Modified Ryobi 18V shop light

[FrankenPC]

Hi everyone. I'm new. I'm informed, and now I'm dangerous

Ok, so I decided to make a super-flashlight using a Ryobi P700 flashlight which uses a standard Ryobi 18V NiCd pack. I liked the Ryobi because it's hearty (high current wires and on/off switch). And the plastic is easy to cut and modify.

So, I removed the incandescent spring fixture and installed one of those two pin ceramic plugs. I'm using an Osram 100W 12V HLX bulb.

Everything works great...except I blow bulbs like no tomorrow. They last about 500ms before the filament blows. I've let the battery pack sit for 24 hours after charging but it's just too much current.

I did drain one battery to about 50% power and it worked for about 120 seconds before the battery died. The bulb survived though.

My question to all the experts here is, what do i have to do to get a fully charged pack to NOT blow bulbs? Put a resistor in series? Parallel? I'm not very familiar with electronics.

Any suggestions would be great. Here is the Ryobi base I'm using:
http://cgi.ebay.com/RYOBI-P700-CORD...ryZ20760QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[SafetyBob]

Go to the incan forum. There you will find a Lux Luther's Destructive Bulb Test or something like that, look for your bulb and look for your applied voltage. You may be hitting it with to much juice.

The easy way (I think) to control yourself if 18VDC isn't to much for the bulb is to go to the Newark Electronics website and order yourself an NTC. Look for that also on the incan forum section. There is a very specific model you want to order.

Otherwise, with even more modification you could install/modify one of AW's switches for incans (look for that too). It has a softstart and 3 levels, it is absolutely the most wonderful thing in the world for an incan light for usability. Start off in low, enough light, fine, or ramp it up to medium to really start searching for something or hit the switch to high and enjoy lovely illuminating lumens of bright white light from your flashlight.

If the reflector is plastic, once you get the light going, my bet it will melt. Make sure it's metal, if not, I recommend you go LED.


Bob E.

 

[Gunner12]

This thread would be helpful.

The bulb would probably melt most of the nearby plastic parts.

:welcome:

 

[FrankenPC]

This thread would be helpful.

The bulb would probably melt most of the nearby plastic parts.

:welcome:

HI! Thanks for all the tips everyone!

Regarding melting the plastic, I gutted the reflector (metal) and the plastic lense. I used a dremel to trim down the plastic and I fitted a 3D-Mag head with a stippled alum reflector and a boro silicate (is that right?) lens. I glued the assembly in place of the original assembly. It fits suprisingly well. Looks a bit odd having this large flashlight assembly ending with a little D-Mag head. But, that's what this is all about Doing odd things with flashlights.