Homemade LED lamps. Assembling an LED lamp at home

Economical semiconductor elements, from which you can make LED lamps with your own hands, appeared on our market relatively recently. The first samples of products made from LED lamps were developed back in 1962, but their quality left much to be desired (modern models are pictured below).

This was explained by the fact that a homemade LED lamp in those years could only be made on the basis of semiconductor devices emitting in a very narrow range of the light spectrum (only red). In addition, these elements had a high cost, as a result of which it was not feasible from an economic point of view to make homemade illuminators from them. With the advent of new technologies, it was possible to expand the emission spectrum of semiconductor components to yellow, green and white colors.

At the same time, the cost of these products sharply decreased, so the task of making a lamp from LEDs with your own hands no longer seemed so difficult to accomplish.

Features of choosing LEDs

Requirements for lighting elements

Before you make an LED lamp with your own hands, you definitely need to decide which emitting diodes are optimally suited for these purposes.

Additional information. In general, it is possible to make a lamp based on LEDs only if their efficiency exceeds 50% (compare: for a conventional incandescent lamp this figure is only 3.5-4%).

Features of the selection of these elements require taking into account the following determining factors:

• The ability to obtain a do-it-yourself lamp made from LEDs (red, yellow, green or white) suitable for given conditions. A sample of a product with a white glow is shown in the photo below;

• High luminous efficiency of a homemade lamp;
• Low power consumption when powered from a household network;
• Long service life (at least 30,000 hours) and environmental friendliness;
• Reliability of the LED design (ability to withstand an unlimited number of switches on and off).

These products must provide the ability to control the intensity of the light flux, as well as ensure low temperature in the area where the emitting elements are located.

Selection order

All the above conditions are fully satisfied by modern LED LED lamps for the home, the range of which is widely represented on the domestic market.

Let us add to this that the manufacture of a homemade structure will not require the expenditure of additional material resources. For these purposes, old electronic components and products containing relevant parts may well be suitable.

An excellent example of a rational approach to their manufacture can be a lamp from a TV with an LCD screen (not working for some reason), from which you can “borrow” working LED backlights. An example of such a display is shown in the photo below.

Lamp design and circuit

Design Features

In order to have a clear idea of ​​how to do led lamp With your own hands, first of all, you need to decide on the following questions:

• Type and supply voltage of a diode light bulb, soldered from an old device and intended for use in a lamp;
• The number of emitting lamps required to obtain the required light output;
• Possible diagrams for connecting them to a household power supply circuit, used specifically for LEDs.

If led light bulb It is made with your own hands from improvised means and old elements; before using them, you need to decide on the voltage that will be supplied to it.

Important! Before you collect electronic circuit, you should definitely check the performance of used products by applying operating voltage to them from an external source (battery, for example). In this case, one should not forget about observing the polarity of the inclusion of semiconductor elements.

To obtain the required light output, you will need to connect the required number of them in series to provide the given emitting power. This option is most often explored in the case when an LED chandelier is made by hand (it may include several separate lamps).

Circuit solutions and details

Most modern LEDs are designed for relatively low constant voltages (from 4.5 to 12 Volts), as a result of which special converting circuits are used to connect them to the power supply network.

Additional information. The best option is a circuit that operates on the principle of pulse conversion (it can be taken from an energy-saving lamp, the lamp of which has burned out, but the electronic ballast module is still working).

Due to the possibility of such a choice, a DIY table LED lamp made from old parts and blanks must be equipped with a standard base suitable for a classic socket.

To power such LED lamps, a simple rectifier circuit using semiconductor diodes designed for a voltage of about 400 Volts is sometimes used. A limiting resistor is connected in series with the diode bridge, the resistance of which is sufficient to reduce the potential on the light bulb to 5-12 Volts.

We assemble the working circuit in such a way that an electrolytic capacitor with a nominal capacity of 500 to 2200 microfarads (the more, the better) is connected in parallel to the rectifier bridge with a resistor. This element, designed for approximately 25 Volts, is necessary for the final rectification of the supply voltage (smoothing out residual ripples).

Strip LEDs

The strip design is a set of identical LEDs, combined according to a certain pattern during their production (that is, in the factory). It already has a built-in limiting element (resistor) and can be cut into separate sections connected into parallel, mixed and serial chains.

Additional information. Strip LED structures, as a rule, are designed for a constant voltage of 12V (as well as 24, 36 and 220 Volts), which is supplied to them from a ready-made rectifier unit.

Due to an arbitrary combination of sections connected in different ways, it is possible to obtain lighting devices with a given illumination and power consumption. To connect such a design to a 220V household network, you will need a special module that reduces the supply voltage to the required value.

Any homemade lamp from an LED strip should be calculated for a certain number of elements, on which the total luminous flux of the finished product will depend (a sample of it is given below).

A classic do-it-yourself LED strip lamp assembled from a set of a certain length can be made as a floor lamp with four edges, each of which contains a section of 5-7 diodes.

The strip of LEDs placed in this way is connected in parallel with the remaining segments and connected to a power supply unit designed for output voltage 12 Volts, and the load current is about 0.5 Amperes.

Thus, the initially seemingly complex question of how to make a lamp from an LED strip can in fact be solved quite simply if you have the necessary power supply at your disposal.

Homemade lamps in the car

Automotive homemade products for car interior lighting are noticeably easier to manufacture than the previously discussed products. The fact is that in this case the user already has at his disposal the vehicle’s on-board voltage of 12 Volts, the connection of which to the lamp should simply be arranged accordingly.

To do this, you can use the cigarette lighter socket in the car, which receives constant voltage from the battery. Thus, in order to connect an LED lamp used for a car, it is enough to purchase a matching part of the cigarette lighter socket (see the figure below).

After soldering the supply wires to the proprietary connector, based on all the parts of the supply unit assembled together, a ready-made module is obtained for connecting a homemade lamp.

Pay attention! In this case, a strip LED design rated for 12 Volts can also be used in its manufacture, although a special driver will be required to connect it.

In conclusion of the review, we note that a DIY LED lamp or luminaire is almost in no way inferior to a branded product. If you comply with all the conditions discussed above, then, as a rule, no problems arise with their manufacture and operation.

Video

Thanks to their many positive qualities, reliability, and practicality, LED lamps conquered the market almost from the first moments of their appearance. Lamps with LED light sources have a long service life, do not heat up during operation, consume a minimum amount of energy with a high dissipated power of the emitted light flux. The peculiarity of the operation of LEDs is related to the manufacturing technology of the p-n junction and the choice of crystal. Modern technologies make it possible to produce very bright LEDs with a luminous flux of 4000 K, which is much more than even economical fluorescent lamps can emit.

Lamps are available with a yellow or white glow, so customers can choose the most suitable light sources for their room. Yellow ones, having a glow temperature of 6000 K, create a warm glow, and white ones, with 4000 K, create a cold glow.

LED lamps are more cost effective than incandescent or "energy saving" lamps, but due to manufacturing features Because of their design complexity, they are more expensive. Although, comparing the design and manufacturability of fluorescent light sources, we can conclude that the production of LEDs is simpler.

Considering the high price of LED lamps, many people want to make it themselves, especially since all the necessary parts can be purchased on the radio market. What can't you say about the mercury lamp, in which not only the power board is complex, but also the gas flask is an inaccessible element. Therefore, if you want to make high-quality LED lamps for a greenhouse with your own hands, then this can be done quite simply.

Gallery: DIY LED lamps (25 photos)

Scope of application

The advantage of LED light sources is their versatility. Manufacturers produce LED matrices or LEDs themselves that vary in emission power, shape and number of elements. Therefore it is possible design lamps at your discretion, either a standard base from a broken lamp or a specialized one in accordance with the requirements for connecting to a driver or control board.

The advantage of LED light sources is that the brightness of the light can be controlled by changing the voltage at its input. Thus, you can get a shade from barely noticeable to overly bright. This property makes it possible to create many useful things:

Country houses on the site subject to registration in 2019

LEDs are used in many areas due to their practical qualities. They are actively used in industry, everyday life, medicine, and preschool institutions.

DIY making

There are many different forms of lamps and lighting systems that can be made with your own hands in a housing, or maybe ready-made tape used, which is also very convenient. For example, when creating backlighting for a keyboard or shelves in a closet.

What is required to make a LED lamp? You don’t have to think long, because LED light sources are universal. They can be connected to AC or DC voltage of any rating. It is enough to make quality driver or control unit and correctly position the LEDs on the plate.

