Economical lighting lamps are already found in almost every home. We offer you to consider how to make an LED lamp with your own hands, what materials will be required for this, as well as tips on what criteria should be used to select them.

Step-by-step development of an LED lamp

Initially, we are faced with the task of checking the performance of the LEDs and measuring the supply voltage of the network. When setting up this device to prevent electric shock, we suggest using a 220/220 V isolation transformer. This will also ensure safer measurements when setting up our future LED lamp.

Please note that if any elements of the circuit are connected incorrectly, an explosion is possible, so strictly follow the instructions given below.

Most often, the problem of improper assembly lies precisely in poor-quality soldering of components.

When making calculations to measure the voltage drop in the current consumption of LEDs, you need to use a universal measuring multimeter. Basically, such homemade LED lamps are used at a voltage of 12 V, but our design will be designed for a mains voltage of 220 V AC.

Video: LED lamp at home

High light output is achieved with diodes at a current of 20-25 mA. But cheap LEDs can produce an unpleasant bluish glow, which is also very harmful to the eyes, so we recommend diluting your homemade LED lamp with a small amount of red LEDs. For 10 cheap white ones, 4 red LEDs will be enough.

The circuit is quite simple and is designed to power LEDs directly from the network, without an additional power supply. The only drawback of such a circuit is that all its components are not isolated from the mains supply and the LED lamp will not provide protection against possible electric shock. So be careful when assembling and installing this light. Although in the future the circuit can be upgraded and isolated from the network.

Simplified lamp diagram

1. When turned on, a 100 ohm resistor protects the circuit from voltage surges; if it is not there, you need to use a higher power diode bridge rectifier.
2. The 400 nF capacitor limits the current required for the LEDs to glow normally. If necessary, you can add more LEDs if their total current consumption does not exceed the limit set by the capacitor.
3. Make sure that the capacitor used is designed for an operating voltage of at least 350 V, it should be one and a half times the mains voltage.
4. A 10uF capacitor is needed to provide a stable, flicker-free light source. Its rated voltage should be twice that measured across all LEDs connected in series during operation.

In the photo you see a burnt out lamp, which will soon be disassembled for a DIY LED lamp.

We disassemble the lamp, but very carefully so as not to damage the base, then clean it and degrease it with alcohol or acetone. We pay special attention to the hole. We clean it of excess solder and process it again. This is necessary for high-quality soldering of components in the base.

Photo: lamp socket
Photo: resistors and transistor

Now we need to solder a tiny rectifier, we use a regular soldering iron for these purposes and have already prepared a diode bridge in advance and process the surface, working very carefully so as not to damage the previously installed parts.

Photo: soldering the rectifier

As an insulating layer, it is fashionable to use the glue of a simple hot-melt assembly gun. A PVC tube is also suitable, but it is advisable to use a material specially designed for this purpose, filling all the space between the parts and at the same time fixing them. We have a ready-made basis for the future lamp.

Photo: glue and cartridge

After these manipulations, we proceed to the most interesting part: installing LEDs. We use a special circuit board as a basis; it can be bought at any electronic components store or even taken from some old and unnecessary equipment, having first cleared the board of unnecessary parts.

Photo: LEDs on the board

It is very important to check each of our boards for functionality, because otherwise all the work is in vain. We pay special attention to the contacts of the LEDs; if necessary, we further clean and narrow them.

Now we are assembling the constructor, we need to solder all the boards, we have four of them, to the capacitor. After this operation, we again insulate everything with glue and check the connections of the diodes to each other. We place the boards at the same distance from each other so that the light spreads evenly.

LED connection

We also solder a 10 uF capacitor without additional wires; this is a good soldering experience for future electricians.

Finished mini lamp Resistor and lamp

All is ready. We recommend covering our lamp with a lampshade, because... LEDs emit extremely bright light that is very hard on the eyes. If you place our homemade lamp in a “cut” made of paper, for example, or fabric, you will get a very soft light, a romantic night light or a sconce for the nursery. By replacing the soft lampshade with a standard glass one, we get a fairly bright glow that does not irritate the eyes. This is a good and very beautiful option for a home or cottage.

If you want to power the lamp using batteries or from USB, you need to exclude the 400 nF capacitor and rectifier from the circuit, connecting the circuit directly to a 5-12 V DC source.

