The fun of a new cobble...

Last Christmas I got a gift that I really liked. This flashlight is flat,
has a solar panel on one side, is built like a total TANK and I really like.
I called the MFG to see if he would sell me a case as the seal, design etc
was really nice and I wanted to put something else in it that was a little
brighter, newer etc. I was sad to learn that they are not going to market
the line anymore. It seems that there was not enough interest in led
lights. I mentioned this forum and he had not heard of it.

This is probably one of the sturdiest cases I have seen. I dropped it off
the roof onto a concrete driveway and barely scuffed the case. The MFG said
he would do custom orders for the same price I paid...$34.95. The solar
panel and case are worth that.

My question is.... any suggestions for a 3 volt ( it has 2 nicads inside
that are recharged) light that I could rig up in place of current led's.
They are really power guzzlers but I just love the case and convenience of
setting it in the sun to top off the charge.

Picture of flashlight I want to modify:
http://www.startronics-solar.com/Flashlight.htm

Tech. info link. re the flashlight as is:

http://www.startronics-solar.com/tech-fla.htm



<FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Kem on 01-10-2001 at 12:48 PM</font>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kem:
My question is.... any suggestions for a 3 volt ( it has 2 nicads inside
that are recharged) light that I could rig up in place of current led's.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Design for no more than 2.4 volts (1.2 volts x 2). Then figure the batteries will quickly sag to around 1.05 to 1.1 volts apiece (2.1 to 2.2 volts total) and stay near there for the majority of their charge.

That pretty much rules out the use of white, blue, blue-green or true green LEDs, leaving your color choices at yellowish baby poop green, yellow, orange, or red.
Unless, of course, the light has a DC-DC inverter in it that provides no less than 3.8 volts to the LED(s). Then you can use any color you want.

Agilent (formerly Hewlett-Packard) currently makes the brightest red, orange and yellow LEDs you can buy. Newark Electronics is their small-quantity outlet.

Good luck.

http://ledmuseum.home.att.net

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<FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by telephony on 01-13-2001 at 10:59 AM</font>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by telephony:
Design for no more than 2.4 volts (1.2 volts x 2). Then figure the batteries will quickly sag to around 1.05 to 1.1 volts apiece (2.1 to 2.2 volts total) and stay near there for the majority of their charge.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Add one more cell. I have some old cordless phone batteries which consist of smaller 3-cell NiCds... They stack to 3.6v nicely (although my NiCds are strange... as they get used more, they tend to have a higher charged voltage... not by much, but a little -- 1.3v x 3 = 3.9v stack).

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> Unless, of course, the light has a DC-DC inverter in it that provides no less than 3.8 volts to the LED(s). Then you can use any color you want.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

3.6v? 3.8 might give it a little more brightness, but I think they'd be fully biased w/ 3.6v. Plus, for low capacity NiCds, that will stretch the "on-time" out a bit.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> Agilent (formerly Hewlett-Packard) currently makes the brightest red, orange and yellow LEDs you can buy.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agilent was/is working on an amber LED w/ trapazoidal phyical shape, which is supposed to allow changing of the die size/placement/whatever and supposed to deliver (much?) more light output against the same set up in a conventional configuration. Or so I read. I can't find the article now...

Thanks for input..I do appreciate ideas!

I am real fortunate that the mfg left so much room inside the case.

The useable area is 5/8" deep x 4.5" x2.25"
This is total area to use. Switch, solar etc is outside. This easily gives me room for pretty much whatever I wish.

I do not have a nightlight fetish. It is just that when we loose power, it is for days. Last year it was for a week at one stretch. It is nice to have lights around to see without constantly looking for batteries. I of course have a solar system
(small but adequate ) but at times the weather catches me with my pants down.
That is the main reason I have Pal's stashed around.

Someone who could make money, at least from me, would be an inventer of a turnkey kit.
A 1.5 volt, 3 volt, 9 volt etc with led's and electronics to match.

I am not that great at figuring out what blows what. After frying 30 bucks worth of led's I just quit and cobble.

My dream circuit would be a between the Pal type with a switch to turn it off and only 30% of its total brightness.

If I could get 5-600 hours out of it I would be totally satisfied. I would consider sacrificing a Pal but I think that if I used AA's it would fry the bulb?? A nine volt is a tad too thick.

Ken do you have the PAL Onestar (I think you told me about them)? If not that might be a light for you, I have one on the way. I also wish it had an off mode. I would also suggest an Eternal light, on the dimmest mode is would last a really long time. It is also one of the brightest lights I have, and the most expensive

I also have a small solar system and 2 stacked SW2512 inverters with 1000 amps of batteries. I have a couple of 12v LED and compact flourescents around the house. My dad always says I will know if the power goes out because I will have some lights come on But that's another story.

Brock

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Marcus:
Agilent was/is working on an amber LED w/ trapazoidal phyical shape, which is supposed to allow changing of the die size/placement/whatever and supposed to deliver (much?) more light output against the same set up in a conventional configuration. Or so I read. I can't find the article now...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is their still semi-secret Prometheus LED package. It uses a TIP (Truncated Inverted Pyramidal) LED die, mounted on a copper heat sinking slug, and enclosed in a package to allow the LED to act as a semi-Lambertian radiator. This means the LED will work with a properly designed and sized parabolic reflector.

The LED can operate at 380mA for a time (up to 1,000 hours to halflife) if properly heatsinked, and 280mA continously when properly heatsinked.

I got my hands on one of these things awile back, but I can't share any pictures or detailed technical specs until the device comes out of the experimental stage.
I can tell you they're BRIGHT though. Blindingly so - even dangerously so.

LumiLEDs at http://www.lumileds.com is a joint venture between Agilent and Philips, and uses LEDs in this style of package for the development of traffic signals and other high intensity illuminators. Don't expect to see them in your $12.00 Wall Mart flashlight anytime soon though.

http://ledmuseum.home.att.net



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Great...just great...(grimace)
I was almost able to put all this to rest in my head and now you tempt me with this....
I hate Christmas...the wait nearly kills me.

Are they like these?

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView...&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=385

This is definitly a very old post to bring back to life. If you didn't notice, his last post was nearly 6 years ago.

Sorry about that had been up for about 17 hours at that point and it didn't register.

We'll close this old thread.


Unforgiven