Originally I tried using two of these lights vertically to give a good overall illumination, but the result was absolutely blindingly bright and the cameras swamped out a bit.
Then I went for a single horizontal one and it was still too bright.
Here's how I tamed it down with the added bonus of extending the life of the LEDs and driver greatly.
The original resistors were 3.6 ohm and 1.6 ohm in parallel giving a total parallel resistance of 1.11 ohm. So the removal of the 1.6 ohm resistor effectively tripled the resistor value (just the 3.6 ohm resistor) and reduced the power to about a third, which seems fine. The circuitry senses the voltage across the resistor/s to sense the current, so the higher the resistance the lower the current required to reach the sense voltage threshold.
Here's a link to the live stream channel. Best enjoyed with a drink and snack.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIzWmVzGPm2zhNT2XZ-Rkw
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
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Then I went for a single horizontal one and it was still too bright.
Here's how I tamed it down with the added bonus of extending the life of the LEDs and driver greatly.
The original resistors were 3.6 ohm and 1.6 ohm in parallel giving a total parallel resistance of 1.11 ohm. So the removal of the 1.6 ohm resistor effectively tripled the resistor value (just the 3.6 ohm resistor) and reduced the power to about a third, which seems fine. The circuitry senses the voltage across the resistor/s to sense the current, so the higher the resistance the lower the current required to reach the sense voltage threshold.
Here's a link to the live stream channel. Best enjoyed with a drink and snack.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIzWmVzGPm2zhNT2XZ-Rkw
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.
I've been watching your videos ever since I started getting back into hobby electronics a couple of year ago, and I just revisited this one – I bought a new 18w LED ceiling light for our (very small) bathroom and SWMBO declared it far too bright. Rewatching this gave me the knowledge and confidence to find the 1R6 sense resistor (there was only one), desolder it and replace with a 3R3 SMD resistor. Worked a treat. (Although I may have to take it down again and replace with a 5R1)
Thanks for educating, and….. isn't about time you electrocuted some new food, or carbonated some more booze? 😀
The sense resistors look very low wattage?
Would it be much easier for people like us (not manufacturers) to put a pre-set pot on the PCB in series with a limiting resistor and adjust the resistance to get the wattage one desires?
Regards,
K.
I tend to just snip off one of the sense resistors with a flush cutter for a nice half power light, no soldering iron needed
I am wanting to make a spotlight for long range on my farm (i have had some dramas and want the light to deter people when i shine it aroun)
I am just wondering the best led to make my own handheld spotlight
I am finding many led lamps put up that are so bright that when I look away I see it in my vision. It couldn't be good for the eyes when they make them too bright without any dimmer control.
Put a potmeter in so you can regulate it from the outside 😉
You should probably add a potentiometer for ultimate light control haha
"Uhhh – its dead" – love it every time you do that Clive.
You'd think there would have been at least one 'Knocked one off' innuendo.
Very dissapointed. LOL
I'm surprised you didn't whip out the big, pink calculator for this one.
Good modification by removing the lower resistor @bigclivedotcom
Great video Clive @Bigclivedotcom