This is a good device for illuminating an aquarium, but you need to choose a special waterproof lamp; you can find it by visiting any store of electromechanical devices; these exist in any city, be it Chelyabinsk or Moscow.

Photo: lamp in action

Lamp for the office

You can make a creative wall, table lamp or floor lamp for your office using several dozen LEDs. But for this, the flow of light will be insufficient for reading; here you need a sufficient level of illumination of the workplace.

First you need to determine the number of LEDs and rated power.

After that, find out the load capacity of the rectifying diode bridge and capacitor. We connect a group of LEDs to the negative contact of the diode bridge. We connect all the LEDs as shown in the figure.

Diagram: connecting lamps

Solder all 60 LEDs together. If you need to connect additional LEDs, just continue to solder them sequentially, plus to minus. Use wires to connect the negative of one group of LEDs to the next until the entire assembly process is complete. Now add a diode bridge. Connect it as shown in the picture below. Connect the positive terminal to the positive wire of the first group of LEDs, connect the negative terminal to the common wire of the last LED in the group.

Short LED wires

Next, you need to prepare the base of the old light bulb by cutting off the wires from the board and soldering them to the AC inputs on the diode bridge, marked with the ~ sign. You can use plastic fasteners, screws and nuts to connect the two boards together if all the diodes are placed on separate boards. Don’t forget to fill the boards with glue, insulating them from short circuits. This is a fairly powerful network LED lamp that will last up to 100,000 hours of continuous operation.

Adding a capacitor

If you increase the supply voltage to the LEDs in order to make the light brighter, the LEDs will begin to heat up, which significantly reduces their durability. In order to avoid this, you need to connect a 10 W recessed or table lamp with an additional capacitor. Simply connect one side of the base to the negative output of the bridge rectifier and the positive side, through an additional capacitor, to the positive output of the rectifier. You can use 40 LEDs instead of the suggested 60, thereby increasing the overall brightness of the lamp.

Video: how to make an LED lamp with your own hands

If desired, a similar lamp can be made using a powerful LED, but then you will need capacitors of a different value.

As you can see, assembling or repairing a conventional DIY LED lamp is not particularly difficult. And it won't take much time and effort. This lamp is also suitable as a summer option, for example for a greenhouse; its light is absolutely harmless to plants.

Fluorescent lamps are connected in accordance with a slightly more complex circuit compared to their closest “relatives” - incandescent lamps. To ignite fluorescent lamps, starting devices must be included in the circuit, the quality of which directly determines the life of the lamps.

To understand the features of circuits, you must first study the structure and mechanism of action of such devices.

Briefly about the features of lamp operation

Each of these devices is a sealed flask filled with a special mixture of gases. Moreover, the mixture is designed in such a way that the ionization of gases requires a much smaller amount of energy compared to ordinary incandescent lamps, which makes it noticeable in the lighting.

In order for a fluorescent lamp to continuously produce light, it must maintain a glow discharge. To ensure this, the required voltage is supplied to the electrodes of the light bulb. The main problem is that a discharge can only appear when a voltage is applied that is significantly higher than the operating voltage. However, lamp manufacturers have successfully solved this problem.

Electrodes are installed on both sides of the fluorescent lamp. They accept voltage, thanks to which the discharge is maintained. Each electrode has two contacts. A current source is connected to them, which ensures heating of the space surrounding the electrodes.

Thus, the fluorescent lamp lights up after its electrodes have warmed up. To do this, they are exposed to a high-voltage pulse, and only then the operating voltage comes into effect, the value of which must be sufficient to maintain the discharge.

Luminous flux, lm	LED lamp, W	Contact fluorescent lamp, W	Incandescent lamp, W
50	1	4	20
100		5	25
100-200		6/7	30/35
300	4	8/9	40
400		10	50
500	6	11	60
600	7/8	14	65

Under the influence of a discharge, the gas in the flask begins to emit ultraviolet light, which is imperceptible to the human eye. To make light visible to humans, the inner surface of the bulb is coated with a phosphor. This substance shifts the frequency range of light into the visible spectrum. By changing the composition of the phosphor, the range of color temperatures also changes, thereby providing a wide range of fluorescent lamps.

