Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

[sam_sam_sam]

This power supply run some white LEDs flood light in the front of my yard
This power supply has been in use for about 4 to 6 years until we had a bad thunderstorm which mess up a lot electronic devises which cost me about $1000
to replace

This power supply did not escape it vengefulness of that storm

I would like to try to fix it I can not find this size power supply in this foot print any more
It fits in a power supply box that was made by Malibu lighting company it nice and small with a photo cell all ready there

The problem with power supply is that it come ON for a second then goes OFF for a second and keeps repeating

The optic sensor was blown to pieces replace it and recap it except the main cap

Right next to main filtering cap there is a device that 4 pins but I can not read the numbers on it but I think that it must be the switching regularlator IC chip

I have another switching power supply that is the same exact model that works fine I can read the numbers on that if I take out filtering cap again which I can do

Any one have any ideas where to start

[stj]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

check resistor SR9 on the bottom of the board.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

check resistor SR9 on the bottom of the board.

Thank you for pointing me in the right place on this board

SR8 = 101 which should be 100 ohms reads a lot higher that in either direction
First thing I am going to do is replace this resistor

SR9 = 705 which should be 7 megohms it more like 11.34 k ohms in either direction
Take this one out and recheck it

SDZ1 if this one is a diode in one direction it reads .856 in the other direction
It reads 1.67 volts in diode test mode

If this is a resistor with a value of “0” it is not reading “0” ohms not even close kohms range

(it looks like there maybe another digit but the solder is in the way)

I will have to see if this component has a line or a dot on it ones I have taken it it out

If it turns out to be a resistor it get replaced with another “0” ohm resistor

All of these reading are all mess up

One other note

This was checked with a lab power supply with voltage and current control

Most of the the white LEDs are not working and the amperage is a little high in both direction

This should not be the case it should have current in one direction and none in the other direction at 3.3 volts
I will have to replace all of the LEDs in the flood lights

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

UpDate

Replaced the “0” ohms

Now it flashes slower and little bit brighter but still dose not work right
I going look up the four terminal device and see what it is and probably replace it

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

UpDate

I replace all the LEDS lights in the flood lights in my yard now they work again

I still do not have the original power supply working yet that another project I will have to order some parts for the board

One note the power supply loaded to about 120millamps the voltage is at 3.07 volts so the LEDs are not being over driven the tag that was with the LEDs that I bought says 3.0 to 3.2 volts

There are 40 LEDs for this flood light system there are 4 flood lights with 10 LEDs in each one

One note I made these flood lights from some very good solar lights

The reason I took the solar panels of them was because the batteries that were in them would not stay light all night long

Malibu lightning system had a 12 volt transformer that went bad so I use the case because it had an electric eye in the case

That when I took out the bad transformer and put in the switching power supply
To make this LED lighting system

I have one more of these Malibu 12 volt transformer that has gone bad I going the same thing again with this one as well

[stj]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

not overdriven, but maybe overheated??

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

not overdriven, but maybe overheated??

I put the wrong valve for the total amount is about 120 mill amps

At 3.2 volts it is 20 mill amps for one

At 3 volts the mill amps for one is 3.3 ( at this power supply voltage they are fairly bright)

One note

This has worked this way for 4 to 6 years if these LEDs are as good as the original one that came with I would be real happy

The bag that they came in said made China so we will see if last

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

Here is a photo of the flood light

[budm]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

LED is current device, you should regulate the Current flowing through the LED and run it at less than the max current spec. The Vf of the LED varies with temperature and the amount of current flow through it.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

Here is the specks for these LEDs

[budm]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

It does not show the max current rating?
The spec is showing what the Vf will be at forward current of 20mA, the Vf varies with the amount of current. 20mA white LED is way too low to be used for flood lights, there are missing specification for that LED. I expect it to be 200~400mA range to be used for lighting application.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

I was not looking for high out put LED for this application I was wanting some thing that look like flood light but was not high output just to light the walk way
Which works very well

I would not be able to use high output LEDs in this case there is no room in the case for a heat sink

Now do want to make some high output flood lights but the problem is finding the right case for this project do you have any Idea

I have some 10 watt high output LEDs that I bought a while back that I would like use for this project

Here is the link where I have bought some before

http://www.mpja.com/1000-Lumen-10-Wa...25+OP/#reviews

Here is driver LED power supply here is a link to one would this work

http://www.mpja.com/LED-Driver-10W-9...info/32817+PS/

[budm]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

Bottom line, no matter what LED you use, you should limit the current to about 75% of the maximum rating with good thermal management if you want the LED to last.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

UpDate

The 4 pin device is a switching power regulator
Part number is

KA5M0265R.

