I don't think I did miss the point at all but rather think you have. Your reply to the OP was sarcastic to put it bluntly and you are labouring the point. the point was made, the OP responded and you replied in a sarcastic manner that was unhelpful and appears to me to be designed to humiliate especially given that your point had already been made. I quote:
"Does your time not have any value at all?"
Taken in the context of the thread and your own post, that, mr moderator, is not a nice reply. It is rude, judgemental, sarcastic and clearly designed to humiliate and all because you disagree with the OP's logic about DIY. Logic on a topic that does not need to be sensible in anybody else's reality other than the OP's. It is not a topic that adheres to universal logic nor technical argument and is essentially none of yours nor my business to make any comment on. You are defending the indefensible and refusing to accept responsibility for a disrespectful post you have made and now are wasting everybody's time with this ridiculous argument which is so far off topic as to be ridiculous in itself. Just own the post and apologize to the man and be done with it. Please. Are you man enough to do that?

Have you stopped to consider that you are choosing to read my question in an imagined tone of voice to fit your own prejudices?

Once, when I was a poor undergraduate student spending hours salvaging resistors, capacitors, and other components from scrap PCB's, I was asked that exactly that question by one of my instructors in a very similar context. Strangely, I was not offended by it at all, but rather gave it some thought and responded that, no, my time wasn't worth very much since my "free time" was very limited, scattered about at odd hours, usually late at night, and there weren't any other uses that I could think of that would earn me the money needed to buy parts, so spending it doing that instead of purchasing those components was, in my opinion, time well spent. Years later, about a week after I got a real job, out of habit I sat down one night to start pulling components and I recalled that question and my answer then and realized I had a different answer now. My time was worth more. So I put the board back in the box, went out and bought the components I needed and then went and enjoyed a movie. A month later, after I closed on my first home and realized how much debt I was in, I asked that question again and my answer was once again different. For the next two years if I needed components I scoured those boards first because at the end of each month I was literally sending a check written for the exact amount of my account balance to a creditor. After the two years that it took to clear $40k in nonmortgage debt making $42k/yr, I reevaluated that same question yet again and I have not scavenged parts off of boards once in the two decades since unless it was a particularly expensive or hard to get part. About a decade ago when I saw a group of undergrads stripping boards, I went over and talked to them and asked them that same question. Strangely, they weren't offended. Instead, they were quite appreciative when I showed up the next night and gave them several boxes of scrap boards I had dug out.

So instead of impugning my motives and intentions, let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

 

Have you stopped to consider that you are choosing to read my question in an imagined tone of voice to fit your own prejudices?

Once, when I was a poor undergraduate student spending hours salvaging resistors, capacitors, and other components from scrap PCB's, I was asked that exactly that question by one of my instructors in a very similar context. Strangely, I was not offended by it at all, but rather gave it some thought and responded that, no, my time wasn't worth very much since my "free time" was very limited, scattered about at odd hours, usually late at night, and there weren't any other uses that I could think of that would earn me the money needed to buy parts, so spending it doing that instead of purchasing those components was, in my opinion, time well spent. Years later, about a week after I got a real job, out of habit I sat down one night to start pulling components and I recalled that question and my answer then and realized I had a different answer now. My time was worth more. So I put the board back in the box, went out and bought the components I needed and then went and enjoyed a movie. A month later, after I closed on my first home and realized how much debt I was in, I asked that question again and my answer was once again different. For the next two years if I needed components I scoured those boards first because at the end of each month I was literally sending a check written for the exact amount of my account balance to a creditor. After the two years that it took to clear $40k in nonmortgage debt making $42k/yr, I reevaluated that same question yet again and I have not scavenged parts off of boards once in the two decades since unless it was a particularly expensive or hard to get part. About a decade ago when I saw a group of undergrads stripping boards, I went over and talked to them and asked them that same question. Strangely, they weren't offended. Instead, they were quite appreciative when I showed up the next night and gave them several boxes of scrap boards I had dug out.

