX7000 or any other bar. I like aMENshop's idea.
 

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
rad123 said:
Has anyone seen and/or used these in a MX7000 or any other bar. I like aMENshop's idea.
yes i have a rotor with one that has 56 leds in it and is 1156 got of Ebay it also will let a slow rotor move a little faster too. .Captured 2012-1-19 00003.jpg
 

rad123

Member
Aug 5, 2011
896
Dixon, CA
I'm looking for the 795X led version.
 

aMENshop

Member
Feb 7, 2012
64
Eastern NC
theroofable said:
And how does it compare to the halogen?

the led's that i used are about half of what the stock bulbs output is but you can find other types which do have the same if not more lumen output


i still dont think that led bulbs have come far enoff to replace the halogen counter parts in lightbars but for a collector that wants to run a lightbar off a power supply i think this works perfectly
 

P1808

Member
Jun 2, 2010
108
Florida
rad123 said:
Has anyone seen and/or used these in a MX7000 or any other bar. I like aMENshop's idea.

We tried converting a mx 7000 at the local fire department with 6 watt leds to replace the halogen bulbs. with the lenses off the light bare was bright as all get-out. the issue arrised when we mounted the domes it was like the bare was not even on.
 

ryan81986

Member
Apr 13, 2011
524
Boston, MA
P1808 said:
We tried converting a mx 7000 at the local fire department with 6 watt leds to replace the halogen bulbs. with the lenses off the light bare was bright as all get-out. the issue arrised when we mounted the domes it was like the bare was not even on.

Did you use white leds behind a colored lens? If so thats why.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
ryan81986 said:
Did you use white leds behind a colored lens? If so thats why.

You speak the truth sir.... LEDs should be behind like colored lenses in a retrofit especially. There is a thread on that in the tech section.
 

bshockme

Member
May 26, 2010
60
Missouri
I would like to do this with an all halogen excalibur I have on one of my county vehicles. Less amp draw and brighter lighting would be the goal, but I would get to retain the foul weather warning power a rotator bar provides.


I guess my question is: Has somebody done this with a bar that is in service. What bulbs did you use? My bar has two blue , two red and and a clear center with an amber rear half filter. I believe if the leds were high power enough, they would still generate enough heat to keep the snow melted in winter time... I just don't want to waste my money trying bulbs that I don't know will be effective.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
bshockme said:
I would like to do this with an all halogen excalibur I have on one of my county vehicles. Less amp draw and brighter lighting would be the goal, but I would get to retain the foul weather warning power a rotator bar provides.

I guess my question is: Has somebody done this with a bar that is in service. What bulbs did you use? My bar has two blue , two red and and a clear center with an amber rear half filter. I believe if the leds were high power enough, they would still generate enough heat to keep the snow melted in winter time... I just don't want to waste my money trying bulbs that I don't know will be effective.

This is not for warning. This is for display purposes only. The only way to safely convert a bar to LED is to remove the modules and replace them woith new directional LEDs. Halogen reflectors were not designed for LEDs and will be very dim. Do not attempt this on an inservice unit please.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
bshockme said:
Just checking to see if someone had successfully done it. Don't worry, I am not going to innovate here. :D

Just my standard disclaiming of things I worry will kill people..... :cool:
 

bshockme

Member
May 26, 2010
60
Missouri
A 795x bulb is rated at 108 lumens. Finding a led bulb that outputs that much light in all directions would be very difficult.
 
May 23, 2013
458
nc
a guy at the station put led's in one of our lightbars, its either a mx7000 or excaliber, think excaliber and it looks pritty decent, didn't know they was all changed till i looked at it the other day, now the take downs and ally led lights suck, but i think the others do ok
 
May 23, 2013
458
nc
instead of led's, i put some incandescent 1156 bulbs in one of my code 3 xl5000 mini bars and they look decently bright for no more wattage than they are


im thinking of trying this for my 8 rotator xl5000 74'', tends to pull quite a bit of power with 8 55w halogens turning


not bad i dont think for display purposes


and if just on display you need an amber beacon and you have clear dome, dont buy filters, just get the 1156 amber auto bulbs, work just as good, and im going to be doing it to my jetstream
 

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