Fluorescent lamps, unlike simple incandescent lamps, cannot simply be plugged into an electrical network. For an arc to appear, as noted, the electrodes must warm up and a pulse voltage must appear. These conditions are ensured using special ballasts. The most widely used ballasts are electromagnetic and

Prices for fluorescent lamps

Classic connection via electromagnetic ballast

Features of the scheme

In accordance with this circuit, a choke is connected to the circuit. Also, the circuit must include a starter.

Starter for fluorescent lamps - Philips Ecoclick StartersS10 220-240V 4-65W

The latter is a low-power neon light source. The device is equipped with bimetallic contacts and is powered from an electrical network with variable current values. The throttle, starter contacts and electrode threads are connected in series.

Instead of a starter, an ordinary electric bell button can be included in the circuit. In this case, voltage will be supplied by holding the bell button pressed. The button must be released after the lamp is lit.

The operating procedure of the circuit with an electromagnetic type ballast is as follows:

• after being connected to the network, the inductor begins to accumulate electromagnetic energy;
• electricity is supplied through the starter contacts;
• the current rushes through the tungsten heating filaments of the electrodes;
• the electrodes and the starter heat up;
• the starter contacts open;
• the energy accumulated by the throttle is released;
• the voltage on the electrodes changes;
• a fluorescent lamp gives light.

In order to increase the efficiency and reduce interference that occurs when the lamp is turned on, the circuit is equipped with two capacitors. One of them (the smaller one) is located inside the starter. Its main function is to dampen sparks and improve neon impulse.

Among the key advantages of a circuit with an electromagnetic type ballast are:

• time-tested reliability;
• simplicity;
• affordable price.
• As practice shows, there are more disadvantages than advantages. Among them it is necessary to highlight:
• impressive weight of the lighting fixture;
• long lamp on time (on average up to 3 seconds);
• low efficiency of the system when operating in cold conditions;
• relatively high energy consumption;
• noisy throttle operation;
• flickering, which negatively affects vision.

Connection procedure

Connecting the lamp according to the considered scheme is carried out using starters. Next, we will consider an example of installing one lamp with the inclusion of a model S10 starter in the circuit. This state-of-the-art device has a non-flammable body and high-quality construction, making it the best in its niche.

The main tasks of the starter come down to:

• ensuring the lamp is turned on;
• breakdown of the gas gap. To do this, the circuit is broken after a fairly long heating of the lamp electrodes, which leads to the release of a powerful pulse and direct breakdown.

The throttle is used to perform the following tasks:

• limiting the current value at the moment of closing the electrodes;
• generating voltage sufficient for gas breakdown;
• maintaining the discharge combustion at a constant stable level.

In the example under consideration, a 40 W lamp is connected. In this case, the throttle must have the same power. The power of the starter used is 4-65 W.

We connect in accordance with the presented diagram. To do this we do the following.

First step

In parallel, we connect the starter to the pin side contacts at the output of the fluorescent lamp. These contacts represent the leads of the filament of the sealed bulb.

Second step

We connect to the remaining free contacts.

Third step

We connect the capacitor to the supply contacts, again, in parallel. Thanks to the capacitor, reactive power will be compensated and interference in the network will be reduced.

Connection via modern electronic ballast

Features of the scheme

Modern connection option. The circuit includes an electronic ballast - this economical and improved device provides a much longer service life of fluorescent lamps compared to the option discussed above.

In circuits with electronic ballast, fluorescent lamps operate at higher voltages (up to 133 kHz). Thanks to this, the light is smooth and flicker-free.

Modern microcircuits make it possible to assemble specialized starting devices with low power consumption and compact dimensions. This makes it possible to place the ballast directly into the lamp base, which makes it possible to produce small-sized lighting fixtures that are screwed into an ordinary socket, standard for incandescent lamps.

At the same time, the microcircuits not only provide power to the lamps, but also smoothly heat the electrodes, increasing their efficiency and increasing their service life. It is precisely these fluorescent lamps that can be used in combination with devices designed to smoothly regulate the brightness of light bulbs. You cannot connect a dimmer to fluorescent lamps with electromagnetic ballasts.

By design, the electronic ballast is an electrical voltage converter. A miniature inverter transforms direct current into high-frequency and alternating current. It is this that goes to the electrode heaters. As the frequency increases, the heating intensity of the electrodes decreases.

The converter is switched on in such a way that the current frequency is initially at a high level. The fluorescent light bulb is connected to a circuit whose resonant frequency is significantly lower than the initial frequency of the converter.

