Opalec makes noise. What does it mean?

**DONOTDELETE** · Aug 5, 2002

After a very long time on used batts, 20 min use each day, the low batt led lit.

Somewhere in the low batt range, the Opalec circuit made a humming noise, almost like something very small was vibrating a little.

Later in the low batt range, the noise went away. I suspect the noise will be generated reliably in a narrow batt level.

Light output is still useful at this level.

What does it mean when a circuit makes a noise at a certain voltage?

Badbeams3 · Aug 5, 2002

OH MY GOD...run strait to your mail box an mail it to me on the double! I`ll try and figure it out...probably take a few years but I`ll find out.

All kidding aside it`s likley the coil wires in the step-up vibrating a bit in the magnetic field.

Ken

**DONOTDELETE** · Aug 5, 2002

thanks for the quick reply!

The_LED_Museum · Aug 5, 2002

I thought I read a reference somewhere that the Opalec may generate an audible sound under some conditions, and that it should be ignored.

lemlux · Aug 5, 2002

I don't imagine that the electrical energy needed to vibrate the coil enough to send out audible sound waves speaks highly for the system's efficiency at that particular power input level.

Lantern Jack O. · Aug 5, 2002

Probably wringing the last bit of life out of the spent batteries.

Brock · Aug 5, 2002

On a side note: Personally I wouldn't run the Opalec on batteries that made the red LED light come on. Once alkaline batteries get that low they are far more likely to leak, especially if you keep using them, when the red light comes on they are about 95% gone anyway.

I am not saying you shouldn't do it, but just beware they might leak one your light.

**DONOTDELETE** · Aug 6, 2002

Originally posted by Brock:
On a side note: Personally I wouldn't run the Opalec on batteries that made the red LED light come on. Once alkaline batteries get that low they are far more likely to leak, especially if you keep using them, when the red light comes on they are about 95% gone anyway.

I am not saying you shouldn't do it, but just beware they might leak one your light.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">oh that would be nasty... anyone have anything to add about when batteries leak?

light output is still useful even at this point.

i've put in really dead batteries and only one white and red led lit.... then the white one died leaving the red.

Wim Hertog · Aug 6, 2002

If you put a Sauce lightwand on the three LED mode (= white), you can hear this sound very clearly!

Opalec makes noise. What does it mean?

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