It is a hard to find I can get them from a company in Miami Florida (they have an eBay

https://www.ebay.com/usr/dalbanicorporation )

web page it been a long time since I have bought anything from them but they carry hard to find parts

Quest Components Corp

( https://www.questcomp.com/?gclid=EAI...SAAEgKgSPD_BwE)

is another company to find hard to get parts

I hope that these two websites will help someone looking for hard to find components

If anyone else has use another company to get hard get parts that does not have a high minimum quantity or a high minimum $ amount can you please post the company name or the link to there website thanks

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

Power supply UpDate

I had two these power supply’s that did not work

Power supply number 1 the one I posted still does not work with the new switcher IC chip

Power supply number 2 this one blew the main fuse this is the one I took the switcher IC chip and put in power supply number 1 and fire works came out the bottom of the power supply switching regulator IC chip but did not blow that fuse

Put a new power supply switching IC chip and this power supply number 2 works again
So now I have to figure out what wrong with power supply one that I posted on this post

[Longbow]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

It does not show the max current rating?
The spec is showing what the Vf will be at forward current of 20mA, the Vf varies with the amount of current.

Technically you are right, but in this simple case the small variation in Vf is irrelevant.

the 20mA white LED is way too low to be used for flood lights,

not if the light is composed of an array of LED's, which it is according to the descriptions so far.

I expect it to be 200~400mA range to be used for lighting application.

Anything above continuous 100mA in one LED is called high output and is manufactured with integral heat sink. I don't think this simple light uses special hi-watt units, but rather an array of series/parallel LED's running a typical 20 mA value (still no exact information). Let's just say that 20mA would be a good safe starting guess to get everything working before thinking about hitting them with more current. Reading just one of the LED's with the meter on diode mode will give you a working practical value for the Vf of one LED. I suggest powering the lamp with a small variable supply to find the required drive voltage.

[budm]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

My logic based on given DATA:
'There are 40 LEDs for this flood light system there are 4 flood lights with 10 LEDs in each one"
Power supply is rated at 3V 5A, so if the LED used for each bank is only 20mA, and all connected in parallel then total current draw for one LED bank = 10 x 0.02A = 0.200A (or 200 mA).
So if all 4 bank is connected in parallel, then total current draw = 0.200A x 4 = 0.800A. Power supply is rated at 5A, so the OEM could have suplly the unit with 2A power supply to save money.
But per OP: " One note the power supply loaded to about 120millamps" So that does not add up to have 40 LEDs with total current draw of only 120mA which will be only about 3mA per LED!
So I doubt that those LEDs are rated at 20mA or 50mA, they will be higher rating. The LEDs are probably mounted on aluminium substrate. Unless the DATA given is wrong.
It is easy enough to measure the current draw for each LED bank.
In each lamp assembly may also have boost converter and some circuit to maintain the constant current through the LEDs, or may be they are just really cheaply made and just apply 3VDC to the LEDs directly.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

I have work with LEDs for along time and if you have the voltage turn down until it the current climbs to 10 milliamperes for most low power LEDs now I have work very low power LEDs that current is less than 5 milliamperes those to me are hard to work with

Those LEDs I will run them at one milliamperes unless it is very dim I might run them at 2 milliamperes with setup I have had very good results

Unless the LED very poor quality then all bets are off

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

The reason I chose this power supply supply is because the regulations was very good and no matter what the load that is on it the voltage stay right at 2.90 to 3.09 volts

[budm]

Re: Ault Power Supply 3 volts @ 5 amps one second on one off

They are flood lamp in post 8, I never seen flood lamp with just 10 LEDs at low current to give enough lights.
We make lighting accessories too and we drive them in 100mA range unless we are talking about those cheap night light with 1 LED.