Crushing and hacking LED lamps

Really good video (they all are) am planning to modify all my LED strip lights to run lower and longer and more efficiently, thanks Clive, keep up the great work.

Got a couple of Poundland ( dollar store ) 240v 6w 470lm, measured them both at 6.2 watts, after removing the 51 ohm resistor, reading 2.6 watts!!

Mike Hughes

I have spent the morning systematically hacking all my LED bulbs where needed and reducing most of them to between 2.1 watts and 3.5watts- by removing the lower value resistors in each bulb as per the Video. Feeling extremely please that I will not have to buy another bulb for the next few years at least(hopefully!!) Thanks for the brilliant hack.

Mike Hughes

Observations on Dollar Tree (USA) generic 120V bulbs. Both say 22.8 year life at 3 hrs/day. We shall see. Bulb #1 - 60W equiv "FL-LB-001" ... Box says 800 Lumens 3000K 9.0W - bulb says 145mA ... ICNE2521DE 8-SOIC current driver, MB6F bridge rectifier, 8 LED blobs in series, Rref 2x 18ohm resistors in parallel, 10uF/200V NTDNDZ alum elec cap 130C, 330Kohm cap drain ... 0.118A, 9.2W, 123.1V PF 0.61 ... after clipping out one 18ohm resistor: 0.081A, 5.7W, 123.6V, PF 0.49 Bulb #2 - 40W equiv "Model 69021" ... Box says 450 Lumens 2800K 5.5W - bulb says 75mA ... JW19813 SOT89 current driver, MB10F bridge rectifier, 8 LED blobs in series, Rref 1x 18ohm resistor in parallel with unpopulated pads, Yunxing 6.8uF/200V alum elec cap 130C, 560Kohm cap drain ... 0.068A, 5.6W, 123.8V PF 0.59

Rob Clark

I'm going to look for transparent colours in PLA to try subtractive colour filters.

Big Clive

You could add a potentiometer, but it would need to be in a resistor network to cover open/short scenarios, and also mounted very close the to chip.

Big Clive

I did that in clear PLA. Like a giant quartz crystal.

Big Clive

Clive: "When it's refusing to focus, you give it something nice to focus on." AvE: "Focus you FAAAACK!"

Circuitmike

you could 3D print a new lamp diffusor with clear petg and have a lamp that's looking even better and unique :)

The popping off the covers would also be useful to improve the efficiency of outdoor lights where the bulbs are installed base side up. Even without hacking the power rating, it should improve the LED's life also as the heat has just one enclosure to pass through.

Seán Byrne

Whoever would’ve thought lightbulbs make good stress balls.

Phil in the kitchen

By the way, Asda are no longer owned by Walmart. The sale was completed a few weeks ago.

Mark Gray

Technically a smoothing capacitor acts like a resistor. It has an equivalent resistance. On BC and 240V he likes 220 nF caps

Cerity

Around 15:30 you say that there's no capacitor, but what about the capacitor hanging off the back? I know I'm dumb, but help me understand :-) Is it because that capacitor is for smoothing, and not for regulating power?

Rasmus

Would it be possible to remotely control the value of the power-setting resistance in order to make a dimmable lamp?

Ymir the Frost Giant

Are the components recessed relative to the outer ring where the globe was glued on? If so, how about inserting a flat disk of diffracting plastic? Or would it melt?

Ymir the Frost Giant

Repurposed PET balls, would they work a diffusers❓ their thermal decomposition temperature may not work with an active bulb

Cerity

80085 happens to be my zipcode BC how did you know

Cerity

Fake in what facet❓ it’s obviously real in that a person is raising other people’s money to ‘try’ and bring a product to market. Best example of business snake oil. Just look at oculus 🙈

Cerity

Nice video. Interesting that the manufacturers are basically doing convergent evolution of the designs. I wonder if this would make a nice decorative affect? One of the warm white LEDs Clive is so fond of, but using one of the faceted translucent covers from a PIR as a diffuser over the LED...

Charles

I was going to post a link but to long. My two cents, baby balls! Amazon has bags of 50 primary color ball crawl balls. $8.99 for 50 5cm soft plastic balls. I'm sure they would crush, maybe you can heat and mold them crudely into ornaments.

Jim

Best thumbnail ever, lol

David K

I was about to suggest 3d printing new covers, but looks like you beat me to the idea! Would different colours of plastic result in the room being lit up that colour? Time for blue alert, even if that does mean changing the bulb!

That calculator in the thumbnail might get you demonetized ;)

MrTridac

I just came across this, I remember you mentioning UVC LEDs in the past so I was wondering if you think it's real or fake https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auronbottle/auron-pure-water

Jonathan Brown

Probably big crystals again.

Big Clive

I do have a roll of pink filament.

Big Clive

Got any pink filament? "Lurid Pink Lamps" could be a good video...

Scott Miller

I've been using the domes over for LED lamps. Three or more slow color changing morphing create a very nice glowing. Try it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbOOCvgAa3w

Michael Thompson

You aren't going to 3D print your own covers based on your logo?

Mark Trombley

Ooh! Nice!

Michael Thompson