Make your own LED floor lamp. We assemble an LED lamp at home. LED lamp circuits

For any work, as well as during rest, you need good light. You can buy a lamp, but sometimes it is not cheap. In the store, instead of a ready-made lamp, you can buy LED strip. It is relatively inexpensive and can be cut into pieces of any length. If you place it in the housing or secure it in another way, you will get a homemade lamp with an LED strip. You can take this lamp with you to your tent when fishing. In field conditions LED lamp Connects to car battery.

Scope of application of homemade LED lamps

Homemade LED lamps for LED strip can be used instead of conventional ones:

• illumination of the workplace when performing small work in a workshop or garage;
• illumination from above the aquarium (if the tape is waterproof or in a sealed housing, then the lamp can be lowered into the water);
• illumination of seedlings or indoor plants in winter;
• night light or table lamp;
• lighting of switches and sockets;
• computer keyboard lighting;
• for replacing fluorescent lamps.

On the Internet you can find many other types of floor lamps and ceiling chandeliers made from LED strips with photos and videos, as well as reviews from people who collected and used such lamps.

Types and parameters of LED strips

LED strip color options

LED strips are available in different designs depending on the type of protection. They can be of different brightness and different colors, which are determined by color temperature - from warm white (2700K) to cold (6800K), as well as colored or capable of changing their color - RGB tapes. This makes it possible to select the type of device for specific purposes.

LED strip device

LED strip is a flexible plastic strip with conductive strips printed on it. Two are located at the edges and connections are made to them. The rest connect LEDs and resistors to each other. They are arranged in groups - three LEDs connected in series, and a resistor that serves to limit the current flowing through them.

LED strip parameters

The strip itself can be cut into sections that are multiples of three LEDs. In these places there are marks indicating the place of the cut and the contact pads to which the wires are soldered or connected using connectors.

LEDs can be coated with a layer of silicone on one or both sides. This determines the degree of protection against external influences. On the reverse side, an adhesive layer is applied to the strip, as on double-sided tape. With its help, the LEDs are attached to the base.

The most common supply voltage is constant, 12V. There are designs designed to connect to a voltage of 24V and higher, but these are not very common designs.

Types of LEDs used

LEDs and resistors in the strip are used in the SMD series, without leads. LEDs in production are used in different sizes, which determines the marking of the strip - 5050 and 3528. These numbers show the size of the LED in tenths of a millimeter

Visual difference between 5050 and 3528

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

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The larger the size, the higher the brightness and the current and power consumption. It also depends on the number of LEDs per meter of length.

Accordingly, marking an SMD 5050 strip with a density of 60 LEDs means that 60 are installed per meter of length SMD LEDs 5050.

Controllers, power supplies for LED strips

controller and power supply

Since the LED strip is designed for a constant voltage of 12V, a power supply or controller is required for connection.

Important! When you connect the LED strip to a 220 volt network, it will instantly burn out!

Power supplies are produced in different capacities and shapes. From low-power ones, similar to tablet chargers, to powerful designs in a metal case with built-in coolers.

LED strip power supply power

Some power supplies are equipped with dimmers and remote controls remote control. For RGB strips An RGB controller is required to control color.

There are models controlled via WiFi, with color and music effects, for example, ARILUX® AL-LC01.

If you don’t have a special block available, you can use:

• Any transformer with an output voltage of 12V. A diode bridge and a smoothing capacitor must be connected to the output.
• The computer power supply, both in the computer itself and separately.
• If you need 3-6 LEDs, then to limit the current you can use a capacitor, as well as a diode bridge and a capacitor that smoothes out the pulsations of the glow. This scheme is used in LED lamps ah, installed instead of incandescent lamps. The capacitance of the capacitor can be calculated using an online calculator.
• Make an energy-saving lamp out of the board of a faulty lamp.
• Connect 20 pieces of LED strip in series and connect through a diode bridge and a smoothing capacitor to a 220V network.

Preparation of materials and parts

making a lamp with your own hands

Before starting work, you need to determine the required number and brightness of the LED strip, as well as the power of the power supply.