Mounting and installation

Before you start making an LED lamp, you should think about its purpose. If it is installed in a standard cartridge, then this will require a base E27, E14, G9. You can take it from any old light bulb, for example, a fluorescent one. The same principle is followed when lighting a greenhouse with LED lamps.

Depending on the purpose, LED lamps can also be different. Some are intended for general lighting, for use as night lights or as a phytolamp for growing plants. In the first case for the manufacture of lamps bright LEDs with a cold or warm glow are used, which is most preferable. From the point of view of the effect on human vision, it is better to buy lamps with a yellow glow, the same applies to the choice of LEDs themselves.

And when we're talking about about a night light or dim backlight, then to make it you should choose colors other than white or use low-brightness lighting modes. If it is necessary make a phytolamp for growing plants, then it is better to choose red and blue colors of the light flux. It is the spectrum of these shades that has a beneficial effect on growth and ensures intensive development of plants.

How to make a phytolamp

LED lamps are widely used, especially often used for growing plants in greenhouses. For this, the so-called phytolamp is used. Its peculiarity lies in the spectrum of light. Plants grow well in red, blue and yellow shades of light. For example, red promotes better photosynthesis, blue stimulates the intensity of growth at the cellular level, and yellow enriches the plant with other important components. Therefore, DIY LED lamps will be an ideal option, especially when it comes to growing plants.

How many square meters in 1 are of land

But in order for the plant to really grow intensively in the greenhouse, strengthen and form faster, it is necessary to maintain the proportion of the amount of red light to blue in a ratio of 1:3. And add a little yellow. A plant in such conditions much stronger, more resilient and healthier. Therefore, if you decide to grow seedlings, you can make a phytolamp with your own hands. To do this, you will need to buy a strip or combine red and blue LED colors in greenhouse lights. Such lighting in a greenhouse will not require significant material waste, because the price of materials is lower than that of a finished phytolamp.

Thanks to the ability to place lighting sources in any convenient place, you can save on electricity. For example, the tape can be stretched over the plants themselves, eliminating unnecessary waste on lighting the space of the entire greenhouse.

To make a lamp, you do not need to buy special LEDs; market ones or those ordered from an online store are quite suitable for greenhouses. On sale available various models , it is important that the brightness is sufficient and the color matches the effective spectrum.

Basic design

When it comes to making your own LED lighting for greenhouses or for other specific needs, the type of design is selected based on the features of its fastening. If to be installed into a standard pendant lamp with an E27 socket, then, accordingly, it is better to use a standard base.

The light bulb body can be made from any transparent material. But you will get the best effect from direct glow without using various filters. But flasks and diffusers That's exactly what they are. When it comes to making a lamp for household needs, beauty can be put on the back burner.

Selecting a Power Source

LED light sources are universal. They can be connected to any supply voltage. But just to do this you will need to make the necessary driver or simple power supply, the design of the device should be selected based on the location of the lighting arrangement. There is almost always high humidity in the greenhouse, so the power supply must be sealed.

In practice, there are many diagrams for connecting LEDs when making greenhouse lighting with your own hands, powered either from the mains DC voltage 12V and to a 220V AC network. But the formats of the supply circuits do not end there, because any voltage can be used using standard calculations.

How to calculate the power supply

To select the right components and select the correct operating modes of the lighting source for a greenhouse or other place, you need to know the parameters of the LEDs. And these include:

• Supply voltage when connected directly. Almost all LEDs, unless it is an assembly, have a standard supply voltage of 3 V.
• Current consumption when connected directly. A standard p-n junction for normal glow consumes 20-30 mA. But there are also LEDs with increased current up to 100 mA or more, called super-bright. Therefore, it is important to check the parameters in the reference literature, since it is available without restrictions on many portals.
• Peak current and voltage. These values ​​are indirect, but are important when calculating a high-quality and reliable source.

Let's consider an example of calculating a power supply for a lamp with 20 LEDs connected in series-parallel. The first step is to make a reservation. If want to make a truly reliable light source, you will need to add to the circuit:

• Varistor with a pulse voltage of 278 V, provided that a 220 V circuit is connected.
• Electronic fuse, it will protect the device from excess current in the event of one of the LEDs burning out in a short circuit.
• Stabilizer. To increase the reliability of the lamp, a stabilizer of 3V or more should be included in its circuit, depending on the total voltage of the series connection of the LEDs. There are 10 of them in the lamp in question, so the stabilization voltage should be 30 V.

Practical implementation

In practice, the driver circuit is significantly simplified, eliminating all kinds of protections and fuses. Therefore, it is difficult to call ready-made lamps high-quality. But this is not always the case. Expensive LED lamps are equipped with a truly reliable source with all protections.

Devices with coupling capacitor

The most common and practical power supply circuit for LEDs is precisely capacitive source. It takes up little space and does not require many professional skills to manufacture.

The figure previously depicted the classic diagram of a traditional feeder. It has a decoupling capacitor, a discharge resistor, a rectifier and a zener diode. It is not recommended to connect the circuit without load, because amplitude value the voltage will be high and if one of the LED circuits breaks, the zener diode will fail.

Driver for PWM controller

Circuits with a driver on a microcontroller and a transformer are more durable and of higher quality. His scheme shown in the picture higher. This also does not require many details, and the calculation procedure can be found in the description. Everything is implemented quite simply.

Is it possible to make an LED lamp operating on 220 volts from start to finish with your own hands? It turns out that it is possible. Our tips and instructions will help you in this exciting activity.

Advantages of LED lamps

LED lighting in the home is not just modern, but also stylish and bright. Conservative fans of incandescent lamps are left with weak “Ilyich light bulbs” - the Federal Law “On Energy Saving”, adopted in 2009, from January 1, 2011 prohibits the production, import and sale of incandescent lamps with a power of more than 100 W. Advanced users have long switched to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). But LEDs outperform all their predecessors:

• the energy consumption of an LED lamp is 10 times less than that of a corresponding incandescent lamp, and almost 35% less than that of a CFL lamp;
• the luminous intensity of the LED lamp is greater by 8 and 36%, respectively;
• achieving full luminous flux power occurs instantly, unlike CFLs, which require about 2 minutes;
• the cost - provided that the lamp is manufactured independently - tends to zero;
• LED lamps are environmentally friendly because they do not contain mercury;
• LED service life is measured in tens of thousands of hours. Therefore, LED lamps are practically eternal.

Dry numbers confirm: LED is the future.

Design of a modern factory LED lamp

The LED here is initially assembled from many crystals. Therefore, in order to assemble such a lamp, you do not need to solder numerous contacts, you only need to connect one pair.

An LED lamp consists of a base, a driver, a heatsink, the LED itself and a diffuser

Types of LEDs

LED is a semiconductor multilayer crystal with an electron-hole junction. By passing direct current through it, we receive light radiation. An LED also differs from a conventional diode in that if it is connected incorrectly, it immediately burns out, since it has a low breakdown voltage (several volts). If an LED burns out, it must be completely replaced; repair is impossible.

There are four main types of LEDs:

A homemade and properly assembled LED lamp will serve for many years, and it can be repaired.

Before you start self-assembly, we need to choose a power supply method for our future lamp. There are many options: from a battery to a 220-volt AC network - through a transformer or directly.

The easiest way is to assemble a 12-volt LED from a burnt-out halogen. But it will require a fairly massive external power supply. A lamp with a regular base, designed for a voltage of 220 volts, fits any socket in the house.

Therefore, in our guide we will not consider creating a 12-volt LED light source, but will show a couple of options for designing a 220-volt lamp.

Since we do not know the level of your electrical technical training, we cannot guarantee that you will end up with a properly functioning device. In addition, you will be working under life-threatening voltage and if things are not done accurately and incorrectly, damage and loss may occur, for which we will not be held responsible. Therefore, be careful and attentive. And you will succeed.

Drivers for LED lamps

The brightness of LEDs directly depends on the strength of the current passing through them. For stable operation, they need a constant voltage source and a stabilized current that does not exceed the maximum permissible value for them.

Resistors - current limiters - can only be used for low-power LEDs. You can simplify the simple calculation of the number and characteristics of resistors by finding an LED calculator on the Internet, which not only displays data, but also creates a ready-made electrical diagram of the design.

To power the lamp from the mains, you must use a special driver that converts the input alternating voltage into a working voltage for the LEDs. The simplest drivers consist of a minimum number of parts: an input capacitor, several resistors and a diode bridge.

