I would hazard that the LED chips are being seriously overdriven. Most likely they are connected directly across the battery, with no current limiting resistor, and the batteries are either Alkaline or lithium cells, with a low internal resistance. One of the chips had a slightly lower forward drop, and drew higher current, and got hot and (due to negative coefficient of voltage drop with temperature) eventually broke the bonding wire, The die then cooled and reconnected the bond wire, creating the flickering. The overheated chips then lose efficiency and dim out.
I have the same problem with cheap lights, and have added a current limiting resistor, somewhat difficult in the confined space inside.
Other alternative is to use older cells to run it in the interim, but nothing can be done for the damaged chips.
|
|
|
Logged
|