Next, the frequency begins to gradually decrease, and the voltage on the lamp and the oscillating circuit increases, due to which the circuit approaches resonance. The heating intensity of the electrodes also increases. At some point, conditions are created that are sufficient to create a gas discharge, as a result of which the lamp begins to produce light. The lighting device closes the circuit, the operating mode of which changes.

When using electronic ballasts, the lamp connection diagrams are designed in such a way that the control device has the ability to adapt to the characteristics of the light bulb. For example, after a certain period of use, fluorescent lamps require a higher voltage to create the initial discharge. The ballast will be able to adapt to such changes and provide the necessary quality of lighting.

Thus, among the many advantages of modern electronic ballasts, the following points should be highlighted:

• high operating efficiency;
• gentle heating of the electrodes of the lighting device;
• smooth switching on of the light bulb;
• no flicker;
• possibility of use in low temperature conditions;
• independent adaptation to the characteristics of the lamp;
• high reliability;
• light weight and compact dimensions;
• increasing the service life of lighting devices.

There are only 2 disadvantages:

• complicated connection diagram;
• higher requirements for correct installation and quality of components used.

Prices for electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps

Electronic ballast for fluorescent lamps

Connection procedure

All necessary connectors and wires are usually included with the electronic ballast. You can see the connection diagram in the presented image. Also, suitable diagrams are given in the instructions for ballasts and lighting fixtures themselves.

In such a scheme, the lamp is switched on in 3 main stages, namely:

• the electrodes warm up, which ensures a more gentle and smooth start-up and preserves the life of the device;
• a powerful impulse is created that is required for ignition;
• the operating voltage value is stabilized, after which voltage is supplied to the lamp.

Modern lamp connection schemes eliminate the need to use a starter. Thanks to this, the risk of ballast burnout in case of starting without a lamp installed is eliminated.

The scheme for connecting two fluorescent light bulbs to one ballast deserves special attention. The devices are connected in series. To complete the work you need to prepare:

• induction throttle;
• two starters;
• directly fluorescent lamps.

Connection sequence

First step. A starter is connected to each light bulb. The connection is parallel. In the example under consideration, we connect the starter to the pin output at both ends of the lighting fixture.

Second step. Free contacts are connected to the electrical network. In this case, the connection is made in series, through a choke.

Third step. Capacitors are connected in parallel to the contacts of the lighting device. They will reduce the severity of interference in the electrical network and compensate for the resulting reactive power.

Important point! In ordinary household switches, this is especially typical for budget models, the contacts can stick under the influence of increased starting currents. In view of this, for use in combination with fluorescent lighting devices, it is recommended to use only high-quality ones specially designed for this purpose.

You have become familiar with the features of different connection diagrams for fluorescent lamps and now you can independently cope with the installation and replacement of such lighting devices.

Good luck!

Video - Connection diagram for fluorescent lamps

Now one of the most popular and fashionable lighting solutions are linear LED lamps. In this article we will understand how modern LED lighting systems work and assemble one lamp with our own hands.

Design

The linear luminaire includes: an aluminum LED profile with polycarbonate light-diffusing glass, a light source (LED strip or LED line), and an LED driver. We also offer a huge variety of components for the profiles (hangers, plugs, fasteners, etc.)

Among the advantages of such a simple design are the wide possibilities of configuration and choice. Almost every such lamp is unique. The undeniable advantage of linear lighting systems is that we can make lamps of any length.

Varieties

Linear lamps can be: recessed, pendant, overhead. They differ in the installation method provided by the manufacturer.

Let's get started

Case selection

We decided to assemble a pendant lamp that will find its use both in the garage and in the office. Among the wide range of aluminum LED profiles, we have found the right one. Our choice settled on a profile called U-S35. The dimensions of this profile are 35*35*2500mm.

Selecting a light source

Having studied the LED strip market, looked at reviews and read reviews, we wanted to use a new product in our future lamp.

Japanese HOKASU LED module. The module has a huge advantage over LED strip.

The worst enemy of LEDs is heat. Due to the temperature emitted by powerful LEDs, LEDs degrade and lose percentages of their original brightness. Instant removal of point heat, which is concentrated at the very base of the crystal, is very important. Since the LED strip is a flexible conductor with SMD LEDs, when mounting them on a cooling surface we get a thermal gap. The tape does not adhere very tightly to the surface; instant heat dissipation is hampered by the glue (3M double tape). The rulers do not have this drawback, since the board is soldered at the factory to an aluminum strip, which in turn is already attached to the surface.