First of all, you need to determine the length. For lamps used in different places you need:

• night light and illumination of switches and sockets - a segment of three LEDs;
• aquarium lighting – along the length of the wall;
• illumination of a bed with seedlings - several pieces, a length equal to the length of the beds;
• computer keyboard – along the length of the keyboard;
• To replace a fluorescent lamp, you need several pieces, equal in length to the length of the lamp.

The brightness of the strip, the size and density of the LEDs are determined based on specific conditions.

The power of the power supply should be no less than the power of the LED lamp, and preferably 20% more. This is necessary for more reliable operation of the unit.

In addition, you will need wires, heat shrink tubing to insulate the connection point, a soldering iron with tin and rosin, or a connector for connection.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

Ask a question to an expert

Attention! You cannot solder the tape with acid! Acid fumes oxidize and destroy wires and can also cause short circuits.

If the lamp will be used in an aquarium for internal lighting, then you will need a transparent tube and silicone sealant to ensure the tightness of the structure.

Lamp assembly

LED lamp assembly

After developing the design of the future lamp and preparing all the tools and materials, the lamp itself is assembled.

Sometimes the entire assembly process involves applying tape to a base, such as a backlit keyboard that sits on a pull-out shelf under a desk.

In other cases, it is necessary to manufacture or remodel an existing lamp.

Features and stages of installation work

Installation and connection of a lamp made from LED strip has a number of features:

• The power supply should be located as close to the LEDs as possible. The longer the wires, the greater the voltage loss in them, which leads to a loss of brightness of the lamp.
• It is advisable to isolate the LEDs from the base if it is metal.
• When connecting the device directly from a 220V network (via a capacitor), use only a tape coated with silicone on both sides.

Carefully! There is high voltage on such a tape, so all manipulations with it are carried out in the off state.

What to do if there is no ready-made LED strip

If you don’t have a ready-made LED strip, you can make it yourself.

To do this, the required number of LEDs must be connected in series and a current-limiting resistor connected to them. You can assemble such a structure on a strip of getinax or textolite, where holes are drilled for mounting LEDs. Such a device can be assembled for any required voltage and number of LEDs.

Gradually, lighting devices are switching to LED lamps. This did not happen immediately; there was a protracted transition period with the use of so-called housekeepers - compact gas-discharge light bulbs with a built-in power supply (driver) and a standard E27 or E14 socket.

Such lamps are still widely used today, since their cost in comparison with LED light sources is not so “biting”.
While there is a good balance between price and efficiency (the difference in price with conventional incandescent lamps pays off over time due to energy savings), gas-discharge light sources have a number of disadvantages:

• Service life is lower than that of incandescent lamps.
• High frequency noise from the power supply.
• Lamps do not like frequent switching on and off.
• Gradual decrease in brightness.
• Impact on nearby surfaces: a dark spot appears on the surface of the ceiling (above the lamp) over time.
• And in general, I don’t really want to have a flask with a certain amount of mercury in my house.
  An excellent alternative is LED lamps. The list of advantages is significant:
• Amazing efficiency (up to 10 times compared to incandescent lamps).
• Huge service life.
• Perfect and safe power supplies (drivers).
• Absolutely independent of the number of inclusions.
• With normal cooling, they do not lose brightness for almost the entire period of operation.
• Complete mechanical safety (even if the decorative diffuser is broken, no harmful substances will enter the room).

Two disadvantages:

• The direction of the light flux places high demands on the design of the diffuser.
• Still, they are expensive (we are talking about high-quality brands, nameless mid-level products are quite affordable).

If the price issue is regulated by the selection of the manufacturer, then design features It’s not always possible to simply replace the lamp in your favorite chandelier. Of course, there is a wide selection of classic pear-shaped LED lamps that fit any size.
But it is precisely in this design that the “ambush” lies.

