Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

[Search]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I've got a little LED I pulled from a fan in my computer. It's brighter than the 8000 mcd green but is much smaller than a 5mm.

It works good, but doesn't sit in the module, it just flops over. I haven't found a decent solution to this yet

 

[angelofwar]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I've got a little LED I pulled from a fan in my computer. It's brighter than the 8000 mcd green but is much smaller than a 5mm.

It works good, but doesn't sit in the module, it just flops over. I haven't found a decent solution to this yet

Search, that green looks nice! Have you tried any of that thermal glue/compound to hold that smaller LED in? I know they sell it at RS, but they should also have it at home repair stores, automotive shops, etc.

Kestrel, do you have an RS nearby? If not, let me know, and I'll send you one of the high-output whites. Just PM me your addy, and I'll throw it in an envelope.

Nice one, M@elstrom! Have you tried a diffuser on that blue one? I frosted just about all my 5mm led's, cause those rings annoy the heck outta me! And yes, still waiting to see yer finished sngle head...I wanna see that orange one as well!!! I'm still not brave enough to start soldering resistors and stuff in...not quite up to par on that, but I'd like to learn.

I just realized, that my High out-put white on an RCR is brighter than the lowest low on my U2...so, while not alot, it is very useable! And staying at that level for 20+ hours on an RCR is what makes it really attractive!

 

[M@elstrom]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

And yes, still waiting to see yer finished sngle head...I wanna see that orange one as well!!!

Well once I've finshed this run of night duty & there's time left from the duties for the 'minister of finance' I'll get stuck into it :thumbsup:

I'm still not brave enough to start soldering resistors and stuff in...not quite up to par on that, but I'd like to learn.

Ah... it's easy just remember the golden rule...

#1 Don't burn yourself!

I just realized, that my High out-put white on an RCR is brighter than the lowest low on my U2...so, while not alot, it is very useable! And staying at that level for 20+ hours on an RCR is what makes it really attractive!

Yeah they've got ultra bright white LEDs at our local hobbyist store too but I figured I liked blue better cause I've already got a tonne of white LED lights, I asked for 16,000mcd but I'm sure they gave me a 8,000mcd as it came loose without specs, the 16,000mcd 2.1v red LEDs look promising too!

 

[NE450No2]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I am new here on CPF, so bear with me...

As I under stand it a "Battery Vampire" is a flashlight that will "suck" the last little bit of "elecricity" our of a battery, in this case a 123.

This is a great idea, and I have kinda discovered it a little for my self.

ie, I recently bought a P60 LED bulb.

I knew form using my SF A@ Aviator, that after the batteries would not light up the incandescent, they would still light up the LEDs.

Also a buddy gave me a single 123 light with an incandescent and LED's and the same thing happens, ie the LED's burn long after the incad. bulb will not light.

So My question is How many lumens should a "Battery Vampire" produce.

I have found that the 3 lumens of the SF A2, with the white LED's is more than enough to;
Get up in the night and go to the bathroom.
Look in your pack for stuff.
Walk around a known area.
Read a map, book, etc.

If I wanted to do more general stuff I would want a few more lumens.

While I AM a Flashaholic, I am not a High Tech One.

So I would suggest this, since the P60 series type bulb lights are so prevelant, some Company should make a P60 LED "Vampire Bulb" at X amount of lumens [to be determined by you techies, but I would guess from 3 to 15 lumens], so we could get a little extra from our spent 123's and help save the environment.

I know I would get a dedicated SF G2 or 2 to use.

One for the house, and to take on trips for the motel, and one for the car to read maps.

Or maybe a drop in for the E series SF lights.

Then I could save the batteries on my A2 for "serious stuff".

These "spent" batteries would probably light up the low settings on the current E1L and L1. You guys with those lights let us know.

 

[M@elstrom]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

A Nichia GS should produce around 10Lm, in a revamped (pun intended) P60 module it would produce a slightly better beam (due to larger reflector) than a Fenix EO1 :thumbsup:

As these are too easy to 'whip together' I couldn't imagine anyone actually wanting to pay for one? good environmental/economic thinking though


BTW you're correct the used batteries from my 6P incan' were still sufficient to power up my old gen L1 on both high and low... that light is a bit of a battery vampire itself

 

[jchoo]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I've got a Nichia GS in a P60 LA running direct drive off of an 18650... boy, talk about a great power outage light!

 

[M@elstrom]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I've got a Nichia GS in a P60 LA running direct drive off of an 18650... boy, talk about a great power outage light!

Sweet!


So any pictures, beamshots?

 

[Sgt. LED]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Keep track of your ON time.
If the low voltage circuit doesn't kick in it'll kill your cell won't it?

 

[jchoo]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I'm not using this cell for actual usage, just testing. I measured the current draw at just about 45ma, but that is without soldering the leads of the LED to the spring. I will have to go through the stash of resistors I've got to try to find one that I can use to run this light off of 2 fresh CR123s (I don't need it as a vampire, but I want a looooong running power failure/emergency light). I guess I'm looking for something around 20-33 ohm, maybe 1/4 watt. I've got a couple hundred resistors hanging around in a box in the shop, I just need to dig around for what I want.

