DIY TriLux3 Li-ion Bikelight

[Bandgap]

Nice and neat.

Did you have to flatten the rear inside surface of the end caps to take the Luxeons, or was it flat enough for heat flow as bought?

Steve

 

[KonradC]

Good point about flattening the endcaps, Bandgap. I forgot to mention this in the build details above. The raw endcaps are very rounded, preventing a good contact between the led heatsink and the copper surface. To get around this, I inserted a short section of aluminium bar that had a machined end into each endcap and compressed this in a vice. As copper is very ductile, only moderate pressure was necessary to get a flat end. This also helped when bonding the front and rear endcaps together as the original rounded ends would have been difficult to bond strongly and align accurately.

 

[nightrider]

Nice job KonradC!
I've built a couple of bike lights and know how fun and rewarding it is. I've seen someone else on MTBReview.com use the copper cap method and thought about it myself. It looks hard to beat for size and simplicity. Your workmanship and design looks great!

:goodjob:

 

[sfCyclotourist]

&^!@#&^!@%# I spent a good couple of hours last week rummaging around in two different hardware stores looking for something to make a LED bike-light housing with. I repeatedly looked at these same copper-pipe caps and couldn't come up with a design that made sense. It never occurred to me to bond (or solder) two of them back-to-back like this. Nice! What brand of soy sauce did the plastic cap come from?

 

[RustyKnee]

&^!@#&^!@%# I spent a good couple of hours last week rummaging around in two different hardware stores looking for something to make a LED bike-light housing with. I repeatedly looked at these same copper-pipe caps and couldn't come up with a design that made sense. It never occurred to me to bond (or solder) two of them back-to-back like this. Nice! What brand of soy sauce did the plastic cap come from?

glad i found this thead. I think I saw this ligh on singetrackworld orignally?

RS have similar ends here

not sure if they are deep enough yet though....might order a couple to measure

This kight is lush....I want to build a seoul version

Stu

 

[Krit]

Very Very good Job...

 

[KonradC]

Yeah, I posted it on singletrack after reading through those killer long threads. Cheers, I also want to upgrade the LED's now, three cree's or seoul's would be a major upgrade in brightness, but I'm waiting for Taskled's new MaxFlex before doing so that I can get rid of the potentiometer.

Stu, I'm curious about connectors you linked to at RS, the link didn't work for me, could you repost it?

 

[RustyKnee]

Yeah, I posted it on singletrack after reading through those killer long threads. Cheers, I also want to upgrade the LED's now, three cree's or seoul's would be a major upgrade in brightness, but I'm waiting for Taskled's new MaxFlex before doing so that I can get rid of the potentiometer.

Stu, I'm curious about connectors you linked to at RS, the link didn't work for me, could you repost it?

Hi

The link was for the copper end caps similar to what you used. I didn't realise RS links are only valid for a give session. The RS stock number is 797-928 . They look a bit squarer that the ones you used. they aren't deep enough as they are either. I need ot get a bit of 22mm 0.9mm wall pipe to see if my 20mm reflecotrs will fit inside. If so, I will extend the cap with a short length of pipe,

Where did you get your pipe ends from?

Stu

 

[tvman]

real cool - "You have some really nice headlights" - I once said that to a woman but the reaction was quite different.

 

[270winchester]

nice light.

what happened to your steertube cap?

 

[Essexman]

RS now stock Cree XRE white LEDs. I'll post the part no tomorrow as I have it at work.
They also stock Optics for Cree XRE, spot, flood and something else, all 27mm dia, again I have all the part nos at work.

 

[Essexman]

Here we go then:
Cree 7090XR-E, cool white 75º 100 lm Part no 220-835
Cree spot optic 27mm dia Part no 645-2182
RS give no details of the bin. I found RS to be a bit of a lottery when I ordered Lux III Leds, never the same bin twice, anything from TWOH to UWAJ.

 

[TrekJeff]

Very clean build. How well does this setup dissipate the heat?

 

[KonradC]

It dissipates heat pretty well I find. I mean, the case gets hot quickly which is good as it means the LEDs are well thermally attached to the case, but when moving, air cooling does noticeably reduce the case temperature. the copper does its job

 

[mrbubbles]

Would the runtime be the same if I used NiMH 7.2V 2500mAH????

 

[HEY HEY ITS HENDO]

Konrad! excellent work, i like copper, its easy to work you can solder it and as you say it conducts heat REALLY good
but ......how about bonding the led direct onto the bars to dissipate the heat ??? (your next project eh lol )

Would the runtime be the same if I used NiMH 7.2V 2500mAH????

same ?? it`s gonna be marginally better !!!(versus 7.2V 2400maH Li-Ion battery)
............. Regards, HENDO

 

[howl]

another option for reducing heat are RC heat sinks-
i believe that this one:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHHN6&P=6

should fit perfectly around copper end caps. Might need some modification to accommodate the middle emitter.

 

[Djedgar]

OK all you brilliant minds out there, I have been reading about all the fun you have been having putting all these lights together and I want to get in on it. I have some electrical knowledge but all this LED stuff is new to me such as bin numbers, forward voltage and such. I love KonradC's copper set up but would like to try a double version using CreeQ5s to replace my 20W halogen homebuilt for road use.

I am thinking one spot and one wide.

Using Cutter's web page I see I have a choice of WH Soft White, WG Cold White or WC Cold White. What are the differences or what would be best for a bike light?

Cutter shows Carclo lenses for Cree so probably will go with:
(1) 10199 Carclo Lens, 20mm Optic designed for the Cree XR and XR-E, beam angle of 8.4 degree
(1) 10201 Carclo Lens, 20mm Optic designed for the Cree XR and XR-E, beam typical half angle divergence of 20 Deg
Does half angle mean 40 total? I think I only want 20 total.

Is there a USA web based supplier for these? I looked at DealExtreme but find them frustrating. I do not see 22mm optics for the Cree. There is a 10 pack of 20 mm but no angle description or designation for LED (I understand optics are designed for specific LEDs). And they only list the Q5 WG Cree which is fine if that is what I want.

The Task Fatman driver at .8 inch dia fits into the 22 mm copper cap and what KonradC used. I could go to the bflex at 1 inch dia (or the new UIB2 when when it becomes available) and would fit into the next size up copper cap which I could mount behind the two 22 mm caps.

Does this make sense. Does anyone see flaws.

I am excited to try modding.
David

 

[paraver]

Hi to all!

By any chance is it possible to reupload the photos of the project?

Thanks in advance,
P

 

[Bullzeyebill]

OP has not been active on CPF proper since 2007.

Bill