# Ordered the lights for the new shop today.



## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

They are made by Satco Model 65-316. They're a 1'X4' Edge lit LED panel light, 4000 Lumens, 5000K Color Temperature, Dimmable. They mount flush or hanging. In my case I'll be using the DGA14 Drywall Grid Adapter the lets me install them recessed into the drywall ceiling. These lights are less than 1/2" thick with the exception of the junction box. I ordered three but may increase it to five since they are dimmable and it's hard for me to have too much light.

Roger


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

This is a nice solution. I have LEDs everywhere now. I'd already installed conventional fixtures with mogul screw in bases, so my solutions consist of multiple fairly high output bulbs. The extremely high output makes all the difference for my aging eyes. 4K lumens is a LOT of light. My biggest units put out 2800 lumens each, more than enough for my shop.


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

One of the nice things about this fixture is that it is an even light all the way across the lens with no hot spots. I'm hoping this will give me a shadow free work area. Tom, I agree with you about 4K lumens being a lot of light. That's why I made sure to order fixtures that were dimmable, just in case.


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## Grangur (Apr 27, 2018)

Good day gents. By profession I'm a lighting engineer. I supply lights to schools and hospitals in the UK.

Edge-lit LED panels have the advantage of being cheap. They are more efficient than fluorescent fittings, the worst of those being ones with fat tunes and starter switches in them.

5000k colour is pretty good to work under. 4000k is good too. It's best to avoid 3000k or less, or more than 5000k. Lower numbers will be very yellow. Higher numbers will be very blue.

The main disadvantage of thin LED panels is they have a useful life about the same as a fluorescent tube. Other fittings are available but you may need to hunt around for them. The problem is most sellers you see on the high street or wholesalers are so convinced you want cheap stuff that they won't stock quality.

The other thing to look for is an IP rating. Try to get something that is IP65 or higher. The IP stands for Ingress Protection. So what we need is something to keep dust out from the electrical contacts.

I hope this is helpful.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

@Grangur Thanks for the info. I hope you'll comment more on setting up illumination in a shop. 

I chose to go with LED *bulbs*, including three that have reflectors attached. Two in my small shed/shop, one in the center of my garage, which also has four other LED bulbs, for a total of about 7K lumens. Very bright , I also have under counter strip lights over the dark areas of the shop and a few more in the sockets I installed early on. What a difference it makes to have plenty of light. I have a few 3K kelvin mixed here and there, and I like the mix.

My shed/shop is in our back yard, which is huge and full of trees. Really dark most nights, so I have installed five motion detection, solar lights that illuminate the path when I go out there. They sometimes go on in the middle of the night, when the critters come to visit. LEDs have changed the illumination game. 

About 2 decades ago, I visited a business that made flashlights, an engineer there had become fascinated by light emitting diodes and was experimenting with getting a white light version. He predicted that one day, we'd all be using them. He was right. I recall that the early versions would often separate from the base and stop working. Haven't had that problem in recent years.

The low draw is really nice, so much light, so little juice.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

DRT, thanks for en light ening us.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Grangur said:


> Good day gents. By profession I'm a lighting engineer. I supply lights to schools and hospitals in the UK.
> 
> Edge-lit LED panels have the advantage of being cheap. They are more efficient than fluorescent fittings, the worst of those being ones with fat tunes and starter switches in them.
> 
> ...


Only thing that could be helpful for me is banning led lights altogether . I consider them dirty light. Mass quantities of blue light and apparently as much UV in the UVC region (200-280 nm) as it’s blue output . 
I had a viral infection in my right eye which was quiet for decades. Then led lights hit the market .
Sad part is MIT has designed a incandecent that has more efficiency than an led, so your getting a much better quality of light again , but these ignorant politicians have outlawed them


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Grangur said:


> Good day gents. By profession I'm a lighting engineer. I supply lights to schools and hospitals in the UK.
> 
> Edge-lit LED panels have the advantage of being cheap. They are more efficient than fluorescent fittings, the worst of those being ones with fat tunes and starter switches in them.
> 
> ...


Are these the ones?
https://www.lightup.com/1x4-led-panels.html

Herb


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

@herb Very similar, but not the exact. Mine were from Satco. http://www.satco.com/65-316.html 
Paid $60.00 each at local wholesale electrical supply house. (I’m a HVAC/ Electrical contractor by trade.) They have a five year warranty. 90+ CRI, 37watts, 3960 lumens. 120/277v driver. 0-10v dimmer. Also comes in 4000K color as well. I wanted to go with a local name brand fixture. In case of warranty issues I can take them back locally. 

