Reading Lights

Alpenglow Reading Lights are available in two LED versions: the white LED; and now with new Night-Vision option, featuring a separate high-low switch for the LED red. Choose Titanium or Chrome finish.

Advantages Over Regular Reading Lights

• Dramatically less power consumption
• Larger area illuminated by single fixture
• Much more even illumination
• Much lower operating temperature
• Available with both white and two-level red night-vision option, which you cannot get by simply putting an LED retrofit bulb into your existing fixture

The LED Reading Light

There still are no white LEDs that can match the efficiency and pleasant warm color of compact fluorescent, but they have improved to the point that for certain applications they have significant advantages and we believe that for most of our customers, the LED version may be the better choice. Our LED Reading Light is not a wimpy dim light as are many of the currently available LED lights. It also is not the cold bluish-white color that is common in white LEDs. Many of the currently available white LED lights obtain their brightness by focusing all the light into a very narrow beam, typically 15 to 30 degrees. While this can result in a very bright light, the illuminated spot is so small that it is of limited use. Ours are powerful enough to give adequate brightness over a 60 degree angle. Because of the expense of high power LEDs, the trend in LED light design is to drive the LEDs at the highest permissible level in order to minimize the number required. We have done the opposite. We use high-power LEDs rated at 3-watts each. Each one of them is the equivalent of over 30 standard LEDs and would be capable of the amount of light we want, but rather than using one, we are using three of them. Although that costs us 3 times as much, there are significant advantages which make it worthwhile. By driving them at much lower levels, they run cooler, are more energy efficient, and last much longer. Individual high-power LEDs often have an uneven light pattern. By using several of them we achieve a much more uniform illumination.

Why Buy a Complete Fixture Rather Than Just an LED Bulb?

Although white LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent or halogen bulbs, high power LEDs still produce lots of heat, and heat is the mortal enemy of LEDs. The cooler they operate, the longer they last and the more energy efficient they are. The need to control this heat puts practical limits on how powerful retrofit bulbs can be. It takes substantial heat sink to adequately control heat, and there is a limit to the size and weight that is practical. This limitation results in retrofit bulbs operating at or beyond the maximum design temperature of the LEDs, shortening their life. We have received numerous reports of short life from some of them. The amount of heat sink required for high power LEDs results in a fairly large and heavy unit (bulb) which, in most cases, the typical two-pin halogen mounting socket is too flimsy to hold them securely. Particularly on a boat. Most of them are actually designed for residential track lighting where there is little motion.

To perform truly well, a reading light not only needs to be bright, but also needs to illuminate a reasonably large area. We believe that about a 50 degree viewing angle is the minimum, and the brightness should be quite uniform over that entire area. It simply isn't possible to get the necessary power nor combination for both brightness and viewing angle from a retrofit bulb to be ideal for a good reading light. They must limit either the brightness or the viewing angle, i.e., they are either reasonably bright but illuminate too small an area, or the light is spread over an adequate angle but is too dim. Getting a wide enough angle and enough brightness into a small package is just very difficult, and results in high temperatures. Most retrofit bulbs illuminate a reasonable area at a very low level, with a very distinct small bright spot in the center. When Practical Sailor tested LED bulbs, the only ones that were reasonably bright accomplished that by concentrating their light into a very small spot.  In fact, with the brighter ones, that bright spot was 1/10 the area of that on the Alpenglow Light. Only the Alpenglow Light was both bright and covered a wide area. And the Alpenglow Light that was tested was an early version. Our current version produces consistent even illumination over the entire wide viewing angle. It's no wonder that Practical Sailor stated that the Alpenglow Light was the reviewer's favorite.

By building the LEDs into the fixture itself, we eliminate all the limitations of the retrofit bulbs. The entire bell reflector functions as the heat sink, so the LEDs operate at just a fraction of the temperature of retrofit bulbs. The power supply is located away from the LEDs in the base of the fixture, so its operating environment is even cooler. With retrofit bulbs, the power supply must use the same hot heat sink as the LEDs. Most LED lights (and particularly retrofit bulbs) use the fewest LEDs possible and drive them at their maximum rating. We use multiple LEDs driven at just a small fraction of their maximum rating. This not only improves efficiency, but dramatically increases life.

We encourage you to make your own comparisons and decide for yourself. We are confident that you will see the many advantages of using a light in which the LEDs are an integral part of the fixture.

Viewing Angle

Our LED Reading Light has a viewing angle of 60 degrees. That means that at 3 feet from the light, it is illuminating about a 3-foot-diameter circle. Even though white LEDs are less efficient, by concentrating the light into this smaller area the result is brighter illumination within that circle while using less power. Brightness is equal to the 9-watt earlier version of our fluorescent Reading Light, while using 1/3 the power. Our LED Reading Light is ideal for supplemental light for reading, or anywhere that you prefer the extent of the light to be limited. The LED Reading Light may not be ideal if you are trying to light the entire cabin with them, although they would be better than halogen or lower wattage LED reading lights. Compact Fluorescent overhead lights are still by far the best for general area lighting.

Color

Until recently, white LEDs were an extremely cold color. Actually almost bluish. There are now what the LED industry calls warm white LEDs. They are warm compared to the regular ones, but still not as warm as standard residential lighting or as our compact fluorescent lights. Light color is rated in degrees Kelvin. The higher the number, the colder the color. To give you some idea, incandescent bulbs and our compact fluorescent lights are rated 2700. Cool-white fluorescent lights (typical commercial lighting) is rated 4100. Many white LEDs are rated as high as 6000 or higher, which is quite blue. The majority of the white LEDs that are called warm are actually around 4000 which is similar to cool fluorescent. One of the reasons we waited this long before offering LED reading lights was the poor color. There now are a very few available that are warm enough to be acceptable. About the warmest we have found, and the ones we are using, are rated 3200. That is between warm and cool fluorescent. It isn’t as warm as some people prefer for overall area lighting, but we find it perfectly suitable for task lighting, particularly when there is also nice warm area lighting.

Bottom Line

We feel that most people will be best served with the LED Reading Light. The exception would be when the reading light is the primary source of light. Actually, we don’t recommend any kind of reading light for primary area lighting. The highest efficiency and wide angle coverage is best accomplished with our overhead lights.

New Finish

We are now offering the reading lights in a titanium nitrite plated brass, as well as chrome. The titanium plating is the same as what is now being used on high-end bathroom fixtures. It looks like brass, but slightly darker; kind of a polished bronze look. It is an attractive permanent, corrosion-proof, durable finish that won’t wear off and tarnish like lacquer will eventually do. The titanium plating is our favorite.

Specifications subject to change as the LED industry continues to mature, and we continue to adapt and fine-tune our product.

How to Select Cabin Lights

Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.