We have before us a high-quality (at the same time relatively inexpensive) lamp with a brightness of 1000 Lm (equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent lamp) and a power consumption of 13 W. These LED light sources have been working for me for many years, the light is pleasant warm light(temperature 2700 K), and no brightness degradation is observed over time.
But for powerful light, serious cooling is required. Therefore, 2/3 of the body of this lamp consists of a radiator. It's plastic and doesn't damage appearance, and quite effective. The main drawback follows from the design - the real light source is the hemisphere at the top of the lamp. This makes it difficult to select a lamp - not every horn chandelier will have such a lamp look harmonious.
There is only one way out - to buy ready-made LED lamps, the configuration of which was initially designed for specific light sources.
The key word is buy. What should you do with your favorite floor lamps, chandeliers and other lamps in your apartment?

Therefore, it was decided to design LED lamps ourselves.

The main criterion is cost minimization.
There are two main directions in the development of LED light sources:
1. Use of low-power (up to 0.5 W) LEDs. You need a lot of them, you can configure any shape. No need for a powerful radiator (they heat up little). A significant drawback is more painstaking assembly.
2. Use of powerful (1 W - 5 W) LED elements. Efficiency is high, labor costs are several times less. But point radiation requires the selection of a diffuser, and good radiators are needed to implement the project.
For experimental designs, I chose the first option. The most inexpensive “raw materials”: ​​5 mm LEDs with a dispersion of 120° in a transparent housing. They are called "straw hats".

The characteristics are as follows:

• forward current = 20 mA (0.02 A)
• voltage drop across 1 diode = 3.2-3.4 volts
• color – warm white

Such goodness is sold for 3 rubles a bunch on any radio market.
I bought several packs 100 pcs. on aliexpress(link to purchase). It cost a little less than 1 rub. a piece.

As power supplies (more precisely, current sources), I decided to use a proven circuit with a quenching (ballast) capacitor. The advantages of such a driver are extreme low cost and minimal energy consumption. Since there is no PWM controller or linear current stabilizer, excess energy does not escape into the atmosphere: in this circuit there are no elements with a heat-dissipating radiator.
Disadvantage: lack of current stabilization. That is, if the mains voltage is unstable, the brightness of the glow will change. My outlet has exactly 220 (+/- 2 volts), so this circuit is just right.
The element base is also not expensive.

• diode bridges of the KTs405A series (any diodes can be used, even Schottky ones)
• film capacitors with a voltage of 630 volts (with a reserve)
• 1-2 watt resistors
• electrolytic capacitors 47 mF at 400 volts (you can take a larger capacity, but this goes beyond the scope of economy)
• little things like a breadboard and fuses are usually in the arsenal of any radio amateur

In order not to invent a housing with an E27 cartridge, we use burnt-out (another reason to abandon them) housekeepers.

After carefully (on the street!) removing the flask with mercury vapor, you are left with an excellent workpiece for creativity.

The basis of the basics is the calculation and principle of operation of a current driver with a quenching capacitor

A typical diagram is shown in the illustration:

How the scheme works:

Resistor R1 limits the current surge when power is applied until the circuit stabilizes (about 1 second). Value from 50 to 150 Ohm. Power 2 W.
Resistor R2 ensures the operation of the ballast capacitor. Firstly, it discharges it when the power is turned off. At a minimum, to prevent you from being shocked when unscrewing the light bulb. The second task is to prevent a current surge in the case when the polarity of the charged capacitor and the first half-wave of 220 volts do not coincide.
Actually, the damping capacitor C1 is the basis of the circuit. It is a kind of current filter. By selecting the capacitance, you can set any current in the circuit. For our diodes it should not exceed 20 mA at peak mains voltage.
Next, the diode bridge works (after all, LEDs are elements with polarity).
Electrolytic capacitor C2 is needed to prevent the lamp from flickering. LEDs have no inertia when turned on and off. Therefore, the eye will see a flicker with a frequency of 50 Hz. By the way, cheap ones are guilty of this chinese lamps. The quality of the capacitor is checked using any digital camera, even a smartphone. Looking at the burning diodes through a digital matrix, you can see blinking, indistinguishable to the human eye.
In addition, this electrolyte provides an unexpected bonus: the lamps do not turn off immediately, but with a noble slow attenuation until the capacity is discharged.
The quenching capacitor is calculated using the formula:
I = 200*C*(1.41*U network - U led)
I – resulting circuit current in amperes
200 is a constant (network frequency 50Hz * 4)
1.41 – constant
C – capacitance of capacitor C1 (quenching) in farads
U network - estimated network voltage (ideally 220 volts)
U led – total voltage drop across the LEDs (in our case – 3.3 volts, multiplied by the number of LED elements)
By selecting the number of LEDs (with a known voltage drop) and the capacity of the quenching capacitor, it is necessary to achieve the required current. It should not be higher than specified in the characteristics of the LEDs. It is the strength of the current that you regulate the brightness of the glow, and inversely proportional to the lifespan of the LEDs.
For convenience, you can create a formula in Excel.

