LED moonlighting from autolumination
- Thread starter afgoody
- Start date
afgoody
New member
If you get the Radio Shack adapter, you'll cut off the thing at the end (you'll see what I mean when you get it). Then, you'll split the wires from each other (they come bonded together like most power cords). You want to connect the adapter wire that has writing on it with the 2 or 3 red wires from the lights...all together. Then you'll want to do the same with the other power wire and the black wires from the lights. Then plug it in and see if they light up! If they don't, one of two things is most likely the problem.
1) One of the wires is not making contact
2) You have the power wires reversed (just switch the power wires to the other colored light wires)
Clear as mud?
-Adam
1) One of the wires is not making contact
2) You have the power wires reversed (just switch the power wires to the other colored light wires)
Clear as mud?
-Adam
Saint Taris
New member
Tagging along.
nyfireman3097
In Memoriam
im doin the same but with the resisters from radio shack
Nick
Nick
heedicus
New member
afgoody,
no sarcasm at all, I was really serious, I have waded through all those resistor threads trying to find an easier way to do it. I really just ordered those led's and cant wait to get them goin!
really the gold star is a good thing! (its the brown star you dont want to get)
thanks,
tren
no sarcasm at all, I was really serious, I have waded through all those resistor threads trying to find an easier way to do it. I really just ordered those led's and cant wait to get them goin!
really the gold star is a good thing! (its the brown star you dont want to get)
thanks,
tren
cparka23
New member
New_Noob,
You'll probably want to use the 12V power adapter. If wired in parallel, the voltage is constant across each LED. That is, 12V for each LED. The variable then is the amperage. Normally, you'll want to match the amperage of the LEDs to what's printed on the power source. Since we're talking about LEDs here, it doesn't make that much of a difference if they're overpowered a bit. They'll still last for many years unless a resistor burns out (which I have heard of happening with LEDs from autolumination).
The reason why some power supplies are more expensive than others is that some are regulated and others are not. That means, if you put a small LED by itself on a power supply, the voltage will still be 12V when the amperage isn't what the pack is supposed to put out (i.e. 300mA on a 300mA power supply). If you have an unregulated power supply and you don't match the amperage/resistance, then you're essentially overdriving the LEDs. The nice thing about LEDs is that they dont produce much heat at all, so they'll last long anyway. We're still talking about years of nice lighting.
oh yeah, don't connect a single LED to a power supply like I described unless you have the proper resistors. You'll cause a short. Just get it close.
You'll probably want to use the 12V power adapter. If wired in parallel, the voltage is constant across each LED. That is, 12V for each LED. The variable then is the amperage. Normally, you'll want to match the amperage of the LEDs to what's printed on the power source. Since we're talking about LEDs here, it doesn't make that much of a difference if they're overpowered a bit. They'll still last for many years unless a resistor burns out (which I have heard of happening with LEDs from autolumination).
The reason why some power supplies are more expensive than others is that some are regulated and others are not. That means, if you put a small LED by itself on a power supply, the voltage will still be 12V when the amperage isn't what the pack is supposed to put out (i.e. 300mA on a 300mA power supply). If you have an unregulated power supply and you don't match the amperage/resistance, then you're essentially overdriving the LEDs. The nice thing about LEDs is that they dont produce much heat at all, so they'll last long anyway. We're still talking about years of nice lighting.
oh yeah, don't connect a single LED to a power supply like I described unless you have the proper resistors. You'll cause a short. Just get it close.
Anytime you are powering an LED you need to have a resistor in series with it(no matter what voltage you are using). The resistor is used to limit the amount of current flowing thru it.
You should match the current flowing thru the LED to the recommended forward current.
The recommended forward voltage is 12v. If you are trying to get the specified illumination out of them you would need a higher voltage.
Ideal example: A 20v power supply, a 200 ohm resistor(~1/2W resistor)
20v - 12v /.06A = 200 ohms
source voltage - forward voltage / forward current = required resistor
It may work without the resistors, but I would not say for how long. You could run them from the 12v supply but I would still use a resistor (maybe 50 to 100 ohms)
But do what you like, it's just my two cents.
You should match the current flowing thru the LED to the recommended forward current.
The recommended forward voltage is 12v. If you are trying to get the specified illumination out of them you would need a higher voltage.
Ideal example: A 20v power supply, a 200 ohm resistor(~1/2W resistor)
20v - 12v /.06A = 200 ohms
source voltage - forward voltage / forward current = required resistor
It may work without the resistors, but I would not say for how long. You could run them from the 12v supply but I would still use a resistor (maybe 50 to 100 ohms)
But do what you like, it's just my two cents.
pvtschultz
New member
I too just got my lights in the mail today and I have tested it with a 9V/200mA power source (it does work). That is the highest voltage adapter that I had laying around and it is good for 200 mA, so it might be putting out higher voltage than 9V due to the 60mA draw that a single light set puts on the converter. I am still waiting for the settlement of my sand storm now to put it into good use, plus I still have to build a canopy, 
so I guess good things will come to me who waits...
so I guess good things will come to me who waits...
