Syslite Duo LED light for workshop / garage?

mike_aa said:
[member=44099]Cheese[/member]  Did you hardwire the fixtures or use the plug in?

Great question [member=30413]mike_aa[/member]  and I mean that sincerely because in the past, fluorescent fixtures were meant to be hard wired while these LED tubes are really meant to be a plug and play item...ya that works for some, but I have a knee-jerk reaction to wiring these in that manner. Some may find that wire nuts are good enough. I'm not of that belief.

Safety first is my mantra, because for no other reason than I've been zapped by 120 volts many times before and each zap was not a pleasant experience. 

I typically use Molex connectors because of their current and voltage ratings and they've become a "standard" in the electrical connector arena.

I'll take some photos tomorrow as to how I've wired these Barrina tubes.  [big grin]

This becomes one of those little annoying things when you're supercharged and focused on installing a new lighting method...then comes the aw sh..t moment. It happened to me...it will happen to others.  [cool]

 
Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  I noticed that they list a hardwire option, but I wasn't clear how it worked.  Looking forward to your photos.

Mike A.
 
mike_aa said:
Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  I noticed that they list a hardwire option, but I wasn't clear how it worked.  Looking forward to your photos.

Mike A.

[member=30413]mike_aa[/member] I just cut the cord by the switch and routed it thru the ceiling via 6mm hole to a junction box. Used wago fittings to connect in junction box.
 
Cheese said:
Bert nailed it on all aspects.  [big grin]  [big grin]

Jeff, 6500K is way too blue for me and I don’t think it renders colors as honestly either.

I think 5000K is pretty optimum.

At any rate...still stoked with the lighting changeover.  [cool]    Very high recommend.

Thanks, Bert & Cheese (sounds like a fast food order).  ;D

Just talked to the video guru here in the shop and he said the same thing. Ordering Barinna 5000Ks for my shop.
 
Cheese said:
Bert nailed it on all aspects.  [big grin]  [big grin]

Jeff, 6500K is way too blue for me and I don’t think it renders colors as honestly either.

I think 5000K is pretty optimum.

At any rate...still stoked with the lighting changeover.  [cool]    Very high recommend.

This graphic may help others understand the concept of color temperature.  The numbers shown are degrees Kelvin.  5500K is generally the ideal color temperature for light we perceive as being neutral. 

 

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Thanks Willy for the graphic.
Now that explains everything.
Prefect timing on this as I’m starting to set up my new shop.
Rick.
 
One area of my shop has nice bright (10,000 lumen) lights at 4000*Kelvin. I like it.

Another area has a long strip of the 5K Barina lights about 2 feet from the wall. I like the Barina but I wish the light was aimed down more. I’m supplementing the strip with monster task lights over work stations, also 5K color 18k lumens.

The difference in color temperature is noticeable. I like the 4K better. It’s a good compromise between what we are used to as indoors and outdoors light. As sparktrician’s chart clearly shows the higher Kelvin the bluer the light. LED’s are already deficient in the lower wavelengths frequencies (red) and adding more blue doesn’t improve that.

A color rendering index rating in the low 80’s is better than most of the fluorescent lights we’re replacing but most of those old lights were the “cool white” variety (not as blue as the “daylight” range which was seldom used.

I wish all my lights were 4K color temp but I’m not doing critical color matching anymore so I can live with it. And it’s nice to think (theoretically) I’ll never have to mess with the lights again.
 
mike_aa said:
Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  I noticed that they list a hardwire option, but I wasn't clear how it worked.  Looking forward to your photos.

Mike just to give you a bit more info...in one area I used the supplied power cord with in-line switch. In the past I've had issues with this type of arrangement as usually the switch contacts are not robust enough and if you actually use the switch for its intended purpose the switch eventually fails completely or you can hear it arcing, not good.

In this particular application, the normal wall switch will do the actual switching and the in-line switch in the cord will always remain closed. Hopefully because of the small current draw this will not fry the in-line switch prematurely...don't know...I'll find out.  [blink]

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For the hard wired LED's this is what the options are, either a short 6" wire stub which is pretty useless or taking the 4' connecter pieces and cutting them to length. I cut the 4' connector piece to 2' and used that to attach to the Romex.

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This is the photo of the Romex + Molex connector + Barrina light connector. I used electrical tape temporarily but just ordered some 4:1 Shrinkflex heat shrink. I tried using the 2:1 heat shrink I already have but it didn't work very well.

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All of my shop lighting is 4' LED lamps from Costco. Cost effective, simple and they plug in. It's like being on the beach in my shop. Work lamps are good for what they are designed for...task lighting, albeit over a larger area, but I wouldn't want to have to use them for general lighting in my shop space because of the height and angle of the lighting, etc. Plus...they are uber expensive compared to the kinds of fixtures I noted I'm using.
 
mike_aa said:
Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  I noticed that they list a hardwire option, but I wasn't clear how it worked.  Looking forward to your photos.