The circuit has been tested several times, the first copy was assembled almost 3 years ago, it works in a kitchen lamp, there have been no malfunctions.
Let's move on to the practical implementation of projects. There is no point in discussing the number of LED elements and capacitor capacity in individual circuits: the projects are individual for each lamp. Calculated strictly according to the formula. The above circuit for 60 LEDs with a 68 microfarad capacitor is not just an example, but a real calculation for a current in the circuit of 15 mA (to extend the life of the lights).

LED lamp in a chandelier

We use the gutted cartridge from the housekeeper as a housing for the circuit and supporting structure. In this project I did not use a breadboard; I assembled the driver on a 1 mm thick PVC roundel. It turned out to be just the right size. Two capacitors - due to the selection of capacitance: the required number of microfarads was not found in one element.

A yogurt jar was used as a housing to house the LED elements. In the design I also used scraps of 3 mm foamed PVC sheets.

After assembly it turned out neat and even beautiful. This arrangement of the socket is associated with the shape of the chandelier: the horns are directed upward, towards the ceiling.

Next we place the LEDs: according to the scheme, 150 pcs. We pierce the plastic with an awl, labor costs: one full evening.

Looking ahead, I will say: the material of the case did not justify itself, it is too thin. The next lamp was made from 1 mm PVC sheet. To give it a shape, I calculated the cone scan for the same 150 diodes.

It turned out not so elegant, but reliable, and holds its shape perfectly. The lamp is completely hidden in the chandelier arm, so appearance is not so important.

Actually, installation.

It shines evenly and doesn’t hurt your eyes.

I didn’t measure the lumens, but it felt brighter than a 40 W incandescent lamp, a little weaker than 60 W.

LED lamp in a flat ceiling lamp for the kitchen

An ideal donor for such a project. All LEDs will be located in the same plane.

We draw a template and cut out a matrix to accommodate the LED elements. With this diameter, a flat PVC sheet will be deformed. So I used the bottom of a plastic bucket of construction mixtures. There is a stiffening rib along the outer contour.

The diodes are installed using the usual awl: 2 holes according to the markings.

If you are interested in how to make an LED lamp with your own hands at home, then we will provide several step by step instructions with photo and video examples that will allow you to assemble an LED light bulb in no more than an hour. All ideas provided below will be listed from the simplest to the most complex, allowing you to choose suitable option depending on your skills in handling a soldering iron and electrical circuits.

Idea No. 1 – Upgrading a halogen light bulb

The easiest way is to make an LED lamp yourself from a burnt-out halogen light bulb with -GU4. In this case, you will need the following materials and tools:

• LEDs. Choose their number yourself depending on how bright the LED lighting should be. We immediately draw your attention to the fact that you should not choose more than 22 diodes (this will complicate the assembly process and also make the light bulb too bright).
• Super glue (regular glue will do, but it will take longer to harden, which will not allow you to make an LED lamp quickly).
• A small piece of copper wire.
• Resistors. Their number and power will be calculated by an online calculator.
• A small piece of aluminum sheet ( Alternative option- an ordinary can of beer or carbonated drink).
• Internet access. You will need to open a special online calculator to calculate the LED lamp circuit.
• Hammer, soldering iron and hole punch.

Having prepared all the materials, you can proceed directly to assembling the diode light bulb. We will provide instructions for creating a homemade one step by step, with photo examples of each stage, so that you can clearly see the installation process.

So, to make a 12 volt LED lamp, you need to follow these steps:

1. Remove the top glass from the old halogen light bulb, as well as the white putty near the pin base (as shown in the photo below). The best way to do this is to use a screwdriver.
   