So, the characteristics of the studio:

• Supply voltage, V: 24
• Luminous flux, lm/m: 2700
• Power, W/m: 26
• LED Size: 2835 (2.8x3.5mm)
• Color temperature, K: 4000

Equipment

The materials we used

• Aluminum profile
• Plugs + hangers + fastenings for surface mounting
• LED modules
• Power supply 24v 150w

For assembly we need

• Soldering iron
• Multimeter
• Wire cutting and stripping pliers
• Flux, tin
• Straight arms

Assembly

To begin, we will try on the rulers in the profile and cut them to the size we need.
By the way, they can be cut every 4 cm.

After we cut the ruler, it is advisable to check it for resistance, because after the first attempt, when I cut with a regular saw, the ruler shorted from the very edge.

This is because the base is made of aluminum and conducts current. And if the cut is made inaccurately from the end, the copper traces touch the substrate.

Now our lamp is almost ready, all we have to do is solder all the rulers together. As the manufacturer states: serial connection up to 3m is acceptable. (We will check this later by measuring the total power of the finished linear luminaire.)

Solder the wire at one end and close the screen. (You need to make a hole for the wire and bring it out beyond the profile, but we won’t do that for now.)

I connected the lamp to a laboratory power source in order to see how much current the LEDs consume. A fairly common problem is that when connecting powerful tapes over 2m, there is a loss of power. This is due to insufficient conductivity of the copper tracks. It turned out that the total power of the lamp is 2.7 * 24 = 64.8 W (26 W/m).

The indicators varied depending on the temperature, but the average was 26 W/m. Considering that the declared power of one module is 26W, I think this is an ideal indicator.

Applicability

For clarity, I hung a lamp above my desk and took a few photos. In the future I will find him a permanent place.

Price

Linear luminaire 65W, 2.5m.

• Profile U-S35: 2400r
• HOKASU modules: 2370
• Accessories: ~300rub
• Power source: 1150r

Total: 6220 rub.

One such lamp is enough for 2 or even 3 workplaces. It can be cut in half and installed above different tables, connected to the same power source.

Now one of the most popular and fashionable lighting solutions are linear LED lamps. In this article we will understand how modern LED lighting systems work and assemble one lamp with our own hands.

Design

The linear luminaire includes: an aluminum LED profile with polycarbonate light-diffusing glass, a light source (LED strip or LED line), and an LED driver. We also offer a huge variety of components for the profiles (hangers, plugs, fasteners, etc.)

Among the advantages of such a simple design are the wide possibilities of configuration and choice. Almost every such lamp is unique. The undeniable advantage of linear lighting systems is that we can make lamps of any length.

Varieties

Linear lamps can be: recessed, pendant, overhead. They differ in the installation method provided by the manufacturer.

Let's get started

Case selection

We decided to assemble a pendant lamp that will find its use both in the garage and in the office. Among the wide range of aluminum LED profiles, we have found the right one. Our choice settled on a profile called U-S35. The dimensions of this profile are 35*35*2500mm.

Selecting a light source

Having studied the LED strip market, looked at reviews and read reviews, we wanted to use a new product in our future lamp.

Japanese HOKASU LED module. The module has a huge advantage over LED strip.

The worst enemy of LEDs is heat. Due to the temperature emitted by powerful LEDs, LEDs degrade and lose percentages of their original brightness. Instant removal of point heat, which is concentrated at the very base of the crystal, is very important. Since the LED strip is a flexible conductor with SMD LEDs, when mounting them on a cooling surface we get a thermal gap. The tape does not adhere very tightly to the surface; instant heat dissipation is hampered by the glue (3M double tape). The rulers do not have this drawback, since the board is soldered at the factory to an aluminum strip, which in turn is already attached to the surface.

So, the characteristics of the studio:

• Supply voltage, V: 24
• Luminous flux, lm/m: 2700
• Power, W/m: 26
• LED Size: 2835 (2.8x3.5mm)
• Color temperature, K: 4000

Equipment

The materials we used

• Aluminum profile
• Plugs + hangers + fastenings for surface mounting
• LED modules
• Power supply 24v 150w

For assembly we need

• Soldering iron
• Multimeter
• Wire cutting and stripping pliers
• Flux, tin
• Straight arms

Assembly

To begin, we will try on the rulers in the profile and cut them to the size we need.
By the way, they can be cut every 4 cm.

