The Modified Black Box Thread

[Dana Riddle]

Photo from @AquaRaider44

Up close picture. These are much different than the traditional black box led. Cathode and anode are not clearly visible. Must be on board underneath.

Jugging from the globs of solder (?) my guess is that this is an assembly done by an automated process. SMD, yes, is my best estimation.

 

[AquaRaider44]

Keep me updated I wanted to swap the lights and even bought he LEDs but decided it wasn't possible

 

[oreo54]

First it can be done but a short list of problems
1)Which companies diodes and/or "footprint"?
BTW anode and cathode points are visible in that photo.
2)Getting the above esp. if a OMC type diode.
3) Removal is fairly easy w/ a hot air rework station

How to Use a Hot Air Rework Station - SparkFun Learn

learn.sparkfun.com

4)same w/ reflowing new diodes
5)electric frypans can be used for boards that will fit in them.
6)need the right solder.


It's not easy but it's possible.
you can always go full gonzo.. ;

Hack a Toaster Oven for Reflow Soldering

Hack a Toaster Oven for Reflow Soldering: As I get more serious into my electronics hobby, I need to work with more SMD components. Some component packages are very difficult or impossible to solder with a traditional soldering iron. To solve this problem, I decided to hack a toaster oven t…

www.instructables.com

Good thing:
Hopefully they are better diodes than the old "Bridgelux "egg" type units..

 

[AquaRaider44]

First it can be done but a short list of problems
1)Which companies diodes and/or "footprint"?
BTW anode and cathode points are visible in that photo.
2)Getting the above esp. if a OMC type diode.
3) Removal is fairly easy w/ a hot air rework station

How to Use a Hot Air Rework Station - SparkFun Learn

learn.sparkfun.com

4)same w/ reflowing new diodes
5)electric frypans can be used for boards that will fit in them.
6)need the right solder.


It's not easy but it's possible.
you can always go full gonzo.. ;

Hack a Toaster Oven for Reflow Soldering

Hack a Toaster Oven for Reflow Soldering: As I get more serious into my electronics hobby, I need to work with more SMD components. Some component packages are very difficult or impossible to solder with a traditional soldering iron. To solve this problem, I decided to hack a toaster oven t…

www.instructables.com

Good thing:
Hopefully they are better diodes than the old "Bridgelux "egg" type units..

They seem to be very cheap when removing lenses on all of them some of the LEDs cracked or chipped but still work.

 

[-Aquaman-]

I keep getting leds that look burnt but still work on my ocean revive t247 lights. Has anyone made these lights better or is it even worth it?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I keep getting leds that look burnt but still work on my ocean revive t247 lights. Has anyone made these lights better or is it even worth it?

Here's a diode layout for them:

Could use some UV, but that's debatable. I'd say if they are working for you and it sounds like some of your LEDs are at the end of their life span due to the discoloration, they can be replaced easily.

LED Diode Replacement – Instructional Article

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www.reef2reef.com

 

[oreo54]

I keep getting leds that look burnt but still work on my ocean revive t247 lights. Has anyone made these lights better or is it even worth it?

Lenses on the LED discolor from the intense high energy photon flux.
Some have just shaved off the lens..
Tricky and crude but an option...

 

[miroch]

Jugging from the globs of solder (?) my guess is that this is an assembly done by an automated process. SMD, yes, is my best estimation.

I just saw this on Amazon. They now show the chips as SMD.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I just saw this on Amazon. They now show the chips as SMD.

Well that confirms it! They are SMD chips. Now someone has to measure the chip, length and width to aid in matching it. There are numerous SMD chips now and selecting the right one is key.

Thanks @miroch for finding and posting this!

 

[miroch]

Well that confirms it! They are SMD chips. Now someone has to measure the chip, length and width to aid in matching it. There are numerous SMD chips now and selecting the right one is key.

Thanks @miroch for finding and posting this!

[emoji106] Thanks flippers for all your work on this. More work for us all on these SMD chips, should be worth it in the end.
I'm having a hard time with some of these sellers that dont speak good english. They dont understand my questions about which chips there lights have.

