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Bruce Clumpner
04-09-2014, 4:04 PM
For those of you looking for an LED base to play with, I just found something that looked interesting!

http://www.meritline.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=62288&SEName=acrylic-color-changing-led-light-plaque-decoration

Just ordered a couple and will post my thoughts when they come in... Can't beat testing it for the price.

Bruce Clumpner
04-09-2014, 5:58 PM
Oh yea, looks like they ship from Hong Kong?! @ $4 each, not sure how they can do that....

David Somers
04-09-2014, 6:32 PM
Bruce,

The only thing that would drive me crazy is the constant color change feature. Doesn't look like there is any way to turn off the color change and just settle on one color?

For some things it would be dandy though. Curious to hear what you think of them.

Dave

Dan Wilhelm
04-09-2014, 7:59 PM
That is pretty crazy. I just bought the electrical materials to make my own LED bases (power supply, power cord, receptacle, and switch), and just those materials cost around $7 per base. I'm going to design a plastic shell and 3D print it, but I would guess the final design would COST in the neighborhood of $10 each. That doesn't include retail markup or shipping.

Mike Troncalli
04-10-2014, 8:30 AM
Oh yea, looks like they ship from Hong Kong?! @ $4 each, not sure how they can do that....

I took a chance and ordered one myself. $3.93 shipping. Could take a week or so though.. They had expedited shipping 5 - 8 business days for about 5 -6 dollars.. I also agree re. the color changing part of it, but I couldn't find anything cheaper on the market and I have looked as well. I thought about trying to make one myself which my shop is very capable of doing, but like Dan said.. more expensive to make your own..

I don't use my laser has a hobby, it is for the business. My shop sells wholesale only so you can imagine that I need to get parts pretty cheap, and since we are a small shop we can't afford to order thousands of product from china, etc... For one of my workers to make a base would take a minimum of 15 minutes per unit. Not including the materials for the base, led's and power requirements. I found led's online for $2.50 for a small strip. But you still need a power supply or at least a battery case. Wood is cheap but still looking at a minimum of about $5.00.. Then I have to add the labor cost...

I will try to post a pic. of the finished product.. May be a few weeks though...

David Somers
04-10-2014, 10:22 AM
Mike and Bruce!

Thanks for trying these! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on them once you have them in hand!

Dave

Dan Wilhelm
04-10-2014, 11:53 AM
My design will be more expensive than I could possibly make them because I want 120 VAC run to the base instead of 6-12 VDC. I don't like wall warts because they are always energized even when the device they are powering isn't. I want to switch the 120 inside the base, then have it run to a small power supply. I am planning on using the LED strips that you can buy in 5 meter lengths for about $15 on eBay. You can get them in any color you want, or you can pay extra and get the color-changing RGB strips.

Andrei Georgescu
04-10-2014, 1:08 PM
I thought about it a few days ago and I think I'll try to rout a few bases. I pay less than $15 on the strips, I found them at about $10.89 after haggling in a couple of places around where I live.

Bert Kemp
04-10-2014, 4:27 PM
I just order 3 of these just to get the free sxh $11.97 total, thought it was a better deal then 1 for 3.99 and 4 sxh

Bruce Dorworth
04-10-2014, 5:15 PM
I believe these bases are only 4" wide, I am not sure how wide the slot is.

The other Bruce

Bill George
04-10-2014, 6:26 PM
Remember, when you go to 120 volts adding a switch and power supply you really need to think about the UL approval you may or may not have. Its a big deal when something bad happens.

Michael Hunter
04-10-2014, 7:43 PM
I agree with Bill : If you stick with the wall-warts, then a lot of the responsibility for safety is lifted from your shoulders.

Dan Wilhelm
04-10-2014, 8:15 PM
I could just take the Chinese route and put a UL and CE mark on my base without ever having either tested.

Seriously, these will just be for my own amusement. I don't plan on selling them at this point. If I get the cost down and find a market, I will take safety listing into consideration.

