Make a "blinker" for LED panel?

[elizabeth]

Hello,
I wondered if you know where I can get a plug, or something, to make this LED panel blink on and off, quickly, for a pulsating effect?
The blinker plug is for a 14 Watt, 225 LED grow light panel that already has a cord and plug.


http://growace.com/product_info/14-watt-advance-spectrum-all-red-l-e-d-grow-light-panel.html

 

[CocaCola]

No need to make multiple post... The short of it you can't...

The longer answer is that, that light fixture almost certainly uses a constant current (or possibly a constant voltage) LED driver circuit and these circuits will not tolerate rapid on/off flashing as designed in most cases...

 

[elizabeth]

LED Plug

No need to make multiple post... The short of it you can't...

The longer answer is that, that light fixture almost certainly uses a constant current (or possibly a constant voltage) LED driver circuit and these circuits will not tolerate rapid on/off flashing as designed in most cases...

Hi,
And, yet, someone has made one. Please see this video:

 

[(*steve*)]

Wow, that sounds like science to me!

Those cheap modules probably don't have anything more than resistors limiting the current to the LEDs, so switching them on and off probably won't hurt them.

(As to whether the effect of blinking them does more than enhance the placebo effect, I'm not going to venture an opinion)

A simple 555 circuit switching them on and off via a mosfet would probably suffice.

What is the power source? (is it a small transformer?) What is the voltage and current rating of it?

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Have you ordered the panel? When it arrives, open it up and take some close-up photos of the electronics inside, and post them here. We may be able to help.

Do you have any experience with electronic circuit construction? Do you have experience working with AC-mains-powered circuitry? There are safety issues.

Edit: LOL Steve... The woman in the video mentions some experiments run by NASA using this "therapy"... I wonder who she's been listening to...

 

[elizabeth]

Wow, that sounds like science to me!

Those cheap modules probably don't have anything more than resistors limiting the current to the LEDs, so switching them on and off probably won't hurt them.

(As to whether the effect of blinking them does more than enhance the placebo effect, I'm not going to venture an opinion)

A simple 555 circuit switching them on and off via a mosfet would probably suffice.

What is the power source? (is it a small transformer?) What is the voltage and current rating of it?

It is this: http://growace.com/product_info.php?cPath=76&products_id=6235#chapter4

 

[elizabeth]

Have you ordered the panel? When it arrives, open it up and take some close-up photos of the circuit board inside, and post them here. We may be able to help.

Do you have any experience with electronic circuit construction? Do you have experience working with AC-mains-powered circuitry? There are safety issues.

Hi!
Yes, the panel should be here tomorrow. I have NO electronics experience. Apparently, an electrician made a plug that this unit plugs into and it worked for the girl in the video I posted. Did you see the links for the unit and the video?

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Yes, I saw the video.
Is a blinking light supposed to have a therapeutic effect?
What is the name of this effect?
You know that blinking lights can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy, and even sometimes in people who DON'T have epilepsy?

You'll probably need to modify the panel internally. That's actually simpler and safer than making an external box. But take lots of good close-up photos and post them here. If there's a circuit board inside, take photos of both sides of it.

 

[elizabeth]

Hi,
Other than the fact that it is 14 watt and has 225 red led bulbs on a 12inch square panel, with a cord attached that plugs into the wall, I don't know what the other terms you mentioned mean.

 

[elizabeth]

Yes, I saw the video.
Is a blinking light supposed to have a therapeutic effect?
What is the name of this effect?
You know that blinking lights can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy, and even sometimes in people who DON'T have epilepsy?

You'll probably need to modify the panel internally. That's actually simpler and safer than making an external box. But take lots of good close-up photos and post them here. If there's a circuit board inside, take photos of both sides of it.

Hi--
Yes, it is actually supposed to help encourage collagen production in skin. NASA figured out the therepeutic effects of red lights at 660 nm and now companies have made machines to be used in dermatologists offices that cost thousands of dollars, but all they are, are red led lights at 660 nm, that pulsate. Some experiments have shown that the pulsating effect speeds up the treatment time.

