Trekmeister
Newly Enlightened
So I figured it was time for me to get a "real" flashlight, and by that I mean at least 1000 lumen. I've been satisfied with my ~200 lumen CREEs and similar, but every time I dared to peek into the HID/Searchlight forum I've seen stories about the Polarion, Maxabeam and other cool lights I dream about one day possessing. (Not that I am comparing this pretty basic build with those two, but they have so to speak inspired me).
So where to begin? With a host of course! So I went to (ok I really drove there but any-who) a nearby store that sells various tools and gadgets, mostly cheap stuff with the quality you can expect from such a place. I bought myself one of these: (clicky-clicky on the piccy!)
A 6V 55W light with three white 5mm LEDs as backup or whatever. I didn't even have time to charge it fully even once before I tore it apart, so sorry no before pictures of the output. I tore out the small 6V/4Ah lead-acid battery and was delighted when I found that the reflector was made from metal, hoping this would help it stand up to the heat from the lamp. The original lamp was rated at 55W but i seriously doubt it was driven anywhere near that with the voltage sag from the small battery and all. But that is one more thing I did not get around to testing before tearing it apart.
I decided that RC NiMH battey packs would make a good power source so I ordered two 7.2V/3800mAh (I think it was) packs from ebay. I choose to use RC battery packs since they are designed for high current draws and are easy to charge in place, but mostly because they are pre-packaged in a nice way; sparing me the hassle of making my own battery holders.
Next I got a 50W 4300K H3 car xenon kit (4000 lumen claimed). Since I wanted to power it using my two 7.2V battery packs I either needed a ballast that could run from very low voltages (parallel packs), or one that could handle at least 18V or so (batteries in series, hot of the charger). I went for a "24V truck-kit" that is supposed to work in the interval 9-32V allowing me to connect the packs in series. As a bonus the lower current draw should be easier on the switch. Here is a pic I "borrowed" from the sellers web page, basically a re-badged made-in-china kit (it had a Phillips branded lamp I think it was, don't know if that is the norm or not).
And thus began the assembly.
The battery packs fit nicely in the body after cutting out some plastic. Perfect fit between two of the plastic walls in the light, preventing them to move up or down. A small piece of aluminium with some foam gently prevents it from moving forward.
First test of lamp in reflector, focus was horrible but I solved that by cutting out some thin aluminium shims moving the light slightly deeper into the reflector.
Somewhat later, everything crammed into the body. All the previous wiring ripped out and replaced with 6mm^2 silicone insulated cables, very easy to work with. The three LEDs in the handle had to settle with a thinner cable, not that it matters. Another resistor was also fitted to the auxiliary light to keep the LEDs from burning up.
The ballast is wrapped in a thin layer of foam to prevent it from rattling around. You can just spot one of the battery packs hidden underneath the ballast. The other one will be on top once the thing is put together. You can also see the thick glass lens, it is almost as if the manufacturers used some of the factory windows to make the front lens.
The stock switch was used, I was considering using a MOSFET to control the power, but that would only mean more work. If I recall correctly the switch is rated to 10A or something like that. I measured about 4.5A starting up falling to 3.75A at 14.8V (=55W) while running (depending on battery voltage of course) so well within tolerable limits.
And so the finished product with a couple of friends (Tiablo A8 with aspheric lens and a Nitecore D10) for comparison. It is a bit front heavy but still manageable. It is also quite comfortable to carry using the handle on the top. The black cap over the rear end still fits, only I haven't screwed it on in order to have easier access to the battery connectors.
Beamshots!
Sorry no outdoor beamshots. Its summer and it never gets dark up here in the north. Cellphone picture taken from my balcony right around midnight to prove my point:
Trying to find the whitest most even surface in my flat I decided on the kitchen cabinet doors. A Tiablo A8/Q5 with aspheric lens and a fresh Tenergy 18650 cell included for reference. Pictures taken with lights slightly more than 4m from target. Three different exposures, the brightest one is pretty close to the way I experience it. Note that it is not pitch black in the flat, you can probably guess why based on the previous picture. No runtimes either but it should last for perhaps 45minutes. It starts strobing when the input voltage falls down to about 8V giving a pretty decent low battery warning.
What have I learned? Well perhaps I could have managed with any ballast since the voltage drops pretty fast when turned on. Also the lens gets scorching hot! I can't help but to be afraid that it will crack or something. The glass is probably far from high quality stuff. Also I've once again realised that summers in the northern Sweden is a lousy time for flashoholism. I'll have to wait for several months before it gets dark again!