 

[Illum]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Keep track of your ON time.
If the low voltage circuit doesn't kick in it'll kill your cell won't it?

chances are the cell protection won't kick in if your drawing like 20ma, sensors are not that sensitive to such low current draw in particular if it was designed to allow transient current flow

There has been ruined batteries in the past from uber low current draws spread over a fat load of time.

Why would you use a battery drainer on a rechargeable is a complete mystery to me

 

[jchoo]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

chances are the cell protection won't kick in if your drawing like 20ma, sensors are not that sensitive to such low current draw in particular if it was designed to allow transient current flow

There has been ruined batteries in the past from uber low current draws spread over a fat load of time.

Why would you use a battery drainer on a rechargeable is a complete mystery to me

If you read my other post, you would see that I am only using the 18650 for building and testing purposes.

Here is a comparison of four lights - I hope it is useful. I've got:

Nitecore D10 GDP on Energizer P91, on lowest setting
Inova X1 (2nd gen) on Energizer P91
Nichia GS modded P60, direct driven from an 18650
BatteryJunction clicky fauxton (6v, 2 coin cells)

And here is the module itself, as well as a shot of the scene with my D10 on max - sorry for the lack of exposure control, it's a cheap little Sony point and shoot.

 

[M@elstrom]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Is that 18650 hot off the charger OR been lying around for a bit before use (and measured prior to use)? :thinking:

Why would you use a battery drainer on a rechargeable is a complete mystery to me

Perhaps the intention of the device is not actually a battery drainer but as a low output long runtime flashlight? OR as was the OPs original intent, a means to extract further use out of what would otherwise be considered expended lithium primaries

 

[jchoo]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

18650 is sitting at around 3.7v with no load on it, it is far from fresh off the charger. I was just using it because a) it was what I had in that light already and b) vf of these leds is 3.2 to 3.5 and I wanted to see how angry it got at the higher voltage (result: not that angry at all). My intent for this is indeed a long running emergency light, not a vampire - although it could certainly be pressed into service as such.

Is that 18650 hot off the charger OR been lying around for a bit before use (and measured prior to use)? :thinking:





Perhaps the intention of the device is not actually a battery drainer but as a low output long runtime flashlight? OR as was the OPs original intent, a means to extract further use out of what would otherwise be considered expended lithium primaries

 

[Kestrel]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Kestrel, do you have an RS nearby? If not, let me know, and I'll send you one of the high-output whites. Just PM me your addy, and I'll throw it in an envelope.

LOL, a month after your thread comes out, I finally get around to going to my local Radio Shack to pick up two LED's, and one hour later you post offering me one! Thanks for the offer though. :wave:

I'm finally getting close to putting this together, I just have to unsolder the old bulb from this semi-dead P91 LA I have and I'll be good to go.

 

[M@elstrom]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I'm finally getting close to putting this together, I just have to unsolder the old bulb from this semi-dead P91 LA I have and I'll be good to go.

Looking forward to seeing the final result... any teasers as to which colour you choose?

 

[Kestrel]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Looking forward to seeing the final result... any teasers as to which colour you choose?

Sorry, just 7000mcd white over here, not that exciting I'm afraid. It's going in a Solarforce L2m for a sorta-3P, but I'll be ditching the stock clickie tailcap for a SureFire Z41 twistie no matter how difficult that turns out to be...:tinfoil:

I'm just so darn tired of the low on my SF L1 (Cree) being too high, the low on my SF L2 being too high, the low on my Fx LD01 being too high, etc etc...

 

[Sgt. LED]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Try a 3mm! :devil:

 

[angelofwar]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

Thanks for beamshots, JCHOO! Those are really helpful!

Perhaps the intention of the device is not actually a battery drainer but as a low output long runtime flashlight? OR as was the OPs original intent, a means to extract further use out of what would otherwise be considered expended lithium primaries

Yes maelstrom, the original intent was to make a "safe" battery vampire...and the first part you mentioned, of a long time runtime/low output light, kind of goes hand in hand with 5mm's. I knew it would be one when I built it, but I was "thinking" of a battery vampire when I built it...and then SF had to go and steal the name . Maybe I'll get a free SF Vampire as compensation for emotional distress??? :naughty:

 

[angelofwar]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I'm just so darn tired of the low on my SF L1 (Cree) being too high, the low on my SF L2 being too high, the low on my Fx LD01 being too high, etc etc...

Ditto...I didn't have a low enough low until I built one of these...and then I finally got a U2, but those don't come in red...

 

[angelofwar]

Re: *Beamshots-Post #36*Build yer own "Battery Vampire" with a P60

I have found that the 3 lumens of the SF A2, with the white LED's is more than enough to;
Get up in the night and go to the bathroom.
Look in your pack for stuff.
Walk around a known area.
Read a map, book, etc.

Yep, these are the kind of tasks I had in mind for this light!