Killed my 32 LED light, is it repairable????

missionaryman

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I got this 32 LED light from ebay that after a while I was totally bored with and wanted to see if what would happen if I gave it more volts. It went a bit brighter but when I hit it with about 9v I heard sizzling and about 24 of the LED's died and the rest are a dim blue.
I was content to bin it but my father in law whats to fix it. He was going to buy a pack of 50 x 5mm 40000mcd(whtever that means) LEDs and solder them in the place of the existing 32 - will this work to fix it?
Alternatively is there somewhere I can just ger a new 32 LED module to pop in there - one of the cheap dogy ones they use in these not one of the expensive ones you put in Maglites?

Price for the 50 LED's is of course $0.99 + $18 shipping - the same LED's from an electrnocs store in Australia are $4.95ea.
 

IsaacHayes

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if you can get it apart without breaking it and he wants to solder new leds in go for it. taht will take a lot of time! but could be a big boost in brightness.
 

LEDMaster2003

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mcd is mili-candela. Another way of measuring light's intensity/output. Candelas are often used when measuring fire alarm strobe lights.
 

Xzn

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How is it racism? Fenix of course is an exception. But it's just that i've had bad experiences with say, chinese made stuff vs. american made stuff.

You can't deny it that the quality of things made in China are sometimes sub-par.
 

Empath

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Let's not get carried away with the racism accusations. The comment regards a perceived opinion about the quality of imports from a certain region. Import/export opinion and comments can be based on racist opinion, but it's not a prerequisite.

With that said, let's get back on topic.
 

abvidledUK

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Xzn said:
hm... quality + china.... :laughing:

http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/32...xaaa-p-240.html


My experience is that it's a quality torch store, I have nothing but praise for the products and service I have received from them several times.

Regarding the repair, $13, is it worth it, you have to cost your time, as well as replacement parts.

My 32 led torch cost me just $7.50, from emil, a few months back.

For a project, yes, but possible just use the body and replace head with something else.
 
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greenLED

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Does that light have a boost circuit of some kind? If so, going over its voltage maximum probably smoked (pun intended) the circuit and replacing the LED's won't fix your light.

By the time you buy all the replacement LED's and take into consideration time and materials invested in fixing the light, you may be better off buying a new one. Check the "CPF Specials" thread for places with good prices. ;)

That said, taking apart and "fixing" something is the best way I've found to learn how stuff works (even if it doesn't work after I "play" with it, which is most of the time). :D
 

LumenHound

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40K leds will work fine and be nice and bright but it will take an hour to carefully solder them in place.
This 32 led light sounds like a single brightness light, no?
If it is then the switch could use a bit of contact cleaner and feed it rechargeable AAA cells instead of primary alkalines. It will be brighter with rechargeables.
 
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chesterqw

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40000mcd... well, for free, it is good real good.

remember to say thanks to your father in law.
 
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Xzn said:
hm... quality + china.... :laughing:

I hear their products' quality is lousy. Furthermore, they deceptively use Lumileds' registered tradename, Luxeon, but there has been numerous reports here that they're counterfeits.
 

carrot

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Qualitychinagoods.com is teriffic. So far I have only sampled the 5LED Xnova AA, but I was impressed with it considering it was a little over $4. I am certain that nothing they sell is a POS, but of pretty good quality. Maybe not up to Fenix quality, and definitely not up to Surefire quality, but in and of itself, pretty good stuff. Especially at their prices.

I do know you meant it as a joke, Xzn, but you have to consider that comments like these nowadays tend to derail threads pretty quickly because the American vs. Foreign goods is a very heated topic.

That said, I doubt replacing all 32 LEDs is really worth your time, missionaryman. You're probably better off just buying a new one, especially as greenLED is right about a boost circuit being blown. As a project, it might be interesting, but I imagine I'd be very frustrated wiring up 32 LEDs.
 
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carrot said:
Qualitychinagoods.com is teriffic. So far I have only sampled the 5LED Xnova AA, but I was impressed with it considering it was a little over $4. I am certain that nothing they sell is a POS, but of pretty good quality. Maybe not up to Fenix quality, and definitely not up to Surefire quality, but in and of itself, pretty good stuff. Especially at their prices.

