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DIY LED Light Build


sean144

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I am in the finishing stages of building my own led light. I am having an issue with my wiring. I was only trying to test one string at a time. So I have all the Neutral Whites wired negative to positive. But I can only seem to get one led to light at a time. I have moved the negative and positive wires coming from the driver to several of the neutral whites and soldered them down and only the individual led that it is connected to lights up and nothing else. I even tried twisting a new connection onto the negative coming from the driver and when soldered to the negative of the led the led lights up, but when I connect the other end of the new connection to the postive of any other led in the string none light up. But as soon as I move the driver connections to each individual led they light up. What is wrong with my connection?

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Was gonna request pics but I thought you had to have a certain post count before. But yeah if you can get pics that would help quite a bit.

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Sorry. I totally forgot to include my pics. As far as what drivers I am using meanwell ldd 1000ma driver (mounted on a coralux 5 up ldd driver board) for the whites I referenced in the original post. The white LED's are CREE XT-E. I am using the Storm controller for the led's. I know my soldering is rough and that some leds will need to be replaced...these were the first few solders I did...the others are better. These 2 LED's pictured the Neutral Whites and each lights up when the driver leads are swapped between the two, but both will not light, at the same time, when i have the driver leads connected to one and and a lead going from the negative terminal of the led with the drivers connected to the positive terminal of any other neutral white in the string. I have tried almost every string I have on my heatsink and all seem to be acting the same.

 

 

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Why do you have the wires soldered right to the board and not screwed into the terminal blocks? Couple other things man, you have WAY too much exposed bare wire, and are you using nylon washers between the bolt head and the LED?



Also, second pic, why is only the negative (I think its the negative) hooked up?

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Wow... you need to work on your soldering... Your soldering Iron is too hot, thats where the burn marks are coming from, and your using way too much solder.

 

I'm guessing that you have created a short. Either your burnt through the insulation on the star, or you have solder going over the edge of the insulation and is touching the star's base.

 

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Not too hot.

 

Not hot enough, with far far too prolonged soldering attempt.

 

Those poor LEDs are crying.

 

It should be a tap to tin the pad. Tap to tin the wire. Tap to solder wire to pad.

 

You've cut through the insulation layer with those screws and grounded the circuits.

 

You are in way over your head, sadly.

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Also it looks like your using flux solder. Flux is conductive, it will carry current from one point to another and cause shorts. Get some high grade alcohol and a soft toothbrush and clean all of the solder joints.

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Yes I have the nylon washers between. I have a 60w soldering iron as well as a 25w. The 25 watt seemed to take too long to melt the solder. So I used my 60w, which explains the burn marks. As for the second pic only having the negative that was before I switched it to the positive lead. I was showing that with the driver leads going to led in the first pic and another negative lead coming off that and going to the positive on the second led.....only the first led would light. But as soon as I move the driver leads to the second led and swap the secondary negative lead to the positive of the first led, then the second led light and the first is dark. I just dont understand how I can have power to one led and when I swap the leads to terminals I know work I still cant get more than one led to light.

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Also, dling.....thanks for the tip about cleaning thr flux off....and happyhour for the vids. I dont see how thr screws can be cutting through the insulation....they are in a premade groove and only a little last snug (just enough to hold led in place).

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Also, dling.....thanks for the tip about cleaning thr flux off....and happyhour for the vids. I dont see how thr screws can be cutting through the insulation....they are in a premade groove and only a little last snug (just enough to hold led in place).

 

Well, its your shit thats not working.

 

We are half a country away from you trying to help you.

 

If your shit were working, then you could tell is what is or what isnt shorted out.

 

Honestly, I dont think Ive ever seen a worse solder job, ever. Its so bad, I dont think anyone could ever instruct you to fix it where it would be usable, much less nice. Jethro Clampett would go, "dang, thats some Oakey hillbilly work."

 

Sell your stuff in the hardware classifieds. Buy a commercial fixture. Thats safety advice. You could set something on fire thats not suppose to be on fire.

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