Easy 3xSSC flashlight to bike light conversion

[bbaker22]

So, I picked up a couple 3xSSC flashlights with the idea of converting them to bike lights. See flashlight here:

http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=3162

$40 for the light, which is crazy cheap.

The light head unscrews from the body.

I took a cap from a salad dressing bottle, shaved the threads and it press fits over the back of the light head. This could be glued on, taped on, or just left as a press fit.

I installed a simple female plug for my li ion battery pack in the cap.

The plug has a positive center post and an outside bendable metal piece for the negative connection. I put a spring on the center post so it touches the light head postive connection. I bent the negative piece on the plug so it touches the negative (spring) connection of the light head.

I have it mounted to the bar w/ a lockblock. The velcro strap needs to be a bit longer for true security, but it should be functional once I do that.

One very cool thing about this setup is that I can just pop the cap/plug off, screw the body back on, and the original functionality of the flashlight is restored.

Total weight (light head, cap, plug and lockblock) is 6.3oz.

Some tweaking to do here or there, but this flashlight should be a good host for a cheap 400+ lumen led bike light.

pics...

 

[Leow]

I've got one on the way too along with a triple Cree flashlight.

I'm planning to run try them out in torch guise first to see which beam pattern will be best for running off my Dynohub.

Is there enough metal in the head to file a flat section and bolt on a bracket?

Cheers,
LeoW

 

[lexina]

very nicely done - :goodjob: !

 

[bbaker22]

I've got one on the way too along with a triple Cree flashlight.

I'm planning to run try them out in torch guise first to see which beam pattern will be best for running off my Dynohub.

Is there enough metal in the head to file a flat section and bolt on a bracket?

Cheers,
LeoW

See the finned section in the first photo? I think that would be a decent place to flatten for bracket mounting.

baker

 

[dogstar]

This looks great. I'd love to hear how the road test goes and see some beamshots, etc!

Oh, and what kind of battery/voltage are you running? Any idea of the specs the donor head can handle?

Nice job.

 

[bbaker22]

This looks great. I'd love to hear how the road test goes and see some beamshots, etc!

Oh, and what kind of battery/voltage are you running? Any idea of the specs the donor head can handle?

Nice job.

Thanks. I'm running a 4 cell li-ion pack, ~14.8V. The light is designed to run off of 4 rcr123's or 4 cr123's. So, it'll probably work in the 12V-14.8V range.

edit: People have reported the light working on 3xrcr123, also. So, that would be about 11.1V.

The beam looks nice on my driveway, but I haven't done a real test yet (due to the short velcro strap and the likelihood the light will fall off).

baker

 

[paulr]

Nice. A pair of 7.2v camcorder batteries might be a good way to run this.

 

[Pitto]

i was looking at doing that for my next bike build, great someone has gone and done it.

 

[bbaker22]

I tried to take some beam shots last night, but I couldn't find the card for the digicam I know how to use and couldn't figure out the manual mode on the one I had in hand.

Anyway, I compared these 3 lights:

Kaidomain 3xSSC (u-bin)
3xCree (P4's driven at 1A w/ an nflex, McR19XR reflectors)
13w Trailtech HID (flood pattern).

My perceptions...

Total light output from least to most:
Trailtech, 3xSSC, 3xCree

Beam pattern (flood to spot):
Trailtech, 3xSSC, 3xCree

So, the 3xCree has a super bright hotspot, but for my purposes that is a waste of light. I used to think the HID was incredible. Frankly, the 3xLED lights make it look a bit wimpy now. If I were to choose one all around light, I'd go w/ the 3xSSC. The beam pattern seems most useful to me and the amount of light is sufficient.

These comparisons were done sitting still and I noticed that, of the 3 lights, the 3xSSC definitely got the hottest. Not scary hot, but nice and warm. I hope this means the heatsinking is effectively pulling the heat away from the LED's.

