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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Politics, Religion (Tall Table) >> Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1368327583 Message started by srinath on 05/11/13 at 19:59:43 |
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Title: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/11/13 at 19:59:43 I've been playing with LED's to light up my house. I've done a few experiments and figured out what works and where for me. I just wanted to share some of it. OK so LED's are bloody bright when you look at em, but bring em and install in a fixture and not only is it awful looking, its also bloody dim. Why ... 1 word - Viewing angle. There is more ... there are misleading terminology, incomprehensible jargon with them declaring their specs in Mcd when the world talks about watts etc etc etc ... So what's the skinny. Viewing angle - you draw and imaginary cone with the top angle of the cone being the angle they say for an LED. 15 degree is a common one, as is 30 etc etc ... A light bulb in a can fitting - our standard kitchen light is a whopping 180 degree viewing angle. A bulb hanging form the ceiling with a mirrored ceiling is a 360 degree. Remember this is solid angle not 2d. here 90 degree X 4 is not 360 degrees. Its closer to 6 X. Lets call it 6 X 90. Then a 100 watt bulb when new puts out about 135,000 mcd - this is courtesy google. Of course no one has a mirrored ceiling, and effectively we light up a nice 60-70 degree pool below the light, and the rest is wasted. So with a 60 degree LED with a 135,000 mcd is almost the same as a 100 watt bulb. Now for the kicker. A light bulb makes 10-15 times more heat than light. Your light is say 3-5 watts worth, the rest is heat - and in winter it helps, but hurts in summer. I'll still say its helpful a little, cos we use lights at night, but just turning up the thermostat is better, cos light bulb's are near the ceiling, we need hot air by us, not @ the ceiling. Anyway 135,000 mcd 60 degree LED = 100 watt bulb for 90% of bulb uses. So what now - Enter the magic 30,000 mcd LED - this one - http://www.ebay.com/itm/100PCS-5mm-Super-Bright-Sunny-Warm-White-LED-Lamp-30-000mcd-Whole-sale-Price-/290875405754?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b98675ba I have bought a few 100 from that seller, and I am impressed with their quality. @ 3.60 for a 100 warm white LED to your door it is a steal. Nothing compares ... they have some sorta wholesale deal on now. I bought me 400 more. I have like 200 assorted ones left over from before but rapidly running them into fixtures etc. Used 45 today. These are 25 degree - but it wont matter once you get through this whole thread. OK so you now have a dime bag of LED's what next. LED's have a Forward voltage. Vf. Apply that and they light up. They have a If - forward current - exceed that and they go poof. Those guys like 3.4 - 3.6 Vdc and 30 ma. Actually they run fine on AC, but DC is better they dont flicker ... They dont with ac too ... but I would do dc. Safer and better. OK so how do you feed them 3.4 v and give em 30 milliamp and no more. Enter the cheapo Dc adapter (lap top charger or other charger adapter power supply of any kind). Smaller ones are better - they can be hidden easier. So you get an adapter - 12v is very common - from the local goodwill store. I have a few grab bags - 3-4 in each for $2 I have bought. Pick one - a small one is usually 12vdc and say 500 ma. Your led is 3.3 vf - you string up 3 its a 10v - the 2 v that is left over - you put a 100 ohm resistor in series and you have automatically limited the current to 20 ma. Done. The calculator is here for other voltages etc. http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz So back to our example - 3 LED's putting out 30,000 mcd = 90,000 and you're running 20 ma ... your adapter is capable of running 25 strings of 3 each. 22 million mcd. Get a wafer board @ radioshack, solder in 3 X as many as you want leds the right way in series and you can use 1 big 100 ohm resistor to get all of em current limited properly. I have noticed these make excellent under cabinet lights if you install them in one of em little wood boxes with velcro, they make excellent lights in torchieres - cos those light up the ceiling so you never see the bulb, and other hidden fittings like inside lamp shades or behind something. They suck as overhead kitchen track lighting, and as bathroom lights. In short - If you can see the light bulb - they wont be the best choice. Now the 25 degree - obviously the torchieres dont care you can direct them into the room a bit. Anywhere where there is some flexibility