LED tester and comparison device
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- An easy tool to build using any case you can find, to allow testing and fast side by side comparison of LEDs to help choose the best colour, intensity and spread.
I built the first of these a very long time ago when the very first affordable gallium nitride LEDs were appearing on eBay. The first ones were clearly factory seconds, so there was a lot of variation in quality. But the availability and lower cost allowed a much larger amount to be used in technical props.
The unit has two sockets on the front, which are just standard two pole 0.1" (2.54mm) pitch sockets. You can use any type with a socket size small enough to accept an LED lead.
When an LED is put in it will either be at full brightness (about 20mA) or a very low intensity at around 5-10uA. The low current can be used to indicate a bad LED as they should normally glow even at such a low current. If they don't glow it may indicate a potentially faulty LED even if it lights up at full current. (Leakage resistance through a faulty layer.)
When two LEDs are put into the sockets you can toggle between them while looking at the projected beam against a wall or other surface. That lets you quickly compare intensity, shape of beam and colour variation. There can be a very wide intensity difference between similar LEDs.
The search keyword for the connectors is KF2510
In hindsight I could have added a barrier between the back of the sockets in case LED leads are pushed in too far and contact internal connections. This 3D printed version is a prototype. You don't need to use a 3D printed case.
If you do want to 3D print one, the openscad scripts are down below.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
/ bigclive (extra streams and channel interaction)
Or alternatively:-
www.bigclive.co...
This also keeps the channel independent of UA-cam's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators
Openscad script for main body of prototype tester:-
//LED tester and comparer body
hole=5; //size of switch hole
difference(){
union(){
//main block
translate([0,0,0])
cube([103,36,22]);
}
//battery compartment
translate([8,2,2])
cube([57,32,21]);
//switch compartment
translate([67,2,2])
cube([26,32,21]);
//switch hole
translate([80,18,-1])
cylinder(h=4,d=hole,$fn=50);
//battery cable slot
translate([64,5,7])
cube([4,3,21]);
//1st connector body
translate([90,9,9])
cube([20,5,15]);
//1st connector fin trough
translate([94,13.5,9])
cube([8,2,15]);
//2nd connector body
translate([90,22,9])
cube([20,5,15]);
//2nd connector fin trough
translate([94,26.5,9])
cube([8,2,15]);
//plastic/time saver
translate([2,8,2])
cube([9,20,21]);
//self-tapper holes size 4
translate([4,4,5])
cylinder(h=20,d=2.5,$fn=50);
translate([4,32,5])
cylinder(h=20,d=2.5,$fn=50);
translate([99,4,5])
cylinder(h=20,d=2.5,$fn=50);
translate([99,32,5])
cylinder(h=20,d=2.5,$fn=50);
}
Openscad script for lid:-
//LED tester and comparer lid
difference(){
union(){
//main block
translate([0,0,0])
cube([103,36,2]);
//1st connector retainer
translate([95,9,0])
cube([8,5,9]);
//2nd connector retainer
translate([95,22,0])
cube([8,5,9]);
}
//self-tapper holes
translate([4,4,-1])
cylinder(h=20,d=3,$fn=50);
translate([4,32,-1])
cylinder(h=20,d=3,$fn=50);
translate([99,4,-1])
cylinder(h=20,d=3,$fn=50);
translate([99,32,-1])
cylinder(h=20,d=3,$fn=50);
}
I've heard that the rule of thumb with tools is: If you need a tool, get a cheap one or set of. If you use it a lot/wear it out, get a nice one as you need one that will last. That way you have all the needed tools and only spend the money on ones you need most.
Good advice. You also appreciate the quality of the good tool much more, because you know the difference it makes.
Definitely I second this sentiment. I bought a set of pre-finished granite counters for my kitchen years ago and when it came time to trim and install, I did them all with a $15 grinder and a $10 set of diamond wheels from Harbor freight. It saved me $2,500 vs hiring them custom made.
50 years on, still works for me 👨🏻🔧
Yes, absolutely. You only need to get a better tool if the cheap one breaks or doesn't last.
As with all things there are exceptions of course. I've not had much luck with cheap crimping tools for eg.
@@Chris_the_Muso My #1 had a missed (diagonal) bite, so I got #2 with the middle tooth. Discovered RED was too shallow so re-crimped with #1. Success!
"That's ok; it's what happened."
Stoic yet compassionate.
Add a big afro hairstyle and we have BigBobRossCliveDotCom
@@Pistoletjes hahaha!