After we cut the ruler, it is advisable to check it for resistance, because after the first attempt, when I cut with a regular saw, the ruler shorted from the very edge.

This is because the base is made of aluminum and conducts current. And if the cut is made inaccurately from the end, the copper traces touch the substrate.

Now our lamp is almost ready, all we have to do is solder all the rulers together. As the manufacturer states: serial connection up to 3m is acceptable. (We will check this later by measuring the total power of the finished linear luminaire.)

Solder the wire at one end and close the screen. (You need to make a hole for the wire and bring it out beyond the profile, but we won’t do that for now.)

I connected the lamp to a laboratory power source in order to see how much current the LEDs consume. A fairly common problem is that when connecting powerful tapes over 2m, there is a loss of power. This is due to insufficient conductivity of the copper tracks. It turned out that the total power of the lamp is 2.7 * 24 = 64.8 W (26 W/m).

The indicators varied depending on the temperature, but the average was 26 W/m. Considering that the declared power of one module is 26W, I think this is an ideal indicator.

Applicability

For clarity, I hung a lamp above my desk and took a few photos. In the future I will find him a permanent place.

Price

Linear luminaire 65W, 2.5m.

• Profile U-S35: 2400r
• HOKASU modules: 2370
• Accessories: ~300rub
• Power source: 1150r

Total: 6220 rub.

One such lamp is enough for 2 or even 3 workplaces. It can be cut in half and installed above different tables, connected to the same power source.

In this article we will look at examples of making homemade LED lamps for various needs.

1. The simplest lamp for household needs.

First you need to decide which LEDs are best to use. If you choose between powerful and low-power ones, the former are better in terms of labor intensity. To replace one powerful 1 W LED, you will need 15-20 low-power 5 mm or SMD LEDs. Accordingly, soldering with low-power ones is much greater. Let's focus on the powerful ones. They are usually divided into two types - lead-out and surface-mount. To make life easier, it is better to use output ones. It is better to choose LED power no more than 1 W.

We will also need a current driver so that the LEDs receive the necessary voltage and last a long time.
In addition, for long-term operation of an LED (especially a powerful one), a radiator is required. Aluminum is best suited for its manufacture. For each one-watt LED you need a piece of aluminum 50x50 mm, about 1 mm thick. The piece may be smaller if it is bent. If you take a piece of 25x25 mm and a thickness of 5 mm, you will not get the desired effect. To dissipate heat, you need area, not thickness.

Let's consider a model of the simplest lamp. We will need: three 1 W LEDs, a 3x1 W driver, double-sided heat-conducting tape, a radiator (for example, a piece of U-shaped profile 1 mm thick and 6-8 cm long).

Thermal tape can conduct heat. Therefore, ordinary double-sided tape will not work. Cut a strip of tape 6-7 mm wide.

We degrease the radiator and the bottoms of the LEDs. It is not advisable to use acetone for this - the plastic lens of the LED may become cloudy.

Place tape on the radiator. Then we mark the radiator to install the LEDs evenly.

We install the LEDs on the tape. At the same time, we observe polarity - all LEDs must be rotated equally so that the “plus” of one LED faces the “minus” of the neighboring one. Lightly press them for better contact. After this, we apply tin to the leads of the LEDs to facilitate further soldering. If you are concerned that the tape may burn out, simply lift the leads of the LEDs so that they do not touch the tape. At the same time, you need to hold the LED housing with your finger so that it does not come off the tape. However, you can bend the conclusions in advance.

We connect the LEDs to each other. For this, a core from any stranded wire is quite sufficient.

Solder the driver.

The simplest model of the lamp is ready. Now you can insert it into any suitable housing. Of course, you can make a more powerful lamp, you just need more diodes and a more powerful driver, but the principle will remain the same. This technique is suitable for both the manufacture of a single lamp and small-scale production.

2. Chandelier based on LEDs.

We will need:
1. Base from a burnt-out energy-saving lamp.
2. Two grips (to connect to the LED);
3. Powerful ten-watt LED, color of your choice;
4. Two small screws;
5. One ten watt LED driver;
6. Thermal paste;
7. Radiator;
8. Heat shrink tube (or insulating tape);
9. wires with a cross section of 2 mm.