Next project? Perhaps try to finish the 3x Seoul P4 bicycle light I started building more than a year ago...
Looking forward to your comments!
So where to begin? With a host of course! So I went to (ok I really drove there but any-who) a nearby store that sells various tools and gadgets, mostly cheap stuff with the quality you can expect from such a place. I bought myself one of these: (clicky-clicky on the piccy!)
A 6V 55W light with three white 5mm LEDs as backup or whatever. I didn't even have time to charge it fully even once before I tore it apart, so sorry no before pictures of the output. I tore out the small 6V/4Ah lead-acid battery and was delighted when I found that the reflector was made from metal, hoping this would help it stand up to the heat from the lamp. The original lamp was rated at 55W but i seriously doubt it was driven anywhere near that with the voltage sag from the small battery and all. But that is one more thing I did not get around to testing before tearing it apart.
I decided that RC NiMH battey packs would make a good power source so I ordered two 7.2V/3800mAh (I think it was) packs from ebay. I choose to use RC battery packs since they are designed for high current draws and are easy to charge in place, but mostly because they are pre-packaged in a nice way; sparing me the hassle of making my own battery holders.
Next I got a 50W 4300K H3 car xenon kit (4000 lumen claimed). Since I wanted to power it using my two 7.2V battery packs I either needed a ballast that could run from very low voltages (parallel packs), or one that could handle at least 18V or so (batteries in series, hot of the charger). I went for a "24V truck-kit" that is supposed to work in the interval 9-32V allowing me to connect the packs in series. As a bonus the lower current draw should be easier on the switch. Here is a pic I "borrowed" from the sellers web page, basically a re-badged made-in-china kit (it had a Phillips branded lamp I think it was, don't know if that is the norm or not).
And thus began the assembly.
The battery packs fit nicely in the body after cutting out some plastic. Perfect fit between two of the plastic walls in the light, preventing them to move up or down. A small piece of aluminium with some foam gently prevents it from moving forward.
First test of lamp in reflector, focus was horrible but I solved that by cutting out some thin aluminium shims moving the light slightly deeper into the reflector.
Somewhat later, everything crammed into the body. All the previous wiring ripped out and replaced with 6mm^2 silicone insulated cables, very easy to work with. The three LEDs in the handle had to settle with a thinner cable, not that it matters. Another resistor was also fitted to the auxiliary light to keep the LEDs from burning up.
The ballast is wrapped in a thin layer of foam to prevent it from rattling around. You can just spot one of the battery packs hidden underneath the ballast. The other one will be on top once the thing is put together. You can also see the thick glass lens, it is almost as if the manufacturers used some of the factory windows to make the front lens.
The stock switch was used, I was considering using a MOSFET to control the power, but that would only mean more work. If I recall correctly the switch is rated to 10A or something like that. I measured about 4.5A starting up falling to 3.75A at 14.8V (=55W) while running (depending on battery voltage of course) so well within tolerable limits.And so the finished product with a couple of friends (Tiablo A8 with aspheric lens and a Nitecore D10) for comparison. It is a bit front heavy but still manageable. It is also quite comfortable to carry using the handle on the top. The black cap over the rear end still fits, only I haven't screwed it on in order to have easier access to the battery connectors.
Beamshots!
Sorry no outdoor beamshots. Its summer and it never gets dark up here in the north. Cellphone picture taken from my balcony right around midnight to prove my point:
Trying to find the whitest most even surface in my flat I decided on the kitchen cabinet doors. A Tiablo A8/Q5 with aspheric lens and a fresh Tenergy 18650 cell included for reference. Pictures taken with lights slightly more than 4m from target. Three different exposures, the brightest one is pretty close to the way I experience it. Note that it is not pitch black in the flat, you can probably guess why based on the previous picture.
No runtimes either but it should last for perhaps 45minutes. It starts strobing when the input voltage falls down to about 8V giving a pretty decent low battery warning.
What have I learned? Well perhaps I could have managed with any ballast since the voltage drops pretty fast when turned on. Also the lens gets scorching hot! I can't help but to be afraid that it will crack or something. The glass is probably far from high quality stuff. Also I've once again realised that summers in the northern Sweden is a lousy time for flashoholism. I'll have to wait for several months before it gets dark again!
Next project? Perhaps try to finish the 3x Seoul P4 bicycle light I started building more than a year ago...
Looking forward to your comments!
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