These disco style LED lamps seem to have come a long way since the first 3W ones that had a red, green and blue LED. This one has six LEDs red, orange, green, blue, pink and white. They are run from a small switchmode PSU based on discrete transistors at a voltage of 18V at 150mA which means that the 1W LEDs are only being driven at half a watt which is ample for this application and will result in cool running and a longer life.
The listing I bought this lamp from was:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151947698357
You can find similar lamps by using this general ebay search link:-
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XE27+3W+Colorful+Auto+Rotating+RGB+LED+Bulb+Stage+Light+Party+Lamp+Disco+Club+ba.TRS5&_nkw=E27+3W+Colorful+Auto+Rotating+RGB+LED+Bulb+Stage+Light+Party+Lamp+Disco+Club+bar&_sacat=0
Note that most still seem to have just three LEDs, but the particular shape version shown in this video may have the 6 LEDs, although the listings seem to show just three colours.
If you enjoy this channel you can help support it with a dollar for coffee, cookies and lurid disko lights at https://www.patreon.com/bigclive
The listing I bought this lamp from was:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151947698357
You can find similar lamps by using this general ebay search link:-
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XE27+3W+Colorful+Auto+Rotating+RGB+LED+Bulb+Stage+Light+Party+Lamp+Disco+Club+ba.TRS5&_nkw=E27+3W+Colorful+Auto+Rotating+RGB+LED+Bulb+Stage+Light+Party+Lamp+Disco+Club+bar&_sacat=0
Note that most still seem to have just three LEDs, but the particular shape version shown in this video may have the 6 LEDs, although the listings seem to show just three colours.
If you enjoy this channel you can help support it with a dollar for coffee, cookies and lurid disko lights at https://www.patreon.com/bigclive
Put a switch on it, or a resistor in series with the motor.
i have tried 3 of these which all failed as soon as they were handled after installation example dusting . hand turning the lens seemed main culprit. lol.
I love these disco lamps
Thanks, Clive. Does anyone have a link to show me, the noob, the places to solder the right components to slow the motor, AND any video replacing all colored LEDs with a single color? 😍 Also, check the newer super tiny USB Disco Light.
Slower (IMO) is definitely better. The motor noise is very annoying. Would it cost so much to as to make such a mod impractical? Ultimate though, the LEDs need to be dimmable, and the motor needs a speed control. I assume both cpuld be accomplished via the insertion of some kind of adjustable PWM circutry. Since brightness and speed control need to be fully independent from each other, I assume this would require the PWM circuitry to be constructed from two separate sets of controlling components. I know this would raise the cost of the lamp but I would consider both dimming and motor speed as user-selectable parameters to be the minimum acceptable features before I would purchase one. Oh, and theotor noise MUST GO as well. Thoughts?
Question: What makes an LED dimmable or not dimmable? I've played around with several premade PWM dimmers and I'm aware you can build your own dimmer using a 555 (or equivalent) chip – they always work regardless of the LED (or set of LEDs) I am dimming (so long as I adhere to the limits indicated in the data sheets for dimmrr and LED), so I suspect "dimmable" is not a feature/property of the LED itself.
Thanks for this video. I really enjoy watching you create these hacks and teardowns. I also enjoy the process you use to think your way through a problem or when you run onto something unexpected.
I see a =3
Initially it was way too fast even a bit trippy! I was half expecting Clive to have a giant heart painted on his face 😂
Hi Clive. I bought a couple of these, inspired by your video, and put some potentiometers in series with the positive on the motor. It works s treat. I'm now wondering if it will be possible to reverse the rotation on the motor by reversing the polarity on the connection? I place the lights stage left and right and think it might work better if I can get the, to rotate in contrary motion. I'm probably going to try it anyway but would love your advice or input before I incompetently burn something out or blow myself up!
I see the slower movement as much better wondering if a resistor between the motor lead and the led would bring it down where it could be slowed like that it's much more interesting and pretty moving that way
The diffused LEDs look better than the pinpoint effect you get with the other ones. I managed to remedy this on mine by applying a blob of hot glue to the offending LEDs. They don't seem to get hot enough for this to be a problem in use.
I wonder what the picture would look like if you hold that lens in from of a camera.
Do you need an adapter to use or can you just use a light socket?
There's a good-eye-dear! 🙂
Could be slower still I reckon. I dislike fidgety lights zipping all over. Slow is better.
The effect is awesome, as far as the little motor noise. You probably could get another model that doesn't produce much noise like that, but then again if they had these things in some party of something because of all the other noise there no one would hear the motor noise probably.
I remember when I got one of these for my birthday and if you would spin the motor when off the leds would light up and if you held the base of the lamp when you did this it would give you enough of a tingle in your hand you would drop it because of it