DIY 12 Volt voltage stabilizer for LEDs in cars

Description of the nuances of assembling a 12 Volt voltage stabilizer for a car, a list of necessary parts, 3 circuit options. + TEST for self-test. We will analyze the TOP 5 questions on the topic and the TOP 3 soldering irons for boards.

TEST:

To understand whether you have sufficient information about car stabilizers, you should take a short test:

1. Why install a 12-volt stabilizer on your vehicle? a) The vehicle’s network produces an inconsistent voltage. This depends on the state of charge of the battery. The voltage ranges from 11.5 - 14.5 Volts. But LED bulbs only require 12 volts. To supply the required voltage, SN is installed. b) LED lamps operate at 18 Volts. In order for them to function when connected to a car, additional load has to be supplied through a stabilizer.
2. Why do LED light bulbs often burn out without a stabilizer? a) The main reason is a low-quality LED manufacturer. b) Due to surge voltage on them.
3. In what case will it be necessary to additionally connect an aluminum radiator to the stabilizer? a) If more than 10 LEDs are installed on the car. b) When installing LED lamps of different colors on the car.
4. How are LEDs connected? a) 3 LEDs are connected in series to a resistor, and then the assembled set is connected in parallel to the next LEDs. b) 3 LEDs are connected in parallel to a resistor, and then the assembled set is connected in series to the next LEDs.

Answers:

1. a) Depending on the state of charge of the battery, the LED lamps will receive a fluctuating voltage - from 11.5 to 14.5. That is why the MV is connected to the lamps - to obtain a constant voltage of 12 Volts (this indicator is needed for LEDs).
2. b) LEDs are not designed for voltage surges that come from the battery, so they soon burn out without a stabilizer.
3. a) If more than 10 LEDs are installed on a car, then it is advisable to equip the circuit with an aluminum radiator.
4. b) First, 3 LEDs are connected in series to a resistor, and then they take a new coupler and connect them in parallel to each other.

Car owners often install LED lighting on their cars. But light bulbs quite often fail, and all the created beauty immediately fades. This is because LED bulbs do not work properly if they are simply connected to an electrical outlet. For them it is necessary to use special stabilizers. Only in this case will the lamps be protected from voltage surges, overheating, and breakdown of important components. To install a voltage stabilizer on your car, you need to understand this issue in detail and study a simple circuit that you can assemble with your own hands.

Definition: CH 12 volt for a car is a small device designed to dampen excess voltage in a car coming from the battery. As a result, the connected LED lamps receive a constant load of 12 volts.

Selection of 12 V stabilizer

The car's on-board network provides power from 13 V, but LEDs need only 12 V to operate. That is why it is necessary to install a voltage stabilizer, which will provide exactly 12 V at the output.

By installing such equipment, it will ensure normal conditions for the operation of LED lighting, which will not fail for a long time. When choosing stabilizers, motorists are faced with problems, since there are so many designs, and they all work differently.

You should select a stabilizer that:

1. It will function correctly.
2. Provides reliable protection and safety of lighting equipment.

Circuit from an old power supply

If you find an old power supply, you can remake it according to the third diagram presented below.

In this case, it is necessary to check what the value of the input voltage coming from the LED bridge is. If it exceeds 14V, add L7812 to the circuit.

There was no charger from the tablet, but you found a unit from an old laptop, made on the popular, widespread LM2596 circuit? In this case, it is worth checking the voltage: if it is more than 12 V, you need to slightly modify the device. To do this, it is enough to introduce a step-down voltage converter into the circuit.

A simple 12 V voltage stabilizer with your own hands

If you have even minor skills in assembling an electrical circuit, then it is not necessary to purchase a voltage stabilizer ready-made. To make a homemade device, a person will spend 50 rubles or less; a ready-made model costs slightly more. There is no point in overpaying, since the result will be a high-quality device that meets all the necessary requirements.