So instead of impugning my motives and intentions, let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

We can agree to disagree on this issue and I accept that in the english language the tone of a statement is difficult to convey or read at times and is typically only discernible from context.

And that is how I came to my conclusions regarding your rhetorical question. Your point had been made a before you asked your question which gave it emphasis. So perhaps if you had asked:
It will probably take you a considerable time to put all this together, is that ok?
or even,
I'd be bored putting this together by hand but your call... (and continue with something helpful, a method for making it easier perhaps)
but you said
Is your time worth nothing at all?

It is a problem generally on these forums that people don't consider the tone their words convey but mistake their intention as felt for their tone as expressed. A moderator should be more sensitive to that as others will follow your lead.

All I am hearing from you is obfuscation. If you still can't see what I am saying then I am beating my head against a thick brick wall and I'll give it up as a lost cause but I stand by what I have said. The only reason I have pursued this this far is because the etiquette of forums generally is somewhat lost and thinly disguised bullying seems to have become acceptable.

 

Is your time worth nothing at all?

I'm 55 I bet I have said the 1000 of time's My mom and dad told me that from about 4 to 15 years every time they thought I was wasting my time.
I just always figured what I was doing and if there was a better way.

 

Does your time not have any value at all?

That would seem to be a rather impertinent question.
I think the value of my time, or anyone's time is worth whatever we want it to be.
If we want to take a hour to remove a ten cent part from a board for use somewhere else, then that's the monetary worth of that hour.
If we want to spend an hour watching TV then that hour has a monetary worth of zero.
In any event it's time spent doing something we want to, not particularly because of its value.
It seems rather cheeky and perhaps condescending of you to question how someone else wants to spend his time or what he thinks it's worth.

 

Have you stopped to consider that you are choosing to read my question in an imagined tone of voice to fit your own prejudices?

It is very hard not to do that, and I think many of us are guilty of it. Especially lacking further explanation, people can interpret a statement in many different ways.

Does your time not have any value at all?

It would save me about $5-10 (if it takes an hour, about minimum wage). But it, as I have said before, is not just about that. Thankfully, spending an extra $5-10 would not be a big a deal for me. But I would like to improve my soldering and learn about oscillator circuits. I would be willing to give up some of the free time over the weekend to do this. And do you live your life only spending time on things that earn you money? If so, that is a pretty sad life.

 

It is very hard not to do that, and I think many of us are guilty of it. Especially lacking further explanation, people can interpret a statement in many different ways.

It would save me about $5-10 (if it takes an hour, about minimum wage). But it, as I have said before, is not just about that. Thankfully, spending an extra $5-10 would not be a big a deal for me. But I would like to improve my soldering and learn about oscillator circuits. I would be willing to give up some of the free time over the weekend to do this. And do you live your life only spending time on things that earn you money? If so, that is a pretty sad life.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with trading time for learning -- it's one of the best uses of time. I just wanted to encourage you to be sure to consider it, since the primary stated goal was to save money. When that is the case, then the money-value-of-time should be taken into account. For instance, I used to do nearly all of my own car maintenance, even some of the bigger jobs such as replacing clutches, water pumps, radiators, and things such as rebuilding power steering sectors or repairing heater cores. While there definitely was an enjoyment aspect to it, the primary reason was to save money. But I reached a point where the difficulty of performing maintenance on "newer" cars both increased the time required and lessened the enjoyment involved. At the same time, my ability to earn money to pay someone else to do the job had increased sufficiently that, for a few years, I would estimate how long the job would take me and if I could clear enough money in that amount of time working then I would pay a shop to do the work -- and I would make sure that I actually worked that time above and beyond my normal hours in order to pay for it. Now I use a simpler metric. After finding out how much it will cost to have someone else do it, I ask myself if I would be willing to do it for someone else for that same pay and, if the answer is, "No," then I have it done. As I get older and find less enjoyment working on cars, the answer is, "No," almost all the time.

