I've got two strings of LED Christmas lights that operate at 120 V / 0.04 A (4.8 W). I'd like to connect them to this 5V solid-state relay:
Unfortunately, there's one small problem. According to the relay's datasheet:
Load current: 0.1 to 2 AMP
The lights only draw 40 mA, much less than the minimum 100 mA listed on the datasheet. How can I work around this problem? Is there some sort of device or circuit I can connect that will cause the lights to draw more current (without damaging the lights)?
Best Answer
If you plug three strings of lights into each relay you'll have 120mA (assuming the lights actually draw 40mA each).
A 2K ohm 10W power resistor in parallel would also work.
It's also possible the lights will work just fine as is, at least for a hobby type application. The consequences of them not work (maybe the lights flickering instead of lighting steadily. or some lighting of the LEDs when the relay is 'off' due to the built-in snubber) are minor, so it may be worth a try.