Case in point, [bigclivedotcom] has been testing of some 100 Watt LEDs from eBay. When these LEDs work correctly, they put out a face-melting beam of light that you wouldn’t dare looking into (picture the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark). They also have some unusual specs for an LED, like running on 30 Volts – and that’s a lot compared to the forward voltage of most LEDs at around 2.5 volts@20 mA.
So what gives? Well many of these high-wattage LEDs use a string of several LEDs in series.
And as [bigclivedotcom] points out, this can be a real problem when a few of the LEDs begin to fail
Testing a mains voltage LED from China. This one is rated 220V and 20W. It really can be connected directly to AC mains with no LED driver. 30W and 50W versions are also available. In the listings it’s called “smart IC” or “integrated driver” or “driverless” COB LED.
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3 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Some comments on some higher power COB LEDs:
Why 100 Watt eBay LEDs Are Not Your Friends
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/14/why-100-watt-ebay-leds-are-not-your-friends/
Case in point, [bigclivedotcom] has been testing of some 100 Watt LEDs from eBay. When these LEDs work correctly, they put out a face-melting beam of light that you wouldn’t dare looking into (picture the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark). They also have some unusual specs for an LED, like running on 30 Volts – and that’s a lot compared to the forward voltage of most LEDs at around 2.5 volts@20 mA.
So what gives? Well many of these high-wattage LEDs use a string of several LEDs in series.
And as [bigclivedotcom] points out, this can be a real problem when a few of the LEDs begin to fail
Testing dodgy 100W LEDs from ebay sellers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjKgPLeJ79Q
I bought some from two different ebay sellers based in China and deliberately tried two different price ranges to see how price affected quality.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The clown-science of crappy 100W LEDs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wR_mFWeI6Y
Your big-top circus guide to why so many 100W LEDs are a pile of elephant poo.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mains Voltage LED (and how NOT to handle mains voltage!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PklaByEQSZA
Testing a mains voltage LED from China. This one is rated 220V and 20W. It really can be connected directly to AC mains with no LED driver. 30W and 50W versions are also available. In the listings it’s called “smart IC” or “integrated driver” or “driverless” COB LED.