I love these Calex LED cluster lamps. I was intrigued at how they managed to fan out several layers of LEDs inside a glass globe and I also wanted to check out the electronics in the base. So I rather recklessly bought another one just to take to bits (15 quid!).
Once I'd managed to open it by gently pressing round the Edison Screw base with a vice to break the adhesive I pulled out the LED assembly and then tried to reinstall it to see how hard it was to do. This involves inserting the core of LEDs through a small hole at the base and then fanning them out inside like a ship in a bottle. It's very tricky working through such a small access area and I don't think it's done by machine. My guess is that it's done manually with a couple of tools designed to support the internal PCBs while bending the LEDs down into position.
My simple tool (a bit of stiff copper wire with a very short right angle at the end) worked best actually hooking into the ends of the LEDs themselves due to their inverted cone lenses. I also latterly discovered that it was easiest to push in one layer at a time, then bend them down at right angles and pull the whole circle of LEDs down against the curved base of the lamp so that it bent them all back up slightly, setting them all at a perfect angle in the process.
The electronics in the resin potted (Grrr!) base consist of a round PCB with the first layer of LEDs on it and another PCB at a right angle that has a very standard capacitive current limiting circuit on it. It uses a 100 ohm inrush limiting capacitor followed by the main current limiting capacitor which is probably rated at around 220nF or 330nF at 400V and has a surface mount 1 megohm discharge resistor across it. This is followed by a surface mount bridge rectifier and a 4.7uF 400V smoothing capacitor, then a 220 ohm resistor (not 220 nano Farad like I accidentally said while recording) to limit the current from the capacitor through the LEDs and reduce visual ripple. Then just a huge series string of LEDs. The LEDs are all connected in series on a stack of small round PCBs joined by two wires and with a slim support rod up the middle.
Very nice lamps and well worth the money given that they look quite labour intensive to make. More a work of art than just a lamp.
Once I'd managed to open it by gently pressing round the Edison Screw base with a vice to break the adhesive I pulled out the LED assembly and then tried to reinstall it to see how hard it was to do. This involves inserting the core of LEDs through a small hole at the base and then fanning them out inside like a ship in a bottle. It's very tricky working through such a small access area and I don't think it's done by machine. My guess is that it's done manually with a couple of tools designed to support the internal PCBs while bending the LEDs down into position.
My simple tool (a bit of stiff copper wire with a very short right angle at the end) worked best actually hooking into the ends of the LEDs themselves due to their inverted cone lenses. I also latterly discovered that it was easiest to push in one layer at a time, then bend them down at right angles and pull the whole circle of LEDs down against the curved base of the lamp so that it bent them all back up slightly, setting them all at a perfect angle in the process.
The electronics in the resin potted (Grrr!) base consist of a round PCB with the first layer of LEDs on it and another PCB at a right angle that has a very standard capacitive current limiting circuit on it. It uses a 100 ohm inrush limiting capacitor followed by the main current limiting capacitor which is probably rated at around 220nF or 330nF at 400V and has a surface mount 1 megohm discharge resistor across it. This is followed by a surface mount bridge rectifier and a 4.7uF 400V smoothing capacitor, then a 220 ohm resistor (not 220 nano Farad like I accidentally said while recording) to limit the current from the capacitor through the LEDs and reduce visual ripple. Then just a huge series string of LEDs. The LEDs are all connected in series on a stack of small round PCBs joined by two wires and with a slim support rod up the middle.
Very nice lamps and well worth the money given that they look quite labour intensive to make. More a work of art than just a lamp.
I've seen it done. They had a fishing line looped around each set. They were put in straight then the line is pulled. Done.
I wonder if they supply any 120V models of these Calex bulbs to the United States? I'd love to get some of these! Would they light up at all on 120V here in the US?
II can't help but wonder if they "branches" might have been snug around the "tree trunk" stalk, inserted into the glass envelope, then spun at high speed to "flatten" the branches out before the glass globe was sealed up?
Just a thought …
Thanks for sharing this
Love these lamps! £20 for the big one but looks amazing! Just need to save the pennys to get one! 😀
Rated power is 1.4W
I'd say the output is around the equivalent of a 15W tungsten lamp.