Triple Cree XR-E bike light / head light

[chris_m]

Finally taken some pics of my new triple Cree light:

one with the lenses out

...the lens holders had to be cut down slightly to fit 3 in the tin.

and finally showing the separate electronics - still a work in progress

Lenses are Cree 8 degree.
Heatsink is a Zalman ZM-NB32K
Housing is a cut down Schwarzkopf Mess Up Gum tin
Stuck together with Arctic Silver epoxy
Driver is a Taskled Fatman
Separate electronics on stripboard is a LM2951 and a PIC12f683, running pushbutton level control and low voltage flash / auto shutdown for 1 or 2 cell LiIon batteries.

The plan is to use this as a helmet / head light initially. I'll be building up a quad with higher bin LEDs when those become available to take over those duties, at which point it will become a bike mounted light (I'll also put in a buck driver to use with 4 cell LiIon batteries for that).

 

[Thujone]

Looks nice!

Beam shots? Draw? Power source? Did it prove to need that serious of heat sink?

 

[chris_m]

Looks nice!

Beam shots? Draw? Power source? Did it prove to need that serious of heat sink?

Beam shots to come later - not got any really good ones at the moment (and only got a fully auto camera, so comparisons are difficult).

Draws a little under 8W from the battery on full heat, but I also have 4W, 2W and 1W dim modes. Currently using a 2 cell LiIon (well 4 actually, 2 sets of 2 parallel in series with each other) taken from a laptop battery pack, which is the same thing I've been using with halogens for several years.

Possibly don't need that much heat sink when in use and moving, but it still gets warm enough when stationary not to seem like overkill.

 

[HEY HEY ITS HENDO]

Excellent work chris, keep us updated ....
if you`re looking for cable/switches take a look .............
.
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=317
.
http://litemania.com/front/php/category.php?cate_no=145
.

 

[chris_m]

Still no beamshots, but it got tried out in anger last night for the first time as a head torch. Mounted it on the headband from my 10/20W halogen headtorch, and cased up the electronics in a puncture repair kit case! Was running off a homemade 2 cell 2.2Ah, 7.4V LiIon battery pack (cells taken from a Dell laptop battery) - since my custom electronics provides low voltage shutdown and I also have a balancer for charging, I don't feel the need for any cell protection circuits. That should be enough for 2 hours on high.

Anyway, took the light night orienteering - and it is definitely more powerful than my previous 20W halogen. Maybe a bit less flood with the 8 degree lenses, but I can't say I missed that, and a lot more penetration. In direct comparison in the car park, my light could light up trees in the distance which the halogen only cast a dim glow on. Actually very impressed, as I didn't expect it to be that good!

 

[Long John]

:goodjob: chris, I like it :twothumbs

Best regards

_____
Tom

 

[AndrewL]

Anyway, took the light night orienteering - and it is definitely more powerful than my previous 20W halogen.

what sort of halogen was that.
I'm a little upset I just spent a fair amount of time and money fiddling about upgrading to IRC halogen bulbs and a 12Nimah cell supply for my bike lights to be told I could have a brighter lighter system

how much would it cost to make something like that?

 

[chris_m]

My old headtorch is a Tiga SL - consists of a couple of little GU4 bulbs in a big reflector, so should be quite efficient.


Cost of parts was about £50 UK pounds, or $100 US. That's without the battery.

Increase Size Decrease Size Smilies

 

[ammp]

Hi Chris,
Nice light - well done. I'm in the UK too and looking for a few parts - I like the look of your cable. Where did you source it? Thanks

 

[marshan2]

ammp,
Maplin do a nice cable, a two core that just about fits into the back of a DC supply plug, as in the Nightrider lamp.

 

[Gunnar]

How is that cable handling low temperatures?
The clear cable on my Min-T is getting very stiff...

/Gunnar

 

[rufusbduck]

what sort of halogen was that.
I'm a little upset I just spent a fair amount of time and money fiddling about upgrading to IRC halogen bulbs and a 12Nimah cell supply for my bike lights to be told I could have a brighter lighter system

how much would it cost to make something like that?

I put together a triple cree headlamp modding my existing lamp heads for less than $50.
3 cree q5 on pcb from cutter rewired parallel
triple optic (also from cutter)
kd p7 3 mode driver delivers ~ 930 ma to each led
1" copper pipe cap for heatsinking
solder and teflon wire

I used my old vistalite lamps but I have seen mods done with other mr11 and mr16 types. Apparently I'm breaking a rule by running the leds in parallel but it's been working fine for over a year. Obtw, at 80% efficiency this lamp kicks the snot out of my 15w vistalite halogen bulbs using less power.:twothumbs