P7 light build help

[crazychimpjimbo]

Hi

Im trying to build a P7 light, heatsink's seem to be a big deal with these LED's so any advice there would helpful!!

Also I don't seem to be able to find drivers for these lights, any advice here would be great too

Thanks
Jimbo

 

[alpg88]

my advice get yourself maglite 4c, get a p7 malkoff drop in, even with 4 alk c cells it is very bright, but if you use it with 3 18650, or 17670, it will be brighter and lighter, also you might wanna make an op reflector, (there was a thread about it on this forum somewhere).
the light will run about 150 without batts and charger, you could get solar force l900, or l1000, for less, (both are great lights) but mag will take more abuse, and more customizable.

 

[crazychimpjimbo]

Cheers dude. Probably would help if I spoke about my intended use. I'm going to be using it over on moorland and woods for xc enduro training. Tops I'll be running is about 6hours tops.

The maglite idea is a good one but I wanted a different look. In the past my P4 light is made of soldered copper pipe ends with aluminium heat sinks sitting on the outside. Its small and light and gives good vision. Im addicted to building lights now so this is why Im looking at a P7 project.

Could the copper end caps with aluminium provide a good enough heat sink for a P7??? P4's after 2 hours of running stationary only warm this design.

Cheers:tinfoil:

 

[Tidra]

just buy DX P7 bike light, you can't go wrong with that,...

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29489


http://www.bigringadventure.com/magicshine.htm

read this:

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Cost/Value[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HC[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]So good it cannot be categorized[/FONT]​

there is no way you can build something simmilar cheaper than that and get bether or same performance,...

 

[yellow]

there is no way you can build something simmilar cheaper than that and get bether or same performance,...

+1

A perfect system to use, and - later - to maybe mod it.
If You ever feel the need to upgrade the light, just use it and mod the "bad" parts
(f.e. a led in a tint You like more, a newer led, a driver with other power options, a driver that pushes the led harder, other focusing device, ...
The options are countless)

 

[herulach]

Is it for a bar light to complement the p4 ones? Whilst it's not a p7, cutter do a 20mm 3*xpg board, which will probably be similar output & fit the housings you're used to. Thats my plan for a new helmet light (when I stop buying so much crap and manage to save up the cash!)

 

[crazychimpjimbo]

Cheers guys!

Well Im looking to replace the P4's lights I have, at the moment the lights on the bike have 2 spill lenses and 1 mildly focused lens. As for my helmet light there are all spot beam.

As much as those lights look and are a good buy, im kinda custom all the way so maybe my question should be this:

Where do I find the P7 drivers? and a quick guide to using heat sinks with p7's??

:twothumbs

 

[RAGE CAGE]

Hi

Im trying to build a P7 light, heatsink's seem to be a big deal with these LED's so any advice there would helpful!!

Also I don't seem to be able to find drivers for these lights, any advice here would be great too

Thanks
Jimbo

you wouldn't happen to be Old Jimbo from OMF would you?

K2 is another good option........

 

[herulach]

Cheers guys!

Well Im looking to replace the P4's lights I have, at the moment the lights on the bike have 2 spill lenses and 1 mildly focused lens. As for my helmet light there are all spot beam.

As much as those lights look and are a good buy, im kinda custom all the way so maybe my question should be this:

Where do I find the P7 drivers? and a quick guide to using heat sinks with p7's??

:twothumbs

P7 Drivers, you can either use a few AMC 7135 drivers with as many LiOn cells as LEDS (theres a thread over in the LED forum, that I can't find at the moment showing how to conect a few dx boards together to acheive 2.8A)

You could also use DerWichtels (buck) driver, or one of george's (taskled) boost or buck drivers.

As for heatsinking - on a bike light I don't know, provided you're not sat still a lot you should be fine. D Mag head looks like a good starting point, with the advantage that heatsinks & optics are cheap to source. (even a triple p7 appears to be ok)

 

[crazychimpjimbo]

Forgot how much Mah they use!!

My plan was to have three however, I may need to reconsider the battery I was going to use!!!

This has got me wondering wether its worth an upgrade or possibly a light revamp on the handlebars to include 5 P4's. ........ in a spill -spot - spill -spot -spill lens setup

Rage Cage sorry not the Jimbo your thinking off dude!

 

[P220C]

Have you considered building with an MC-E for flood and a P4 for spot. You can run a pair like that off of a single 3023 buckpuck and a 14v battery. You could build a pair of these and put one on your bars and one on your helmet.

This can be dimmable via a potentiometer.

Nightrider here or achesalot over at MTB has been putting this in 1" squar tubing and it rocks!