Electronics Help Needed

[jkruer01]

This is a dimmer switch for the blue LEDs in my black box. It appears to have gone bad because I can turn them on and off but the LEDs don't get any brighter beyond about 10%.

Can anyone tell me what it is and more importantly where I can get a replacement?

Thanks!

 

[hwntunda]

You can try monoprice, what brand is the light? Pics?

 

[jkruer01]

You can try monoprice, what brand is the light? Pics?

What would I search for on monoprice?

It is just a generic cheap led black box. I'm assuming it was bought off of eBay or something like that. I bought a used tank and is came with the tank.

 

[cwalton00]

Looks like a 10 k ohm potentiometer.

 

[hwntunda]

Can you unsolder the pot so we can see how many prongs are on the bottom? Do you have a meter? check voltage and current on your whites ( min/max) and compare to blues to make sure the drivers are in fact putting out similar voltage and current.

 

[hwntunda]

Judging from the soldering joints, it’s a 5 pin. https://m.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-B10K-Au...125270?hash=item3f4f490596:g:T-kAAOSw~gRVjTsW

 

[jkruer01]

Can you unsolder the pot so we can see how many prongs are on the bottom? Do you have a meter? check voltage and current on your whites ( min/max) and compare to blues to make sure the drivers are in fact putting out similar voltage and current.

Everything you said just went WAY beyond my level of knowledge! LOL. I've never soldered anything in my entire life. I also have never used a voltage meter.

 

[hwntunda]

Judging from your pic, the 5 connections are the pins from the potentiometer. Do you know someone that has a soldering iron? I also added a link to a 10k pot earlier.

 

[drcrook]

The knob thing is a potentiometer which likely controls the power of your led lights; but also there is 1-2 more circuits in there. My guess is that the blue thing is a transistor or relay of some form to assist in power leveling. You also have an integrated circuit in there with a PWM. This likely controls the actual colors on the led strip. Possibly enabling leveling of a pwm channel?