Do Any Flashlights have Fuses?

[Liquidspaceman]

Pardon my ignorance. I'd first like to say that I don't really know jack about flashlight circuitry "yet" but my next goal is to study their design to get a proper understanding of their circuits.

That being said, I read a lot about flashlights going due to mismatched batteries or whatever reasons the circuitry is fried. My assumption is that these flashlights don't have some type of protection circuit and my question is - why not?

I don't have a voltimeter and would find myself taking it a little bit far trying to get matched pairs of batteries with the ideal voltages for optimum performance and no short circuits. I would assume the flashlight companies would be under some obligation to provide some circuit protection. Is it that the protection is not enough sometimes or that there is just none?

For you flashlight wizards, cut me some slack. My plan is to learn about flashlights eventually but for now, just looking for responses that aren't too mean.

 

[kramer5150]

Heeee's baaack!! LOL

I am not aware of any hand held lights that are fuse protected.

A lot of lights do have reverse polarity protection. In most cases its nothing more than a raised plastic area around the "+" contact to prevent conduction when the 18650 is installed backwards. You'll have to research the individual lights themselves for the specific details. The light reviews section can shed some light in this area.

Using miss-matched cells can increase the likelihood of cell reversal and internal cathode/annode shorts if the cells are miss-matched... This is discussed in detail in the Batteries sub forum.. IIRC theres even a sticky for it.

Flashlight companies are under no obligation to protect against poorly matched cells. I meter all my cells before using them, especially my 2 cell lights. Its a matter of safety, and standard operating procedure for me. Lithium gas is highly flamable and toxic.... This is discussed in detail in the Batteries sub forum.. IIRC theres even a sticky for it.

 

[Zatoichi]

You can get a really cheap digital multimeter that'll be good enough for checking cells match. Even if the accuracy isn't perfect, it should be consistant enough just for this task. On the other hand, for checking liIons are fully charged, I'd impose a safety margin with a cheap multimeter. Getting one with a low battery warning is also a good idea to avoid false readings, but you get this feature on some of the cheap ones.

I don't know much about electronics myself, but I decided a cheap multimeter is important when using 2+ lithium flashlights and rechargables, and hardly a big investment (mine cost about £5). There's plenty of info on how to use them on the electronics/battery forum here. Get one with an illuminated display and you can also pretend it's a Star Trek tri-corder.

 

[Marduke]

That being said, I read a lot about flashlights going due to mismatched batteries or whatever reasons the circuitry is fried. My assumption is that these flashlights don't have some type of protection circuit and my question is - why not?

I don't have a voltimeter and would find myself taking it a little bit far trying to get matched pairs of batteries with the ideal voltages for optimum performance and no short circuits.

Simple as typing in your questions, "Protection Circuit"

And how about "Matching cell voltage" also, since you think it's "taking it a bit far"

Challenge them to find the thread and post that told you what you wanted and remind them of how stupid it is to waste two hours looking through posts to find something that probably isn't in one place, but scattered everywhere.

Total search time: approximately 45 seconds

 

[Kestrel]

I think your best strategy at this time is to read up on light emitting diodes (might try wikipedia for starters?). What you're trying to do here is to understand the why's about ancillary systems when you don't know the physics & electronics of the actual LED itself. Once you're there, you might be able to understand more of the bigger picture.

I'm not saying that I know all of this, just that if you're interested, you might want to cover the fundamentals first, then go from there.

It has been a quiet week.:sigh:

Have you given any more thought to why so many of your threads are getting closed?

 

[DM51]

All incandescent lights have fuses. They're called bulbs. They blow when you hit them with too much voltage or current.

 

[Marduke]

All incandescent lights have fuses. They're called bulbs. They blow when you hit them with too much voltage or current.

 

[js]

Search,

Perhaps your post was just in jest and was meant to be funny, but even if that's true, do not again suggest that people do things which are against the rules or illegal. Threatening or making the suggestion that someone threaten someone else with physical violence and intimidation is not acceptable.

Don't make a post like that again.

 

[Kestrel]

All incandescent lights have fuses. They're called bulbs. They blow when you hit them with too much voltage or current.

Darn it, I thought of that line while I was driving to work this morning & was going to post that.

 

[Juggernaut]

If I end up building large, cumbersome lights that have lots of power, I'll put in a fuse, I have a glass tube 5 amp fuse in the Bigbeam 1000 Ultra Mod since that light has tones of wires and batteries enclosed in a metal box "I've blown it once". Also my 750 watt GE par64 light has a 30 amp 32 volt automotive fuse installed, when you have that kind of power you really should have one installed:sweat:. A 18 Ah SLA battery can produce over 2,800 amps for under 5 seconds which is enough to turn 24 gage wire into liquid and explode lead terminals:duck: "I've been their".

