Cheapest easiest DIY MAINS FLICKER LED candle/bulb?

[pretzelz]

no, it was a complete stab in the dark.

I'm guessing the LEDS are very similar for power consumption. Maybe 0.1W each led? (they aren't very bright). So the power source should power 0.1Wx100 bulbs and I was running 0.1Wx51 bulbs. The last bulb being the tealight.

[/img]

Untitled

• pretzelz
• 22 Jun 2012
• 1

Untitled

• pretzelz
• 22 Jun 2012
• 1

 

[big-all]

there are several types
i have at least 5 types
these give out around 80w with 12v
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10W-White...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item416201e4ac

these are 3v
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-WARM-...=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4d020673c4

i buy loads off these and wire them in series for tool batteries 6 in series for an 18v battery gives you around 480 lumins thats about 45w but actually a bit brighter
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Pcs-1W...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item45fa191688

 

[pretzelz]

my tealight LED and the LEDs on the solar powered lights must each be 1W or less.

I believe it is this LED:

http://runguang.en.alibaba.com/product/525970977-209482664/selling_led_e10_24v_0_1w.html

but without the screw base.

Is it possible that overloading this with power would stop it flickering?

 

[bernardgreen]

Is it possible that overloading this with power would stop it flickering?

You cannot overload an item with power, but you can overvolt the item which may then result in the item taking too much power and being damaged.

You may have destroyed the chip in the tea lights by an over voltage and the drive to the LED has gone short circuit. What happens if you re-fit the battery ?

You will need to regulate the voltage from whatever source you choose to be the same as the battery voltage when the LED is on. Some low cost items will only work with the type of battery supplied as they rely on the battery voltage dropping as current is taken from the battery, ( batteries have internal resistance which creates a voltage drop inside the battery when current is drawn from the battery )

 

[JohnD]

did you measure the supply voltage?

go and buy yourself a digital multimeter in the high street. You might get one for £10 (though I would be very cautious touching it at mains voltage as the probes and leads may be poor)

 

[pretzelz]

I can tell you that when I took away the solar power current and replaced the battery, it flickered as normal.

I will open up the solar panel and see what battery is in there for its output.

Would love to crack this and get alot of these £1 tealights hooked up to the auto-solar panel!

 

[JohnD]

I will open up the solar panel and see what battery is in there for its output.

Use a meter FFS

 

[ban-all-sheds]

pretzelz - when you've been opening things up, have you been using a hammer, or the point of a vegetable knife?

Or have you been using screwdrivers because they are the right tool?

If you want to do electrical work then a multimeter is as essential as screwdrivers.


This looks ideal for a household starter set - multimeter, voltage indicator and dedicated continuity tester, all in a handy case: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/115/Junior-Set/

PDF brochure: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/downloadfile/115/beschreibung_1/

All in German, unfortunately, as is the blurb on each product:

Multimeter: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproductdata/487/Hexagon_55/

Voltage indicator: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/116/2000_α_(alpha)/

Continuity tester: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/481/TESTFIX/

but it is sold in the UK - the company is now owned by Fluke, and I guess they haven't got all the websites sorted out yet - contact them (http://www.fluke.co.uk) for info on where to buy.

Right now the English specs are still lurking on the Internet Time Machine from when Beha was an independent company:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060920022629/http://www.beha.com/files_uk/multimeter/93549.pdf


Also see another discussion here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=26282 It's a few years old, so specific model number advice may be obsolete (and prices will be higher), but the generic advice is still sound.

 

[JohnD]

for this little job, you could use a http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/P~138087~Draper-Digital-Multimeter-with-Light or even cheaper, but this has the weedy leads and probes I mentioned earlier. Would be perfectly safe for car repairs though.

You can get something similar on the DIY shelves at Tesco or your DIY shop.

 

[pretzelz]

I see what you are saying, but the reason I'm hesitant to buy a multimeter is that I don't intend on doing any other electrical jobs like this in the future, and I don't like accumulating things which I then have to store with a mountain of other DIY tools that I'll rarely ever use again.

In my mission to power these £1 tealights I was hoping it would be cheap and simple. When I find out how many volts are reaching the tealight with its battery, vs with the solar panel (using 95 leds already) will that answer my question of why it doesn't flicker without the battery? Could it be something more complex than, since it has too many volts, this is overloading the flicker circuit (or making it flicker so fast it appears on permanently).

Thank you for all your suggestions and multimeter links.

 

[pretzelz]

Alternatively, how about this situation:

3W E14 LED flickering bulb:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/453439550/flickeringly_candle_bulbs.html


and some E14 holders hooked together in series:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/ses-e14-lam...aign=N24BW&utm_content=Small+Bulb+Lampholders


...would it be more straight forward to mains power this? (or even again use my solar power source)

Many thanks!

 

[big-all]

Alternatively, how about this situation:

3W E14 LED flickering bulb:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/453439550/flickeringly_candle_bulbs.html


and some E14 holders hooked together in series:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/ses-e14-lam...aign=N24BW&utm_content=Small+Bulb+Lampholders


...would it be more straight forward to mains power this? (or even again use my solar power source)

Many thanks!

dont even think about it 12v bulb holders are for 12v besides the thread is much smaller

the flicker may not work as american is 60hz and we are 50hz

 

[pretzelz]

I thought since they were both E14 they would be compatible.

 

[big-all]

the clue is in the exposed contacts you dont get that on mains

 

[Astra99]

I am quite surprised at Pretzelz's reply regarding the multimeter
<quote> I see what you are saying, but the reason I'm hesitant to buy a multimeter is that I don't intend on doing any other electrical jobs like this in the future, and I don't like accumulating things which I then have to store with a mountain of other DIY tools that I'll rarely ever use again.<end quote>
Surely if you want to do the job, and to do it correctly requires a tool, you will go out and buy it. Rather than buy a paint brush, would you use an old bit of rag? A suitable multimeter would be one you could buy in a "pound shop" for under a fiver. This one would also be suitable for checking continuity on cables and flexes, but I would be reluctant to use on mains voltages, as other posters have indicated.

If I do a job, if it needs a special tool, I will hire or buy it. I have a router (no, not a broadband "rooter"!) which I have used only once, and several hand-tools which were bought for a specific job. Why struggle trying to bodge something (or end up messing it up completely) when for a few quid you can make your life so much easier?