I'm using an 18V battery connected through a DC converter to power a couple of USB LEDs. The weird thing is that when I set the voltage without a load, it looks fine, but as soon as I connect the LEDs, the output drops to 3.8V. Since these USB lights are supposed to run on 5V at 0.5A, I'm noticing they aren't bright enough at 3.8V. What's going on?
1 Answer
Have you tried adjusting the voltage while the LEDs are connected? Sometimes if the current is limited, it could lead to a voltage drop like what you're experiencing. A good idea would be to put a few 1k resistors in parallel to test it under load. They should handle enough current for testing your setup without issues!
I did try adjusting it with the load, but the voltage didn’t change at all. Are you suggesting the LED bulbs might be causing a limit that affects what the converter can output?