In the simplest driver circuit, the supply voltage is supplied through a limiting capacitor to the rectifier bridge, and then to the lamp

Powerful LEDs are connected through electronic drivers that control and stabilize the current and have high efficiency(90-95%). They provide stable current even with sudden changes in the supply voltage in the network. Resistors cannot do this.

Let's look at the simplest and most commonly used drivers for LED lamps:

• the linear driver is quite simple and is used for low (up to 100 mA) operating currents or in cases where the source voltage is equal to the voltage drop across the LED;
• The switching buck driver is more complex. It allows powerful LEDs to be powered by a source much more high voltage than is necessary for their work. Disadvantages: large size and electromagnetic interference generated by the inductor;
• A switching boost driver is used when the operating voltage of the LED is greater than the voltage received from the power supply. The disadvantages are the same as the previous driver.

To any LED lamp at 220 volts, an electronic driver is always built in to ensure optimal operation.

Most often, several faulty LED lamps are disassembled, the burnt-out LEDs and radio components of the driver are removed, and one new structure is installed from the intact ones.

But you can make an LED lamp from a regular CFL. This is quite an attractive idea. We are sure that many zealous owners keep faulty “energy savers” in their drawers with parts and spare parts. It’s a shame to throw it away, there’s nowhere to use it. Now we will tell you how to create an LED lamp from an energy-saving lamp (E27 base, 220 V) in just a couple of hours.

A faulty CFL always gives us a high-quality base and housing for LEDs. In addition, it is usually the gas-discharge tube that fails, but not the electronic device for “igniting” it. We again put the working electronics in the stash: they can be disassembled, and in capable hands these parts will still serve something good.

Types of modern lamp bases

The base is a threaded system for quickly connecting and fixing the light source and socket, supplying power to the source from the mains and ensuring the tightness of the vacuum flask. The marking of the socles is deciphered as follows:

1. The first letter of the marking indicates the type of base:
   • B - with pin;
   • E - with thread (developed back in 1909 by Edison);
   • F - with one pin;
   • G - with two pins;
   • H - for xenon;
   • K and R - with cable and recessed contact, respectively;
   • P - focusing base (for spotlights and lanterns);
   • S - soffit;
   • T - telephone;
   • W - with contact inputs in the glass of the bulb.
2. The second letter U, A or V shows which lamps use the base: energy-saving, automotive or with a conical end.
3. The numbers following the letters indicate the diameter of the base in millimeters.

The most common base since Soviet times is E27 - a threaded base with a diameter of 27 mm for a voltage of 220 V.

Creating an E27 LED lamp from an energy-saving one using a ready-made driver

To make your own LED lamp we will need:

1. Failed CFL lamp.
2. Pliers.
3. Soldering iron.
4. Solder.
5. Cardboard.
6. Head on shoulders.
7. Skillful hands.

We will convert the faulty Cosmos CFL to LED.

“Cosmos” is one of the most popular brands of modern energy-saving lamps, so many zealous owners will definitely have several of its faulty copies

Step-by-step instructions for making an LED lamp

1. We find a faulty energy-saving lamp, which we have had for a long time “just in case.” Our lamp has a power of 20 W. For now, the main component we are interested in is the base.
2. We carefully disassemble the old lamp and remove everything from it except the base and the wires coming from it, with which we will then connect the finished driver by soldering. The lamp is assembled using latches protruding above the body. You need to look at them and use something to pry them off. Sometimes the base is attached to the body in a more complicated way - by punching pinholes around the circumference. Here you will have to drill out the core points or carefully saw through them with a hacksaw. One supply wire is soldered to the central contact of the base, the second to the thread. Both of them are very short. The tubes may burst during these manipulations, so you must act carefully.
3. We clean the base and degrease it with acetone or alcohol. Particular attention should be paid to the hole, which we also carefully clean from excess solder. This is necessary for further soldering in the base.

   

   A launch board for a gas-discharge tube built into a fluorescent lamp is not suitable for us to create an LED device

4. The cap of the base has six holes - gas-discharge tubes were attached to them. We use these holes for our LEDs. Place a circle of the same diameter cut out with nail scissors from a suitable piece of plastic under the top part. Thick cardboard will also work. It will fix the contacts of the LEDs.

   

   On the reverse side, the base has six round holes into which we will install LEDs

5. We have HK6 multi-chip LEDs (voltage 3.3 V, power 0.33 W, current 100-120 mA). Each diode is assembled from six crystals (connected in parallel), so it shines brightly, although it is not called powerful. Considering the power of these LEDs, we connect them three in parallel.

   

   Each LED shines quite brightly on its own, so six of them in the lamp will provide good light intensity

6. We connect both chains in series.

   

   Two chains of three parallel-connected LEDs are each connected in series

The result is a rather beautiful design.



Six LEDs inserted into the sockets form a powerful and uniform light source

7. A simple ready-made driver can be taken from a broken LED lamp. Now, to connect six white one-watt LEDs, we use a 220-volt driver, for example, RLD2-1.

   

   The driver is connected to the LEDs in a parallel circuit

8. We insert the driver into the socket. We place another cut-out circle of plastic or cardboard between the board and the driver to avoid short circuits between the LED contacts and the driver parts. The lamp does not heat up, so any gasket will do.

   

   A positive difference between Chinese bases and Russian ones: they solder much better

9. Let's assemble our lamp and check if it works.

   

   After assembling the lamp, you need to connect it to a voltage source and make sure that it lights up

We created a source with a luminous intensity of approximately 150-200 lm and a power of approximately 3 W, similar to a 30-watt incandescent lamp. But due to the fact that our lamp has a white glow, it visually looks brighter. The area of ​​the room illuminated by it can be increased by bending the LED leads. In addition, we received a wonderful bonus: the three-watt lamp does not even need to be turned off - the meter practically does not “see” it.

Creating an LED lamp using a homemade driver

It is much more interesting not to use a ready-made driver, but to make it yourself. Of course, if you are good with a soldering iron and have basic skills in reading electrical diagrams.

We'll look at etching the board after drawing the circuit diagram on it by hand. And, of course, everyone will be interested in tinkering with chemical reactions using available chemicals. Like in childhood.

We will need:

1. A piece of copper foil on both sides of fiberglass.
2. The elements of our future lamp according to the generated diagram: resistors, capacitor, LEDs.
3. Drill or mini-drill for drilling fiberglass.
4. Pliers.
5. Soldering iron.
6. Solder and rosin.
7. Nail polish or correction pencil.
8. Table salt, copper sulfate or ferric chloride solution.
9. Head on shoulders.
10. Skillful hands.
11. Accuracy and attentiveness.

Textolite is used in cases where electrical insulating properties are required. This is a multilayer plastic, the layers of which consist of fabric (depending on the type of fibers of the fabric layer, there are basalt textolites, carbon textolites, and others) and a binder (polyester resin, bakelite, etc.):

• Fiberglass is fiberglass fabric impregnated with epoxy resin. It is characterized by high resistivity and heat resistance - from 140 to 1800 o C;
• foil fiberglass is a material covered with a layer of galvanic copper foil 35-50 microns thick. It is used for making printed circuit boards. The thickness of the composite is from 0.5 to 3 mm, the sheet area is up to 1 m 2.

Foil-coated fiberglass laminate is used for the manufacture of printed circuit boards.

Driver circuit for LED lamp

It is quite possible to make a driver for an LED lamp yourself, for example, based on the simplest circuit that we looked at at the beginning of the article. You just need to add a few details:

1. Resistor R3 to discharge the capacitor when the power is turned off.
2. A pair of zener diodes VD2 and VD3 to bypass the capacitor if the LED circuit burns out or breaks.

If we select the stabilization voltage correctly, we can limit ourselves to one zener diode. If we set the voltage to more than 220 V, and choose a capacitor for it, then we will do without any additional parts at all. But the driver will be larger in size, and the board may not fit in the base.

This circuit allows you to make a driver for a lamp of 20 LEDs

We created this circuit to make a lamp from 20 LEDs. If there are more or less of them, you need to select a different capacitance for capacitor C1 so that a current of 20 mA still passes through the LEDs.

The driver will lower the network voltage and try to smooth out voltage surges. Through a resistor and a current-limiting capacitor, the mains voltage is supplied to a diode-based bridge rectifier. Through another resistor, a constant voltage is supplied to the LED block, and they begin to shine. The ripples of this rectified voltage are smoothed out by a capacitor, and when the lamp is disconnected from the network, the first capacitor is discharged by another resistor.

