electronics experts ?

[Redoog]

I have some led xmas lights i got off ebay. They are 8 function fairy lights.

Problem i have is that i use 1 100 string of blue for night lights, but they default to one of the flashing functions.

I have 2 100 string whites, with 2 walmart strings, they work ok.

The control box, has 2 wire input, 4 wire output. I am hoping someone can tell from the pics, how i can mod this box to get constant on lights.

Not sure if I can hook the output right to the inputs and get them to work or not. Or maybe I can solder a jumper somewhere to get them constant one no flash.

Each light bulb appears to have a small tube with a resitor or something in
it.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262743&page=19

 

[dfritschle]

I'm no expert, but I can usually figure these types of things out. Can you post a picture with the wires labeled? Also front and back of the pcb that is not blurry?

 

[Redoog]

well i just blew the board! Blew one of the three half round black things, and a peice of the circuit. The half round pieces have three prongs.

I also found out that it appears three of the output each control a set of lights, and one is common. Not for sure unles i undo the whole string, but it appears that way.

Also if i jumped from one of the inputs from plug to one of outputs to lights they would light, and dint blow or seem over bright or dim.

I think i will fix the board, and first try cutting power to the brain. It looks to get power from plug inputs by jumping through 2 small tan cylinders with multi colored stripes, one for each side of plug. I am curious what will happen if i just cut power to the brain.

I can not get any good pics, since the thing is so small.

 

[spartman]

Those black round things are called transistors and they provide the power for the LED's

Sounds like you shorted them out pretty good.

really all you need to do if you want them on all the time is hook the lines up to a 12 volt power supply.

 

[Redoog]

unk, one of them is cracked. There are also 4 black cylinders with wire out each end. The square item is the switch, and there is one larger green cylinder.

Would like to figure something out. Now my whites are doing the same thing, once i set the timer so they are on a lot less each day. FYI Cut it back to 8 hrs white 12-8 blues are on 5-7am 8-10pm


I have some 12v transformers, why are the some much larger and heavier then this box?

Did i mention that each bulb has an inline tan cylinder with clored strips on it as well.

 

[spartman]

The size of the transformers is in relation to the amperage they put out.

The black cylinders with leads out both ends are called diodes. They act as one way switches to convert AC power into DC power.

The green cylinder is called an electrolytic capacitor, its there to smooth out the AC that might be left from the conversion to DC power.

LEDs have a positive and a negative polarity to them so if you wanted to just run them off of a power supply all you would need to do is take a 9v battery and hook up to one set of LEDS if they light you have them correct and note the polarity, if they dont light switch the leads.

 

[spartman]

Also look at the long brown thing before hooking up power, it looks like a resistor bank and if it is you will need to write down the value and substitute it in the LED lines.

To much voltage to a LED and they go POOF!

 

[Redoog]

The long brown thing in the center of the board? If so, it is anouther piece of board, with what looks like a micro chip. I am saying that is the brain that controls the various functions.

About the transistors. They have three legs on each one, one leg goes out to ligths, one looks to connect all three transistors together to half of the imput aftre the diodes,

the last one, is one i question, they each have thier own path to the brain. My logic tells me that somehow controls them. IE on/off for flashing, dimming etc.

Do you thinnk I am correct? And if so could I use that leg to trigger them to be on?

I am having the wife pick me up a new multimeter. I am going to repair/jump the damaged circuit board, and do some tests.

I am wanting to do this for a couple of reasons.

One it is easy to find these lights on ebay, they are cheap, the wires are thin, and the lights are made so you can mount them easier then regualr green wire xmas lights, and regular on only leds are not readily available.

Also, I have only had my lights done for a few months, but the walmart xmas lights green wire are dimming all ready. These china lights are still nice and bright.

also, it has become a challange now for me to concur this.

 

[Redoog]

If someone thinks they can mod these, i am ordering some new ones, I would be willing to have them shipped to them to figure this out for me.

I got a new meter, i can not figure it out. it says there is 110 v dc going out, one posite, 3 neg.

I know that the one leg of the transistors has to be the control. one leg is neg 110v, the other leg is hooked to a commoon circuit, and all three are hooked to it, so it can not affect each one weperatly. The light string has three seperate circuits when it flashes.

 

[Redoog]

anyone