Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

angelofwar

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*Beamshots are up...go to end of thread...*

Ok, I mentioned this in one of the threads I posted on, and recieved a PM about it...so, here it is, and how you do it. Were basically going to install a 3 volt 5mm LED in a blown P60 LA. I make no claims that this is a bad-arse mod, or is bright, etc...it's just a way to justify saving all your "dead" 123's, and getting a chance to use them, as well as a simple mod for begginers. Most of on CPF know that you should only run down single CR123's, to prevent the risk of them going :poof: Hope you enjoy.

What's needed (minimal)
-P60 Lamp Assembly
-Needle Nose pliers (or the like)
- 3 volt (~) 5mm LED
-CR123 Spacer (for 2 cell lights)

1. Start by removing the leads from the xenon lamp module to both of the springs at the base...makes it easier to remove the lamp.
2. Remove both springs from the bottom of the LA
3. Using needle-nose pliers, etc., point the LA away from you, and break the top part, giving you access to the solid glass bottom of the fixtre. Once the lamp is broken, grab the base of the lamp, and "wiggle" it out from the ballast...it won't come right out, but with a few twist and turns, it shouldn't be a problem)
4. Insert your choice of 5mm LED through the slot where the xenon lamp use to be, and bend the leads over , holding it in place.
5. Ensure you have already verified which lead is positive and which is the negative. On mine, the longer lead was the negative one.

Picture 1. Here you can see the leads from the LED bent over the springs. Soldering is recommened, but not necessary, if you need it in a pinch.
HPIM0835.jpg


6. While inserting the positive (smaller/inner spring) spring, wrap the postive lead from the LED over the last/bottom spring, bend it over, solder (if needed), and remove any excess lead.

7. Repeat step 6 for the negative lead using the negative (outer/bigger) spring.

8. Apply some thermal glue/paste to hold the LED if needed. Mine was a pretty snug fit, so i just let it sit in there, and it seems to be holding thus far.

Once again, this isn't really an "upgrade". I was reading some the post on the bi-pin towers, etc., and got bored. This is a great mod for extended power outages, and using up your "dead" primaries (~2.6 volts), and you can loan this to people for meaningless tasks (reading/comfort light/going through a back pack/etc.), and save your primaries (that you may be limited on) for the more important tasks.

Hope you all enjoy, and would like to see what a few of you can come up with. I'll be stopping at Radio Shack in the next few days to see if they have any higher voltage 5mm's.

Here's a few pic's of it being tested and final assy. (I used a yellow LED, as my red one's all got fried in prior "experiments"

Picture 2.
HPIM0836.jpg


Picture 3.


HPIM0839.jpg


Picture 4.

HPIM0843.jpg
 
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metlarules

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Excellent mod. I might try one with a red led for a long runtime camping light.
 

RyanA

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A mini mag is great for red led mods. Since the red's have a low vf. there's a 10mm red at radio shack that works real nice. You can use a range of different resistors depending on what batteries you run, but 33 ohms will cover most bases (nimh-L91) and it runs fricken FOREVER.:thumbsup:
 

angelofwar

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Well, we can thank Kestrel for getting me to post it...show us your mods' when yer done, and how well they work.
 

Kestrel

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This is a really good idea, I can't wait to try this, I just need to acquire:
  • A blown P60 LA
  • 5mm LED's
  • CR123 spacer or 1xCR123 body
  • depleted CR123
LOL, talking about starting from nothing... :huh:

Two questions to start off with,
  1. What is the brightness compared with another low-level LED light, i.e. do you think you get more lumens per milliwatt than other configurations - would it be more or less efficient than a purpose-built low-level light?
  2. Can you actually use a new CR123 without harming your led? I wonder what the runtime might be - I know that most other 'battery vampires' use some circuitry - the Milky candle being one example.
I like the economy and simplicity for what is basically an E01 in a bomb-proof 6P/Z41 package. I want this for a middle-of-the-night light since pretty much all of my lights don't have a low enough low.