It will be more convenient if the driver design is mounted using a printed circuit board, and is not some kind of lump in the air made of wires and parts. You can easily make the payment yourself.

Step-by-step instructions for making an LED lamp with a homemade driver

1. Using a computer program, we generate our own pattern for etching the board according to the intended driver design. Very convenient and popular among radio amateurs, free computer program Sprint Layout, which allows you to independently design printed circuit boards of low complexity and obtain an image of their layout. There is another excellent domestic program - DipTrace, which draws not only boards, but also circuit diagrams.
   

   

   The free computer program Sprint Layout generates detailed diagram Etching the driver board

2. We cut out a circle with a diameter of 3 cm from fiberglass. This will be our board.
3. We choose a method for transferring the circuit to the board. All methods are terribly interesting. Can:
   • draw a diagram directly on a piece of fiberglass with a stationery correction pencil or a special marker for printed circuit boards, which is sold in a radio parts store. There is a subtlety here: only this marker allows you to draw tracks less than or equal to 1 mm. In other cases, the width of the track, no matter how hard you try, will not be less than 2 mm. And the copper patches for soldering will turn out sloppy. Therefore, after applying the design, you need to correct it with a razor or scalpel;
   • print the diagram on inkjet printer on photo paper and iron the printout to the fiberglass. The circuit elements will be covered with paint;
   • draw a diagram with nail polish, which is definitely in any house where a woman lives. This is the simplest method, and we will use it. Carefully and carefully, using a brush from a bottle, draw tracks on the board. We wait until the varnish dries well.
4. We dilute the solution: stir 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate and 2 tablespoons of table salt in boiling water. Copper sulfate is used in agriculture, so it can be purchased at gardening and construction stores.
5. We immerse the board in the solution for half an hour. As a result, only the copper traces that we protected with varnish will remain; the rest of the copper will disappear during the reaction.
6. Use acetone to remove the remaining varnish from the fiberglass laminate. You immediately need to tin (coat with solder using a soldering iron) the edges of the board and the contact points so that the copper does not quickly oxidize.

   

   The contact points are soldered with a layer of solder mixed with rosin to protect the copper tracks from oxidation

7. According to the diagram, we make holes with a drill.
8. We solder the LEDs and all the details on the board homemade driver from the side of the printed tracks.
9. We install the board into the lamp body.

   

   After all the operations performed, you should get an LED lamp equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent lamp

Safety Notes

1. Although assembling an LED lamp yourself is not a very difficult process, you should not even start it if you do not have at least basic electrical knowledge. Otherwise, the lamp you assembled may damage the entire electrical network your home, including expensive electrical appliances. The specificity of LED technology is that if some elements of its circuit are connected incorrectly, then an explosion is even possible. So you have to be extremely careful.
2. Typically the luminaires are used at 220 VAC. But designs designed for a voltage of 12 V cannot be connected to a regular network under any circumstances, and you must always remember this.
3. In the process of making a homemade LED lamp, the components of the lamp often cannot be immediately completely isolated from the 220 V supply network. Therefore, you can be seriously shocked. Even if the structure is connected to the network via a power supply, it is quite possible that it has simple diagram without transformer and galvanic isolation. Therefore, you should not touch the structure with your hands until the capacitors are discharged.
4. If the lamp does not work, then in most cases poor-quality soldering of parts is to blame. You were inattentive or acted hastily with the soldering iron. But don't despair. Keep trying!

Video: learning to solder

It’s a strange thing: in our age, when stores have absolutely everything, usually inexpensive and very varied, after twenty years of euphoria, people are increasingly returning to doing household things with their own hands. Handicrafts, carpentry and plumbing skills flourished beyond belief. And simple applied electrical engineering is confidently returning to this series.

Let's look at how to make an LED lamp with your own hands. The main materials and elements for self-manufacturing an LED lamp are presented:

• output type LEDs;
• power source in the form of a current driver without a housing with galvanic isolation;
• aluminum, heat-dissipating radiator in the form of a U-shaped building profile;
• thermally conductive double-sided tape.

It is advisable to use a metal structure as a housing, since semiconductors, represented by diodes, can heat up significantly under the influence of electric current.

It is best to use a 12W LED diode driver with an input voltage level of 100-240V and an output voltage of 18-46V.

The main stages of making an LED lamp yourself are as follows:

• insert a resistor and a pair of capacitors into the base;
• solder a small rectifier;
• treat the surface;
• create an insulating layer using a polymer tube;
• inspect the LED contacts and check their functionality;
• assemble the structure by soldering the boards onto the capacitor;
• perform final insulation with adhesive;
• check the diode connection;
• solder the capacitor and resistor.

At the final stage, all contacts are insulated with adhesive. A lighting structure that is completely ready for use can be left in original condition or covered with a lampshade, which will significantly soften the glow of the lamp.

To independently create a powerful diode lamp based on several dozen LEDs at once, you will need to complete the activities presented:

• determining the number of diodes;
• determination of rated power;
• connecting LEDs to the negative contact of the diode bridge;
• soldering all diodes “plus to minus”;
• combining all groups with wires;
• adding a diode bridge.

The positive terminal is connected to the positive wire on the first group, and the negative terminal is connected to the common wire on the last diode of the group. Then the base part is prepared, and the wires are soldered to the AC voltage inputs of the diode bridge.

1. LEDs: purpose, device and principle of operation
2. Assembly of luminaires in a housing with LED strips
3. Lamps made from energy-saving lamps
4. Video

IN modern conditions The cost of electricity is constantly increasing, so LED light sources are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. They perfectly replace natural light and save money. cash. However, a significant disadvantage of these lighting devices is their high cost.

The popularity of LED lamps is so high that craftsmen have not ignored it. On the Internet today you can find huge amount diagrams with which you can answer the question of how to make an LED lamp with your own hands? And as practice has shown, the simplest option of all is to use an LED strip in the lamp.

Of course, the tape is most often used for decorative lighting, but if you correctly calculate the brightness of the lighting and the number of LEDs, then you can make a good lamp for zone lighting from it. For example, for the desktop. Therefore, we will consider one of the options, which seemed not very difficult to us.

DIY LED lamp circuit

To do this you will need a faulty fluorescent light fixture. As practice shows, most often the electronic ballast, or in short, the electronic ballast, fails. So, constantly changing electronic ballasts for a new one won’t save you money. Therefore, from this light source you can easily make a lamp on an LED strip.

Four types of LED devices

LEDs are semiconductor electronic devices that emit light as a result of the passage of electric current. Appearing 15 years ago, home appliances literally immediately conquered the light source market. Today you can buy LED lamps of any shape, size, power and color. But you can also make them yourself, which even an inexperienced radio amateur can do.

Before you start making an LED lamp with your own hands, let’s consider its design and operating principle. A diode is semiconductor device, passing current through p-n junction only in one direction. As a result of the release of energy during the recombination of electrons and holes, photons are emitted with the release of light and thermal energy.

The simplest heatsink is an aluminum substrate on which the LEDs are located, however, such heat removal will not be enough if the device is assembled on 3 or more semiconductors. Special metal radiators are installed in such lamps. In indoor appliances it is replaced by the body of the light bulb.

An economical version of an LED lamp can be made with your own hands using a burnt-out lamp. To do this, it is necessary to carefully disassemble the burnt-out lamp without damaging the base and clean and degrease it. In the base we place a protective resistor of 100 Ohms and two capacitors of 220 nF each, the operating voltage of which is 400 V, a capacitor of 10 μF, which is responsible for the absence of flicker , rectifier (diode bridge) and LEDs in a ratio of 1 (red) to 3 (white). We connect the components of the circuit by soldering and insulate them with mounting adhesive, filling the entire space of the base between the parts of the circuit and securing them.

In addition to a regular lamp, a halogen lamp is used to create an LED lamp with your own hands.

Halogen lamp

To assemble a lamp using a halogen lamp, the following components are required:

• assembly diagram, which you can draw up yourself or take from the Internet;
• LEDs;
• non-working halogen lamp;
• quick-drying glue;
• copper wire;
• soldering iron and solder;
• aluminum substrate 0.2 mm thick, which will replace the radiator;
• resistors;
• hole punch

Let's look at the step-by-step creation of a 220 V light source from an LED strip. To decide to use an innovation in the kitchen, it is enough to remember that LED lamps assembled by yourself are significantly more profitable than their fluorescent counterparts. They live 10 times longer and consume 2–3 times less energy at the same lighting level.

1. For construction you will need two burnt out fluorescent lamps half a meter long and 13 watts in power. There is no point in buying new ones; it is better to find old ones that are not working, but not broken and without cracks.
2. Next we go to the store and buy LED strip. There is a large selection, so please purchase responsibly. It is advisable to buy tapes with pure white or natural light; it does not change the shades of surrounding objects. In such strips, LEDs are collected in groups of 3 pieces. The voltage of one group is 12 volts, and the power is 14 watts per meter strip.
   
3. Then you need to disassemble the fluorescent lamps into their component parts. Carefully! Do not damage the wires or break the tube, otherwise toxic fumes will escape and you will have to clean up, like after a broken mercury thermometer. Do not throw away the removed entrails; they will be useful in the future.
   Below is a diagram of the LED strip we purchased. In it, LEDs are connected in parallel, 3 pieces in a group. Please note that this scheme does not suit us.
   Below is a diagram of the LED strip we purchased. In it, LEDs are connected in parallel, 3 pieces in a group. Please note that this scheme does not suit us.
4. Therefore, you need to cut the tape into sections of 3 diodes each and get expensive and useless converters. It is more convenient to cut the tape with wire cutters or large and strong scissors. After soldering the wires, you should get the diagram below.
   The result should be 66 LEDs or 22 groups of 3 LEDs each, connected in parallel along the entire length. The calculations are simple. Since we need to transform AC into constant voltage, then the standard voltage of 220 Volts in the electrical network must be increased to 250. The need to “increase” the voltage is associated with the rectification process.
5. To find out the number of LED sections, you need to divide 250 Volts by 12 Volts (voltage for one group of 3 pieces). As a result, we get 20.8(3), rounding up, we get 21 groups. Here it is advisable to add another group, since the total number of LEDs will have to be divided into 2 lamps, and for this you need an even number. In addition, adding one more section, we will make general scheme safer.
   
6. We will need a rectifier DC, which is why you should not throw away the removed insides of a fluorescent lamp. To do this, we take out the converter and, using wire cutters, remove the capacitor from the common circuit. This is quite simple to do, since it is located separately from the diodes, you just need to break off the board.
   The diagram shows what the end result should be, in more detail.
   The diagram shows what the end result should be, in more detail.
7. Next, using soldering and superglue, you need to assemble the entire structure. Don't even try to fit all 22 sections into one lamp. It was said above that you need to specifically find 2 half-meter lamps, since it is simply impossible to place all the LEDs in one. You also don't need to rely on the self-adhesive layer on the back of the tape. It will not last long, so the LEDs need to be secured with superglue or liquid nails.
   

Let's summarize and find out the advantages of the assembled product:

• The amount of light from the resulting LED lamps is 1.5 times greater than that of their fluorescent counterparts.
• The power consumption is much less than that of lamps daylight.
• The assembled light source will last 5–10 times longer.
• Finally, the last advantage is the direction of light. It does not dissipate and is directed straight down, so it is used near the desktop or in the kitchen.

Of course, the emitted light is not very bright, but the main advantage is the low power consumption of the lamp. Even if you turn it on and never turn it off, it will consume only 4 kW of energy in a year. At the same time, the cost of electricity consumed per year is comparable to the cost of a ticket on a city bus. Therefore, such light sources are especially effective to use where constant illumination is required (corridor, street, utility room).

Let's look at another way to create an LED lamp. A chandelier or table lamp needs a standard E14 or E27 base. Accordingly, the circuit and diodes used will differ. Compact fluorescent lamps are now widely used. We will need one burnt-out cartridge, and we will also change the general list of materials for assembly.

You will need:

• burnt out E27 base;
• driver RLD2-1;
• NK6 LEDs;
• a piece of cardboard, but better - plastic;
• superglue;
• electrical wiring;
• as well as scissors, soldering iron, pliers and other tools.

Let's start creating a homemade lamp:

1. First you need to disassemble the old lamp. In compact fluorescent lamps, the base is attached to the plate with tubes using latches. If you find places with latches and pry them off with a screwdriver, the base will come off quite easily. When disassembling you need to be careful not to damage the tubes. If they burst, the toxic substances contained in them will come out. When opening, make sure that the electrical wiring leading to the base remains intact. Also, do not throw away the contents of the base.
   
2. From the upper part with gas-discharge tubes you need to make a plate to which the LEDs will be attached. To do this, disconnect the light bulb tubes. The remaining plate has 6 holes. In order for the LEDs to be securely fastened in it, you need to make a plastic or cardboard “bottom”, which will also insulate the LEDs. We will use NK6 LEDs (photo below). Their advantage is that they are multi-crystal (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection. Because of this, the light source is quite bright with minimal power.
   We will use NK6 LEDs (photo below). Their advantage is that they are multi-crystal (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection. Because of this, the light source is quite bright with minimal power.
3. We make 2 holes in the lid for each LED. Punch the holes carefully and evenly so that their location and intended pattern correspond to each other. If you use a piece of plastic as the “bottom,” the LEDs will be attached quite firmly, but if you use a piece of cardboard, you will need to glue the base with the LEDs using superglue or liquid nails.
4. Since the light bulb will be used in a 220-volt network, you will need an RLD2-1 driver. You can connect 3 one-watt diodes to it. We have 6 LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each. Therefore, the connection diagram will consist of two series-connected parts, each part contains 3 parallel-connected LEDs. Above is a diagram, but in reality the whole structure looks like this:
   Above is a diagram, but in reality the whole structure looks like this:
5. Before assembly, you need to isolate the driver and the board from each other using a piece of cardboard or plastic. This will avoid short circuit in the future. There is no need to worry about overheating; the lamp practically does not heat up.
   
6. All that remains is to assemble the structure and test it in action.
   

The luminous flux of the assembled lamp is 100–120 lumens. Pure white light makes the bulb appear significantly lighter. This is enough to illuminate a small room (corridor, utility room). The main advantage of the LED light source is low energy consumption and power - only 3 Watts. Which is 10 times less than incandescent lamps and 2–3 times less than fluorescent lamps. It operates from a conventional cartridge with 220 volt power.

Lamp assembly

The circuit of the simplest lamp operating from a 220 V network consists of two 12 kOhm resistors and two LEDs installed in parallel. The circuit is relevant for an even number of LED devices. For an odd number, the circuit must contain a driver that stabilizes the output current and voltage.

It is best to purchase a ready-made driver that is matched to the LED device. In addition, you can also make the driver yourself using a rectifier bridge, capacitors and ordinary diodes, which in the assembly convert the mains voltage into a voltage of a given frequency and value. Resistors in such a circuit act as a current limiter.

As can be seen from the above, an LED device can be assembled by anyone who has held a soldering iron at least once in their life and knows how to use the Internet, where many examples of standard and non-standard circuits and solutions for assembling an LED lamp are presented.

You can make the simplest lamp yourself using an LED strip, which you just need to attach to any flat surface using double-sided tape. For greater reliability and expansion functionality The LED strip of the device can be conveniently placed in the housing of a non-working fluorescent lamp, the length of which does not exceed 30 cm.

The following types of strips are suitable for the manufacture of LED lamps:

• SMD 3528 (60 (4.8 W); 120 (7.2 W); 240 (16 W) LEDs per linear meter);
• SMD 5050 (30 (7.2 W); 60 (14 W); 120 (25 W).

Density and arrangement of LEDs on SMD 3528 and SMD 5050 strips

Optimal choice will become an SMD 5050 LED strip, the parameters of which correspond to the following values:

• radiation angle – 120 degrees;
• supply voltage – 12 V;
• current – ​​1.2 A/m

The LED strip must be glued to the inside of the case using tape. To work, you can buy a power supply or assemble it yourself using the diagram below. The advantage of a self-assembled power supply is that it is possible to hide it in the lamp housing.

A DIY lamp based on an LED strip is no different in its parameters from the purchased version. Moreover, its cost is significantly lower than the cost of the finished product.