2. Turn the lamp upside down and carefully use a hammer to knock the pins out of their seats. The old halogen bulb should fall out.
   
3. According to the number of LEDs you have chosen, come up with a diagram of their location, based on which make a paper stencil. You can use an existing blank and print one of the ready-made diagrams shown in the picture:
4. Glue the stencil to a sheet of aluminum using super glue, cut the sheet to the shape of the stencil, then use a hole punch to make seats for the LEDs.
   
5. Generate an LED lamp assembly drawing on the Internet for your conditions. In our case, to create an LED light bulb at home from 22 diodes, you need to assemble the following circuit:
   
6. Place the aluminum disk on a convenient stand and insert the LEDs into the seats, as shown in the photo. To simplify the soldering process, bend the cathode leg of one diode to the anode leg of the other.
   
7. Carefully glue all the LEDs, making them a single structure. Important point– glue should not get on the legs of the diodes, because When soldering, extremely unpleasant smoke will be released.
   
8. Once the glue has hardened, start soldering the legs. By the way, we recommend that you do this, which also won’t take much time. According to the diagram, solder the diodes of the LED lamp, leaving only one positive leg and one negative leg for connecting power. It is recommended to cut the “-” leg in half so as not to subsequently confuse the polarity of the contacts of a homemade LED light bulb.
   
   
9. According to the diagram, solder resistors to the negative contacts. As a result, according to our example, there should be 6 positive terminals and 6 negative terminals (with resistors).
   
10. Solder the resistors according to the generated circuit.
    
11. Solder an identical piece of copper wire to the resulting two contacts, which will result in making a pin base for an LED lamp at home. By analogy with the previous advice, temporarily make one leg shorter (negative) so that you don’t confuse anything later and make the connection correctly.
    
    
12. To prevent this from happening in the future, carefully glue the space between the removed legs.
    
13. Complete the final assembly of the LED light bulb: place the disk on the reflector and carefully glue it.
    
14. Use a marker to sign on the body of the assembled LED lamp where “+” and where “-”, also indicate that homemade source The light is designed to be connected to a 12 Volt power supply, not 220.
    
    
15. Check the assembled homemade product. To do this, connect the LED light bulb to a car battery or 220/12 Volt power supply.
    

Like this in a simple way You can make an LED lamp with your own hands from available materials. As you can see, there is nothing complicated and you don’t need to spend much time on assembly! We recommend that you check out a few best ideas on how to create a light bulb at home, which we provided in the video gallery:

Idea No. 2 – “Housekeeper” in action!

The second, no less interesting idea is to assemble a light bulb from an energy-saving lamp. There is also no particularly serious work involved, and even a not very experienced electrician can handle the assembly.
To begin, you must prepare the following materials and tools to assemble an LED lamp with your own hands:

Having prepared all the materials, you can proceed to assembly. This instruction is more creative, so if you decide to make a diode light bulb from a burnt housekeeper, carefully look at the photo examples.

Stages of work:

Using these instructions, you can easily make an LED lamp from a fluorescent or halogen light bulb!

Idea No. 3 – LED strip as a basis

If you are not so good with a soldering iron and at the same time have no idea how to assemble a circuit on fiberglass, it is better to make an LED lamp with your own hands from LED strip. In this case, instead of a driver, you can use a power supply that converts 220 Volts in the network into 12. The only significant drawback this method– the power supply is large in size, so this option is recommended if you decide to use LED spotlights in the room. You can try to assemble all the light bulbs for them with your own hands and connect them to a single power supply, which can be hidden in the ceiling without any problems.

So all you need to do is:

That's all the instructions for assembling an LED lamp from strip. As you can see, everything is much simpler than even making a light bulb according to the generated diagram. That's it for our simple instructions run out, and now you know how to make an LED lamp with your own hands from an energy-saving light bulb, a diode strip and a halogen light source! We hope that the ideas provided were useful and understandable for you!

