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  • #1

    Simple electrical question

    I've got a set of solar lights that are string together and my dog got ahold of one of the lights. They are led lights. I took it apart and think I soldered everything back together correctly but when I plug in the light to the set they all turn off. What am I doing wrong?

    Pics for reference
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  • #2
    My guess is you got the polarity wrong. Try reversing the leads on the one LED light socket. LED's are polarity sensitive.

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    • #3
      It looks like the leads are soldered together at the led? Maybe it's the picture.
      "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -Benjamin Franklin
      "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." -Alexander Fraser Tytler

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      • #4
        Originally posted by ram57ta View Post
        My guess is you got the polarity wrong. Try reversing the leads on the one LED light socket. LED's are polarity sensitive.
        This is commonly the issue if you put it all together right. Switch the leads.

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        • #5
          Agreed. Flip it around. LED = light emitting diode.

          a diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts primarily in one direction (asymmetric conductance); it has low (ideally zero) resistance to the flow of current in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other
          It's basically a one way gate. If it's backwards everything grinds to a halt. It's not coincidence that on electrical schematics diodes are drawn as big arrows:


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          • #6
            Generally the longer lead on a diode is positive.
            "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -Benjamin Franklin
            "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." -Alexander Fraser Tytler

            Comment

            • #7
              Yea I have it all together at the leads. I was guessing right there. So positive is the longer lead and shorter is negative. I'll try that.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by mstng86 View Post
                Yea I have it all together at the leads. I was guessing right there. So positive is the longer lead and shorter is negative. I'll try that.
                All together as it soldered together?
                "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -Benjamin Franklin
                "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." -Alexander Fraser Tytler

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by CJ View Post
                  It looks like the leads are soldered together at the led? Maybe it's the picture.
                  After looking at the pics a little closer I have to agree...it LOOKS like you soldered the positive and negative leads together at the LED. That creates a dead short. Surprised it didn't trip the breaker or GFI when you plugged in that LED.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by CJ View Post
                    All together as it soldered together?
                    Yes. When I started looking at it, they all looked like they ran in one solder but It looks like I was wrong.

                    I know nothing about this stuff. I guess this is me experimenting and practicing soldering.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by mstng86 View Post
                      Yes. When I started looking at it, they all looked like they ran in one solder but It looks like I was wrong.

                      I know nothing about this stuff. I guess this is me experimenting and practicing soldering.
                      Haha, yeah no sweat, man. Just unsolder them and try again, make sure the leads don't contact or use heat shrink.
                      "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -Benjamin Franklin
                      "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." -Alexander Fraser Tytler

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by ram57ta View Post
                        After looking at the pics a little closer I have to agree...it LOOKS like you soldered the positive and negative leads together at the LED. That creates a dead short. Surprised it didn't trip the breaker or GFI when you plugged in that LED.
                        It's for some solar lights. I'm not really worried about any of that. Hence the reason i ha no problem learning this way

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                        • #13
                          Yeah as low voltage as they are, 3.3V likely, or two AA batteries, it shouldn't have done much damage.
                          "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -Benjamin Franklin
                          "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." -Alexander Fraser Tytler

                          Comment

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