LED Doorbell Buttons

neogoon · #1 05-30-2003, 08:22 AM

I just realized that my several-months-new doorbell button might ring true (*ding-dong*) with the LED crowd; the company is Spore, and they make lit buttons for doorbells and other applications; Spore Products...I have the "De-Light" model in blue ($29):

it's bright enough that it lights up the door handle and keyway quite well...I bought it for the design (liked the color and the brushed aluminum) -- in fact, it was cool enough that I actually fixed the doorbell (which had broken a few months earlier) so I could have the doorbell button.
This model is one of their newer and cheaper ones; they have other, cooler buttons with squishy pads and such, but I really didn't want to pay $60-$90 for a doorbell button.

IlluminatingBikr · #2 05-31-2003, 12:39 AM

Neat-o! I assume it has a 5mm Nichia? What type of power does it run off, I mean does it run of off 120V AC power? Looks pretty cool to me.

Saaby · #3 05-31-2003, 01:23 AM

I believe it's safe to assumme it runs off the doorbell power. Doorbells run off a low voltage wire (12V?). The low voltage wire is connected to a AC/DC converter somewhere in your wall.

neogoon · #4 05-31-2003, 10:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Saaby said:
I believe it's safe to assumme it runs off the doorbell power. Doorbells run off a low voltage wire (12V?). The low voltage wire is connected to a AC/DC converter somewhere in your wall.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, that's exactly right. Sorry, don't know what kind of LED is in it.

Darell · #5 05-31-2003, 10:54 PM

Yahoo! I was just looking to replace my button, and I was gonna replace the bulb with an LED. This should save me some hassle! Where did you buy from?

Man! I just went to look at my button, and the damn bulb is out AGAIN. This is the third time in the six years we've lived here. Good timing! It would appear from the description that these just have a diffuser for the color? Wonder if it is over a white LED. Should be able to get more light out of it by going with a blue LED behind the blue diffuser.

Thanks again for the pointer!

The_LED_Museum · #6 06-01-2003, 11:56 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Illuminatingbikr said:
Neat-o! I assume it has a 5mm Nichia? What type of power does it run off, I mean does it run of off 120V AC power?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think most household doorbells run from 24 volts AC from a small transformer stuffed in a closet or screwed to a joist under the floor. The transformer is on all the time, so the doorbell button always has power.

I've seen lighted doorbell buttons before, but not LED-lighted doorbell buttons. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img]

Where I live, there aren't doorbells; instead there's this "Aiphone" thing in the hall near the door that emits this obnoxious tone when somebody outside presses the button with "305 JOHNSON" next to it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

neogoon · #7 06-04-2003, 09:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
Yahoo! I was just looking to replace my button, and I was gonna replace the bulb with an LED. This should save me some hassle! Where did you buy from?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hiya...I ended up buying from their distributor, http://www.100watt.net/ (actually, I registered through the Web site and ended up having to place a phone order anyway, 888.477.9288, since their accounts are for the trade) after the local retailer said "we're out of stock and we can only sell in packs of 10" (which turned out to be incorrect).

Xrunner · #8 06-05-2003, 12:49 AM

Wow... talk about cool! Now all I need is a house to put it on. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I would retrofit somebody else's house but I have this feeling that they just wouldn't appreciate the "cute little blue light" to its fullest extent.

-Mike

Darell · #9 06-12-2003, 12:22 AM

Thanks neogoon. I tried all the links, and few, if any, link directly to the product. I'll try 100watt.net tomorrow. Gotta get me one!

star882 · #10 06-14-2003, 09:38 AM

"I believe it's safe to assumme it runs off the doorbell power. Doorbells run off a low voltage wire (12V?). The low voltage wire is connected to a AC/DC converter somewhere in your wall."
You will have to run another wire(the return wire(there's already a power wire and a load wire)) to power the LED(if there's not one already).

