Help improve Torch?

[SvenTheBerserK]

Hey all first time posting here.

Can i please have some help ideas ect on improving this led torch?
Its just a cheapo and i would like to enter the world of modding with this little Guinea pig.

I would like to make it a lot brighter im not fussed about having a narrow beam i want it more as a flood light.
I have looked at the cutter website but it makes my head spin..too many options for newbie.

The torch has 16 leds and 3 AAA batteries.
Here's some pics if it helps.
Thanks in advance.

 

[TorchBoy]

For wide angle light you could get a Cree LED, a driver (or use a resistor if space is really an issue - I've done a similar mod with a single AMC7135 board) and a lens. Putting the LED up against the back of the lens should give a pretty good wide angle beam.

Cree example (there are lots) - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25367
Pick a driver - http://www.videofoundry.co.nz/ianman/laboratory/research/driverlist.php
Or use a resistor calculator - http://ledcalc.com/
Lens example (pick a suitable diameter) - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5297

And then your torch will deserve a capital T.

PS. :welcome:

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Thank you for the help.
Im doing some research based on your coments but Dealextreme seems to be having a bad day i cant get in to the website.
This site helped a lot for explaining drivers http://www.videofoundry.co.nz/ianman...driverlist.php

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Any other suggestions anyone?
Or is Torchboy's suggestion my only option?(As good as it is)

I thought maybe there might be some brighter 5mm leds i could just put in place of the old ones.
And how do i tell what leds are in this torch?

I would attempt to test them but i popped the fuse in my multimeter recently.

 

[TorchBoy]

Thank you for the help.
Im doing some research based on your coments but Dealextreme seems to be having a bad day i cant get in to the website.

They're having a bad week. Use https:// - it's their secure server and is mostly holding up OK.

This site helped a lot for explaining drivers http://www.videofoundry.co.nz/ianman...driverlist.php

Thank you.

A while back I tested the total current draw on a 9 LED torch I had. With fresh-ish alkaline batteries the total draw was 450 mA, which means 50 mA per LED, or quite overdriven. They were pretty bright. You might be able to find brighter 5 mm LEDs - the Nichia GS is a name mentioned a bit - but I don't really see the point. A single Cree would likely have better colour and better efficiency and still wouldn't be overdriven at that sort of current. The downside is that you need some sort of optic or reflector or the output would be very wide angle.

There's a lot more that could be said, but you'll probably learn most from just doing it. Cheers.

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Ok goin with your idea TorchBoy.

Thanks again for the help.
Im about to jump into the deep waters of modding:twothumbs.

 

[TorchBoy]

Do post pics of the end result, good or bad!

I also had the thought last night that it might be worth changing the 5 mm LEDs if you found some warm white 5 mm LEDs. It would have a lovely beam but they probably wouldn't be brighter than the present ones.

 

[M@elstrom]

Any other suggestions anyone?
Or is Torchboy's suggestion my only option?(As good as it is)

I have a similarly designed multi-LED torch, I found that I was able to utilize a Wolfeyes P60 module in mine but it was a 'tight fit' :thumbsup:

 

[TorchBoy]

Ooh, now that would open up a lot of options.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=193992

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Well i ended up going with the easy option for my first mod.
I used an R2 drop in.

Im very happy with result for such a cheap an easy mod.
Beamshots dont look great but in reality there is a huge difference.

Original beam.

R2 Dropin Beam.

I made a little hood with aluminum foil stuck to the underside to reflect the light back down and now use this on my bike.

Im happy with this and thank you all for your help.
Now im looking for my next light to mod:twothumbs

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Was just looking through some threads and browsing DX and read that this dropin works best and brighter on about 6 volts.
With that in mind could i replace the 3xAAA with 2xcr2 batteries?
I think it works out to be about the same length but not as fat.

Any recommendations?

 

[TorchBoy]

That hood looks very interesting.

Aren't CR2 cells quite expensive and low capacity? The easiest way to get more voltage would probably be to go for 3 protected Li-ion 14500 cells, or two and a spacer depending on the maximum input voltage of your drop in. The one your pic is of will handle three cells OK. You might well want ~4.5 V or so for full brightness, and three alkaline or NiMH cells won't give that.

 

[Fallingwater]

Provided that dropin can run from 4.2V, I'd advise replacing the three AAAs with a single 18650 LiIon. You'll get huge improvements in runtime.

Torchboy: that light runs on three AAAs, not AAs. He could replace them with 10440s, but if he wants to use LiIon a 18650 would be a much better choice. Or hell, even a C-sized LiIon if it fits in the tube (some 3AAA carriers are larger than others; try with a standard C cell first).

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Inside diameter of the torch is 22.4mm.
And the Length of the AAA holder is 59.3mm

I had look in Wiki for C-cell and standard size is L 50 mm
D 26.2 mm.

 

[TorchBoy]

Torchboy: that light runs on three AAAs, not AAs.

Oh yeah... (I should learn not to post after midnight.)

Will 4.2 V, and dropping from that, be enough?

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

I did some hacking away of metal and plastic so i could cram in 2x Cr123A Lithiums.

6 volts beamshot.
Huge improvement i might invest in a rechargeable pack now.

 

[TorchBoy]

Is that with the same camera settings?

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Apart from the size of the pics the same settings were used.

 

[TorchBoy]

Well that's quite an improvement from the original then. I imagine you'll be happy with that for at least a couple of days.

 

[SvenTheBerserK]

Not even a couple of days lol.
I already started planing a Triple cree xr-e light......I think im addicted.