Sorry for the major intensity stepping. My phone was doing some severe light level adjustment due to the reflection of the overhead lighting.
This is a fairly common cheapo LED PSU on ebay that is designed for running long strings of standard 5mm LEDs for applications like signs.
They use a pretty common capacitive voltage dropper, so their output is directly referenced to the mains voltage and should be treated as being live.

6 thoughts on “Cheap series led psu from ebay.”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Teodor Foca says:

    hi bigClive, sorry to comment here. I wonder if you can make a video about "Digital Caliper". I google about how it works and they say "it use a capacitive sensor to register the measurement" – alright, Now… what i want from you is to demonstrate if we (the cheap generation) can build one with normal components, inventivity and passion. Instead of a display, just use LEDS !!! like a scale of 10, 1led per 1cm. The idea is to prove that the capacitance reading can be built – it's all that i'm interested in myself. Thank you – you are the Greatest! (i hope you will read my post here and reply soon)

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ChompChompNomNom says:

    When you say "reference to mains", do you mean that there is a direct connection to the mains because there's no isolating transformer. Or does reference to mains means something else?

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Max Spiteri says:

    Thanks Clive, works beautifully, much better than with the flicker I got with a 240 – 120v stepdown transformer.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Max Spiteri says:

    I've modified one of these with a 100n 630v cap and a 4.7uf 400v electrolytic and get a voltage of 305v (I'm on 240v) so that I can run a string of US bought 120v 50 LED christmas lights. Would this work or would I need to drop the voltage down further to be close to 120v?

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Martyn Davies says:

    Thanks, I'd wondered what was inside those things.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars zapro_dk says:

    I find it shocking that the unit bears all the markings they could find room for on the label. As far as i can see, it even bears the mark of double insulation – i don't hope anyone gets fooled by this, and gets shocked by it :/

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