anyone use LED lights

[Mikey8567]

Yes I ment MCD. LOL I did figure you knew what you were talking about, I wasn't meaning to say you didn't. If it sounded that way I apologize. I'm repairing a LCD flat screen hd monitor and had MFD (Microfarad) on the brain. I too have been working with LEDs and such since I was a small boy. And I was an Aviation Electronics Tech in the Navy. Been around electronics all my life. Something I've never got boarded with. At 41yrs old I still don't bore of it and try to keep up with it as best as I can.

I do like this forum, alot of people know what they are doing. Nice to see, way too many times I'm talking to those that don't have a clue of what I'm saying and it go's way over their heads.

I'll cut back on the techy stuff a lil. LOL

[beckdg]

ahhhh... millicandela... makes much more sense now as farads do not measure light. gotcha!

aviation electronics tech huh? you have now just joined the ranks around here... welcome again to the site big (brain) guy lol. i was supposed to join the marines way back when myself. they kept pushing for me to go into electronics engineering and/or aviation tectonics as a primary mos due to my asvab scores. it never happened (not by my choice), but that's another story.

by all means go forth and multiply with the techy stuff. there are a few of us that actually appreciate it. just do the others a favor and explain yourself from time to time. since you know electronics you should be familiar with KISS (keep it simple stupid).

honestly though, i do so many things that i can't seem to keep ahold of all the technical jargon. at times i couldn't tell the difference between a carburetor and a capacitor even though i personally installed 2 - 1 farad caps and replaced the carburetor in my car myself. speaking of monitors, if you take a look back through some threads you might come across the ones where i was replacing the screen in the wifeys laptop. it's a simple yet dainty, irritating process. it was a lot cheaper than a new laptop though.

anyway, all in all no harm done... keep me on my toes from time to time.

[stimpy]

Apparently LED lights will become the norm in the next 10 years. I have been following another thread on a plant forum and it seems that led lights are very popular with serious gardener's.I don't quite understand the technology at this point. More research is needed.From what I have read so far it looks pretty expensive initially to set up, however the life of the led's far surpasses any flurorescent or incandesent bulb,and there is little heat production.I will look into it further,hmmm
led grow lights - Sunshine Systems - led grow light

[Mikey8567]

Kool deal Beckdg. Yea as far as LED's go they have been around a long time. And now can be seen every where. Stop lights, the light bars on police, ambulance's, firetrucks, automobile tail lights and interior lighting, TV's. I'm currently working on a design for headlights that are LED based (reflected parabolic lighting). As far as they are emerging into the market, anything new cost more until it can be produced on a mass scale and the prices for the materials come down.

Here's a thought for ya. Imagine the scenic back drop that some use in their cages, aquariums, and other pet housings, they are very realistic due to the imaging technology we have now. But lets add LED's to it? Well a new form of LED's called OLED's (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) this tech has the ability to produce HD quality images in a very thin layer. It could be a Mylar or vinyl sheeting that could be applied directly to the back of the tank and you would have unlimited images as your back grounds. In fact you could have a looped video showing the jungle scene with the wind blowing and the trees moving ect. You could even incorporate a moving stream that would (if placed right) empty into your waterfall you made in your tank. Pretty cool huh? The tech is already out there, but alas the one down fall with the tech is that the screens have a short life span (any where from 3-5yrs) and is very expensive. It will be a while before such a product will be available at your local pet store.

But like I said the LED's have come a long way and have a long way to go. They are in every home in one shape or form. They are being used in many aspects from medical to combat weapons and everything in between. You can already go to your local Lowe's and buy light bulbs that use LED's in them to replace certain bulbs (limited selection right now), But that will change over the next 3yrs (was talking to a friend who works for GE).

Ok enough rambling from me. LOL

Curious on the OLED's? Here's a place that will explain it and show you some examples in easy to understand terms:

HowStuffWorks "How OLEDs Work"

[beckdg]

a long way from cathode ray tubes lol. have you checked out the newseum on pennsylvania ave in D.C.? apparently it has a 90' high def motion picture wall just inside the front glass. my uncle was one of the people in charge of the project during the planning/construction phases. he was really geeked about the 4D live experience news rooms. they're supposed to be like real life experiences dealing with news in the past crossed with an amusement park ride that puts the rider in the position of an actual reporter. i haven't gone yet but i've been considering it for some time now.

[Mikey8567]

Hmmm peaked interest. Got a link?

[beckdg]

Newseum | Washington, D.C.'s Most Interactive Museum check it out.

only problem... i think kodak wrote the program to run the screen... lol.

[beckdg]

i didn't find much on the video wall but it does exist... D.C.'s Newseum a time capsule that rolls :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: North America