In an ideal world, I'd have the beam from the 3xCree as a helmet light, and the beam from the 3xSSC as a handlebar light. In reality, my 3xCree is too heavy for a helmet mount, so I'll be running the HID on my helmet and the 3xSSC on my bar.

Any 2 light combo from these 3 choices is a sick amount of light. It makes me laugh compared the first lighting combo that I used way back at the '93 24 Hours of Canaan. A 10W+6W handlebar halogen setup. Sickly yellow and barely sufficient to keep from wrecking at high speeds. And, the old lead-acid battery was an anchor.

baker

 

[dogstar]

Great info, thanks! I mostly want it for commuter use so it sounds like the KD SSC might just be the way to go. I wish it had the flashing mode (like the DX or KD 3 Cree) as an attention getter at dusk.

I'll still probably use a modded PT Eos (I'm using it stock right now and it's pretty decent already) to get point at side traffic when stopped and to "wag" directly in the face of drivers who look like they might turn in front of me.

Now all I need is for KD to get them back in stock!

Hmmm... I just realized you were comparing another Cree setup and not the KD or DX 3-cree. I wonder how they beam pattern on those would compare to the 3-ssc you just tested...

Thanks again!:thumbsup:

 

[mcmc]

Great info, thanks! I mostly want it for commuter use so it sounds like the KD SSC might just be the way to go. I wish it had the flashing mode (like the DX or KD 3 Cree) as an attention getter at dusk.

Don't worry...with these multi-Cree lights, at that output you don't need strobe to be noticed and seen. It'll be like a motorcycle headlight.

 

[n4zou]

Just wondering if this is the same head.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9358

No reviews yet or information on which Cree LED's are used. At $28.27 I think I'm going to order one anyway.

 

[dogstar]

Hmmm... maybe not the same head... or at least not the same driver.

This one says 3.9-9v range... the OP is running with 14.8v.

 

[msxtr]

dogstar, Hi, I bought the same flashlight that you. You say that uses a li-ion battery with this light dismantled, from how much volts work well this flashlight?.

Great work!!!!!!

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr

 

[Leow]

Just wondering if this is the same head.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9358

No reviews yet or information on which Cree LED's are used. At $28.27 I think I'm going to order one anyway.

It fits in the same head - it comes with the 2x18650 Ultrafire WF-500 which is also the host flashlight for the KD 3xSSC.

However I'm loath to recommend it for biking as the heatsinking is awful the only heatpath is down to the battery tube and there is NO contact with the chunky finned head.
The KD head is MUCH better as the SSCs are on a heatsink that is wedged into the head.
As for beam patterns I'd prefer the triple Cree for fast road biking and the 3xSCC for mountain biking/commuting.


The driver cct in the triple Cree head is a bit of an oddball.
Press one - 1 LED lit (.9A)
Press two - off
Press three - 2 LEDs lit (1.9A)
Press four - off
Press five - 3 LEDs lit (2.8A)
Press six - off
Press one - 1 LED lit (.9A)
etc

I'm guessing there's some sort of flip-flop latching switching the LEDs through resistors (Yuch!) or 3 separate buck ccts (unlikely).

LeoW

 

[msxtr]

Hi, here my holder home made for the triple flashlight

Holder of cubelight (sigmasport)

Front view, I have used a old seatpost tube and 2 tubes of a old aerial TV and a little of some pieces of aluminium

Cateye Holder

Another view

Flashlight on the holder

Another view

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr

 

[Ian_2]

If I used a 11.1v 4400mA battery would I it be as bright as the 14.8v battery? If not would it be way dimmer?

And are there different reflectors available?

Cheers

 

[msxtr]

If I used a 11.1v 4400mA battery would I it be as bright as the 14.8v battery? If not would it be way dimmer?

And are there different reflectors available?

Cheers

Yes, you can use a 11,1 battery without problems, with this are equal of bright than the 14,8v

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr