My cheap SSC bike light

[Krit]

I made this cheap bike light from my left parts from old project.
I use warm tint SSC from Fred which suit for use as bike light and select 3.7-12 V 600 mA regulared driver. Fraen optic give nice smooth beam for good biking. It's not very good for long throw but it can shine up the road in front of my bike.

 

[Krit]

2 stage switch with 600 and 250 mA select.

 

[Krit]

li ion pack 1100 mA 8.0-8.4 volt is good for 2 - 3 hour light up in regulated mode.

 

[Krit]

smooth light, not too sharp spot as cateye light.

 

[Krit]

Cut down Fraen optic.

 

[Krit]

I cut shortly this cheap 9 leds flash light.

 

[Krit]

Hand cut heat sink and put it inside the body.

 

[Krit]

Seoul emitter from Fred.

 

[Krit]

buck 600 mA circuit.

 

[Krit]

on my bike.

 

[Krit]

Light up on High and low Mode (DD 250 mA).

Thanks for take a look.

 

[chris_m]

I hate to rain on your parade, as you've obviously put quite a bit of work in there, and made something that looks really nice. The trouble is that heatsink is doing almost nothing useful inside your casing. It will simply heat up the air inside the casing, but since that air isn't circulating that small volume of air will rapidly get hot, and it doesn't actually help to keep your LEDs cool.

Is that casing alu? If so, what you need to do is get a good thermal path to the casing from the LEDs. If it's plastic (which is what it looks like) then I'm afraid you'll never get a good thermal solution and that LED will always run hot.

 

[Krit]

Hi chris_m,

The body is aluminium and heat sink is aluminium too. At first I decide to make simple plate of heat sink to transfer heat from emitter to it's body. But I have many heat sinks and think that this type of heat sink might make more useful than regular aluminium plate.

This is only first step planning only. I found some threat about making air cool inside the bike light by drill some hold like ventilator for good heat transfer. But after I finish assembly before make ventilator, I found that heat is not much as it can make dramage to emitter. It's just a little bit warm especially when I riding it still rather warm only. I think that air flow outside is very good for make it cool. May be occur from it's head with good shape for heat down by air flow out side. So it's unnecessary to make hole for air folw inside. It's good for bike in rainy season too.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[TorchBoy]

Most of those photos didn't load for me, so my comments may not apply.

If your heatsink is not thermally connected to the body it will only be the air inside the light that's causing the body to heat up. Still air won't carry much heat from the heatsink to the body, so feeling the temperature of it won't give you a good idea how hot the LED and heatsink are inside.

 

[Krit]

If you see heat sink's shape, it's look like self heat sink in side, but in fact it act realy like normal heat plate only. This heat sink is perfect tight to it's body and glue again with Arctic alumina. Most of thermal generated from emitter should transfer to boby and it's head.

Sorry for my parade picture, I redirect from my Thai forum. It's can not make to thumbnail pictures.

 

[MatajumotorS]

I do not see the pictures too ... :thinking:
By the way you could look at my recent project of bike lights.

p.s. webpage is under construction :duh2:

 

[msxtr]

Hi, excellent job!!!!

How you cut the heatsink so much well??

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr

 

[TorchBoy]

The pics loaded this time. I see what you mean about the shape of the heatsink. (It looks some aluminium ones I have, rounded off with a file.) The contact with the body you have made sounds good. :twothumbs

 

[Krit]

I use home tools such as metal saw and a file. I make intend cut off buy saw and use a file to rup a little by little until it tight fit to body. This heat sink is not hard and easy to make it round.

This heat sink plan for make air cool from outside. If I change circuit to 5 steps from DealEX and run to max at 1000 mA, I might make holes at body if it seem to be hot.

MatajumotorS, I like your led light, it's very bright.

 

[MatajumotorS]

I use home tools such as metal saw and a file. I make intend cut off buy saw and use a file to rup a little by little until it tight fit to body. This heat sink is not hard and easy to make it round.

This heat sink plan for make air cool from outside. If I change circuit to 5 steps from DealEX and run to max at 1000 mA, I might make holes at body if it seem to be hot.

MatajumotorS, I like your led light, it's very bright.

Now i see the pictures A nice small bikelight! Almoust look like "factory made" !