I would like to build this flashlight, but where to get the components?

[BennyLava]

I am sure that you have all probly seen this video. I am just wondering if anyone has a link to the little green circuit board that he had to use for that particular LED. He does not mention it in the vid, and I am in fact also looking for a good site to buy such things from in the future.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=940QBkbPosw

 

[TorchBoy]

Lots of links in the driver list.

 

[BennyLava]

Is that what the little circuit board is called? A driver? lol for me a driver is a little software program that let's your operating system communicate with your computer's hardware. But I'm sure yall probly know that. Although, I am afraid I am too big a noob to be able to recognize which of those drivers I would need to do the mod from that video. It would have to be circular and be for a ssc p7 bin c 900 lumen led.

Or perhaps I should just buy this flashlight, and save myself the trouble?

http://www.bestofferbuy.com/SpiderF...ource=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase

or this

http://www.bestofferbuy.com/trustfi...eable-flashlight-with-ac-charger-p-27281.html

 

[glockboy]

I don't think he run the P7 with that little green circuit board, he must have run DD with the 18650.

 

[Crenshaw]

None of those lights are very likely to be pushing 900 lumens.

Might closer to 200 or 400.

www.dealextreme.com

is a fairly good place to source components, if you dont mind a long-ish waiting time in the US

Crenshaw

 

[BennyLava]

Cool thanks for the helpful replies. Can anyone link the exact circular driver I would need to run that LED? I am afraid I am too big a noob to pick it out of that list. @ glockboy, I am not sure what you mean by "DD with the 18650"

 

[kramer5150]

I have this Dorcy and its not a good mod host at all. There is no thermal conduction path for the LED, and there is no room inside for a DC-DC regulator. Its just a circular single sided PCB, swaged into the end of the light body. The +ive battery post contacts one side of the PCB, traces conduct current through an SMT resistor and on to the LED.

You certainly won't get anywhere near 900 Lumens out the front. You would be lucky to get ~200 emitter lumens, and maybe 100-150 of those would find their way OTF.

The P7 is $20 and dorcy host is ~$15. For $35 you are better off getting a good, well designed light from the start.

 

[Crenshaw]

DD means direct drive, meaning there is no step-up or step-down (boost or buck)

Think of a Quad emitter LED (such as the MCE) as four emitters.

Cree specs say that the Mce takes a maximum of 700ma per die

you thus need a driver that can push 4x700ma (2800ma) and then you wire the emitters in parallel, because in a parallel circuit, you divide up the Current. (right? ) you might need to verify that. :candle:

usually, you can just buy a circuit that is labeled as to be used for either SSC P7 or Cree MCE such as this one http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20330

thats just an example, there are many drivers out there.

Crenshaw

 

[TorchBoy]

Or wire the MC-E in series and use http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26106. That doesn't work for a Seoul P7 which is hard wired in parallel.

 

[LEDninja]

I am just wondering if anyone has a link to the little green circuit board that he had to use for that particular LED. I am in fact also looking for a good site to buy such things from in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=940QBkbPosw

I have this Dorcy and its not a good mod host at all. There is no thermal conduction path for the LED, and there is no room inside for a DC-DC regulator. Its just a circular single sided PCB, swaged into the end of the light body. The +ive battery post contacts one side of the PCB, traces conduct current through an SMT resistor and on to the LED.

The SSC-P7 LED runs at up to 2.8A at 3.25-3.75V. That is approximately 10 watts.
About 2 watts leave as light. The other 8 watts as heat.
That little board is plastic, bad conductor of heat. So the guy in the video probably burned his LED up soon after making the video. Because he built 'The world's brightest flashlight 2' - this time he mentioned HEATSINK!

Before you build or buy an SSC-P7 flashlight, please answer a couple of questions.
Do you want a flashlight for show, run it for 1 or 2 minutes at a time or are you going to use it for say 30+ minutes continuously at a time?
Would you mind carrying a much bigger torch? (The standard P7 mod is in a 3D Maglite)

he P7 is $20 and dorcy host is ~$15. For $35 you are better off getting a good, well designed light from the start.

Or perhaps I should just buy this flashlight, and save myself the trouble?
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/SpiderF...ource=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase
or this
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/trustfi...eable-flashlight-with-ac-charger-p-27281.html

BennyLava where are you located. That store is in Singapore.
1st torch - 2 mode, probably direct drive/resistor in tailcap.
more info here
2nd torch - 3 mode Hi 900LM 2800mA > Low 500LM 1000mA > Fast Strobe
more info here
Note use special battery pack. Will have problem finding replacement.
Read the reviews in the links!


Build your own.
CPF do have a Homemade and Modified lights sub-forum

 

[TorchBoy]

As far as "world's brightest flashlight" goes, I was more impressed with the video of the guy setting fire to newspaper with his flashlight.

 

[LEDninja]

As far as "world's brightest flashlight" goes, I was more impressed with the video of the guy setting fire to newspaper with his flashlight.