Thanks for posting, :thumbsup:
 
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Illum

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With the E series the best you can use is a single LED, I'm pretty sure with the P60 you can achieve the KL2 style of driving with 5mms...
 
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angelofwar

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This is a really good idea, I can't wait to try this, I just need to acquire:
  • A blown P60 LA
  • 5mm LED's
  • CR123 spacer or 1xCR123 body
  • depleted CR123
LOL, talking about starting from nothing... :huh:



Two questions to start off with,
  1. What is the brightness compared with another low-level LED light, i.e. do you think you get more lumens per milliwatt than other configurations - would it be more or less efficient than a purpose-built low-level light?
  2. Can you actually use a new CR123 without harming your led? I wonder what the runtime might be - I know that most other 'battery vampires' use some circuitry - the Milky candle being one example.
I like the economy and simplicity for what is basically an E01 in a bomb-proof 6P/Z41 package. I want this for a middle-of-the-night light since pretty much all of my lights don't have a low enough low.

Thanks for posting, :thumbsup:

Thanks for all the reply's. Kestrel, to answer your questions:

1. This is about as low as I've seen them get...I really want to try this with one of my white LED's, but I've already used them up. I don't think it's very effecient, but what else can you use to get light from a CR123 that only has 2.5 volts??? Used with a red LED, this would make the perfect "walk around the house at night with-out waking up your wife light", and you'd be getting rid of all those "dead" cells you have laying around.
2. Depends on the LED...they do make some that can handle 6 "AA Volts", but you could probably get a 4.5 volt one, and run it pretty good off a fresh RCR123/CR123. The 5mm will fry pretty easily if over charged, but I will try one with a fresh (3.25volt) CR123 and let ya know what happens.

I still have some kinks to work to make it better/more effcient, but the intial divide has been forged :p. I'm gonna try taking the LED out and get some better pictures of actually routing, and frosting the LED to get a more pleasant beam, as the 5mm led's are pretty blotchy.
 

KDOG3

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Suhweet. I have 2 P60s' that are brand new that no one wanted when I tried to sell them. I may have to sacrifice one to try this..... now when need to find an ultra cheap host like a piece of PVC pipe we can screw a cap down on to make contact or something. Now do you think I could use the 5mm LEDs' out of one of those cheapie keychain lights that are being run on 6v?
 

bullfrog

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Very cool mod - thanks for sharing!!!

photo-21.jpg


photo-22.jpg


Have a good source for cheap yet bright 3v 5mm LEDs? The ones from Radio Shack are VERY dim...
 

kosPap

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Naoussa Greece
well your this mod is so good I tried it myslf with a twist....

I used some Ultrafire P60 bulbs with 2 5mm LEDs pulled from DX fauxtons. A 22000 mcd white one and a flashing one...

Now the se Chinese bulbs have a different construction…the bulb pins are soldered on a PCB which in turn is soldered on a brass pill, which in turn screws in the reflector….that PCB Has solder pads for the springs on the other end..My mod assembly was like that only I added some thermal glue on the pin ends to avoid any shorts…here are the pics

igp4179.jpg


igp4181.jpg



ETA: I forgot to mention that you do not really have to seperate the pill from the board..You can insert the LED pins from the front all right...

angleofwar thanks so much for the idea...
 
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angelofwar

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Very cool mod - thanks for sharing!!!

Have a good source for cheap yet bright 3v 5mm LEDs? The ones from Radio Shack are VERY dim...

Nice Light, Bull Frog. My newborn just got out of the hospital the other day (4 Days old now!!!), so I haven't had a chance to get up to radio shack for some new white one's yet. last time I went, I believe they carried some Nichia's. I'm still working on tweeking it, but with all you CPF'ers tryin' this, we should get some useful input! Thanks again to everyone who tried this.

not sure where to get more premium 5mm's...I'm sure some-one on here has a decent source?
 
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