Rob M
Newly Enlightened
Here's a little 'Police' brand light I modded a while back, it's mainly just me trying stuff to pimp it out a bit, although some of the mods like the tail stand mod have made it more practical. I like lights that can have their brightness turned down very low, so I did that with this one, it now has four brightness levels. I modded it so that normally only the centre LED comes on, but screwing the head down causes it to then light four, then all nine of the LEDs. Screwing the head all the way down causes all nine LEDs to come on brighter still, although I have used conductive grease on the threads I think tightening the head down all the way eliminates a resistance from the conduction path. Knowing what I now know I would have gone for 1,3, or 9 rather than 1,4, or 9.
In the head, the reflector is partially filled with high quality GID powder from "The Glow Company", this is really useful stuff, it really does glow for many hours after being charged by lighting the torch up, or by being left in the sun. There's no appreciable difference in throw, which isn't much anyway.
This is a great little torch for around the house, or camping use, or reading with. I don't know much about the drive circuit but it must be ok as it makes a CR123A last for ages, and ages. I used to use 1/2 AA 3.6v lithiums in it with a spacer, they light up all nine LEDs ok but you don't get the high brightness by screwing the head all the way down, I don't think they can supply the necessary juice. They do run the light for long periods on the lower settings though.
There are a couple of GID 'o' rings on the tube, in rings where I was trying to lathe off the ugly 'decorative' marks from the outside of the light. Also the lanyard is made of glow string. I've always been fascinated by GID stuff, and this new Strontium Aluminate is miles better than the GID stuff I played with as a kid!
The big black 'o' ring on the front was added just to make it grippy, it works well, it's an old worn-out piston head seal from one of my air pistols!
In the head, the reflector is partially filled with high quality GID powder from "The Glow Company", this is really useful stuff, it really does glow for many hours after being charged by lighting the torch up, or by being left in the sun. There's no appreciable difference in throw, which isn't much anyway.
This is a great little torch for around the house, or camping use, or reading with. I don't know much about the drive circuit but it must be ok as it makes a CR123A last for ages, and ages. I used to use 1/2 AA 3.6v lithiums in it with a spacer, they light up all nine LEDs ok but you don't get the high brightness by screwing the head all the way down, I don't think they can supply the necessary juice. They do run the light for long periods on the lower settings though.
There are a couple of GID 'o' rings on the tube, in rings where I was trying to lathe off the ugly 'decorative' marks from the outside of the light. Also the lanyard is made of glow string. I've always been fascinated by GID stuff, and this new Strontium Aluminate is miles better than the GID stuff I played with as a kid!
The big black 'o' ring on the front was added just to make it grippy, it works well, it's an old worn-out piston head seal from one of my air pistols!
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