Related materials:

I’ve been wanting to make something LED for a long time, I even ordered something like this from China set of single-watt LEDs and driver to them. And the other day they gave away a completely burnt-out fluorescent lamp (photo below) as unnecessary. I decided to practice on the body of this lamp, turning it into an LED lamp. You can, of course, bring this lamp back to life by purchasing and replacing the burnt-out electronic ballast with a similar one. Or don’t buy anything at all, but install compact electronic ballast boards from energy-saving lamps, fortunately there are already a dozen of them, because these energy-saving lamps are dying like flies. But since I haven’t yet connected anything more powerful than these LED pimples, I decided to completely remake this fluorescent lamp to see how they generally shine and whether it’s worth making something out of them.

Initially, this lamp was equipped with two 18 W lamps. But since one lamp holder burned out and almost completely melted (photo below), in general, only one lamp was used for some time. The other day, the last lamp suddenly went out, after which this lamp moved to me for repair or disposal.

At first glance, the electronics seemed to be in good working order, except that the film on the fuse had melted. But as soon as I pulled it out of the box, it immediately became clear that this board would no longer work without a multimeter, because traces of a mini fire were clearly visible at the bottom of the box :-) On the board itself, the tracks were partially burnt out and the legs of the capacitor in the center were burnt. In general, it’s not in vain that they say that the fuse is always the last to burn.

According to the Chinese, this driver is 8-12 W and with a current of ~300 mA, so I decided to attach two strings of 10 LEDs to it in parallel. Theoretically, the total power of all LEDs will be 10 W, but the current (300 mA) on the two threads will be halved and will be ~150 mA for each branch. The disadvantage of such a garden is that the LEDs shine twice as weakly. Plus - less heating and long life of the diodes (I think so). Don’t delve too deeply into my drunken delirium, because I don’t understand anything about electrics and often put everything together at random :-)

Unfortunately, of all the gifts received the other day, the heat-conducting glue with which this lamp could be assembled much easier has still not arrived from China. And since I wanted to assemble the lamp here and now, instead of hot glue I decided to use springs cut with tin scissors. Moreover, this piece of hardware will serve as an additional radiator and take a little heat away from the flashlights. In general, a little math with drawing, after which we drill holes and cut the plates.

This is how this tin will attract LEDs to the aluminum profile of the lamp.

Using sandpaper, we get rid of the paint so that it does not interfere with the removal of heat from the LEDs.

To connect the LEDs into chains, I decided to use ordinary varnished wire, since it does not need to be cleaned, because under the soldering iron the varnish crumbles off with a bang, and the wire is tinned accordingly. Although later it caused more headaches, since this wire was rigid and constantly interfered with adjusting the position of the LEDs on the profile. By the way, the legs of the LEDs had to be straightened, since they were initially curved closer to the base of the LED.

Test assembly of the lamp. By the way, if you are assembling something such as 1 W LEDs, be sure to test the LED leads with a tester or multimeter for a short circuit relative to their metal base. Since after completely assembling both chains of diodes and installing them on the lamp profile, my multimeter showed a short circuit of one diode terminal to the lamp body. As it turned out, the contact was from the base of one LED, while the LED itself was working and glowed beautifully.

There is no thermally conductive glue yet, but here is the KPT-8 thermal paste, which was left over from assembling and upgrading home computers, at least chew it :-)

We dig out any bulkheads that previously held fluorescent lamp sockets, thereby freeing up space for the LED driver.

While these single-watt LEDs did not have a heatsink, it was difficult to test the future lamp, since without proper cooling they almost instantly became hot. Now you can (even need) to make fun of the lamp to the fullest in order to reveal all its weak sides. In general, the lamp works great, within an hour continuous operation, the profile under the LEDs became a little warm. But the driver heats up noticeably, especially this square transformer or inductor, I don’t really know what to call this gadget. I tried to leave only one chain of LEDs (10 pieces), this did not make much difference, it still gets very hot. For now I decided to leave everything as it is, and at the same time ordered a handful more different drivers from Ali. Let's wait and see, maybe another driver circuit won't heat the room so much :-)

The body of the lamp is a little worn out by time, so I decided to lighten it slightly. We dismantle the diodes, put tape under the tins, and screw them into place.

There was no white gloss available, so I had to use primer. Before painting, caulk any holes with newspaper.

