Itty Bitty Book Light with LED?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Has anyone tried replacing the bulb in a Zelco Itty Bitty Booklight with an LED screw base bulb (e.g. LEDCORP JM45-3C or 98-3C)?

 

[jtivat]

No, but that is good idea I have an IBBL and my wife always complains that it is too bright. Where can I buy one of these Bulbs?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I don't have an IBBL but I have a similar light from another mfgr with similar construction. I installed a 50 degree white LED in the original bulb base and it works great!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

JT-

Take a look at www.ledcorp.com for these bulbs.

I kind of wonder whether the one or two LED assembly would work best for this application. The IBBL does use a white "reflector". I'd imagine you'd also have to mod the battery case to work with 3 "C" cells rather than 4.

 

[jtivat]

It looks like they have a 4 cell version. Have you ever used any of these I am wondering how white they are?

 

[hank]

I've been wondering the same thing. Guess we'll see who breaks down and buys one first (grin).

 

[vcal]

Originally posted by mooremj:
I don't have an IBBL but I have a similar light from another mfgr with similar construction. I installed a 50 degree white LED in the original bulb base and it works great!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hi Mark, nice to see 'ya postin' again🙂 -would you post a photo of that light?

p.s.-just saw your last email today and will get back to you soon.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Would it make any practical difference if the 3 cell version of the LEDCORP bulb is used vs. the 4 cell version? IBBL's use a 4.8V transformer (don't know if that is a regulated power supply or not), but their battery pack holds 4 "C" cells.

 

[WayneM]

WARNING - My IBBL power supply provides AC voltage, not DC. Not good. You can check yours, but mine is 4.8 VAC.

Light bulbs are happy with either AC or DC. LEDs aren't quite so accepting.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

WayneM,

Thanks for the info. Since I don't own the light yet, I could always buy the version with only the battery pack and then get a 4.5V DC transformer.

It blows me away that no one makes a well designed booklight w/ LED. Seems like a perfect fit.

 

[Evan]

The ability to hold 4 cells may be useful if you use Nicads, 3.6 volts from 3 cells doesn't
leave much drop for a resistor to limit current, some white LEDs drop 3.6 all by themselves.

When you change from a bulb drawing 250mA to an LED drawing 20-30mA, the life of
a set of C cells should be awsome; even a wimpy old 600 mAH Nicad would last 20-30 hours.

 

[carbonsparky]

I think I saw a LED powered book light at Sam's Club a while back. Next time I am at Sam's I will see if I can find them.
The white LEDs are starting to show up in alot of consumer devices. I saw a lap top light source that you plug into your USB port on your computer and the Snake Lights for Game Boys also uses white LEDs.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Sam's Club does have an LED book light. I tried it and found the on/off button didn't always work well and the quality of light was horrible. It's pretty much a keychain LED mounted on a telscoping wand with a base.

 

[carbonsparky]

Originally posted by lnh:
Sam's Club does have an LED book light. I tried it and found the on/off button didn't always work well and the quality of light was horrible. It's pretty much a keychain LED mounted on a telscoping wand with a base.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Thanks for the feedback on the booklight. Has any body tried out the USB mounted lap top lights?