Chris M. · #11 06-14-2003, 11:18 AM

Not necessarily. Here in this country at least, illuminated doorbells are seen now and then. They are dimly lit by a small festoon lamp and aren`t too bright, but it`s enough. The lamp is just connected right accross the open switch contacts and sits in a series circuit with the bell and power unit, usually around 8-10v AC. When the switch is open the current flows through the bell`s motor/solenoid coil, through the lamp and back - but the lamp has sufficiently high resistance to prevent the bell from operating. Enough current does flow to make it glow though. Push in the switch, the lamp gets shorted out and the full current flows to the bell, which is usually at least an order of magnitude above the current required by the lamp.

Using an LED there`d be even less current flowing, but the AC power could cause problems unless a reverse blocking series diode was built in. and they`d be daft not to do so.

Of course it could be done differently requiring three wires, but that`s unlikely. Running in extra wiring is the most expensive part of any retrofit so it`s desirable for manufacturers to have any replacement or upgrade part work on the same wiring with as little fuss as possible, so they sell more products.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

neogoon · #12 06-14-2003, 10:33 PM

Indeed; this was as plug-and-play as they come; took the 2 wires off the old doorbell (with a regular minibulb) and attached them to the new one. It's a 12-volt system, and advertised as working with most existing doorbells (I think there may have been a warning about using it with wireless doorbells).

PDF spec sheet is here with wiring diagram is here: http://www.sporeinc.com/pdf/delightinfo.pdf

DavidH · #13 06-15-2003, 02:23 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
... Wonder if it is over a white LED. Should be able to get more light out of it by going with a blue LED behind the blue diffuser.

[/ QUOTE ]

According to the spec sheet "Illumination is provided by LED's that produce light in the colors of the specific button." Which I take to mean that the blue doorbell has blue LED's, the green on green LED's, etc.

Darell · #14 06-17-2003, 02:31 PM

Yeah... but elsewhere it asks you to choose the color of the "diffuser." Of course it would only makes sense to use the correct LED color, but I've found that trusting everything in life to make sense often leads to heartburn.

And maybe they make the diffuser and the LED the same color. You just never know.... or at least you don't know until your order shows up! I ordered two, and we'll see what happens.

Darell · #15 07-19-2003, 09:09 AM

So I finally recieved mine. Blue and green. Sure enough, they have correctly-colored LEDs AND diffusers. They are quite a bit brighter than the normal incandescent lighted units... and draw far less. My system is providing 18VAC to that switch though, so it is above spec in that regard. Doesn't seem to be a problem, however.

I really like the buttons, and thank neogoon for bringing them to my attention!

neogoon · #16 07-21-2003, 05:49 PM

Cool, Darell. I like mine a lot, too. One minor thing I'd watch out for...the aluminum cover plate is attached with double-sided tape, so you should keep an eye out as time passes and make sure it stays stuck. Oh, and you should have enough light to get the key in the lock, so you'll have to come up with another excuse to play with your other lights.

Joe

Darell · #17 07-21-2003, 06:18 PM

Ironically, I'm more worried about that cover staying ON too well. I've actually left some of the sticky-shield in place so that I can get it off later without ruining it if I need to unscrew the unit. I'll have to take pictures of mine. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I have a stucco house, and taking the old button off left a REALLY ugly hole that simply could not be covered by this new one (nor can I really screw it into the stucco easily). So I made an oak plate to cover the ugly, and attached the new button to the oak.

JollyRoger · #18 07-28-2003, 12:15 AM

Ah, just what I was looking for!
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Darell · #19 07-28-2003, 12:21 AM

I NEED to take a picture of mine!

neogoon · #20 07-28-2003, 08:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
I NEED to take a picture of mine!

[/ QUOTE ]
Hrm...here's mine: pic's not very good -- it doesn't capture the throw at all:

doorbellexpressions · #21 08-14-2007, 07:55 AM

We also sell the spOre line of doorbells, door chimes, and number systems. We offer free shipping, and have them all in stock- so they ship out usually within a day. http://www.doorbellexpressions.com

Bing & Ye · #22 08-15-2007, 11:37 PM

It seems nice, anyboby who purchased it? Does it works fine? I would like to buy one.

DUQ · #23 08-28-2007, 07:20 PM

Im getting one for sure