Scratch-built TriLux III (Bike Light) finished!

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Well I finally finished this build. 3x Lux III, 20mm reflectors, 3021 BuckPuck (1Amp) driver packaged in 1" square aluminum tubing. Powered by a 14.4v 2500mA NiMH battery pack.

IMG_1036.jpg


See all build pics at: http://myfwyc.org/Timberlake/BikeLighting

Additional info (edited 11/26). I also clarified that this is a bike light in the post title.
- It's a bike helmet light (in the above configuration)
- The LuxIIIs are being driven at 1A by the 3021
- The LuxIIIs are TV1J bin
- The reflectors are 20mm IMS brand
- LEDs are "continuouly" dimmable via 5k pot.
- Weight 150g (without batteries)

Ok, it doesn't look as good as the CatEye Triple Shot, but hey, it was fun to build!
Link to CatEye: http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=44&catId=7&subCatId=1
 
Last edited:

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

greg_in_canada said:
Cool. Is it rain-proof?

Greg

Good question!
At this point I would say it could handle a light rain. The front lens is well-sealed (epoxy/plexiglass). Where the front cover fits onto the main body, it could use a better seal, so I'm glad you mentioned this. I was thinking of making a rubber gasket or running a light bead of silicone caulk at the seams.
 

nemul

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
1,592
Location
Georgia
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

very cool! .. JB Weld is some bad stuff! lol
 

shiftd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
2,261
Location
CA
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

looks neat.

i like the finning :D
 

bbaker22

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
126
Location
Colorado, USA
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

Good work. I like the comparison photos between the Lux V and TriLuxIII. The TriLuxIII looks much much brighter, which will probably affect the decision for my next build.

baker
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

bbaker22 said:
Good work. I like the comparison photos between the Lux V and TriLuxIII. The TriLuxIII looks much much brighter, which will probably affect the decision for my next build.

baker

Thanks for the kind words. It's my first scratch-built light. Lots of Dremel tooling and filing!

Yes the 3xLuxIII is about twice as bright as the LuxV. It's worth mentioning that the Lux V light in the photo has an NX05 optical lense, whereas the TriLuxIII uses 3, 20mm reflectors. They are powered from the same 14.4v power source in the photos (not at the same time). The Lux V is driven by a 700mA PowerPuck and the TriLuxIII a 1A 3021 BuckPuck.
-Allen
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

Thanks for the five star rating!

Anyone familiar with using the 3021 BuckPuck know why the 220uF cap is recommended across the DC input voltage if the wires to the power source are greater than 18" in length?

I'm using a 36" power wire between the battery and the 3021/light, and I did not put a cap across the input voltage. Seems to work OK, but will something get damaged by not having the cap in place. It's mentioned in the last page of this spec for the 3021 Buckpuck.

http://www.luxeonstar.com/3021-buckpuck.pdf
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

DUQ said:
Man thats awsome. Can the light be staged, 1, 2 , 3 all on?

Thanks!
No. It just has continuous dimming for all 3 at once. The dimming is provided via 5k pot combined with the 3021 BuckPuck. http://www.luxeonstar.com/3021-buckpuck.pdf

I'm building a dual Luxeon V light that will allow one or both on but will not have dimming capability. (Next project)
-Allen
 

andrewwynn

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
3,763
Location
Racine, WI USA
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

i think the cap is for RF control.. run it near a car radio it'll probably knock it right out.. had problems with my megasonic doing that.. the light is a wonderful show of CPF ingenuity.. deserves the rating.

-awr
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

andrewwynn said:
i think the cap is for RF control.. run it near a car radio it'll probably knock it right out.. had problems with my megasonic doing that.. the light is a wonderful show of CPF ingenuity.. deserves the rating.

-awr

OK. So it's just to keep me from causing RF interference.
Thanks again. Great forum!
 