But when making/saving money is not the primary goal, or even a goal at all, then it is perfectly reasonable to not even consider it at all beyond asking whether you can afford it and, perhaps, whether there is something else that you would rather do instead. That was the case with my flying and scuba diving. Those (especially the flying) are serious time and money sinks, but I don't even try to pretend to myself that I am/was doing either in any kind of an effort to save money. Not even when I took the plane for vacation. Although I did run the numbers out of curiosity, I most certainly did not try to argue that it was somehow going to save me any money over flying commercial or driving or make some weak-kneed excuse about how the added cost was justified by the increased flexibility, because it didn't come close. It took twice as long to get there and cost five times as much as the airline tickets would have cost. Nope, I spent the extra time and money to do that because it was a hell of an experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with trading time for learning -- it's one of the best uses of time. I just wanted to encourage you to be sure to consider it, since the primary stated goal was to save money. When that is the case, then the money-value-of-time should be taken into account. For instance, I used to do nearly all of my own car maintenance, even some of the bigger jobs such as replacing clutches, water pumps, radiators, and things such as rebuilding power steering sectors or repairing heater cores. While there definitely was an enjoyment aspect to it, the primary reason was to save money. But I reached a point where the difficulty of performing maintenance on "newer" cars both increased the time required and lessened the enjoyment involved. At the same time, my ability to earn money to pay someone else to do the job had increased sufficiently that, for a few years, I would estimate how long the job would take me and if I could clear enough money in that amount of time working then I would pay a shop to do the work -- and I would make sure that I actually worked that time above and beyond my normal hours in order to pay for it. Now I use a simpler metric. After finding out how much it will cost to have someone else do it, I ask myself if I would be willing to do it for someone else for that same pay and, if the answer is, "No," then I have it done. As I get older and find less enjoyment working on cars, the answer is, "No," almost all the time.

But when making/saving money is not the primary goal, or even a goal at all, then it is perfectly reasonable to not even consider it at all beyond asking whether you can afford it and, perhaps, whether there is something else that you would rather do instead. That was the case with my flying and scuba diving. Those (especially the flying) are serious time and money sinks, but I don't even try to pretend to myself that I am/was doing either in any kind of an effort to save money. Not even when I took the plane for vacation. Although I did run the numbers out of curiosity, I most certainly did not try to argue that it was somehow going to save me any money over flying commercial or driving or make some weak-kneed excuse about how the added cost was justified by the increased flexibility, because it didn't come close. It took twice as long to get there and cost five times as much as the airline tickets would have cost. Nope, I spent the extra time and money to do that because it was a hell of an experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

For Pete's sake JUST APOLOGISE ALREADY!!!!

 

For Pete's sake JUST APOLOGISE ALREADY!!!!

Why should I apologize because YOU chose to misread a post to match your prejudices? If the TS feels that an apology is owed, they can say so. But I think the TS fully understands the intent of the post.

 

Why should I apologize because YOU chose to misread a post to match your prejudices? If the TS feels that an apology is owed, they can say so. But I think the TS fully understands the intent of the post.

Not my prejudice mr, and I think there are a few others who have also indicated your inappropriate post so this is in fact you expressing your prejudice against me, common sense and the facts. Another said your post was "impertinent" and that nails it nicely and the OP said "And do you live your life only spending time on things that earn you money? If so, that is a pretty sad life." I hope they don't mind me quoting them like this but you really are the most, and that last quote was the TS! So don't you dare try to lay this on me!

It is bad enough that a moderator can leave this as an example of acceptable behaviour but now try to make it my fault! Your post was thinly disguised bullying mate. Nothing less. And this now is the same thing with me as the target. Good job mr moderator. Well done! Aren't we lucky to have the likes of you on the team.

 

The TS asked a reasonable question and I gave what I feel was a reasonable response to it. But let's ask the TS directly:

@-live wire- : Do you believe I was out of line in trying to help you consider relevant factors, either in doing so at all or in the way I tried to do it?