First you need to disassemble the old or burnt-out energy-saving lamp. It is important to be careful not to damage the glass flask. Otherwise, mercury gas, which is very harmful to health, will come out of it.

We only need the part of the case with the base. Let's cut off the leads from the board going to the base and solder our own leads coming from the LED driver, insulating them with heat-shrinkable tubes.

Using a soldering iron, we will make a couple of holes for the wire, which will hold the entire structure.

Next, we use the terminals, crimp them, and connect them to the LED, observing the polarity. Let's check. It is not recommended to look at the LED when it is on. The light intensity is very strong and may harm your eyes. If everything works, we assemble the lamp into a single whole.

The LED is very bright and casts harsh shadows. You can make the light smoother and softer by using a homemade diffuser. Many different materials can be used as a diffuser. The simplest one is to cut out the bottom of a two-liter plastic bottle and sand it on all sides to make it completely opaque to direct light. We make four holes and attach it to the radiator with wire.

3. Home LED lamp.

As a light source we use Cree MX6 Q5 LEDs with a power of 3 W and a light output of 278 lm. The LED will be placed on a 5x5 cm heatsink taken from the processor of an old motherboard.

For simplicity, we will use a pulse source together with an electronic adapter that will provide the necessary voltage and current to power the LEDs. For this purpose, in our case, we chose a non-working mobile phone charger that, according to the manufacturer, has an output voltage of 5 V and a current of 420 mA.

To protect from external influences, the entire electronic part will be placed in a socket from an old lamp.

According to the manufacturer's instructions, the Cree MX6 Q5 LEDs can operate at a maximum current of 1 A at a voltage of 4.1 V. Logically, for normal operation, we will need a 1 ohm resistor to reduce the voltage by about one volt of the five that the charger provides , to get the required 4.1 V, and this is only if the charging produces a maximum current of 1 A. However, as it later turned out, a charger with a design limitation of a current of 0.6 A works without problems. Testing chargers for other mobile phones in the same way, it was found that they all have a current limit of 20-50% higher than that specified by the manufacturer. The meaning of this is that any manufacturer will strive to develop a power supply so that it does not overheat even if the powered device is damaged or short circuited, and the easiest way in this case is to limit the current.

Thus, we have a DC source limited to 0.6 A, powered by 230 V AC, factory made and small in size. However, during operation it only heats up slightly.

Let's move on to assembly. First, you need to open the power supply in order to remove the parts that will be inserted into the body of the new lamp. Since most power supplies are connected by soldering, we open the unit with a hacksaw.

In order to secure the board in the lamp body, in our case we used sanitary silicone. Silicone was chosen for its resistance to high temperatures.

Before closing the lamp, we attach the radiator to the cover (using bolts) to which the LED was attached.

The lamp is ready. The power consumption is just under 2.5 W, the luminous flux is 190 lm, which is ideal for an economical, long-lasting and durable table lamp.

4. Lamp in the corridor.

To illuminate the hallway with LED lights, we used two Cree MX6 Q5 LEDs, each of which has a power of 3 W and a light output of 278 lm and is powered by an old Samsung cell phone power supply. And although the manufacturer specified a current of 0.7 A in the specification, after measurements it was found that it is limited to 0.75 A.

The manufacturing scheme for the lamp base is similar to the previous version. The entire external structure is assembled using textile Velcro, glue and plastic washers from motherboards.

The total consumption of this design is about 6 W with a luminous flux of 460 lm.

5. Lamp in the bathroom.

For the bathroom, we used a Cree XM-L T6 LED powered by two LG phone chargers.

Each charger claims to produce 0.9A of current, but I found that the actual current is 1A. Both power supplies are connected in parallel to produce 2A of current.

With such indicators, the LED lamp will produce a luminous flux of 700 lm with a power consumption of 6 W.

6. Kitchen lamp.
If for the hallway and bathroom there was no need to provide a certain minimum of illumination, then this is not the case in the kitchen. Therefore, it was decided to use not one, but two series-connected Cree XM-L T6 LEDs for the kitchen, each of which has a maximum power consumption of 9 W and a maximum luminous flux of 910 lumens.

