Canister LED Lantern

charliek · Sep 18, 2003

This is a homebrew that took about 20 minutes to do-
Just before we left for a camping trip, I realized I didn't have any chemical "snap lights" for my daughter to use as a night light- so into the workshop I went....

It's built inside a Fuji-film canister using a PC Cmos battery holder and coincell, the LED has a small section of hotglue stick pressed on it to help diffuse the light. I have no idea how long it will last, but it made it through 2 nights without any sign of dimming- costs nearly zero to make, and works well.

LEDmodMan · Sep 18, 2003

Great idea! If you used a SM push-button switch mounted on a board inside near the lid, this would even be pretty waterproof. All you would have to do to activate it would be push down on the lid.

Stainless · Sep 18, 2003

[ QUOTE ]
LEDmodMan said:
Great idea! If you used a SM push-button switch mounted on a board inside near the lid, this would even be pretty waterproof. All you would have to do to activate it would be push down on the lid.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, what he said.

I've been wanting to make SOME KIND of "canister light" for a while, but have MINIMAL skills.
Anyone have ideas on how to make something even simpler? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

charliek · Sep 18, 2003

[ QUOTE ]
LEDmodMan said:
Great idea! If you used a SM push-button switch mounted on a board inside near the lid, this would even be pretty waterproof. All you would have to do to activate it would be push down on the lid.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a great idea.... Perhaps the next light - I'd like to use a 2 button cell setup and a Nichia white LED- that should make a neat light.

charliek · Sep 18, 2003

[ QUOTE ]
Stainless said:
Yeah, what he said.

I've been wanting to make SOME KIND of "canister light" for a while, but have MINIMAL skills.
Anyone have ideas on how to make something even simpler? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what you need to do- go to your nearest Radio Shack- pick up a "Breadboard" with some jumper wires, a few cheap LEDs, a few resistors and a little handbook called "Engineer's Mini Notebook- Optoelectronics Circuits" part # 276-5012

This will start you on your way- The best way to learn skills is Hands-On!

IsaacHayes · Sep 18, 2003

AWESOME! I love it! I like the toggle switch too! Very easy to turn on. Looks like you'd turn it on and toss it somewhere as a marker. GrenadeLight!

I love the color of that LED. Is it really yellow-green like it's showing on my screen? Where'd you get it?

You could put a UV LED in there, and coat the cansiter's insides with glow powder, use the dusting technique. Turn it on for a while to charge it up, maybe use the pushbutton momemtary SMT switch idea. You'd have a marker light that hardly used any power, and you could recharge just by pushing a button!

charliek · Sep 18, 2003

The LED is a standard "high brightness" from HP- more for an indicator light than for a flashlight, but bright enough to throw a gentle green glow around the inside of a tent at night.