Author Topic: Fathom and leds  (Read 698 times)

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Offline Retropin

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Re: Fathom and leds
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2014, 08:20:05 PM »
I got a batch of 3 led globes of a known brand ablaze, and slowly but surely they are dying via this high speed flicker. I have noticed this using them as gi globes that are always on. Each individual led dies on the globe. Has happened on my fh and tz. I have moved them to other games and they do the same.

Is it the flicker?? Strobing shouldn't kill an LED, in fact it should extend their life somewhat as the turn on/ turn off allows the back of the LED to cool. Continuous use allows the heat to build a bit and without appropriate heat sink LED's will die.
My suspicion is that you are finding what many many people are finding and that is that LED isn't as reliable as manufacturers would have you believe. When they came out ( 3rd gen with current limit circuitry) they gave the life expectancy as 50,000+ hours. Now if you read the small print, this has been changed to "Up to 50,000 hrs". In other words, the longest they've known an LED to last is around 50,000hrs.. how its light output has diminished by then is not made clear. So to be a bit pedantic and going by the manufacturers claims, your LEDs could last anywhere from 1hr to 50,000, best case scenario.

Offline pinball god

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Re: Fathom and leds
« Reply #16 on: May 05, 2014, 08:49:32 PM »
I got a batch of 3 led globes of a known brand ablaze, and slowly but surely they are dying via this high speed flicker. I have noticed this using them as gi globes that are always on. Each individual led dies on the globe. Has happened on my fh and tz. I have moved them to other games and they do the same.

Is it the flicker?? Strobing shouldn't kill an LED, in fact it should extend their life somewhat as the turn on/ turn off allows the back of the LED to cool. Continuous use allows the heat to build a bit and without appropriate heat sink LED's will die.
My suspicion is that you are finding what many many people are finding and that is that LED isn't as reliable as manufacturers would have you believe. When they came out ( 3rd gen with current limit circuitry) they gave the life expectancy as 50,000+ hours. Now if you read the small print, this has been changed to "Up to 50,000 hrs". In other words, the longest they've known an LED to last is around 50,000hrs.. how its light output has diminished by then is not made clear. So to be a bit pedantic and going by the manufacturers claims, your LEDs could last anywhere from 1hr to 50,000, best case scenario.
I don't think the flicker is the cause but an indicator of the led on its way out. All I know is when the last led of the 3 starts to strobe its good night Irene. I thought it was the globe holder but not when I moved them to other games.
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