This was originally intended as a way to convert a used plastic cola bottle into a decorative night light. I designed a long thin PCB with a very simple resistive current limiter and discrete rectifier to power two parallel rows of LEDs that would be folded alternately up and down to give all-round illumination.
Trying to maintain good electrical separation while still using conventional straw hat style through-hole LEDs ended up making the module just a little too big to fit through the neck of a standard drinks bottle, but there are many other bottles with slightly wider caps that it does fit through.
The circuit is designed to run at 220 to 240V but a 120V version could be made that used a smaller number of LEDs or two parallel circuits. The resistive dropper is designed to limit the current to just a few milliamps for efficiency, so the total power consumption of the light is around half a watt.
The light is designed more for decoration and night lighting, so it's not super-bright. It easily provides a warm glow in a room at night though. The LEDs are run at very low current, so they should last a very long time.
If run continuously 24/7 the light will only use about 5 units of electricity a year at a cost of less than one pound/dollar.
The circuit board operates directly at mains voltage so it would need to be enclosed in a plastic bottle with a secured lid.
Thermal dissipation from the components is negligible.
Trying to maintain good electrical separation while still using conventional straw hat style through-hole LEDs ended up making the module just a little too big to fit through the neck of a standard drinks bottle, but there are many other bottles with slightly wider caps that it does fit through.
The circuit is designed to run at 220 to 240V but a 120V version could be made that used a smaller number of LEDs or two parallel circuits. The resistive dropper is designed to limit the current to just a few milliamps for efficiency, so the total power consumption of the light is around half a watt.
The light is designed more for decoration and night lighting, so it's not super-bright. It easily provides a warm glow in a room at night though. The LEDs are run at very low current, so they should last a very long time.
If run continuously 24/7 the light will only use about 5 units of electricity a year at a cost of less than one pound/dollar.
The circuit board operates directly at mains voltage so it would need to be enclosed in a plastic bottle with a secured lid.
Thermal dissipation from the components is negligible.
This must be an early video.
It would look good inside a laboratory flask.
What is initially puzzling is using diodes (bridge rectifier) to feed diodes (LEDs). I'd love to see a bridge rectifier composed of LEDs. If diodes are going to drop voltage, why not produce light rather than heat? (Yes, I know that LEDs in a bridge rectifier arrangement only conduct less than half the time.)
I want to see that light in action! 🙂
Have you thought of using a plastic milk carton with a screw cap? The hole is much wider than a drinks bottle and milk cartons are diffused so shoud give a really nice light with leds.
Not that it makes a lot of difference to the figures, but after you've full rectified it, won't it be 336V peak or 153V average? This would give ~4mA peak current, or avg 1mA.
Clive, or anyone else in Scotland/England/Ireland, who do you use for making a small number of prototype PCBs at a reasonable cost? Thanks.
Great video as always.
Nice little PCB you've done there Clive :).
What kind of LEDs did you use? (i.e. model number/supplier?)
You going to sell any PCBs? 😀