Mike, just to follow up on a statement I made earlier on the lack of robustness of these in-line switches I decided to pull one apart. After I disassembled the switch it confirms my previous evaluation...the switch contacts are pretty flimsy, being only .014" thick.

I'll turn this particular cord into a 5' cord for hard wiring the other 8' LED sticks.

I did however, locate a source for the electrical cords WITHOUT the in-line switches. They are available in 2' - 6' lengths.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2FT-3FT-4F...Lv5PairwiseWeb&_trksid=p2386202.c100677.m4598

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[member=45856]blaszcsj[/member]  [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  Thanks for your responses.  Are the approaches you took safe enough and would they pass an electric inspection?  I'm always overly concerned when it comes to electricity.  When I was younger and got zapped, my hair turned into an afro.  [big grin]  Second time, it turned white!  [eek]

Mike A.
 
mike_aa said:
Are the approaches you took safe enough and would they pass an electric inspection? 

The method that blaszcsj used would probably pass because it's all contained within a junction/electrical box.

My method would pass if you got the right inspector.  [smile]  The Molex connectors are designated as Power Connectors designed to be used in power supplies. The 3-contact housing with pins is rated for continuous service of 14 amps @ 250V and must withstand a dielectric test of 1500V for 60 seconds without breakdown.  It could be argued that the Molex connector is several times more robust than the 19 GA wire cable you get with the Barrina LED .  [smile]

I'll post a photo of the finished Molex connector once I receive the 4:1 heat shrink.
 
[member=30413]mike_aa[/member] you can only have three lights strung together so I have a junction box for each set of three units.

I did find out these bulbs suck a bit of juice (1100w total) and it was a little difficult to find a smart switch to toggle them.
 
blaszcsj said:
I did find out these bulbs suck a bit of juice (1100w total) and it was a little difficult to find a smart switch to toggle them.

Just curious that if you've used the 8' long LED's that draw 72 watts each and you ganged them in groups of 3, that'd be a total current draw of 216 watts. Where does the 1100 watts come in?

Unless you linked them all together in one continuous circuit which would make me nervous because of the 19 gauge power cable that Barrina supplies with the lights.

Because the Barrina 19 gauge power cable is a non-standard size, it isn't rated in the usual manner per se. It's rated at "less than 10 amps but greater than 5 amps."  With 120 volts incoming voltage this would put the capacity of the cable at less than 1200 watts but greater than 600 watts. If all of the above is indeed correct...you're right on the edge, or close to it if all of the Barrina lights are daisy-chained to one another.
 
blaszcsj said:
mike_aa said:
Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  I noticed that they list a hardwire option, but I wasn't clear how it worked.  Looking forward to your photos.

Mike A.

[member=30413]mike_aa[/member] I just cut the cord by the switch and routed it thru the ceiling via 6mm hole to a junction box. Used wago fittings to connect in junction box.

[member=45856]blaszcsj[/member]  Thanks for the info, but I'm having a bit of trouble understanding.  It seems you are saying you drilled a hole in the ceiling (it sounds like it's finished) and ran the cut line cord to a junction box.  Is this correct?  Or am I not getting it?  Making the connection in a junction box makes sense, but I'm not sure about running the cord through the ceiling part since I thought that was not allowed.  Also, what grommet or cable clamp did you use to enter the junction box (or is it plastic and you don't need a grommet)?  The box I would be connecting to is metal.  [member=44099]Cheese[/member]  used romex so I guess he would have used a regular cable clamp at a metal junction box or slipped it in if it's a plastic box.

Sorry for all the questions!  Mike A.

 
[member=30413]mike_aa[/member] yes, my ceiling is finished. And yes, you are correct a junction box must be accessible. My attic is accessible so I made all junction box connections up there. If I were having to do this in a basement and still wanted a clean look. I would drill the 6mm hole about 2" from the end of the light and pop in a round box with a blanking plate 2" from that. I would still make the junction accessible and provide a no mess wire solution. make sense?
 
The Barrina shop lights have an angle of coverage of around 240 degrees. Much of the light is cast up towards the ceiling so a finished ceiling that will reflect the light back down would be best.
 
Hey Mike [member=30413]mike_aa[/member] , here's a shot of the Molex connector after the 4:1 heat shrink is applied.

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And here's a shot of the power cord with the integral switch removed. That gave me a 60" long cable for hard wiring as opposed to a 46" long cable. A short piece of 14 ga solid copper wire spliced in did the job.

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[member=44099]Cheese[/member] Since you have been living with these lights for a few months, how are you liking them? Do you have any problems with the clear covers rather than frosted?

thanks

Ron
 
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