torches for christmas

[EMPOWERTORCH]

Yes its that time again when we all spend too much and regret it afterwards...hey just a minute, why not MAKE or MODIFY torches for christmas presents! Surely ths must be a torchaholic's gift to his friends!
Parents, friends, fellow church members...
Looks like I'm going to have to get the EMPOWERTORCH production line going again... I've had requests from some people who want to buy torches for christmas presents.
I need to get an order in to that nice Mr Flannery again for more of his cyan LED's.
I have orders for a modified multilight and a couple of modded Benrosses, as well as a number of the ever popular BT2 Cyans.
There are a number of experimentasl developments taking place at EMPOWERTORCH. One of the ideas involves using EMPOWERTORCH technology in some novel non-torch products such as pushbike lights, emergency lighting and decorative lighting.
watch this space....

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

Direct Drive seems to be the order of the day for some of my 2 cell conversions.
Today I created a 3-LED orange 2C blaster... nothing as bright as the Luxeon I'm shortly to recieve, but impressive lighting power for about £3! This torch runs happily on "dead" c cells as well...having no resistors it'll squeeze the last few joules out of its C Cells. I estimate that the torch is putting out about 28000-30000mcd of orange light. I've yet to walk test this one yet so I'll hang on to it; this beastie isn't going to end up in someone's Christmas stocking!
This direct-drive permanent mod is great for thise who want a conventional looking torch that kicks ***!
I've also modded anpother of those 2AA's with the wire-ended bulb, this time with a direct-drive Toshiba Sodium yellow LED. The resulting beam is very filament-torch-like, although of course it's sodium yellow. Again I've had little opportunity to walk test this torch.
Oh to get off to Nant Gwynnant and really put these beasties to the test!
The next torches I make/mod ARE destined to end up in christmas wrapping. In each wrapped torch packaging I'm going to include a paper invite to join Candle Power Forums...maybe I can get a few more to become torchaholics!

 

[Ratso]

Are Benrosses the equivalent of, say, Energizer 2D cheapies?

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

The Benross 4033 is a 3D torch and therefore modifies nicely with InGaN LED's such as blue, Cyan, green or white! The torch is finished in silverised ABS and is fitted with a lanyard and rubberised grip handle as standard. For the money you get a lot of torch. Nice dichroic-style reflector and maglite-like pushbutton switch *** well. I've used a 2 green 5000mcd LED modded 4033 on a number of camping trips, and was surprised at the great performance of it. It was probably about the third torch I modded, with a PR bulb conversion. The next 4033 to be modded is going to have a cluster of 4 or 5 LED's in it, probably cyans or greens and slightly overdriven at 34mA per LED. The user requires a very bright, powerful torch that is also very reliable. The torch will never need another bulb change and can be carried or hung by its sturdy lanyard.
Benross do a whole range of torches and lighting gadgets.
I think that thier web site is
http://www.benross.co.uk

...which was under construction in places last time I looked, but you will get a phone number and contact details.

I hope I've managed to answer your question.

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

Apologies for the website error. Replace .co.uk with .com

http://www.benross.com
The .co.uk site is a golf equipment maker with the same name!

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

I'm now having fun thinking up names for the torches I've created!
I've created in addition to the torches already mentionned
A 2 LED converted 2AA rubber torch (orange LED's)
A 4 LED 2D torch (yellow LED's)
A 3 LED 2D torch (yellow LED's)

The 4 yellow LED torch could be called the "Yellow Peril" as it also has a bright yellow body.

The rubber torch...the problem is that the word "rubber" means different things either side of the pond! "Rubberlux" was one silly name I came up with. In fact, it is a highly practical all-weather torch which should give its owner many years of service.

The 2D 3 LED torch... This might appeal to a Stryper fan as it is yellow and black, so it might end up being called "The Yellow & Black Attack" after thier first album.

Most of these are going to end up as Christmas presents...each torch will have a little invite to join this happy band of torchaholics known as "CPF"!

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

The orange 3 LED 2C has become my EDC torch. It has been christened Tangerine Dream!
I have done little nightwalking with it and it projects a good strong and blinding beam of light, picking out objecta a few hundred metres away, and illuminating reflective signs, car number plates, etc. from a much further distance than that. At the same time, the reflector overspill givees me a pleasant nearfield pool of light to walk in confidence.
It also makes a good book reading light providing you're not trying to read orange text.
The Rubberlux also gives a nice beam, very much the same beam pattern as a BT2 orange due to it having the same LED's. This uses a direct-drive PR conversion.

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

"Tangerine Dream" was used as a stage light tonight, to light up my synth control panel and my lyric book in a darkened pub! Although used for 3 hours continuously, the apparemtly "Dead" c cells do not show any signs of fading! I suspect a filament torch bulb would have sucked up all the power in those C cells in about 20 minutes flat!

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

2 more to add to the current batch:
1 Benross 4033 c/w 3LED permenant conmversion.
Very bright, direct-drive nichia NR86T Green LED's.
1 2D w/4 Toshiba orange LED's.
The latest batch of these LED's appear to have a longer wavelength than the ones in Tangerine Dream and therefore appear redder. An impressive beam though! I still prefer the oranger beam though.
I was expecting to make more torches tonight, but I spent some of the time figuring non-PR conversions for the Benross. My main concern was to provide a good heatsink for the cathode legs to dissipate heat from the LED dice. The 4033 has as nice large switch contact ring for this. To get the cathodes to it I cut slots in he threaded bulbholder assembly. Future mods may have holes instead of sawn slots.
Future ideas include mounting a large number of LED's directly through the torch's lens, possibly using the Kingbright range of LED's that Maplin stocks. This will allow me to build up torches with 10 or more LED arrays giving superb lighting capability.
This could lead to the development of a practical pushbike light, giving comparable lumens to a filament-bulb unit without the filament bulb's fragility.
A multi LED prototype will be built shortly once I've made the torches I intend to send as Christmas presents.

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

Neals have started selling a very sleek 2AA torch under the brand name Battrex; its made from ABS but looks like cast aluminium, for the princely sum of £1, c/w 2 free AA's. It's a nicely made torch, and I decided to do an experimental mod on it...I've named this torch "Oranges & Lemons"
It has 2 yellow and 2 orange LED's direct driven off the AA's.
The dual coloured beam is very good, the beam throw in our light polluted district is about 60 to 80 feet. A great little torch!
The only thing I don't like about this torch is the complete absense of a lanyard.
It would be a good torch to keep in your car or in your pocket.