Maker Pro
Login Join Maker Pro
Or sign in with

Menu

Connect With Us

Network

Recent content by Quixote

  1. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    I used 50 watt resistors for the red LED strips as well and I like the way they handle the heat better, especially since they are in a very closed space with a bird's nest of wires. Also, they have more surface area to dissipate the heat through the thermal adhesive to the heatsink. I know it's...
  2. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Last question for a while -- I promise! :) I'm guessing that if I put two 5 ohm resistors in parallel, they would be more than enough to load the 5v rail compared to the single 10 ohm resistor? The reason I ask is because I plan on ordering 10 * 5 ohm (50 watt) resistors and only 8 of those...
  3. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Hey, you're dead on about the annoyance factor. I've actually implemented fan speed control for the ventilation fans in the briefcase (project box for the PSU, etc.) and on the actual aquarium lid. Also, I have installed a couple of thermal switches that turn off the fans completely when the...
  4. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Hi Steve, What would you recommend I put on the 5V rail in parallel with the VFD? Do you think I could get away with using a resistor, or would that just waste a lot of electricity and heat up a lot? Maybe a light or LED? Should I look for a small fan? I can't really think of anything that...
  5. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Sweet! Thanks for the lesson! I'm going to order the 5 ohm resistors and load the 5v rail with a VFD that usually connects to a USB port. It has two USB connections and one is only used for power, so it should be fine to connect it directly to the PSU. I don't need to worry about my...
  6. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Wow! That's really impressive that you could glean all of that information from the few bits of data that I collected! I'm disappointed with the power supply because it's a decommissioned Antec PSU that cost me an arm and a leg (Antec Phantom 500 -- at the time over $200USD). I hooked up one...
  7. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Ok, sorry about that. Here is the missing info: Resistor V across LED V across Resistor 390Ω 7.71 4.28 316Ω 7.7 4.25 170Ω 7.86 4.13 10Ω...
  8. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Ok, the results are confusing. I'm not sure how to measure the amperage. Sorry for being such a noob. I'm not getting any readings across the load on my voltmeter when I set it to amperage. I did measure the voltage with some resistors that I had lying around, but my selection was quite limited...
  9. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Good plan. I should have enough resistors lying around to determine what value I'll need. So the fact that these strips have the LEDs in a series/parallel arrangement without series resistors is a design flaw and cannot be corrected somehow (aside from dropping the voltage more and losing a...
  10. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Hi Steve, Yeah, I hear you about the DX pages being inaccurate! The red LED strips have LEDs burning out on them even though I have a rock-steady voltage of 8.2 volts, just as they have stated is required to use them. The white LED strips are noticeably more dim at 11.5 volts when I have the 2...
  11. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Well, I finally got everything I ordered, rewired the circuits as suggested and everything works perfectly. I bought four 4 Ohm 50 watt resistors (one for each LED strip) and glued them to a heatsink with thermal adhesive. The heat is dissipated very well and the voltage is 8.2 volts exactly...
  12. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    OK, thanks guys! I'll try it out and let you know how it goes once I receive the red strips.
  13. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Ok, thanks. I'll try that. What would happen if I use 10 Watts resistors? Would that just give them more resilience to heat, or would that affect the current in any way?
  14. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Well, I guess I'll have to tear out the terminal and see what I can come up with to connect each strip separately. Major PItA, but if that's what I have to do, so be it. So just to confirm, I leave the R1 arrangement with the 4 parallel 1.6 KOhm 10 Watt resistors, remove the two R2 resistors...
  15. Q

    Reducing 12VDC to 8.2VDC

    Hi Steve, Thanks for your reply. Placing a resistor in series is pretty much not an option. I have an enclosure that houses the power supply, along with fans and heatsinks and terminals for wires leading to the lights in a remote area (please see my second reply). The LEDs do have heatsinks...
See more
Top