SSC Acriche

[andygillis]

Was just reading around the SSC website, and ran across the Acriche. It says it is an led capable of being driven directly from 110vac power with out any special circuits or transformers. I know this isn't a big deal for flashlight enthusiasts, but if your trying to build household led light fixtures this is pretty cool.

http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/product/prd/acriche.asp

... just realized this is pretty old news... and the emitters are absurdly expensive

 

[Holepuncher]

Was just reading around the SSC website, and ran across the Acriche. It says it is an led capable of being driven directly from 110vac power with out any special circuits or transformers. I know this isn't a big deal for flashlight enthusiasts, but if your trying to build household led light fixtures this is pretty cool.

http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/product/prd/acriche.asp

... just realized this is pretty old news... and the emitters are absurdly expensive

I never seen them. I want one to play with. How much and who sells them?

 

[andygillis]

I just did a search on google shopping for acriche. They are 2 watts, and cost around 23-27 dolllars. http://www.google.com/products?q=acriche&btnG=Search+Products&show=dd

 

[znomit]

I hear they make nice toilet lights.

 

[darkzero]

They're not expensive compared to P4s & P7s. Mouser has the 110vac 2W & 4W emitters for $11 - $25. Mounted on PCBs are a few bucks more. They also have them in warm whites. The 100vac emitters are even cheaper.

 

[Holepuncher]

They're not expensive compared to P4s & P7s. Mouser has the 110vac 2W & 4W emitters for $11 - $25. Mounted on PCBs are a few bucks more. They also have them in warm whites. The 100vac emitters are even cheaper.

Ok. I seen these before in the Mouser Catalog but I did not pay any attention to them as I thought they were just one of Seoul 3V emiiters on a board with some driver circuitry for 110VAC. Looking at them now though I'm confused. The AW2200 which appears to be just the 2W emitter is $14 but the AW2214 which appears to be the 2W emitter on a board is only $11.

 

[yellow]

I dont think this is a good idea.
One can read in here, with how too much not knowing anything ppl try to build led lamps
now give them something they can hook directly to the wall plug
--> themselves

 

[gillestugan]

well, usually you dont go poof that easy. Here in Sweden we have 240V and I have had it through me many times without any permanent harm.
Really dangerous situations usually come when you least expect it. Like grabbing an electrified lampholder while holding the other hand on the water tap...
While working with them you are more cautious and don't get those lethal electric shocks.
Well, thats my experience.

My concern is more of the risk of home made devices starting fires,
by not insulating wires properly or not having them sufficiently heat sinked.

 

[Holepuncher]

now give them something they can hook directly to the wall plug
--> themselves

But thats half the fun of it. I've been shocked so many times in my life it don't even faze me anymore. The first time was when I was about 6. My father took the back of the TV set to check the tubes and I touched something in there an WOW. Actually I think I kind of liked it.:shakehead Maybe thats why I have more flashlights than any sane person would own.

 

[andygillis]

Same here... was learning to tig weld with an old watercooled torch, and was focusing so intently on my work piece i didnt realize the torch was leaking water down my arm to the metal grounded table... i ended up on the floor and quickly learned to always check the torch for leaks

 

[yellow]

well, usually you dont go poof that easy. Here in Sweden we have 240V and I have had it through me many times without any permanent harm.

see?
thats how it works: it does not harm ...

OF COURSE IT HARMS, it is more dangerous than high voltage because to goes through the body, not along the skin like high V (where it would be causing burns but does not necessarily kill).

What we here in Europ have, are better (and quicker) safeties, so it hopefully does not harm to grab a line on power
PS: if You had it through You, You were dead, there is only on/off, no grey-scales
(bypass the safeties and try again, if I am wrong. Then have someone type the outcoming)

 

[marcopolo]

I work with Mil equipment and the flashlamps that energise the YAG rods get pumped with 10,000v 10 times a second. I accidently earthed myself with one forfinger on the lamp trigger! Luckily the exit hole was on my thumb. However my body travelled 8ft backwards without me knowing how I actually travelled 8ft! I have been going bald ever since.

Apart from the twitching right arm and occasional flashbacks of "the magic roundabout", i'm alright.:duh2:

Marco.

 

[gillestugan]

see?
thats how it works: it does not harm ...

