ab
Enlightened
AB custom 1AAA LED light for a local CPF\'er...
A simple custom 1AAA light for a local CPF'er:
One of the mods I got done over the weekend was a cute little Nichia S-rank 9200 mcd conversion in a simple 1AAA mini-flashlight with clickie tailswitch. CPF member Mrd_74 lives just a day's drive away and sent this light over for an LED conversion - sort of a "see what you think you can do with this" kind of proposition. The engineer in me loves this kind of project! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
After having a close look at the light it appeared to be a really nicely made little unit but its' original rice-grain-sized bulb was a real loser. Terrible beam and not bright at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I thought that the reflecter in this unit would be a really nice feature if the LED could be focused with it. I have some terrific Nichia S-ranked 9200(!) mcd LEDs on hand so it seemed natural to fit one of them to this light. I removed the bulb assembly and disassembled it. Next the bulb holder was modified and got a Nichia LED installed. The LED's shoulder was ground to shape to fit in the light, and the bulb-holder assembly in the light barrel was reamed to a slightly enlarged diameter.
Next an appropriate current-limiting resistor was fitted to the base of the LED emitter assembly and enclosed in a barrel/battery spacer. All of this was reassembled into the light along with a Duracell MN21 or 21/23 12V battery. (the barrel/battery spacer makes up the difference in length between this and the original AAA battery).
Finally, the emitter-reflector spacing was corrected for optimal focus. This was done by fortuitous means rather than scientific calculation - I happened to have some nice little o-rings on hand that fit the thread diameter on the light barrel perfectly and which also turned out to have an ideal thickness. One of these between the bezel and the barrel set the focus perfectly. I added another of the same o-ring to a machined circumferential groove in the light body just to give it a bit more symmetry.
Here is the result:
Sorry no better beamshots. Until I build up another one of these lights that's all the photos I have. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif
I had this light in the workshop at the same time as about a dozen others over the weekend and somehow managed to skip doing more beamshots on this one. The light is easily as bright as my best ARC AAA LE and has a more piercing beam since it benefits from the focused reflector.
This little light has since been sent home to its' owner who seems really happy with it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I did get two more of the donor bodies and will be building one up for my own collection... (and I'll get some beamshots posted!) so if anyone here is interested in one of these for themselves please let me know!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
A.
p.s. - or alternately you could make up one of your own... I do have lots of great LEDs available over in B/S/T. Super bright whites, reds, green, blues, UV as well as these exceptional Nichia S-ranked units, little reflectors, etc. Prices are good and airmail is included - all excess stock from the AB workshop: Superbright LEDs: colours, Nichia S-rank whites...
A simple custom 1AAA light for a local CPF'er:
One of the mods I got done over the weekend was a cute little Nichia S-rank 9200 mcd conversion in a simple 1AAA mini-flashlight with clickie tailswitch. CPF member Mrd_74 lives just a day's drive away and sent this light over for an LED conversion - sort of a "see what you think you can do with this" kind of proposition. The engineer in me loves this kind of project! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
After having a close look at the light it appeared to be a really nicely made little unit but its' original rice-grain-sized bulb was a real loser. Terrible beam and not bright at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I thought that the reflecter in this unit would be a really nice feature if the LED could be focused with it. I have some terrific Nichia S-ranked 9200(!) mcd LEDs on hand so it seemed natural to fit one of them to this light. I removed the bulb assembly and disassembled it. Next the bulb holder was modified and got a Nichia LED installed. The LED's shoulder was ground to shape to fit in the light, and the bulb-holder assembly in the light barrel was reamed to a slightly enlarged diameter.
Next an appropriate current-limiting resistor was fitted to the base of the LED emitter assembly and enclosed in a barrel/battery spacer. All of this was reassembled into the light along with a Duracell MN21 or 21/23 12V battery. (the barrel/battery spacer makes up the difference in length between this and the original AAA battery).
Finally, the emitter-reflector spacing was corrected for optimal focus. This was done by fortuitous means rather than scientific calculation - I happened to have some nice little o-rings on hand that fit the thread diameter on the light barrel perfectly and which also turned out to have an ideal thickness. One of these between the bezel and the barrel set the focus perfectly. I added another of the same o-ring to a machined circumferential groove in the light body just to give it a bit more symmetry.
Here is the result:
Sorry no better beamshots. Until I build up another one of these lights that's all the photos I have. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif
I had this light in the workshop at the same time as about a dozen others over the weekend and somehow managed to skip doing more beamshots on this one. The light is easily as bright as my best ARC AAA LE and has a more piercing beam since it benefits from the focused reflector.
This little light has since been sent home to its' owner who seems really happy with it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I did get two more of the donor bodies and will be building one up for my own collection... (and I'll get some beamshots posted!) so if anyone here is interested in one of these for themselves please let me know!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
A.
p.s. - or alternately you could make up one of your own... I do have lots of great LEDs available over in B/S/T. Super bright whites, reds, green, blues, UV as well as these exceptional Nichia S-ranked units, little reflectors, etc. Prices are good and airmail is included - all excess stock from the AB workshop: Superbright LEDs: colours, Nichia S-rank whites...
![Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes, Clinically Proven, Fragrance Free, Unscented, Water Based, Hypoallergenic, Multi-Use, Hand Wipes 336 Wipes Total (6X Flip-Top Packs) [Packaging May Vary]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KLBHu9CAL._SL500_.jpg)