@@Pistoletjes "Happy LEDs"
@@StubbyPhillips This NEEDS (!!!!!!!) to be a thing!!!! 🤣😅
@@stevedaenginerd I'm picturing BC with Bob's hair! OK, now I'm trying to get that image out of my head...
“Watch your eyes, the lights coming back”.....
It’s like you know that I’m here at 3am, in complete darkness, binge watching Big Clive
4:20 For anyone wondering: these "molexey" connectors are Molex Type KK, commonly available as Chinese clones called "KF2510" connectors.
I took me so long to find out that was what they were called! Glad to see this knowledge being spread.
@@ElectraFlarefire www.mattmillman.com/info/crimpconnectors/ has a lot of the common types
I like these connectors as they have a deeper "pocket" that will let you ram a pretty long pin in there.
I miss this type of content. Thanks Clive for bringing it back!
"They are now slightly misaligned. That's okay, it's what happened." -Big Clive, the Bob Ross of Electronics.
I never thought I'd ever say this to another man, but that's an impressive package Big Clive
They don't call him 'Big' Clive for no reason!
@@rubbishui Should rename himself to BigThirdLegCliveDotCom ;-)
You'd not often find yourself saying it to a lady either, I imagine
Another word for the Clive dictionary:
Rattle: A sound made when you shake something, it lets you know a battery is inside.
To be fair, most things Clive has have batteries inside:
Battery Tester ✅
Skip Cap ✅
Glass ✅
Cutlery (don't know, but I certainly wouldn't bet against)
YES , but gladly the Rattle usually does not come from a snake inside.
@@Killerspieler0815 too true. Back in the days of vhs vcr a buddy had a pet snake that “disappeared “ few days later he asked what might be wrong with his vhs.
He sent it to a repair shop and next day got a slightly irate phone call from the owner of said repair shop because one of his techies had to go home sick.
Techie popped the vhs cover to see the snake and in fright tipped his chair back and whacked his head etc.
Sadly the snake was dead.
Apparently it entered through the flap and got trapped plus got electrocuted when it was powered up.
So while we were sad at loss of snake us guys at work drank our tears lol
Buddy got a new snake and us guys in factory made an additional front cover for his vcr to prevent further accidents.
On the subject of brand quality coming and going: i distinctly remember points in my childhood when my father stood by Black & Decker, and later Craftsman (due to their lifetime guarantee at the time). Similarly, my grandfather said, according to my grandmother, you can never go wrong with a Buick.
Those statements led me to understand the Brand Quality phenomenon: using good quality and/or customer service to create a positive association to a brand name, then cashing in on that recognition for decades, all the while cutting costs, and corners. Usually there's a change in ownership at the peak of product quality, and usually after a dip in the market caused by a flood of lower quality alternatives.
Craftsman still offers the same lifetime guarantee. It's only for the hand tools, and it's always been only for the hand tools.
Sometimes manufacturers just found out that making products that last doesn't make any sense. Customers will replace them despite they are still performing their designed function. Or there is change in regulations. Or there is market shift. As an automotive engineer, I am very familiar with this phenomenon. So it is better to make products more recyclable because they are ending in a landfill anyway.
Sadly, your comment is not a fluke.
Couldn't agree more. I have old Craftsman and Stanley products, some of which I inherited from my grandfather, and they are robust and I never have had a failure.
I also have newer products from the same brands, these are items that are Craftsman and Stanley in name only, as the parent companies are owned by Chinese conglomerates now. Sitting on a shelf near to me right this very moment, I have three broken Craftsman ratchets, two broken Craftsman sockets, one broken 1/2" ratchet extension, and a handful of Stanley screwdrivers that have either snapped the shank or plastic handle during normal use. I also have two Stanley screwdrivers with a permanent curvature to the shank because the metal is so flimsy they can't be used as a prybar for the simplest of jobs.
The Stanley products, proudly displaying "chrome vanadium steel," make me laugh so much. It's obvious, by looking at my broken screwdrivers, that they are actually made with chrome-plated powdered metal. Absolute junk, and actually worse than Harbor Freight tools.
@@dashcamandy2242 Oddly, I picked up a cheep set of screwdrivers from the Freight Store, specifically to be a "throwaway" set. So I wouldn't mind if they were lost inside of a wall or someone borrowed them and did not return them etc and that was about 15 years ago. I loved that set so much that I bought another and I also named each tool and I do not let anyone borrow them. With the exception being my next door neighbor when he locks himself out of the house, I will let him use either "Big or Bigger Blue" to get in and I ask for her back by name. He locks himself out so much that when he asked me for a screwdriver he will ask for either "big blue" or "bigger blue".I also hate that I love them.
