First Project...should I?

[Mr_Dove]

I currently own a surefire flashlight but I hate how fast it eats through batteries. I'd like something rechargeable that is still pretty bright but I don't have the cash to spend so I'm looking at a homebrew project. I have a bunch of AA rechargeables but they are slow to recharge and have become something of a pain in the butt.

I have some Rigid tools that use 12v Lithium Ion battery packs that I would like to build a flashlight from. The packs charge fast and they are very convenient. They are also small enough that they would likely work great for a flashlight.

This will be my first project so I'm curious if this is something I should even keep thinking about or should I abandon the idea?

It would be nice if Rigid made a flashlight to fit this battery pack but they do not.

Now that I think about it I also have some battery packs designed for R/C cars. I believe they are Nimh 7.2V and 3000 mAh. I could use those for a rechargeable project too.

 

[VidPro]

Well nobody here is going to say dont MOD

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The key is to have a dream that inspires us to go beyond our limits.
Robert Kriegel

What you want to do, and what you can do, is limited only by what you can dream.
Mike Melville

Well it didnt turn out the way I wanted exactally, and it took longer than I thought it would, it cost more than I thought it would, and its not as good looking as I pictured but it is working, and I learned something.
Anonymous Modder

 

[carbine15]

Sounds like you need a faster charger for your AA batteries. What surefire flashlight do you have? Maybe there's a rechargeable solution that you can employ for that.

Since you want to make a new light out of whole cloth I'd go with the NIMH battery packs and hook up an integral charging port on the side of the light.

you'll need an emitter, driver, optics and switch. Wire and solder time and patience. Dremel skills help too.

My most recent light from whole cloth. Still works. Charging is a pain.