 

[Kestrel]

I guess I'm just a little perplexed with your questions and repeated requests for very basic electrical information with regards to what must be your employment skill set.

I am a network manager for the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states.

I read through the battery 123 shootout thread and I have to admit that it doesn't make much sense to me. The problem is that most of you are already very knowledgeable in amps, draw, etc. The thread makes certain assumptions that you already know about electronics and batteries and is not very newbie friendly.

I'm sure the information from the original poster is great for people "in the know" but for people like me, it makes no sense at all.

 

[Marduke]

I guess I'm just a little perplexed with your questions and requests for very basic electrical information with regards to what must be your employment skill set.

I suspect the first statement is perhaps a little "embellished", in an attempt for street-cred.

Perhaps it should read "I am a janitor for the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states."

or maybe

"I live near the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states."

But at the same time, how is it the largest if it only spans 4 western states? All the largest are national, or global.

 

[Zatoichi]

Perhaps it should read "I am a janitor for the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states."

To be fair, a janitor might well have a better understanding of electronics than a network manager.

 

[csshih]

To be fair, a janitor might well have a better understanding of electronics than a network manager.

 

[Benson]

I suspect the first statement is perhaps a little "embellished", in an attempt for street-cred.

Perhaps it should read "I am a janitor for the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states."

or maybe

"I live near the largest telecommunications company in the entire world overseeing a wireless network that spans 4 western states."

But at the same time, how is it the largest if it only spans 4 western states? All the largest are national, or global.

Because we all know:

• Any telecomm company consists of precisely one wireless network, or at least has precisely one network manager, who runs their whole worldwide network.
• Managing a wireless network is totally an electrical/electronics job, rather than computer-based.

 

[Search]

Total search time: approximately 45 seconds

Crap

Search,

Perhaps your post was just in jest and was meant to be funny, but even if that's true, do not again suggest that people do things which are against the rules or illegal. Threatening or making the suggestion that someone threaten someone else with physical violence and intimidation is not acceptable.

Don't make a post like that again.

Sorry..

I just dislike seeing a lot of flaming when searching for the answer isn't that easy.


Unfortunately, it seems liquid spaceman didn't even try.

 

[Liquidspaceman]

Can I ask the administrators if it's normal for CPF regulars to be allowed to bash posters?

Marduke has been following me around inciting me to post a response to him in anger.

If I respond, I'll be banned (just like last time). I'm just wondering what a CPF member has to do to get another member to stop harrassing them?

 

[Benson]

Can I ask the administrators if it's normal for CPF regulars to be allowed to bash posters?

You can, but a better way would be to PM one of them.

<gratuitous bash of another poster elided>

If I respond, I'll be banned (just like last time). I'm just wondering what a CPF member has to do to get another member to stop harrassing them?

Suggestion: No matter what you think someone else is trying to provoke you into doing, make sure you're happy with what you're about to post, and what consequences it will bring on you, before you click "submit reply". If it's going to get you banned, don't post it.

 

[Marduke]

Can I ask the administrators if it's normal for CPF regulars to be allowed to bash posters?

Marduke has been following me around inciting me to post a response to him in anger.

If I respond, I'll be banned (just like last time). I'm just wondering what a CPF member has to do to get another member to stop harrassing them?

In case you didn't notice, I post A LOT. Coupled with your tendency to create new pointless threads A LOT, it seems rather obvious that the two should cross paths occasionally. I respond in a lot of other threads also, does that mean I follow their OP around too?

The fact that you create a higher % of threads means a higher % of the same people will be posting in them vs any other random person's threads.

How about trying something novel. Try searching your exact question BEFORE you post a new thread asking someone else to do it for you. I think you'll find you suddenly don't need to create 3/4 of your threads, hence eliminating 3/4 of the responses you receive.

 

[Liquidspaceman]

Because we all know:

• Any telecomm company consists of precisely one wireless network, or at least has precisely one network manager, who runs their whole worldwide network.
• Managing a wireless network is totally an electrical/electronics job, rather than computer-based.

Benson is correct. There are several network managers. I only manage the Southwest region. My job/skill set is in computers and programming, not in electrical engineering. I can build SQL databases, debug code, manage networks, build networks...but if a circuit blew I would call somebody else to fix it.