Want to make the above yourself? [Sprite_tm] did a thorough job documenting the build step by step (complete with pics, schematics, graphs, and links to the parts used). In summary, [Sprite_tm] busted open an Ikea CFL bulb to reuse the housing. Inside, he installed a scavenged power supply, ATtiny44, RGB LED module, and a radio receiver. A remote control allows [Sprite_tm] to change the lighting of his room to nearly any color. The cost of the project is a little under $30. The price tag isn’t so steep when one considers the insanely long lifetime of LEDs.
Looks familiar…
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/831e/
Nine bucks more and you get a five watt LED..
yes, yes, but this is HACKaday.
excellent hack as always from sprite_tm
Nice work!
Honestly, even with the wires and circuit board hanging out it’s more attractive than the thinkgeek bulb. ;)
I did something similar after seeing the one on thinkgeek.
why is there no heatsink ? besides this its nice.
i have to agree, sprite_tm never fails to deliver good hacks.
Ok, it’s a nice design but he could have done this less complicated with only one buck converter for the 3 leds and 1 transistor per led for pwm.
Simpler, cheaper, better efficiency and way less noisier.
Anyway, for a first, it’s quite good.
Ino: I tried that… but unfortunately all the components had such losses that I couldn’t reach the needed 1amp to light the leds fully at 1/3th duty cycle. That’s why I took this approach.
Oh, to add to my previous post: why the 1/3th duty cycle? Because the leds have a different forward voltage, which means I still would have to use series resistors if I wanted to turn them all on at the same time. By switching them on one at a time, I could use the buck-converter to adjust for the difference.
Oh ok, I see. Buck converters aren’t easy to design when you’re looking for efficiency.
You should check on Dx, there’s a converter delivering 650mA under 3.6V. It’s almost perfect for this kind of application and around 3 bucks.
Just wondering- didnt he break open a cfl which contains a small amount of mercury?
My guess is he removed the ” tube ” from the pcb. No need to break it.
Nope. The internals of the lamp still are intact; I could put 220V on it and have some light if I wanted.
just giving you a hard time sprite…. I like the hack!
Bulbs…? Don’t they grow out of the ground….Oh you mean a lamp! lol