If the TS says yes, then I will issue an apology.

Hopefully, in either case, that will satisfy you.

In either case, that is the last I will say to you on the matter.

 

The TS asked a reasonable question and I gave what I feel was a reasonable response to it. But let's ask the TS directly:

@-live wire- : Do you believe I was out of line in trying to help you consider relevant factors, either in doing so at all or in the way I tried to do it?

If the TS says yes, then I will issue an apology.

Hopefully, in either case, that will satisfy you.

In either case, that is the last I will say to you on the matter.

With the further clarification, I can see how you are trying to get me to consider relevant issues. I don't think you meant it in a provocative or mean-spirited way.

 

With the further clarification, I can see how you are trying to get me to consider relevant issues. I don't think you meant it in a provocative or mean-spirited way.

Thanks. It most certainly was not meant in anything other than a helpful way and I regret that it didn't appear that way to you initially.

 

Thanks. It most certainly was not meant in anything other than a helpful way and I regret that it didn't appear that way to you initially.

You are a class act mr moderator. Regret but not apologise.

 

there is IC for both constant current and PWM as well

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15pcs-SCT2016-constant-current-LED-driver-IC-TSSOP/142188083332

TSSOP might be beyond TS ability but the IC is not expensive as such.

Nobody here pointed out such IC? Confused.

Oh i think it only has PWM input...so it still needs one PWM signal circuit.

 

I will solder them in mid-air. Perf-boards, PCBs, etc are overrated.

I actually will just prototype on a breadboard and then figure out the best thing to do from there. I have some spare perfboards that I may use. I may actually have the finished thing be on a mini breadboard because the breadboards have adhesive on the back. This also saves me time soldering.

This is how old radios were built in workshops
Its a construction technique

Changes can be made and its not taking so much time
Some parts dont have the right pins for the proto boards so, how to when they dont fit?

You can do like above
Or you can make tiny adapter PCBs with row header for the proto PCB

 

Nobody here pointed out such IC? Confused

His LEDs are designed for 12V so already have a current limiter.
All he needs is a voltage PWM signal.

 

I'm going to be hopefully working on a dimming project and the lamp is currently being manufactured for me. The lamp will be a 43 W, 5100 Lumen, Dimmable Corn LED with a frosted cover with an E39 base. Quite bright. it will be installed in a 1950's floor lamp bade down.
It turns out that they make a short and longer lamp/ The longer lamp has a bigger heatsink then their shorter one which contains a fan. This wasn't obvious. It comes with a dimmer.

Now comes the question why? It's going to replace a 100/200/300 W incandescent light that's on a credensa dimmer. A credensa dimmer is a dimmer on a cord. Operation consists of a slide switch, an AC on/off switch linked to the slide switch and a locator LED. All are important in my new application. You can't dim to 1%. For LED's it's about 6%. The normal operation of the locator LED seems yo monitor the voltage across the AC triac. It's 100% on when the lap is off. It's 0% on when the lamp is not connected. As the lamp increases in brightness, the locator LED increases in brightness. The "locator LED" is a simple red LED that allows you find the dimmer in the dark.

That said, 300 W incandescent is a bit too low in brightness. It has to supplement daylight so a 5000K color temperature was chosen.

I found out, I think, that major dimming protocols are PWM, resistance and 0-10 or sometimes 1-10 V. Voltage dimming gets tricky it seems. With 6% being the minimum dimming, then some dimmers are designed that below 0.6V or below 1 V, the PWM output is 0%. You can parallel resistance dimming to a point. As you increase the # of dimmers, the POT value has to increase. DALI is probably the best protocol for "dimming" as the system gets more complex.

No one really is being helpful except the LED manufacturer. Extracting Vmax and Imax and polarity was a little hard.

So, not quite sure how to go yet.

SIMPLEST: replace the 150K pot with a 10K and just make the locator LED always on. Disconnect the AC to the dimmer at 0% dim.
Power locator LED from an aux power supply.