Don't get the guy started on THE TORCH at this time. He is still a Newbie. Don't want him to burn down his house, his town, his state, or his country.

The brightest LED torch I know is the Data Bank 70

The 2nd brightest LED torch I know is the Kong-12

Not that thing in the video.

 

[kramer5150]

I can't believe I am wasting bandwidth on something so galactically stupid, but here goes. That guy should have his youtube account suspended.

Crappy host

Single sided PCBA, swaged into the aluminum body tube. Even if you were to hack this thing out, theres absolutely no way to get it (or a replacement) back in. Even if you could get it back in, theres absolutely no room for a DC-DC board. There is no pill assembly to conduct heat or house vital engine parts.

Heres the backside of that PCBA

With some assistance from my H501...

...you can clearly see ZERO heatsinking metal. Its just an SMT resistor on a PCBA.

I paid $12 for this light and got ripped off... don't let it happen to you.

 

[BennyLava]

Thanks for helping out a newbie, everyone. I really appreciate the helpful replies and total lack of rudeness, unlike many other sites a person might come across when trying to break into a new hobby.

But to answer a few questions directed at me, I guess I would like to build two flashlights. I am only interested in using LED's though. I want them to be extremely bright, though. I would love to push out 900 lumens if I could. However, I want to build one gag flashlight to keep in my glove box. Thats why I was interested in using the dorcy, cause it's size is so small. Imagine my non-hobbyist friends when I finally get to say something like "Reach in there and grab that little flashlight so we can see..." And they turn on that small flashlight and it's a 900 lumens monster. ROFL! They would be like "GAHHH!!" Hey we all like to show off our stuff, right?

So i guess I would like to build one very bright jokester, and one very bright service flashlight. I see from the replies that I should use a maglight 3 D-Cell for the service light, but what is the smallest possible light I can use to make the tiny monster? And how bright do yall think I can make a small light go? I don't mind it only having enough battery life for a minute or two lol. It's just all in the name of fun.

 

[glockboy]

You can get it here, well not 900 lumens but close.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=239445
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=243322

I guess I would like to build two flashlights. I am only interested in using LED's though. I want them to be extremely bright, though. I would love to push out 900 lumens if I could.

 

[LEDninja]

For the big boy, in addition to poking around the Modders subforum, take a look at this:
Blaster, the Next Generation: Luminus Phlatlight SSR-90, 1,750 lumens, 13,000 lux
Beamshots on post 16. Note how much brighter compared to a P7 Mag.
Single mode only. You can not dial down the brightness. 3D. 10,000 mAH LSD NiMH recommended.
Pre-sale price $199 + shipping for 1st 25 units (16 sold), at least $100 more later.
Expected ship date 2010 Jan 31 but Elektrolumens is quite famous for missing them.

You are into serious money when you want the brightest and with a certain amount of reliability.

My P7 Mag cost me $139 + shipping. It is the dimmest in the beamshots I mentioned earlier.

BTW for glockboy's 2nd link you need to buy a Surefire P60 body to house the drop-in.

For the little guy consider compromising on the lumens for a smaller size. Such as a Fenix LD01 (1AAA) with a 10440 Li-ion battery as a '2nd loaner'. 90 lumens on 1AAA. 200 lumens on 10440.
Your '1st loaner' is a stock Mag solitaire. 1.4 lumens with a fresh alkaline battery dimming constantly. 11 minutes runtime. Use Dollar Store 'Super Heavy Duty' crap battery.
When the Solitaire has dimmed to the point your buddy complains he can not see properly, hand him the other one.

 

[Gunner12]

This thread (Maglite drop-ins and mods) might help with a bright service light. You might want a multimode one because there is such a thing as too much light.

As for the small one, there was at least one person on the forums that made a RCR123 powered Cree MC-E light. I can't find the thread right now though.

 

[BennyLava]

Very nice looking lights you guys got there. However, unless I misunderstand, yall are saying that I should buy the light with the lumens output that I want? I am a pretty big do it yourself'er, at least, whenever I can be. So perhaps I posted in the wrong forum, and I should have posted in the Modding forum. I am actually looking to build the jokester and the service light myself, so I can learn and show other people how to do it as well.

 

[TorchBoy]

Nah, you're just perhaps going about it the wrong way, seeing something that looks impressive on YouTube and thinking that you'll make one identical, when it's not actually that impressive or well done. We each mod in our own way, but you're more likely to get a good result if you have good ideas of what you're doing (and why) and what your finished result will be. Does that make sense?

 

[Crenshaw]

If you are a BIG do-it-your-selfer

may i suggest you build a light from scratch? many have done so to achieve the exact light they want, we on CPF would of course be more than willing to offer what help we can. You would only have to pay us in many many pictures of the build process...

If you have a Lathe (Or imagination), and some basic know-how about electronics, you can do it.

Crenshaw