Pinter

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
120
Location
Hungary, Europe
Nice light!
Some words on the 12xAA battery pack. Check the voltage drop on the battery holder at full power. Before my LiIon pack I used the same NiMH setup but the holder itself consumed a lot of power. Contact resistance of 24 battery contacts results in huge loss. Measure the voltage of a single cell directly under load, then measure the same battery after their contacts (e.g. on the next cells).
 

georges80

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
1,262
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

nightrider said:
Thanks for the five star rating!

Anyone familiar with using the 3021 BuckPuck know why the 220uF cap is recommended across the DC input voltage if the wires to the power source are greater than 18" in length?

I'm using a 36" power wire between the battery and the 3021/light, and I did not put a cap across the input voltage. Seems to work OK, but will something get damaged by not having the cap in place. It's mentioned in the last page of this spec for the 3021 Buckpuck.

http://www.luxeonstar.com/3021-buckpuck.pdf

Input bypass/bulk capacitor. The buckpuck is a switching supply, it draws current from the input in large spikes. If you have long leads between it and the battery - during the large current spikes you will get largish voltage drops along the long leads. Putting a large cap close to the input pins of the circuit will improve efficiency and generally make the circuit "happier"...

Presumably they have an input capacitor already on board - but probably not big enough to deal with longer leads.

george.
 

IsaacHayes

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 30, 2003
Messages
5,876
Location
Missouri
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

Looks cool!

Here's a tip when bending aluminum: (notice the stress cracks at the edges of the bracket), heat it up first! :)
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Pinter said:
Some words on the 12xAA battery pack. Check the voltage drop on the battery holder at full power. Before my LiIon pack I used the same NiMH setup but the holder itself consumed a lot of power. Contact resistance of 24 battery contacts results in huge loss. Measure the voltage of a single cell directly under load, then measure the same battery after their contacts (e.g. on the next cells).

The pack measures 16.2v at the connector (no load) and 14.25v under full load of the light. I'll have to check the single cell method you suggested. The light draws about 770mA from the battery pack under full load of the 3021 buckpuck + 3x LuxIIIs. I'm using 2500 mA NiMh AAs.

I'd rather have a nice solder-tab, shrink-wrapped pack, but these cheapo AA holders seem to work for now. I've actually been using them for 3 years, driving 10w halogens. I just recently replaced one pack because the AAs were becoming loose and rattling around in the packs, causing my lights to ocassionally blink. Additionally, I can use the AAs for other purposes (digicam, flashlights, etc) during the summer (when I usually don't night ride).
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Re: Scratch-built TriLux III finished!

IsaacHayes said:
Looks cool!

Here's a tip when bending aluminum: (notice the stress cracks at the edges of the bracket), heat it up first! :)

Thanks. I obviously don't know much about metal working. This my first ever time working with aluminum. I'm not really sure how much to heat it, so I guess I should practice on some scraps huh?

Thanks for the tip!
 

nightrider

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
221
Location
NW Florida
Confessions of a butcher...

Update.

I've just added some photos revealing my reflector fiasco when building this light. It's a little embarrasing here on CPF, but hey, I'm still "unenlightened" so I can make mistakes. You guys will proabaly get a kick out of this.

I originally designed the front cover of the light to fit NX05 optics/holders. At the last minute I decided to go with 20mm IMS reflectors. Now my front cover did not fit, so I proceded to hack on the base of the reflectors to make them shorter. When I fired up the light, the beams were totally hosed! So as a salvage, I glued the reflectors onto the top of the star's pcb and got most (but not all) of the beam back. New reflectors on order.
Confessional Photos Follow:
Botch_u_lism.jpg


LightHoles.jpg

LightHoles
 

IsaacHayes

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 30, 2003
Messages
5,876
Location
Missouri
Re: Confessions of a butcher...

I'd say you'd have to use a blow torch. Don't get it too hot or it will crack/tear as well. Aluminum is more brittle than steel is. It doesn't give much before it tears/cracks.

Sounds like you're still tweaking it, but great job on the design of using square tube. It looks much more custom than that!
 
Top