ROP Finished :)

[Mattmanic]

Me again.

I've finally finished my 6D ROP which took ages as the first set of AA to D adapters I bought didn't arrive. But it's done now and it's quite bright. All the cells fully charged are 8.2v which is probably a bit too much but it'll be fine for a little while.

I've just also made myself a simple (read: dangerous) charging adapter which fits in where the bulb goes. It works with my battery pack charger and is cheaper than buying AA or D cell chargers for all of them. It's basically just a screw with some washers on it wrapped in electrical tape with a bit of wire soldered onto the end of that.

It seems to work quite well. I just hope my charger realises when the cells are full because otherwise it's basically just a pipe bomb isn't it?

EDIT: removed large pics...

EDIT 2: Better sizes

 

[Linger]

Matt that's some scary $ht.
What is in place to keep you and everyone around you safe with that little set-up? The flame-proof ceramic carpet the light is on? That it's in a safe / secure area removed from any potential disturbance (instead say of sitting on the middle of the floor), that you've got a fire exetinquisher on hand, that the area is well ventilated and removed from 'living quarters.' I hope that's not cat hair I see on the carpet because little Felix could come up and give the active lead a swat and

 

[Mattmanic]

Yeah

I was only taking those pictures there because of the better lighting. The charger wasn't actually on.

I'll stick it in the utility room or something to actually charge it. (all brick and tiles)

 

[Linger]

I'll stick it in the utility room or something to actually charge it. (all brick and tiles)

That could be an excellent step towards creating a safe use protocol for your gear.
If someone is going to get a lot of use out of a light, they'll charge it often. How many times could a person get away with using that diy charge adapter before poop happens? Phone call from friend /relative needing immediate assistance and does the charger terminate on it's own when you leave in a hurry? A cough when inserting the leads, some rushed packing late at night for a trip and your mind is elsewhere when you think about topping up the cells...

 

[Mattmanic]

The charger switches to a 50mw trickle when it notices the cells voltages aren't increasing anymore and it'll also blow a resettable fuse if there's a short. So it should be safe enough. I'll find some heat shrink for it though just in case and solder a proper connector onto the non maglite end.

This was just knocked together in a few minutes, as everyone can no doubt tell.

 

[maxspeeds]

I would also install a cheap disposable fuse inline as an added precaution. Resettable fuses (or circuit breakers) can get stuck and not break the circuit if needed. When it comes to your home and loved ones, you can never be too safe.

Redundancies in safety precautions in your circuit cannot be emphasized enough.

 

[Freaker]

I know I should get slapped for not knowing this yet (I've been registered almost three years), what was is a ROP?

I always thought it referred to an orange peel reflector or something.

 

[Mattmanic]

Roar of the Pelican.

I believe it's just a nickname for sticking this bulb into a maglite with a glass lens and metal reflector.

 

[Waffle]

Nice job