Upgrade and replace burnt out LEDs in AI Lights

[jrp1588]

Already posted this on another thread, but it's gotten a bit off topic. Thought others might find this useful.

I picked up some old AI Vegas a little while back for cheap. After doing some research, it looks like AI no longer supports the upgrade program, and they of course no longer support the Vega, so I decided to find out if I could solder in new LEDs. Unfortunately these aren't as DIY friendly as some lights, but I had some success doing it today with a broken test unit I picked up for cheap using the method in this video.


I can definitively say that it's 100% possible to upgrade and replace individual LED chips on the pucks. I will say, I recommend getting in some practice before you throw good pucks on the heat though. Try flowing them off and on and off and on the stars they come on. When you think you're ready, turn the temperature down lower than you think you need, and work up from there SLOWLY. Aside from that, just know that the positive side can be determined by looking at the back of the chip. It'll have an arrow pointing to one side. The side with the arrow is positive, the side it POINTS TO is negative.

Also, contrary to what I read online, the whites AREN'T XM-L chips on this particular unit. The contact patch on the XM-L2 chip is too big. Use an XP-G3 or XP-E2 here instead. It must have been a version change.

Anyway, I let my heat get too high on the puck I tested, and delaminated my board a bit, which ruins it's ability to transfer heat properly. It still lights up though, and I think I've got my temperature control down pat. I plan on ordering more LEDs to try on the rest of my test unit's pucks. Anyway, here are some pictures.

Here is the before shot. I replaced the burnt out LED, one of the Royal blues, and the center white with one of the old royal blues after I realized I'd ruined that section.

In case you're unfamiliar with what these look like opened up.

The puck and parts

I've got an entirely blue puck now. 1 new xp-g2 royal, 1 xp-e2 blue, and one old xp-e royal that I swapped onto the bubbled white position to see if it still worked

Here it is closed back up. I've got it running in the garage to test it currently.

I just ordered the rest of the LEDs from RapidLED to do the rest of the pucks on the test unit. If all goes well, I'll do my 3 good fixtures.

 

[jsker]

Great video and information. Thank for putting this together.

 

[jrp1588]

Thanks, I kind of figured there would be more interest in this. I can update an entire light to use the same or newer generation of LEDs as the current models (though not as many of course) for about $60. Specs I looked up said a 20% increase in efficiency.

 

[Lingwendil]

Why did you buy mounted LEDs, rather than bare emitters?

 

[jrp1588]

RapidLED didn't sell them as loose LEDs. They've only got stars. I initially was going to order loose LEDs from LED Supply, but their prices were actually higher, and they didn't even carry XP-G3 diodes. They only went up to XP-G2.

 

[Lingwendil]

Go to a real electronics supplier, and your options go up greatly-

https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/c/cree/xlamp-xp-g-leds

https://www.digikey.com/en/ptm/c/cree-inc/xlamp-xp-g2-led

https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/xlamp-xp-g3-leds/60558

https://www.mouser.com/new/cree/creexlampxpg/

https://www.mouser.com/new/cree/cree-xlampXPG2/

https://www.mouser.com/new/cree/cree-xlamp-xpg3/

under $2 each if ordering individuals, and you can choose different bins too. A common upgrade on the older AI stuff is to go to a neutral white instead of a cool white too, btw, if you wanted to experiment on that overheated board

 

[jrp1588]

Thanks for the links. I tried looking at digikey, but I found their website to be very confusing. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the options frankly. I'm pretty much a newbie at this, so I needed a little hand-holding. haha

If I'm more successful with this round of soldering, I'll definitely look into those more before doing the rest of the lights to save some cash.

 

[jrp1588]

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/XPGDRY-L1-0000-00401?qs=EU6FO9ffTwfNLEbU4S3a%2bg==

Ok, I think I did this right? I used their product selector thing and chose Cree>Blue>XP-G3 and it brought me to this page. I didn't see any bin options though. $1 each is definitely a lot better deal though.

 

[Lingwendil]

Going off of the listed part number (PGDRY-L1-0000-00401)

and datasheet that looks to be a lower output bin-

This is the one you want, at a correspondingly higher price. Still worth it, in my opinion, especially considering that it isn't mounted, and is the bin that RapidLED is selling-

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...4Prknbu83y0haVN0vvCk86jg/mb7Q85JMHTiKnBfaRA==

When looking at the output power in mW or PPF, go for the one with the highest output for best efficiency. If you don't mind the lower output the lower efficiency bins are fine for the price, especially if you aren't running them full blast or in a really hot application.

 

[Lingwendil]

Also, Cree has some cool options for these, their horticultural series has a nice 90CRI 4000K white (XPGDWT-U1-0000-00E5E) that would probably be a fantastic replacement/upgrade for the whites on the older AI units-

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/XPGDWT-U1-0000-00E5E?qs=e4fOZ%2b9ijA9alxeKPz43dg==

Cheap too, $1.36 each.

