complete newbie with some questions before i start

[Diver Richie]

Hi folks, I am totally new to DIY flash lights, i want to make a flash light that i can use for diving, i want an umbilical type lamp so i can strap my battery unit to my cylinders and either mount the head onto my helmet or wrist. i dive in low visibility conditions and during the evenings.

i want to try and make something for a change, i am an experienced machinist / turner but have no experience with CREE led systems etc etc.

i need a light that is powerful but don't want the the beam too concentrated (i think i can sort that issue out with the type of lens / diffuser i fit to the head casing)

can anyone advise what chip / driver (if its called that) i should go for ? i have surfed the web and have otherwise got myself confused.


typical dives last 45 minutes unless i am on a deco hang, at which point the dive can extend from 45 minutes to 4 hours, the water i dive in is cold (north sea) so may help cooling the unit down etc etc. 99% of my dives are in and around shipwrecks.

i intend to make the head out of machined T6 aluminium which i will anodise, the battery can i have lined up is made from stainless steel.

any help, advice, pointers you can give would be greatly appreciated.


cheers


Richie

 

[archimedes]

Hello and welcome to CPF

You have started your thread in a perfectly fine location, and it sounds like an ambitious goal.

Diving lights can be rather specialized however, and it is possible that you may get more focused attention from those expert in that particular environment from our Dive Lighting section.

If or when you would like your thread moved, please just let staff know (instead of creating an overlapping or duplicate thread)

Thanks, and best of luck with your project !

 

[DrafterDan]

To get started, how about putting together a simple torch to start, and then you'll have a much better ideal where you'd end up. I'd suggest getting a Convoy S2+ kit from MtnElectronics dot com, toss in a simple 17mm driver, maybe the [h=1]QLITE REV.A 7135*8 3.04A LED DRIVER - 17mm[/h]The above driver can handle parallel cells, but the total output must not exceed 4.2v. for the LED, it'd be easy to use a triple, plenty of power, decently floody. Have a look at this one:
[h=1](3) CREE XP-L High-Intensity V2 1A LEDs on NOCTIGON 3XP MCPCB[/h]This LED set is about 6500 kelvin color temp, I'm not sure what color temp that diving would prefer. Toss on a Carclo 10507 optic and an 18650 cell and you're golden.
Again, this is only a starting point. We can help you get to where you need to be.

I think it would be great to have the LED head on an adjustable arm, like the coolant flow arms for CNC/ Lathe/ Mill work. That's been done before with other task lights, but I haven't seen it done with diving torches.
https://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php?cPath=48_71

 

[AER-Lights]

Hi Richie

Welcome!
I like the ambition of your project but must agree with Dan in regards to doing a test run or two.

In addition one of the things I've learned is to get the parts you are not in control of first. E.g. driver, led, switches etc. and the build the rest of the light around them. It's much preferable to trying to source parts that fit whatever you designed

i intend to make the head out of machined T6 aluminium which i will anodise, the battery can i have lined up is made from stainless steel.

I may be stating the obvious here but aluminium oxide is non conductive so you'll need to take that into account and provide non anodised contact areas for current flow. You could gold plate the interior of the head but that's not cheap and it takes a bit of practice. Or you may want to reconsider you'r choice of material

Happy hunting!

 

[Diver Richie]

i was hoping to only anodise the outside of the head, the internals would be raw.

regarding the LED and drivers etc that's where i am somewhat stuck, I wont order my materials until i know what size the chips / drivers are etc etc.


the electronics portion of the build was my first port of call, but again it boils back to not knowing what performance chip i need..... i know cool white +6k for the spectrum, but the power / driver and physical size is not known, and weather or not i need multiple CREE LED's or just one large one on a PCB.

 

[AER-Lights]

Good. Just wanted to get it out there.

Go have a look at something like this
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=67_115&product_id=788
Could be coupled with a couple of these.
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60_114&product_id=884

You diving in the North Sea will require some serious output

 

[DrafterDan]

Just thinking out loud here, the driver doesn't really have to be in the head. It does generate some heat, but compared to the LEDs, it's very minor. Why not have all the guts in the remote battery pack, and some decent-gauged wiring up the flex neck to the LED. That also means you can build a thicker MPCB/ pill base for better heat management.

I'm thinking the battery pack can live on your tank strap, with a control knob. I believe I've seen magnetic control knobs before that allow a fully waterproof housing.

~D