Side quest: I wonder why this LED bulb is no longer working… 🤔

[gvlx@masto.pt]

@janbeta I'm saving all busted led lights to salvage good parts. #eWasteRecycling

[dfx_tech@mastodon.social]

@janbeta Oh... dear...

[janbeta@chaos.social]

Managed to remove the very obviously broken LED and just bridged the pads. Should probably be good for a while. It lights up again for now, at least.

(Replacing the LED with a new one would of course have been the proper way to fix it.)

[simonzerafa@infosec.exchange]

@janbeta

Odd they aren't designed with the LED's wired in series and parallel to extend the life

[janbeta@chaos.social]

@simonzerafa That’s not how planned obsolescence works!

[andi@snac.sonnenmulde.at]

Just bridge it with some wire. Sounds familiar doesn't it?

[simonzerafa@infosec.exchange]

@janbeta

But that's how a new project idea get to market with the help of @PCBWay

[janbeta@chaos.social]

@simonzerafa @PCBWay That would actually be useful. A replacement PCB for LED bulbs that lasts longer and is repairable. You could easily fit socketed through hole components in those bulbs I guess. I’d be all for it.

[janbeta@chaos.social]

These LEDs are wired in series in standard LED bulbs, so if one of them fails, it‘s lights out.
You can usually cut off the translucent cover with a knife and twist it off at some point. The PCBs are usually alumin(i)um to dissipate the heat better so it’s very difficult to solder on them. If you can get the bad LED out, bridging the exposed pads or fitting a new LED (mind the polarity!) usually makes the bulbs work for a good while after the repair.

[hanser@hofra.rocks]

@janbeta

if the two resistors in the center are wired in parallel, there is a good chance you can follow bigclives instructions (see link) to dim and basically make it immortal.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5HTa2jVi_rc

[janbeta@chaos.social]

@hanser Yes!

[janbeta@chaos.social]

@syfrix Of course!