 

[Relayer]

Hey elizabeth,
Unfortunately there are not many off the shelf items you can obtain to do the same thing that will just easily plug in.
I suspect the display the lady in the video has, is micro-controlled via a module that plugs into the mains. Similar to the latest LED Christmas lights now available. China has been spewing out these for ages.
I realize that 680nM is therapeutic, but what about the rate of flash, is that an important factor as well?
Regards,
Relayer

 

[elizabeth]

Hey elizabeth,
Unfortunately there are not many off the shelf items you can obtain to do the same thing that will just easily plug in.
I suspect the display the lady in the video has, is micro-controlled via a module that plugs into the mains. Similar to the latest LED Christmas lights now available. China has been spewing out these for ages.
I realize that 680nM is therapeutic, but what about the rate of flash, is that an important factor as well?
Regards,
Relayer

Hi!
I think just a rapid on/off would do the trick. It worked for the esthetician in the video. It will still work without the blinking, but some studies have shown it to work more quickly when it pulses--not really sure shy.

 

[Relayer]

As I've said, finding something off the shelf would not be an easy task.
A circuit using a 555 timer in astable mode as the clock teamed up with an array of transistors to drive the LEDs is quite possible to reproduce the effect you're after. In fact you could also facilitate having the flash rate vary using a potentiometer.
Do you know of anyone who could do the electronics side of it?
Regards,
Relayer

 

[elizabeth]

Edit: LOL Steve... The woman in the video mentions some experiments run by NASA using this "therapy"... I wonder who she's been listening to...

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/heals.html

 

[elizabeth]

As I've said, finding something off the shelf would not be an easy task.
A circuit using a 555 timer in astable mode as the clock teamed up with an array of transistors to drive the LEDs is quite possible to reproduce the effect you're after. In fact you could also facilitate having the flash rate vary using a potentiometer.
Do you know of anyone who could do the electronics side of it?
Regards,
Relayer

I posted the q. to all of my Facebook friends--no answer as of yet. My guess is no, I do not know anyone who could do this. Maybe I can send one of you guys a panel and you can have a try at it.

 

[elizabeth]

Re: Frequency

I found this. How fast is 292 Hz??

"By pulsing the LEDs at 292 Hz, the healing is speeded even more by raising the vibrational rate of the damaged skin up to the frequency of healthy skin tissue by entrainment." Found at: http://www.energeticforum.com/health-fitness-nutrition/5550-red-led-light-therapy.html

 

[elizabeth]

"By pulsing the LEDs at 292 Hz, the healing is speeded even more by raising the vibrational rate of the damaged skin up to the frequency of healthy skin tissue by entrainment. "

I found this online. How fast is 292 Hz?

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

"By pulsing the LEDs at 292 Hz, the healing is speeded even more by raising the vibrational rate of the damaged skin up to the frequency of healthy skin tissue by entrainment." I found this online. How fast is 292 Hz?

292 Hz (Hertz, pronounced "hurts") is 292 times per second.
At this rate, the flashing will not be visible. Flashing at more than 50~60 Hz is not visible to the eye because of persistence of vision; this is why you see a steady picture on your TV.

Do you have a link to where you read that claim?

 

[elizabeth]

292 Hz (Hertz, pronounced "hurts") is 292 times per second.
At this rate, the flashing will not be visible. Flashing at more than 50~60 Hz is not visible to the eye because of persistence of vision; this is why you see a steady picture on your TV.

Do you have a link to where you read that claim?

http://www.esmhome.org/library/led.html

 

[CocaCola]

And, yet, someone has made one.

Please read what I said, if the fixture uses a constant current or constant voltage supply as I have personally seen in many grow lights those circuits as designed will not tolerate or flash like you want... That isn't to say that they could not be made to flash, with some work... If they use a simple resistive network or are designed differently than the ones I have personally seen getting them to flash isn't hard at all...