 

[jrp1588]

Yeah, I'm going for maximum output and efficiency preferably. I'm just having trouble navigating their site and knowing what I'm looking at.

When I go to High power LEDs-Single color, and run through their filters, and hit "apply filters" it only brings me to the low-bin option. Is there a different path I should be following?

 

[Lingwendil]

Pull up the datasheet on the product listing, and then from there look at the other listings with higher output. Generally with most electronics the best place to start is the datasheet. Mouser is a pretty good vendor, in that generally copying the part number from the datasheet and pasting it right in will generally yield good results.

 

[jrp1588]

Alright, thanks. I'll do that. Mind if I put together a parts list later on and post links here since you seem to know this stuff really well?

 

[Lingwendil]

Sure. I can't guarantee I'll be able to watch the thread all that closely, but I'll try to take a look.

 

[jrp1588]

Ok, thanks. I'll try to put something together after work. By the way, you mentioned "common upgrades" being done on these lights. I couldn't find any posts where people have done this before. I guess you've seen it done before?

 

[pickupman66]

Awesome tutorial but how did you specifically do the larger multi LED boards there? did you use the skillet on them too?

 

[Lingwendil]

Ok, thanks. I'll try to put something together after work. By the way, you mentioned "common upgrades" being done on these lights. I couldn't find any posts where people have done this before. I guess you've seen it done before?

I've fixed a ton of them, and dealt with a bunch of local guys that have too. There were a bunch of dudes over on Nano-Reef doing it when the full spectrum craze started a few years back, and over on RC as well.

My personal opinion is that the layout can be a little hard to work with, but per puck, a single neutral white around 4000-5000K, a "cool" blue, and royals are a good layout on them, but it can tend towards a bit of a purple color, compared to the washed-out windex sort of look that these have stock. It's up to personal taste really. A really neat trick would be to go all royal blue with a single 90CRI cool white per puck, but you will still want a bit more warmth in there, unless you really dig the underdriven 20,000K Radium look (I do, personally, but do like some color too)

The white I already mentioned would be nice for a warmer look, something like this if you want it cooler-

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/XPGDWT-U1-0000-00F50?qs=e4fOZ%2b9ijA%2bu1Z9ny//hTg==

 

[jrp1588]

I threw the whole board on the skillet. It's a little tricky since the LEDs themselves are TINY. Make sure you have a good pair of tweezers, and try not to bump anything else on the board. I accidentally nudged one of the main pinned electrical connections out of alignment when its solder melted.

Anyway, I just sat the new LED stars and the pucks on the skillet, heated them, pulled the old LEDs, plopped on a smidge of new paste solder, pulled the new LEDs off the stars, and sat them on the solder making sure to note the polarity. (arrow on bottom of LED points to negative) Squirt out excess solder with a light boop of the finger, turn off the heat, and let it gradually cool.

 

[jrp1588]

I've fixed a ton of them, and dealt with a bunch of local guys that have too. There were a bunch of dudes over on Nano-Reef doing it when the full spectrum craze started a few years back, and over on RC as well.

My personal opinion is that the layout can be a little hard to work with, but per puck, a single neutral white around 4000-5000K, a "cool" blue, and royals are a good layout on them, but it can tend towards a bit of a purple color, compared to the washed-out windex sort of look that these have stock. It's up to personal taste really. A really neat trick would be to go all royal blue with a single 90CRI cool white per puck, but you will still want a bit more warmth in there, unless you really dig the underdriven 20,000K Radium look (I do, personally, but do like some color too)

I plan on just replacing them with similar spectrum LEDs just for the sake of keeping the programming stock-like in AI Director. I like the spectrum my lights are set for at the moment, so I'm not really worried about changing that aspect much. I might throw a violet in place of one of the RB diodes. One of my fixtures has a couple violet LEDs in it, and it gets good color pop from it.

As for other people having done this, well I'm kind of bummed. Here I thought I was breaking some ground. haha

 

[Lingwendil]

If I'm not mistaken, the stock whites are a 6000~ ish K cool white, but at a 70~ CRI, but it's been a while since I fooled with them much. The aforementioned royal blues will be a good choice for you, as would the 90CRI whites i just mentioned (https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/XPGDWT-U1-0000-00F50?qs=e4fOZ%2b9ijA%2bu1Z9ny//hTg==) as they would both be a good upgrade that will look much the same, with maybe a little better color rendition, without altering the overall "look" of the light output.

What all LEDs are still busted on them as of now? Do you know the original loadout?


Oh, here's an old thread about replacements on the Sol-

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/to...-sol-blue-to-use-neutral-white-leds-and-more/