ukoberon Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 As its my first year with LOR im looking whether I can use some of my previous lights. I have a number of led units which have a built in flasher module. I don't know if its possible to bypass this unit and would welcome any thoughts.... Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukoberon Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 apologies the pictures are a little grainy! Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Yes, it's possible. To figure out how, we need some more information about the LED flashers you have, such as how many channels, how many wires, how many LEDs, what voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I am going to take an educated guess and say that the resistor on the top of the board, which appears to be a 3.9K ohms. Is a voltage divider or some call a current limiter. I suspect that also That somewhere on that board there is a rectifier and I can see at least one electrolitic cap that is filtering the D.C. voltage.But I regress. Steven has asked some good questions. Although maybe I mistook one of his questions. So, I'll ask this How many total LED lamps? And to be sure how many wires? And oh, is this a solid single color or each sub string multi color?Thank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafter Bar R Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Here's what I can make out. The square part with + and - is a full wave bridge rectifier. The top of the board has a large resistor, electrolytic capacitor ans a zener diode, this is what powers the flasher chip. two resistors connect to two transistors to flash two channels. We need to know what the input voltage to the string is? From the looks of the wires, it looks like it uses a low AC voltage from a transformer (wall-wart). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Since it's powered by a wall wart (transformer or switching power supply), it can only be on-off (0 or 100%). Shimmer, fades, or lower intensities will destroy the wall wart. (I speak from experience )You can remove the flasher chip, the small resistors and the transistors, and install a jumper from E to C where the transistors were. Then both channels will be on whenever power is applied. To separate the channels you will need an additional wall wart.Next question: In normal operation, are both channels ever on at the same time? If not, then you may need an additional 3.9K resistor for the second channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 On second look (double check me guys) the first color might also be Red. So, correcting myself, looks like red, white, red. If that is the case, then it would be a 2.9K ohm resistor. Pictures are a bit blurly and I pray it is not old age were I am starting to have problems telling colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafter Bar R Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 We need to go back a little here. What does the string with the flasher control unit originally do? Does it flash one channel? Are there multiple channels (chasing)? Does it change colors, alternate between two colors? Once we can establish what it does, then we can make some recommendations regarding modifications. There are so many types of these light strings available that do different effects and without knowing what it does originally, it's difficult to give a clear answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 What happened to the OP? He has not posted again other than the original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukoberon Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 Hi Guys, thanks for your replies - Im working away from home this week so have limited access - i will respond properly whn i get back home Friday - but thanks for responses so far - not ignoring you but need to keep the work going to pay for more lights!!!thanks again - will post at weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukoberon Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Hi All,once again apologies for delay..... The unit is on a very simple single colour flashing star . It has an on and off flash thats all no chasing effects. The power is a transformer plug into UK 240volt which I believe steps it down to 24V The flasher unit has only 2 wires in and out of the flasher unit.thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 ukoberon wrote: Hi All,once again apologies for delay..... The unit is on a very simple single colour flashing star . It has an on and off flash thats all no chasing effects. The power is a transformer plug into UK 240volt which I believe steps it down to 24V The flasher unit has only 2 wires in and out of the flasher unit.thanks guys.Ok, from this we know that it is a single channel and all of the LEDs are of the same color.I agree with Steven, remove the two transistors and install jumpers from E to C. This will bypass the "Switches" (although, I believe you brits like to call them "Valves") and allow for the current to flow uninterupted. (SP? where is that blasted spell checker?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas_time_karl_UK Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Hey, SUPER interested in this thread. If I post up some photos and info will you guys be able to help me 'hot-wire' my controllers so they stay permanently on ie static?Many thanls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Wont know till you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas_time_karl_UK Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Ok I can now post as my lights have arrived: I have this set which runs on UK mains voltage:230 volts RMS +10%/-6%, also running at a frequency of 50 Hz.The lights have a flasher unit on them and I need to convert it to make it permanently static. Can anyone help?The power in is on the two top lefthand tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Karl's unit is 4-channel, connected to the lights with a 5-wire cable with a common positive lead.If you simply want all 4 channels on all the time (connected to a single LOR channel), connect jumpers between the transistor leads closest to the end of the board. This can be done with a single wire that connects straight across those 8 pads in a row.If you want to control each of the 4 channels with a separate LOR channel, it gets more complicated. First, I assume the lights are LEDs, right? Since the positive leads of all 4 channels are connected together, to use a standard LOR controller, you'll have to run them at 1/2 wave.The only way to run them separately at full-wave would be to use a 230v DC controller. You could make such a thing by connecting an opto-isolator to the base of each transistor,and driving it with a 12v DC controller.But the easier way is to just make them half-wave. Remove the cable from the controller. Connect the common positive to the neutral lead on a LOR controller. Connect a diode to each of the 4 channels, with the anode to the string and the cathode to the LOR channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas_time_karl_UK Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 hey steven,Many thanks, all I want to do this year issimply want all 4 channels on all the time (connected to a single LOR channel), connect jumpers between the transistor leads closest to the end of the board. This can be done with a single wire that connects straight across those 8 pads in a row.Could you quickly doodle on my photos and re-upload/email it to me on karlbeetson50@hotmail.com just so I am 100% sure on what I am reading?Many thanksKarl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Solder where marked in red. Be careful not to short to that trace on the right. Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas_time_karl_UK Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 just solder or can I use wire, worried about the guage of wire being such a high voltage (altho the current might be low not to be a factor) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas_time_karl_UK Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 This board has only 3 transistors... slightly different so what method should I apply here?Thanks for your reply by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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