LED pin polarity (positive and negative) question

ltiu

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 16, 2007
Messages
1,344
Location
Texas
I have a flashlight with a bi-pin socket. I figured out which terminal (pin hole) of the bulb socket is (+, aka battery head, aka battery front) and which is (-, aka battery tail, aka battery back).

I have a uni-directional LED that when installed the wrong way, will fry. The LED has an anode (+) and a cathode (-) clearly indicated.


Question:

1) Do I connect the (+) end of the LED to the (+) terminal of the bulb socket and the (-) end of the LED to the (-) terminal of the bulb socket?

or the other way around ...

2) Do I connect the (-) end of the LED to the (+) terminal of the bulb socket and the (+) end of the LED to the (-) terminal of the bulb socket?


Thanks
 

Marduke

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Messages
10,110
Location
Huntsville, AL
A DMM will tell you which hole is which. But it might help if you let us know which light and LED upgrade you are talking about. Being bipin, I assume MiniMag?
 

ltiu

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 16, 2007
Messages
1,344
Location
Texas
My light is a no-name Magellan :( I can't even find any reference to it online.

Yes, I used a DMM. I know which socket pin is (+) and which is (-). I also know which LED terminal is (+) and which is (-).

I just need to know which end of the LED to put into which pin hole. Is it (+) to (+) or (+) to (-)?
 
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