• We clean the halogen lamp from all components and putty.
• We take it out of the reflector.
• We prepare a reflector disk on which the LEDs will be located. We glue the disk onto an aluminum backing (a disk template can be found on the Internet) and make holes in it.
• According to the diagram, we place the LEDs on the disk with their legs up, taking into account their polarity. We roll a little glue between them, avoiding getting it on the contacts.
• We solder the LED contacts so that the chain begins with positive polarity (“”) and ends with negative (“-”).
• The positive contacts are connected to each other by soldering.
• We connect resistors to the negative contacts by soldering and connect their contacts to each other with solder, obtaining negatively charged resistors.
• We also connect the contacts of the resistors to each other and solder copper wires to them. To avoid short circuits, fill the space between the contacts and wires with glue.
• We glue the disk and the halogen reflector together.
• After the glue has polymerized, you can connect a 12 V power source.

There are a lot of ways to create a lamp with your own hands. The most common methods are using an old base from a burnt-out fluorescent lamp. Everyone will have such a resource in their home, so there will be no problems finding it. In addition to this you will need:

1. Base from a burnt-out product.
2. Directly ICE. They are sold in the form of LED strips or individual NK6 LEDs. Each element has a current of approximately 100–120 mA and a voltage of approximately 3–3.3 Volts.
3. You will need a diode bridge or 1N4007 rectifier diodes.
4. You need a fuse, which can be found in the base of a blown lamp.
5. Capacitor. Its capacity, voltage and other parameters are selected depending on electrical diagram for the assembly and the number of LEDs in it.
6. In most cases, you will need a frame on which the LEDs will be mounted. The frame can be made of plastic or similar material. The main requirement is that it must not be metallic, conductive, and must be heat-resistant.
7. To securely attach the LEDs to the frame, you will need superglue or liquid nails (the latter is preferable).

One or two elements from the above list may not be useful in some schemes; in other cases, on the contrary, new chain links (drivers, electrolytes) may be added. Therefore the list necessary materials must be drawn up individually in each specific case.

If an odd number of LEDs is used, a driver must be included in the circuit to stabilize the output current and voltage. It is recommended to purchase a ready-made product adapted for a specific lamp. Self-assembly of the driver is carried out using a rectifier bridge, capacitors and ordinary diodes used to convert the mains voltage into a voltage with the desired value and frequency. The role of resistors in this circuit is to limit the current.

One of the simplest lamp options is an LED strip, which can be attached to any flat surface double-sided tape. The basis can be non-working lamps, provided that their dimensions coincide with the dimensions of the strip. When all the preparatory work is completed, you can begin making LED lamps with your own hands.

After fastening, the entire working part is connected to the power supply, which can be purchased ready-made or assembled with your own hands. In the latter case assembled block can be placed inside the lamp housing, while the finished power supply is installed only next to the lamp. In both cases, the assembled lighting device will be neat and economical, providing normal illumination of the working surface. During assembly, special attention should be paid to the quality of insulation of all conductive parts.

• Firstly, it should be noted that an LED strip is, in fact, a flexible plateau on which LEDs and resistors (current-limiting) are installed.
• Secondly, pay attention to its technical characteristics, especially regarding the brightness of the diodes. Optimal option: 780-900 Lm/m.
• Thirdly, adjusting the tape itself to the size of the lamp is not a problem. It is trimmed according to the areas marked on it. You can't cut in other places.
• Fourthly, there is an adhesive layer on the back of the tape, so it will be easy to attach it to the surface of the lamp.

Place for cutting LED strip

First of all, it is necessary to remove the electronic ballast plate from the luminaire. Then pieces of LED strip are glued onto it. In this case, the number of glued rows can be different, for example, six rows of three diodes each with a transverse installation. Installation variations can be different, the main thing is to accurately maintain the power of the required glow.

power unit

It is necessary to dwell on this element of the new lamp in more detail, because the LED strip on the power supply of a fluorescent lamp will not work. The thing is that the LED strip requires stabilization of voltage and current. If this is not done, the diodes will overheat and eventually simply burn out.

In our case best option- This is a power supply without a transformer, but with a ballast capacitor. Here is a diagram of the power supply from below.

Power supply with ballast capacitor

In this circuit, C1 is the same ballast capacitor that extinguishes the mains voltage of 220 volts. After it, the current is supplied to the diode rectifier VD1-VD4. After this, a constant voltage is applied to filter C2. To ensure that the capacitors discharge quickly, two resistors R2 for C1, R3 for C2 are installed in the circuit.

Most main element in this electrical network there is capacitor C1. Here it is important to accurately select it according to the required capacity parameters. You should not use complex formulas for this. Just find a calculator on the Internet that will help you accurately calculate. True, for this you will need one background information: current strength on a piece of LED strip. This is usually indicated in the product passport.

But keep in mind the fact that accompanying documents the maximum current parameter is indicated, so you should not take it as the main one. For example, a current of 150 mA will be normal for a new lamp 30 cm long. In this case, the LEDs will not heat up, and the brightness of the glow will be sufficient.

Power supply for LED strip

Try entering our data into the calculator, you will get the capacitor capacitance indicator - 2.08 µF. We round it up to the standard - 2.2 microfarads, which will withstand voltages up to 400 volts.

Attention! The power supply assembled according to this scheme is transformerless. Therefore, the entire circuit must be installed in a special housing that does not allow electric current to pass through, for example, a plastic one. Plus, it is recommended to strictly adhere to all safety regulations. Do not come into contact with live parts of the unit while the lamp is operating.

There is no need to throw away electronic ballasts that constantly fail. It needs to be checked for serviceability. It is important here that the diode bridge is intact; all other parts can be removed.

• Incandescent lamp sockets.
• Housings from burnt-out energy-saving or halogen lamps.
• Handmade devices.

LED lamp from a burnt out lamp

The old burnt-out device is carefully disassembled so that the base remains intact. After this, it needs to be cleaned and degreased. The circuit, located inside the base, consists of two 100 ohm protective resistors, two 220 nF capacitors with an operating voltage of 400 volts, and one 10 μF capacitor that neutralizes flicker.

Advantages of a homemade lamp

You can find many types of lamps in the store. Each type has its own disadvantages and advantages. Incandescent lamps are gradually losing their position due to high energy consumption, low light output, despite a high color rendering index. Compared to them, fluorescent light sources are a real miracle.

But fluorescent lamps also have disadvantages. They quickly fail due to frequent switching on and off; moreover, the vapors contained in the tubes are poisonous, and the design itself requires special disposal. Compared to them, the light-emitting diode (LED) lamp is the second revolution in lighting. They are even more economical, do not require special disposal and last 5–10 times longer.

LED lamps have one significant drawback - they are the most expensive. To reduce this minus to a minimum or turn it into a plus, you will need to build it from an LED strip with your own hands. At the same time, the cost of the light source becomes lower than that of luminescent analogues.

A homemade LED lamp has a number of advantages:

• device service life at correct assembly is a record 100,000 hours;
• In terms of watt/lumen efficiency, they are also superior to all analogues;
• the cost of a homemade lamp is no higher than that of a fluorescent lamp.

Of course, there is one drawback - the lack of guarantees for the product, which must be compensated by strict adherence to the instructions and the skill of the electrician.

Specialized stores offer a large selection of LED devices. However, sometimes it is impossible to find a device in the assortment that meets the necessary parameters. In addition, LED devices are traditionally high in cost.

Meanwhile, it is quite possible to save money and get the perfect lamp by assembling it yourself. This is not difficult to do and basic technical knowledge and practical skills will be enough.

A DIY LED device has a number of significant advantages over a store-bought analogue. They are economical: with careful assembly and use of high-quality parts, the service life reaches 100 thousand hours.

Such devices show a high degree of energy efficiency, which is determined by the ratio of power consumption and the brightness of the light produced. Finally, their cost is an order of magnitude lower than their factory counterparts.

Making an LED lamp from a halogen lamp

According to the diagram, the LEDs are located on the disk with their legs up, taking into account their polarity. A small amount of glue is applied between them so that it does not get on the contacts. During soldering, the entire chain must start with a plus and end with a minus. Next, the positive contacts are connected using soldering. The negative contacts are connected to resistors and to each other. As a result, resistors with a negative charge are obtained.

The contacts of the resistors are connected to each other, after which copper wires are soldered to them. The gap between the wires and contacts is filled with glue to avoid short circuits. Then the disk and reflector are glued together. After the glue has dried, you can connect to a 12 volt power source.

The main issues that have to be resolved in the manufacture of LED lamps are the conversion of alternating electric current into pulsating and its equalization to constant. In addition, it is necessary to limit the power flow to 12 volts, which is necessary to power the diode.

