Stripping LEDs from Christmas lights

cygaramond · Post by **cygaramond** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:07 am

I remember reading, quite some time ago, an article here on SSM about how to properly strip the LEDs out of a string of Christmas lights and what resistors were best to use with them. My wife, wonderful woman that she is, came home with a string of LED Christmas lights she found on sale quite awhile ago for me to use for just this purpose and I'm finally on a project to use them.

And now I can't find the "how to" article I remember. Can anyone help me out on this? A simple link to that article (if it still exsists) would be great as would a quick paragraph just telling me what to do.

Thanks.

-Chad

Jades Dark Heart · Post by **Jades Dark Heart** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:06 pm

Here is the one I did on BHP on how to clear out the phillips LED Christmas lights. Hope this helps

http://www.blockheadpictures.com/phillipsleds.html

TREKKRIFFIC · Post by **TREKKRIFFIC** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:39 pm

So once you have the LED's removed what value resistor would you recommend ? 100 ohm ? I have the battery powered string which uses 6 volts IIRC.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:13 pm

YELLOW, AMBER, RED, most GREEN LEDs tend to operate best at between 1.8 and 2.4 volts.

WHITE, some GREEN, most BLUE LEDs are happiest at between 3.4 and 3.6 volts.

So, take your 6 volts supply voltage, subtract the operating voltage of your LED, allow 0.020 amps for the LED and apply Ohm's law.

6 - 3.4 = 2.6 volts to be 'dropped'.

E=IR or R=E/I or R = 2.6 / .020

or = 130 ohms or a bit more.

Etc.

Hope I'm not being clear as MUDD, even though he was a favorite Trek character of mine.

TREKKRIFFIC · Post by **TREKKRIFFIC** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:15 am

en'til Zog wrote:YELLOW, AMBER, RED, most GREEN LEDs tend to operate best at between 1.8 and 2.4 volts.

WHITE, some GREEN, most BLUE LEDs are happiest at between 3.4 and 3.6 volts.

So, take your 6 volts supply voltage, subtract the operating voltage of your LED, allow 0.020 amps for the LED and apply Ohm's law.

6 - 3.4 = 2.6 volts to be 'dropped'.

E=IR or R=E/I or R = 2.6 / .020

or = 130 ohms or a bit more.

Etc.

Hope I'm not being clear as MUDD, even though he was a favorite Trek character of mine.

Cool. Thanks for doing the math for me.