Ok here is another one, my question is how would I make said little switch box

Thread Starter

Duddy5683

Joined Jan 25, 2023
12
Ok keep in mind it might not makes sense to everyone but to me it does cause I'm building something so I have this light with 3 adjustable panels I rewired it so onstead of screwing it in a light fixture I can just plug it in cause I found a cord with a switch then I thought cant I rewire and extend each panel to wherever I want and make a breaker box for instance where I can turn on or off any desired light so my question is how would I make said little switch box and is there a way to make it wireless
 

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MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Besides needing to know how the three panels are wired, series or parallel, It will be handy to know how they are powered. Certainly it will not require anything like a circuit breaker box, probably just three small switches. But there is a whole lot that is missing from the description of the intentions.
Besides that, it is not likely that the connections to each of those three segments are suitable for making into extended connections.
 

Thread Starter

Duddy5683

Joined Jan 25, 2023
12
So it originally was made to screw into a light socket but I made it so u can plug it in each light is soldered to the same board but each has its own positive and negative solder points
Besides needing to know how the three panels are wired, series or parallel, It will be handy to know how they are powered. Certainly it will not require anything like a circuit breaker box, probably just three small switches. But there is a whole lot that is missing from the description of the intentions.
Besides that, it is not likely that the connections to each of those three segments are suitable for making into extended connections.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
Measure the voltage CAREFULLY where one set of wires goes into one of the three panels and report. It's possible they are in parallel and using a driver circuit similar to those found inside LED lamp bulbs, the kind you screw into a light socket. They can be running on 45 volts (for example only).
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
I have a few of those type lamps in different areas of my shop. I don't know if the panels can be used separately. I think they are wired in series so they don't need a transformer in them. At least I can't hear a hum like some of the Led light bulbs have. They get away with that because there are enough leds to drop the voltage to work on 120V. Using one panel at a time would burn the panel out.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Certainly with the connection scheme unknown caution is required. And in addition to that, consider that with all of the circuit in one assembly, there is no requirement for any of it to be isolated from the mains supply.
So there might also be a shock hazard from any portion of the circuit. So there is additional reason for being careful aside of the warning from Tony.
So the solution is not fear, but much rather respect.
 

Thread Starter

Duddy5683

Joined Jan 25, 2023
12
Certainly with the connection scheme unknown caution is required. And in addition to that, consider that with all of the circuit in one assembly, there is no requirement for any of it to be isolated from the mains supply.
So there might also be a shock hazard from any portion of the circuit. So there is additional reason for being careful aside of the warning from Tony.
So the solution is not fear, but much rather respect.
Thank u everyone this is helpful so since the way they r wired doesn't require them or need them to run separately is there a way to do it with resistors or something it's one of those things I have this plan and thought in my head and I want to see it through untill I know it can't b done lol
 

Thread Starter

Duddy5683

Joined Jan 25, 2023
12
Thank u everyone this is helpful so since the way they r wired doesn't require them or need them to run separately is there a way to do it with resistors or something it's one of those things I have this plan and thought in my head and I want to see it through untill I know it can't b done lol
And again I am new to this I'm trying to learn everything like how everything works but I just dive in and learn as I go burn up some things break things sometimes make some cool stuff lol I appreciate all the help
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
Yes, you can use a resistor. But to know what resistance to use depends on the LED's. Knowing the collective forward voltage drop over the series of LED's within a panel (assuming they are ALL wired in series) will need one resistance. If they're wired "Series/Parallel" then a different resistance is needed. There isn't a "One Answer Fits All" approach. And we can't see what you're thinking. Nor can we determine how your lamp is wired or powered unless we happen to have the same thing and are doing the same project as you wish to do. For sure it's doable. But the right approach depends on a whole bunch of things we don't yet know. And you being "new to this" it will be difficult to get you to give us the right information. We'd love to help. But to help we need to know where we are, where we're going and how we're going to get you there. Speaking for myself - I don't know the answer to two of those things.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
The request for the measurements given in post #5 is still at least a starting point. And the fact is that most of the folks responding, including me, have poor mind reading ability, and thus we need to be given information.
Knowing what the voltage across each illuminated segment is will allow us to understand the scheme of operation and, with that data we can suggest a syetem to operate each segment individually.
 
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