Bill George
04-11-2014, 6:01 PM
FYI My sons best friend growing up lived in a house that a fire started in the basement office area. Insurance company claimed it started from the non UL listed computer power supply. It took a lawyer and 6 months to get things settled, no they did not get the full claim amount and then had to pay the lawyer. Insurance companies strangely enough do not hand money out just because they are nice people. They look for ways NOT to pay.
I have been a licensed electrician more years than I care to remember. Using a Listed low voltage power supply takes a big load off your shoulders.

Dan Wilhelm
04-11-2014, 9:23 PM
FWIW, I'm the reason insurance companies don't play claims for those reasons. My day job is as a forensic electrical engineer. I figure out what causes fires for insurance companies and lawyers. That's exactly why I don't like the idea of wall warts being energize 24/7 when they aren't being used.

Bill George
04-12-2014, 9:39 AM
FWIW, I'm the reason insurance companies don't play claims for those reasons. My day job is as a forensic electrical engineer. I figure out what causes fires for insurance companies and lawyers. That's exactly why I don't like the idea of wall warts being energize 24/7 when they aren't being used.
Then you won't like the idea of all the modern electronics being plugged in 24/7 either. Or your furnace, AC unit and on and on being wired to the line 24/7 365.

Mark Ross
04-12-2014, 6:24 PM
Dan,

Seriously, look at the requirements of energy star. It is against the law in all 50 states now to sell wall warts that consume anything more than negligible power when there is no load. This means they all have some sort of switching topology. Even when they are running they have to be efficient.

Just buy wall warts from a known good source, not the happy funny sunshine kitten electronics company from China. If you know about bad Chinese translations you will appreciate that one.

Buy you wall warts from a reputable distributor like digikey, mouser, Newark and so on.

Dan Wilhelm
04-12-2014, 8:11 PM
All I know is when I point a thermal imaging camera at a wall wart when it isn't being used, it's still 10 to 20 degrees over ambient temperature. Those things are doing something.

I didn't bother to check up on your statistics, but I do know that Energy Star isn't the law. It's a program to help people be more energy efficient by giving them data.

Scott Shepherd
04-13-2014, 8:53 AM
I had a lengthy conversation with our insurance guy recently about this topic. I asked him if we bought equipment that wasn't UL listed and it caused a fire and burned the place down, would we be unable to file a claim? He told me without hesitation that UL listing means nothing when a claim is filed or settled. He said that the only way you would lose the claim is if they proved fraud or negligence about a dangerous situation. He then said "If you took cotton and soaked it in gasoline and then started grinding metal 5 feet away and a spark hit it and burned your house down, we're going to pay the claim". He said "We pay for claims where people make stupid mistakes all the time". He said in all his years in the insurance business (over 30), he'd never once heard of a claim being denied because something wasn't UL listed and caught fire.

That's what he told me. Doesn't mean it's right or doesn't happen, but it's what he told me and I've never had a reason to not believe him.

Bill George
04-13-2014, 10:16 AM
Scott is that from your agent or a claims adjuster? All I know is my sons friend, the family went months without the claim being settled. It also falls under product liability, the insurance company may pay, but if the product you provided caused the problem then there will be a lawsuit to recover that payout. Product liability is a big deal.

Scott Shepherd
04-13-2014, 11:01 AM
That was from our agent. He's been around a long time and seen a lot of things. He kept telling me that they would pay your claim but then go after the company that made the product, but the problem was most import China products don't have US offices, so there's no one for them to go after. He said as soon as they put up a US office, then it opens them to liability claims on stuff like that, and that's why, for the most part, they don't do it. They remain "out of reach". But he said that it didn't matter what started the fire, UL listed, non UL listed, leaving bacon grease on the stove. As long as you didn't do it on purpose and there is no criminal intent, then they would pay your claim.

I suspect some companies are different than that, but I have no idea. I can only go off the advice of our agent, who I got to know many years before he became out agent. I wouldn't take that as fact, but it's something you should certainly ask your agents about just to make sure you are covered.

He told me in his own home he had changed out all the light fixtures and used the original housings. I asked how he changed out the guts of something UL listed without getting them recertified with the new stuff in them. He said it didn't matter and wasn't relevant to a claim if something happened.

Who knows? Maybe it's different company to company or state to state. I don't know.

