Ai Sol led replacement diodes

mk_reefs · Jul 2, 2023

I got these light for around 75$ with the controller and power supplies. However a couple LEDs on some pucks are burnt out here and there. No fixture has more than two. The guy said he ran them from 2009-2012 then swapped to radions. They look clean when taken apart no corrosion. Of course I plugged them in to test.

I'm coming looking for advice, I would like to keep the blue and royal blue channels original however swap out the whites with cyan and violets alternating. I have the mechanical capabilities to do the work however I lack the knowledge of the LED SMDs to use/ wattage/ ECT.

Thanks for the help my new tinkering project to see if I can revive these lights.

Saltyreef · Jul 2, 2023

I hope you have a controller for those!

They are hard to come by and worth their weight in gold when you do find one!

These need a bluetooth dongle for them to connect to a director or the LED controller too.

mk_reefs · Jul 2, 2023

Saltyreef said:
I hope you have a controller for those!

They are hard to come by and worth their weight in gold when you do find one!

These need a bluetooth dongle for them to connect to a director or the LED controller too.

I do have the controller the manual one!

Saltyreef · Jul 2, 2023

hblueeyesmike said:
I do have the controller the manual one!

oh good. Its a PITA to program but it works just fine. I believe it connects via 3.5mm aux and then you have to daisy the rest of the lights together with additional aux cables.

Looks like a fun project. The Sol was a great light for me!

mk_reefs · Jul 2, 2023

Saltyreef said:
oh good. Its a PITA to program but it works just fine. I believe it connects via 3.5mm aux and then you have to daisy the rest of the lights together with additional aux cables.

Looks like a fun project. The Sol was a great light for me!

So I've heard! Can't wait to see the capabilities of these lights over the 50 gallon lowboy frag tank. I was probably in middle school when they came out . Hopefully I can get them going in full and give them one more go at life.

mk_reefs · Jul 2, 2023

Welp my order is in on some 3w SMDs, probably get one done within a month should be here in about two weeks. Going to try to somewhat mimic lex gold pucks with it, that's the goal anyways...

mk_reefs · Jul 2, 2023

Wonder if maybe I should frost the older lenses 70/40 seems like a really tight beam lol.

mk_reefs · Jul 3, 2023

A little volume 40, plastic wrap, combined with the power of the sun are really doing these covers justice. We are almost back to original pristine white.

Saltyreef · Jul 3, 2023

hblueeyesmike said:
Wonder if maybe I should frost the older lenses 70/40 seems like a really tight beam lol.

I Actually removed the lenses on my hydras and installed custom made spacers with diffuser paper sandwiched in between.

You have the right idea!!!

Awesome idea with the yellowing removal too!

Post in thread 'The Saltiest Reef' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-saltiest-reef.734302/post-7651122

mk_reefs · Jul 3, 2023

Saltyreef said:
I Actually removed the lenses on my hydras and installed custom made spacers with diffuser paper sandwiched in between.

You have the right idea!!!

Awesome idea with the yellowing removal too!

Post in thread 'The Saltiest Reef' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-saltiest-reef.734302/post-7651122

Those look awesome! If I can't find it I might need to pick your brain for a material list!

Saltyreef · Jul 3, 2023

hblueeyesmike said:
Those look awesome! If I can't find it I might need to pick your brain for a material list!

I actually purchased a kit from someone in the 3d printing forum. Ill see if i can find their thread for them. I think the sol and the hydra have the same dimensions too.
It would probably work fine to remove the casing and lenses then lay precut sheets over the lens holes or glue them vs having a 3d printed sanwich spacer plate like i had.

mk_reefs · Jul 3, 2023

Two done so far. I'm going to call these good.

mk_reefs · Jul 4, 2023

Well, I don't have the LEDs yet, but my anxious brain got the best of me. I took a puck out of the light I threw it on my glass stove top and heated it up really slowly. I successfully removed the working LED and let the puck cool, I then repeated the process and took the led and placed it back on the pad and began heating the puck again. The led sucked back into place. I put the puck back into the fixture and reconnect the board. All LEDs were burning. I'm glad I have a game plan now the white coating on the puck is a little discolored. I'm sure whatever that white layer overtop of the puck was put on after flowing LEDs maybe.

mk_reefs · Jul 4, 2023

oreo54 · Jul 4, 2023

Reflowing the diodes is usually the last step...

PCB Layer Explained | Name, Meaning and Role - FS Technology

This article mainly introduces the layers that make up the circuit board, including: substrate layer, copper layer, solder mask layer, and silk screen layer.

www.fs-pcba.com

mk_reefs · Jul 4, 2023

oreo54 said:
Reflowing the diodes is usually the last step...

PCB Layer Explained | Name, Meaning and Role - FS Technology

This article mainly introduces the layers that make up the circuit board, including: substrate layer, copper layer, solder mask layer, and silk screen layer.

www.fs-pcba.com

So is this considered the silkscreen?

oreo54 · Jul 4, 2023

hblueeyesmike said:
So is this considered the silkscreen?

That is my understanding of it. No different than the green you see on err "common" circuit boards.

mk_reefs · Jul 4, 2023

oreo54 said:
That is my understanding of it. No different than the green you see on err "common" circuit boards.

Meh, I think I have it down a bit, I feel confident in proceeding with it. As far as the silk screen goes it may have to be taken the heavy hitting. I'm not sure of it was roll over from the heat produced from the stove or just heating the puck in general. As soon as the solder melted and led popped it was off/ vice versa. Always appreciate your comments, and help. You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Other option would be to make some sort of jig that would fit directly under the LEDs out wire or some sort of metal to maybe heat such a concentrated area instead of a whole puck. Appreciated your help in may last build with the "mini reef bars"

mk_reefs · Jul 4, 2023

oreo54 said:
That is my understanding of it. No different than the green you see on err "common" circuit boards.

oreo54 · Jul 4, 2023

hblueeyesmike said:
Meh, I think I have it down a bit, I feel confident in proceeding with it. As far as the silk screen goes it may have to be taken the heavy hitting. I'm not sure of it was roll over from the heat produced from the stove or just heating the puck in general. As soon as the solder melted and led popped it was off/ vice versa. Always appreciate your comments, and help. You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Other option would be to make some sort of jig that would fit directly under the LEDs out wire or some sort of metal to maybe heat such a concentrated area instead of a whole puck. Appreciated your help in may last build with the "mini reef bars"

Well, I was kind of wrong about the green thing.. but the fact the white is probably an epoxy ink applied prior to reflow is correct.

What Is Silkscreen On a PCB?

www.pcbgogo.com

Maybe just something that happens when old..
They weren't really designed to be "reused".

For the few I did I never had much problem with the white and reflowing (using a hot air fryer btw) BUT using leaded solder on clean boards allowed me to use much less heat.

The lead free solder used on most boards nowadays can be the issue when repairing stuff like this.
alos the fact that al core circuit boards really dissipate heat..

as they should.

Bought one of these but never used it. well not that exact one.

I'd have to look but think I never went over like 390F for the leaded solder.