 

[Flippers4pups]

[emoji106] Thanks flippers for all your work on this. More work for us all on these SMD chips, should be worth it in the end.
I'm having a hard time with some of these sellers that dont speak good english. They dont understand my questions about which chips there lights have.

Your welcome, but it's a community effort. Tons of people have been toying with these since black boxes came on the market. Im, as others are just piggy backing on them.

 

[miroch]

Your welcome, but it's a community effort. Tons of people have been toying with these since black boxes came on the market. Im, as others are just piggy backing on them.

That's the great part, so many have chipped in adding to the resource of info. There are many smart electrical minds out there that will figure out the SMD mods.

 

[oreo54]

You can start by measuring the package. i.e the little ceramic square..
smd5050's are 5x5mm ect..

I'll guess as to something like these..
https://www.ledlight-components.com...m-white-and-white-light-emitting-diodes.html#

3.45x3.45mm

footprint looks fairly generic..

hopefully the "lumen rating" is as good (though not great) as the above..
90L/ watt..ish

Getting to be pretty standard nowadays.

 

[Flippers4pups]

You can start by measuring the package. i.e the little ceramic square..
smd5050's are 5x5mm ect..

I'll guess as to something like these..
https://www.ledlight-components.com...m-white-and-white-light-emitting-diodes.html#

3.45x3.45mm

footprint looks fairly generic..

Exactly, then it's the hunt for the spectrum we want. Replacing them shouldn't be too hard. May take some thinking to get there.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Maybe @Dana Riddle can chime in on this as I haven't heard much of anything spoken on this subject. At least in the hobby. LED's will degrade. They may light close to the manufacturers claims of hours of use before they "burn out", but there will be a decrease in intensity and will color shift.

This is VERY important to us in the hobby, not so much in household lighting.

LED's degrade very slowly, so slow that we don't notice the decrease in intensity and color shift. Our corals will adjust to this slowly over time, to a point. This all has to do with heat and its effects on diodes. Cracks, delamination and heat effects on the phosphor coatings placed on the surface of these chips to achieve the color.

THIS HAPPENS TO ALL REEF LED FIXTURES. HIGH-END TO CHEAP FIXTURES!

With anything we buy, more expensive manufacturers of fixtures may use better manufacturing techniques and materials, but in time they will loose intensity and experience color shift. It's just going to happen.

Manufacturers of these fixtures, especially high end/expensive, regularly release "next gen" models in hopes that you will upgrade to them. As they don't sell replacement parts, led PCB boards, led diodes, drivers......etc. We've all seen this where owners will sell their "last gen" fixtures to help buy the "next gen" fixtures. Anyway, you get the picture.

Refreshing a PCB board with new leds, say every couple years will keep your corals happy and save you money in the long run!

 

[Semisonyx]

Anyone know if all the units are coming in SMD fashion now? I was about to buy four because of the ease of swapping LEDs and replacing parts, but need to find something else if so. Not enough time in life right now for me to try to reflow stuff.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Anyone know if all the units are coming in SMD fashion now? I was about to buy four because of the ease of swapping LEDs and replacing parts, but need to find something else if so. Not enough time in life right now for me to try to reflow stuff.

Don't know about the date of manufacture switch. To early in the game yet. I would think any made in 2018 would be okay. Just guessing.

The other option would be to buy the SBreeflight PCB boards. They would have upgraded led layouts.

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sbreeflights.com

 

[AquaRaider44]

I just saw this on Amazon. They now show the chips as SMD.

Can you link this for me? I am interested as it also says mixed view angles of 90 and 120. I have the new lights and mine only had 90 degree lenses.

 

[AquaRaider44]

I can't open my boxes now to measure them but it looks to be about 3.25mm or smaller as the lenses were covering the lights and were around them because when I used the twisting motion to get the lenses off I broke some of the LEDs.

 

[AquaRaider44]

After researching leds I think they are 3030 3W SMD LEDs because they had to fit into this lense and there is not much that does and also comes in a 3w variety.