The simplest but most functional stabilizer can be made with your own hands without much effort. It is very difficult to assemble a pulse device, especially for a beginner, and therefore it is worth considering linear stabilizers and amateur circuits for it.

The simplest 12 volt voltage stabilizer is assembled from a (finished) circuit, as well as a resistance resistor. It is advisable to use the LM317 chip. All parts will be attached to a perforated panel or universal printed circuit board. If you assemble the device correctly and connect it to your car, you can provide good lighting - the lights will stop blinking.

LM317 circuit

Connection diagram

12V MV Parts List

To make a voltage stabilizer with your own hands, you should find or buy the following parts:

1. Board - 35 by 20 mm.
2. Chip LD 1084.
3. RS407 diode bridge. If this is not the case, then we select any small diode intended for reverse current.
4. Power supply with a transistor and two resistances. This equipment is needed to ensure that the end is turned off when the low or high beam headlights are turned on.

Three LEDs must be connected in series with a current-limiting resistor that equalizes the electric current. This set should then be connected in parallel to the next set of light bulbs.

Power supply power for LED strip

The power supply device for the LED strip must have a specific power, which depends on the total load of the connected devices. It must be taken into account that exaggerating this parameter leads to disruption of the normal operation of the entire lighting device and severe overheating of the equipment. To prevent this from happening, you need to make sure that the power of the LED strip is less than the maximum allowed by the power supply.

Old power supply devices with step-down transformers provide a huge field for activity, because their power supply is unlimited. As for pulsed (more modern) power supplies, they have some restrictions, including the minimum current value.

How to make a 12-volt voltage stabilizer for LEDs in a car using the L7812 chip

To assemble a high-quality voltage stabilizer, you can use a three-pin DC voltage regulator, available in the L7812 series. This device will power not only individual light bulbs in a car, but also an entire strip of LEDs.

L7812

Components:

1. Chip L7812.
2. Capacitor 330 uF 16 V.
3. Capacitor 100 uF 16 V.
4. 1 amp rectifier diode. You can use a 1n4001 or a Schottky diode.
5. Heat shrink 3 mm.
6. Connecting wires.

Assembly order:

1. We slightly shorten one leg of the stabilizer.
2. We use solder.
3. We add a diode to the short leg, and then capacitors.
4. We place heat shrink on the wires.
5. We are soldering wires.
6. We put on the heat shrink and press it with a hair dryer or a lighter. It is important not to overdo it and not melt the heat shrink.
7. We supply power to the input on the left side, and on the right there will be an output to the LED strip.
8. We carry out a test - turn on the lighting. The tape should light up, its service life will now increase.

This is how you make a 12V voltage stabilizer with your own hands.

Medium complexity devices

Drivers for 220V LEDs are of average complexity to manufacture. Setting them up can take a lot of time, requiring setup experience. Such a driver can be extracted from LED lamps, spotlights and lamps with a faulty LED circuit. Most drivers can also be modified by recognizing the model of the converter's PWM controller. The output parameters are usually set by one or more resistors. The datasheet indicates the resistance level required to obtain the desired current. If you install an adjustable resistor, then the number of Amperes at the output will be adjustable (but without exceeding the specified rated power).

The universal module XL4015 was highly popular on Chinese websites in 2016 . According to its characteristics, it is suitable for connecting high power LEDs (up to 100 Watt). The standard version of the housing of this module is soldered to a board that acts as a radiator. To improve the cooling of the XL4015, the current stabilizer circuit must be modified to install a heatsink on the device body.

Many users simply place the radiator on top, but the efficiency of this installation is quite low. The cooling system is best located at the bottom of the board, opposite the chip solder. For optimal quality, it can be unsoldered and installed on a full-fledged radiator using thermal paste. The wires will need to be lengthened. Additional cooling can also be installed for the diodes, which will significantly increase the efficiency of the entire circuit.

