# Light Upgrade?? For My 1340gt



## marcusp323 (Nov 3, 2015)

When I ordered my 1340GT I got the light & a few other goodies in the "preferred package". Never been quite happy with the 24V halogen that came with, so I've looked into a few different options of the LED variety. Lots of choices for sure. Almost pulled the trigger on one but it dawned on me that I already had a fairly bright LED setup I bought when I got tired of the heat the 110V halogens put off. Got it when I was doing a lot of work in the attic & needed some decent light up there. Figured the arm on the PM light was adequate (so far, so good), & the light (from Costco) already had a hole in the mounting bracket, so why not try it. I just snipped the 24V wires & stuffed them back down the arm, zip tied the cord to the outside. Voila! Decently bright light without the searing temps that halogen had. Probably a bit bulky for some folks, but it should serve me fine. Another nice thing is I didn't even have to buy any parts to mount it, just used the hardware that came with the 24V setup (loosen the black setscrew!!!). 
Now some pics:


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## Muskt (Nov 3, 2015)

Neat Idea!

I have a different story.

My PM1236 also came with the 24V halogen--dislike verging on "hated it".

Searched EBay for hours till I located some LEDs that were rated for 12VDC or 12-24VAC.  Cool, I think.
The base is the same as the halogen, but the  diameter is just a bit smaller.  The bulbs are, of course, from China. I was required to buy a 6-pack--13 dollars + change.  Bulbs arrive, very nicely packaged.  Short work to remove & replace.  Not quite as bright as I had hoped, but the white color sure was nicer than the yellow from the OEM light.

I have had my lathe since the spring.  I had never tried the E-Stop button.  Why not?  I ask myself.   Mashed the E-Stop and a rather bright flash from the LED then darkness--just the LED, not the entire shop.  Several unpure thoughts and a few unpure words followed.  Disassembled the light and installed another (I had 5 remaining).  Tried the E-Stop again--no problems, this time.

Disassembled the LED to see what was inside.  Semi-epoxyed into the base was a tiny circuit board with a cylindrical capacitor with both ends blown out.
Hit the E-Stop one more time, & POW------another blown LED.  Same blown capacitor as before.  Several more unpure thoughts & words and another LED installed. 

My neighbor comes by and I am relating this story to him.  The lathe is not running; however, I turned on the LED to show him----POW.  After he gets done laughing, and after I finish my tirade, I decide that I need to obtain a better light.   This all happened today.

I doubt that there is any problem with the lathe, more likely, just the junk LEDs that I thought was a "good deal".

End of story.

Jerry in Delaware


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## JimDawson (Nov 3, 2015)

I would check the voltage on the wires to the lamp.  My guess is that it's a bit high, along with the cap being under rated.  At 24V AC the peak voltage across the cap could be 1.414 * the line voltage, or about 35 volts. The caps should be rated for at least 50V.  It would not surprise me if the output voltage was over 30 volts on the unloaded transformer.


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## Muskt (Nov 3, 2015)

Electricity & electronics are NOT my strong points!   I feel just barely confident enough to get into trouble.

I did check the line voltage this afternoon with a good Fluke meter--holds steady at right at 27VAC with no load.  

Jerry in Delaware


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## JimDawson (Nov 3, 2015)

I was more curious than anything, that's around the voltage I would expect.  My guess is the the designers used really cheap 35V caps, no margin for error.  You could solder in some new 50 or 100 volt rated caps of the same value and save the lamps, or just go another route entirely.

At least we all know what not to buy! 
.
.


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## Muskt (Nov 3, 2015)

Marcusp323, I apologize for hijacking your thread.  I had intended to compliment your on your ingenuity, and became side-tracked.
I was wondering where the light attaches to your lathe, or is it fastened to the wall?  Your picture doesn't really show it--or is it the gray thing bolted to the splash guard directly behind the chuck in the next to last pic.   I do not think that the flexible neck lamp that came with my 12x36 would support that SnapOn goodie.

Again, I am sorry for the hijack.

Jerry in Delaware


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## marcusp323 (Nov 3, 2015)

It's the same flexible neck that came with it. Had to tighten the pivot bolts just a tad. I just fastened the light to the backsplash when I set it up. Can take some more pics & send them if you'd like, maybe get more of an idea.
Mark


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## mksj (Nov 4, 2015)

Nice adaptation and looks like it gives a lot of light, probably need some suntan oil with that many lumens.

I also tried a few of the Chinese 24V AC/DC bulbs, not the most reliable and their light coloring is often too yellow or too blue. Almost all of the LED bulbs I have purchased from China have died within a year, so much for their "rated 40,000 hour" lifespan. Another consideration that gives more bulb options if you go LED  is to use a a step down buck converter from the 24VAC out of your transformer to output 12VDC. Something like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-17-26-V-...085710?hash=item33ab87090e:g:AD8AAOSwhcJWKfaq






You can also fit a MR16 bulb to the stock light, but requires removing an aluminum spacer in front of the socket and doing some trimming of the MR16 base. But opens a lot more bulb options. The Philips 10W 650 lumen LED bulbs in a 50W equivalent work very well if one wants to keep the stock housing.


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## marcusp323 (Nov 4, 2015)

Isn't that board also from China? 
So's that Snap-On light I'm using, so we will see what happens. Doubt you can buy any LED stuff that ISN'T made in China these days!!
Mark


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