Not affiliated with Satco. Just like their products.


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## Bob Adams (Jul 5, 2014)

Roger D said:


> @herb Very similar, but not the exact. Mine were from Satco. SATCO 65-316
> Paid $60.00 each at local wholesale electrical supply house. (I’m a HVAC/ Electrical contractor by trade.) They have a five year warranty. 90+ CRI, 37watts, 3960 lumens. 120/277v driver. 0-10v dimmer. Also comes in 4000K color as well. I wanted to go with a local name brand fixture. In case of warranty issues I can take them back locally.
> 
> Not affiliated with Satco. Just like their products.



My wife needs better lighting in her sewing room. The room is also a guest bedroom, would these light work (would your wife allow them in your house)? I have been going nuts trying to find lighting for that room.


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

@Herb Stoops Herb, checkout the CRI rating on those panels. It’s only 80. For better quality light you want to be CRI to be in the 90s. That is an awesome price on those though.


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

@Bob Adams Bob, I think she would be very pleased with them. For a drywall ceiling you would need to use the DGA14 (drywall grid adapter) to recess them into the drywall between the joists/rafters. If you were just going to hang them then all you need is some jack chain or aircraft cable. They are very light compared to fluorescent fixtures. 

Roger


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

@Bob Adams Bob, missed the part about the spare bedroom. 4000 lumens might be a bit bright for a bedroom. This one fixture is equal to a little more than two 100Watt halogen lamps. You would probably need to dim them for that purpose. If you want to dim them it does require a specialized 0-10V dimmer with additional low voltage wiring from the dimmer to the fixture.

As far as asthetics, it’s more at home in the laundry area/work shop/garage than a bedroom. If it was a dedicated sewing room I’d say it was awesome but the bedroom part makes me a little hesitant. 

When I get home tonight I’ll take some photos of the actual fixture for you check out. 

Roger


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Rick brings up a major concern; eye damage caused by Blue-Violet wavelength light, a serious concern with LEDs.
We had a short discussion on this topic a couple of weeks ago.
Here's some reading for you...
Retinal light exposure after cataract surgery, what are the risks? | Points de Vue | International Review of Ophthalmic Optics
https://advancedvisioncare.co.uk/do-leds-cause-eye-damage/
https://gunnar.com/do-environmentally-friendly-led-lights-cause-blindness/
https://nei.nih.gov/news/briefs/uv_cataract
Smick K et al, Blue light hazard: New knowledge, new approaches to maintaining ocular health. Report of a roundtable sponsored by Essilor of America. March, 2013, NYC, NY.


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## Roger D (May 22, 2018)

And I thought this forum was about woodworking...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Wood'nt guess it, eh?


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## Grangur (Apr 27, 2018)

Herb Stoops said:


> Are these the ones?
> https://www.lightup.com/1x4-led-panels.html
> 
> Herb





Roger D said:


> @herb Very similar, but not the exact. Mine were from Satco. SATCO 65-316
> Paid $60.00 each at local wholesale electrical supply house. (I’m a HVAC/ Electrical contractor by trade.) They have a five year warranty. 90+ CRI, 37watts, 3960 lumens. 120/277v driver. 0-10v dimmer. Also comes in 4000K color as well. I wanted to go with a local name brand fixture. In case of warranty issues I can take them back locally.
> 
> Not affiliated with Satco. Just like their products.


Yes, @Herb Stoops, that's the type. 
To be honest, having had a lot of time to think about this. Thin LED panels have a limited life when compared to other, better-built fittings. But as Roger says, at $60 a piece, if you're only working in the workshop 20 hours a week or less, why spend more? It's all a matter of choice and buying according to your need.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I had one very white (blue) overhead light in my office shed and it was just too sterile to suit me. The fixture has a large flat diffuser, so I bought a sheet of theatrical gel in "Bastard Amber" and fitted it into the diffuser. That's the most often used color in stage lighting, and it is very much more comfortalbe to live with.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Roger D said:


> And I thought this forum was about woodworking...


more than just woodworking - soaking in knowledge on many topics.

your posts were very informative

BTW - in my first comment, I was just yanking your (light) chain>


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