Need help in creating ultimate caving light

[vomit_stain]

I ran across this forum while researching
tents. You know how it goes, hit a link here chase it for a while....
Anyway, I have a wheat lamp with a 15amp/hr
rechargeable gell cell. I would love to convert it to a usable LED setup.
I currently own the Matrix but as everyone knows, it isn't very bright. Well that got me to thinking. If I could put several
LED's in the head of my wheat lamp,coupled with that massive battery, well it would be
the ultimate caving light.
It would not need to be elaborate with multiple lighting options. I like the K.I.S.S. method of doing things.In the caving environment that is the only way to do things.
This would be for my own personal use and any patents or potential money to be made from such a conversion (and I think there could be) would be yours. I would just like to have a dependable light.

 

[Go Go Gadget Flashlight]

Welcome! Nice handle! LOL!

It really depends on the money you want to blow on this project.

The white LEDs everyone uses are Nichia 5mm. I'd say it takes approximately 20 of them to equal the light output of a 2D MagLite. At $1.75 each, you're looking at $35 just for the LEDs. More if you want brighter light. Then you have to spend your time soldering them to a pc board.

But, you'll have an excellent tough white (not yellow) cave light. I'm not familiar with "wheat lights". Is this what you're talking about?

Northwest Trappers

From this site, I see that replacement bulbs ar from $5 - $10. Depending on their lifespan, the LEDs route may prove to be cost effective.

Maybe the best option is to build an additional LED module. That way you can use either depending on the surroundings.

Let us know what it is you want out of a light. I have complete faith that the people here will offer up some excellent suggestions.

 

[vomit_stain]

Yeah it's similar. It is a 4volt like the one pictured, only a different head.
The problem is, I am brain dead when it comes to anything that has to be bought from Radio Shack. Give me a soldering iron and somebody's gonna get hurt.
The amount of lights you are suggesting sounds right though.
I'll just lurk awhile and see what pops up.

 

[Go Go Gadget Flashlight]

Well, I don't think it's possible unless you give soldering a try.

There are alternatives: silver epoxy, wire wrapping.

It's really a matter of what you want as a result, what you want to spend, and how much effort you plan to put into it.

What are you looking for in the end? Similar light output with unbreakable bulb? Low output for long runtime?

What's your budget? You may get one of the members interested in building you one.

Are you willing to try soldering? Or is that a definite "non-plan"?

 

[LEDagent]

I remembered someone posting a link to a store that had a headlamp with the most LEDs i've ever seen in one unit.

You said you wanted a headlamp with several LEDs and long run time right?

Well...try 24+ hr. runtime with 26 LEDs on a head unit using 4,2 Ah Lithium-Ion Rechargeable battery packs.

Check out the link and tell me what u think:
Lupine Lighting systems

Click on HEADLIGHTS towards the right of the page. Then find your way to the headlamp called the "X-Trem Beam"

 

[phlashlight]

First of all I dont own one of these lights but I like it

found it athttp://www.speleo.co.uk/fxled.htmldont know if anyone out there has ever used one, or where to buy one anyone with details let us know.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Shame on you people, flashaholics who haven't heard of the Action Light. It's the ultimate cave light, made by cavers, and it's one of the greatest technical achievements of mankind.

Goeth thee to the website and be sure to read the story of its creation and about the special technologies used in its making.

I'm so in love with it that I'm going to get one even if I don't really have any use for it.

Now you know what I'm worshipping, thanks for the attention.

 

[vomit_stain]

Sorry 'bout not replying. I've been in the
midst of a shift change.(days to nights)
Anyway I'm gonna answer all the questions that I can.
I would be willing to give someone a headpiece w/battery (10ah)if they could convert mine. If it fails then so be it.
These are very expensive headpieces.
I like the action lights but for two things:
1. you can't get one
2. it looks a little too heavy and would likely be a strain on ones neck.
The FX lights are extremely durable and look promising. I'll wait and check it out in person at the next caving event.
The German light is way too expensive but looks nice.
I feel that one could copy the FX idea onto the wheat 'cept maybe surrounding the primary bulb with LED's instead of the few above it.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

This sounds like a fun challenge!

