This is the latest incarnation of a project to convert a common eBay "10W airship" disco light into something much more subtle and ambient than the original pulsing and flashing monstrosity.
This latest version has the most sensible approach to operating across a wide voltage range by using two sections of 32 LEDs, each with their own capacitive dropper. This also makes the circuitry very simple and the power consumption is low at around 5W.
Since the circuit is now tested I'll probably put the gerber files on my website as a zip file to let you get them made by PCB companies. Note that this project is designed specifically for the "airship" case and is only suitable for those used to working with mains voltage circuitry.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
This latest version has the most sensible approach to operating across a wide voltage range by using two sections of 32 LEDs, each with their own capacitive dropper. This also makes the circuitry very simple and the power consumption is low at around 5W.
Since the circuit is now tested I'll probably put the gerber files on my website as a zip file to let you get them made by PCB companies. Note that this project is designed specifically for the "airship" case and is only suitable for those used to working with mains voltage circuitry.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
Positively shart-tastic!
If you wanted to be evil you could use 3 330k resistors instead of 2 470k for the discharge resistors
That effect makes me think you are looking into infinity, A very impressive effect.
Hi there Clive what is the wattage of a laser in a DVD recorder ?
In the past I've seen Clive having to replace "used up" capacitors in the 'capacitive dropper' circuits of low cost line operated devices. The problem seems to be common in other countries but here in the US I haven't seen any problems with the capacitors. I think that the 120VAC is so much less than the 275VAC maximum rating of the capacitors that the overvoltages almost never exceed the capacitors' maximum and there are seldom if ever any damage done to the capacitors. In the case where the AC line voltage is nearly 275VAC, like in the UK, there are times when the capacitors maximum is exceeded and the capacitor experiences a punch through of the insulation. But this causes the capacitor to isolate the damage and the capacitance drops by a small amount. Eventually the capacitor loses so much of its capacitance that it can no longer pass enough current to do its job.
I guess the best solution is to put two capacitors in series, each with twice the value. The overvoltages will be half the total on each capacitor and hopefully the insulation will not be damaged, and no loss of capacitance will occur.
MOTH MODE INTENSIFIES.
That's better than a 1w laserworld RGB laser
Clive, I found that some white LEDs will put out 2 Volts or so in sunlight or being lit by an UV or white LED. (not much current though) That got me wondering about a Light Transformer, where a number of parallel wired LEDs shine into group of series wired LEDs to give a higher voltage to bias a FET circuit. (not much current needed)
why is it called "shart"?
it looks so good through the fog!
In the past what I have done is this.
I got a 100 pack of clear RGB leds with resistors for 5 and 12 volts and found the colors didn't mix at all so i took some sandpaper and lightly sanded the whole lens and the colors blended properly and the leds were still very bright.