Among the drivers, the adjustable driver is considered the most versatile. In this case, a variable resistor is installed in the circuit, which sets the number of amperes at the output. These characteristics are usually specified in the following documents:

• in the specification for the microcircuit;
• in datasheet;
• in a typical connection diagram.

Without additional cooling of the microcircuit, such devices can withstand 1-3 A (in accordance with the PWM controller model). The weak point of such drivers is the heating of the diode and inductor. Above 3 A, cooling of the powerful diode and PWM controller will be required. In this case, the choke is replaced with a more suitable one or rewound with a thick wire.

It is also important to know 3 nuances on how to assemble a 12 volt voltage stabilizer with your own hands

1. It is advisable to connect LEDs through a current stabilizer. In this way, it will be possible to balance the fluctuations in the electrical network, and the car owner will not worry about current surges.
2. The power supply requirements must also be observed, since, in this way, your self-assembled stabilizer can be correctly adjusted to the electrical network.
3. It is advisable to assemble a unit that will provide decent stability, reliability and stability - the stabilizer should last for many years. That’s why you shouldn’t cheap out on components – buy them in good electronics stores.

Schemes of simple stabilizers

Another simple circuit based on LM2596

A completely homemade power supply device will require a lot of time and a large number of parts, so it is worth mentioning another circuit for assembling a twelve-volt unit. It can be connected to an electrical network with two hundred and twenty-volt voltage.

We are talking about using the popular LM2596 microcircuit or its adjustable modification - LM2596ADJ. This element is an excellent option for solving the problem considered here. It has the following characteristics:

• maximum input voltage – 40 V;
• output current – ​​3 A;
• output voltage – from 3 V to 37 V;
• conversion frequency – 150 kHz;
• current protection is triggered when the value is more than 3 A.

How to avoid 3 mistakes when soldering a circuit

1. Before starting all soldering work, be sure to select the most suitable soldering machine for assembling the microcircuit. The old one lying at home or in the garage is suitable only for experienced people, but a beginner will ruin the board, unable to cope with the power. The most suitable voltage range for connecting boards and wiring is 15-30 watts. We don’t use more power, otherwise the board will burn out and you’ll have to start all over again with new parts.
2. Before you start connecting parts by soldering, make sure that the circuit is well cleaned. For high-quality processing, a simple composition is used - any soap is mixed with clean water. Afterwards, a clean napkin is dipped into the prepared solution and the board is wiped very efficiently over the entire surface. If there are traces of soap left on the metal, wipe them off carefully with a dry cloth. Quite dense deposits are often noticed on boards. To get rid of them, you will have to go to an electrical store and buy a special cleaning composition. The sellers will tell you everything you need. We process the area until a slight metallic sheen appears.
3. We place the contacts on the board in the correct sequence - first we work with small resistors, and then move on to large parts. If you first attach all the large parts, then the small parts will become very inconvenient to attach - large components will get in the way.

Don't neglect the advice. They will allow you to create a better connection, and hence the durability of the stabilizer.

TOP 3 soldering irons for circuit boards

To simplify the work of soldering the stabilizer, it is advisable to buy a high-quality soldering iron. The stores have units from good and trusted manufacturers that you should pay attention to:

1. Ersa is a German company. The product is very good and reliable, but expensive, and therefore not everyone can afford it for their home.
2. Chinese company Quick. The quality is excellent and the price is reasonable.
3. Luckey. The most budget option. Do not leave the device turned on unattended - it may cause a fire.

A 10 W soldering iron is enough to make a simple microboard. When purchasing, examine the handle - it should not heat up quickly. Wood is an ideal option. Plastic will quickly become hot, hard rubber is heavy, and therefore difficult to work with small parts.

It is advisable to choose a tip made of copper - it is easy to clean off carbon deposits after work. The stings come in different shapes and are sold in sets. This will not be useful for a beginner, but experienced people will find it convenient to use attachments of different configurations.

Voltage stabilizers for cars