As a result, we get unpainted sections of the profile for installing LEDs.

Since it’s quite cramped under the plates and you can’t see what’s going on there, and I didn’t really want to re-solder this bunch of diodes in order to put heat shrink on the terminals. I stupidly decided to insulate them with thermal tape (photo below), which I also ordered from Ali.

We finally assemble the lamp.

We wash the corrugated glass from soot.

During testing, I installed this wonderful lamp above the kitchen sink, next to the old fluorescent lamp (photo below), which I decided not to remove for now. If this remake works for at least six months or a year, then it will be possible to get rid of the luminescent old man. Initially, I did not install the button, because it was unknown where I would subsequently install this lamp. And after I found a place for it in the kitchen and finally decided on a place for the switch, I drilled and bored a rectangular hole in the profile of the lamp for an illuminated switch.

There is one in an old lamp Fluorescent Lamp at 18W. From the animation below you can roughly see how much brighter the LED lamp shines compared to the old one. The comparison is, of course, not a reference one, because the glass on the old lamp was burnt out (turned yellow), and the direction of the light was slightly different, but still.

In general, the lamp shines quite brightly, and at first glance it is even brighter than a regular 60 W lamp, while the power of the lamp itself is about 10 W. I don’t have any lux meters, so a little later I’ll add photos to compare the brightness of this homemade LED lamp with regular Ilyich bulbs. And since the lamp contains warm LEDs, I think it will be easier to compare two yellow bulbs by eye than a cold one with a warm one.

Below I have listed the main components for assembling this lamp, which were purchased on Ali.

Afterword 1

Instead of photos, I took a video on my mobile phone for comparison (a little lower in the topic). In the video, at the beginning there is a 60W incandescent lamp, and then this lamp. The not-so-warm glow of the LEDs is slightly noticeable, but you shouldn’t be too surprised because LEDs also have some variation in color temperatures into very cold, slightly cold, warm, possibly warm, hot, very hot :-) And considering that I took the diodes from Ali , then the good news is that at least they are not lilac. The shadow on objects is also slightly blurred, but this is due to the half-meter spread of LEDs across the surface of the lamp profile. In general, I expected the worst from these LEDs, but it turned out that they shine quite brightly, and this with such a clumsy connection (~150mA per chain). I'll have to try to reassemble some kind of energy-saving lamp in the apartment. Although I doubt that a handful of 10-15W diodes will surpass the brightness of a 25W energy-saving device. On the other hand, if you prioritize durability over energy savings, then yes, it makes sense to switch to LED lamps.

Afterword 2

In general, I got to the usual wall and ceiling lamps in the apartment, because LEDs, drivers and thermally conductive glue arrived from China the other day. And so that all these drivers would not be lying around idle, I decided to install them in lamps and thereby put them on the meter, since I myself was interested in how reliable they are and how long they will last. So if anyone is interested in looking at all this disgrace and what came out of it in the end, then here it is, and here it is.

As lighting elements, LEDs have appeared on the market relatively recently. The first LEDs were created in 1962, they emitted a weak red light. Such devices were not used for lighting due to the fact that they emitted a very narrow spectrum of light, and their price was quite high.

LED home lighting

With the development of LED manufacturing technology, other colors of the visible spectrum of radiation appeared, the cost of production decreased, and the range of application of light-emitting devices expanded. But they were still far from economical lighting systems. They were mainly used for display in electrical and radio devices. Positive qualities were low energy consumption and durability.

LEDs of different colors and shapes

Pros of LED lighting

Lighting using LED panels has become widely used with the advent of LEDs with an efficiency of more than 50%, while an incandescent lamp produces 3.5-4% efficiency. Benefitsuhthat lighting system:

• low power consumption;
• environmental friendliness;
• service life of about 30,000 hours;
• reliability;
• unlimited number of on/off switches;
• high light output;
• wide operating range of ambient temperature;
• small geometric dimensions;
• the ability to obtain the desired radiation spectrum (red, yellow, green, white);
• the ability to regulate the intensity of the light flux;
• low operating temperature.

There are many positive qualities, and they give an advantage over traditional incandescent lamps and energy-saving fluorescent lamps.

LED lamp

How to make an LED lamp? It can be made from individual LEDs. To do this, you will need piece emitting diodes. By connecting the required amount in series, you can obtain the specified power.

To protect against failure of elements, it is necessary to install a resistor that will limit the current in the semiconductor circuit.

Regardless of the supply voltage of such a lamp, 220 V or 12 V from the car, the resistor is calculated so that the operating current does not exceed the rating values ​​of the diode. After assembly and testing, you can build the structure into the base of a regular incandescent light bulb. A homemade LED lamp is no worse than a factory one, and even has the advantage that if it fails, it can be easily fixed, which cannot be said about factory-made products.

LED lights

Lamps in which the active element is an LED are called LED lamps. You can use an existing chandelier by inserting a semiconductor lamp into it, or you can make a diode lamp with your own hands to use it to illuminate your home. If you have the skills, you can make a lamp from an LED strip using the developed circuit diagrams .

LED strip for making a lamp

The strip is a set of LEDs connected together properly at the factory. It can be cut into sections and connected into parallel and series circuits. A current limiting resistor is built into the circuit. The supply voltage is usually 12, 24, 36 and 220 V.

By combining the number of sections, you can obtain the required illumination and power consumption. To connect to a 220 V network, you can assemble a voltage reduction circuit if you plan to use it for car lighting ( for voltage 12V). When using a 12V strip of LEDs, special drivers are used, or it is worth spending time making a homemade power supply device.

DIY lamp

You can create a design for a ceiling, wall, floor or table lamp to suit your taste and fit the existing interior. You can use any available materials: from balloons to iron structures.

It is necessary to decide on the type of LEDs or finished tape used. If these are diodes, calculate the required quantity; if the tape, calculate the required length.

This data will be needed to calculate the power consumed by the lamp.

The LEDs are connected in series in groups of 3-4, depending on the operating voltage of the diode, and a limiting resistor is placed in series with them to prevent the diode from burning out when the rated current is exceeded. If it is necessary to increase the luminous flux, another 2-3 such blocks are installed in parallel. This way you can make a table lamp or a car lamp.

Power consumption is known. One option is to purchase a driver. Its parameters must correspond to the consumption parameters of the lamp or be slightly larger.

If the consumption parameters are greater than the driver parameters, it will fail and, quite likely, the LED structure itself will fail.

12V power supply circuit

Transformer T1 with parameters: input voltage 220 V, output voltage 9-12 V. You can use a ready-made transformer from an old TV. The next element is the diode bridge D1-D4. Subject to availability diode bridge from charger car, you can use it. The voltage for which the diodes are designed must be higher than 12 V, and the rectification current is greater than the current consumption of the LED lamp.

Element A1 is any voltage stabilizer with an operating current exceeding the current consumption of the lamp, and an output voltage of 12 V. All circuit elements are available in any radio parts store. You can assemble and solder the circuit using a soldering iron, securing all the parts in plastic case. Printed installation will be unnecessary here; a mounted one will do, subject to the rules of high-quality soldering.

The 220 V input circuit voltage is dangerous to human life. When working, you must follow safety regulations.

After completing the installation, you need to secure all the parts in the case and bring out two wires for connecting the input voltage and two for 12V. Be sure to mark the input “+” and “-” output wires to prevent polarity reversal. From practice: the red wire means positive, the blue wire negative.

This diode lamp for the home is made with your own hands; it pleases the eye and saves energy.

Car lamp

The car battery voltage is 12 V. When the car operates at high speeds, the generator produces a higher voltage - 14-14.5 V. This is necessary to charge the car battery. It is important to take this information into account in order to assemble an energy-saving lamp for your car.

Illumination of the underbody of the car with LED strip

If you use an LED strip for this, then you do not need to use any additional circuitry. Take a 12V strip, cut it to the required size and, observing the polarity, connect it to the car's network instead of a regular light bulb.

With my own hands. Video

How to assemble an LED lamp with your own hands for a suspended ceiling is shown in the video below.

Using a tape to highlight the underbody, you can get a very beautiful effect. The resulting lighting system can be called energy-saving, because the car’s energy consumption will be significantly reduced.