When thinking through the device, you should also solve a number of design problems, namely:

• how to arrange the circuit and LEDs;
• how to isolate the system;
• how to ensure heat exchange in the device.

Before assembly, it is advisable to think through all these problems, taking into account the requirements for a homemade light source.

In addition to the body, other elements will be required to create the lamp. These are, first of all, LEDs, which can be purchased in the form of LED strips or individual NK6 elements. The current strength of each part is 100-120 mA; voltage 3-3.3 V.

You also need 1N4007 rectifier diodes or a diode bridge, as well as fuses, which can be found in the base of an old device.

You will also need a capacitor, the capacitance and voltage of which must correspond to the electrical circuit used and the number of LED elements used in it.

If you are not using a ready-made board, you need to think about the frame to which the LEDs are attached. For its manufacture, a heat-resistant material that is not metal and non-conducting electric current is suitable.

As a rule, such a part is made of durable plastic or thick cardboard. To attach the LED elements to the frame you will need liquid nails or superglue.

Energy saving lamp

After an energy-saving lamp has served its life and burned out, hand-made craftsmen recommend not throwing it away, but using the device to create an LED lighting device. This can be done if the lamp has a working electronic ballast (EB) and a whole housing with a base, which will become the basis of the new product.

To complete the package, you need to purchase 5 mm LEDs and 4 ultra-fast diodes of the UF4007 type. The essence of creating an LED lamp based on an energy-saving one is to install a rectifier bridge at the output of the EB, which will allow you to obtain a constant voltage of 100 V at a current of 130 mA.

To reduce the frequency of the alternating voltage at the EB output, we will assemble a rectifier bridge from UF4007 diodes, to the output of which we solder a 0.1 μF capacitor operating at a voltage of 400 V. We install the diode bridge in place of capacitor C3 (see. standard diagram EB lamp), connecting the filaments of the lamp, which we then close together.

Separately, we assemble a series chain of 30 LED devices, the current consumption of which is 20 mA, and check its operation. At a constant voltage of 100 V and a current of 130 mA, you can assemble 5 chains of LED diodes of 30 pieces each and get a lamp whose power is 15 W.

As we see from what is described above, you can make an LED lamp yourself, not only by soldering the circuit, but also using various devices - LED strip and lamps different types.

Energy-saving lamps that have expired should not be thrown away; they can be used as the basis for LED lamps. The lamp body together with the base must be intact, and the electronic ballast must be in full working order, since they will be the basis of the new lamp. In addition, you will need 5 mm LEDs and 4 ultra-fast diodes.

A rectifier bridge is installed at the output of the energy-saving lamp, providing a constant voltage of 100 volts at a current of 130 mA. A sequential chain of 30 LEDs is assembled separately; the number of such chains can reach up to five.

LED luminous flux online calc. .

LED lamp circuits

The circuit includes four diodes that are connected in different directions. Thanks to this, the bridge acquires the ability to transform the mains current of 220 V into a pulsating one.

This happens as follows: when sinusoidal half-waves pass through two diodes, they change, which causes a loss of polarity.

During assembly, a capacitor is connected to the positive output in front of the bridge; in front of the negative terminal - a resistance of 100 Ohms. Another capacitor is installed behind the bridge: it will be needed to smooth out voltage drops.

Most in a simple way Creating an LED lamp involves making a light source based on a broken lamp. It is necessary to check the functionality of the detected parts, which can be done using a 12 V battery.

Defective elements must be replaced. To do this, you should unsolder the contacts, remove the burnt out elements, and put new ones in their place. In this case, it is important to observe the alternation of anodes and cathodes, which are attached in series.

If you need to change only 2-3 pieces of the chip, you can simply solder them to the areas where the failed components were previously located.

For complete self-assembly, you need to connect 10 diodes in a row, observing the polarity rules. Several completed circuits are soldered to the wires.

When assembling circuits, it is important to ensure that the soldered ends do not touch each other, as this can lead to a short circuit in the device and failure of the system.

To avoid the flickering characteristic of LED lamps, the circuit described above can be supplemented with several details. Thus, it should consist of a diode bridge, 100 and 230 Ohm resistors, 400 nF and 10 μF capacitors.

To protect the device from voltage surges, a 100 Ohm resistor is placed at the beginning of the circuit, followed by a 400 nF capacitor, after which a diode bridge and another 230 Ohm resistor are installed, followed by an assembled chain of LEDs.

A similar scheme is also quite accessible to a novice master. To do this, you need two 12k resistors and two chains of the same number of LEDs, which are soldered in series, taking into account the polarity. In this case, one strip on the R1 side is connected to the cathode, and the other to R2, the anode.

Lamps made according to this scheme have a softer light, since the operating elements are lit in turn, making the pulsation of the flashes almost invisible to the naked eye.

The devices are successfully used as a table lamp and for other purposes. To create optimal lighting, experts recommend using strips of 20-40 diodes. A smaller number gives a small luminous flux; connecting a larger number of elements is technically quite difficult.

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

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.

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 Chinese lamps are guilty of this. 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.

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 practical implementation projects. There is no point in discussing the number of LED elements and capacitance of the capacitor 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).

The rectified current goes to series-connected LEDs HL1-HL27, the number of which can reach 80 pieces.

To avoid flickering and achieve a consistently even color, it is advisable to use capacitor C2, which should have as large a capacity as possible.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

This means that, having on hand non-working linear or compact fluorescent lamps and several elements given above in this article, you can create an LED lamp with your own hands, which has a number of advantages. One of the main ones is low cost compared to lamps that can be purchased in a store.

As you can see, assembling an LED lamp with your own hands is not a problem if you have a little knowledge of electrical elements and have the skills to work with a soldering iron. Of course, this is not the only scheme. You can make a lamp from an ordinary energy-saving lamp, or a chandelier using incandescent lamps. The main thing is to correctly assemble the power supply, adjusting it to a voltage of 12 volts and the current strength of a piece of LED strip.

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DIY LED lamps

With the rise in the cost of electricity, many are thinking about purchasing LED light sources, which bring significant savings and are excellent substitutes natural light. However, today not many can afford LED lamps, because their cost is still quite high. Therefore, thanks to folk craftsmen, in this article we will look at how you can make a lighting device from LEDs with your own hands.

DIY LED lamps have high technical characteristics. They are almost as good as factory models in terms of qualities such as strength, reliability, and durability. The assembly of such devices is accessible to almost everyone: to successfully complete it, you just need to strictly follow the diagrams and carefully carry out all the prescribed manipulations.

Assembling a simple LED lamp

Let's consider the implementation of a lamp in a standard base from a fluorescent lamp. To do this, we will have to slightly change the above list of materials. In this case we use:

• old base E27;
• NK6 LEDs;
• driver RLD2-1;
• a piece of plastic or thick cardboard;
• superglue;
• electrical wiring;
• soldering iron, pliers, scissors.

Initially, you need to disassemble the lamp. For luminescent devices, the connection of the base to the plate with tubes is carried out using latches. It is important to locate the fastening location and pry the elements with a screwdriver, which will allow you to easily disconnect the cartridge.

When disassembling the device, extreme care must be taken so as not to damage the tubes that contain a toxic substance inside. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the integrity of the electrical wiring connected to the base, as well as preserve the parts contained in it.

We use the upper part with connected gas-discharge tubes to make the plate necessary for connecting the LEDs. It is enough to remove the tubular elements and attach the LED parts to the remaining round holes.

To secure them securely, it is better to make an additional plastic or cardboard cover, which will serve to isolate the chips.

The lamp will use NK6 LEDs, each of which consists of 6 crystals with parallel connection. They allow you to create a fairly bright lighting device with a minimum of electricity consumption.

To connect each LED to the cover, you need to make two holes. They should be pierced carefully in strict accordance with the diagram.

The plastic part allows you to firmly fix the LED elements, while the use of cardboard requires additional fastening of the LEDs to the base using liquid nails or superglue.

Since the device is designed to use six LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each, the circuit must include three elements connected in parallel.

In a design that will operate from a 220 V power supply, you need to provide an RLD2-1 driver, which you should purchase in a store or do it yourself.

To avoid short circuits, it is important to insulate the driver and board from each other using plastic or cardboard before starting assembly. Since the lamp barely heats up, there is no need to worry about overheating.

Having selected all the components, you can assemble the structure according to the diagram, and then connect it to the electrical network to check the glow.

