Please Help Torch Newbie !

ddk

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
2
Hi all, I am new to this sort of thing so please bear with me :grin2:.

I work as a gas enginner for a living, which usually involves spending some time under floors and in dark lofts/attics. I have used a couple of LED Lenser torches and have now settled with a brilliant Nitecore D10 sp, which does a brilliant job of lighting small areas with the extra diffuser I have bought...but sometimes its just not enough....

My plan (hands in the 'finger pyramid of evil contemptlation' position) is to create a sort of 'portable wireless lightbulb' which is small enough to carry in my toolbox and deploy at the click of a button, and leave on the floor so I can carry on my duties in a fairly well-lit area. The alternative my employer supplies me with is a simple lead lamp, which needs to be plugged in, gets extremely hot and will not fit in my toolbox!
I plan to create my contraption using a SSC P7 C-Bin LED Emitter, a simple on/off switch, and something as cheap and cheerful as a beer bottle or empty jar for the 'bulb' (possible filled with epoxy resin for strength). I hope to create something useful and very bright, but i would like it to be relatively cheap and fun to produce, as i may make several for my work collegues.

Sadly, I have minimal experience in torch making, and I am not sure if it would be as simple as I hope, and I am not sure what batteries or drivers (if any) I would require. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards in advance....D :twothumbs
 
Welcome to CPF, ddk.

The B/S/T section is for sales, so I'll move your thread to H&M.
 
If you want to build something, with a P7 (at full brightness) you're going to have to spend a bit on batteries & chargers if you want decent runtime.

A single high bin cree will light up a small room well enough if driven around 1A, its also easily driven with 3AA batteries and a cheap 3*AMC7135 based driver (about a dollar each from DX). If you use eneloops it should give c.90/100 mins runtime. If you need it brighter add an extra LED & 3 more batteries in series to keep it balanced (see this thread).

A coleman packaway lantern will be just as effective and tons neater, as well as being pretty small. Not nearly as fun though!
 
Thankyou for your prompt reply, Im looking forward to a weekend in my shed trying to create the lamp!
 
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