BEST: Credensa dimmer dims dimmer say at 0-10V, and another output runs 10 to (some voltage) V that modulates the locator LED.
Anything below 0.6V should result in % duty cycle depending on the dimmer. The switch can force a 0% duty cycle by opening the DM connection. I may need another dimmer. Some have 12 V of aux power.

So the locator LED runs in inverted intensity. Main LED 100% locator LED at mininum. Main LED OFF, locator LED at 100%/

The Locator LED is important, so is 0% dimming. Single supply OP-amps complicate things. the Mongul (E39) base will need to be extended.

So, why is all of this necessary? 300W is a lot of electricity to use and it;s also used in daylight. Orange (incadesent) and white light don;t do together. The use is a hospital bed for an elderly patient. an I need simple controls. No reaching for the lamp switch. Lamp placement is difficult because most of the sides of the bed need to have clearance. AT least 3 of the 4 sides.

A flashlight was the immediate fix and still is the emergency light. The floor lamp was the second, but with the inability for the pt to turn it on. A $15.00 USD credensa dimmer hopefully will be the third iteratiion. It's just too expensive to operate.

So, I intend to create a box that mounts on the floor with a circular connector for the lamp that preserves DC polarity. A 120 VAC cord will also be created to put the lamp back in the 120 VAC configuration.

That box on the floor will house the dimmer and some electronics to interface to the control. It may have an always on power supply

The rest of this is an Aside for bed-ridden care in a home. The LED dimmer is a part of this. I do hope the researched info might help the OP/TS.

Some additions to the bed rail have already been made:
1. A 4 unit cordless phone acts as a nurse call system. Baby monitors extend the ring signal to other parts of the house.
a) parental unit in laundry room; 2) parental unit in caregiver's bedroom
c) You can distinguish an outside call and page.
2. A device monitors an off-hook and ring condition visible to patient. I need another in the caregivers bedrom. Wish it would monitor off hook and no talking for 15 minutes. The cordless phone had a tendency to get bumped off hook.
3) A pick-up tool
4) A bottle of PRN mediactions attached to a string.
5) A transistor radio.
6) A pen on a string.
7) A catheter bag ring to allow more movement.
8) Cordless phones are swapped at bedtime and the morning. No charger provided at bedside.




There's issues and unknowns. Manufacturers are not being co-operative especially Meanwell and trcelectronics.

Two other issues are becoming slightly elusive:
1) Being able to lock/unlock the door from bedside and see who is there.
Should include keypad. Might be Android tablet based.

2) Being able to open/close a vertical blind. (little research done so far)

3) Another pressing problem is figuring out way to wake me from a page and knowing if the phone is off the hook. i have a hearing issue at 2600 Hz.

4) On the back-burner is to re-integrate a Personal Emergency Response System with or without moving the base station. Line seizure has to be implemented. One pendant has to call hospice first and another 911. A wired 2-way speaker would need to be added or the base moved. Both difficult options for now. Could also change to a Cellular based system.

3)

 

Why do you call 6-components (or so) complicated?

I see 500meter posts and 3 books of theory.

 

I see 500meter posts and 3 books of theory.

If you think @crutschow's proposed circuit is too complicated, why not show us an example of your simpler circuit that would accomplish the same task? Everyone here is interested in simplicity, efficiency, low cost, etc. so please share your circuit if you've got something better to offer.

On the flip side, if you don't have anything better, why join the conversation just to put down someone else's work?

 

You could replace the 40106 with a 555 and avoid the issues of operating schmitt trigger inverters in parallel. Operating normal (non schmitt) inverters in parallel is one thing but the schmitt trigger means that there will very likely be periods at every transition where the outputs are fighting each other.

Not sure what the imagined problem is here. Designers have been using paralleled CMOS Schmitt triggers to drive MOSFET gates for decades, both for hobbyist and commercial products. I've used them many times and have never had a failure (CMOS runs dead cold at switching frequencies of 500Hz or so).