Dan Wilhelm
04-13-2014, 6:57 PM
That has been my experience too. Stupidity is covered by your insurance...fraud is not. If you intentionally buy a defective product, and the insurance company can prove it, they may deny your claim. But if you just do something stupid, they will pay the claim...but raise your rates next renewal period. Mostly what I deal with is the insurance company trying to recoup their claim expenses from the manufacturer or installer.

Bert Kemp
04-14-2014, 3:34 PM
FWIW There's been a lot of discussion about Chinese Companies and there refund habits. As I mentioned in an earlier post I bought 3 of these Led Base's. I got an email yesterday stating these were no longer available from the vendor and that my order had been cancelled.
So Sorry for the inconvenience a refund will be sent to your account soon. This morning the refund was in my account. uuh very good. As to why the Item is no longer available is anyone's guess. I sure hope it isn't because these things are burning down house's.:(

Bill George
04-14-2014, 4:00 PM
What I am wondering also since the Chinese seem to put UL listed and UL approved all over the items they sell, is there an actual list or approval rating listing number a buyer can check? I don't for a minute think just because its stamped or printed on the item, that it is legit.

Bert Kemp
04-15-2014, 11:26 PM
So is anyone actually getting these or did everyone's:( orders get cancelled???

Andrei Georgescu
04-23-2014, 2:09 AM
Could someone please help me out a bit with some pictures of a LED base inside? I would like to build some for a restaurant menu project.

Bert Kemp
04-23-2014, 12:23 PM
(http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?116676-Andrei-Georgescu)Andrei
If you google Led Base Signs you'll get 100's of pictures

Andrei Georgescu
04-24-2014, 1:06 AM
Thanks Bert, I did that. I was more interested on the insides of those bases thinking that I could use batteries. But most of them seem to be wired and I already know how to do that.

Bruce Clumpner
05-08-2014, 7:08 PM
Quick update... I received my samples last week and they do look obviously cheap. They will only accept 1/8" sheet and there is no way to control the colors. Since my engraver is down, won't be able to cut anything up to test.. Still not bad for $5

Dan Hintz
05-10-2014, 9:05 AM
What I am wondering also since the Chinese seem to put UL listed and UL approved all over the items they sell, is there an actual list or approval rating listing number a buyer can check? I don't for a minute think just because its stamped or printed on the item, that it is legit.

UL keeps a list (online, too, though I can't guarantee how up to date it is) of every approved product, categorized by company, then product.

Andrei Georgescu
05-10-2014, 2:04 PM
I've done a prototype 30 cm wide out of balsa wood for 4 mm plexiglas. It was about $8 mostly spent on the balsa. I think I could easily do that at $5 out of fir or pine or whatever's cheap enough and looks good enough.

Bert Kemp
05-10-2014, 2:38 PM
I've done a prototype 30 cm wide out of balsa wood for 4 mm plexiglas. It was about $8 mostly spent on the balsa. I think I could easily do that at $5 out of fir or pine or whatever's cheap enough and looks good enough.

No pictures it didn't happen :) lets see what you made.

Andrei Georgescu
05-11-2014, 12:46 AM
I have only one which is of the base plugged in with the scratched plexiglas scrap I used for the test.
I'll get it this evening and post some pictures. I might get a contract for a 6 meter long one a few days from now and if I do I'll post some pictures of that one.
289055

Dan Wilhelm
05-11-2014, 9:49 AM
I finally got around to building my first prototype, and it turned out awesome...

289063289064289065

Bruce Clumpner
06-26-2014, 5:23 PM
Jim,

Good to see you pop up here.. Everyone seems to be interested in your bases... Me included, let us know when you're back on track.

Just FYI on my "find"... I finally got around to upgrading my laser and catching up on my past-due jobs, so went and cut some 1/8" plex for this cheap base... Imagine my disappointment when by 1/8" stock would not fit in the base? Should have put a mic on the piece first to measure what thickness the manufacturer uses. Finally got my sheet stock to fit by filing and scraping the base.

Overall it's my opinion that they are not even worth this cheap price.. Maybe you can pull the guts and build them into something else, but otherwise don't waste your money.

Oh well!

Clark Pace
06-27-2014, 6:10 PM
Link did not work for me? Just went to the home page.

Jim Good
06-28-2014, 12:24 AM
Clark, PM me please.