I still thank my lucky stars that I found your channel all those years ago Clive. Nothing quite beats a good chill out project - elegant, simple and unique. The joy you get from making these things radiates outwards and fills us all with glee. Outstanding work as always mate x
"When we're designing stuff ourselves, we can change that; we can make it better." Words to live by! 🥰
I like it, but I think I’d use a center-off switch, just so you didn’t have one blinding you while looking at the one with low current. You could also compare the low current performance, then. It’s a nice, useful, simple, purpose-built tool.
Nice little tool. Back when blue leds were first available i built an 8 led tested with a simple switch to turn them off and on rapidly using a 555 timer to test a bags of 100 leds. Got the failed leds replaced as they were very expensive back in the day
would love to c the circuit for that as i am looking to build something similar ;-)
If I had a 3D printer I would be making bog stock looking enclosures for electronics projects.
We have all learned to be resourceful in the past for enclosures good times.
Agreed, you kicked ass on that enclosure!
Recess screw heads !
I was thinking the same. But now printers aren't as nearly expensive as they used to be. You can get a decent hobby machine for 300$. I just saved up and bought a longer lk4 pro.
Yes, "longer" is the name of the printer :)
same here if I knew how to use one I would buy one !
I bought a super cheap wood-frame 3D printer DIY kit for 135€ all the way back in 2017, which seems like a couple months ago, but really 4 years have passed, can you imagine? I had a hard time affording it, and i knew up front that the electronics is pretty decent and made to be reprogrammable and extensible out of the box, and that mechanics was atrocious and would need improvement, and it was just so perfect. I was in for a learning experience and i got that and then some. Obviously the same company made mechanically saner kits too, but those were closer to 200€, and i was up for a challenge of redesigning bits and pieces and seeing how far i can push it.
When i got it, it took only 2 days to ship, it took 12 hours to assemble and i couldn't afford food for another 2 weeks after. But i was happy, it was the best purchase i ever made, probably. I was reading up and watching vids for about a year at that point, so i instantly knew what to do, and had functioning solid prints within an hour of building it. So i can't really speak for an ignorant new user experience, but judging by Reddit, it seems it can get pretty dreadful, especially for people whose brains are less in tune with mechanical things. On the other hand, lots of people probably start out perfectly fine!
@@SianaGearz Quite the opposite experience with my fancy Ender-3 wonder. The quality of the materials is appalling, I swear I'd never managed to bend anodized aluminium that easily o_O
Any amount of software or hardware tinkering just makes it worse. I'm more or less happily printing decent stuff half of the times now, but it took a good week and a dozen failed attempts to print two small hinges (the infamous Fairlight's ones).
I would love to see you take apart one of those cheap Chinese made "tattoo removal" lasers. They are basically just a water cooled laser gun that can instantly blind you if you happen to point it at anything reflective. No shield or anything. A literal wired blinding machine.
Warning: Do Not Stare Into Beam with remaining eye.
Very cool😎 ;)
I just use an old television remote, so the leds can be driven by pwm square wave or sine, different buttons have different amplitude and duty cycle.
You're the Bob Ross of electronics. I could watch this all day Clive. Your narration during a project is fantastic
Your one handed soldering ability never ceases to amaze me
Zero smoke released, should I feel cheated?
Seriously tho, that's a wonderfully thought out bit o' kit that will probably be available on Aliexpress within 72 hours, sigh.
I am amazedly jealous of your left hands ability to do the job of three of mine when soldering. I need one of those crocodile clips on a stand thingy to do even the simplest of tasks
I put components between 2 small stators from motors during soldering.
I've made an led tester using a crappy 18650 cell, a generic DC-DC boost converter and a NSI45020 chip. NSI45020 is a standalone current regulator that looks like a tiny SMD diode and maintains a 20mA current when connected in series with any LED(regardless of its type, tried it with normal/UV/IR and works fine), given that the input voltage is at least 2-3 V higher than what's needed for all LEDs in series. 20 mA is achieved with at least 7-8 V on the input. Instead of those 2-pin connectors I've used the screw terminals often used for connecting wires to a PCB, as well as 2 flat pads for testing SMD LEDs.