The device, powered by a standard 220V power supply, has low energy consumption and a power of 3 Watts. The latter figure is 2-3 times less than that of fluorescent devices and 10 times less than that of incandescent lamps.

Although the light output is only 100-120 lumens, the dazzling white color makes the lamp appear much brighter. The assembled lamp can be used as a table lamp or to illuminate a compact room, for example, a corridor or closet.

LED lamps on various bases

Halogen lamp

A LED is a semiconductor device that allows you to convert electric current into light radiation. One 220 volt LED lamp allows you to save a huge amount of electricity. The savings are 2 times more than a fluorescent lamp and 10 times than an incandescent lamp. If you use parts from a burnt-out lamp to make such a lamp, you can significantly reduce costs. You can assemble an LED lamp with your own hands quite simply. But do not forget that for this you need to have the appropriate qualifications, since you will have to work with high voltage.

Advantages of LEDs

Nowadays you can find a huge number of types of chandeliers with LED lamps in stores. They have different advantages and disadvantages. Modernization of energy saving lamps allows you to take full advantage of fluorescent light. This applies to the most common lamps with an E 27 base. And the old representatives of this family were endowed with an unpleasant flicker. Fluorescent light sources are truly a miracle. Compared to them, incandescent lamps are losing ground very much. Their high energy consumption and low light output do not offset their high color rendering index.

Durability is their main advantage. Mechanically it is strong and reliable. It is known that its operating life can reach up to 100,000 hours. They are also considered environmentally friendly light sources, unlike fluorescent lamps, which, in turn, contain mercury. But as you know, fluorescent lamps have some disadvantages:

• The vapors contained in the pipes are quite poisonous.
• Due to frequent switching on and off, they can quickly fail.
• The design itself requires some disposal.

The LED lamp can be considered the second revolution in the field of lighting. It works 5-10 times longer, is more economical and does not require any special disposal. Although there is a minor drawback - it is much more expensive.

In order to remove this small minus and turn it into a good plus, you can build a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands. In this way, the cost of the light source can be reduced. It will be much lower than that of luminescent analogues . And also this lamp will have a number of advantages:

• The lamp life will be a record 100,000 hours, but only with proper assembly.
• Price homemade device no higher than that of a fluorescent lamp.
• The watt/lumen efficiency is far superior to all comparable products.

But there is also one drawback - there is no warranty for this product. It must be compensated by the skill of the electrician and strict adherence to the instructions.

Homemade lamps

There are a huge number of ways to create a lamp with your own hands. Using an old base from a burnt-out fluorescent lamp is the most common method. Such resources are available in every home, so there will be no problems finding them. You will also need:

In some schemes, one or two elements from this list may not be useful. However, in others, on the contrary, new chain links may be needed, for example: drivers or electrolytes. In each specific case it is necessary individually draw up a list of necessary materials.

How to make an LED lamp with your own hands

To begin installing the lamp, you need to prepare two damaged fluorescent lamps with a power of 13 W and a length of half a meter. There is no point in buying new ones, it is best to find old ones that don't work. But they must be checked for cracks and chips.

Next, you need to purchase an LED strip in the store. You need to approach this responsibly, since the choice is very large. Tapes with natural or pure white light are best. Since they do not change the shades of surrounding objects and are super bright. Typically, these strips contain LEDs in groups of three. The power of one group is 14 W, and the voltage is 12 volts per meter tape.

After which you need to disassemble the fluorescent lamps into their component parts. You must act very carefully - do not damage the wires or break the tube, as this will release toxic fumes. All removed entrails should not be thrown away. They may be useful in the future. Next, you need to cut the tape into sections of 3 diodes. After this, it is worth getting expensive and unnecessary converters. Large, sturdy scissors or wire cutters are best for cutting the tape.

In the end there should be 22 groups 3 LEDs or 66 LEDs, which must be connected in parallel along the entire length. To convert alternating current to direct current, the standard voltage of 220 volts must be increased to 250 in the electrical network. This is due to the straightening process. The next step is to figure out the number of LED sections. To do this, you need to divide 250 volts by 12 volts (voltage for 1 group of 3 pieces). Having finally received 20.8 (3), you need to round up - you get 21 groups. It is best to add another group, since the total number of LEDs will be divided into two lamps. And dividing an even quantity is much easier.

Next, you will need a DC rectifier, which can be found in the removed insides of the fluorescent lamp. Using wire cutters, remove the capacitor from the common circuit of the converter. This action is quite easy to perform, since it is located separately from the diodes; you just need to break off the board.

Using superglue and soldering, it is necessary to assemble the entire structure. Don't try to fit all 22 sections into one lamp. As mentioned above, you need to find 2 half-meter lamps, since it is simply impossible to place all the LEDs in one. There is no need to rely on the self-adhesive layer, which is located on the back of the tape. He won't be able to last for a long time. Therefore, it is better to use superglue or liquid nails to secure the LEDs.

To summarize, we can analyze all the advantages of the assembled product. The amount of light in the resulting lamps is 1.5 times greater than in analogues. But the power consumption is much less than that of fluorescent lamps. The service life of this light source will be approximately 10 times longer. And also one of the advantages - this is the direction of light. It is directed straight down and has no ability to dissipate. Therefore, it will be best used at the desktop or in the kitchen. However, the light emitted is not very bright but has low power consumption.

Constant use of the lamp in the on state will consume only 4 kW of energy in a year. The cost of electricity consumed per year can be compared with the cost of a ticket in public transport. Therefore, such light sources are often used where constant illumination is required, for example:

• Street.
• Corridor.
• Utility room
• Emergency lighting.

A simple LED light bulb

There is another way to create a lamp. A table lamp, chandelier or lantern needs an E14 or E27 base. Accordingly, the diodes and circuit used will differ. Compact fluorescent lamps are now common . For installation you will need one burnt cartridge, as well as an altered list of materials. Necessary:

Let's move on to creating an LED module with our own hands. First you need to disassemble the old lamp. IN fluorescent lamps the base is attached to the plate with tubes and secured with latches. The base can be disconnected quite simply. It is necessary, having found places with latches, to pry them off with a screwdriver. Everything needs to be done quite carefully so as not to damage the tubes. When opening it, you must ensure that the electrical wiring that leads to the base remains intact.

From the upper part with gas-discharge tubes you need to make a plate to which the LEDs will be attached. To do this, you need to disconnect the light bulb tubes. The remaining plate has 6 holes. In order for the LEDs to be firmly attached to it, you need to make a cardboard or plastic “bottom”, which will also insulate the LEDs. You need to use NK6 LEDs; they are multi-chip (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection.

Because of this, the light source is super bright with minimal power. You need to make 2 holes in the cover for each LED. The holes should be pierced carefully and evenly so that their location matches each other and the intended pattern. If you use a piece of plastic as the “bottom”, the LEDs will be firmly fixed. But if you use a piece of cardboard, you will need to glue the base with the LEDs using superglue or liquid nails.

Since the light bulb will be used in a network with a voltage of 220 volts, an RLD2−1 driver will be required. You can connect 3 diodes of 1 watt each to it. This lamp required 6 LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each. It follows from this that the connection diagram will be formed from two series-connected parts of three parallel-connected LEDs.

Before you begin assembly, you need to isolate the driver and board from each other. To do this, you can use a piece of cardboard or plastic. This will prevent short circuits in the future. There is no need to worry about overheating as the lamp does not get hot at all. All that remains is to assemble the structure and test it in action. White light makes the light bulb appear much lighter. The luminous flux of the assembled lamp is 100−120 lumens. This may be enough to illuminate a small room (corridor or utility room).

Types of lamps

LED lamps can be divided into two groups: indicator (LED) - used as indicators because they are low-power and dim. Green light bulbs on the router these are indicator LEDs. There are such diodes on TV as well. Their uses are quite varied. For example:

• Car panel illumination.
• Various electronic devices.
• Computer display backlighting.

Their colors come in a huge variety: yellow, green, red, purple, blue, white and even ultraviolet. It is worth remembering that the color of the LED does not depend on the color of the plastic. It is determined by the type of semiconductor material from which it is made. In most cases, you need to turn it on to find out the color, since they are made of colorless plastic.

A lighting structure is used to illuminate something. It differs in its power and brightness. It also has a very reduced price, so it is often used in household and industrial lighting. This type of lighting is considered productive, environmentally friendly and cheap. Today, the level of technology development can make it possible to produce lamps with a high level of light output per 1 Watt.