Lighting Board - Non Railway Related

[Sir TophamHatt]

While this isn't directly related to railways per se, I have some soar powered lights that have 8 modes of operation.

 

This is the circuit board.

 

Is there a way I could bridge a component or switch something so the lights are either on or off?

 

The switch for the mode links to the large black chip middle left.

 

Thanks

[Grovenor]

Aren't those two of the eight modes?

[WIMorrison]

I would imagine that when you cut the power they are off, and when you reconnect the power then they come on.

[AndyID]

That's quite a fancy board. There are five transistors on there. Can you read any numbers on the chip?

[Sir TophamHatt]

Well when they run out of battery overnight, they come on and cycle through the modes.

I was thinking if I can get them to just come on (steady on) and off then I could use them in a model railway setting.

 

I have some as a test, but even connecting each side of the lights to a 9v battery, they don't just light up.

 

It's strange as not all the sets do this (we have four).

 

There's no other words on the chip though.

I wonder what would happen if I put a piece of wire between the extreme left and extreme right bottom of that chip. 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Sir TophamHatt

[RAF96]

I have some multi-function xmas tree lights that power up into auto-cycle mode. I then have to press the selector button x-times to put them into the mode I like every time. I haven’t had a look inside the box but I suspect it is very similar to yours and any solution would be the same, e.g. bridge a terminal or two to stop the cycle at the point of choice , in your case - steady on.

 

Edit - likely the 8-legged chip is a 555 timer and each ‘mode’ is selecting a series of timed outputs depending upon the external resistors and caps on the board. Probably worth downloading one of those free 555 circuit books to get a feel for the use of each leg to prevent destroying it by indiscriminate bridging. 

Edited October 22, 2021 by RAF96