xmastree
02-02-2008, 06:43 AM
A couple of weeks ago I sent to a site to investigate a faulty emergency light. It was 'buzzing'. Turns out it was a rather clever self-testing unit (this style (http://www.customcall.co.uk/images/emer_light1.gif)), and it was reporting a problem.
I checked the batteries, fine. Checked the bulbs, fine. It must be the electronics so I contacted our office and ordered a replacement board.
The other day I went to install the replacement (they sent the whole unit), which went fine. I took the faulty one away with me but rather than throw it out I thought I'd take it home and play with it. At the very least I could use the lights on my car.
I believed that the fault was probably in the self-test module rather than the charger/switchover unit, and as I was looking for an emergency light for my cellar then I might just be able to use it. I didn't really need the self-test function anyway so I'd just remove that and rewire it as a normal unit.
Got it home and poked around with it, only to find that the fault was just one of the batteries after all. :dead:
I'd measured them both, but only by chance checked the bulbs on the good one. :redface: The bad one had voltage but couldn't produce any current.
So I fitted new batteries and it works perfectly. :banana:
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/thumbs/6972lights.jpg (http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/6972lights.jpg)
The buzzing was merely the self-test unit reporting the faulty battery, which I had failed to diagnose.
;)
I checked the batteries, fine. Checked the bulbs, fine. It must be the electronics so I contacted our office and ordered a replacement board.
The other day I went to install the replacement (they sent the whole unit), which went fine. I took the faulty one away with me but rather than throw it out I thought I'd take it home and play with it. At the very least I could use the lights on my car.
I believed that the fault was probably in the self-test module rather than the charger/switchover unit, and as I was looking for an emergency light for my cellar then I might just be able to use it. I didn't really need the self-test function anyway so I'd just remove that and rewire it as a normal unit.
Got it home and poked around with it, only to find that the fault was just one of the batteries after all. :dead:
I'd measured them both, but only by chance checked the bulbs on the good one. :redface: The bad one had voltage but couldn't produce any current.
So I fitted new batteries and it works perfectly. :banana:
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/thumbs/6972lights.jpg (http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/6972lights.jpg)
The buzzing was merely the self-test unit reporting the faulty battery, which I had failed to diagnose.
;)