I do know you meant it as a joke, Xzn, but you have to consider that comments like these nowadays tend to derail threads pretty quickly because the American vs. Foreign goods is a very heated topic.

That said, I doubt replacing all 32 LEDs is really worth your time, missionaryman. You're probably better off just buying a new one, especially as greenLED is right about a boost circuit being blown. As a project, it might be interesting, but I imagine I'd be very frustrated wiring up 32 LEDs.

It doesn't change the fact that selling counterfeit goods to the American market using a tradename valid in the United States is unlawful.

Can they certify in writing, that the goods they're selling as "Luxeon" is made using Geunine Lumileds Luxeon and could it be verified so by a member here or Lumileds?

Luxeon status:

Word Mark LUXEON Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Light emitting diodes; electromechanical controls for use with lighting fixtures. FIRST USE: 19990700. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010500IC 011. US 013 021 023 031 034. G & S: light emitting diode bulbs, electric lighting fixtures; lights for vehicles. FIRST USE: 19990700. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010500

Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING Design Search Code
Serial Number 75771032 Filing Date August 9, 1999 Current Filing Basis 1A Original Filing Basis 1B Published for Opposition March 13, 2001 Registration Number 2800588 Registration Date December 30, 2003 Owner (REGISTRANT) LUMILEDS LIGHTING U.S., LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 370 W. TRIMBLE ROAD SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA 95131 Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED Attorney of Record ALEXANDRA J HORNE Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
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missionaryman

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thanks all for taking the time to help - please let me clarify a few things:

1. This is not the place for anyone's gripes on chinese made lights - go the the cheers & jeers where it is valuable to post gripes as a warning to others.

2. I would never in my right mind repair all 32 LED's in a $20(after shipping to AUS) light but my father in law really likes to tinker and fix stuff and basically never, ever throws anything away. That said this light does have a cool titanium body and is only 95mm long with a proper tailcap clickie so it's nearly worth it.

3. It has a single power level and it doesn't look like it's got a boost circuit it's just a copper like disc soldered to the LED's circuit board. The battery spring touches that copper disc.

4. Is 10K mcd brighter than 40K mcd? I thought it would be the other way around.
 

LumenHound

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Hand: We've been there done that.
Your posts are getting off topic.
Start a new thread if you want to talk about that stuff.
 

greenLED

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Better off, take it to the UnderGround. Those types of threads get nowhere on CPF.

Missionaryman, if it's for the joy of the hobby... then, by all means let the man get his hands inside the light. Once he's done, use the carcass as a mod host ;)

The mcd ratings are very tricky, because they depend on the beam angle. LED's with very tight beam angles will have higher mcd readings than LED's with wide beams. This doesn't mean that one is necessarily brighter than the other, as the total light emitted could well be the same (but more spread out in the LED with wide beam).
 
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missionaryman said:
thanks all for taking the time to help - please let me clarify a few things:


2. I would never in my right mind repair all 32 LED's in a $20(after shipping to AUS) light but my father in law really likes to tinker and fix stuff and basically never, ever throws anything away. That said this light does have a cool titanium body and is only 95mm long with a proper tailcap clickie so it's nearly worth it.

3. It has a single power level and it doesn't look like it's got a boost circuit it's just a copper like disc soldered to the LED's circuit board. The battery spring touches that copper disc.

4. Is 10K mcd brighter than 40K mcd? I thought it would be the other way around.

2. I suppose if he really wants to, he could dismantle all the LEDs and replace them with similar 5mm LEDs, perhaps a superior quality ones like Nichia. They are going to cost more, but you're not just repairing, but upgrading. If there's adhesive or potting, give up at once. It is extremely difficult to remove, if not impossible.

3. I think that's a resistor and uses the spring to dissipate heat away. Measure across it with a ohm-meter.

4. No. The cd values refer to intensity, as in lumens per unit area. For the same output in lumens, narrower the beam, lower the cd value.
 

DUQ

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I've repaired many multi LED lights. Nothing wrong with the light other than burnt diodes. If you dont repair it; what else are you going to do with it, convert it into a coffee mug? :D
 
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