NSI45020 is really handy for making lamps and flashlights with batteries, because if used with a boost module the brightness stays the same even when the battery discharges ( I also include an overdischarge indicator based on TL431 in order to not kill the battery). Pretty sure that there are variants of this chip for different currents, highly recommend everyone to check it out. Costs around 1 USD/10pcs when ordered from China, though higher current options (30/60/90 mA) are obviously more expensive
Your manual dexterity amazes me every time I watch you. Envious…
Such a soothing voice. Big Clive is the Bob Ross of electronics with all his happy little LEDs.
Thanks for bringing back am “old Clive” project! But the “old Clive” didn’t show or he would have referred the LED socket symbols added to the schematic as nipply looking. 😂
Thank you Clive.
Nice simple project for a really useful tool. No bells and whistles or intricate circuits required.
While Poundland tear-downs demonstrate the safety ,how the circuit works and at times some brilliant simple upgrades to us viewers who know how to use a soldering iron but no real knowledge of various components or how they actually work.
It’s nice to be shown what is easily made by even the most basic knowledge home diy person.
Nice project for a kid experimenting with a bread board.
That's the coolest led tester i have ever seen
That's just reminded me I need to buy a new crimping tool
This one came from Rapid electronics.
Discovered I needed the naff one to tighten the "good" crimp on a thin lead tonight 🤓
I took out the failed safety switch on my smoothie maker - so bye-bye fingers 😵 ☠️ 💀 ☠️ 🦽 🏴☠️
Maybe you wouldn't but Ken Wood 🤣 🤣 🤣
He made a really nice crimper review maybe 18 months ago, the winner was an Iwiss that is pretty affordable (for single/narrow crimp die, no ratchet) and I've found it to be quite nice - good for the jst-compatible crimps, less good for the dupont-style ones.
18:47 - "But I shall go gentle." Thank you. lol
Based on an older BC video, I checked out Yihua brand soldering stations. Ended up buying a 939D+ (if Yihua is good enough for Clive, it's good enough for me!) and I'm VERY happy with it. Bonus undocumented pack-ins were a set of ceramic tweezers, some unknown-brand lead-free solder (still in its cellophane wrap for obvious reasons), a nice assortment of tips, a flux pen, an actual-size pictogram of tip types with model numbers for easy reference come replacement time... Pretty good value IMHO. Comes up to temp in mere seconds from powerup, holds constant temp no matter what I throw at it.
An acquaintance of mine asked me to look at some audio equipment he tried to "fix," the soldering was actually worse than my usual sloppy job, and I was able to clean everything up and make it look almost-professional! (It was all in vain - his "fix" was re-attaching a three-conductor ribbon cable in the opposite direction; even after fixing two lifted traces and bodging a ripped-off pad that he created in his frustration, the damage had been done.)
One single use of the Yihua and I boxed up my "little boy" Weller WLC100 that I've had since '96. Now that I've had a taste of the "good life," I can't go back to that Weller.
I built one similar to this, but I guilded the lily a bit... It has a pot on the front and a current regulator that adjusts the current from 0-30ma, and then the 3-way switch will go from one LED, to the other LED, and then the 3rd position will put them both in parallel. And it has an internal 1S Lipo with on-board charge regulator circuit.
I went a little crazy with it... I like the simplicity of the one in this video. 👌
Sometimes the simpler, the better.
I really like your case design. 👍
Knipex is German, so I'd never consider pronouncing it [nai-pex]. The k isn't silent in the Germanic languages, so you need to stress the combination with the n. Think of the k-sound in the English pronunciation of key and combine it with nip. Knipex.
German is such a strange language. :)
There is no reason it can't be Anglicised.
@@vtbn53 Henry VIII approves this message
@@santiagobodhi7075 LOL I suppose you elude to the English Reformation, but no:
_anglicised
verb
past tense: anglicised; past participle: anglicised
make English in form or character.
"he anglicised his name to Goodman"_
...but not a bad attempt though.
Fun fact ... English is a Germanic language - web.cn.edu/kwheeler/IE_images/ietreecentum1.gif
Finally! A wiring diagram I almost understood. Thank you for a shout out to your dimmer (can you see what I did there) viewers.
I did a CPD course at Zumtobel Lighting and they told me about the "binning" process that happens at LED factories. Because they grow a silicon crystal to use as the light source, not all of the LEDs are the same colour, therefore when they test the Led they use a bin (container) to put the LEDs that are of similar colours. The closer the match, the higher the price paid (Osram, Philips, etc.) the rest end up in cheaper products.