OF COURSE IT HARMS, it is more dangerous than high voltage because to goes through the body, not along the skin like high V (where it would be causing burns but does not necessarily kill).

What we here in Europ have, are better (and quicker) safeties, so it hopefully does not harm to grab a line on power
PS: if You had it through You, You were dead, there is only on/off, no grey-scales
(bypass the safeties and try again, if I am wrong. Then have someone type the outcoming)

Of course it may harm, otherwise it wouldn't hurt. I said I hadn't got any permanent harm.

But as for having the electricity through you there certainly is a greyscale. And you do get it below the skin. If it didn't go deep your muscles wouldn't spasm. It goes deep because it goes through the tissues with the lowest resistivity.

At low currents it does no harm at all. Turn it up a little and it starts to tickle. Higher and you start to get contractions in the muscles.

This is actually used a lot in in medicine. Low tickling currents may relive muscle pain (as used in TENS) and higher pulses can massage the muscle to increase circulation.

But. Grabbing something electrified with your hand is one of the most dangerous things you can do as the muscles of the hand may spasm, making it impossible to let go.

 

[yellow]

data I have found:
50 mA (thats 0.05 A!) at 50 V AC --> already to be considered deadly
... so much for "low" currents and "low" voltage to be safe
(our safeties skip on 30 mA atm)

DC at 120 V starts to go through skin resistance,
high current at lower voltages --> also dangerous

PS: the larger %-age of humans have just 1 try with acting as a "wire", therefore ...

 

[Holepuncher]

But. Grabbing something electrified with your hand is one of the most dangerous things you can do as the muscles of the hand may spasm, making it impossible to let go.

Well this thread got a little OT but I can vouch for the grabbing something electrified. Years ago I was doing some remodeling in the basement and some electrical work. I had stretched a wire across the room and was going to staple it up. I needed to go out and do a few things and as I was leaving my wife asked if I could turn the breaker back on as one room upstairs had no power. I turned it on and left. It was raining out and my shoe had a tiny hole in the bottom of it. When I came back an hour or so later I went downstairs stooped down on the bare basement floor and cut into the wire with a large cutting pliers. OOP"S forgot I turned the power back on. I was stuck there for a good ten seconds unable to move or scream. At some point the cutter must have contacted both conductors and tripped the breaker. At that point both hands and arms flew back over my head and I landed on my back. The cutting plier was embedded in the sheet rock wall behind me. I broke down and bought a new pair of shoes.

 

[SafetyBob]

Here, I will bring this back to topic. I saw the Archie's on the Mouser site when I have been buying Seouls from them. Oh boy did I kind of look at the price but after you figure in an ordinary led, your transformer, ect.....they were close in price. My ownly question was on actual performance.

Thanks Znomit for the link to the toilet light. Now I know what to do. Will get a couple and see how it goes. Any idea on how they would work with ordinary AC wall dimmer?

Bob E.

 

[znomit]

Thanks Znomit for the link to the toilet light. Now I know what to do. Will get a couple and see how it goes. Any idea on how they would work with ordinary AC wall dimmer?

No idea, but do report back when you get things going please :twothumbs

 

[andygillis]

I just ordered a bunch of stuff from dx to build a home lightbulb based off a q5... next up will be a 3xssc acriche based bulb to try with a dimmer... will most likely start with just 1 acriche just in case it goes . Will post results for all that are interested.

 

[gillestugan]

Any idea on how they would work with ordinary AC wall dimmer?
Bob E.

The dimmers ore optimized for ordinary bulbs. They work in a similar way as PWM dimmers used for led, only that they use the frequency from the outlet. 60 or 50hz. But this is doubled as the led lights up both ways.
So Im not sure you will or will not notice flickering even if the dimmer makes the off time a little longer.

Would be possible to test it with two normal leds and a resistor. Interesting, but unfortunately I don't have a dimmer.

 

[James Jackson]

I've been using one of these Acriche LED's for over a year now. It is mounted in an old CFL base - attached to a large aluminum heatsink.

It's still working - well, I might add. I often use it as the only light in the mornings in my bathroom. Just enough light to see as I shave and brush my teeth... and take a shower.

For more light - the other half of the light fixture has a CFL plugged in, and I just screw it in all the way to illuminate with more light.

I really believe these LEDs are useful and have a place in the grand scheme of things.

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics