T4D 89 - LED Lights, Batteries, ISO-TECH IDM 505 Multimeter and more

[retiredcaps]

The ISO tech multimeter (IDM505) that Martin showed is made by APPA.  See

http://www.appatech.com/appa_product_home.php?pdid=2009091810044515198&&kindid=2005081003113623241

My fellow Canadian, electronupdate, has done and continues to produce a lot of LED bulb reviews and teardowns.

http://www.youtube.com/user/electronupdate/videos

For me, the LED bulb technology is too new and expensive.  Companies are usually crappy 85C or 105C no name caps and they will nowhere reach the stated lifetime of the bulb/LED.  135C caps made by Rubycon/Nichicon might have a chance of reaching those lifetimes.

Obviously, I can replace the capacitor, but how do I take apart the LED bulb without destroying it?

[Mr Eastwood]

Hi Martin - I'd love to see the IDM 505 review and some tear-down pics if possible - it sounds like a nice DMM.

[SeanB]

Nice review on the assorted lamps Martin, just I have tried some and found that pretty much all of them are running hot. Better to leave the glass off on those GU10 fittings and the extra cooling helps a lot with the electyronics running cooler.

A nice set of assorted lamp teardowns, saving the wallet from the worst with some good measurement is Electronupdate, at http://www.youtube.com/user/electronupdate where a lot of the lamps are reviewed, torn down and rated.

Good with the sound proofing and attenuation on the worktop. Try having the shotgun aiming off from the side so the noisy fans are less in the direct aim path, should help as well.

Just remember that at present the incandescent lamps are helping heat the house, best is to go out in the snow and look for hot spots where the insulation is poor on the house, and look to improve insulation around the house. You could even go around and see how well other houses are insulated, a good second use for the E4 other than electronics.

[retiredcaps]

Hi Martin - I'd love to see the IDM 505 review and some tear-down pics if possible - it sounds like a nice DMM.

+1.  I don't think anyone has ever taken it apart or done a review.

[MJLorton]

Hi Martin - I'd love to see the IDM 505 review and some tear-down pics if possible - it sounds like a nice DMM.

+1.  I don't think anyone has ever taken it apart or done a review.

Done...it will happen. I think I found a bug in the menu system...just waiting to see if that is the case.

Cheers.

[MJLorton]

Nice review on the assorted lamps Martin, just I have tried some and found that pretty much all of them are running hot. Better to leave the glass off on those GU10 fittings and the extra cooling helps a lot with the electyronics running cooler.

A nice set of assorted lamp teardowns, saving the wallet from the worst with some good measurement is Electronupdate, at http://www.youtube.com/user/electronupdate where a lot of the lamps are reviewed, torn down and rated.

Good with the sound proofing and attenuation on the worktop. Try having the shotgun aiming off from the side so the noisy fans are less in the direct aim path, should help as well.

Just remember that at present the incandescent lamps are helping heat the house, best is to go out in the snow and look for hot spots where the insulation is poor on the house, and look to improve insulation around the house. You could even go around and see how well other houses are insulated, a good second use for the E4 other than electronics.

Next (news) video clip will be of Martin being led away by the "cops"  after running around neighbouring homes with an E4 in hand!!! 

Electronupdate has a great channel, thanks to you, retiredcaps and others for recommending it. I've just sub'ed and added a link to him from my Channel home page.

Thanks for the post Sean.

[SeanB]

Next (news) video clip will be of Martin being led away by the "cops"  after running around neighbouring homes with an E4 in hand!!! 

Simple reply is to say that you are a war veteran and are suffering from PTSD. No need to confuse the issue by saying which war  it was.

[retiredcaps]

For me, the LED bulb technology is too new and expensive.

And my prediction comes true. See electronupdate's latest video on bad solder joints on the pcb.  How many average home users can fix something like that?  Probably less than 5%.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnepx7m_83Y

[steve30]

For me, the LED bulb technology is too new and expensive.

And my prediction comes true. See electronupdate's latest video on bad solder joints on the pcb.  How many average home users can fix something like that?  Probably less than 5%.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnepx7m_83Y

What are the chances of that being a one off?

Regardless of how 'new' the technology is, it'll still need soldering, so fractured joints will be a potential issue even in the future.

Really, what many people really need to do, is design brad new luminaires, which use LEDs, and have suitable driver circuits, rather than using 'retrofit' lamps. With retrofit lamps, you are cramming LEDs and PSUs into a space/shape that was not designed for it, hence there will always have to be a compromise.

However, I decided to try out some Philips CorePro retrofit GU10 lamps in my kitchen, and I'm pleased to say that after a few months of use, they are working nicely.

[SeanB]

When CFL lamps first came out i used to repair the electronic ballasts as they failed, most common faults being the fusible resistor, the mains bridge and the main capacitor failing. This was for units with a separate replaceable lamp and ballast, and when the units used to cost around $50 each. I still have a few around, and as well a collection of plug in magnetic ballast units that have survived over 15 years of use on practically 24/7, the lamps lasting on average 4 years before the group replacement of the lamps so as to have a consistent colour in the fittings.  Last time I just used a pack of Phillips 20W Tornado CFL as a replacement just as I could not easily get a decent brand in the warm white I wanted, but had these which do have a reasonable life. Not the cheapest lamp, but a pretty good one.