Class 1: LED Zippo

[marklein]

Presenting the LED Zippo lighter. Click any image for huge version.






Back in the 80s Zippo tried to sell a disposable flashlight insert for Zippo lighters that cost $20 and had the worst output ever seen. Can you guess that they didnt' sell too many? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif But back in the 90s when I quit smoking I had to find some use for my old Zippo so I bought one. Now it's actually useful too.

First I hand carved a circuit board from blank copper for a ZLT circuit. My first SMD project!

Then I stuck it in between two fresh AAAA cells in the Zippo.



Perfect fit!


Here you can see Nichia and the original minimag style bulb on the right.


Group shot with some similarly powerful lights.


And of course, since this is CPF, the beam shots! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


CLINK! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[paulr]

Nice light! How about a shot of the assembled PC board--where's the inductor?

Did the original version use AAAA cells like yours?

 

[Neg2LED]

what the heck is the black stripe? nice, anyway...

neg

 

[nexro]

Very nice! It really light things up too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[B@rt]

[ QUOTE ]
Neg2LED said:
what the heck is the black stripe? nice, anyway...

neg

[/ QUOTE ]

Just a guess? Burnt pixels on the CCD (?) chip due to laser exposure... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[Neg2LED]

cant be - other pics are fine. im thinking something hangin on da wall..

neg

 

[marklein]

The black stripe is tape for the camera to focus on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The entire PC board is basically visible there. The inductor is the one labled "101". To the right of it are the transistor, Zetex, the tiny resistor labled ".10", and the biggest thing is the diode.

 

[illumiGeek]

PP sent (I wish)!

Nice!

 

[MrMom]

Hmmm. I have two inserts. Any modding possibilities?

 

[coachbigdog]

That is really neat! Gotta put a luxIII in there next!

 

[mobile1]

Beautiful...mod. Regarding modding ideas, here is what I would do if I had an insert and a ligher:

Get yourself 1 or 3 of those tiny 1W Led drivers here:

http://www.quality-items-flashlights.com/index.php?cPath=32

and put a bright 1W or even better 3W Luxeon in it. Result a really bright regulated light. The only question is how the batteries would feel if you suck 3W out of them...)

 

[marklein]

That's pretty much the same driver I built. I have since figured out how to build them without a circuit board which makes them about 2mm square! Fun times. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif I'm thinking about making a 1W Solitaire that way. You're right, those AAAA batteries wouldn't take it for very long.

If you really REALLY gut the housing and customize it beyond recognition you could make it fit two AAA batteries, a driver, and a Luxeon emitter. That would be a lot more useful than the two AAAA. If you wanna do that I'd just use a regular Zippo lighter insert (the ones used to make fire) to adapt the opening/closing mechanism since they are much cheaper. The Zippo flashlight inserts are hard to find, although there's almost always one on Ebay. Technically you can fit 3xAAA in there, but then there's no room for the closing mechanism.