to turn the fixture or turning the led's in the fixture will get the part you want well lit. I put an angled wedge in the under cabinet fixture. Its nicely directed to where you need, and you can move it too. It runs cold. They can be touched after having been on for hours. They are cold. Now LED's dont like being left on for over 16 hours at a time. You can turn em off - even 2-3 min, and they can be run again for another 16 hrs. I hate those CFL's and LED's have been proven to not give any $$$ to Al Bore. There is a imported component yes, the LED's, the wafer board too probably, but the adapters are an industrial waste tossed out by people getting bored of their phones or what not. Biggest component is that and labor. I'll post pics when I finish the yellow/white bendable hybrid array I am working on. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Ed L. on 05/12/13 at 07:34:35 Great idea, how about setting the LED's and perf board in a clear epoxy or acrylic block. with the low voltages and current needs have you tried to power a setup off a regular 9 volt battery?. The sky is the limit with your idea, run with it. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/12/13 at 11:26:15 I just ordered 100pcs... Srin... lots of pics please?... ...(I'm gonna' have to follow your plans closely,... I'm not good with watts and volts)... Quote:
Did not know this... :-?... Thanks for all the info... Keep talking... ;D... PS... get's the award for most interesting ever in the TT... :-?... |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Pine on 05/12/13 at 11:51:42 PICS!!!!!! and why is this in TT?? |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/12/13 at 16:21:08 OK next point transformer vs switching power supply adapters - A transformer based PS will make say 20-30% more under no load, but approach 1/2 the rated load and it will drop to its rated voltage. Try not to power it up unless you have 100 ma or so LED's ... Switching PS'es they put out rates voltage under no load, or full load. All new cell chargers are this type. These are super light that's how you can tell. Power em up with 1 string and you can get it lit and keep it on with every subsequent string. I'll post a pic ... but I blew 2 rows on the 5 row yellow + 5 white row hybrid ... so I am putting up the kitchen cabinet light in a bit. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/12/13 at 17:33:52 I agree with the politics mentioned( imports, etc). I am leaning this way in the kitchen. My under cabinet lites that illuminate the counter top have gone thru changes in the last 7 years. How DUMB was I? I actually bought those little hockey puck sized things with the halogen bulbs ( Uhh HEY! Says Right THERE theyre good for , IIRC, around 3,500 to 5,000 hours!) Yea? REally? Well,, not ONly do those 4 or 5 little lites heat the kitchen up, they also cost about $4.00 a POP & the "Pop" about every 50 hours, if that! So, Im now using tome skinny fl;uorescents, but one is literally "On the blink" & can be on or off at any time, depending on its mood & whether or not Im willing to give it the Fonzy Bump to make it lite up. So,, keep up this post, Im looking at making changes NOW! Thanks |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/12/13 at 20:33:30 Some little facts about led's as well as tips and ideas to those trying these crazy ideas of mine. LED's are semicondutors as such they are diodes, and effectively can be used in almost all locations where diodes are used. Like my Luxman L 430 had like 30-40 in the circuit board - all red, lit up like a christmas tree as the different stages were energized. They therefore have a resistance that drops as they heat up. They will draw more current, heat more, draw more, heat more etc etc etc till they blow. 16 hours is a good max time - most of em wont care till you get to 24 or 48 even ... but 16 just to be safe. They have a design forward current - say 20 ma. Feed em 20 and they would run 100,000 hrs. Feed em 15 - and they wont be much dimmer @ 15 than @ 20 and they last forever. Feed em 25 and they go poof in 5 sec. The same with forward voltage. Shoot for a lower value ... resistor yourself to about 75-80% and you will never have to worry about em. Under cabinet lights were my first attempt, and to be honest I did better in my first 2-3 than the later ones. You solder them sorta 3-4mm standing off the board, and solder them in crooked directions all of which I have eliminated now, and I solder them perfectly parallel and beautiful ... but .... well they beam, my latest 20 LED fixture - I can shine it across the street and you can read a book 30-40ft away. But you move 2ft and its dark. Haphazard soldering and letting them stand off the board lets you orient each one a little from the middle - like a porcupine and you get a nicer wider pool instead of 1 blinding spot light. The reason under cabinet lights off the shelf @ Lowes suck is cos they are attempting to convert AC into DC with that little dinky switching regulating IC ... it goes poof and your lights are dead. Worse yet, it can overload the led and kill it too, pretty fixture, and useless even as a paper weight. Anyway I got pics - working on hosting - but if someone wants em and is more fluent with posting em - I'll email. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/12/13 at 20:48:14 75546F7C1E300 wrote:
I like using wood with electronics. If water gets in, acrylic wont absorb it, wood will 9v battery I guess, but is there a reason why you were trying - it would be cordless - the batter is heavier than the whole fixture, you cant velcro it against gravity to the under side of your kitchen cabinet. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/12/13 at 21:02:49 6274637E66737E65110 wrote:
Thanks ... we aim to please. No we dont. ;D The thing is pretty easy. You have those same ones I got right ? OK Get a perf board $5 bucks @ radio shack. Your LED array depends on what you want to light up. A kitchen under cab light is ~20 in 1 panel. You can use the littlest adapter you can find. 20 use up a whopping 2 watts or so. If your adapter is 12v dc and assuming its a transformer type of about 500ma - Your calculation is 3 of the led's strung + to - Like [+ - to + - to + -] That would total 10 10v. You have 2v left over in the 12 - your max current is 30ma lets say. I'd put a 100 ohm 1 watt resistor. You're @ 20 ma. But wont make any difference, it lights up just as good. In your perf board mark the + side and the -ve side. Then find the + side in the adapters 2 wires - cut off the plug. Then solder the + to the + on the board. Then solder the resistor. Then put the LED's 3 @ a time, and if you want 7 rows. 1 resistor for the whole set, 21 LED's sit em a bit off the board and try it. Get the LED's on the board before you light it up. The load keeps the circuit from overloading. If you use a switching PS - light em up @ the first row. Those dinky side ways fitting BS cell chargers are all switching. They work great too. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/12/13 at 22:18:41 I have not tried this, and if that number is right (and I dont doubt it is from that seller) this is a 60-75 watt bulb. All by itself - 1 led = 75 watt bulb - its got a 140 degree spread, you can put it in a can fixture and not even know its an LED. This is all I know - 90 candela = 60+ watts incandescent. 140 spread = nearly all spread light from an incandescent bulb. I've ordered a few ... lets see if I can post or am seeing blotches for weeks after ... Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/12/13 at 22:44:45 I'm firstly, looking to subtlety light an entry alcove, (so I can find my frikkin' keyhole!)... I hope to tap in from a day/night sensored porch light, and send a little juice into the entry... (maybe just a 3 or 6 bulb array)... (I have a selection of dc wall warts, .. possibly a 9v?)... ...I was under the impression,... at least with other other non-led powered things, that too much ma. output didn't matter,... only not enough... This is different with led's?... Appreciate if you could advise based on a 9v power supply... .. or,.. maybe I should just use a 3.6v usb type wall wart?... I can buy them from China for just a couple of bucks... |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/12/13 at 23:11:26 I think this otta be in the Cafe to give everyone a shot at it. Lots of folks dont come in here. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/12/13 at 23:18:36 Srinath put it here... I'll kick a person to the TT... I won't kick them out... Anything goes here... ;)... Maybe he plans to post a refined version in the Cafe'... ...maybe not... Interesting, post... anyway... :)... |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/13/13 at 05:36:26 7D6B7C61796C617A0E0 wrote:
USD is 5v - and make sure it can put out atleast 1/2 amp. I'll put pics up in a few. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/13/13 at 05:52:19 How do I post from picasa web - it didn't work. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Paraquat on 05/13/13 at 09:21:54 I've got a cool project you might enjoy. I'll post it when I get home. --Steve |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/13/13 at 15:50:40 I got a bunch of pics guys - someone show me how to slap it onto here. Lets see - you can use it as a brake light ... does that perk up your interest ... Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/14/13 at 07:07:10 Come on someone post how to put up pics from picasaweb. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/14/13 at 09:40:04 How to post pics (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1347074669) should look like this... Code:
should show like this... http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt82/serowbot/rerun/oh-1.jpg |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/14/13 at 17:00:10 http://https://picasaweb.google.com/seshadrisrinath/LEDLights#5877442468857719986 http://https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9X_R3UmdkE0jgUvdN-d3WNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink I dont see it in preview. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/14/13 at 17:20:03 Here's a couple pics from Srin's gallery... http://https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ubawvcQcjJs/UZDeyYGwF0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/UPPM84Vhq_g/s512/P0011985.jpg] http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CZJPUKtghAE/UZDezilI28I/AAAAAAAAAFE/I43oXMq35iY/s720/P0011987.jpg http://https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AlY6bgvF7bU/UZDe0-DRdcI/AAAAAAAAAFY/qW_4w0caSJo/s720/P0011992.jpg |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/14/13 at 18:53:09 http://https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UAixh4Ps3bM/UZDeyRAPLLI/AAAAAAAAAEw/lxvZY606Lvk/s512/P0011984.jpg http://https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ubawvcQcjJs/UZDeyYGwF0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/UPPM84Vhq_g/s512/P0011985.jpg http://https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FEsfcV-a9K0/UZDeycsY-LI/AAAAAAAAAEs/KLBifUO6JoE/s640/P0011986.jpg http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CZJPUKtghAE/UZDezilI28I/AAAAAAAAAFE/I43oXMq35iY/s640/P0011987.jpg These were the 6,000 mcd yellow ones. Good for a night light. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/14/13 at 18:56:16 35,000 mcd white ones - kitchen under cabinet type. http://https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rrDhg5-Sh0o/UZDezxLuCCI/AAAAAAAAAFM/9aEMXR5W4HA/s640/P0011990.jpg http://https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CjuTj_z1PGI/UZDe07OE3RI/AAAAAAAAAFc/fCAoXyHbWe8/s512/P0011991.jpg http://https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-colcVGmvDG4/UZDe01rcO2I/AAAAAAAAAFg/INg6uXEcJCU/s640/P0011993.jpg http://https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JhcJRJZaTQs/UZDe1ePzDzI/AAAAAAAAAFs/VKxskL6n700/s512/P0011994.jpg http://https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Xyj8vPaLJ_4/UZDe1_jk1oI/AAAAAAAAAF4/dDyckkbzU2w/s512/P0011995.jpg http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0HQDZXHgknQ/UZDokImyL0I/AAAAAAAAAGY/yJ7HsXH8zKo/s640/P0011996.jpg Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/14/13 at 19:01:34 The light pool is relatively tight - due to my tight soldering - you leave a little leg for the led's and it works to direct it better. Soldering crooked works better too. Also that last pic shows soldering on the back side. I twisted the legs and soldered them. Dont do that. Its better if you just contact and solder them. They can be moved around easier or even removed by desoldering. Twisting the legs = cant be removed easy without cutting it open. I hope to show a haphazard job when the new ones I ordered come in. But that little box and the 20 LED fitting is ideal for a kitchen under cab. That yellow 45 led set = night light. Its very ambient. You wont blind anyone, but you wont bump into furniture either. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Paraquat on 05/15/13 at 09:23:20 http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv231/Paraquat_bucket/redleds_zps9e8302bf.jpg I made 6 of these using 1206 SMT LEDs glued to little wooden wafers. I had to make a voltage regulator to kick the voltage down from 12 to 6volts. http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=76720&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1283294009 This is from the first guy on the forum who attempted it. http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=76723&d=1191967508 HIS picture again, glued to a gauge cluster http://www.rcaz.com/images/eclipse/led_dash/-5.jpg http://www.rcaz.com/images/eclipse/led_dash/-1.jpg To make the needles light up. They make LED bulbs that are a direct replacement for the bulbs in the gauge cluster but this cat used LED strings to get it extra bright. --Steve |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/15/13 at 14:55:26 Aaa ... I hate the smd LED's, though I must admit, they look good once someone fits em in right. The cluster looks good man. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/16/13 at 10:11:05 smd? speak english, man,, not everyone knows the shorthand |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/16/13 at 11:20:48 27383E3924231222122A38347F4D0 wrote:
Its surface mount device. Its those things that look flat, laying down per say. In LED's they have a translucent look, not clear like a drop of water. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/16/13 at 12:02:19 Theres a lighting place that sells those SMD's in a strip. They put connectors on & hook the wires & charger up, ya stick em under the cabinet,, BUt, this idea looks like better lite & a lot less $$$ & I can surely solder. I have many soldering tools & I know how. The "porcupine" effect seems easy enough to accomplish, just solder 'em in carelessly.. & with long leads left standing, fine needle nose pliers can tweak them this way & that to get an even spread on the light. & I Stll thgink this otta either be in the Cafe or at least a thread in there telling people this is here. Lots of people avoid this area & this is not political,, YET! But you give me ONE , narrow little opening & Ill drag it there in a heartbeat! |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/16/13 at 15:31:20 The LED smd strip is not that bright. Its meant as accent light in your car. Its got a sticky back to it too. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/17/13 at 05:48:39 Those straw hat 140 degree 90,000 mcd lights if you put a 50 ohm 1/2 watt in series with 5 led's you can get it working as a brake light. In effect a bike will make up to 15 V dc @ the brake light. 5 led's say pulling 2.2v will be 11v. Your overage is 4 v. 50 ohm resistor will give you 80ma. Those LED's like 100ma max and 150ma pulse. Perfect. You can in effect put a 1/2 amp in line fuse if you're running say 3-4 rows on the running light and 3-4 in the brake line. The limiting factor is the size of the PCB that will fit in the brake light housing. You also need to point it upward a bit, the savage tail light is awful low to the ground. I may not do this, so dont wait for pics. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Paraquat on 05/17/13 at 06:17:14 There is a guy in Arizona named Dave who goes by the handle AZDave on a lot of forums. Big LED/controller guy. He made full breadboards and LED controllers for his car so he can program them. He did two separate circuits for brake lights vs tail lights. I believe it was 6 volts for the tails and then a full 12 for the brake lights. There's a lot of cool things that can be done. I'd like to convert some the bulbs in my house to LEDs. On cars like my Eclipse which have known charging issues the LEDs really help lighten the load. --Steve |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/17/13 at 14:03:19 1322312232362237430 wrote:
I wont do it on the savage - I may do it on the GS though. I dunno, I think you are likely to run ahead of me if only you were to get started on it. You seem to have a bigger need. I was playing with LED's cos I have vintage receivers that have blown bulbs that are not available anymore. My house lighting etc etc are out of having a hobby, not out of need. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/17/13 at 16:02:22 Srin, is that rectangular thing, the 100 ohm resistor?... It's huge,... I thought a itty bitty one would do... |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/17/13 at 19:05:56 5F495E435B4E43582C0 wrote:
If you're using 1 for the whole array - its massive. If you use 1 per line - that's what they recomend and supply with your order, then its small. The truth is, I tend to have things that go in amps and other electronic devices. I also pull them out of those same devices. Its your choice. Dont learn any bad habits from me, I learnt my electronics skills the DIY way. Hook it up, and if it dont blow up, its good. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Serowbot on 05/17/13 at 22:46:50 "If it don't blow up, it's good"... That's exactly how how I got this short a distance, in this long a life... ... but hey,... I'm still kickin'!... ;D... |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/18/13 at 16:25:32 Hey serow - and others too - I didn't mean to let my lack of means (or brains) limit your options. OK so I present courtesy google - Transistor regulated power - on the nose all the time. A 7812 is a 12V, 7805 is a 5 volt, etc etc, rock solid transistors, 100 years old design - literally 100 generations of refinements have got this working perfect. For tons and tons of reading to help put you to sleep - http://lateblt.tripod.com/3pinvolt.htm The salient item - The pinout for a three-pin voltage regulator is as follows: 1: Voltage in 2: Ground 3: Voltage out For example, with a 9-volt battery, you'd connect the positive end to pin 1 and the negative (or ground) end to pin 2. A 7805 would then give you +5 volts on pin 3. Look up diagrams etc if you want to actually learn, instead of letting my hack methods guide you wrong - easy. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/20/13 at 17:14:46 The LED's are here, the LED's are here ... OK today we had to work late and commute by truck and buy a buch of injun groceries and fill gas and all manner of un sightly crap cos I had the truck and the car was in the shop. Tomorrow we commute by bike ... get home early and solder us 30,000,000,000 candela and see if we cant light the moon up ... wooooo hooo ... And for the first time I saved the post I wanted to be on top for last ... Bye kids, beer is calling, wife is nagging, kiddo is mathing (and he's finally realised I am smarter than his teachers in math) and some sorta monster injun food on the table ... au revoir, Bon nuit, mes amies. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Paraquat on 05/21/13 at 06:09:51 http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv231/Paraquat_bucket/forturbosax_zps3716a4e6.png You should've asked. Here's a voltage regulator circuit I stumbled upon and drew up in MS paint. My LEDs required 8 volts. Anything above 10 cooked them and anything below 5 and they wouldn't light up so I had to do something. RS PN = Radio Shack Part Number --Steve |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/21/13 at 15:55:38 Well those straw hat 95,000 mcd buggers - are a bit of a let down. Atleast for now. @ 50 for some $22 they are positively steep. Anyway they sent me those with 5.1 ohm 1/4 watt resistors @ my request. The problem was 1/4 watt wasn't enough to keep it from turning red hot and going poof. 2 watt IMHO minimum. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/24/13 at 08:47:00 I have a 5 LED series with 2 5.1 ohm 1/4 watt resistors. I guess its drawing ~75 ma. It works fine, however I am still not impressed. Those little buggers 100 for $3 and 35,000 mcd is a killer steal. These for $22 for 50 is a loser IMHO. Watch this space - pics tonight. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by Paraquat on 05/24/13 at 09:12:01 You have me pondering how I could use my existing dimmer to control the lights in my kitchen. I don't think I can. If I had a 110VAC to 12VDC wall wart or something in or above the fixture the dimmer would only control the AC. I'd have to run a new dimmer. However for lights in my individual rooms they could be useful. --Steve |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/24/13 at 10:50:31 Dimmers work by doing a garbage version of a 1/2 wave rectification. It may work, but you're better off just going straight to AC IMHO. LED's dont mind dirty power, power with a ton of ripple or even straight ac. However you need to exceed their trigger voltage to light, and not exceed their max current to stay alive. Those numbers get hard to calculate if you have a bad poiwer source, except by trial and error. $$$ and dangerous. Cool. Srinath. |
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Title: Re: Who's into LED's, cheap DIY LED design+build. Post by srinath on 05/30/13 at 19:33:20 Next installment - OK I skipped one installment but this continues the series. http://https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yZDjeTvcx2Q/UagJZFAzg2I/AAAAAAAAAG0/QWrzk-cA8rw/s640/P0012022.jpg http://https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-03swCgrUpCE/UagJbp82MDI/AAAAAAAAAG8/PtDBNIMtUZU/s640/P0012021.jpg With an LED lit push switch. I used this one - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320894926263&ssPageName=ADME:X:eRTM:US:1123 There is a trick to wiring it though especially if you want the led to light, and those guys are clueless. You need a 400-2.2K resistor wired from the hot side of the switch - the side with the connection to the adapter to the led + leg. The other wire to the led panel needs to get contacted to the - leg. That is if you are switching in the positive line to your panel. The LED terminals are + and -. The switched terminals are not marked, obviously they can be tested for continuity. LED ones can not. The switch led lights up all the time. Obviously in the dark you want to find it, then when 20 of them lights are blinding you, you still want to find it so you can turn it off. Cool. Srinath. |
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