# Total current drop when using leds in parallel [closed]

I'm making an led light for video shoot purpose. It's an array of 20, 5w led in parallel. The problem I'm encountering is, current drops when I'm connecting them in parallel. My power supply is adequate, it's a 12v 10amp power supply. When I connect a single led directly to 12v supply, the current I get comes to be .8 amps. So .8amps X 12v ~ 10w, which is higher than the led's output rating, but when I connect 20 of them in parallel, the current flowing through is 4.12 amps. So 4.12amps X 12v ~ 50w. When logically the current flowing should at least be 8.2 amps. What is happening here? Kindly help.

## closed as unclear what you're asking by Daniel Grillo, Fizz, Nick Alexeev♦Nov 18 '15 at 6:44

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• You have 20 LEDs. Please measure and post the current taken by each LED when powered singly. – Neil_UK Nov 1 '15 at 23:15
• It's .8amps when I drive an led individually with the same 12v source. – Nakul Chauhan Nov 1 '15 at 23:19
• Possible duplicate of 6 LEDs in parallel with a single resistor to simplify soldering – leftaroundabout Nov 1 '15 at 23:38
• LEDs are not supposed to be connected to a constant-voltage supply, ever! A LED has a highly nonlinear characteristic. It's impractical to try and hit its exact working voltage: if you supply a bit to little, the LED will practically go out, whereas only slightly too high voltage can cause damage. — Use a fixed-current supply with higher voltage rating, and drive the LEDs in series! Such supplies are easily availble as LED drivers (duh!) nowadays. – leftaroundabout Nov 1 '15 at 23:39
• $.8 \times 20 > 10$. Why do you think "my power supply is adequate."? – The Photon Nov 2 '15 at 4:30