Fascinating.
Next time - emboss a + and a - on either side there. With inset characters, you can damn near just drip paint (very carefully) in there, it self levels to fill the cavity, let it dry, and yur done =)
@@Okurka. I end up using my gel + nail polish kit for diy projects at least as often as for its intended use!
Inspirational watching you solder - by following how you did this has made me improve straight away ! thanks
Lesson learned long ago: 9V battery + coin in pocket = hot pocket.
been there done that in my shirt pocket !
Oh boy! What flavor of Hot Pocket do you get? 🤣🤣
@@arsenicjones9125 Bri Nylon and burnt nipple!
Even worse, NiCd coin pager batteries. I know someone who set their pants on fire with a handful of them!
I hope that’s not why they call you Stubby! 🤞😅💜
I never would've thought you would have such variance in the light output of those type leds. You're right it is a great tool for matching the lights for projects that use more than one led. Thanks for the effort of showing us. I actually can make one of these, and I'm just able to slightly troubleshoot electronics. Engines are a different story.
As a kid we use to raid the dumpsters at a electronic manufacturing facility. Back in the 70's LED's were a most prized item.
Btw there is even a better device than a resistor, a constant current regulator in a SMD diode case. Example: NSI45020AT1G 45V 20mA
Yeah, I was wondering why he wasn't using a CCS or even just a J-FET connected in CC mode.
LM317 and a series resistor in a constant current config. That way, you can choose between any number of pre-set currents.
@@Zadster EXACTLY what I was thinking. Add a selector for 1-30(?)ma )maybe higher for 1/2 and 1w leds??
It's Clive, he has his sure ways.
Thanks, Clive for the great 1 evening project.
There seems to be a lot of talk about an adjustable constant current device to make this clean, simple project a lot more complicated. I don't think that's necessary.
Instead use a 10k reverse log taper pot with the 330 ohm in series. If you can't get a reverse, then 3D print a 2 inch dial disk and mount the pot's shaft so it points away from you, so the dial turns clockwise to lower the pot's resistance.
One thing I would do, especially if this is used to test and/or compare large amounts of LEDs, is to change the 9V to 3 AAA cells for 4.5 VDC. 9 VDC batteries are horribly expensive.
My head is full of ways to make this simple tool do so many more things with just a few parts. But why ruin a simple LED tester project with more seldom used features? Say no to feature creep! 🤗🤗😂😂
Reminds me of a valve (tube) heater tester I made about 50 years ago, built into a bicycle puncture repair kit case. So simple, and yet so indispensable. - There are certainly some impressive differences between the old and modern LEDs. I guess it just goes to show how things develop so rapidly.
You should keep those old LEDs - They'll be collectors' items one day!
You can tell a seasoned/experienced constructor when they hold the soldering iron in one hand, the item to be soldered in the other hand, and the solder in ... yeah, usually the hand with the thing to be soldered. Another mark of experience is not attempting to solder the fingers. Well, you try every so often, but after all these years it still doesn't work. A mere heating of the fingers is perfectly acceptable, whilst the solder joint solidifies.
I quickly got used to the smell of singed meat while learning to solder.
The scars are now covered by the scars from a car accident :(
Watching your hands work is almost like watching my own , its uncanny. Hi from NZ
_"I'll shorten the wires a little bit, but not an awful lot"_
*chops off half the wire*
n right after talkin about how nice it was to have extra for when ur changin the battery lol i dont understand
Just like getting a haircut
"It's too long Johnny" well known ABOFAL phrase, and we know what happened there 😁
@@4dirt2racer0 Yeah that was bizarre XD
That is literaly me. However I do it on accident.
I think your circuit might be improved by using a constant current source in place of the resistors. A simple transistor 20mA constant current supply might be used. (20mA being a standard test current for LEDs )
An extra feature might be to add couple of sockets to monitor the voltage across the LED under test. The luxury version could be fitted with one of those nice little voltage display modules. I picked up a few at a radio rally for a couple of pounds each.
This is over kill for an LED tester, but knowing the Vf for a standard test current would be useful.
Switch soldering - I find it helps in a situation like this to turn the enclosure upside down and drop the switch in from the outside of it. An extra hand perfectly made to hold the switch :)
I always get a bit confused with those complicated schematic diagrams.
I built one of your even simpler tester designs, out of a 4-pin "Molex", a 9v battery clasp, 1.5K resistor, and some heat shrink. Startlingly simple, yet surprisingly helpful to have in the toolkit. Since both pairs of pins are energized full-time, I use it mostly to compare color of the bulk LEDs. Good to know about the GaN flaw, though! Hadn't heard that one. 👍
"Molex" is what is known in law as a "genericised trademark", like "Hoover".
Kleenex. Crock-pot. Zamboni. Chapstick. Ping Pong. Popsicle. Q-Tips. Scotch tape. Sharpie. Tupperware. Weed Eater. White Out. Band-aids. X-acto Knife. Xerox. Post-its. Plexiglas. And those are just the ones I know off the top of my head. There are soooo many of them.
Look after your tools, and your tools will look after you.
Be interested to hear about the UV-C and UV- far-C and how they have achieved that.
when i was a wee boy (mid 80’s to late 90’s) i collected al sorts of leds from al sorts of equipment and i recently found my old collection 1000+ and i must say , the old leds look better than the new ones i bought not to long ago,so in my projects to come will be vintage leds , so now i need a good tester
If you had a batch of my A4 Gallium PCBs made you could populate them with all the random LEDs as art.
I had a box of old ones from back in the 80's. I got so frustrated with how dim they were I gathered them all up and thew them away! Now, only the finest high brightness LEDs available!
@@glasslinger i still use the high bright for ..well bright applications,i just prefer the dimmer effect of the old ones in open/visual use , and they remind me of my younger years , desoldering leds from a vhs record and graphic equaliser…aaahh the good old days …
@@glasslinger I should really purge my own LED stock of the old ones. I find it hard to dispose of stuff like that.
My son made a fuse tester in his first year at secondary school not unlike that bit of plastic channel, two brass paper fasters, a resistor,, red LED. he bought it home at the end of term and it went in the drawer. My wife wanted to throw it out I said keep it it will come in handy, I put a nine volt battery on it and when the new kettle packed in I was able to demonstrate to my wife how to test a fuse. It now lives with the electrical screw drivers, spare batteries and my volt meter.
7:55...... I’m not sure this is a good idea..... but I am going to do it anyway. That is an award winning attitude 😂
Another LED test I would perform is the long term test. Run at 20ma for a couple weeks. I found all the ebay LEDs would lose brightness. Good quality ones, like Cree, Nichia or Everlight would not fade.
Can’t beat a good simple, but extremely useful project.
I made one ages ago from a television remote that I saved from the bin. I cut an old pin header for sockets and repurposed two momentary tactile to light them.
I like the 1Meg Georg! I'll be adding that bit. Thanks.
I have several hobbies to keep the grey cells active, but mu others such as woodwork, fabrication and photography cannot be described as cheap. Thus far however electronics and microcircuits has proven to be pennies in comparison, thank you for another future project.
That case would make a neat flashlight (torch?) too, especially with a jumbo LED, great project for kids.
This project inspired me to make a bistable oscillator to test LEDs, instead of using a switch - but in so doing, I forgot the capacitors and was intrigued by the action of the transistors switching by themselves - possibly due to ambient noise on the supply or nearby RF sources, coupled with high transistor gain. I have an LED tester now, but will be doing more 'research' (messing about) into bistables. I've forgotten much of the theory that I learned in my youth, so could do with going back to that stuff.
You may have created a touch sensitive changeover switch.
Love the simplicity but effectiveness of this device. I might make my own but with a digispark Attiny inside running an arduino sketch so I can compare the appearance of the LEDs while fading on and off and flickering perhaps. Could be useful! Great, informative video, as always!
OMG thanks for the advise ! I was always blaming my self for LED brightness difference ! I didnt know LEDs could be different quality. Im going to make this LED tester on my breadboard 😃
On a Breadboard, watch out for bad connections - they can skew the results significantly in applications like this.
Amazing difference in LED's!!!! Very nice case you made!! Thank you!!
I love this B.C !!!
You even nearly tidied up!!!!
Will be doing a version of this as soon as my optional 3D Printer arrives,!!!
Bob
England
What a useful little project. I think I’ll make one with a 1k trim pot in series with the 300 ohm resistor. Useful for testing 300-1300 ohms, or roughly 7 - 30 mA. Lots of possible tweaks, although it would quickly surpass the point of a such a simple device!
Why a trimpot? A nice normal pot with a knob would be more practical!
@@glasslinger Yes sorry, a pot used for trimming, not a trim pot that requires a tiny screwdriver. My lazy semantics just to confuse you. :)
I had this nagging feeling that there was something missing from this video. Then I realised what it needed to make it complete. Now all I've got to do is find a source of ozone emitting LEDs.
good luck !
UV leds??
I'm both color blind and not an electrician, but if its clive, i watch, always interesting content :)
Oh that is a simple and clever device. What you came up with isn't at all what I thought it would be when reading the title but it gets my approval. However I would say maybe use an LM317 in a current regulating configuration so you know that the current is exact as using a resistor doesn't give you a true constant current reference and could skew results.
Minimalist case is probably what I would have done too. I think the only difference I might have made was having the battery compartment be a separate cover… *maybe* gotten a little fancy with a lip for one end and single screw for the other.
That is actually pretty neat! I have needed one for some time - have a bunch of LEDs that I needed to check, and printed one out just fine. In my assortment of switches I didn't have one that fit the 5mm hole, so I tweaked it a bit (hole=6.1). Perfect, man - thanks!
The 5mm hole was just a starter size for drilling out if needed.
An easy place to find those connectors is attached to an LED or two! In a no-longer-used computer case, that is. I have a fair collection of these with LEDs in different colors and shapes.
I'm tempted to drive these with an astable multivibrator. Get it going fast enough (a few hundred Hz should do it) and both LEDs will appear to be lit at the same time, making comparison easy. Switch in some more capacitors to slow it down a lot if you want.
Great tool! 👌 Reminds me of how I used to compare LEDs for my DIY projects, back in the 70's.
Clive... I own a computer store, I recycle laptop batteries for people when they die. (The Battery, not the client) Most have 4 to 6 18650 rechargeable batteries, with only 1 being dead.
So I have a collection of great rechargeable batteries. I suspect the same where you live. I build the recharge circuit into whatever I am tinkering with. Makes life easy. I have, in some cases come back to a project years later and the battery is still charged.
Hope you can find an old laptop battery to tear down and make use of!
Lucky you! I figured out about the 18650 laptop batteries issue about a year ago. Just like you said, it's usually only one cell that's gone bad (although I have seen 2 go bad one time), and almost cried at all the ones I've sent to recycling. Oddly, you can buy new (generic cheapie) laptop batteries for less than the same number of loose 18650's. 😳
@@jasonkuehl639 Those cells you get in cheap laptop packs are suspicious... at nkon netherlands you can get decent cells for around 2-3€ a piece... and at times also suspicious cells for less than 1€ a piece.
@@SianaGearz they may be dubious in quality, but they are good enough for my purposes. In USA, pretty much anything bought is dubious quality. I could spend 6 or 7 dollars for one 18650 Eneloop cell, and have no confidence in it due the vast number of scammers selling counterfeits, or I can spend $10 and have 6 shots at getting a good cell in a cheap laptop battery. I could rant on for years about the market being flooded with poor quality counterfeit products. Even tried-and-true sellers like Digi-Key have been caught up by it.
Cool 3D printed, back in my high school electronics in the mid-1970's we had to use pre-made aluminum or plastic hobby-boxes that came in a limited selection of sizes.
Sr Clive interesante aparato ...... me gusta mucho verlo construir estos aparatos genial. Saludos
Finally! A hand held manual operation disco light for those living in the many discotech challenged areas of the World. I feel like dancing already. Now where are those Bee Gees albums...I suppose I could also test some LEDs too. Thanks Clive!
Great idea. Next iteration could use dual momentary switches to light both LEDs at the same time. Time to grab my soldering iron!
7:58 🎵 How 'bout I do... anywaaay! 🎵
What's your recommendation for general-purpose electronics solder? I've finally run out of my Maplin spool from... probably 20 years ago now.
Try and get traditional led based, but many Chinese solders are a random alloy with unpredictable flux content.
Thanks for this very useful idea, Clive.
I suspect that your 3d printer might be in need of a little TLC though, looking at the output.
It definitely needs tuned up. I've just replaced the build plate.
Super useful! I definitely want to build one of these now, only I think I'll set it up with two sockets each side for balancing purposes.
Fuckin, "I plug in the battery and smoke comes out... " Died.
when you buy overpriced snap on tools, you get the good warm sensation of sending the snap on sellers kids to college ;)
most snap on tools are made in china, and the extras go to the "elite" in licensing, certification and/or to the government in duty fees.
So, no. You are not sending noone's kids to college. You're just letting them barely scrape by instead of go into poverty and get fed up with it and overthrow the system.
I don't get the appeal of fap off tools.
