replacement dimmer switches for black box LED?

[EMeyer]

I have a black box on which the dimmer switch died long ago. I want to replace it and this should be easy enough if only I could find the part!

It is has a 4 pin connection. I could photograph it if that's useful but based on opening a couple different boxes they appear to be pretty standard. Anyone know where to find these?

Thanks!

 

[Flippers4pups]

I have a black box on which the dimmer switch died long ago. I want to replace it and this should be easy enough if only I could find the part!

It is has a 4 pin connection. I could photograph it if that's useful but based on opening a couple different boxes they appear to be pretty standard. Anyone know where to find these?

Thanks!

Not sure, would have to research some to find out.

Could ask the members on here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-modified-black-box-thread.283942/

 

[Katrina71]

@reeferfoxx any ideas?

 

[oreo54]

Sorry, nothing really standard about it...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23944143
and there are a few types also.. PWM or 0-10v.

One type..

 

[EMeyer]

Here is my switch, does this help identify the kind thats needed? Unfortunately this thing has almost no writing on it.

The weird thing is its not just that I cant find my switch, I cant find any. I must be using the wrong term. Are these not called dimmer switches? I have tried with and without PWM, LED, black box, etc., and I find nothing like these for sale.

Thanks!

 

[EMeyer]

I can also say, the following switch does not work. although it has 4 pins, no matter how I wire it the light is either on or off, there is no dimming.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...-8a-12-24-volt-dc-single-color-led-dimmer/62/

 

[Michael Lane]

That's the 0-10 version. I haven't really seen any for sale anywhere.
I've modified all my Mars Aqua lights to be controlled by reef-pi, so I have a couple of these. I can send a couple to you if you want to pay for shipping. PM me your address if you are interested.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'm just going to throw this out there for what it's worth, sub component parts for these, if they were readily available to buy which aren't or not easy to find, would be in the long run more expensive as a whole than just buying a used black box and just cannibalizing those parts for repair.

Just saying if the dimmer was available at $25 new that you needed and you found a used box for $50 or $60 dollars, you could cannibalize that old box for the part you needed and still would have 1 dimmer, 2 fans, 2 drivers and a PCB board that could be used later if needed.

The cost of a new black box, around $90 dollars, would be more cost effective, even if you had modded the diodes to your spectrum layout on your older box and just pulled the new PCB board out and replaced it with yours.

Demand drives availability and if that was the case, parts would be easily available as opposed to just buying a new unit.

 

[EMeyer]

I'm just going to throw this out there for what it's worth, sub component parts for these, if they were readily available to buy which aren't or not easy to find, would be in the long run more expensive as a whole than just buying a used black box and just cannibalizing those parts for repair.

Just saying if the dimmer was available at $25 new that you needed and you found a used box for $50 or $60 dollars, you could cannibalize that old box for the part you needed and still would have 1 dimmer, 2 fans, 2 drivers and a PCB board that could be used later if needed.

The cost of a new black box, around $90 dollars, would be more cost effective, even if you had modded the diodes to your spectrum layout on your older box and just pulled the new PCB board out and replaced it with yours.

Demand drives availability and if that was the case, parts would be easily available as opposed to just buying a new unit.

I see your point from a pragmatic standpoint. But the comparable switches are ~$3-$10, which would make the math a little harder to justify if they were actually available somewhere. Since they are apparently not (except from generous fellow hobbyists on forums), you are probably right!

 

[oreo54]

Yea, really can't find exact replacement switches but the orig has been fairly worked out as to how it works..

The stock pot is a 500k Ohm pot with a little board on it with a transistor and a few tapering resistors on it to make the dimming more linear as you turn the pot. The board has a 4-pin connector with 4 wires going to it from inside the driver.

https://wamas.org/forums/topic/58230-interested-in-apexrk-controlled-d120s/page/2/

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yea, really can't find exact replacement switches but the orig has been fairly worked out as to how it works..



https://wamas.org/forums/topic/58230-interested-in-apexrk-controlled-d120s/page/2/

How hard would be to build? Cost?

 

[oreo54]

Cost is minimal afaict..
Exactly how to build it is beyond my pay grade..
The answer is in the link posted but........


Parts of the board are cheap.. pot, resistors, one transistor ..done..
apparently 1,2 are just on/off so one can jumper that but
3,4 is just a resistor controlled voltage ..The supporting circuitry is designed so the voltage doesn't go too low and cause flickering.
At least as I understand it.. for whatever that is worth..

Believe there is also a trim pot inside the driver as well but all this gets very "fiddly".. ;)

Here. I tried to annotate my sketch a bit better. I drew in the header and labelled the pins. Pins 1-2 go to the two sides of the switch built into the pot and don't connect to the dimming circuit at all.

The driver supplies 10V on pins 3-4 and I can dim the lights by putting a 20k pot across pins 3-4 to drop that 10V. Max current across there is around 2.3mA at low resistance. I posted the curve of what that looks like up higher in the thread.

Been awhile since I looked at that thread. They were trying to dim w/ APEX not replace the board but did a lot of good work figuring out how it worked..


http://www.potentiometers.com/pdf/ptr90.pdf
pot w/ switch might be $4 though..
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/p...MI8PKz7_j54wIVi4zICh2ugQfIEAYYAiABEgIV2vD_BwE
IF one wanted to duplicate it exactly..though not sure it's necessary..
One could use other than SMD components and Frankenstein solder it together..

I "believe" one could just use this
PTR901-2015F-A103
solder 1,2 to switch and 3,4 to pot/wiper and be done w/ it..
Just don't dim it too low..
Not exactly sure on pot size but 20K seems common..

 

[oreo54]

Just for fun.. a "before" shot..(pot removed)

AFTER.. :)

 

[oreo54]

Going WAY outside the box..

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mars-aqua-chinese-black-box-pwm-converter.571546/
Not sure it is finalized but using one of those boards and a cheap PWM dimmer (a few bucks) or a modified
tc-420(421) restores or betters the box..

https://www.ebay.com/p/Brightness-P...2V-to-24V-8A-96W/19014519521?iid=192450239343

 

[EMeyer]

Just wanted to come back to this with an update. The part Michael sent me worked perfectly, and the light is back in business. Thanks again, Michael!

... then a week later the dimmer went on one of my other boxes! Apparently 5-6 years is how long these last :)