how to disassemble a cree insert

[mr.pi]

hello,

i am a newbie and wanna know, is it possible to disassemble the insert
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1343, remove all electronic an use only the reflecor and the cree-led for a dynamo driven bike light. or is it impossible to get in the cabinet unter the led?

thx in advance

the pi

 

[Mash]

depending on EXACTLY what you want to do, you can buy just the housing of the drop in from DX here, it is just the housing, the Cree is NOT included( as a matter of fact, they show the wrong board in the pics, that star board wont fit!).
This way you dont need to butcher a full drop in. You get a cree on a round board and you are set. Price wise though you only save like $2.
BUT depending on what voltage your dynamo supplies, why dont you just feed that into the complete drop in and let the electronics regulate the current? You will need some kind of regualtion to properly utilise the LEDs anyway, so might as well use the convenience of the whole package. DX has some dropins that go up to 18Vs so you should be well covered.

 

[mr.pi]

hello again,

ok if i take the complete insert how do i manage to change the ac current to the necessary dc current and is it just that simple?

thx in advance

the pi

 

[Mash]

Ah, do dynamos give AC current only?
Some drivers DO work on AC, but I have no way of knowing if these ones do it. So unless somone here knows, or can test it, you might have to be the guinea pig on this one!
Even if you blow the circuit, you are where you wanted to be, ie you have the housing and the Cree, so you end up losing 2-3$ tops for your experimentation!

 

[jmw19]

Well, as far as I know, all dynamos produce AC. I'm no expert, though.

The easiest way to convert AC to DC is with a rectifier - basically a network of diodes. You can make your own, but the assemblies are probably smaller and cheaper. I bought one at Radio Shack for $1, roughly.

Once the rectifier's in place, it's up to you whether to use or lose the circuitry, but I'd bet efficiency will take a hit if you leave the circuit in. Usually, they're just soldered into the end of the drop-in, so a bit of solder wick and some prying, and they're out. If you're not trying to save it, then your job's even easier.

IMHO, dynamos and LEDs go together very well as is - my commuter light is a basic 6V, 3W dynamo, a rectifier, a Seoul P4 and a big optic from a cheap Luxeon headlamp. The optic was 35mm around, so it fit very nicely in an MR11 housing, and I filed down a Mag-D heatsink to fit.
My commute's only a couple miles, though, and mostly flat, so I was less concerned with heatsinking. Still, it's plenty of light. The Cree should perform very similarly, and I happen to like the reflectors most drop-in's use.

Best of luck,
Jon

 

[PhxCycler]

Here is a thread for you to check out regarding dynamos.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=174557