My biggest concern would be maintaining the headlamp's integrity against mositure ... you'd need a waterproof switch to select between LED's only, bulb only or both. I'm not skilled enough to create the switching circuitry to provide that without using a DPDT switch ... and that means water can get in through the switch housing.

Maybe someone knows about a waterproof switch that'd fit?

I don't think installing the LED's and a constant brightness driver circuit into the headlamp would be a problem. Getting around the swtich issue may be a different story.

Yours is a VERY tempting offer ... especially after seeing how much those systems sell for ... and I'm certain someone in the LED forum could help out. You might want to post your offer there.

Mark

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Zoroff:
Shame on you people, flashaholics who haven't heard of the Action Light. It's the ultimate cave light, made by cavers, and it's one of the greatest technical achievements of mankind.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah.......... I've heard of that light before. Just not too crazy about it because of its price and reports of only 2x brightness of Trek-7 on its "High" mode.

Another thing, I have yet to see a side-by-side photo of Action Light's lightbeam with other known LED flashlights for comparison of quality of lightbeam.

The mystery is with so many owners of Action Light why have I not seen one picture of its lightbeam compared to other known brand LED flashlights? If that light is really that fantastic they should be proud to show to the world photos proving its greatness.

I still say that its a way overpriced light for 2x brightness of Trek-7, fancy electronic circuit, and a aluminum body.

Now that there are many other manufacturers racing to come out with the brightest and affordable LED lights for trekking and caving... they'll have a hard time justifying its price.

Stick around and Welcome to CPF!!!

- verge -

 

[vomit_stain]

I'm back. Well it seems one of your esteemed members may well have solved my problems.
Luffokc took what was a really good incand.light and made it even better by adding 20 LED's. The light uses either the incand. bulb or LED array via the factory rotary switch.
I took the light on two short caving trips in two different type caves. One was large strolling borehole 30-40 ft diam. The other was small wet passages. I mean nose to the ceiling with your helmet off kinda wet.
The light in the large cave was very suprising. No I couldn't use it like a spotlight, but it was much more than adequate for seeing long distance and the spread was perfect for just walking. Almost like carbide 'cept brighter and no fizzouts,smell,heat,etc.
In the wet cave, well, again it was perfect.
I haven't used the light for any length of time in the cave environment as time wouldn't permit this past weekend and I really want to test it more before I make it my primary light. I did however give it a preliminary burn time test in my home and was quite stunned. The battery was a 9AH sealed lead acid battery. I'm not sure it was fully charged 'cause I bought it new and just hooked it up. Anyway it ran 13.5 hrs and was still hard to look into and lots brighter than the PT Matrix. I know this is not very scientific but I do not have access to a light meter.
I started another burn time test today at 4:20 AM and will give the results later this week. I guess the best way would be to actually take it back into the cave as the light burns. I'll figure out something.
Until then......

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

FWIW - Luxeon Star LEDs get too hot in the enclosure and I couldn't figure out a way to adequately heat sink them. The Nichia white LEDs are thermally epoxied to the aluminum reflector.

There's no room I could find inside the Wheat Lamp for a current control circuit to drive the LEDs ... without losing the incandescent bulb, so this ended up just being reisistored down. Design goal was 45 mA per LED, but my meter showed 35 mA each. I suspect my meter isn't telling the truth (internal resistance perhaps) because each LED sure looks more like one driven at 40-45 (very slight blue-ish tinting).

Anyway, before sending the unit back to "vomit_stain", my informal late-night outdoor lighting tests showed the LEDs projected adequate, very diffuse illumination out to about 40 feet. The incandescent goes WAY past that, but is such a small spotlight that it's really not well suited for close-up work.

This seems a good combination for a cave environment and is a situation where regular Nichia white LEDs were a better choice for a conversion than Luxeon Stars.

Mark

 

[PeLu]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Luffokc:
The Nichia white LEDs are thermally epoxied to the aluminum reflector.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What does it mean? The LED's plastic housing is glued to the reflector? This would be of no real use, as (almost) no heat is put out through the plastic.