Question on LED flasher

[magnaryder02]

I bought this led strobe kit off of ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0349234002&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I put it together, tested it, and it worked ok. I installed it and had to extend the wires running to the back of the vehicle. When I tried to turn it on, it just smoked the power wire running in and melted the power switch on the controller. I am thinking that the controller couldn't handle the resistance of adding the extra wire that was spliced in to extend it.

I want to build a controller that will control 4 sets of 9 LED arrays. It doesn't have to do anything special, it just needs to be able to have a 12-14v input and alternate flashing 2 sets at a time. I do have some basic soldering and electronic skills.

 

[(*steve*)]

Most likely is that one of the wires you used has made contact with the body of the car and is shorting out.

This should have blown the fuse that you no-doubt put in series with the power connection (I can't imagine you were silly enough to risk a car fire by not using a fuse -- or were you?).

 

[magnaryder02]

I tested all of the wires with a multimeter to check for continutiy to ground and nothing came up. Of course I put a fuse on the hot line.

 

[LTX71CM]

I tested all of the wires with a multimeter to check for continutiy to ground and nothing came up. Of course I put a fuse on the hot line.

Before or after you let out the magic smoke? If after it's probably because the wire is now damaged from the heat/energy that smoked it.

 

[(*steve*)]

Is the damage limited to the wires, or has the flasher flashed its last flash too?

Oh, and I didn't notice. No, the extra resistance would not cause the device to draw more current. In almost all cases it will cause it to draw less.

 

[magnaryder02]

The wire is burned and the switch is melted, but nothing else on the board looks to be burned. So I am incorrect in thinking that splicing in the extra wire would cause the controller to burn up? It makes me wonder if the two wires got crossed somewhere.

 

[(*steve*)]

Adding extra wire would not have caused the problem.

Getting the polarity wrong quite possibly could have.

Are the red and black wires the power connections?

Is the large diode connected either in series with, or in parallel to the power connection? (Alternatively, can you give us an image of the other side of the board)

 

[magnaryder02]

The red and black are the power connections I marked them on the other side of the board. I made pretty sure I kept the polarity right.