Haaalp!

[Kenom]

I need some electronics advice on some leadlights. I'm not going to waste the time posting particulars until someone tells me they might help me. suffice it to say the modules themselves work fine. it's a matter of finding out what's wrong with the boards. They have been modified quite a bit and I'm trying to fix them for someone.

 

[SenKat]

Fire away, man !

 

[Aseras]

stick them in a flatbed scanner and post some pics. we can fix them.

 

[Kenom]

I have my camera fixed again (donno how many times I've had to pull that thing apart and tweak it) and it takes pretty good quality close ups. enough to see the boards. Instead of just pictures though I'm also going to show movies of the problems I'm having. This will explain better than words the problems I'm having.

 

[Kenom]

Ok here's a movie of one of the one's I'm having problems with.

 

[SenKat]

There could be a short, or a ground...two opposite issues. Take acloser look at the module, and see if any extra solder globs are hitting the barrell. make sure that everything that is supposed to touch the barrel is touching the barrel - and everything that is not supposed to be touching the barrell is not ! Make sense ?

 

[Tallaxo]

when connected to the external batteries, are you still driving through the board or direct to the diode assembly? If you are driving through the board then as Senkat said you either have a bad battery connection or something is shorting from the board through to the case. I am not very familiar with the leadlight , does it use a photo diode to regulate its current? If so, could an internal reflection on the inner casing be "Blinding" it and forcing it to drop current to the main diode?

Just some thoughts.

Jase

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

It's almost like there's a bad battery contact at some place. Maybe between the cells. Also, have you measured the current with both configurations ??

Mike

 

[Kenom]

I have not measured the current at both configurations as I have no clue how to do that.  Tell me or teach me how and I will.  

the leadlight does not use an APC no.

I've also checked for extra blobs of solder not where they are supposed to be and nothing there.  I will try the exact same batteries and see if that makes a difference.  It just could be the external resistance of the case is making it so that there is insufficient current going into the board.  I will also try cleaning (by filing) the contacts for the cap and whatnot.

Here's my multi-meter.

 

[SenKat]

Kenom - are you SURE that is a multi-meter ? I saw that exact same item being marketed as a Laser Power Meter ! LOL !!!!!

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

That meter is a dmm (digital multi meter) because there's a transistor tester socket. Any DMM can be a laser power meter with a calibrated sensor input.
The meter needs to be set up for measuring about 1 Amp of current. Probes from the cells to the body of the pointer. If you have the probes backwards, it will just say -x.xxx ..... Easy !!

Mike

 

[Kenom]

EH? LPM? where can I get a head?? Ok so I hook one probe to the positive and the other to the body of the pointer. do I also connect the positive to the battery? I remember somewhere that I need to use the DMM as the wire to connect the power to read current as an extension if you will. connecting it in series. Correct?