For effective cooling, in our case, we used a heatsink removed from Slot 1 of the Pentium 3 processor, to which both LEDs were attached using ArcticAlumina hot-melt adhesive. Although Cree XM-L T6 LEDs can consume a current of 3 A, the manufacturer recommends using a current of 2 A for reliable operation, at which they create a luminous flux of about 700 lm. A generating 12V at a current of 1.5A was used as a power source. After testing it with resistors, it was found that the current was limited to 1.8 A, which is very close to the desired value of 2 A.

To protect the heatsink and two LEDs, we used two plastic washers from the motherboard and two neodymium magnets taken from a damaged DVD drive, securing them with superglue and textile Velcro.

The LED light was expected to produce 1200 lumens, comparable to the 23W fluorescent bulb it was replacing, but it was discovered that the light emitted was actually even more intense, with a power consumption of around 12W - almost half that of the old bulb .

7. Office lamp
We will need:

1. LED strips 4 pcs (on powerful American CREE diodes)
2. Suitable driver (power supply) 1 pc.
3. Metal body of the future lamp.
4. Wiring, soldering iron, hand tools and fastening lamp.

You can use the body of an old lamp to make it

Or use a special aluminum profile with glass. In this case, the driver is installed inside the profile.

We install 4 diode strips.

We attach it to the ceiling (with cables) + install frosted glass.

Option of LED lamp in housing (from fluorescent 2x36W)

With glass

Or you can put everything in a 600x600 mm office lamp.

Well, as a bonus, let’s look at a few examples of decorative lamps based on LEDs.

For a decorative lamp we will need:
- 4 wooden planks of the same size;
- drill with 15 mm drill bit;
- wood glue;
- stain for wood;
- brush with pencil;
- sandpaper;
- LED candles.
First of all, you need to make several holes in each board with a drill, having previously made markings with a pencil - this way we will get a kind of pattern of circles.

Apply stain to wood.

Using glue, we connect 4 planks into a lamp.

We go over the lamp with sandpaper to give it a vintage look.

We place LED candles inside the lamp.

The night light is ready.

9. Lamp in oriental style.
We use cans of PVA glue as shades for lamps.

We will need:
- 2-3 cans of PVA glue
- cartridges, wire
- scissors, sharp knife
- hot glue gun
- bamboo napkins or straw ceiling tiles

First you need to cut the napkins into pieces of the required size.

On the base of the can, use a marker to circle a socket with a 1-watt LED and cut out a circle with a knife.

Then use a hot glue gun to glue the napkins to the jars.

Glue the tape to the empty spaces.

At this stage you can already see how it will glow.

All that remains is to decorate the braid with wooden beads at the joints.

For safety reasons, you need to drill holes for ventilation. You can have more, but they still won’t be visible.

That's all, the lamp is ready.

10. Unusual decorative lamp.

Making a lamp with your own hands began with drawing preliminary sketches on paper. There was a desire for the lamp not only to be curved in a plane, but also in space, and have a bizarre 3D wave shape.

After the sketch on paper is ready, we begin making the lamp. Each pipe in the drawing was measured, and the pipes were cut according to these dimensions. To obtain the required angles, templates were cut out of paper and attached with tape to the pipe.

All pipes were laid out on the table and adjustments were made to the waveform

The cuts were made on a stationary circular saw. This produces smooth, burr-free cuts with a width of 2 mm.

Now you need to connect all the pipes into one. The main task is to make smooth curves; for this it will not hurt to use a template (fibreboard sheet) on the table.

Since the pipes are cardboard, they can be connected using PVA glue, but I would recommend using glues that harden stronger and faster (moment, superglue).

On the reverse side, wooden planks were screwed onto self-tapping screws so that the homemade lamp could be hung on the wall. And holes were drilled in each pipe to output wires from the LED strips.

The pipes were painted with regular spray paint. The color red was used, since the wall on which the lamp was to be located was white, I wanted to get some contrast.

The paint dries very quickly, so you can begin installing the LEDs. The main thing to remember is that you can cut the LED strip only in specially marked places. The tape must be marked in advance so that it is enough for all 12 pipes.

We solder red wires to the “+” contact, and black wires to the “-” contact, so as not to confuse the polarity later.

We place the LED strips inside the pipes and fix them with the adhesive side to the pipe wall, and route the wires through pre-made holes. All that remains is to connect all the wires in parallel (connect red to red, and black to black) and connect to the power supply.

Now it's time to hang your homemade lamp on the wall.
The lamp is ready.