@@misterhat5823 they're the apple of power tools. Need more explanation? Cults will be cults.
If you ever revisit the butane bubble lamp idea, look into sources of delrin. That's what disposable lighters are made from. As you found in your previous experiment, butane is a very effective solvent for most of the polymers used in other plastics and rubbers, and possibly the epoxy capsules of the LEDs.
one odd one in the custom projectsis an infrared led detector from the days of making remote controls work in other rooms. still works
I always keep the "Black Twists Matter" rule in play as well.
It keeps the electrons in line for less resistance.
I learned the fundamental wisdom of that when the instrument cluster in my car started throwing an epileptic fit every time I drove. Oh, and I suddenly had no charging. Turned out the chassis bolt of the black battery wire lacked a few twists...
The only adjustment I would suggest would be to use a 317 style regulator in a constant current configuration (or that weird thing julian did with a jfet), so you know for sure how much current is going in.
Second thought. Build in a small lithium cell and charge controller? (i'm mainly brainstorming for the one I'm going to build tomorrow.)
@@GadgetBoy For some ideas, here's my LED tester: www.fearlessnight.com/led_tester/index.html
add a series diode to prevent reverse voltage.
@@kennmossman8701 don't really need a series in a low voltage diode tester.
@@tigercat3864 that's pretty cool, but a bit too much for this application. I'll still probably do a build of it in the future.
The butane gas is very close to a lpg that is used to make plastic, often sold here in OZ mixed in with Auto gas for our cars.
I have redeemed myself a bit...😅 Just finished a crude prototype and YAY it works!
I thought for sure the switch I used was fried because it's a plastic rocker switch (stim heaven) and I held the iron on a bit longer than necessary 😫 but it works!
If i pretty it up I may show it off sometime.
Nice one handed soldering technique, case and solder class
if your project involves putting leds into an enclosure you could add a diffuser that will moderate the light in the same way that an overcast day does where you wont see a drop in light until well after sunset.
Had a SnapOn rep in the workshop one day and whilst using one of their screw drivers the tip snapped off.
The next day he showed up a replacement, but we referred jokingly to them as SnapOff after that.
One addition I would consider is a switch so both LEDs can be run in parallel at low current. This should help when matching LEDs which are to be used in parallel.
It's great to see someone use the 2nd nut to adjust how far the switch shaft sticks out. So many people push the whole shaft out and then it looks stupid.
You are the Bob Ross of electronics
The last LEDs were a surprise, those AliExpress warm-whites seemed to be exceptionally bright for the size...
The one with the short leads has a very wide reflector.
I some of my father's hand me down SK tools and far as pliers I like my Klein Tools. Than you for a great little project that I will build to also test my LEDs from Ebay.
See some interesting comparative tests by Project Farm on the quality of tools... ua-cam.com/video/6bnqFwAf7HM/v-deo.html
Some 10mm straw hat LEDs have 3 die in parallel & hence they are brighter. For the follow-up video please use magnifier for these 2 warm white LEDs.
Lol literally spent hours today crimping and twisted every bit of wire into each crimp😅Oh well... always learning. Great video clive
Using the design, but only using red LED's, this would make a good light source for amateur astronomers. Where you can have a low level background, but also stronger light source for say reading notes, without destroying your night vision.
I think you need to add a resistor by-pass button so you can provide the full battery voltage to the LED when you have the warm white LEDs installed. That will allow them to reach their "full potential" (as landfill). But that is just an opinion.... :-P
I think I missed something. Can you make another one, just in case I missed it the first time? I didn't see the current regulator chip or the ozone emitter spike. Thanks, so much! 😂 👍
I think it's better to use NSI45020 for current limiting purposes, it's cheap and reliable 20mA current limiter with 45v upper limit. And if you add voltmeter and boost converter to 30v you can create zener / led tester for multi crystal leds for example.
Now we are at my level. Plus ... Up cycling of screws! Let's not hear anymore of the 2tight Scotsman" dialogue either in these enlightened days! Clive dumped the the old battery (not totally exhausted) in favour of a new one. (this comment may get redacted by the PC Division)
Great video as always. I was chilled throughout.
That box reminds me of a "kit" i made when at school in the 80s. The device I made was meant to warn of electrical wires in a wall.... like hell did I dare risk what I made decide if I had or had not got no powerlines where I wanted to drill ;) Although that didn't stop me making a sound to light disco light which was housed in a silver aluminium box and laughable insulation :) :)